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Last Updated: January 2, 2004 by Blake Sorensen
The character of Colin MacGregor is © 2003-2004 Blake Sorensen, and may not be used without permission.
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Colin kept an eye out the back window for the remainder of the trip, but saw no sign of the death merchants, nor of any other followers. "Maybe one o' us should stay behind, keep an eye on things while the res' go ou' on the ship?" Colin asked hopefully.
Ryan grinned at him. "Thought you were okay with this?"
"I am, I jus' dinnae wan' tae find any surprises when we ge' back", the young spirit replied defensively.
"Well," Max said, "I think we're going to need everyone along down under the sea. Noone stays behind."
Colin scowled, but said nothing more, turning instead to scan the roads behind their van once more. Sean looked over them all in the rearview mirror, frowning, but apparently decided not to comment.
"Well kids, we're here." He pulled the van into a parking spot near the entrance to Savannah's municipal docks, the loose gravel of the lot crunching under the tires. "And, I think I see our contact." Sean pointed out to the left where a casually dressed African-American stood looking at their vehicle.
The thin, short-haired man began making his way over as Sean and CJ opened their doors and dropped to the ground. At the same time, Will slid open the back door and stepped up behind them, his gold security badge flashing in the noon day sun.
"Should be James Marvole", Max said as he stepped out of the van. "Director of Research for Tethys."
CJ nodded slightly to acknowledge the spook's comments before attempting a warm smile. "Good afternoon", she said as the man stopped in front of them.
He gave a nervous smile of his own and offered his hand. "Hello, I'm Dr. Marvole, from Tethys Corp. You are Ms. Inzmann and Mr. Kilmer?"
Sean and CJ nodded, and both pulled out their Orpheus ID badges to show - Sean's in a crisp, brown wallet from his back pocket and CJ's in her battered black detective's folio, taken from the inside pocket of her leather jacket.
Marvole looked over both IDs, then glanced at the two security guards briefly before nodding. "Excellent. If you'll follow me? We'll have to take a small launch out to the Manatee." The older man turned quickly on his heel and led the four humans and six spooks out onto the dock.
Colin's pace slowed, as did Liz's as they took their first steps onto the wooden planking. The others would have quickly outdistanced them, but their apparent destination was in the first slip, a small, new looking tugboat emblazoned with the name Flounder.
Liz glanced at the ship's nameplate with a snort. "That's not my idea of a good omen."
Managing a weak grin and a nod, Colin agreed. "Well, a' leas' we will nay be on i' for long, right?"
"Right", Liz replied. "No more than an hour, then we should be out at the Manatee and ready to...well...dive." Her voice trailed off until the last word was barely a whisper.
"Still", Colin said with a light tone that belied his nervousness, "tis nay like the water can hur' us."
"Of course not", Liz nodded her agreement.
The others, meanwhile, had crossed the gangplank to board the Flounder, and Max strode up into the bow to glare at them. "Will you two get a move on? CJ and Sean have to sign some things, but they'll probably take off soon."
"Right." Colin said, still staring down at the waves that lapped gently against the boat's hull.
"Be right there", Liz intoned, her gaze echoing Colin's.
Max rolled his eyes, but turned and headed back towards the stern.
"Nothing for it, I suppose." Liz took a few tentative steps towards the boarding ramp. "Unless you'd rather go first?" She turned a hopeful gaze on Colin.
"Och, nay, lass. "Ladies firs', and all tha'." Colin gave her a weak smile, and gestured gracefully forward with one arm.
"Ah, right, thanks." Closing her eyes, and gripping the rail with white knuckles, Liz slowly made the crossing, with Colin following close behind her.
"Nothing tae i'." Colin grinned at her, managing to smother the flutters of panic he felt as the ship rocked gently in the tide. "I think I'll make the trip inside, though."
"Definitely", Liz nodded quickly and quickly passed through the wall directly ahead of them.
Colin followed behind, and looked around what was apparently the galley for the small vessel. A small electric stove stood in one corner of the tiny room, directly opposite a dorm fridge. Two fiberglass cabinets hung over a single sink and short length of butcher's block that served as a counter.
"No windows", Colin remarked as he looked around.
Liz nodded. "Ah, well. Just have to ask the others what we missed later."
"Aye", Colin replied with a wry tone, "I'll be after doing tha', I'm sure."
He started to say something else when the blast of a loud steam whistle caused him to jump enough to send his head just through the ceiling of the galley. Liz was grinning at him when he landed and looked up at her, but she had tightened her grip on the edge of the fridge.
Immediately thereafter, a dull thrumming sound began to echo through the small room, and the rubber mat covered floor started to vibrate in time with the roar.
"Tha'll be the engines, I guess." Colin's face grew even paler than usual, and Liz nodded silently as the constant rocking motion of the ship increased. Both felt the unmistakable sensation of moving forward as the Flounder pulled out of her slip.
"Too late to back out now", Liz said bravely.
"Well, we could ask Max tae wend us back tae shore", Colin offered.
The red-head gave him a scathing look. "I think not."
The skinrider chuckled. "Nay, I dinnae s'pose he would agree tae tha'."
Liz closed her eyes a moment and took a long deep breath.
"Tis funny how we do things like tha', e'en though i' nay actually does anything." Colin gave the haunter an amused look.
"What?" Liz looked confused as she opened her eyes.
"Taking a breath like tha', tae calm yuirself." Glad to have something to distract his mind from the steadily increasing motion of the floor, Colin rambled on. "Ye nay need tae breathe, bu' yuir after doing i' anyway."
Liz shrugged. "I suppose it's a comforting habit. Resorting to something basic and normal in a stressful situation."
Grinning at her, Colin nodded. "Summat else tae write one o' yuir papers on. I still do things like tha', and I've nay needed a breath in o'er a year." He winked as Liz cocked her head at him.
"Really? That would make an interesting study - how much of our daily routines and habits are so deeply ingrained into our psyche that we carry on with them even when they no longer serve any real purpose."
Colin chuckled as she continued on, delving into psychoanalysis terms he had no understanding of, but occasionally nodding to keep her going, knowing that the distraction was at least as helpful to her as it was to himself.
The plan seemed to work, though, as before he really thought about it, an hour had gone by, and the ship's speed slowed to a crawl.
"Well, lass, if ye need exper' testimony tae help wi' yuir research, ye know where tae come." Colin winked and stuck his head through the wall, then gasped. They were alongside an enormous, tanker-like ship, easily six or seven times the length of their current transport.
"Thanks, Colin", Liz began as she stepped out through the wall herself. "I really appreciate...that..." The ex-FBI agent trailed off as she took in the size of the vessel before them. "Wow."
"Wow is right!" Marcus came bounding up to them. "So that's where you two got of to, you missed all the fun, there was a school of dolphins swimming alongside for awhile."
"Ah well," Colin looked not the least bit disappointed. "Maybe nex' time.
Last Updated: January 2, 2004 by Blake Sorensen
The character of Colin MacGregor is © 2003-2004 Blake Sorensen, and may not be used without permission.
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