Page 27 of Lagoon

“Wait,” spoke up Harris in a wary voice. “What are we saying about… about mating?”

“Bub was an amphibian,” said Jonathan. “We’re mammals. His kind doesn’t have live young. They lay eggs. There’s no compatibility, and there’s no reason to worry.”

“Except you don’t know that,” Riley spoke up.

“So, it could have done something to me, to my… uterus or something?” said Nancy.

“We’ll get back to civilization and I’m sure Anderson Scott will pay for the best doctors to make sure you’re all fine,” said Jonathan. His eyes were dull. “If not, that’s just one more awful thing I’ve done.” He took a drink of coffee. “I think I want to get drunk. Back to my cabin to put a nice dollop of something stronger in this.” He raised the mug and started to walk toward the door.

Nancy stepped into his path. “No.”

“No?” He squinted at her.

“I’m not contacting Anderson Scott until you figure out what that thing did to me.” Nancy put her fists on her hips.

“How am I supposed to do that?” said Jonathan.

“Figure it out,” said Nancy.

Jonathan let out a sigh. He backed up and took a drink of his coffee.

“Nancy, you want out of here,” said Harris. “You’re going to hold all that up? Keep all of us here?”

“Yes,” said Nancy. “Because I can guarantee you that Anderson Scott only cares about himself and his bottom line. If we’ve killed his little lizardthing, he’s done with us. He won’t look after us.”

“He will if he thinks it’ll make him look bad,” said Jonathan.

“Maybe,” said Nancy. “Or maybe he shuts us up. I was never going tokillit, Dr. Greyson. I can’t believe you killed it.”

“Had to,” said Jonathan.

“Shuts us up how?” said Harris.

Nancy shrugged. “He has all kinds of ways.”

“You’re not saying that he’d hurt us,” spoke up Peter Mann.

“Oh, Anderson Scott wouldneverdo that,” said Nancy, broadly sarcastic.

Harris pressed his lips together. “All right, all right, well look. You, Miss Manes, are going to bring all of your electronics here right now to me.”

“No, I’m not,” said Nancy.

Harris drew his gun and pointed it at her head. “I’m taking command of this place. No one’s going to ask questions, because I’ve got a gun. That clear?”

Jonathan sipped coffee, looking nonplussed.

Riley looked down, squeezing her hands into fists. Somehow, she wasn’t entirely surprised. Maybe, it only seemed like a natural progression at this point.

“I will decide when we contact Anderson Scott,” said Harris. “I will decide what we say. I will decide all of it. And everyone will do exactly what I say. That clear?”

It was clear, Riley guessed. Because no one said anything.

CHAPTER NINE

LATER ON THATday, she found out where Dr. White’s body was, because she helped Jonathan move Bub’s body into the same cold storage room.

They lay the body out, and Jonathan was ashen and quiet.

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