Operation Orca

by Ron Roy

  “So D.T. stands for Dennis Toomey,” Josh said. “Cool!”

  Just then Mr. Turner’s cell phone chirped in his pocket. He tapped a key and said, “Hello, this is Drake.”

  He listened, then closed his eyes. “Your men found them?” he asked. “Yes, red hair, both of them. Great work, Mr. Cosgrove. Let’s talk in the morning. I’m in the middle of something important. Thank you very, very much!”

  Mr. Turner was beaming. “Miranda and Tyler are renting a cottage on Frye Island,” he said. “She’s had to explain to Tyler that there are no whales in Sebago Lake.”

  “Awesome!” Josh said. “Are you going there?”

  “I’ll fly in as soon as I can,” he said. “I don’t know what Miranda will say, but I have to try. I know I can be a better husband and father.” His eyes looked hopeful. “How can I thank you?”

  “Josh is dying to see your yacht!” Dink said.

  Drake smiled at Josh. “Really? You’d like to come aboard the Miranda?”

  “Sure!” Josh said. “Only I’m too polite to ask you. Dink isn’t polite at all!”

  Mr. Turner laughed. “Let’s have lunch on the Miranda tomorrow,” he said. “I’ll send the dinghy to the dock at noon. But lunch doesn’t seem nearly enough. I’d like to do something special for you kids.”

  “I know something,” Dink said. “We met a lady—”

  Before Dink could continue, they all felt Hec slow his boat. “Here, Rafe?” Hec asked. “How can you tell in the middle of the night?”

  “I’ve been to this spot a thousand times,” Rafe said, looking out at the dark sea through his binoculars.

  Hec flipped on a searchlight and aimed it onto the water, sweeping it back and forth in a slow arc. No one saw a fin or any signs of whales breathing.

  “Can we try a different spot?” Rafe asked Hec after a minute. He pointed. “A few hundred yards to the right.”

  “Sure.” The Not My Falt moved slowly to the new location. The searchlight continued to cast a beam on the dark water.

  “I see something!” Dink cried. “Or I think I did!”

  Hec turned the light to where Dink was pointing.

  “Yes!” Rafe said. “It’s a pod, all right. Closer, Hec?”

  Hec guided the boat toward the pod. “Fins!” he cried.

  Rafe trained his binoculars on one fin that was six feet out of the water. “That’s Jack!” he said. “You found the pod, Hec!”

  “Okay, let’s do it,” Hec said to Rafe. He slowed the boat, then walked over to the machine with the crane arm that could be swung, raised, and lowered. A large hook hung from its dangling cable. Using a lever, Hec guided the arm to a spot over the trapdoor.

  Hec and Rafe pulled the trapdoor lid, and everyone looked down into the hold. The young orca was lying still in several inches of water. Its blowhole made little chuffing sounds as the calf breathed in and out.

  “I’ve been talking to the baby, keeping it calm,” Hec told Rafe. “Do you think it understood me?”

  “Sure,” Rafe said. “Orcas are very smart.”

  “We poured in cold seawater every hour,” Hec added.

  “You did well,” Rafe said. He looked at the calf. “Time to go see your mama, little one.”

  CHAPTER 13

  “The calf’s lying on a canvas stretcher inside the tank,” Hec said. “I’ll hook the crane to the stretcher to lift it out. Then, if you’ll all guide it, we’ll take it over to the side.”

  Hec pulled the big steel hook lower. A strap was woven through slots along the edges of the stretcher. He slipped the hook under the strap.

  “Now, as the crane lifts, you guys all grab on and keep the stretcher even,” Hec said.

  “Are you sure this will work?” Rafe asked.

  Hec nodded. “This is how I haul in nets filled with fish,” he said. “It’s how I brought the calf aboard last night.”

  He pulled the lever, and the crane cable became taut. Slowly, the stretcher began to rise out of the tank. Water dripped on everyone as they held on to keep the load from tipping or swinging.

  “Keep it even!” Hec cried. “Don’t let the baby slip out!”

  The crane arm moved to the side of the boat. Six pairs of hands held on to the stretcher. The calf wriggled and thumped its tail. Dink heard it make little crying noises.

  “Just a few more seconds,” Dink whispered.

  “Okay, I’m going to lower it to the water,” Hec said. “Watch your hands! Don’t get pinched!”

  The crane arm moved the stretcher out over the water, and Hec lowered it.

  They all watched as the baby orca sank into the water. The calf lay still for a minute, then wriggled free from the stretcher. It floated on the surface, blowing air through its blowhole.

  Suddenly a tall, curved fin appeared from below the calf. Air blew from a blowhole, making a small jet next to the baby.

  “It’s Lily!” Dink cried.

  “Now, this is what I call exciting!” Josh said.

  Lily nuzzled her baby, bumping it gently with her nose.

  The baby went immediately to Lily’s side for milk. Lily dove, and the baby followed.

  “Well, that was something special,” Hec muttered. He used the lever to get the crane arm and stretcher back aboard his boat.

  Mr. Turner clapped. “Well done, Hector!” he said.

  Dink tried to say something, but he had a lump in his throat.

