Page 45 of Echo and the Homicidal Sea Panda

Havoc grinned wolfishly. “And I get my way in the end.”

“I want to come, too,” Tempest said. “Check out this mate of yours and make sure I approve.”

“And have the two of you bickering the whole time? No way.” Mael said.

“If you want us quiet, I want to meet your little dolphin,” Tempest said.

“You’ll get your chance soon enough,” Mael said. He turned to Storm. “What are you doing Monday?”

“I was supposed to start on Ama’s porch, but she asked me to push it back to next week,” Storm said.

“Good,” Mael said. “I need some help off the island on Monday.” He nodded at Rav. “You can come, too, if you’re not busy.”

“Shouldn’toneof us stay on the island, Sheriff?” Rav asked. Ravage was a part-time deputy who normally only worked when Mael took a day off, which wasn’t all too often.

“As if either of you do much more than swim, ride around the island, or sit in the office drinking coffee and eating doughnuts all day,” Tempest said. “I can manage things.”

“Thank you,” Mael said.

“As long as I get to come tomorrow and meet your dolphin,” Tempest added, turning to fully face Mael.

Mael groaned.

“Well, if she comes, that means she can dive, too, and help search,” Havoc said. “It might make it go faster.”

“I’m game,” Tempest said before turning her gaze back on Mael.

Mael sighed. “If you two promise to behave and not embarrass the hell out of me…” He sighed. “I guess you can both come.”

“Oh, come on, Maelstrom,” Tempest said. “We werebornto embarrass you. That’s what younger brothers and sisters do.”

Mael shook his head. “I’m going to regret this.”

“Oh, absolutely,” Havoc said. He pointed toward some gear. “Let’s get you ready.”

12

Echo searched the horizon before checking his watch again. It was twenty-minutes passed the time they’d planned to meet and there were no signs of Mael, or anyone else, for that matter. He assumed there would be a boat given the gear they’d need to bring along, but maybe he was wrong. Scanning the water, he didn’t clock any dorsal fins, either.

He lifted his face to the sun, closing his eyes. It was a warm April day, and the ocean was peaceful and smooth. A perfect scenario for their search.IfMael ever showed up.

“What time was he going to meet us?” Diego asked, seated on a bench seat along the back of the boat.

Echo tensed. Diego was already distrustful of Mael. He didn’t need to add anything to the long list.

“Two,” Echo said, rechecking his phone for messages.

Nothing. No calls. No texts—though that far out, reception was spotty at best.

“You don’t think this is a trap, do you?” Diego asked.

“No, I don’t think it’s a trap,” Echo spat, though he wasn’t completely sure of anything. He didn’tthinkit was a trap. Mael wouldn’t do that to him.

Would he?

“I mean, we’re sitting out here in orca territory,” Diego said. “They could attack and claim we’d crossed the line illegally.”

“If Mael wanted to attack me across the line, he would’ve done it days ago.”

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