by Desiree Holt
How could either of those things have anything to do with tagging Tiburon and using the receiver to track him down as a human man? Why would anyone need a creature that was half-human and half-shark?
It hit her with the force of Peterbilt.
There was one thing that made sense. He was some sort of test subject.
Eva hoped like hell she was wrong because if she was right, the currents might be impossible to navigate.
* * *
Tiburon felt his strength leaving him. He imagined it like the battery icon on his cell phone. He’d been in the green this morning but now he was deep into the red. It didn’t make sense. Lying on a cold medical table for hours, drifting between semi-consciousness and a dreamy twilight state was more exhausting than a three-mile ocean swim.
The machines beeped and clicked and the room was so cold.
He closed his eyes and dreamed he was swimming.
* * *
Eva grabbed her cell phone, a car charger and hopped into the Jeep.
After filling up her gas tank and buying a map of the island, she headed for Radio Shack and pulled out her credit card.
She might not be MacGuyver but she was no lightweight either. Her years in the classroom had taught her a lot and she intended to put all of it to use. A couple of years ago, she’d helped her advanced students build a simple bat detector so they could hear the sounds of the bats flying around their houses at night.
She was grasping at straws but short of kidnapping a research scientist who had access to specific types of equipment, she was on her own.
The transmitters that were used to track sharks weren’t all that complicated. Most of the newer ones used satellite technology which meant that researchers and scientists got real time tracking information on sharks, and other marine animals, they’d tagged. The older way was much simpler and since Tiburon had been shifting for at least five years, she guessed that his tag must use that technology. Called active tracking, the scientist used an underwater microphone to pick up the ultrasonic pings given off by the device attached to the fish.
Ultrasonic was the key.
All Eva needed was a device that could pick up those pings and turn them into sounds she could hear.
Finding a specific fish in the ocean might be tricky.
Finding the only shark on land might be a little easier.
* * *
The voices sounded so far away, garbled and indistinct, they sounded familiar but Tiburon couldn’t name them. His eyelids were too heavy to open, so he stopped trying. He just listened through the fog crowding his mind.
“We have to replace the old transmitter with the new one.”
“If we lose him, that’s years’ worth of research gone down the drain.”
“I’m working as fast as I can.”
“You need to work faster. He’s fading.”
“We have others out there.”
“None as promising as him.”
“I’m doing all I can.”
“Do more.”
Tiburon heard some rustling, some beeps sounded from the machines. More rustling.
“Let’s try this.”
Pain. White-hot blinding pain. It spread from his shoulder all the way into his spine. He gritted his teeth against the pain. He had to keep listening.
“There. It’s attached.”
“You’re sure it’s right this time?”
“The old one was just a way to make sure we kept track of him while we gathered more information. This one can tell us all kinds of things.”
Tiburon heard the clicking of computer keys. Rapid ones. He focused on clearing his mind. Anything he learned might help him escape. He ignored the buzz, clenched his jaw and forced himself to stay awake.
“This had better work.” A sinister voice said. Penworth.
“I’m picking him up already. With this device, we should be able to get real time information about location and behavior. The behavior modification module will help us control the shift and get valuable information when he’s back to his human form,”Masters said.
“He’ll have to shift when we send and impulse?” Penworth asked.
“Yep. And if this chip is ever removed, he’ll remain in that form forever. Even if we find and retag him, the chances of a subsequent shift will be minimal. Once I insert this into his ear, there’s no going back.”
Evil laugh. “Who would have a cause to look closely enough to remove it? No one would ever suspect a shark swimming by a submarine someplace in the deep of being a spy,” Penworth said.
“By this time next year, we should have enough data to compile a data base of several species that can help us on land and in the sea.”
“We’ll have enough to move into the next phase of the project?”
“We’re two years from applying the DNA modification information into a comprehensive intelligence program. We’ve been successful at integrating the human DNA allowing them to shift, but we need more time to figure out how to better control their behaviors and compel them to remember and report what they’ve learned in their animal forms,” Masters said.
“That would mean an impenetrable intelligence system.”
Intelligence system? What the hell were these two men talking about? He was a shark. No. He was a man. No. Shark. Man. Images of himself as both flashed through his head like a fast-paced movie trailer.
The spark of clarity grew into a window.
They wanted both. A shark to spy and a human to report back to them.
He’d fallen into a web so tangled, so deep that he was never going to get out of it.
The world swirled again and he fell into a kaleidoscope.
A Literal Land Shark
Eva was satisfied with her work. After using the things she’d bought to turn forty bucks’ worth of supplies into an ultrasonic microphone, she pulled out the map. For all she knew, they could have put him on a plane. He could be anywhere by now, but for some reason, she was pretty sure that they’d keep him close.
These days it was difficult to travel without some identification so unless they had access to private aviation, it was unlikely he’d gone far. She was looking for something remote, removed. Off the beaten path.
