All By Myself

Chapter 9

I swam deep and fast, not stopping until I couldn't even sense land anymore, my hair flying behind me like ink. I had no idea what I was going to do, but I had been prepared for such a situation. I wish I had my watch, but I had explored the ocean, and had found a cavern under one of the islands with a shaft up to the surface for air supply. I made my way there, swimming along steadily, knowing it would take me a while to reach the place, but I had time. The ocean around me felt wonderful, and I was starting to feel better than I had since I had been captured. My temperature was lowering itself to my normal rate, and my skin felt clean and new.

"She'ss till out in the middle of the North Sea, heading towards the Norwegian Sea. She's incredible." Shields said. Warden glared at him, then looked at Brad.

"We should've guessed that those four days at the shore meant more than she let on. I wish we knew what she'd been doing." Warden said,looking back at the blinking light on the map. Brad had sat down near the desk.

"I've known her for four years, nearly 5. I just thought she was a talented swimmer with warmer hands." He said. He looked at Warden. "When we get her back, we will not let her go again. I suggest installing a pool that will benefit her, matching water of the North Sea. Of course it will make her strong, so extra guards maybe." He said. Tucker was at the computer, and looked up as Brad spoke.

"Her body fluids, when we tested them, showed high levels of chemicals and particulates found in the ocean. We just thought it was from what she told us. Looking back, there are traces of elements that are found when someone is at depths far below what even SCUBA divers can get to." Tucker said. Warden made an exasperated sound, and the three others looked at her.

"Her body heat. It would protect her organs at those depths, prevent infection, the bends, hydrogen in the blood. It all makes sense."Warden said. Shields frowned at her.

"And you promised her anything." He said. Warden glared at him.

"I didn't see you come up with anything. And she would've died. Did you want that on your conscience?" Warden asked. Shields shook his head.

"What about her parents?" Brad asked. Tucker frowned.

"They knew what she was. We can't let them go knowing that they know so much. And yet, once we test them, we will have no need for them."She said.

"Have her journals been found?" Warden asked. Shields nodded.

"About an hour ago. Hidden in a waterproof crevice in her back wall. They're being analysed now, any information we need can hopefully be extracted from them." Shields said. Brad stood up.

"We have to lure Cassi back. Have her parents post a missing person's report?" He suggested, looking from one doctor to the next. Warden shook her head.

"No. That will bring unnecessary attention to her, people will be suspicious if it's reported that she's missing, then found, and promptly vanishes again. Besides, her friends would be suspicious too. I'm guessing you haven't told your daughter about anything." She said. Brad frowned, but shook his head.

"I couldn't tell her. She knows I'm working on something big, but I can't tell her that my big discovery is her best friend." Brad said, his eyes moving to the screen where the green dot was flashing. Warden nodded knowingly.

"She's stopped moving, from the looks of it. At Fair Isle." Shields said, tapping a few keys on the keyboard. Truth was, I had found the cavern, found my things where I'd left them, emergency ID, money, and clothes. I moved from the water onto a rock, allowing my body to change back to human form, and lay there, looking up at the small opening of sunlight above me. I started to cry, curling up on the rock, my heart hurting. Had I left my parents behind to die? I was suddenly alone in the world, and I could feel it like a cage pressing in upon me, even worse than the small room I had been locked in at the labs.