by Lark Brennan
“How are our boys doing?” Lex asked.
“Mac took the blood samples back to the Ariel and ran every test he could think of,” Carlos said. “He couldn’t find any physiological reason for them to freak out or attack.”
“Any ideas?” Ashley asked.
“A few,” Lex replied with a sidelong glance at Bodie. “Why don’t you guys take a break and I’ll examine them.”
“You might need our help,” Ashley said. “We used the most mild dose of tranquillizer we could. They might revive enough to make trouble.”
“I think Bodie and I can handle them,” Lex assured her. “And you’ll be close enough to step in if we need you.”
Ten yards away, Carlos and Mac were arguing about who had screwed up the harness as they struggled to re-sling Moondog.
“Unless you want to spend the night out here,” Mac growled, “Follow my damned directions.”
“Before you guys get your asses kicked again, I have an idea,” Lex called to them.
“Do you?” Mac snapped.
Bodie automatically stepped forward and she grabbed his arm. “Yeah. I found an article about a bottlenose pod in Australia a few years back. A couple of the bulls were extremely agitated and beached themselves in a sandy cove after ramming a dinghy. A local animal rescue group formed a party to drag them back to deep water. The local vet was a diver and interested in marine mammals so he documented the rescue.”
“These guys didn’t beach themselves,” Mac said impatiently, and Bodie would have happily bounced his ass across the bay like a stone.
“Before the dolphins were towed to open water, he did tests on them and discovered an abnormality in their ability to distinguish certain frequencies of sound which he attributed to high levels of underwater noise pollution.”
Carlos and Ashley floated Elvis and his sling closer, listening with interest.
“So noise pollution made them crazy?”
Bodie piped in. “Aside from all the ship traffic that didn’t exist a few years ago in this part of the Caribbean, technology has put sonar and high level ultrasound equipment in the hands of everyone from various countries’ Navy to fishermen to cruise ships, not to mention most private yachts and sailboats. A direct hit with a high concentration of sound could stun or even kill an animal that relies on echolocation for its survival.”
Mac fixed him with a skeptical look. “I’m aware of that.”
“Can it, Mac,” Lex snapped. “I know you’re frustrated. Dr. Flynn’s on loan from Durand Tech to help us find out what happened to Poseidon and now these dolphins. He has an experimental device DT is testing with humans that uses electromagnetic vibrations and ultrasound on people with epilepsy and chronic pain. Dr. Flynn believes it might reset the dolphins’ sonar.”
Mac snorted and shook his head. “Electric shock treatments?”
It sounded farfetched to Bodie too, but he had red orphic to exorcize and time was wasting. “Got a better idea?”
Sam, who had been listening silently while holding Moondog’s sling stable, spoke up. “And what about losing their GPS signals just before they arrived here? That couldn’t be a coincidence.”
“Bodie’s got the techs at DT on that,” Lex said. “We can stand here speculating or Bodie and I can get to work.”
Mac started to protest but Sam interrupted him. “What do you need from us?”
“We’ll start with Moondog.”
Mutiny filled Mac’s eyes. Bodie moved forward to take charge of the sling and dragged it across the surface of the water to float between him and Lex.
“What are you planning to do?” Sam asked.
The guy’s tone wasn’t disrespectful but Bodie wished he’d go away. Apparently so did Lex and she had the authority to get rid of him. “You can read my report. Right now I want you and Mac to head back to the Ariel and research any unusually intense sonar or ultrasonic activity in the area over the last thirty-six hours.”
“This is a waste of time,” Mac grumbled as he launched himself over the side of the inflatable boat. “Come on, Sam. Let’s get some dinner.”
With a last glance at Lex, Sam climbed into the boat and started the outboard. Bodie exhaled in a long breath as the Zodiac took out over the bay.
