The Neptune Challenge Page 17

  Soon we’re back out by the mouth of the inlet again.

  :I’m starving,: Rad announces.

  :You’re always starving.: Shadow rolls her eyes, but then Robry admits he’s hungry, too, and we decide it’s time for a picnic.

  :We’re going to eat at the Wall Garden. It’s one of my favorite spots,: Sunny declares happily. :I’ve spent hours photographing that place, and every time we hang out there, I find something new.:

  We start up our skimmers again, and Sunny leads us to the west where a steep wall drops away into one of the deepest areas of the sound. That wall, we discover, is covered with an incredible variety of species. Feathery white plumose anemones provide shelter for shy red Irish lord sculpins, rainbow-colored nudibranchs, and all kinds of rockfish. Fat, squat Puget Sound king crabs pick their way through the anemones.

  We eat inside a large cleft in the wall that gives us some protection from the strong current. As I look at Shadow, Sunny, and Rad, I realize I’m coming to really like these kids. Remembering the way Rad made sure I didn’t get sucked back into the tidal bore, I think I’m starting to trust them, too.

  After we finish, Dai looks at me. :There’s something I’d like to show you down there,: he says and motions to the dark waters beneath us.

  :’Kay, I’ll tell everyone.:

  :Actually, I’d like to show it to just you, and we need to talk.:

  Has he finally figured out how we can escape despite our collars? :All right,: I say after a moment and tell my friends I’m going off with Dai for a little while.

  Rad and Sunny grin at us knowingly, Shadow’s expression is as unreadable as always, and Tobin looks worried.

  :We won’t stay down there for long,: I reassure Tobin on a private send.

  :Hey, mi amiga, you know that advice I gave you once about Dai?: Ree calls after me, a note of warning in her tone. :Now I know I was dead wrong about the first part and dead right about the second.:

  My cheeks heat as Dai glances back curiously at Ree. During our trip north from the southern sector, she thought I should flirt with Dai but that Tobin would be better boyfriend material for me in the long run. I try to shield my mind as I remember her words.

  I really don’t want Dai hearing those particular thoughts right now.

  AS I SWIM DOWNWARD after Dai, I try not to think about the last time he took me to see something special below the sunlit zone. He kissed me that afternoon, and said that he really liked me, but now I have no idea how Dai feels.

  Sometimes I wish I could use my telepathy to read other people’s minds any time I want. But my mother warned me that was a bad idea, and mostly I think she was right. I don’t really want to know what my friends are thinking about me.

  Right now, though, it’s way tempting to peek into Dai’s mind.

  :This isn’t so terrible, is it?: Dai asks abruptly. When I glance at him, the intense look in his eyes makes me uneasy.

  :What d’you mean?:

  :I mean, couldn’t you see yourself getting used to living with us? My friends are cool. Sunny, Shadow, and Ocho really like you, and Rad has a whale-size crush on Ree.:

  I stare back at him. How clueless can he get?

  :Dai, Safety Harbor’s our home, and I can’t imagine I’ll ever get used to wearing a collar that shocks me like I’m an animal.: Or get used to living with the shark crew and Wasp.

  :A home that you lived in for what, all of two weeks?:

  :And whose fault is that?:

  :My dad’s, not mine. You’re not being fair if you blame me for what he does.:

  :I’m not blaming you for his actions, but I do blame you for not telling us who you were and why you found us.:

  :So we’re back to that again.: Dai stops swimming and turns to face me, his eyes simmering. :How many times do you want me to say I’m sorry for something I had to do? I didn’t have any choice.:

  :But you did have a choice. You could have chosen any time during those five weeks while we fought our way up the coast to tell us who you really were.:

  :You still don’t get it. If I don’t do exactly what my dad tells me to do, he takes it out on them.: Dai jerks a thumb back toward his friends.

  :I don’t understand.:

  :He’s decided they’re all defective.: Dai throws his hands wide. :I’m the only one he thinks turned out perfectly. He only keeps the others alive because he knows I care about them.:

  A chill steals down my back when I realize what he’s saying.

