Chapter Four

CHAPTER FOUR

NICHOLAS WHITE'S HEAD jerked toward Bub.

Had the creature twitched?

He backed away, careful, trying to project an atmosphere of calm at Bub.

Yes, sure enough, Bub was stirring. Nicholas knelt down, both hands up, a submissive posture. He and Bub knew each other, and Bub was an intelligent creature. He might have gotten spooked in some way, but Nicholas was confident that if he could see that Nicholas was no threat, he wouldn't lash out.

At the back of his skull, a dull red sense of alarm spilled down his spine, however, because he knew that the tranq dart shouldn't have worn off so quickly. Something was going wrong with Bub. Something was different.

Bub reared up over him, baring his teeth, letting out a keening, grating kind of noise.

Nicholas did his best not to cower but also not to do anything aggressive. He tried to project calm, but his heart was beginning to beat very fast in his chest. "It's only me, Bub," he said, his voice soft. "You know me. It's Nick."

Bub's gills went in and out visibly, faster than usual. His head ticked up and down, looking for danger from every corner of his vision. Finally his gaze settled on Nicholas. Very slowly, he knelt down, too, mirroring Nick's own position.

"That's right," said Nick. "That's right. Everything's okay now." Everything was not okay, however. What were they going to do? They could not get him into the tank this way. Maybe, if he could tranq Bub again, but the dart pistol was in a holster on a belt he'd put on when he ran out of the lab. So, if he went for it now, the creature would see. Bub might not know what he was doing, but Nick wasn't going to count on that. Bub was smart.

Bub's lips parted, showing off rows of his sharp teeth. But he made no noise. His breathing seemed to be regulating.

"All right, everything is just fine," breathed Nicholas.

They stayed there, simply looking at each other.

And then the sound of Jonnie Greyson's voice came filtering down. "Damn it all to hell, Nick, I can't get in without a keycard."

Bub shot to his feet.

Nicholas reached out to grab Bub. It was instinctive.

Bub's webbed hand slammed into Nicholas's chest, knocking him backward.

Nicholas fell back, the wind knocked out of him.

Bub's neck was craned upward, in the direction of Jonnie's voice. His gills began to open and close faster and faster.

"Can't you hear me, Nick? What's going on?" Jonnie was closer now.

Bub let out a low growling, grating sound. It leaked out and burrowed in Nicholas, a threat.

Slowly, Nicholas began to sit back up.

Bub pounced on him, swiping with one hand.

Ouch, what was on Bub's fingers, and what was happening to Nicholas's neck?

Nicholas screamed.

Tried to.

No sound came out.

And the pain was blinding.

And the blood. Oh, God, the blood .

He—