The Siren, the General's Daughter Book One (2 page)

Michael tried to calm his nerves as he recalled the search for his sister. He had been restricted to the compression tanks for five days and only received sporadic information as it was delivered. Despair had filled him, and being unable to join the Recon team was pure torture. They had almost given up hope when one of the men caught site of a large pod of humpbacks breaching unusually close to an island.

Nearly three days after her disappearance, Sam was found five feet underwater, unconscious and, unexpectedly, very much alive! The question was, how? She was unable to tolerate more than a few minutes exposed to air before her lips turned blue in need of oxygen and gasping began. The nearest hospital containing the required facilities was 20 hours away via helicopter and deemed too risky to attempt with the possibility of her suffocating mid-transport. Specialists arrived that same evening, but none could determine the cause or cure to Sam’s respiratory problem. Surgical repair to her extensive internal injuries was performed subsurface. She healed physically at a remarkable speed but remained in a comatose state, completely submerged and hooked to IVs for two weeks. Michael sat next to her tank for hours as his brilliant mind computed different scenarios and solutions. One afternoon, while observing the unusual amount of cetaceans crowding the ship’s hull, he happened upon an idea and approached his father with the risky suggestion. Desperate, and with no other solution, the girl was kept submerged while placed on bypass. Her lungs were drained, then inflated followed by intubation under negative pressure. It was nothing less than a miracle, but it worked.

One week later, Sam was up and about and breathing without difficulty. Michael observed her staying submerged for inordinate amounts of time beyond her regular capacity to hold her breath. When she stubbornly refused to leave the bottom of the test tank for over an hour, he called his father in as a witness. Testing revealed that the helmet’s gases, when placed under the pressure of the trench, had altered her chemical structure. She was now considered truly amphibious with her skin acting as a gill membrane to filter oxygen from the water. With specialized contact lenses and body wear, Sam had complete freedom of the open sea.

“Ready to go, son? Please be careful,” the man asked, jarring Michael from his memories.

“Yes, Sir. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” Michael said, joining the unhappy embrace with his miserable parent. Well, he thought, things are going to change for all of us, baby sister. You left us with no choice. I wish Uncle Scott were here. He makes things so much easier for Dad.

Michael’s long body sliced powerfully down through the waves as he dove off deck. He adjusted the face mask and took a deep breath. This was part of the top secret EDS- Experimental Diving System- designed by his engineering team and allowed the unlimited flow of oxygen through the small side ‘gills’ of the mask. The other EDS devices included motorized boots with propulsion capabilities of up to 25mph, headgear that provided ear protection from pressure while promoting full audio-communications, and the wetsuit designed to insulate down to 10 degrees and strong enough to deflect a shark bite while remaining highly sensitive to stimulation. He was almost impenetrable now to any kind of natural danger.

***

He was never able to explain the bond he shared with Sam, but he had always been able to sense her whereabouts. When he was younger, his uncle used to tell him that it was his mother’s spirit who kept him alert to his little sister’s antics. He believed the stories, even now allowing his senses to guide him to her.

Eyes closed to the sunshine as she laid across Ton’s back, Sam finally felt relaxed enough to be quiet. Her underwater ‘body guards’ started to flash warnings and images to her mind, depicting a territorial scuffle with her brother. Hmmm, Michael was hot on her trail and angry. So what else was new? “Might as well face the music,” she said aloud to her ‘lounger’ as she rubbed his side gently before rolling off. She quickly zoomed to a nearby buoy and climbed up. She was finger combing her hip-long auburn hair with her blue-gray eyes half-closed in the sunlight when her brother found her.

Michael studied her for a moment, suddenly noticing her perfectly chiseled face, full lips and high cheekbones. What happened to that skinny little tom-boy with the scabby knees and pig-tails? No wonder the men buckled at the knees when she approached.

“Sammi, are you ok?” he asked, wedging himself next to her.

She flashed him a lazy smile and batted her long, thick lashes. “Of course I am, silly. You would know if there was ever anything wrong. Why did you come out?”

Michael sighed, shaking his head. “Dad has had it with you, kiddo. He told you not to leave the ship without his permission.”

“Oh come on,” the girl shrugged, tapping her brother’s leg with her foot, “he knows I’m safe out here. Besides, I needed to clear my head. I can’t work cooped up in a lab.”