  :They’re the way he controls me. They’re the reason I don’t have a collar.:

  :Oh, Dai, I’m so sorry.: My dad and I have our own issues, but I can’t imagine what it must be like to grow up with a father willing to blackmail me like that.

  :Don’t be sorry for me. That’s the last thing I need from you.: Dai turns away, sounding so angry and miserable that my heart twists.

  I swim up behind him and touch his shoulder. :Then I won’t feel sorry for you. I’ll just stay really mad at you instead.:

  He turns to face me. :I guess that’s better,: he says, his lips lifting in a hint of a smile, :but I don’t want you to be mad at me, either. Maybe this will help. I know you’ll like what I want to show you down here.:

  :’Kay.:

  He takes my hand and leads me deeper down the wall until the light from the surface fades completely. I try not to notice how nice it feels to hold hands with him. We pass several large white cloud corals that grow in random patterns and shapes, looking like ghosts and small snow-covered mountains in the dark.

  Then we come to dozens of orangish-red Gorgonian corals. Anchored to big boulders, they reach outward with their arms, filtering their food from the water flowing past. Shaped like large fans, and with their feathery polyps open, they almost glow in the darkness. Small rockfish swim behind them, using the corals as shelter from the current.

  :Wow,: I breathe.

  :They grow so slowly in these dark, cold waters, these corals are probably hundreds of years old. I like lots of species that live below the sunlit zone, but I’ve spent hours researching and studying these in particular.:

  :They’re beautiful. Thank you for showing them to me.:

  Dai turns to face me. :I didn’t want you to come to Atlantea, but I’m glad now that you’re here.: He pulls at one of his braids, looking uncharacteristically unsure of himself. :I’ve missed you,: he says, and he almost sounds angry about it.

  :I’ve missed you, too,:

  He swims closer, and I think maybe he wants to kiss me. But everything’s so complicated between us now, I’m not sure I want to kiss him back.

  Suddenly, Sokya, Densil, and Ton come racing down from the surface to find me, whistling and sawing.

  :you have to come! they are hurting her. she is very scared. if they wish to eat her, they should just kill her.: Sokya’s words tumble over one another.

  :Slow down. Sokya, I don’t understand.:

  :the other humans with tows, they have a young orca trapped in an inlet,: Densil explains more calmly. :but they do not kill her. they hurt her instead.:

  I grab Sokya’s dorsal, and she tows me upward toward the rest of our group.

  :What’s upsetting your dolphins?: Dai asks, swimming so fast that he keeps pace with Sokya.

  :It sounds like your adorable friends have caught a young whale, and instead of killing it for food, they’re torturing it.:

  :They’re just playing with it,: Dai says impatiently. :They will kill it eventually. Tell your dolphins I’ve seen Ton play with fish dozens of times before he eats them.:

  I relay his words to the dolphins.

  :she is different from fish,: Densil replies promptly. :the orca thinks.:

  Densil has cut right to the heart of the problem. Marine mammals are incredibly intelligent, and I know some of them do think.

  When I relay Densil’s protest to Dai, he shrugs. :It’s just an orca. There are hundreds of them in these waters, and some hunt dolphins. Your pod should be glad my friends are about to
kill one.:

  :Orcas are cousins to your Ton,: I retort. :And you know how smart he is.:

  Sokya leads me straight to Tobin. :he wants them to stop, too,: she tells me. :please, you both go make them stop.:

  Tobin shakes his head. :I don’t like what the shark crew’s doing, and I’d like to help, but I doubt it’s a good idea. Whitey and Sham hate our guts already.:

  :Believe me,: Dai says, breaking in on our conversation, :it’s better if they let off some steam this way.:

  :Dai’s right,: Rad says. The rest of the kids have gathered around us now. :Just look the other way and let them do whatever they want to that poor orca.:

  :What, exactly, are they going to do to it?: Tobin asks Shadow.

  :They’ll probably torment it for a while longer,: Shadow admits sadly, :and then they’ll kill it.:

  :That’s just wrong. Take me to the orca,: I tell Sokya. If Dai won’t stop them, I’ll find some way to do it myself.

