Taylor looked up at the sound of a splash, hoping it was Quasar’s caudal fin slapping the water as it always did when he was near the surface. It was his way of letting her know he was in the area, and they joked about how it was his idea of waving at her.
Unfortunately, the slap came from a seagull making a completely-graceless landing too close to the dock and slapping the water with its wings.
"That was nice and graceless."
Taylor looked up at her colleague, Ryan Heke . "It’s a seagull, Ryan, what did you expect?"
Ryan’s dark eyes searched the water. "No Quasar?"
Taylor shook her head. Ryan was the only person to know about her friendship with Quasar, and surprisingly, he understood. His own friend was an albatross named Talofa, he'd thought he was the only person in the world who had an animal friend. He also thought he was completely insane or that others would think he was if he told them about his rapport with Talofa.
Taylor, however, wasn’t like that. She was very open-minded, and when they’d been talking about the incident with the speedboat, she mentioned that a shark had come to her rescue. Ryan had asked a few questions about the incident that he could only have known if he'd seen it, and when asked, he said an albatross had told him.
They’d laughed briefly, but soon fell into a long, awkward silence when they realized that the other might not be joking.
After a few minutes, she hesitantly asked if the bird he’d spoken to had seen a shark named Quasar, and that led to a long, interesting discussion about their respective friends and a sense of relief that they weren’t the "only one".
Ryan sat on a rock near Taylor and watched her go over her equipment and compare it against the checklist. "I'm sure he's fine, Tay. I saw the damage he did to that scuba tank when those schmucks were hauled in, and nothing in its right mind will bother him."
"People still fin sharks, Rye," Taylor set her regulator aside and began inspecting her mask. "Not often, but they still do it. There are gill nets, fishermen…"
"Taylor," Ryan took her mask from her and put a hand on her arm. “Don’t stress. Quasar’s smart. He knows how to be safe.”
Taylor looked out over the placid bay, wondering where Quasar had gone and if she’d ever see him again. "I really blew it, Rye. I was so intent on getting that suitcase that I put myself and Quasar in danger. He was just trying to protect me, and…" she shook her head faintly in dismay.
Ryan watched her for a few seconds in silence. A moment later, he looked up and shook his head as an albatross glided in and stumbled awkwardly as it hobbled to a stop near him. "That’s Talofa. I rescued him from a trap up at the Pali Lookout."
Taylor smiled as the bird limped over to Ryan and eagerly took the sardine Ryan offered it.
A moment later, Ryan and Taylor raced for cover as seagulls, drawn by the smell of sardines, began to swarm the beach.
"Holy Alfred Hitchcock movie!" Taylor dodged a ravenous seagull as it dove toward her looking for a sardine. "I told you not to bring sardines to the beach!"
Talofa, half-flying, half-running, rushed to hide behind Ryan.
Ryan grinned, his dark-tan face revealing even, white teeth. "It’s my lunch, Tay." He tossed a sardine to Talofa and dropped one into his own mouth before holding the tin out to Taylor who shook her head slightly.
"No, thanks. Quasar would love you. He’s all about sardines."
Talofa looked at Ryan and cocked his head the way only a bird could. Quasar?
"Taylor’s friend," Ryan tossed a sardine to Talofa who finished it in a single swallow. "He’s a hammerhead shark."
Talofa eyed Taylor warily. He’d seen sharks hunt his fellow albatrosses, and he didn’t want anyone who was friends with a shark anywhere near him. He folded his wings and perched near Ryan. Okay, that book you were reading. He tapped Ryan’s digibook with his pointed beak. Nick had just gone into the casino, and…
Ryan grinned. "Left it by Taylor’s gear. C’mon." He tossed the last of the sardines to Talofa and tossed the empty tin into a recycling bin. "We’re reading The Gambler… not the Kenny Rogers movie."
Taylor accompanied him to the rock, chasing off seagulls as she walked. "Quasar likes his music. He can’t sing to save his life, but we have fun singing--badly--along with it."
Ryan laughed at the idea of a tone-deaf shark and sat down on the rock near Taylor’s gear before activating his digipad. "Okay…" he tapped a button to turn to the correct page and scanned for his bookmark icon. He cleared his throat and began reading aloud. "The dice were hot tonight; Nick felt he had Lady Luck at his side. As he started another roll he felt the familiar tingle of his cellphone vibrating.'Luck,' Nick muttered, 'If you’ve ever been a lady to begin with...'" he looked at Taylor, on account of her nickname at the office being "Luck" for reasons she had never disclosed. "Luck, be a lady tonight."