Michael was silent, contemplating his conversation with their father. No, let him handle it this time. He took her small hand in his large, calloused one. He never had gotten used to how tiny she was compared to the Quimby men as she stood no taller than five feet two inches and weighed no more than 105 pounds when wet. Even so, she was strong as an ox with a temper of a honey badger, exceedingly fast, and gave him a good solid run for his money when sparring in martial arts. Yes, she could take very good care of herself. Still….

“Sam, please, you know how much it scares him. He deserves better than this. He’s not the only one who worries. We aren’t ready to let you out of our sight yet.”

“I am not a child, Michael,” her agitation growing as portions of the well-known Jenkins temper (inherited from her mother’s side) sparked. “You two need to stop treating me like a baby.”

“You aren’t a child, although you act like one at times. You know darn well that as long as you are under 21, Dad and Scott still consider you a kid. Hell, I’m 22 and they still try to treat me like one when their mood strikes. That’s our family, like it or not. One thing you do forget is that as your superior officers, we are responsible for you. You need to start behaving like the adult you claim to be and consider how your poor behavior reflects on Dad and Uncle Scott,” he lectured firmly.

Sam’s eyes started to smolder with anger. “I don’t need to hear this from you, Michael. You think you know everything and you don’t.”

“We can discuss this further once we get home. Move it,” he ordered in a no-nonsense voice. Sam stared at him, stunned. He sounded exactly like his father! Not that it was a bad thing she worshipped the ground Dr. Quimby walked upon! He could do no wrong in her eyes. She hesitated, debating whether to challenge him or just let him have his way. The little voice in her head screamed the latter. After a quick, angry glance at her tall brother, she silently dove into the gray water.

No words were exchanged as they swam towards the ship. Michael pulled himself onto the diving shelf and, with a single arm, easily hauled his sister up next to him.

“You are to get showered off and return to the lab,” Michael commanded softly, pushing her in the direction of their cabins. “I’m going to let Dad know we’re back.”

“Yes, Michael,” she whispered as she turned on her heel and departed. Grabbing a towel, Michael headed towards the offices.

“Enter,” Dr. Quimby’s deep voice rumbled.

“We’re back. I told her to get cleaned up and return to the lab. No problems and everything is fine.”

“Thank you. I’d like you to meet me in my quarters tonight after chow. We will deal with her then. Did you say anything?”

“No Sir, although…” he humorously shared his sister’s response to his tone.

A smile lit across Dr. Quimby’s face. “Your mom used to respond the same way when I got ‘manly’ with her. Needless to say, once I learned that trick, we never had any arguments.” He chuckled. “I’m guessing, after tonight, Sam will learn some things about the men in her family.”

“Yes, Sir, I hope so. She tends to be a little hard-headed.” His father’s confidence did nothing to convince Michael.

“No more than you or I am. I’m fairly certain that I can get my point across to her. Go get cleaned up and back to work. I’ll see you tonight.”

Michael paused to watch his sister as she propped on the edge of a large tank, decked in sweat pants and a t-shirt, with her bare feet dangling in the water. Unknowingly, she entertained her crew by speaking to the lemon sharks that swam gracefully around the tank. Using every form of verbal enticement and vocal tone she could muster, including some very sultry sounding, lewd promises, she captivated her male audience as she tried to lure the sharks to her.

“My darling little sister, have you considered that the shark might be a female and that your seductive prose means nothing to her?” he teased, watching her blush. She hadn’t seen him standing there.

“I, uh, um, I’m doing an experiment!” She blustered as her crew broke into gales of loud laughter. Her glare elicited a sudden dispersal.

Michael grinned as he lifted her off the edge and then playfully tugged her high, long ponytail. “Yeah, in seeing how many of the guys you can get to flock around you. Nice uniform, by the way. Ready to work on the I-band?” he held his hand out for the collar she had around her neck. The rest of the afternoon was happily spent engrossed in their work.

***

“Oh, I forgot to tell you,” Michael said, escorting his sister from the chow hall that evening, “Dad wants to speak with us.”

“About what? When?”

