Caught in the Net Read online

  Dr. Quimby sighed, “Yes. And the only reason they aren’t on the floor is because she’s in a dress and you’re here. A word of warning. Avoid getting into a physical match with her. She might be a peanut, but she's vicious. Look what she did to me yesterday.” He proudly showed the purple bruise on his stomach where Sam's heel had impacted.

  “I wasn’t planning on it, General Quimby.”

  “Please call me Joe or Doc. Scott and I try to keep things casual to invite trust. It’s how we try to run our commands as well.”

  “Please let me know if you guys ever need a design engineer. I’d love to transfer. My command is stifling. The older guys look at me like a stupid kid and it can get rather frustrating.”

  “I’ll definitely ask Scott. He oversees the engineering division. Too bad you don’t have any experience in ocean physics, we always need those weirdos,” Dr. Quimby grinned, slapping his son’s thigh.

  “Us weirdos have come up with some pretty cool designs. Hey, Scott? May I borrow your laptop?”

  “Sure. Here’s a spot I missed…” Scott responded, biting Sam behind the neck and hearing her shriek hysterically.

  Michael laughed, signing into his private service and accessing clearance information. He got Rich’s social security number and cleared him. “Awesome, it's all here. Wow, look at those credentials. Summa cum laude? Dang... I am impressed! Dad, you gotta see this. We need to recruit this guy into our unit. His qualifiers are very similar to mine and he would fit well into the neuroscience unit. I think you might like that, Rich. It is very challenging and would involve working with both of us, and the animals. I’d be your boss, though. Could you handle that?” Michael grinned, ignoring the growling behind him, as Scott continued to pursue his niece.

  “Um...” Rich pulled his eyes away from the antics. “Sorry. They are distracting me. Yes, it sounds good and I would like to look into it. Maybe I could come down there and see what you do.”

  “We’ll show you a little bit of it tomorrow morning. Scott, if you can take a minute to stop chewing on Sam, would you mind joining us in some adult conversation? I am very interested in having Rich join up with my team.”

  Scott stood up, dropping his niece on the couch before sitting next to his nephew. “I like chewing on Sam, I'll have you know. I used to chew on you, but then you started biting back.”

  “Scott, do you mind?” Michael scolded, elbowing Rich as the young man released a snicker. “Be serious for a minute. Take a look at his background and...”

  “I need to go swimming,” Sam suddenly interrupted, racing upstairs. Rich followed her with his eyes.

  “Swimming? At this time of night? It’s chilly out there.”

  “She likes the cold water. Are you all right, honey?” Dr. Quimby asked, as Sam came back down, wrapped in a towel.

  “I will be, Daddy. Don't worry. Sorry I interrupted; Uncle Scott, I...”

  “Yes, darling, I know. Turn on the floodlights and do NOT dive off the rail. Be back in thirty minutes. No later, young lady,” Scott ordered, pulling her into his arms to kiss the top of her head.

  “Yes, sir. I'll be right back. Rich? Will you still be here?”

  “Yes, but...” Rich frowned as she blew everyone a kiss and ran out the back, bypassing the swimming pool. Her destination became obvious to him and he turned to her family. “You are allowing her to go into the ocean at this time of night? Alone? Without a wetsuit or gear? It's none of my business, but...”

  “Another worrier for poor Samantha. Relax, Richard. She needs to do that. Let me explain,” Dr. Quimby said, sharing the story once again. Rich’s jaw hung open as the story unraveled.

  “I’m back. It’s cold tonight. Let me dry off and I’ll be back down,” Sam said upon her return, fifteen minutes later. She was shivering.

  “This is unbelievable. Most of us would be blue with that temperature.”

  “True. And it isn't the water that makes her cold, it is the air temperature. My question now is - do you still want to date my daughter? This quirky family is part of the package, along with her little... uh... issues.”

  “It wasn’t much of a date tonight, more like friends hanging out. I would like to continue to get to know her, as well as the rest of you. So my answer is, yes sir, I would. With your permission.”

  “Granted. My only concern is that if you guys date and you have problems, you might find that working together could be difficult. Samantha can be a little obstinate at times, like her uncle.”

  “And everyone thinks that I'm a delight. You need to ease up, Joe. You and I have worked together for centuries and have our share of disagreements. She'll be fine.” Scott snorted, earning him a stern look from his friend.

  “It's true, Dad. Plus, she doesn’t hold grudges and I’m always there to mitigate. Word of warning, Rich, when she and I fight, it’s not very pretty,” Michael warned him with a grin.

  “The earth starts to shake, floods happen and everything goes dark,” Scott mumbled. Rich made a face, confused.

  Dr. Quimby laughed, “Not exactly, but we do have some fallout if Ton gets agitated. Ah, here’s my little mermaid. Feel better, my love?”

  “Yes, Daddy. I haven’t been in since I got my pretty ring.” Sam said, sitting next to her father on the couch and snuggling under his arm. “I'm surprised I hadn't had the urge prior to tonight. The dunk was long past due. I had to go down to at least 200 before I felt normal.”

  “200 feet? Free dive?” Rich raised an eyebrow, “Are you guys pulling my leg?”

  “Not at all. I'm assuming you explained things to Rich.”

  “We did,” Dr. Quimby responded softly, stroking her arm as he drew her warmly against him. “And he hung around. Scott is already deciding to keep him for himself.”

  “Wow. You must have impressed them! Are you okay with this? I know it's odd, but...”

  “It will take some getting used to, but I adore challenges. It's getting late and I do need to get going. Sam, would you walk me out? Gentlemen, Michael, it was a pleasure. I’ll see you in the morning,” Rich said, standing and firmly shaking the hands of the older men. He looked surprised when Scott gave him a bear hug.

  “This is a hugging family, so get over it, boy. Plan on staying for dinner. It is my night to cook, and I make the world's best BBQ.”

  “Sounds great. Thank you. Sam?” Rich grinned, waving his goodbye as he reached for Sam's hand. They walked out to his jeep and leaned against the cool metal. Rich rested his arm over the roof and looked down at the tiny girl. “I know it wasn’t much of a date tonight, but I had a nice time. I really like your family. They are a bunch of characters, especially your uncle.”

  “Yeah they are. They like you, too. I need to be honest when I tell you that their acceptance of you was an unexpected event. I figured they would put you on a spit and roast you like a pig before letting you take me out. And Uncle Scott is already staking his claim, so watch out. He will either pass me off to you or try to lock me out of sight.”

  “He's a hard one to figure out. One minute he's the no-nonsense general and the next, he's a rodeo clown. I like him.”

  “They say I have his personality. Just be aware of the temper.”

  “His or yours?”

  Sam didn't answer except with a smile. “I had fun as well. I don’t get to socialize very often, and it’s usually with just my brother. I’m glad you two hit it off, it’s good for him to have other friends, too.”

  “Would you like to go out again? Just us? Your dad said it was okay. And your uncle didn't protest.”

  “I would, yes,” she said softly, as she looked up at him.

  Rich leaned over to kiss her gently on the lips. “You’re beautiful. I’ll see you in the morning, okay?”

  “ ‘Kay. Drive carefully. Good night, and thanks again for the evening,” Sam said, the touch of his lips still tingling on hers. She watched him drive away and turned. Rolling her eyes, she saw all three members of her family departing from the upsta
irs window. She gave them time to scurry back into the living room before she reentered the house. “So, you guys liked him?”

  “Very pleasant young man. Good manners, intelligent…” Scott answered, pretending to flip through the channels and act disinterested.

  “Yes, but you liked him?”

  “Yes, honey, we did. Very much. Do you?”

  “Yes, but I want to take things slow. He IS a good kisser though,” she commented mischievously, hearing her father groan. “Don’t act surprised. I saw you all spying on me.”

  “Busted. I told you two she would see you. Sorry I hogged up your time with him tonight, sis. It’s rare I find someone my age who likes the same stuff. Including my family.” He frowned at his parents.

  “Don’t worry, Mike. I would want my boyfriend to be your friend first. Kind of like Daddy and Uncle Scott. Even if he and I don’t get romantically involved, he’ll still be a great friend.”

  “So young and so wise,” Scott groaned. “And so past your bedtime. Say good night, little miss, and get that bottom to bed.”

  “Good night. I love you,” she said to each of her family before obeying.

  Chapter 4

  Rich arrived promptly at 0630, dressed in wetsuit with surfboard in hand, and was greeted at the open door by Sam, who held her finger to her lips. He issued her a quick kiss as Michael came downstairs, dressed in his wetsuit.

  “Got coffee?” he whispered to his sister. She nodded, leaving to get him and Rich a cup. She waited, hands on her hips, for the praise.

  “Mmm, this is the best I’ve ever had, Sam. Thank you.”

  “That’s what everyone says about her coffee and Scott won’t drink anyone’s but hers. Watch it because she’ll get a swelled head,” Michael teased, leading them outside on the deck. He grabbed his surfboard and the three headed down the stairs. Steam rose from the evaporating dew as the sun began to kiss the water. The waves curled high over the breakers, spraying them with a salty mist.

  “Are you going in?” Rich asked the girl, as he and Michael stretched out on the sand bank. She was in sweats.

  “I am, I just didn’t want to shock you before you were ready.” She giggled seductively, stripping and standing before him in her wetsuit.

  Rich stared, speechless. “My God, you’re perfect,” he finally choked out.

  Michael snapped his fingers. “Hey! Eyes front. She wasn’t talking about herself. She was talking about that. Weren't you?” Michael eyed a grinning Sam, as he pointed towards the curls at the shelf line. A large black fin protruded, and followed the breaking waves to the beachfront, before launching onto the sand with the customary wiggle and jaw snaps. Rich jumped back a good ten feet.

  “Holy cow…”

  “No, killer whale. This is Ton. Ton? This is Rich.” She imaged a mate. Ton was not impressed, but then, he never was. He snorted. She sighed and re-imaged her pod plus him. He snorted again.

  “What’s going on?” Rich asked Michael.

  “She’s probably trying to introduce you as part of her pod and he isn’t impressed. I hate to say this, but it takes far more than you to raise his interest. So far, she is the only one who has earned his regard.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Remember when you asked about what we do? This is part of it. Samantha has this weird neuropathic connection with the cetaceans that was initiated by a neurotransmitter that I developed. I’m not wearing mine, but I still get some stronger images flashed to me. I know it’s hard to believe. It confounds me at times, too.”

  “No, you may not eat him! Ton, what is wrong with you? My bull approved. Will you meet him?” the girl was saying out loud.

  Rich looked skeptical. “Eat me? She's kidding, right?”

  “I'm afraid not. That is Ton’s solution for everything. Don’t worry. He’s all snort and little bite. Most of the time, anyway. Just follow her instructions to the letter.”

  “What the hell is she doing? Stop her!” Rich gasped as Sam climbed inside the whale’s large mouth, laying her body across his jaws. Michael grabbed his arm to prevent him from running toward the pair.

  “She knows what she is doing. This is how she submits to him and shows her trust. He’ll soften up soon. I don’t want to go in until she gives the okay, though.”

  “Samantha knows how to submit?” Rich asked, suppressing a twitch from his mouth. “That is an interesting choice of words to use to describe such an independent woman.”

  “Independent or not, she is the only female in a house full of manly men. She is allowed to exercise her feminine control only so much.”

  “You better not be talking about me, Michael Scott! Ton can tap into your thoughts and he is sharing some things that I do not like!” Sam remarked, working herself deeper between the whale’s teeth.

  “I don't know what you are talking about, shrimp. Is he okay? You are freaking out Rich.”

  “He is imaging tail flukes and bulls, so yes you do. He'll be okay. Rich will get over it, won't you?”

  “We need to have a little talk about this later, Samantha,” Rich said with a frown.

  “Oh Lord, you are already starting to sound like my family. Geesh.”

  After a few minutes, Ton began to wiggle to return to the water, and the girl dislodged herself from his mouth. She and Michael helped push him back in, and she turned to Rich with a smile. “He said you can surf with Michael, but you are not allowed to touch me yet. He’s very protective. Sorry.”

  “This whole talking to the whale thing. Seriously. It's a joke, right?”

  “Not at all. In fact, when it comes to this, I could not be even more serious,” Sam said, no humor in her eyes. “To disregard his boundaries, will mean you become his next meal, and there is nothing I could do to stop him. No contact with me at all, not on the beach or in the water. He literally indicated no physical contact, so keep a good three feet from me at all times for now. I’ll keep working on him. If you see us coming later on, try to stay calm, okay? Michael, I’m going in. There’s a pod out there and I need to talk with them about the swirls. Ton said he’d help.”

  The boys watched as she dove into the waves and disappeared under the surf. Rich stared after her, stunned.

  “I know; it’s a lot to swallow. Come on, let’s ride,” Michael said. Shaking his head, Rich followed. An hour later, the girl emerged on Ton’s back and surrounded by a large pod of bottlenoses. They swarmed around the boys who were floating on their boards. One dolphin dove on top of Michael’s board, dumping him off.

  “Hey, Splasher. How you doing?” Michael asked, rubbing the playful dolphin affectionately. Ton swam next to Rich, snorting water and eyeing him. With a gentle flick of a pectoral fin, Rich was dumped into the water and suddenly surrounded by large dolphin bodies.

  “They are meeting you, Rich. Rub them,” Sam said, stroking Ton’s back and following his rolling body so that she straddle his underside and attend to the sensitive area under his chin and chest. Rich put out his hand, feeling the silky smooth rubbery skin of the animals. A smile lit across his face. The waves were forgotten as he touched the pod. Finally, it was Ton’s turn.

  “Rich, swim over here. Do not touch me,” Sam ordered, slipping off Ton and into the water. “He’s going to open his mouth. Place your hand on the base of his tongue and do not move. He’s going to close his jaws and you’ll feel his teeth. You can rub his tongue, if you want to, with your fingers.”

  “He won’t take off my arm, will he?”

  “Only if you touch me. Go on.”

  Rich was unnerved, but calmly obeyed, flattening his hand deep inside the mouth of the whale. He felt sharp conical teeth pressing into his upper arm to the point of being uncomfortable. He gently moved his fingers, feeling the bumpy soft flesh of the animal's mouth. Ton finally released him and zoomed away, launching into a high breach.

  Sam smiled with relief. “You can touch me now. Just no biting my tail flukes.”

  “What?”

&nb
sp; Michael joined them, intervening, “Don’t yell at her or be aggressive towards her in any way. How are you doing?”

  “Wow. That was one experience I never believed I would enjoy. He is magnificent. So he is okay with me?”

  “For the time being. He tends to get a little cranky towards newcomers. Ton views Sam as his calf and instinctively provides her with the protection of a pod bull.”

  “Is he that way with your folks?”

  “He grumbles, but he will not interfere with the primes of her pod. That includes me. Right, little sister?”

  “Yeah, yeah, if you say so.”

  “Yep, she sounds real submissive, Mike. Where are they going?” Rich chuckled as the dolphin he was stroking suddenly jerked away and dispersed with the rest of the pod.

  “School of tuna coming through. They’re feeding. I’m going to work with the lions. Let me know when you guys go in; buzz me.”

  “Sam, it’s your day off. Relax,” Michael said firmly.

  “I’ll grab some lobsters…” she tempted him in a sing-songy voice.

  “Well... okay, if you insist.” Michael wrinkled his nose, trying to hide his smile at her convincing bribe. The boys were resting on the shore, when Sam emerged from the surf with two large lobsters in hand. Riding the waves to the beach were three sea lions, each carrying a large crustacean and dropping them as they waddled towards Michael. Rich wisely followed Sam's gesture to stay put, as his new friend laid flat on the sand, to allow the pinnipeds to approach and greet him affectionately. The presence of the animals attracted onlookers, who were promptly charged by the bull sea lion, and Rich's eyes widened, as the large animal bared vicious teeth.

  “We really should put up signs or something warning people to stay away from the peds if seen on the beach,” Michael said, finally sitting up and scratching the bull behind his ear flaps. “Damn, you guys really stink, know that?”

  “People won’t read them, let alone follow directions. These guys stink, but they are so cuddly. Aren't you?” Sam asked, plopping down next to her brother to hug the smaller cow around the neck. “Rich, get on your hands and knees and slowly crawl towards us.”