She knew that was a half-truth she was telling herself, but she couldn’t bear to imagine that he was lost to her.
After highlighting a route along the beach, she put the Jeep into first and pulled out of the parking lot. She steered toward the beach, past the state park, past the handful of housing developments. In less than half an hour, she was cruising down the back roads on the undeveloped side of the island.
By the time the sun dipped below the horizon, she was no closer to finding Tiburon. She hadn’t heard the first ping. Her cell phone hadn’t trilled once.
She pulled over onto the sandy shoulder of the road and cried.
Not only was her idea stupid, it had cost her precious time.
Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. I’m a fucking moron. What was I thinking?
She’d spent hours traveling down a meaningless rabbit hole. Now full dark, the gas tank was creeping toward empty, and she was bone-tired. She tossed the stupid bat detector out the window and steered toward home. Without regrouping, she was no good to Tiburon, and that was the only thing that mattered.
* * *
The buzz had stopped. Tiburon opened his eyes and looked around the room. He had no idea where he was. Everything was white, sterile. He rolled over onto his side and looked at his legs. Lifeguard shorts. Nothing unusual there. Flip flops on the floor beside the bed.
He sat up tentatively, and his head pounded. The worst hangover he’d ever had.
But he didn’t remember going anywhere for drinks. He didn’t remember much at all.
Fuck. Eva.
His dick hardened in response to the thought of her.
She was going to be pissed.
He slid off the bed faster than he should have and he nearly fell, but at the last minute, he grabb
ed the bed and stayed vertical. Maybe he could get his bearings if he stepped outside. He knew the island like the back of his hand and he needed to get home.
* * *
Eva hadn’t slept a wink. She’d tossed and turned. Paced. Brewed coffee. Plotted.
The sun was coming up and she still had no real plan.
She hadn’t realized how much she loved Tiburon until he’d been taken from her. She had to find him. No matter the cost. Her eyes stung with all the tears she’d cried since she’d come home last night.
It was time to pull herself together and find her man.
All she needed was a direction. She scooped more coffee into the Hamilton Beach and headed for the shower.
* * *
Tiburon stumbled toward the beach. His legs ached with each step, but he forced himself to keep moving. He had to get home. To Eva.
When he saw the water, he breathed a sigh of relief. He was less than a mile from the bungalow. All he had to do was walk down the beach, past his lifeguard stand, and to his house. It was still early and there was hardly anyone, save a few joggers and dog walkers, dotting the coast. He could be home in time for breakfast.
One foot, then the other.
He repeated the mantra to himself until he saw his front porch. He used the last of his energy to crawl up the steps.
“Tiburon? What the fuck?” Eva had found him. Her voice broke through the fog and he tried to use his arms to push himself up but he couldn’t.
“Sleep,” he murmured.
She helped him to their bed. “Promise you’ll tell me what happened when you wake up.”
“Promise,” he said, falling asleep before his head hit the pillow. He felt Eva curl up beside Tiburon and they slept.
* * *
He woke to soft kisses on his neck. “Morning,” she said.
“I think it’s afternoon.” The light outside the window was bright-white.
“Might be.” She rolled over so that she was facing him. “What happened? I was worried sick.”
“I know. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you where I was going.” He felt terrible about lying to her but he’d been right. The two men who’d taken him to that place were ruthless. There was no telling what they might have done to her if she’d come along.
“I’m going to be ultra pissed later, but for now, I want details.”
“They took me to some facility on the beach. It was on the undeveloped side of the island, so well hidden, you’d never know it was there unless you stumbled directly on it.”
“Did they hurt you?”
“I wouldn’t call it hurt exactly.”
Eva placed her palm on his cheek and looked into his eyes. “Are you okay?”
“We have to make a decision.”
“About what?” Her eyes went wide.
“They implanted a new device in my ear.” While he’d slept, he remembered. Two men, some sort of crude hospital room, fighting to commit what he overheard to memory.
“Oh my God. Who are they?”
“I don’t know exactly, but I do know that they’re working on creating some sort of shifter spy army.”
“That makes no sense.” She threw the covers off and stood. Pacing around the bedroom, she asked, “How would that work?”
“It’s simple really. They use shifters like me to spy on submarines. This implant will control when I need to shift, and then it will compel me to report any information I glean to them.”
“They’ve made you into some sort of spy robot?” She shook her head. “This is all too much.”
“I know, but listen, there’s a way out.”
“There is?”
“If the implant is removed, I’ll stay what I am at that moment. Forever. So if you take it out while I’m a man, I won’t ever be a shark again.”
“That seems unfair. Wouldn’t you miss being able to swim freely?”
Tiburon nodded. “I would, but not as much as I’d miss sharing my life with you.”
Tears welled in the corner of Eva’s eyes and he took her into his arms. “I don’t want you to feel guilty. I’m making this choice.”
“But I’d never ask you to give up half of who you are.”
