Catalyst (Breakthrough Book 3)(140)

It had been just over a week since Juan’s funeral service, held at the church he’d attended since he was born. His parents were there, listening to the sermon but never really hearing it. His father stared at the floor, unmoving and devastated. But it was Juan’s little sister that completely tore Lee’s heart out. Her small figure leaned against her mother and never stopped crying.

Even now, Lee could not get the images out of his memory. Back home, he sat in his black computer chair, mourning his friend. A young kid, fresh out of college, who believed in what they were doing at the Center as much as any of them. Someone who was always there to help, every time he was needed.

The room, along with the rest of the building, was virtually silent. The only detectable sound was the soft hum of IMIS’s cooling system. Beyond that, Lee wallowed in the solitude. Juan had given everything. He loved the team. He loved their mission. But more than that, he loved his family, and especially his sister.

Lee pressed his lips together, fighting to keep the tears in while he remembered Juan’s face. He was such a good friend. And smart. God, the kid was smart. But now, now he was gone…forever.

Although there was one thing left.

He looked up when he heard the sound of voices coming from the lobby, on the other side of the large double doors. He immediately stood up and waited in anticipation. A few minutes later, one of the doors opened and DeeAnn Draper entered. She was followed by three people and then Caesare, who stepped inside and eased the metal door shut.

Juan’s parents and his little sister Angelina had come back for a final visit. Each of the three examined the room again with pained expressions, as if seeing Juan himself for the last time.

Lee approached but said nothing.

DeeAnn brushed a short lock of hair back past her ear and bent down.

“Are you okay, Angelina?”

Juan’s sister nodded.

“It doesn’t feel the same here, does it?”

She shook her head.

“It doesn’t feel the same for us either.” DeeAnn glanced at her parents. They didn’t have to know how much the team knew about their daughter’s disease.

“Angelina, I know Juan brought you here a lot to talk to the dolphins. And we brought you here because they wanted to say hello.”

Angelina managed a grin and looked to the tank, where Dirk and Sally were waiting at the glass.

DeeAnn knelt down. “Do you like talking to them?”

“Yes.”

“Good,” she said. She stole a look at Caesare, standing quietly behind them, and to Lee over her shoulder.

“Angelina, how would you like to swim with them?”





III





The night was still, without even a hint of a breeze through the large habitat. On a soft bed of grass, Dulce lay quietly on the ground, listening to the sound of Dexter sleeping overhead in a small rosewood tree.

The young gorilla stood up and walked softly to the side wall, stopping at the large clear door. After a moment, she stepped closer and studied the small security keypad that she had seen DeeAnn and the others use many times. She tilted her head, then lifted her hand and pushed the same tiny squares in the way that they did.

Nothing happened.

Dulce tried again, more carefully.

A loud click sounded as the door’s lock disengaged. She wrapped her long fingers around the handle and pulled.

She padded quietly down the hallway until reaching the double doors leading into the observation area. She pulled one open and stepped inside, peering around at the darkened room.

On one side stood a row of machines with hundreds of blinking lights and on the other was a floor-to-ceiling wall of water, held back by glass similar to that used around her habitat.

She approached the glass wall and stared into the dark blue water at the two dolphins. One of them opened its eyes and moved gently toward Dulce.

For several minutes, the two mammals stared curiously at one another. Until IMIS detected Dulce in the room. And powered up the monitor and microphone on the desk beside her.