Fathom L. Standage (books for 8th graders .TXT) 📖

and Cordelia, lie low for a while, then send you and Samantha home.”

“Okay,” I said. Couldn’t argue with that.

We traded the battered sedan for my car in the crowded parking lot of a Walmart. I had to pick a few pieces of glass from my arms and legs before settling into the new vehicle. Shivering, I wrapped the sodden towel tighter around my arms, still in nothing but boy short bikini bottoms and Cordelia’s sark. Calder helped Eamon into the back seat. The front of his shirt was getting redder by the minute.

“Here,” I said, balling the towel up and giving it to him to press against the wound.

“Thank you.” He groaned as he held the towel against the bullet wound. “I promise it’s not as bad as it looks.”

“We’re almost there,” said Walter from the driver’s seat. We drove down a dark street running along Mission Bay. Shadowy ships of all sizes crowded the various docks along the shore like vast floating skeletons with blank eyes. Their rippling reflections in the black water made their numbers seem larger than they would during daylight. Everything from small sailing skiffs to military barges made the moon-lit Mission Bay resemble a graveyard.

“What about Seidon and Cordelia?” I asked, trying to wiggle some feeling into my frozen toes.

“They’ll be here,” said Eamon. “Natasha’s bringing them.”

Walter turned into the underground parking garage of an apartment complex. The yellowish lights overhead cast sharply etched shadows and made me paranoid of an ambush around every corner. At last, third level down, we parked.

“Here,” said Calder, looking at my bare feet. “I’ll carry you.”

“No, I’m fine,” I said, grateful for the darkness to hide my reddening face.

“We should have brought her some clothes,” said Eamon. “I’m sorry, Olivia.”

“It’s okay. I ran from the hotel to the car, I’ll be fine. Everything else went smoothly, didn’t it?” I was speaking, of course, of the fact that everyone was alive. Seeing Eamon’s blood and remembering the echo of gunfire and breaking glass were proof that carrying out the plan was less “smooth” and more “by the seat of our pants.”

“You’re cold and barefoot, don’t be difficult.” Calder sounded so much like his old self, I allowed him to scoop me up again. I felt ridiculous because Eamon was hurt a lot worse than I was. I smiled to myself for a minute, picturing what it would look like if Calder tried to carry him instead of me.

“Sorry I’m still wet,” I said when the familiar elation arose in my chest as I sat nestled in Calder’s arms.

“It’s all right,” he replied in a forgiving tone I had never heard him use before. My heart hummed inside me. Can hearts hum? Mine could.

We came out of the parking garage and crossed the street, hurrying between the shadows until we came to a lit boardwalk at the vast marina, its wharfs extending like long fingers into the water. We passed numerous boats bobbing lazily at their docks until Walter turned and led the way down one long gangplank where at the end, I saw several people standing.

At first, I didn’t recognize them and my grip around Calder’s neck tightened. But then I saw Samantha hurrying toward us. I let go of Calder and jumped down. I started crying long before Sam and I met and embraced.

“I’m so sorry!” she cried over and over again, hugging me tight. “It’s all my fault!”

“We’re okay now. Everything’s going to be okay.”

“I can’t believe you did that for me.”

“I can’t either!”

She pulled away and looked at me. Her face was bruised and she had a cut on her cheek.

“You’re all right?” she asked.

“Yeah. You?”

She nodded and hugged me again.

“I was so scared. When they said you were bringing a mermaid, I thought at first Cordelia was going to come or something. I had no idea…”

“Come on now, girls, we need to get moving,” said Walter. Sam and I followed him to where Cordelia and Seidon waited beside the hull of a large deep-sea fishing boat labeled Imbali de Mer. Seidon reached out and pulled me into an embrace as well.

“Thank you,” he said into my ear. “You cannot comprehend what it is you’ve done for us. I owe you everything.”

I didn’t know how to respond. When Seidon released me, I only smiled and nodded, then was taken by complete shock when Cordelia also came forward. She didn’t hug me but gripped my shoulders with both hands.

“You are brave,” she said. Admiration shone from her eyes. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, Captain,” I said in bewilderment. She nodded.

“Where’s Natasha?” I asked, noticing her absence for the first time and hoping she was already on the boat.

“She dropped us off,” said Cordelia. “She said she needed to return the vehicle and finish up other business.”

Worry wrinkled Walter’s brow. “She was supposed to be here by now.”

“I’m sure she’s just held up somewhere,” said Eamon, but he looked a little anxious too. “She’s a smart lass. She’ll be alright.”

“Should I call her?” asked Calder, taking out the cell phone.

“Give it a try, but she may have turned her phone off to avoid a trace.”

Calder dialed, waited for a moment, then shook his head. “You’re right. Phone’s off.”

“Well, we can’t wait here much longer,” said Eamon.

“Just a few minutes longer,” said Walter. “Everyone get on board. I’ll wait out here.”

He ushered us to the side of the Imbali and helped us to climb onto the deck. The boat bobbed and tilted under my unsteady feet.

My experience with boats was limited to the small ski-boats I had ridden in back home. The Imbali was a lot bigger. Well-kept and clean, she had textured flooring, two decks, shining chrome railing, and a high-windowed tower housing the helm where the driver sat.

“We have all your things below,” said Uther. “You can go and get changed. Calder, help me with Eamon.”

Samantha and I made our way to where a short set of ladder-like steps led to a cramped cabin. It looked sort