Fish Out of Water by Ros Baxter Read Free Book Online Page B

it demands an experienced hand and a cool head.
    Luckily, I’ve got both in spades.
    But I was still sending up some kind of prayer to the Goddess that I wouldn’t need to use it. Apart from anything else, Mom hates weapons as much as any mermaid and if she heard about some shooting stuff involving me, I’d be off brownie privileges.
    And when you’ve only got three weeks to go, every last brownie counts.
    I hustled over to the morgue in Mom’s ride, the route all too familiar. My own car was just too conspicuous, but I had to be careful. Mom would be pissed if I got a ticket in her beloved Oldsmobile, and I certainly didn’t want to attract any attention. But I wanted to get to Blondie before Larry did. As I was opening up on the back road, my cell chirruped at me. All my senses went into screaming panic. Who could it be? So late, and in the middle of all this.
    My eyes flicked over to the green screen where it lay on the passenger seat. I squinted and concentrated hard at the number. Not Aldus. Not Ma.
    Then it clicked and I snatched it up.
    “Susie? Y’ok?”
    Juddery sobs greeted me and a cold hand squeezed my rib cage. My hand went unconsciously to the scar on my arm, fingering its plasticy length. “Susie, Susie!” I could feel my panic rising as I tried to still the quiver in my voice.
    “Raaaaania!” The wail cut through my senses.
    “What is it, baby? What is it? Are you hurt?” My hand flew automatically to the Glock I’d stashed in the glove compartment while I drove. I was going to fucking kill him. I had no idea how he had found them but this time I was really going to kill him.
    More sobs, and I had to visualize a stop sign like the yogi taught me so I could hold back the “what the hell is it?” that threatened to erupt from my throat.
    Sweat and bile rose like a phoenix inside me. “Susie?”
    “I – I’m sorry Rania,” the little voice spluttered. “I had another dream. Daddy was back. And the fire was back too. I w-was s-s-scared. I’m sorry!” At the effort of the sentence the little voice broke off again, sobbing wildly. Relief snaked through me, releasing my chest and stomach and letting me breathe again.
    Bad dream, just a bad dream.
    Bad dreams were bad, but she was okay. I pictured her red curls and consciously tried to slow my breathing. “Shhh Susie,” I started. “It’s okay baby. It’s okay to have bad dreams.”
    A little hiccup, then, “You said I could call. You said… y-you said anytime…”
    “Of course bella, of course, of course,” I soothed her. “That’s why I gave you my special number. Any time. We’re a team, remember?”
    The little voice sniffed in agreement on the other end of the line.
    “And you know what?”
    “W-what?” She was still stammering but the sobs were starting to recede.
    “I have bad dreams too.”
    “You do?” She sounded amazed at the revelation.
    “Uh-huh. Sure do.”
    “But you’re… you’re so brave.”
    Oh man, there it was again. I thought about Missy earlier on in the evening. I seemed to have done a great job convincing everyone how tough I was. Little did they know what an absolute chicken shit I was underneath it all, really.
    Three weeks.
    Man, three weeks…
    “Nah,” I assured Susie. “You’re the brave one. Remember how good you did that night?”
    There was silence on the other end and I imagined Susie’s chubby little face scrunched in concentration. “You said I did good,” she said slowly, like remembering lines for a play. “But I just did what you told me.”
    “That’s true,” I said slowly. “But y’know what? I’ve seen grown-ups go crazy at times like that. Grown-ups who couldn’t follow even the simplest thing I told them to do. You? You were super-cool. You are definitely the bravest six-year-old I have ever, ever met.”
    “Really?” I could hear the smile creeping into her voice. “Pinky promise?”
    I laughed, the last remnants of tension floating from my shoulders.