  His father had tears in his eyes.

  “Rats!” Ruth Rose said. “I was so excited, I forgot to take pictures!”

  —

  At noon the next day, Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose were waiting on the dock.

  A white rubber dinghy sped across the water toward them. It slowed and came to rest against one of the pilings. “I’m Simon from the Miranda,” the pilot said. “Are you kids Mr. Turner’s luncheon guests?”

  “Yes!” Josh said.

  Simon helped the kids step down from the dock to the dinghy. It moved under their feet. “Is this really made of rubber?” Josh asked.

  “Very strong rubber,” Simon said. He handed out three life vests. “Strap these on, please.”

  A minute later they were racing across the water. Salt spray flew up and wet their faces. Their hair flew back, and their eyes watered.

  Dink saw the Miranda in the distance. As they came alongside, he realized the boat seemed bigger than 120 feet.

  “Welcome aboard!” Drake Turner shouted down from the upper deck. The dinghy rested against a ladder, and Simon helped each kid put a foot on the bottom rung.

  On the deck, a crew member took their life vests and handed them towels to dry their hair and faces.

  “Simon loves to speed that dinghy,” Drake Turner said. “He likes to see how wet he can get my guests.”

  Another crew member stood behind Mr. Turner. He held a tray carrying three tall glasses of orange juice.

  “Follow me,” Mr. Turner said as the kids sipped their juice. “Lunch is almost ready.”

  He brought them to a table standing in the shade of an awning. The table was set with a white tablecloth and blue plates.

  “I hope you like burgers and fries and ice cream,” Drake Turner said. “That was the chef’s suggestion.”

  “Tell the chef we love him!” Josh called out.

  The crew member who had served the orange juice arrived with a covered platter. He removed the top and set the platter on a tray stand next to the table.

  When everyone had a burger and plenty of fries, Drake Turner said, “Last night, seeing the mother orca reunited with her baby, I realized how foolish I was, taking the baby. I want to thank you for making me see that what I did was wrong.”

  Mr. Turner took a sip of his water. “Now, on the boat you started to tell me about a lady?” he said.

  “Her name is Carol Waxman,” Dink said. “She’s a librarian in town.”

  “Oh yes,” Mr. Turner said. “I own the piece of land behind the library. My pilot puts the helicopter
there now and then.”

  “Well, she has a problem,” Ruth Rose said.

  The kids explained how tiny the library was, with not nearly enough room for all the books. They told him how Carol wanted to buy the land so she could expand the library.

  “She can’t do it because she doesn’t have enough money,” Josh said.

  Drake Turner stared out to sea for a minute, then called to one of his crew members. “Ronnie, bring my phone, will you, please?”

  Ronnie brought a silver smartphone to the table.

  “Can you get me the number for Carol Waxman?” Mr. Turner said. “She’s a librarian.”

  Ronnie tapped a few keys, then dialed a number. “Hold on, please,” he said, then handed the phone to his boss.

  “Hello, is this Ms. Waxman?” he asked. “This is Drake Turner speaking. I land my helicopter behind your library.”

  He winked at the kids. “I know the helicopter is noisy and smelly, Ms. Waxman. Starting now, that land belongs to your library,” he told her. “No more helicopters in your backyard. I’ll send the paperwork tomorrow.”

  The kids could hear Carol’s excited “Thank you!” over the phone.

  “Don’t thank me,” he said. “Thank those three kids who came in to see you yesterday, the ones from Connecticut.”

  More thankful sounds came from Mr. Turner’s cell phone.

  “One more thing, Ms. Waxman,” Drake Turner said. “I want to help you build an extension to the library. I’ll bring a check to you tomorrow, and I have friends who will also donate.”

  They all heard Carol Waxman’s joy over the phone.

  Josh and Ruth Rose were beaming.

  Dink put down his hamburger. He couldn’t swallow, and he was blinking back tears.

  Drake Turner handed the cell phone back to Ronnie. “I’ll be taking the chopper to the airport tomorrow, Ronnie,” he said. “Will you ask the pilot to pick me up behind the library…for the last time?”

  Drake looked at the kids. “Carol Waxman says she owes you each a big hug,” he said.

  Josh giggled.

  Mr. Turner set his napkin down. “Well, this has been an expensive lunch!” he said, pretending to be angry.

  “Are we done?” Josh asked, looking panicked. “I thought there was ice cream!”

  DID YOU FIND THE

  SECRET MESSAGE

  HIDDEN IN THIS BOOK?

  If you don’t want to know the answer, don’t look at the bottom of this page!

  “Who wants a secret admirer who can’t even spell secret?”

  Josh grinned at Dink. “Someone liiiiikes you!” he teased.

  Dink stared at Josh. “Did you leave the note?” he demanded. “If you did, I’ll…”

  Josh shook his head. “Nope. Not me,” he said. “Maybe it was Ruth Rose!”

  “Ha!” Ruth Rose said. “I’m a good speller, Joshua!”

  Dink stared out the window at the falling snowflakes. “Then who could it be?”

  Excerpt copyright © 2015 by Ron Roy. Published by Random House Children’s Books, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York.

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