Lex turned to Carlos and Ashley who had backed away with the sedated Elvis. “Okay, you’ll need to take Elvis farther up the bay in case we have a problem with Moondog. We’re going to try to reset his brain.” She explained a simple procedure and asked Bodie to produce the “ultrasonic electromagnetic brain stimulator.” A couple mentions of Durand Tech and her audience was hooked. They retreated another twenty yards down the shore with their charge to watch the action from a safe distance.
“Gullible Mouseketeers you’ve got there,” Bodie said softly.
She scowled at him. “Marine biologists. They all have Master’s degrees and are on their way to getting doctorates.”
“Smart little Mouseketeers. Did you use your magic powers to snow them?”
“Of course not,” she huffed. “For your information, I’m a very plausible liar when it’s important.”
He studied the huge gray body floating between them. “So what now?”
“Show time. I’ll run the brain reset machine over his head while you do your thing.” Her expression sobered. “His thought patterns are like Chuy’s, full of fear and despair. How are you doing? Are you feeling any discomfort from the orphic?”
“So far, no.” Although his body sensed the corrupt energy, to his surprise his shield prevented it from entering and sickening him. His pulse quickened and a bead of sweat rolled down his neck. Could he control the orphic inside these animals?
Bracing himself, he stepped closer to Moondog.
“Here goes,” he said and focused directly on the red orphic. He willed the energy to detach from the flesh, blood, and bone and to condense into a mass hovering over the dolphin. It pulsed and churned, but his mind held it tight. He drew a deep breath and mentally hurled the orphic into the sky, imagining it breaking out of the earth’s atmosphere and into space. For an instant his being seemed to follow the energy then he returned to his body with a gasp as his empty lungs sucked in air.
His eyes focused on Lex’s wide-eyed face. “Are you okay?” she asked.
He could only nod. His body confirmed no red orphic remained in the unconscious dolphin. “He’s clean.”
“You did it.” Awe filled her voice.
Running a hand down the huge gray body, he grinned at her. “Just like you taught me, princess. How’s the patient?”
“His thought patterns have settled and the fear and despair are almost gone. He’s a little worse for wear but should be fine. Let’s give him the antidote and wake him up.”
She retrieved a syringe from her pouch and placed the barrel between her teeth. She then opened a packet containing a betadine and alcohol swab and prepped a spot on the dorsal muscle of Moondog’s back at the mid-point of the dorsal fin. She took the cap off the syringe, held it needle up, and pressed the plunger to expel any air. Without hesitation she pushed the needle through the dolphin’s skin, deep into muscle, and administered the antidote.
Her hand lovingly stroked down the length of the dolphin’s side. “I’m so sorry, Moondog. Forgive us.”
While the antidote took effect, Bodie clipped off the tracker and tucked it into his back pocket. Long seconds passed.
“Come on, buddy. Wake up,” she coaxed.
Moondog’s eyes opened and she gasped. Bodie watched Lex’s face. “What’s he saying?” Bodie whispered.
She shook her head but responded to Moondog in a soft voice. “You passed through bad energy and it got inside of you. This man sent it away.”
Pause.
“No, he doesn’t connect but he knows we’re connecting now.”
Another pause and she laughed. “No. Just a friend. Like you. Are you well enough to return to the pod?”
A longer pause and she stroked the gray head affec
tionately. “Yes. My…ah, friend will heal your brother now. He will join you soon.”
She glanced up. “Deflate your pontoon. He’s ready to go.”
When Bodie popped the tab on the pontoon, air rushed out, quickly collapsing the buoyant bladder. Lex held her breath as the dolphin floated on his own.
“I’ll tell him. Farewell, friend,” she murmured as Moondog glided away.
Bodie watched the dolphin leap and fall back into the water with a flip of his tail. Something warm and fuzzy lodged in his chest. “Incredible.”
“He told me to thank you for helping him.”
A grin spread across his face. “Bullshit.”
“Not bullshit. You made a friend.”
He tried to quit grinning with no success. “That brings the total to one.”
It took five minutes and a direct order before Ashley and Carlos reluctantly headed for the beach. They successfully repeated the exorcism and revived Elvis who slipped off into the bay only to return a few seconds later.
