Dolphin Tale 4

Chapter [25]

Sawyer spun around, his heart beating faster than normal.

"Hello, Sawyer."

Sawyer glared at the man before him. "Why would you do something like this to me? You do realise that you almost gave me a heart attack, don't you? I thought you were an intruder, though, when I think about it, you kind of are an intruder in our house."

"I'm your father, Sawyer," Spencer Nelson said bluntly.

"No you're not."

"Sawyer, I am your father, and nothing can ever change th—"

"Stop saying that you're my father, okay? You're not. Now, if you'd kindly explain the meaning behind this photograph you took the other night. That would be much appreciated."

"You still don't get the reference of love birds?"

"Oh, I do," Sawyer said, folding his arms, "but I want to know why. Why did you take this photograph? Why did you stalk Lacie and I that evening? Why are you even here in Florida? I have a lot of questions to ask, and I expect answers—truthful answers, that is—to all of them. Is that clear enough for you, or do I need to speak slower and use simpler vocabulary in order for you to be able to understand me?"

Spencer scowled. "I understand you perfectly clearly, thank you. My explanations may take a day or so and I'm sure you don't have a day to spare for your father. So, I'm afraid that you won't be getting explanations any time soon. Sorry."

Sawyer raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? Well, you're right. I don't have a day to spare for my father, but I have a day to spare for you. So, tell me what's going on. What is your motive for all of this...stuff?"

Spencer gritted his teeth and gestured towards the hard wooden chairs at the dining table. "Do sit. I think you'll get tired of standing, sooner or later."

Sawyer shook his head. "I prefer to stand. Research proves that it burns more calories than sitting down. And, didn't you read that article or whatever that said that sitting for prolonged amounts of time can kill you?"

Spencer pulled out a chair and sat on it and muttered darkly, "Health freak."

"What was that?"

"Nothing that concerns you. Where should I begin?"

"Well, technicially, you should always begin from the beginning and end from the ending. You should never start from the ending and end with the beginning unless the person asks you to. Does that help in any way?"

Spencer rolled his eyes. "Even the world's biggest idiot would know that, Sawyer, so no, it doesn't help. What would you like me to explain first?"

"The image."

Spencer smiled. "Ah, the image. Well, I'm assuming that you know who the two love birds in the photo are, right?"

Sawyer nodded and gritted his teeth. "Yes, I do know who they are. I want to know why, though. Why would you go to all this trouble just to take a photo of us?"

"Well, photography is a form of art, and art can be worth tens of thousands of dollars. A few years ago, I went to Australia, and they had all these stickers up on the windows of public transport saying that graffiti wasn't art, yet it could still be worth ten thousand dollars. So, I figured that if graffiti could be worth ten thousand dollars, a photograph could, too."

Sawyer stared blankly at Spencer. "So, you plan on selling the photographs?"he said dryly.

"Yeah. Well, it is a good quality photo, and who knows, it may end up on the front cover of the local newspaper, or the front cover of a celebrity magazine. From what I've heard, you're quite the celebrity around here."

"You wouldn't actually sell this photo, would you? Would you actually sink so low and sell this to the media?"

Spencer shrugged. "I may or may not. It depends."

Sawyer eyed his ex-father cautiously. "Depends on what?"

Spencer Nelson sighed. "Sawyer, I have a proposal to make to you. If you say "yes" to my proposal, then this image will not find a way into the world. On the other hand, however, if you say "no", then I'm afraid that there will be consequences for you to face."

"Is this a threat?"

"I wouldn't say so, no. But, in a manner of speaking, it is a threat, yes. And I would take this seriously if I were you. Who knows what a photo that is leaked to the media can do to your reputation. I think your polished, pristine white reputation will become rough, and darker in color, don't you think? You'll no longer be the pearl in everyone's eyes; you would be the charcoal, the dust, and the dirt. You wouldn't want that, Sawyer, would you now?"

"It's not such a big deal," Sawyer said, hoping to pass of as casual, "we've been photographed kissing before. What makes this particular photograph any different?"

Spencer smiled. "Well, everyone brushed off the previous incident because you said it was an accident and a mistake. Everyone's forgotten about it, presumably. But when this second photograph is leaked, people will start to think that the first kiss might not have been an accident or a mistake, after all. They'll start to think that you two are together, and then the rumors will begin, and boy will they spread like wildfire. You'd be lucky enough to contain them to one country."

"This is blackmail!"

"It's not. It's called persuasion, Sawyer, and you really should learn how to use it. Right, so my proposal? If you and your mother come and live with me in Washington, then this photograph will be erased forever off my laptop, my camera, and this image will be burned before your very own eyes. If you, however, do not comply, then I'm afraid that this image will be posted all over the internet for all to see. I may even sell it to the local newspaper..."

"This is blackmail!"

"No it's not, Sawyer. This is called the power of persuasion. So, what do you say?"

Sawyer just shook his head. "How dare you do something like this? A true father would never blackmail his own family. This just proves that you're definitely not my father. You're a criminal. You could be charged for blackmail if I was to take you to court, you know. I just can't believe that you would do this to me and my mother. Why?"

"I love you and I miss you. There isn't really much else I can say."

"No, there is another reason. Why did you come back after all these years of bittersweet silence. Why now?"

"There is no other reason, Sawyer. I came back because I love you and I miss you—that's the truth, and I beg you to believe me. You have six days to make a decision, because in six days I'll be gone."

"And what if I don't want to go. What if my mother and I decide to stay?"

Spencer smiled grimly. "Staying is not an option, Sawyer. I will do whatever it takes to make you and your mother come live with my in Washington. I am even willing to break the law."