Page 67 of Ensnaring the Siren

A throat cleared behind them.

In unison, they spun to attention, saluting their commanding officer as he entered the room, Hatcher on his heels.

“At ease.” Lieutenant Commander Griffin barely came up to Reid’s shoulder, but what he lacked in height, he more than made up for with a commandeering presence. “Good news. CGIS was able to recover most of the digital footage and wants us to continue turning over any evidence and witness statements to them. We’ve got a long road ahead, but every bit helps them build a case against Nautic.”

Surprised relief quickly became disappointment. A long road ahead? Didn’t they already have a clear picture? “Sir, is the security footage not enough? And the photos?”

“They’re solid, but CGIS still needs to prove that what happened the other night wasn’t just Gale’s Promise being a sole actor. They can’t take this to court until they can prove that the command came from corporate.”

Anger surged, but he kept it tightly locked down.

It wasn’t his commanding officer’s fault. It wasn’t CGIS’s either. You didn’t yank a weed without getting all its roots too. But how many more members of Nireed’s pod would have to die until they finally had enough to nail Nautic to the wall?

In as even a tone as he could muster, Reid asked, “Is there anything preventative we can do in the meantime?”

Griffin’s grim expression said it all. “Stay the course. It’s all we can do for now.”

For the rest of the morning briefing, Reid kept his mouth shut but this inability to do anything grated his nerves something fierce. He was a part of a lifesaving service. His instincts screamed at him to spring into action and save lives. No room for hesitation. Sitting back and knowing that people would continue to get hurt made him so mad he could barely see straight.

Nautic might not ultimately get away with this, but no amount of punishment and reparations would bring back all the merfolk they had and would continue to murder.

When the commander left, Perez laid a firm hand on his shoulder. “Deep breaths, you look like you’re about to explode.”

And he thought he’d done so well keeping his cool. Reid exhaled heavily, staring up at the ceiling. “It’s not right.”

“It really sucks,” Perez agreed.

“I don’t have a ‘do nothing’ bone in my body.” There had to be something. Fines, assets patrolling the territory, something to deter Nautic.

“We do the job,” Hatcher said firmly, but not unkindly. “I know that’s not what you want to hear right now, but we have to keep our heads in the game and be ready for the people we can help.”

The guy wasn’t wrong, though it grated his nerves something fierce to hear it from him. If they got called out on a case in the next few minutes, and Reid didn’t have his head on straight, mistakes would be made. And mistakes meant putting his life, the life of his aircrew, and the lives of the people he was meant to save at risk.

“I’m sorry about what I said the other day.” Hatcher stuffed his hands into his pockets, staring down at his boots. “I didn’t mean it. I was tired, and frustrated, and I lashed out. You didn’t fuck up The Merry Mariner case.”

“You told him he fucked up the case?” Perez sounded outraged.

“Yeah, but I don’t really believe that.” Finally looking Reid in the eye, Hatcher added, “And neither should you.”

“I don’t.”

“Good.”

“Reid, is there something else going on?” Perez almost never used his first name. Or a gentling tone. “With Nireed, I mean?”

It was a fair question, but it rankled his already prickly mood. “I care about her if that’s what you’re asking. I hate seeing her hurt.”

Perez hesitated. There was clearly more she wanted to say.

“Just ask.”

“What is she to you? A friend? Something more?”

Reid heaved a sigh. He really didn’t want to talk about this right now, but it was going to come out sooner or later, and he was a rip the Band-Aid off kind of guy. “Something more.”

A tense, awkward silence followed.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Perez winced as she said it. And dammit, that stung. Out of all his friends, he thought she’d at least be on his side with this. “I know I’ve teased you about her before, but that’s a complicated relationship at best.” She ticked several examples off her fingers. “Distance. Different species. Different moral code.”

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