“What does he want?” Bodie asked.
“For us to swim with them.”
“Sounds dangerous.”
“Why don’t you swim across the bay to Stanley’s. I’ll take the jeep and meet you there.”
“I could use the exercise if I’m going to sit up all night with the sensors.”
“Go.” The dolphin nudged her with his snout. “Take care of him Elvis.”
Bodie braced himself and started swimming, all too aware of the huge gray bodies gliding through the water around him.
By the time she pulled the jeep up to Stanley’s, a cheering section of the bar regulars had spotted Bodie and the dolphins cavorting in the water. Based on recent events, they’d concluded Bodie was being attacked and maybe eaten by one of the belligerent males—a conclusion that didn’t spur anyone to attempt to rescue him.
She looked at her dive watch. They’d been away from the scanner for over an hour with no alert on Bodie’s ComDev. “Where’s Flynn?”
She jumped, startled by David’s voice directly behind her. “Geez. You nearly gave me a heart attack.”
He sat down on the dock next to her. “So where is he?”
“Out there.” The water of the bay glittered with the light of the full moon.
“Please tell me Elvis and Moondog drowned him.” His attempt at humor had an edge.
“They responded to the electromagnetic stimulation and seem to be okay now. He’ll be in soon.”
A shape broke the surface of the water a couple hundred yards from shore, a fin and a man clearly visible heading to shore.
“Lex.” David said.
She didn’t want to look at him but the command in his tone warned her not to push him.
“What?”
He rested his forearms on his tanned thighs and clasped his hands. “What’s going on?”
She stared out over the bay, unwilling to meet his eyes. “Pertaining to…?”
“Damn it, Lex, you know exactly what I mean. You didn’t use some bullshit DT device to reset any brainwaves. If you had any useful technology, you’d have shared it with the team. What did Flynn pull out of his ass and call a medical gadget?”
She’d expected David to call her on their story, but he’d overlooked so many of her evasions and idiosyncrasies over the years, she’d hoped he’d go along with the miraculous healing. Pressing her eyes shut, she tried to come up with a believable explanation that didn’t involve the truth and failed.
Finally she turned to David. “I can’t tell you and you wouldn’t believe me if I did.”
A frown creased his handsome face. “Why not?”
She shook her head. Years of lies and secrets lay between them and she was tired of hiding what she was.
“You can trust me,” he said. “With anything. I’ve never been anything but open and honest with you, even when you wished I’d kept my feelings to myself.”
“You’ve been a good friend, David, but…”
His pained expression cut her.
“But now you have Flynn and don’t need me. Got it. I still want to know what you did to those dolphins though, and I’m not leaving without an answer.”
“Have you ever wondered how I establish a rapport with the dolphins and whales so quickly?”
“Well, yes.”
“I have abilities, psychic abilities that allow me to communicate with them.”
He laughed until he realized she wasn’t joking. “You expect me to believe that?”
“Yes and I expect you to trust me when I tell you the dolphins have been healed and let it go.”
“Jesus, Lex,” David grumbled. “I don’t know what to say.”
“God, that was amazing!” Bodie said as he approached. “But I’m sure you both know that.”
David glared at Bodie. “I had a visit from the Royal VI Police this evening. They’re looking for you and Lex in connection with your boat. People on the dock in Road Town saw her and Earl aboard the Talos yesterday morning.”
“What did you tell them?” Bodie asked.
“That you were both here all of last night and that I didn’t know where you were—which was technically true while I was talking to them.”
“Thanks.” Bodie looked David in the eye. “I didn’t do anything.”
“Except bring an arsenal into the BVI.” David held up his hand. “And I don’t want to know what or why. You’re trouble, Flynn, and I’m not going to jeopardize the Foundation’s welcome in the islands to cover your ass. Clear?”
“Nobody’s asking you to.”
David stood. “Lex told me you work for Durand Tech. That’s the only reason I’m giving you until tomorrow night to fix whatever shit you’re in. In the meantime, stay away from my team and the Ariel.”