“I know you wouldn’t. That’s why it’s such an easy decision to make.” He looked down into her eyes and wished he was able to determine the color of them. He wanted to know everything about her. “What color are your eyes?”
“Green,” she said, and she kissed him.
* * *
The next morning, they sat at the kitchen table, sharing a bowl of fruit. Eva popped a grape into her mouth and looked across the table. Tiburon hadn’t said more than a couple of words since he’d woken up and that wasn’t like him.
“Second thoughts?” Even though she prayed he wasn’t having them, she loved him enough to really want to know the answer.
He shook his head. “Nope.”
“Are you scared?”
He looked up and his eyes met hers. The answer, even if he wasn’t ready to admit it, was clear.
“Anyone would be,” Eva said.”
He shrugged.
“I’ll call Mandy this afternoon.”
“Are you absolutely sure we can trust her?’
She wished she could reassure him without reservation but she owed him the truth. “She’s our best bet.”
Eva had no idea how she was going to explain the situation to Mandy. Even though as a nurse, her best friend had seen just about everything, Eva was pretty sure she’d never dealt with a shape-shifting shark or a government agency bent on using those shifters as spies. It was ridiculous, outlandish and yet she’d seen the shifting part with her own eyes.
She pulled up Mandy’s contact on her cell phone and stared at the numbers for at least three minutes before she hit the call button.
“What’s up, chicky?” Mandy’s high-pitched voice always sounded cheery and upbeat.
“I found a job.”
“Good for you. Are you excited?”
“Yeah. I am. I start in two weeks. How’s Dr. Derek?”
“He’s good. We’re visiting my parents this weekend. I think he’s going to talk to my dad.”
“About marriage?”
Mandy squealed. “Yes! Finally! Things with Tiburon are still good?”
Eva took a deep breath. “That’s why I’m calling.”
“Oh, no. What happened?”
“Nothing’s wrong. At least not between the two of us. But there is something…”
“I’m your best friend. You can tell me anything.”
“Tiburon is different from most men, and I need your help. As a nurse.”
Mandy giggled. “You mean he’s not circumcised? Honey, that makes no difference in the long run. Trust me.”
If only it were that simple.
“It’s not that.” Eva had no idea where to start. How does one explain a shape-shifter to her best friend? “He’s a shape-shifter.”
“Is that some kind of new fetish?”
“No. He has the unique ability to shift from being a normal man to being a Great White.”
“Shark?”
“Yes.”
“Are you on drugs?”
Eva should’ve known Mandy would suspect narcotics. As an ER nurse, she saw the effects of overdoses and bad trips on a daily basis. “No. I didn’t believe it at first either, but it’s real. I’ve seen him shift.”
“There’s no way. It’s not biologically possible.”
“I didn’t think so either, but it is.”
“So why do you need my help?”
“He’s got a small implant in his ear, and we need to remove it.”
“You swear it’s not drugs.”
“I swear.”
“Look, Eva, you’re my best friend and you’ve always told me the truth, but I just don’t believe you this time. I don’t know what’s going on with you, but I’ll be happy to get you some help.”
“I’m not crazy. I know it sounds that w
ay but, well, this is real. I wish it weren’t but it is.”
“My parents are less than an hour from you. While Derek talks to my parents, I’ll come over. We can talk then. Saturday, around two?”
“Thanks, Mandy.”
Eva disconnected and tossed her cell phone onto the sofa. What were she and Tiburon going to do if Mandy couldn’t or wouldn’t help them? She racked her brain for other contacts in the medical field and came up empty.
As far as she could see, this was their only shot at forever.
* * *
By the time Saturday arrived, Eva was a nervous wreck. It had been only two days since she’d talked to Mandy, but it seemed like an eternity. She’d filled the fridge with wine and fresh fish she and Tiburon had caught at the pier last night.
After straightening the kitchen and making one last pass through the bathroom with a sponge, Eva collapsed on the sofa. Tiburon was working until one, so until then, she was alone, pulling her hair out. The anxiety was as sharp as a Granny Smith apple.
Her cell phone trilled at half past noon.
“We’re on the way,” Mandy said.
“We?”
“Derek’s coming along.”
Eva’s heart fell. “But I thought—”
“He’s the only person I’ve told, and he’s willing to help.”
“But what if he—”
“He won’t. We’ll see you in half an hour. “
Eva’s heart flipped over in her chest and plummeted to her stomach. “But—”
“Trust me. Please.”
It wasn’t like she had another choice.
Derek and Mandy pulled up to the curb in her Mustang convertible. Eva and Tiburon were sitting in the rocking chairs on the front porch. “They’re here,” she said.
Tiburon took her hand. “I feel good about this.”
“I sure hope you’re right.”
Once the four of them were inside the bungalow, Eva opened a bottle of wine and poured the glasses. She had no doubt, considering her rocketing anxiety level, that she could down an entire bottle by herself. After placing the glasses on a tray along with some light snacks, she walked to the table.