Fatal Tide - Iris Johansen [76]
“Did they see you?”
“I don't know. But it's no big deal if they did. It would be natural for us to mount our own watch.” He made a face. “I don't think I scared anybody away. That tender has as much power and range as yours, Jed. Give him a head start and he's out of sight.”
“Can you follow one of them back to the Jolie Fille?”
“Maybe. But I'll start my own search anyway. As soon as you come up from the dives at the end of the day, I'll be out of here.”
Melis could barely see Pete and Susie swimming ahead of her through the silt-clouded water.
So much for using them as buffers, she thought ruefully. Ever since she and Kelby submerged this morning, the dolphins had practically ignored them.
No, that wasn't true. Because they were moving with purpose. They were intent on something, some destination. They had the same attitude they'd had the other day when Melis thought they were leading her somewhere. When she first noticed that intensity today, it filled her with hope.
Kelby, who had gone ahead, swam back to her and shook his head.
What was wrong?
He made a swimming motion with his hand.
Shark?
Then she saw them herself. The dolphins. A band as numerous as they'd seen yesterday afternoon, here in the depths.
And only yards ahead of them. The sheer mass was intimidating.
And so was the unfriendly interest of one of the males who was swimming toward them.
Jesus.
The male bumped hard against Kelby and then swam toward her.
Kelby unholstered his shark gun.
She emphatically shook her head. The next minute the male hit her rib cage.
Pain.
Then the dolphin was gone.
But he might be back again, maybe with reinforcements.
Kelby was signaling for them to go up.
It might be the smart thing to do. They could come back tomorrow after they figured a way to—
Pete and Susie were back.
Pete was swimming around them in a protective circle while Susie came and swam beside Melis.
Melis reached out and patted her nose. It's about time you got here, young lady.
As if in answer, Susie came closer and rubbed against her.
Melis hesitated and then made a motion for Kelby to go on.
He started to shake his head and then shrugged and started forward.
Would Pete and Susie stay with them?
And would it make any difference to the other dolphins if they did?
She swam slowly toward the band of dolphins.
Pete continued his protective circling, and Susie stayed on Melis's left side.
Then they were in the center of the mass of dolphins. It was incredible.
And absolutely terrifying.
Please don't leave us, guys, she prayed.
Pete and Susie were still with them.
A female detached herself from the outer perimeter of the band and swam toward them.
Pete instantly swam toward her and made her swerve away from Kelby and Melis. Then he continued his circling around them.
Ten minutes later the dolphin band began to lose interest in them.
Five minutes after that, Pete began to widen his circle as if he sensed they were safe.
But he and Susie still remained with them as they made their way slowly through the band of dolphins.
Then they were on the other side and following Pete and Susie through a grotto and back into the open sea.
But they saw nothing.
The water was murky but clear enough to see the bottom. But the bottom was silt. No columns. No ancient city. No ruins. Silt.
Jesus, Kelby was going to be disappointed, Melis thought.
He didn't show any signs of it. He was swimming faster, stronger, going deeper, closer to the bottom. He was skimming, looking, and then he turned and swam back to her and jerked his thumb upward to indicate they should surface.
Kelby didn't speak until they were back on board the Trina, but she could sense an undercurrent of excitement.
“I think it's there,” Kelby said as Nicholas helped them strip off their tanks. “Marinth. I'm almost sure it's there.”
Melis shook her head. “All I saw was silt.”
“Me, too, until I got closer.