The Turning Tides (Marina's Tales) (12 page)

“I’m being followed,” I told him tersely, and watched him spring into action, racing around the back of the Ro
lls
to scan up and down the street.

He was waiting by the door when I parked and climbed out. “Tell me everything,” he demanded.

I explained to him that I had gone surfing, and showed him the binoculars that I’d recovered.

“Who knew where you were going?” he asked with an angry face.

“No-one–” I stopped myself, “
But
Yuri saw me leave.”

His eyes flashed on mine and I knew what he was thinking.

“It wasn’t him,” I shook my head, thinking about Yuri’s massive bulk. He was as big as Boris,
and
much wider than the man who had slipped past me.

Paul promised to sweep my car for electronic surveillance again, and I arranged for some lessons on bug detection for the next morning. I took my bags and headed for the elevator.

“I’m leaving here with a gun
after my next lesson
,” I
was resolute.
“Whether you think I’m ready or not.”

I watched his lips curl into a slow smile as the door slid shut.

I gathered my thoughts on the elevator, coming to terms with what had just transpired. I knew my enemies were still out there, but I suppose I still had a little flicker of hope that they’d give up on catching mermaids, and leave me alone. All my illusions had been dispelled today, making my training sessions with Paul even more necessary. The future now seemed a whole lot more uncertain.

I racked my brain, but I couldn’t imagine how they had tracked me there.

My father was awake when I walked in, propped up and reading in his bed. He looked at me with a smile, and gestured to the chair next to his side.

“We need to talk,” he said, closing his book.

I
nodded
, put
all of my
disturbing thoughts out of my mind, and slipped into the chair.

“Marina,” he started out in his most paternal tone
.
“I understand how when you’re seventeen… A few years can seem like forever. But you’re simply too young to get married. When you look back on this, you’ll see that rushing into–”

“Don’t you like him?” I interjected.

He sighed, “Of course I do. Ethan seems like a very serious young man with a lot of ambition.”

“So what’s your objection?” I asked impatiently.

He regarded me with a pained look, “I don’t object to
him
, it’s just…”
H
e groped for the words, “I don’t want you to make the same mistake that I did…”

I stood up, “You mean having me?”

“No!” He reached out
to me
, and I took his
hand in mine
. “I mean jumping into something you’re not prepared to deal with–”

I scoffed,
because
I was preparing to deal with much more than marriage, “Dad, I know a lot more than my mother did when you got married.”

He winced, and I felt bad for hurting him.

Doctor Permala came in through the front door, looking at him and back to me suspiciously, “Dinner will be served in twenty minutes.” She disappeared back into the hallway.

“Dad, don’t worry about me. Everything will be fine.” I bent down to kiss his forehead, “Oh, I almost forgot.” I reached into my purse, pulling out the candy I’d picked up in Chinatown and pressing it into his hand. I nodded after the doctor with a
smirk, “Better hide it from her.”

He smiled
wanly, “Marina…”

I paused, “Yes?”

“I only want what’s best for you.”

“I know Dad… I know.” I squeezed his hand and turned to go.

Standing in the shower with hot water running all around, I visualized what might have happened if I’d caught up with my
shadow today. I would have zapped him mercilessly, and Paul and Boris would probably be interrogating him right now. I gritted my teeth with determination. I would not allow them to interfere with my sisters. Next time, I’d make sure whoever it was didn’t get away.

I flopped down on
to
my bed, exhausted. My old bedroom seemed like it belonged to someone else, and it just pointed out how much I’d changed since I first moved to Aptos. I looked at the clothes in the closet and the pictures on the walls like I was seeing them for the first time.

There was a quiet rapping on the door, and I rolled over, “Come in.”

Doctor Permala slipped in, quietly closing the door behind her. I sat up, expecting to be scolded for bringing my father a treat.

She cleared her throat nervously, and once again I couldn’t help but notice what a dark beauty she was
.
“Your father is in a very fragile state,” she said solem
nly, “B
oth mentally and physically.”

“Mentally?” I asked, swinging my feet off the bed.

“He has terrible survivor’s guilt about the death of his assistant. Apparently, he had grown very fond of the young man.”

“Yeah,” I nodded, remembering his face in the hospital when the memory came back.

She went on, “Recovering function in his hand and arm will be very difficult.”

I nodded again, “I understand.”

“Good,” she said, smoothing her hair back nervously. Her sloe eyes peered at me solemnly through her thick rimmed glasses, “I’m most concerned that his Prana is very low.”

“Prana?”

“His life force… his vital energy. He will need to restore it before he can fully heal. Please don’t do anything to upset him needlessly.”

I bristled, “I’m here to help him get better too!”

“Then we are
in agreement
,” she said formally
.
“Will you join us for dinner?”

“No thanks,” I said, “I’m going to see my cousin.”

She inclined her head, “Thank you for your consideration.” She got up to slip out as silently as she had come in.

I flopped back down on the bed, irritated. I could just see her cozying up to Evie with all her talk of “Prana”. That was probably how she got the job; Evie ate that stuff up. I got up and dressed, walking past the doctor as she set up a tray for my father. She had wheeled in a large cart from Evie’s kitchen, loaded with a variety of healthy looking food. I realized that I was ravenous.