  I DART DOWN to the ledge where we left our skimmers. Ignoring Dai’s shouts, I jump on my skimmer and crank the handles back until I’m racing through the sea, determined to help that poor killer whale the shark crew is torturing. Sokya and Densil lead me back toward the fortress, and soon we skirt the western edge of a small island.

  On his powerful skimmer, Dai catches me and stays at my side, his expression grim. He doesn’t try to argue with me anymore.

  The moment we round the island’s northern point, I hear the distressed whistles and squeals of the captive orca. The calls of her pod tear at my heart. My anger surges when I start hearing the shouts and laughter of the shark crew, too.

  :Whoa, it almost got past you that time!: Whitey yells.

  As I draw closer, my throat tightens. They’ve stretched a section of fishing net across a tiny inlet. The trapped orca rushes back and forth inside, frantically trying to find a way out. Orcas in this area spend their entire lives traveling in family groups. Separated from her pod, the young whale must be terrified.

  I park my skimmer on a rock ledge and swim toward the net. The killer whale has a spear dart in her back and bleeds from two other cuts. I reach out with my mind, hoping I might be able to calm her. I find the orca’s awareness quickly. Her mind feels very foreign, and I’m overwhelmed by her fear and pain. Even though I try to send her an image of the net being torn away, I don’t think I’m reaching her.

  The shark crew is spread out along the net, waving their arms to scare the frantic orca and keep her from leaping over it. Sham’s inside the net, trying to line up a good shot.

  Wasp laughs with the rest. :Come on, Sham, ten points if you can hit its dorsal.:

  Mako’s closest to me along the net. He waves at the frightened killer whale when she darts in his direction.

  :Mako, don’t do this,: I cry. :How can you?:

  Mako spins around. His gray gaze meets mine for a second, and then he looks down, his eye twitching. :Nere, you shouldn’t watch this. Just go away.:

  Dai parks his skimmer and swims up beside me. Whitey and Ocho spot us. Now that I’ve created the mental link, the young whale’s fear and pain beats at my mind.

  :This isn’t right. You’ve got to stop them!: I turn to Dai, fighting back tears. :They’re just using her for target practice.:

  Dai looks at me for a long moment. :All right,: he says with a sigh. :I’ll do my best, but this could get ugly.:

  He swims to the edge of the net.

  :Come on, guys, finish this or let the orca go.:

  :He’s right,: Ocho says, looking over at Wasp. :We should stop. You should stop. You’re better than this.:

  Wasp’s eyes widen, and her cheeks flush. :I have no idea what you mean. I’m having a great time,: she says carelessly. :Ochy, you can just leave. No one needs you here anyway.:

  Ocho’s face tightens, but he stays near her side.

  :Jeez, Ice, you used to think stuff like this was fun,: Sham says angrily.

  :Yeah, back when I was ten maybe, and I didn’t know any better.:

  I’m aware that Sunny, Shadow, and my team are gathering around us, carrying loaded spearguns. Rad swims closer to Dai and stays right beside him. I’m glad he’s there, just in case Whitey or one of the others loses it.

  :I can’t believe you’re taking her side over ours,: Whitey says to Dai and gestures to me.

  :I’m not picking her side,: Dai replies, his voice even. :I just don’t want us to do stuff like this anymore.:

  :Of course you’re picking her side. It’s like we’re not good enough for you anymore,: Wasp hisses.

  :Bro, you’ve been seriously messed up ever since you got back,: Sham says sullenly. :I wish you’d never met these Neptune kids.:

  :This has nothing to do with them. Just because we were raised like animals doesn’t mean we have to act like them.:

  Whitey swims to the front of the kids confronting Dai, his charcoal eyes colder than sea ice. :I like acting like an animal. I’m proud of the shark genes in me,: he says, :and I think it’s pitiful that you’re ashamed of the ones in you.:

  I look from Whitey to Dai and back to Whitey again, my stomach churning.

