Read Online Distant Echoes by Colleen Coble - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Colleen Coble
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love this new challenge, and she hated to admit the dolphin was failing her assignment so far.
“There it is.” Heidi pointed at the bright yellow bit of plastic housing floating about fifteen feet from the boat.
Kaia steered the boat toward the camera then cut the engine and fished it out of the waves. She whistled for Nani, and the dolphin zipped to the side of the Porpoise II then turned and raced away when she saw the camera in Kaia’s hand.
Kaia pressed her lips together. “We might as well go in.”
“I want to stay out here.” Heidi crossed her arms over her chest. “Can’t we work with DALE?”
Kaia glanced at her watch. “For a few minutes. Then we have to go in.” She grabbed her knapsack and pulled out the communication device. When she dropped it in the water, Nani came back to the boat. Kaia began to input clicks and whistles into the machine. Nani pressed the
wrong picture on the underwater screen three times.
“She’s not cooperating,” Kaia said. She pulled the device out of the water. “We might as well go in. We’re not accomplishing anything.” Sometimes she wondered if she was ever going to get through to the dolphin in a way that really mattered. Nani rolled over by the boat, and Kaia managed to get the camera back on her.
“You promised we could stay out awhile. It’s only been fifteen minutes.” Heidi’s lip trembled, and tears clung to her lashes. “All grownups break their promises.”
Kaia bit her tongue and tried not to snap back. “You sound tired. I think you need a nap.”
“I’m not!” Heidi rubbed the back of her hand against her eyes. “Naps are for babies. My mom doesn’t make me take a nap.”
Kaia knew what the problem was. “You miss your mom, don’t you? Maybe we can call her when we get to shore.”
Heidi picked up an oar and threw it overboard. “Stop talking about my mother!”
Kaia wasn’t sure how to handle this acting out. Heidi had to be upset by her father’s abandonment and now by her mother’s absence. Poor kid. Kaia cut the engine, and the boat slewed sideways. She tossed the anchor overboard. “How about a swim before we go ashore?”
Heidi looked at her uncertainly as if she had expected Kaia to be mad. “I’ll get the oar. Can I snorkel?”
“We can both snorkel a little while.” Kaia waved to the navy boat that was monitoring Nani. She and Heidi adjusted their masks and pulled on their swim fins. “See you in the water.” Kaia rolled over the edge of the boat.
Kaia’s disappointment in Nani’s performance today left her as she entered the world she loved best. Schools of Raccoon Butterfly fish surrounded her then darted away. She spotted several Orange Bandit surgeonfish, a small school of Hawaiian Cleaner wrasse, and a Hawaiian puffer. Her favorite, the Moorish Idol, swam by and disappeared behind a lava rock. The scores of brilliantly colored fish dazzled her eyes in a display of bright yellow, turquoise, and green.
Heidi joined her and grabbed Nani’s dorsal fin. The dolphin pulled the little girl through a school of wrasse. Kaia wished she had her camera.
A shadowy movement caught her eye, and she turned to see a scuba diver swimming toward her. Dressed in a black wet suit, the man paused when he saw them. Though she was sure he was merely out for a pleasure dive, her orders were to take pictures of any divers or anything unusual. Kaia motioned to Nani, and the dolphin swerved, dislodging Heidi’s grip on her dorsal fin. Her body in torpedo mode, Nani darted past Kaia toward the diver.
Kaia pointed toward the surface, and Heidi nodded and swam to the boat. Once Kaia saw that the little girl was safely aboard the boat, she turned to help Nani. The dolphin was swimming around the man. She could see the camera would get a good look at the diver. The man spotted the camera mounted on the dolphin and swam away.
Maybe it was nothing. He might not have known he wasn’t allowed here, just offshore the naval base.
“There it is.” Heidi pointed at the bright yellow bit of plastic housing floating about fifteen feet from the boat.
Kaia steered the boat toward the camera then cut the engine and fished it out of the waves. She whistled for Nani, and the dolphin zipped to the side of the Porpoise II then turned and raced away when she saw the camera in Kaia’s hand.
Kaia pressed her lips together. “We might as well go in.”
“I want to stay out here.” Heidi crossed her arms over her chest. “Can’t we work with DALE?”
Kaia glanced at her watch. “For a few minutes. Then we have to go in.” She grabbed her knapsack and pulled out the communication device. When she dropped it in the water, Nani came back to the boat. Kaia began to input clicks and whistles into the machine. Nani pressed the
wrong picture on the underwater screen three times.
“She’s not cooperating,” Kaia said. She pulled the device out of the water. “We might as well go in. We’re not accomplishing anything.” Sometimes she wondered if she was ever going to get through to the dolphin in a way that really mattered. Nani rolled over by the boat, and Kaia managed to get the camera back on her.
“You promised we could stay out awhile. It’s only been fifteen minutes.” Heidi’s lip trembled, and tears clung to her lashes. “All grownups break their promises.”
Kaia bit her tongue and tried not to snap back. “You sound tired. I think you need a nap.”
“I’m not!” Heidi rubbed the back of her hand against her eyes. “Naps are for babies. My mom doesn’t make me take a nap.”
Kaia knew what the problem was. “You miss your mom, don’t you? Maybe we can call her when we get to shore.”
Heidi picked up an oar and threw it overboard. “Stop talking about my mother!”
Kaia wasn’t sure how to handle this acting out. Heidi had to be upset by her father’s abandonment and now by her mother’s absence. Poor kid. Kaia cut the engine, and the boat slewed sideways. She tossed the anchor overboard. “How about a swim before we go ashore?”
Heidi looked at her uncertainly as if she had expected Kaia to be mad. “I’ll get the oar. Can I snorkel?”
“We can both snorkel a little while.” Kaia waved to the navy boat that was monitoring Nani. She and Heidi adjusted their masks and pulled on their swim fins. “See you in the water.” Kaia rolled over the edge of the boat.
Kaia’s disappointment in Nani’s performance today left her as she entered the world she loved best. Schools of Raccoon Butterfly fish surrounded her then darted away. She spotted several Orange Bandit surgeonfish, a small school of Hawaiian Cleaner wrasse, and a Hawaiian puffer. Her favorite, the Moorish Idol, swam by and disappeared behind a lava rock. The scores of brilliantly colored fish dazzled her eyes in a display of bright yellow, turquoise, and green.
Heidi joined her and grabbed Nani’s dorsal fin. The dolphin pulled the little girl through a school of wrasse. Kaia wished she had her camera.
A shadowy movement caught her eye, and she turned to see a scuba diver swimming toward her. Dressed in a black wet suit, the man paused when he saw them. Though she was sure he was merely out for a pleasure dive, her orders were to take pictures of any divers or anything unusual. Kaia motioned to Nani, and the dolphin swerved, dislodging Heidi’s grip on her dorsal fin. Her body in torpedo mode, Nani darted past Kaia toward the diver.
Kaia pointed toward the surface, and Heidi nodded and swam to the boat. Once Kaia saw that the little girl was safely aboard the boat, she turned to help Nani. The dolphin was swimming around the man. She could see the camera would get a good look at the diver. The man spotted the camera mounted on the dolphin and swam away.
Maybe it was nothing. He might not have known he wasn’t allowed here, just offshore the naval base.
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