“Now,” Michael simply responded, taking her hand and leading her to the upper echelon where the officers were quartered. His grip remained firm as he tapped on his father’s door, opening it on the familiar ‘enter’. Dr. Quimby was leaning back on his couch, book in hand.

“Hi Daddy! I haven’t seen you all day,” Sam said gleefully as she pulled away from her brother and parked herself comfortably on her father’s large, strong lap. She wrapped her arms happily around his neck and kissed his rough cheek. He hugged her lovingly, returned the kiss, and then placed his hands on either of her shoulders.

“We need to have a serious talk, young lady,” he began, trying to ignore the melting of his heart when she blinked sweetly at him with her big, blue doe-eyes.

“We do? Are you ok?” she questioned, managing to appear completely innocent of any wrongdoings.

Michael hid a smirk- this girl was good! She had perfected the art of wrapping her father around her little finger years ago. His too, he admitted shamefully. She had not been as successful with Scott.

“We do. No, I’m not ok. I’m very unhappy with you right now, little daughter of mine,” Dr. Quimby said firmly, meeting her gaze. “We are going to incorporate some immediate changes regarding you and your activities.”

“Oh, ok. What do you need me to do?” she feigned cooperation as she slowly blinked her long, dark lashes. Michael rolled his eyes.

Dr. Quimby frowned. He was onto her! “I need you to start obeying me. Your defiance to my orders is unacceptable and must cease immediately. This includes your attitude toward your brother as well. For now on, you will be facing some severe consequences should you choose to disobey either of us.”

“But Daddy, I don’t understand,” she blinked sweetly again, snuggling him close and feeling his heartbeat. “What did I do?”

“Don’t ‘Daddy’ me, youngster,” he said, pulling her off his lap to deposit her next to him on the couch. He held her chin in his large hand, staring directly into her eyes. Yes, he saw the manipulation and conniving through her exquisite beauty.

Leaning against the edge of a table with his arms crossed, Michael continued to observe the events with amusement. Dr. Quimby launched into a full lecture regarding his youngest child’s inappropriate behavior, defiance, and stubborn persistence to bite off more than she could chew. He additionally reminded her that she was only 18, and onboard the vessel due to special circumstances. Michael watched carefully—she had tuned out her father at word one.

“Am I understood, young lady?” Dr. Quimby asked firmly. Sam popped out of her daze, nodding contritely.

“Yes, Daddy. Of course.”

“Good. Then I hope we will have no more problems. Comments, Michael?” Dr. Quimby asked, looking at his son.

“Yes, Sir,” he said, “I strongly suspect you just wasted your breath. Please ask our perfect little darling exactly what you just told her. She has a near eidetic memory so it shouldn’t be difficult for her.”  He watched his sister pale slightly.

Dr. Quimby raised an eyebrow, slowly turning back to face his daughter. She looked at the floor, fuming about being busted. The man stood slowly, patting his son’s shoulder as he walked to the other side of the room to distance himself from his defiant child. He took a deep breath, hands on his hips. “Samantha Anne, I’ve tried to be patient. I’ve given you every opportunity to redeem yourself and what do you do? Blow me off. I’m sorry, but this will not go unpunished. Michael, if you would please excuse us, I have some business with your sister.”

Michael nodded, noticing Sam’s confusion. She had no idea what was coming her way! After hugging his father and planting a kiss on the girl’s forehead, he silently left the room. Dr. Quimby pointed to his sleeping quarters at the back of the cabin. “Go into the bedroom. Now,” he ordered. Slowly, the girl obeyed and watched as her father closed the door behind them.

He sat on the edge of the bed. “Come here,” he held his hands out to her, meeting her eyes. He looked sad.

“Daddy, I’m sorry. I don’t mean to make you so upset,” Sam whispered, feeling guilty for causing pain to her beloved father.

Dr. Quimby squeezed her hands. “Things are going to change, my love. Tonight. You best pay attention this time. Your brother and I feel that you need to be reminded of some important details. One, 18 or not, I still consider you a child. Your lack of maturity confirms that. Two, you are in a unique situation which requires you to be focused and self-disciplined to keep you and your brother safe. Three, I am not only your father, but your superior officer. Since all methods of communication have failed to make you take us seriously, I have decided to revert back to a method which used to be quite effective in getting you to mind me. At least, for a week or so.”