Return to The Deep (From The Deep Book 2) Read Free Page B

of his wheezing.
    "Whatisit?" he gasped.
    "Just kids screwing around."
    "You get a look at em?"
    "No, they got away."
    Harry nodded and took his phone from his pocket.
    "What are you doing?" Tom asked.
    "You know the rules. Any security breach on here and we have to inform Mr Andrews."
    "This wasn’t really a breach. Besides, they were just kids. I don’t think we need to bother him."
    Harry shook his liver spotted head. "Rules is rules, son. Not worth us losin' our jobs over is it?"
    "No, suppose not," Tom mumbled, shoving his stolen key card back into his pocket and wondering just what kind of fish was so important that it warranted such intense security. He looked out of the window, staring at the inky surface waters. He thought he saw a flash of movement, and was about to consider looking for a light switch when Harry put a leathery hand on his shoulder.
    "Come on, kid, you know the rules. We ain’t supposed to have anythin' to do with what’s in here."
    "Yeah, I know. Aren’t you even a little bit curious though, Harry? About what they're doing in here?"
    The old man pursed his lips, and ran a hand through his wispy white hair. "Whenever I get curious, I always think about what it did to the damn cat. Now, come on, let’s get the hell outta here before we get into trouble ourselves."
    Tom nodded and followed the old man, unable to resist another lingering look out of the window to the water below, but whatever he thought he had seen, was gone, and the opaque waters were still again.

 
     
     
    CHAPTER TWO
     
     
    The following morning arrived much like every other day in Florida, the intense heat of the sun already borderline unbearable by eight in the morning. Pristine blue skies devoid of clouds stretched as far as the eye could see, and storeowners all around the aquarium were opening up shop, hoping to entice another fresh glut of tourists into purchasing a souvenir or two as a memento of their holiday.
    Tom sat in the staff room, waiting to be interviewed about the break in. He was glad of the time to think ahead of the pending arrival of Andrews. When Harry had made the call, Andrews was on a business trip in Atlanta. Upon hearing of the break in, he had told them to wait for him and he would be there as soon as he could. For as much as Tom knew, it could only lead to bad things, he couldn’t help but think about what he thought he had seen in the water, especially since whatever it was seemed important enough to Andrews to drop everything and fly out immediately. His inner voice screamed at him to let it go, and although working as a security guard wasn’t exactly a dream career, it was a job, and meant that he could at least pay the bills and afford to eat until something better came along. The door to the office opened and Harry popped his head in.
    "Heads up, lad, he's here."
    Tom nodded, and waited for Andrews to arrive.
     
    II
     
    Having only ever seen him at a distance, Tom wasn’t quite sure what to expect from Andrews. Certainly, he didn’t expect to feel quite as intimidated as he sat opposite the man, who was staring at him intently. Tom thought he had one of those faces- the kind that belongs to people who have seen and done things reserved for a certain small percentage of the population. His dark hair was parted at the side, and although it was greying at the sides, he wore it well, and it gave him an almost regal look. He had a neatly trimmed beard, which like his hair, was starting to lose its natural colouration. Most impressive however, were his eyes, which shimmered as if diamonds set in rough leather. The idea of being able to convince Andrews that he knew nothing about the people who broke into the facility seemed just a little bit more difficult.
    "So," Andrews said with a sigh, "let’s go over this one more time. The silent alarm on the rear staff door was triggered at nine forty six, and yet, neither you nor Mr Benjamin responded until ten-oh-five when the interior motion