Chapter Three

"They know."

"You don't know that."

"They definitely know."

I wasn't sure who'd discovered Kai's disappearance, but I'd received the heart-stopping email Sunday evening, while Cee was trying to teach Kai how to use a stove and not subsequently burn the house down. Alma's words had sparked an instant anxiety attack, but he'd managed to make ravioli without arson.

"It looks like everyone was copied on this, and it doesn't actually say anything is wrong." Cee was inspecting the email from a secure server on her dad's office computer. It was the only thing I was grateful for when it came to Mr. Morrison- he valued his privacy to an absurd degree. "They aren't singling you out specifically, so stick to the plan and you"ll be fine."

"Of course it doesn't say anything is wrong," They wouldn't want potential suspects evading arrest. "What if there was another camera?" I bit on the soft skin of my cuticles. "Or someone saw us leaving the aquarium?" Or the hundreds of other factors I hadn't considered before now that could land me in prison by this time tomorrow. I didn't look good in stripes, plus the whole ‘having any shot at a future stripped from me' thought was enough to make my knees wobble. For crying out loud, I was a grad student at Stanford and the most I could come up with was a shotty escape plan with a vague alibi? I didn't even make a flowchart!

I started pacing. I was the only thing that could keep me from completely falling apart as I repeated Alma's email rang in my head. They had to know.

"I short-circuited the electronics," Kai said, stopping me mid-pace. He turned me to face him, gently prying my clenched hands apart and cupping them in both of his. "No one would have seen us, even from outside the aquarium."

"You can do that?" I remembered the moments after our kiss when the lights went out and the backup generators for the other tanks kicked in.

He just nodded. Not that I expected him to give me a detailed explanation given his track record. I slapped his chest, "You could've mentioned that sooner!"

Kai smirked. "I did. When you were muttering similar fears in your mechanical carriage on the way over here. I assume you don't remember."

I didn't, but I barely remembered anything after I jumped into the tank to save him. In hindsight, I probably shouldn't have been driving, but since we survived, I was willing to overlook it. "So, no one saw me leave with you?"

"No one saw anything," he promised.

"What if they take me in for questioning? What if there's a lie detector test?" I went on, unable to shake all my anxiety.

Cee waved a dismissive hand. "Those things are bogus."

"No, the cheap ones on Amazon don't work," I clarified. "But ones designed by the government would. What if Kai is some sort of threat to our national security? What if the Men in Black are really FBI and they're taking notes to report to the President and—"

Cee rose, whacking me on the shoulder hard enough that I winced, "What the hell, Cee?!"

"Pull yourself together!" She rubbed the bridge of her nose like I was a child giving her grief. "Geez. You executed this whole convoluted plan and you're going to buckle just because you have to tell a few more lies? If you ask me, I think Reinhardt is running this show on his own, though he may have private funding if he found someone rich and equally deranged to invest in his research. You slept with Dennis for crying out loud, if nothing else, let that be your driving motivation to see this through."

"Don't remind me." I groaned. I wanted to forget that portion of the night ever happened. Judging by the way Kai's hand tightened around mine, he also wasn't thrilled about the reminder.

"Your shame will save you," Cee sang with a devilish grin. "Plus, you already set him up when you left his ID in the lab. It's too late to turn back now, M."

She had a point, not that I would admit it. But I was more scared for Kai than I was for myself. I'd seen him do amazing, impossible things, but I'd also seen him wasting away on the edge of death. And if he wound up in that tank again because of me, it would be worse than spending my life behind bars.

I wasn't projecting my thoughts towards him, I finally had some more control after some trial and error, and bugging him for hours about how it worked. Kai gave my hand a pulsing squeeze, a thank you, and a boost of courage.

I could do this, I would do this, for him.

I squeezed back.

I found myself standing outside the aquarium first thing Monday morning, my heart in my throat, clutching the shit out of my bag as I walked past the yellow caution tape like a scene straight out of NCIS. Alma met me at the door, her face grim.

"Isn't the aquarium closed for the day?" I asked her, nodding to the school bus pulling into the lot.

She followed my gaze, "Just them. They booked a tour for the hour and then we're shutting down. The directors thought it best to keep visitors away for the time being while we sort things out."

I followed her down the dim hallways. "Do you know what this is about?" I asked her as we walked.

She shook her head. "We'll discuss it inside." We continued in silence to the office where I'd signed my NDA, an NDA which I had since broken, but the semantics of that paper didn't matter much in comparison to everything else I'd done.

This time, the room wasn't empty. The Men in Black sat at the far end of the table, looking menacing as always, with Doctor Reinhardt at the opposite end. Hughes was looking uncomfortable in a seat towards the center, absently stirring his morning coffee that had gone cold. One of the lightbulbs was on its last legs, flickering over the conference table, casting shadows over everyone's serious faces. Reinhardt motioned for me to have a seat as I walked in.

Cue the interrogation.