Of all things Taylor has been accused of being, a familiar, cultured baritone joined dryly, A lady isn’t one of them.
"Quasar!"Taylor looked at the bay when she heard that voice, dropped her checklist, and ran to the water when a large caudal fin slapped the surface.
Talofa darted behind Ryan with a shriek of alarm. Shark!
"He won’t hurt you," Taylor waded into the water where Quasar was swimming in lazy circles. "Ryan, Talofa, this is my friend, Quasar. Quasar, this is my friend, Ryan Heke, and his friend, Talofa."
Quasar slapped the water with his caudal fin, sending Talofa into a panic.
Ryan looked at the dorsal fin that was cutting the water as the large shark moved under the surface. He’d never seen a shark up close, and wasn’t sure he wanted to now.
"Would you get me the tuna from my pack?" Taylor ran a hand over Quasar’s back as the shark passed her and pulled it back in alarm at the sight of the scar behind his gills near his right pectoral fin. "Quasar, what happened?"
Quasar swirled away as Ryan approached. A human with skin his color had baited a hook with a tasty bit of meat had hauled him into a boat and done horrible things to him.
"He won’t hurt you," Taylor motioned for Ryan to stay still.
He’s one of them, Quasar headed for deeper water.
"One of who?" Taylor opened the packet of tuna and eased out the large slab of fish. "Quasar, what happened?"
Humans did something to me, Quasar’s voice shook. They made me do what they wanted. He’ll make me do things too.
"Ryan won’t hurt you," Taylor let the tuna slab float to Quasar and watched him devour it. She told Ryan what Quasar described, and knew by the solemn look on Ryan’s face that he knew who was involved.
"I can help you, Quasar," Ryan didn’t know if Quasar could understand him, but he hoped the shark understood his tone. "The people who dropped the suitcase did this to you, but I know people who can help you. You’ll have to go to AquaPark, but there are people there who can--and will help you." He explained how local drug lords and crime bosses were using marine life as weapons, and how his colleagues at AquaPark’s Marine Life Rehabilitation Center had developed a way to free the abused animals from the malicious control of the drug lords using it to control them.
Taylor suddenly wondered about the suitcase stuffed with packets of white powder. "Was that suitcase meant as bait for me or Quasar?"
"Both, I think," Ryan answered. "Tay, someone in Oceanic Affairs knows about you and Quasar, and they’re in someone's pocket. A shark Quasar's size is a dangerous animal, and you have a way with sharks. I think they baited you because they know that sharks will come to your aid, and that'll give those goons access to sharks."
Taylor, Quasar swirled slowly. There’s something you should know about me. Something terrible.
"Quasar," Taylor opened a packet of tuna and gave it to Quasar who grabbed it and swallowed it. "After what I did, I’m no one to throw stones."
I, Quasar shoved a stingray clear of Taylor’s ankle. I killed a human. I’d like to blame the voice that told me to do it, but…
"It’s okay," Taylor’s tone was kind and understanding. "I know what they did to you. I’ve seen reports of sharks and seals being used to commit crimes. Quasar, it wasn’t your fault. You did nothing wrong."
Ryan lowered his communicator. "Just called AquaPark. They’re arranging a transport for Quasar, ETA five minutes."
"See?" Taylor smiled. "We’re going to help you."
Quasar was clearly upset. Even if I killed a human?
"Quasar," Taylor waded forward a few feet. "No one blames you for doing what you did; you couldn’t help it. That’s why we’re going to help you, and so will our friends at AquaPark."
Will I go back to the ocean? Sharks in tanks never go home.
"You will go back, Quasar," Taylor promised. "I will personally see to that." She looked up as a cargo transport bearing the distinctive logo of AquaPark Marine Life Rescue approached and Ryan guided it toward them. "Let’s get you some help, okay?"
Okay. Quasar eyed the container he’d be transported in warily, but swam into it willingly, surprised by the fact that water was rushing at him so he could breathe even though he was motionless. Taylor?
"Yeah," Taylor sat on the jump seat near the tank and watched it get secured to the deck of the transport.
Thanks.
"That’s what friends are for," Taylor smiled and put a hand on the plexiglass near Quasar's fin. "You’re in good hands."
With Allstate, Quasar replied immediately.
Taylor laughed softly, glad he still had a sense of humor. "You’re okay, Quasar." She put a hand on the side of the tank near Quasar's fin. "You're okay."