A Siren's Wish by Renee Field Read Free Book Online Page B

did when faced with a challenge. She squared her shoulders and followed Caskett.
    “Are you going to show me those shells now?”
    Instantly, Caskett stopped. The shells had been a sore topic of conversation ever since she’d found out about them. No one from the institute had seen them and almost everyone wanted an up close personal peek.
    “Don’t ask me again about those shells. They’re gone,” he said, almost grabbing her arms.
    A quick movement to the left enabled her to avoid his touch. “So what is it? Did you catch something?”
    “You bet. A bottlenose dolphin. She’s charming. She’s got some sort of tattoo or something on her dorsal fin, and she’s gone into shock, so I’m hoping you might take a look at her first. I’m also arranging for a marine specialist to come and look at her. There’s something very unusual about this dolphin, Jamie, and I want you as my witness to help verify my findings,” he said.
    The look of disbelief on her face said it all. “Look, I’m not really qualified…my research is on…”
    Caskett turned to look at her. She watched as his eyes narrowed. “I know all about your research, don’t forget I hired you. I also know that you’re the only one I have on staff that’s studied dolphins extensively, so you are going to help me. Am I clear?”
    Clear as mud, she wanted to say. Instead she meekly nodded.
    As he resumed his walk to his private door, he continued talking. It took all of Jamie’s concentration to follow his line of reasoning.
    “When the specialist gets here, I want you to ask him to take pictures to document that tattoo. I also want you to ask if he’s seen anything like it before. My bet is he hasn’t. Then in the morning we’ll start the dissection process…”
    That stopped her cold. “You mean to kill the dolphin…”
    “I mean to find the truth no matter what,” stated Caskett, as he punched in his security code to open his private chambers.
    There was an audible creak as the large steel door slowly opened. Inside the concrete room Jamie’s sensitive nose caught the rank odor of rotting seaweed and chlorine. She fought the urge to gag.
    “Oh my god!” she said, her eyes adjusting to the dim light in the room.
    Directly across from her in a large, but not nearly vast enough circular tank was a small bottlenose dolphin. The dolphin barely had room to complete a full turn. With a quick glance she knew it was sick, as if its life force was being sucked out of it.
    “I said she was a beauty. Now come here. Take a look at that,” said Caskett, willing her to march up the steel ladder with him.
    Towering over the dolphin, she looked at what he was pointing at. It looks like a tattoo, but that’s ridiculous.
    “Dolphins don’t have tattoos. It’s probably a birthmark or an old wound that didn’t heal properly,” muttered Jamie.
    “It’s a goddamn tattoo. I want to know why and how it got there! You got that? I want real answers. Can I count on you, Jamie?” asked Caskett, marching down the ladder.
    She knew she nodded, but for the life of her she couldn’t pry her eyes away from the sick-looking dolphin. Her gut clenched with an unfamiliar feeling. She didn’t realize Caskett had left until the door clicked shut, breaking into her thoughts. Still clutching the ladder’s handrail, she leaned over the aquarium. Her heart was beating irregularly and try as she might, she wasn’t one bit happy to see the wild, beautiful creature caged. It unnerved her.
    But isn’t this my dream? The chance to study a real, wild dolphin up close and personal. Gulping, she took another glance over the edge. That’s definitely a tattoo. Dangling precariously over the tank’s edge she realized what she felt for the dolphin—sorrow. The intensity of the emotion washed over her, causing her to tremble.
    Help me.
    The words flashed hard and intensely inside her head, causing her to almost let go of the railing. Sucking in a deep breath, she tried to