Reinhardt nodded at one of the men, who rose and left the room, taking up position in front of the door once it had shut behind him. Reinhardt cleared his throat before speaking.

"Miss Saunders, we have some questions for you, and I need you to be forthcoming with any information you may have."

"Of course," I said, making sure my face held the same calm neutrality that I reserved for presentations, or ignoring Dennis.

Reinhardt glanced at the others once more, then said, "Specimen 275 escaped over the weekend."

I gasped, shocked without overdoing it. "What?!"

"The tank was destroyed, and it appears he found a way to disable the electrical grid."

"Was anyone hurt? Are the animals alright?"

Hughes nodded, seeing the distress on my face. "It was after hours, and we'd moved most of the animals back earlier last week. Daisy's still there but she's okay. There was a backup generator for the tanks. The same can't be said for the ID scanners, or the lights. The whole system was fried."

I ran my tongue behind my teeth. Kai short-circuited more than he thought.

Reinhardt continued, "We've dispatched the submersibles, but they have not yet picked up any usual activity. Depending on when he escaped, he could be miles away by now."

I felt a sudden punch of relief that we hadn't sent him back to the ocean, "Could he still be on land?" I didn't want to give the hint, but I also had to know where they were searching.

"I don't believe he would blend in long among us, Miss Saunders." Reinhardt said with a sardonic smirk, but there was no light in his cold eyes. "Which is why we've had to consider the possibility that he wasn't working alone." He produced a tape recorder, setting it on the table in front of us, the light flashing green as it powered up. "We will need a formal statement about the events of your weekend, Miss Saunders."

I swallowed hard. "All of the events?"

"In as great detail as possible, beginning with Friday evening," Reinhardt confirmed.

My face flushed with heat. I knew there was a possibility that I'd have to tell this story eventually, I just didn't think my sex life would go on record for playback. I sighed.

"We went to the bar for the music festival after leaving the aquarium," I began.

"Which bar was this, for records sake?"

"The Grotto."

"Mr. Ashford got you a cab that evening."

"Yes, he did."

"Did you see if he returned to the bar?"

And cue the alibi,"Dennis…actually escorted me home that evening."

Hughes's eyebrows shot up, while Reinhardt's narrowed. Alma was failing to hide a jealous scowl which held more questions than answers. "And, his whereabouts thereafter?" Alma inquired, not missing a beat. "Did he leave once he escorted you home?"

I didn't have to fake the heat that flooded my face and neck. "No, we spent the night together."

"The entire evening?" she pressed.

"Oh for the love of-we had sex!" I said, my forehead falling to my hand on the table, "Drunken, mediocre, sex. Would you like to know the bed size, the positions, how long he lasted, or can I save a shred of my dignity?"

"That will be sufficient, Miss Saunders." Reinhardt said thinly. Perhaps I should've thought of a better alibi instead of letting everyone in this room think I was a loose hussy, but I was better off promiscuous than a pilferer. He cleared his throat. "At what time did Mr. Ashford depart your house?"

"Right after sunup," I could see the slight purse in Alma's lips, and I flamed the fans of her speculations by adding. "He did leave in a rush though." My words came out with a slight pout, like I was disappointed he hadn't stayed for breakfast. "But it was for the best since I promised to help my friend, Cee. You remember her from the gala, Doctor Reinhardt."

"The aspiring designer," he acknowledged.

"I'm assisting her and her cousin with their fashion line." I said, solidifying Kai's disguise.

"Did Mr. Ashford say anything else to you about his whereabouts?" Alma cut in curtly.

I shrugged. "Just that he would see me Monday." Had they found his ID card in the rubble?

"Miss Saunders," she began. "This is a very serious matter. If 275 is indeed still in these waters, then there is a dangerous predator roaming the coast."

Oh, there were dangerous predators on the coast alright, and I was staring right at them. Kai had used his abilities in self-defense, and to help me. At this very moment, he was at Cee's house, enjoying the very human experience of playing video games and pigging out on processed junk food. He'd looked so relaxed against the oversized pillows with a controller in his hand, his mouth pursed in concentration.

"I understand," I said, the knot in my throat tightening.

Reinhardt leaned forward, "Do you have any idea who could"ve done this?"

"Are you accusing me?" I asked simply.

Hughes had kept silent during this whole exchange. I tried to catch his eyes, but his gaze remained fixed on the clock behind my head, or at the cold coffee in front of him.

"We are questioning everyone, Miss Saunders. At this point no one is above suspicion."

"I understand," I repeated, shoulders sagging. "Is it possible he escaped on his own? Or used someone. He's tried before, hasn't he?"

"He hasn't used that ability since the day of his last attack," Reinhardt said. "It had to have been limited, otherwise he would have struck again when you were alone with him."

Hughes winced, and I glanced sharply at him. "You used me at bait?"