“David, there’s too much at stake here for Bodie to be arrested. I wouldn’t ask you to cover for us if it wasn’t important.”
“I’ve chosen to overlook your eccentricities over the years,” he seethed. “I figured you’d open up to me when the time was right. I was wrong and now I have to decide whether protecting Bodie is worth risking everything we’ve all worked for. Either you give me a good reason why I should believe you, or my deadline stands.”
“We can do that,” Bodie said quietly.
Panic welled in her stomach. What was he thinking? David was an ordinaire and there was no room in his black and white thinking for the psychic world.
“No, we can’t,” she said.
Bodie gave her shoulder a squeeze. “Yes, we can. I’m working with Mark Durand on exploring an alternative energy source. Someone stole our research and used it to destroy the whales and injure the dolphins. They tracked your research subjects with the GPS signals. I’m pretty sure they’ve only been testing their technology so far and never expected anyone to notice some missing whales and crazy dolphins. Mark sent for me to stop them before they hit humans.”
David folded his arms across his chest. “So what are you doing here?”
“Waiting for the signal which will tell us where to find the bad guys.” Nothing in Bodie’s voice betrayed anger, just dispassionate recitation of fact.
“Satisfied?” she asked.
David dropped his arms to his side and nodded. “For now.”
“So you’ll back off?” she asked.
“Until tomorrow night. It’s the best I can promise.” David turned and climbed the steep path toward an ancient Land Rover.
“We’re screwed,” she mumbled.
“Latham’s the least of our problems. I have a bad feeling the delphic laser is going to take out a bigger target soon.”
“Let’s hope your sensor will point the way to its origin before that happens.”
• • •
They picked up take-away from Stanley’s and headed back to Colin’s house. While Lex set out dinner, Bodie checked the scanner, confirming there had been no delphic laser activity while they were gone. Just as well. She didn’t relish telling him they’
d have to wait until daylight to leave the island. He worked while he ate and she checked her messages, neither wanting to discuss the stalemate they were in. The laser could hit in minutes, hours, even days and all they could do was wait.
Earl whimpered and nuzzled Lex’s hand. “Earl needs to go out. I’ll take him.”
“No,” Bodie replied a little too sharply. “I’m coming with you.”
“That’s not necessary. We’ll only be out in the front garden.”
The stubborn set of his jaw told her he wasn’t budging. “Not without me. Someone on this island is practicing Santeria, voodoo, or some other shit which makes night a dangerous time.”
She remembered the spell on the hilltop. No point in telling him about it until she heard from Chantal. “Fine. Earl and I don’t mind having a bodyguard. Do we, little guy?”
Earl wagged his tail and she scooped him up in her arms. His skin still clung too closely to his bones but he’d put on a little flesh in the past two days.
Bodie stared at his computer. “Damn it. I don’t want them to use the laser, but just sitting here waiting is nerve-wracking.”
“Maybe some fresh air will help.”
“The alarm’s set to alert me on my ComDev if there’s any activity out of the ordinary. Guess that’s all I can do.” He slipped his feet into his boat shoes, stood up, and tucked the Beretta into the waistband of his shorts.
Once they made it to the front walkway, Earl wiggled to be let go. No sooner had she bent down than he twisted free, trotted toward a clump of hibiscus bushes, and lifted his leg. Stay in the clearing where I can see you, she projected to him.
Bodie sat down on the top step of the porch and pointed to the sky behind her. “Look at the moon. It doesn’t look real.”
It didn’t. The huge amber disk looked more like a prop from a science fiction movie than the moon. A shudder rippled through her. “Eerie, isn’t it?”
He patted the floor next to him. “Come sit down.”
For a woman who didn’t take orders well, she found herself quite happy to do as he asked. They sat silently side-by-side while Earl sniffed and marked his new territory. She sensed alert tautness in Bodie’s body, tension that would allow him to spring into action instantly.