Nathan stared into the moon pool. Darwin tried to get his attention but he was lost in his thoughts. It had been a moth since all the light left his life. A month since he’d ID the body of his best friend, CMO, and lover. He could never erase the scenes from his mind. Her crumpled and abused body. Her face gone. He had missed her so and was looking forward to her return. Katie had shamed him into returning to his life, but it was hollow without her. He threw himself into work pushing himself until he dropped into bed exhausted, only to rise three hours later, unable to stand the silence. Why did they hate her, destroy her? What had she done? Nothing!

Kristin stared down the street. It had been a long and hazardous day, but she had finally tracked the people who hated Nathan to their hideaway. They would pay. Dearly. She’d lost her life as she’d lived it, her love, her daughter, Lucas. She wondered how Nathan was doing. She knew very well what he was doing. He was pushing himself too much to forget. If he wasn’t careful he’d break. She crept into the building, her Glock pistol steady in her hand. She knew there was a very good chance she’d not make it out. So be it. Nathan had to be safe. They had to pay. She eased down the hall.

She heard voices. “Well, we got him good didn’t we?”

“Right where it hurts.” A gleeful chuckle.

“Now that the good doctor is dead, how much longer can he hold out?”

Rage filled her. She was not a killer. This went against all her beliefs but… Some things had to be done.

She kicked the door open. She caught surprised faces, all a blur, as she fired her gun. Two went down. She felt something rip through her shirt sleeve. She kept firing. Again and again until she was the only one standing. She looked down at the crumpled bodies, slightly sickened by the sight. No one she knew except… Zellar. Rubin Zellar. Finally he’d paid for his vendetta against
her and her family. She was finally free.

She felt blood on her face and arm. All hers. She had to get out of here. She could hear sirens now. As she turned to flee, she saw a laptop. Something was familiar. She scooped it up and raced out the back entrance. She disappeared down the alley, before the cop cars pulled up.

Safe in her motel room, she plugged up the laptop. It booted and the familiar Sun Solaris welcome screen appeared. She typed in the username of root and tried the password killbridger.

Access denied. Incorrect username and password.

She remembered something from her early college days. A girl who looked a lot like her and had been her dearest friend. Her password was melindarules. She tried that and to her shock she was in. She hunted for Melinda’s home directory, and found a file called Kris. She opened it, and read:

<< Kristin, if you’re reading this then all my suspicions are correct. I am dead because of a man who hated you. I’ve been watching him for years. He hated you in school. You remember the one don’t you? Sure you do. It went on describing the careful surveillance she’d been conducting and ended:

Girl I’m thinking he’s on to me. I’m going as you to this island near Tahiti. There’s a vaccine needed. I’m going as you. Keep yourself safe. Your friend, Mel >>

Kristin wept. She cried for Mel, who’d sacrificed herself, for the men she’d killed, for Nathan, Cyn, Lucas, herself. She cried for hours and when she was finished, she knew what she could do.

She caught a transport to seaQuest as Dr. Melinda Hayes. She wore her blonde hair loose around her face, her hazel eyes, covered with jade green contacts and her darkest sunglasses. She caught a news flash: 9 men found dead in Miami: Drug deal gone bad?

When she made it aboard seaQuest she went to the seadeck and the moonpool. Her heart caught. Nathan sat with his head in his hands, ignoring the dolphin who tried to get his attention. She swept him into her arms. “I’m here, love. I’ll never leave you again.” They cried and laughed and she explained…

There was nothing so simple as the truth. They were together and that’s all that mattered. In a moment they would share the news, but they had each other. This sweet moment.