  :Oh, you mean he didn’t tell you?: Whitey says to me with mock surprise. :Pretty-boy Ice here is just as much animal as the rest of us, thanks to a whole bunch of shark genes his daddy had spliced into him.:

  Dai sends me an unreadable look and darts away, faster than I’ve ever seen him swim before. He grabs the top of the net, and with a massive heave, tears it free of the heavy cables that they’ve used to anchor it.

  Seconds later, the terrified orca flashes past us.

  Sham flings away his speargun in disgust. :Now you’ve done it. We’ll never catch it again this afternoon.:

  :And you ripped our best net.: Wasp glares at Dai.

  Suddenly Whitey is face-to-face with him.

  :Don’t ever come between me and my kill again,: Whitey growls, :or not even the bossman will keep me from tearing you apart.:

  With that, one by one, the shark crew leaves the inlet, Ocho bringing up the rear.

  I stare after them, feeling numb. So Dai has shark in him, just like Mako and Whitey. It explains so much. I remember how little sleep Dai needs, and how restless he can be. Sharks can’t stop moving, or they’ll die. Dai’s crazy strong and fast, like a shark. And he’s uncomfortable around blood.

  Finally, I think to look for Dai. He’s yanking down the cables at the other end of the inlet now, fury showing in every line of his body as he systematically tears the net apart.

  :Hey, guys, let’s leave them to talk,: Shadow tells the rest, and then Dai and I are all alone.

  Swallowing hard, I swim closer to him.

  :Great. Now you’re scared of me.: Dai bites out the words as he slices the net apart with his dive knife.

  :No, I’m not. I know you’d never hurt me.:

  :I’d never mean to hurt you, but I could, just the same.:

  :But why didn’t you tell me?:

  Dai glances up from the net. :Maybe because I didn’t want you looking at me the way you are now.:

  :My parents spliced some fish genes into me, too. Where do you think my gill filaments came from?:

  :Your gill filaments don’t make you want to attack people or make you crazy when there’s blood around.:

  :Let’s not fight. I don’t care what genes your dad mixed into you. I just want to thank you for letting the orca go.:

  :How many times do I have to say it?: he says roughly. :I don’t want your pity or your gratitude,: he says as he flings a section of net away from him.

  :I don’t feel sorry for you, but I am grateful for what you just did.:

  Dai sends me a charged glance. :Maybe you shouldn’t be. Today may have just changed everything.:

  :I don’t understand.:

  :Bria and Robry and the rest, they’re like your family now. Shadow and Ocho and Whitey, they’re all the family I’ve got. I’ve been trying to keep them together, but I don’t think I can do it much
longer, and today just made things worse.:

  I picture the way Kuron’s kids always divide into two groups, and the tension between them has only gotten worse since we arrived. :I think they want different things,: I say slowly, :and they are so different, I doubt you can keep them together much longer.:

  :I know, but it was better before you came.: He sighs and sheathes his knife.

  :We didn’t exactly want to come here,: I say, irritation rushing through me.

  :I realize that.: Dai raises his hands to rub his face. When he lowers them again, he doesn’t look angry anymore. He just looks tired and worried. :Nere, promise me you’ll be extra careful around Whitey from now on. You’ve crossed him twice now, and you don’t want to cross him a third time.:

  DINNER IS incredibly tense that night. The members of the shark crew look daggers at us, and they only speak to one another during the meal. Mako sits close to Dai, his tic worse than ever.

  After dinner, my team members retreat to my room. Robry heads straight to the computer. He’s been working harder than ever to find a way to disable our collars. While he searches through files and reads us bits about Kuron’s experiments and his concerns over losing investors, I tell everyone what Dai said about the growing divide among his friends.

  :It feels like we’re sitting on a bomb, and it could explode any time now,: Tobin says.

  :I really don’t want us to be here when that happens,: Kalli says.

  :Which means we’ve just gotta find that c-plankton and find it soon,: Ree declares with a resolute look.

  :Whoa, this is not good news. Guys, check this out.: Robry looks up from the computer screen, his face pale.

  :What have you found?: I ask him quickly.

  :I was looking around in Kuron’s personal logs again, and I—I think he’s planning an all-out attack on Safety Harbor soon. You gotta read this entry.: