Read Online Cardinal by Sara Mack - Free Book Online Page B

least, that’s what I would do.
    “I’ll tell you what.” I crouch down to the
little boy’s level. “Let’s walk and find a nice security guard. I bet they can
help us. Sound like a plan?”
    He hesitates, then nods.
    I don’t want him to be scared, so I hold out my
hand to introduce myself. “My name’s Jen. What’s yours?”
    His fingers wrap around the tips of mine. “Oliver.”
    “Nice to meet you, Oliver.” I smile and shake
his hand. “I like your name.”
    He looks shy at my compliment before I stand to
begin our search. There are exits at both ends of the exhibit, but I’m not sure
which one will bring us closer to the main lobby. I decide to head in the
direction Oliver pointed. Maybe we’ll run into his uncle along the way.
    “So, how old are you, Oliver?” I ask as we
start to walk.
    “Seven.”
    “Have you been to the aquarium before?”
    He looks up at me. “Uncle Gunnar brings me every
week.”
    Impressive, I think. “You two must
really like fish.”
    “Yeah. The sharks are my favorite. Do you have
a favorite?”
    I think for a second. “I like the jellyfish. Oh! 
And the glow-in-the-dark seahorses.”
    Oliver crinkles his nose. “The sharks should be
your favorite.”
    I smile. “Why?”
    “They’re like the superheroes of the ocean,” he
says. “There’s good guys and bad guys, but mostly good.” He looks serious when
he gives me his reason.
    “You’re very persuasive,” I say. “Maybe I’ll
change my mind when I see the sharks.”
    “You haven’t seen them?”
    “Nope. This is my first time here.”
    Oliver’s soft brown eyes consume his face. He
can’t believe it. “You have to see them!  I’ll take you after we find my uncle.
I can tell you about all the sharks, even the Great White. They don’t have any Great
White’s here, but I know all about them. They’re just like the one in Jaws. ”
    The kid knows his predators. “You’ve seen that
movie?  Wasn’t it scary?”
    “Nah.” He shakes his head. “All the blood was
fake.”
    Alright, then. The music alone creeps me out.
    We make it to the exhibit exit and head up the
stairs to the next level of the aquarium. When we reach the top, I immediately
spot two security guards having a discussion and point at them. “Let’s go ask
for some help.”
    Oliver walks with me over to the guards. When
we get close, he grabs my hand, almost like he’s nervous. I squeeze his fingers
to let him know everything will be okay.
    “Hi,” I interrupt the men. “This little boy is
lost. He can’t find his uncle.”
    One of the guards leans down to look at Oliver.
“I bet we were just talking about you. Is your name Oliver?”
    “Yes,” Oliver says.
    The security guard smiles and then speaks into
the radio on his shoulder. “Tell Mr. Latson we’ve located his nephew.”
    Wait…what?
    A woman radios back. “What’s your location?”
    “Abbott Oceanarium North. At the stairs.”
    She responds. “He’s on his way.”
    “Your uncle will be here soon,” the other security
guard tells Oliver. “Can you do me a favor, though, buddy?”
    Oliver steps closer to my side.
    “The next time you’re anywhere with a crowd,
make sure you stick by your uncle or your parents, okay?  Not all people are as
nice as this lady here.” The security guard looks at me. “Thank you for your
help.”
    “Of course,” I say.
    While we wait, Oliver starts to look around. He
tugs on my hand. “Those seahorses you like are over there.”
    I turn around. “They sure are.”
    “Can we go see them?”
    I look at the security guards. “Is that okay?”
    They agree since we’ll be in their line of
sight. Oliver leads me over to the display and just as we get into a
conversation about which color seahorse is the best, I hear a voice call out “O.”
    This is crazy, I think.
    Oliver lets go of my hand and takes off. He
runs toward Latson, who scoops him up and holds him tight.
    “I told you never to wander away from