Bliss (33 page)

“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 gather her senses. She took a calming breath, and slowly backed down the ladder. The uneasy feeling in her stomach didn’t lessen even when her feet were firmly planted on the concrete floor.

Taking another deep breath, she tried to get a hold of her emotions. Shaking her head, she realized how foolish she was being.

Help me, please
.

Jamie almost wet her shorts. There was no way she could mistake that. A “help me” could be a figment of her imagination, but not a “please”.

“Wha…wh…” She couldn’t make her tongue form the words, as she sputtered nonsense.

Please, help me. I’m dying
.

She hadn’t even realized she had moved until her legs backed up hard against the steel door. Panic was seizing her heart, making it impossible for her to take a breath.

“Jesus, Jamie. Get your cute behind in here now. I need you to analyze this!” came the screaming voice of Caskett from behind the closed door.

Jamie was only too happy to oblige.
Work. The best thing to get my mind off what most definitely did not happen in there
. She yanked the door open and took one last look at the creature as it turned in the water.