Stolen Dream

Chapter Nine

Herbert saw the flashing lights in his rearview mirror and cursed eloquently. He glanced at the speedometer and shook his head as he pulled to the side of the road. He wasn't even speeding. What could possibly be the problem?

The cop car pulled over behind him and sat for a few minutes before the driver's door opened and, yes, of course, Officer Yvonne Whittaker strolled up to his window.

He rolled it down. "What seems to be the problem, Officer?" he asked, working very hard to keep the annoyance out of his tone, masking it with amusement instead.

"You've got a taillight out, Doc."

Herbert frowned. "That's strange. It was fine yesterday."

She shrugged her head to the side as if to say, "What can you do?"

"I'll get it fixed first thing tomorrow."

"You do that."

"I will."

"Good."

"Good." Herbert waited a beat. "Well, unless there's something else...?"

"There is."

"Oh?"

"Here," she offered him a business card. "In case anything else unusual happens to you while you're here. Or if you just want to talk," she added with a slight chin nod.

He suspected she would've flipped her hair if she was the type. Or if it was down, rather than tied up in a bun at the back of her head. "Thanks."

"Have a good evening, Doc."

"You too, Officer." She strolled back to her car and he rolled up his window before starting off towards Miami again. He needed that picture. He was terribly afraid of what might happen to him if he returned empty-handed.

Other than being pulled over early on, the drive was a peaceful one. He made it to his Miami home in record time.

Inside, he found that most things were just as he'd left them. Enough had been disturbed, however, that he knew his things had been gone through.

Fitz.

He rushed straight for his room and dug the shoebox full of memorabilia from his youth out from under his bed. He opened in and rifled through until he found the photo. He didn't breathe a sigh of relief until it was safely in his hand.

He tucked the photo safely into his pocket, then went back out to his car, locking up behind him.

"So, where are you hiding her?"

Herbert whirled around to face Fitz. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Fitz sighed regretfully and made a tsking noise. "I don't want to hurt her, Herb. I just want to make a major contribution to science...just like you." She paused and took a step closer. "Think of it, Herb, we could find an ethical research facility where she could be studied without serious harm. She wouldn't always be comfortable, but it would be worth it for the information we could glean from her."

"I already told you, Fitz. You were right the first time. When you wanted to make sure she was in good health, had things to do to occupy her mind, when you reminded me of her humanity," he told her. She was supposed to be the one to keep him in line. She was supposed to have been Rave's friend. He was the researcher, she was the sympathetic friend. Why did she have to go and switch roles on him?

"I needed her to be healthy to be useful. If she's not mentally stimulated, it would be difficult to adequately gauge her intelligence. And she's not human. She's a fish, Herb."