Page 39 of Oceansong
Angie didn’t blame them. She was tempted to do the same, if her bosswasn’t her literal family and if she didn’t need her work hours and money for school.
The door swung open behind her, and Angie whirled around to look. Nick strolled in, hands behind his back.
Tian, this man was everywhere. Like a cockroach.
“I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation when I was coming in.” Nick clasped his chin and put one finger on his lips.
“You just happened to hear, or you were standing outside, listening?” Angie widened her stance and tapped a foot on the ground.
“Does it matter? I have good news that I came from across the docks and paused my duties for.” Nick’s tone became sharp, but once he turned his attention to Bàba, his voice became boisterous, and he leaned in to talk to him. “Dad, I think you’ll like this.”
Ass kisser.
Bàba beckoned to Nick. “Go on.”
“We haven’t lost anyone this week, thanks to our workers who volunteered to watch the coast. Finally, police patrols arrived at the beach this morning. We’re well armed, so the mer haven’t come near us. No new traps. We even have divers down searching for their base, so we can end this once and for all, and they’ve come backalive.” He put his hands on his hips and widened his stance, taking up more space than he needed to. Angie didn’t move, even as his elbow brushed her arm, and she took a step toward him, forcing him to shift another inch. “See, Dad. I told you it was a good idea to get the cops involved. Good thing I had Beau and Emily’s backing.”
Angie thought he was gloating, but for Nick, it was nothing new. She couldn’t imagine how many cops their tiny police department actually spared to help them fight merfolk.
“They gave us three cops. Not nearly enough,” Bàba said, sotto voce. “We’ve had to get some of our own to help hold the shore. Which, thank you, Nick, for finding people willing to patrol.”
Angie glanced back to Nick again, whose shit-eating grin widened. It made her biceps and fingers twitch.
Bàba continued, two fingers on his chin. “We must remain on guard. I wish I knew what they were thinking. It might not be a bad idea to capture some and question them as you suggested before, Beibei. If they can even survive above ground.” He muttered the last sentence, before walking away and leaving Angie and Nick alone.
Not wanting to speak to him, Angie left at Bàba’s heels, her neck flushed and her intestines corkscrewing over each other from simply being in his presence. Somehow, she had a sinking feeling that if they did catch mer,they wouldn’t be merciful to them.
Angie had the next day off, and she spent it at home.
She sat at her desk, a pre-downloaded e-textbook open about the diversity of fishes in the ocean.
The lighting was perfect, her room overflowing with an abundance of warm sunshine, and through her cracked window, a slight breeze came in lifting a lock of hair as it brushed her neck.
Angie forced herself to concentrate. The book’s contents were exciting and lively, with colorful pictures and flowing, easy-to-read text on a topic that interested her. Yet, she couldn’t keep her mind focused; a pounding sensation emerged behind her eyes and tightness constricted the inside her skull as she fought off an oncoming migraine.
Angie reached for her tumbler full of black coffee beside her laptop, the second pouring of that morning alone. The bitterness coated her mouth with the first sip. She should drink water, but she also wanted to stay awake and get some reading in.
The shrill landline downstairs blasted through the house, and Angie jumped out of her seat.
She dashed for the phone and picked it up before it cut off on the last ring. “Hello?”
“Hey.” Mia’s voice filtered through the phone, broken by static. “Can I ask you a favor and pick up Rosie after camp?”
Angie struggled with her answer. She wanted to see her niece, but at the same time, she coveted her full days off.
“I—” she started, but Mia interrupted her.
“I’m sorry to ask, I know you’re tired, and it’s your day off. But I got a last-minute client.”
Well, when Mia put it that way. As a patient flow consultant for Creston General Hospital, she was able to work remotely most days, but Angie knew that on the days she was in the office, she often stayed late.
“No worries. I’m happy to get her. Camp’s done at four, right?”
“Yes, thanks so much. I owe you. See you later, okay? Love you sis.” Mia hung up, and Angie checked the clock. It read eleven in the morning, and she had to be at Rosie’s day camp by four. If she left by two thirty, she would get there in time.
The headache persisted, and she rifled through the medicine cabinet beside the kitchen for painkillers. A sweeping gaze through the shelves revealed none to be seen.
The closest pharmacy was downtown, more than two hours by ferry and bus. In the opposite direction of Rosie’s camp.
