Distant Echoes by Colleen Coble Read Free Book Online Page A

say. “You can’t do that!” she said.
    “I can and I will. Those animals are worth a hundred thousand dollars each.”
    “If Nani belongs to anyone, it would be me. She doesn’t belong to Seaworthy. If I have to take you to court over it, I will.” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she wondered if he would fire her on the spot.
    He pressed his fingers against the bridge of his nose. “I don’t want to fight with you, Kaia,” he said softly. “This is not what I expected.” He fell silent for a few moments. “Okay, I’ll hold off on the pen for now. But if the research project fails, I’m not letting those dolphins escape.”
    “I won’t fail.” The bright promise of the day lay in ashes. There was no guarantee she would win if she went to court.
    “One more thing,” he said as she went toward the door.
    She turned.
    “I have an assignment for you.”
    Kaia waited, wondering why he didn’t look at her.
    Curtis glanced up and caught her gaze finally. “The navy needs some help, and I’ve agreed to assign you to them.”
    She couldn’t have heard him correctly. “Who needs help?”
    “The navy.” He finally met her gaze. “Specifically, I’ve assigned you to work with Lieutenant Commander Jesse Matthews.”
    “You just gave me only two months to get results. I can’t be spending my time anywhere but on my research.”
    “I’ve already promised our help.”
    “You want me to fail, is that it?” Her eyes burned, and she fought to keep her composure. “The offer of two months’ trial was just a bone?”
    “I can have Jenny take Nani and help Matthews if you’d rather. You could concentrate on the other two dolphins.”
    He was boxing her into a corner. “Nani is a free dolphin. She doesn’t have to cooperate.”
    “Jenny assured me the dolphin would work with her too.”
    He was right. Nani loved Jenny too. She would come if either of them called. Jenny was good, but she wasn’t as attached to Nani as Kaia was. The best chance Kaia had to make sure her dolphin wasn’t injured was to take charge of the project herself.
    The words seemed stuck in her throat. She swallowed. “Fine. I’ll just have to work with Nani on my time off. I’ll prove to you she can do it.”
    “Don’t act like this is the end of the world, Kaia.”
    “How did Jesse get to you? Did he threaten the lab?” She wouldn’t put it past him. He was probably a man who was used to getting his own way.
    “Of course not. Not everything is a big conspiracy, Kaia. You probably don’t know this, but my father had a hand in creating the missile defense system that’s under testing right now.” His pride shone through in his smile. “Though Dad is gone, I want to do everything I can to help make sure this system is implemented. My brother’s business is tied to the project as well. I couldn’t refuse their request for help.”
    “I bet he was smug.” She could imagine his self-satisfied smirk.
    “I imagine he will be happy when he hears.”
    “You didn’t talk to him?
    Curtis shook his head. “My brother is a friend of his, and he asked on the commander’s behalf.”
    “Figures.” How like a military man to go through channels instead of asking right out, though she admitted to herself he had asked her. She’d just turned him down, and he couldn’t take no for an answer.
    “This isn’t all bad, Kaia. We’ll have the opportunity to observe Nani using all the skills you’ve worked so hard to hone. The two of you make a heck of a team. You’ll be able to work with her out in the ocean.”
    Easy for him to say. He wasn’t the one who would have to put up with being ordered around by Lieutenant Commander Jesse Matthews.
    J esse surveyed the ransacked office. Files littered the floor, metal drawers stood open, and chairs had been upended. It looked more like the work of vandals than that of a serious saboteur. Generally, spies tried to cover their tracks. If spies had done this, they were either