"An experiment," Reinhardt clarified. "One that you agreed to in the contract you signed," I knew I should have read those papers more carefully. "And one that yielded no results thanks to 275's abilities with electronics. But you were cautious and followed our safety protocols, otherwise you wouldn't be here, would you?"

Seething rage bubbled up, goosebumps breaking out along my arms. I pushed my tongue behind my teeth to keep from soundly cursing him out as I took a steading breath. Kai, you're doing this for Kai. Keep your cool. "No, he never tried to hurt me, and I stayed far away from his tank. But we clearly didn't know what he was capable of. You said he destroyed his tank, did it tip over?" If they hadn't found Dennis' ID, maybe they would accept that Kai broke himself out.

"No, the entire top was shattered, like a bomb exploded from the inside." Hughes said before falling silent under Reinhardt's withering stare.

"For all our sakes, let us hope my theory of his abilities is correct. The others are still raving about like mad men in their own confinement. If he ensnared someone else to facilitate his escape they would be just as uncontrollable, or at the very least, be acting extremely out of character."

"We should have placed some sort of tracker on him," Alma muttered to Reinhardt, sharp green eyes burning with resentment. "I thought you said you'd be implementing the proper precautions."

Under her scrutiny, Reinhardt actually seemed to shrink. They argued with their eyes in a silent conversation, and I recalled Cee's theory that Reinhardt had an accomplice. Had she joined on her own, or had Reinhardt promised something in exchange for her financial support? I stared at the ficus in the corner and pretended not to notice their silent battle. Across from me, I saw Hughes doing the same.

"He was most uncooperative, as were the precautions." Reinhardt finally spat, gesturing to me. "Miss Saunders gave up her smart device just to get a preliminary monitor onto him."

Alma perked up at that. "Does it have GPS capabilities?" she asked me.

The blood drained from my face, dropping straight to the pit of my stomach. I couldn't remember if Kai had removed the Fitbit since we'd left the aquarium. He might have taken it off at my house, or when he was modeling clothes at Cee's. But that put it in two distinct, very condemnable locations, and I knew I did not look good in orange. "I'm not sure." I stuttered.

"Pull up the app." she insisted, moving her chair closer to mine.

I reached into my back pocket, trying to keep my fingers from shaking. Please let it be on the side of the highway somewhere. Please let it be on the side of the highway somewhere. I opened the app, the greeting screen mocking me as it took its sweet time loading. This was it, I had about thirty seconds of freedom left before I was clapped in irons and Kai was recaptured and stuck in a fishbowl until his inevitable death.

Why hadn't I considered this? I was so focused on getting him as far away as possible, I wasn't thinking of the aftermath of his decision to stay. Stupid hormonal brain, it was about to cost me everything!

Except nothing happened when the app finally loaded. In fact, there was no data from the past few days, Friday morning to be exact, when I'd last logged in. I refreshed the page. Nothing. I tried again, receiving a warning message and nothing else.

"There's been no activity since Friday morning." I forced my sigh of relief to sound disappointed as I passed my phone over so they could see for themselves.

Alma groaned in frustration. "Well, that was a waste of time."

"Thank you for your cooperation, Miss Saunders." Reinhardt added.

I nodded, an intense relief running through me, followed by an absurdly intense thirst. My mouth and throat were bone dry, and I was pretty sure I had swallowed my own tongue in my panic. I stood, "May I get some water?"

He nodded, and I found the cooler in the corner as Alma continued, "In light of these events, we've had to close the lab indefinitely."

"What?" I cried, nearly dropping the cup I'd just filled. "What about the program?"

"Don't worry about that," Hughes said, waving a dismissive hand, but after the hell I'd gone through just to get the credits to graduate, I was damn well going to worry about it. "The lab's a mess, it's completely unusable. We've got one more task for the three of you, then we'll sign off on the completion forms for the course," he smiled, and it was like a weight had been lifted off his chest. "You can start your summer vacation early. The final one before adulthood, right?"

"What sort of task?" I asked.

"Daisy is ready to be released. You've all done wonders aiding in her recovery. We thought it would be a fitting end to the program, given the circumstances."

I nodded, refilling a second cup, and taking a sip that sent a rejuvenating calm throughout my body. I could feel it working through my bloodstream, cooling the rest of my frayed nerves.

"She's doing okay?" Her wound had healed, and she was eating well. She'd even rolled onto her belly for Kai the other night. There was a bond between them that I wouldn't have expected, one that may have developed during his captivity, when he'd had no one to talk to before I came along. Could he speak to Daisy the same way he spoke to me? What would a dolphin sound like?

"She's fantastic, she'll have no trouble readjusting to life in the wild, though I daresay she'll miss the undivided attention."

"She'll be better off with a pod." I said firmly. Hughes nodded in agreement.

"And one has just been spotted off the coast." Reinhardt added. "We'll ensure she finds them easily." He extended a hand towards the door. "Thank you for your statement Miss Saunders. Please wait for us outside while we speak with Mr. Brown."