Fatal Tide - Iris Johansen [38]
“None of this surprises me,” Melis said. “I knew what he was. I saw what he did to Carolyn. Are we going to get a photo of Archer?”
“As soon as Wilson can get his hands on one.” He paused. “This isn't necessary, you know. Don't take the phone calls. You don't have to stand that kind of punishment. Archer will follow us when we leave for Las Palmas.”
She stiffened. “Are we leaving for Las Palmas?”
“As soon as I hear the Trina is in port and outfitted.”
“You're definitely going to help me? What about proof and bond?”
“Everyone's entitled to roll the dice once.” He grimaced. “But I'm cutting down the odds. We go after Marinth first. Then Archer. But there's a chance we may be able to take down two birds with one stone if he follows us to Las Palmas.”
“It's still a stalemate. I have to trust you.”
He nodded. “But you know I'm aching to get my hands on the son of a bitch. It's not much of a gamble for you.” He paused. “One more thing. The tablets and translations are mine.”
“No, I may need them to bait Archer.”
“You can have them on loan, but from this moment they belong to me.”
She was silent a moment. “You drive a hard bargain.”
“I've been coached by experts. It's going to be a very expensive gamble if you don't come through for me.”
“I'll keep my promise. I'll give you what you want.”
“Now I need to know one thing right away. What kind of equipment am I going to need? What's the probable depth?”
“The ocean floor was only sixty meters where we were exploring. Unless there's a drop in the area, scuba should be fine for initial exploration.”
“No submersible. That'll cut the expense way down.”
“Take it where you can.” She paused. “Because getting there may be even more expensive than you think. You're going to have to find a plane you can outfit with tanks to transport Pete and Susie. Then you're going to need a bigger tank when they arrive in Las Palmas.”
“What? No way. I know you're fond of Pete and Susie, but I'm not footing the bill to take your aquatic friends with you. Do you know how much money that would—”
“They have to go.”
“I'll leave enough men on this island to protect them from any threat. They'll be okay.”
“We can't find Marinth without them. They're the only ones who know the way.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“You heard me. We found Pete and Susie in waters off Cadora, one of the Canary Islands, when Phil was looking for Marinth. They kept getting in our way, riding the wake of the boat and swimming with us when we were underwater searching. They were young, not more than two years old. It's unusual for young dolphins to leave their mother or their chosen subgroup, but Pete and Susie were different from the beginning. They seemed to crave human contact. I gave it to them. They'd show up at the Last Home in the morning and then leave at sunset. I never saw them after dark. Maybe that's when they went home to their mothers or their group. I didn't care. The daylight hours were enough for me. I didn't really want to search for lost cities, and this was my chance to study wild dolphins at close range. I spent more time with them underwater than I did searching for Phil's city.”
“Which probably didn't please him.”
“No, but he was over the moon when I followed the dolphins to an underwater cave and found the tablets.”
“They intentionally led you to them?”
“I don't know. I think they did. Though I can't prove it. They may have just wanted to play in an area familiar to them.”
“And Lontana reaped the benefit.”
Her lips tightened. “He went crazy with excitement. He thought the dolphins could lead him to the actual city. He and the other men he'd hired at Las Palmas dove every day for weeks with the dolphins. Trying to herd them, even scare them, into going away from the boat so they could follow them. I wanted to strangle him. I told him to stop, but he wouldn't listen to me. All he could think about was Marinth.”
“Did he get what he wanted?”
“No, Pete and Susie didn't show up one day. Three days later we heard that two