“I’m going to go visit Cruz,” I announced as I
passed by
.

I knocked on the door of the apartment one floor down and Brad answered.

“Oh,” I said, feeling awkward
.
“Is Cruz here?”

Cruz’s familiar shaggy head popped up behind him, “Marina!”  He slid past Brad to throw his arms around me, “I’m so sorry about your father! Evie told us about your time in Germany, and about the explosion and all that stuff! Mom’s
absolutely
beside herself! Come in and see our new place!”

Our place? I thought. And
everyone
thought
I
was rushing into things.

Cruz chattered on, gesturing grandly, “Allow me give you the grand tour– Brad’s been decorating… isn’t it exquisite?”

I studied Cruz, noticing he had a new attitude to go along with
a few
new facial piercings. He took me around to show me all of the various pieces of furniture and art that were tastefully displayed in the spacious rooms, finishing off with a tour of his design studio. It was every bit as spectacular as his previous workroom, and it was filled
to bursting
with an amazing variety of new clothes.

Cruz showed me
his
latest collection and I was seriously impressed. He had returned to his edgy, gothic-rocker roots, producing clothing that I could
visualize
being worn by the trendiest, most fashion-forward people around. I oohed and ahhed over each piece, listening as Cruz described the group show at design school he’d taken top honors in.

“When it got around that I knew Evelyn Pond, everyone at school wanted to be my best friend.”

“The famous Evie,” I laughed
.
“I remember
the day
you first met her.”

“Did you hear? She’s taking me and Brad to Argentina next week to meet my sisters! In her private jet!”

“That should be nice,” I smiled.

“Nice?” he exclaimed, “You can’t even imagine! I went from being an only child to having two sisters– just like that!”

“Oh… I can imagine,” I said with amusement.

Brad cleared his throat from the doorway. “Marina… Will you stay for dinner?” he asked anxiously.

I looked to Cruz, and nodded back at Brad, “I’d love to.” He smiled and headed back to the kitchen.

“Can you believe how great my life has turned out?” Cruz bubbled,
shaking
his head in disbelief. “Isn’t it amazing what a difference a few months can make? I feel like an entirely
new
person!”

“Amazing,” I agreed, “But don’t change too much.”

Cruz was different… lighter and more flippant than ever. He
trusted Brad completely, and was
blindly traipsing through the minefield of
first
love
.
I couldn’t help but
worry that he should watch his step
.

“Don’t you miss Aptos at all?” I asked, looking out the window at the twinkling cityscape.

He followed my gaze, chortling, “Look at that gorgeous skyline. You can keep your foul sunshine and healthy ways– I’ll take the city any day!” Cruz had clearly embraced his life among the well-heeled sophisticates that
called the
towering metropolitan apartments
home
. 

When dinner was ready, Brad called us out to a beautifully set table, and we sat down to a delicious meal of Chicken Cacciatore. Brad was really sweet, I thought– not at all creepy like Yuri. I should probably try and give him the benefit of the doubt. Then I suddenly had the awful realization that he may have been the one that had slipped away from me on the rooftop.

I watched him carefully over dinner. He lived in the building…
He had a tall, athletic build. Like Yuri, he was under Evie’s protection.
He could have seen me leave this morning and followed me to my mermaid meeting.

“So, Brad, what did you do today?” I asked him.

He looked startled, “I
– I went to a client meeting.”

“With who?” I asked.

“Geeze! Aren’t you Little Miss Nosy?”
scolded
Cruz.

“That’s okay,” said Brad, telling us both about a new account he was trying to land
decorating a
high-end realtor’s office. I wasn’t sure if I believed him or not.

After dinner I begged off, skipping coffee and thanking them both for their kind hospitality. Cruz wanted to escort me to my Dad’s apartment, but I insisted I could find my way up one floor on my own.

“Are you sure you’ll be able to
make it
in okay?”

I nod
ded and hugged him, walking out.
“Hey Cruz,” I paused.

“What?”

“That’s what she said.”

I could hear him laughing as he closed the door.

~

C
hapter
E
ight

ARMED

~

I walked into the basement security center in the morning, finding myself alone with Yuri. He stood respectfully, but I averted my eyes and skirted around him. I’d decided the best way to deal with Yuri was to simply ignore him. Unlike Boris, I wasn’t entirely convinced that his bizarre obsession with me was a thing of the past. I still didn’t like the way he looked at me.

I turned the corner to look in the lounge for Paul, and found him sitting on the couch with a laptop. He snapped it shut and set it aside.

“Hey there,” I waved
.
“Ready for my de-bugging lesson?”

“Yes ma’am,” he replied, gesturing to the couch next to him. I set my purse down between us and looked at the gadget he produced from his breast pocket.

“This,” he held up what appeared to be an old cell phone, “is an electronic detection device. This baby can detect GPS trackers, hidden cameras– even wireless phone taps.”

He led me out into the parking garage, stopping at one of Evie’s sports cars and demonstrating how to sweep it both inside and out, showing me how to adjust it to test for different transmission frequencies. He pointed out some of the less obvious places that a bug or tracker might be hidden.

He motioned to a row of cars and handed me the device, “Go to it.”