Fatal Tide - Iris Johansen [63]
Kelby shot.
Dear God, Kelby dead.
The tank gate was open.
Melis held her breath and waited until Pete and Susie discovered it.
One minute.
Two.
Three.
Susie's snout suddenly emerged through the opening.
“Good girl,” Melis called. “Come on, Susie.”
Susie erupted in a sonata of clicks as she swam toward the tender.
“Pete.”
No Pete.
She lifted her whistle to her lips and blew softly.
No Pete.
She blew louder. “Dammit, Pete, stop being stubborn. Get out here.”
His bottlenose snout appeared at the opening, but he didn't come any farther.
Susie clicked nervously.
“She's getting upset,” Melis said. “She needs you.”
Pete hesitated, but when Susie's clicks increased in volume he swam out of the tank toward the tender.
“Talk about hard to get.” Melis turned on the engine. “Come on, let's get to the ship.”
Would they follow her or go off on their own? She glanced back twice in the next few minutes. They were following. So far, so good.
No, they'd disappeared!
She breathed a sigh of relief as she saw two silver bodies arch out of the water in a high jump. The dolphins had only dived deep before the jump. They were flexing their muscles and skills after the long incarceration in the tank.
The Trina was just ahead, and she could see Kelby and Nicholas Lyons standing on deck.
“It's working?” Kelby called.
She nodded. “They're following. It took a little doing getting them out of the tank. Pete isn't in a trusting mood right now. He's been through too much.”
“Can't blame him,” Nicholas said. “What can we do?”
“Nothing. I'm coming on board and I'll feed them. Then I'll go swimming with them and sit on deck and talk. We're not going anywhere until they get accustomed to the idea that I'm on the ship and that's where they'll find me.” She glanced over her shoulder. The dolphins were still jumping and playing behind her. She guided the tender close to the stern of the Trina. “Throw down the ladder and I'll hurry on board while they're distracted. I don't want them getting anxious.”
Chapter Twelve
“I brought you a sandwich.” Kelby sat down beside her, on the deck. “Billy was getting upset that you refused his dinner.”
“Thanks.” She bit into the ham sandwich, her gaze still on Pete and Susie. “I don't want to leave them. This period is critical. They've got to become used to the idea of me on the ship.”
“And are they?”
“I think so. They're staying close and playing around the Trina like they did the Last Home all those years ago.” She paused. “But at sunset they'd leave me and go wherever home was to them. It's almost midnight and they haven't left me yet.”
“Is that good?”
“I don't know. They may sense they're not in their home waters yet. I almost hope they don't go. I have no idea what would happen if they tried to search for their family group and didn't find them.”
“If they stay here tonight, can we start the engines at dawn?”
“Yes, but we have to travel very slowly. I want to talk to them. They need to hear my voice.” She finished the sandwich. “They already seem oriented to the open sea again, but they've got to connect it with me. I have to be part of the big picture.”
“They don't appear to have lost their affection for you.” He paused. “Archer hasn't phoned you?”
“No, maybe he's lying low after all the police furor over Gary's murder.”
“I wouldn't count on that lasting too long.”
“I'm not counting on anything. I'm just grateful for whatever respite I get from him. I need to concentrate on Pete and Susie.”
“You're certainly doing that.” He took off his windbreaker and formed a pillow with it. “If you're going to be here all night, you might as well be comfortable.” He set it on the deck and stood up. “I'll keep running coffee and sandwiches.”
“You don't need to do that.”
“Yes, I do.” He leaned on the rail and gazed out at the dolphins. “Jesus, I see their eyes glowing in the dark. I never noticed that before. They look like cats' eyes.”
“They're brighter than cats'. They have to function in the depths and withstand light levels below the surface that might hurt