Page 24 of Chasing Sunsets

Zack hated to stop and wake Sadie, but they were only fifteen miles from Houston and needed to eat before arriving. The gray sky started drizzling moments ago. He passed an advertisement for a gas station and took the next off-ramp.

Sadie startled awake when he slowed the car. “Stopping?”

“Afraid so. Truman might freak if I don’t fill up. Plus, we’re near Houston.”

She checked their surroundings. “I can’t believe I slept the whole trip.” Her voice sounded throaty and tired, just as it had every morning she’d woken up next to him. He’d ached to hear it again since she’d moved out. “When did it start raining?”

“Not long ago.” Zack turned into the convenience store lot, drove to a pump, and killed the engine.

Sadie retrieved the money. “I’ll take care of the gas.” She was unscrewing the cap when he rounded the back of the car. Truman headed toward the store.

Zack lifted the gas nozzle. “It’ll take less time if we leave it to fill, use the restroom, and pay while we’re inside.”

Thirty minutes later, after eating lunch in the SUV, they arrived at the Downtown Aquarium. The white building had an enormous sign across the top in aqua blue. Two swordfish in the same blue were shooting out of a fountain in front of the building. The huge Ferris wheel, part of the amusement rides section, sat motionless.

He didn’t see any other white Audis and hoped they were the first ones here. Rain came down harder as they got out of the car and approached the entrance where a bench with a wave and a shark on it had two signs with arrows pointing in opposite directions.SCUBA DIVERandFISHMONGER.

“I’ve been scuba diving more than you,” Sadie said.

Zack laughed. He’d taken lessons during their engagement and went diving while they were on their honeymoon. “You mean more than once.”

“That too.”

“Do you need your backpack for your swimsuit?” he called.

“Got it on.” She waved.

Truman filmed Zack while one of the cameramen waiting under the covered entryway trailed Sadie inside. Markers for fishmonger directed him down a soggy, five-block stretch where rain showered down and passing traffic sprayed him until he reached a wholesale seafood storefront.

Drenched, he pushed the swinging glass door open and held it for Truman. The stench inside was no worse than the seafood section of his grocery store. Middle-aged women dressed in umpire shirts stood on the other side of the seafood counter. One came forward and introduced herself. She led him through a warehouse to the loading dock where delivery trucks waited. “Inside you’ll find twenty different types of fish. Search until you find one of each species and put them in that.” She pointed to a gray rolling cart with a plastic apron and Playtex gloves hanging over one side.

He rushed over, suited up, and wheeled the cart to the closest truck. He turned the handle on the liftgate and threw it up. The odor of fish assaulted him. The warehouse didn’t smell nearly this bad. He stepped inside and tried to lift the top off the crate closest to the door. The damn thing was nailed down. Curious how to open it, he glanced around and saw a crowbar on a hook near the liftgate. He retrieved it, pried open the crate, and began rummaging through the crushed ice.

Without lights inside the truck and the dimness of the sky, his vision was limited. He clasped five fish and brought them to the dock. Weak fluorescent bulbs gave only a modicum of illumination. He examined the fish one at a time.

First, a gray fish had spots that were either green or blue. Second, another gray fish sported red spots. The third gray fish’s spots were either white or yellow. The other two fish looked similar to the ones with the colors he couldn’t determine.

He threw the three he knew were different into the cart and set the other two on top of the ice in the crate he was examining. Without the benefit of a bulb in the truck cargo area or sunlight, he’d have to do that a lot. Not to mention, he’d have to guess at some of his choices, because of his color blindness.

This challenge would take a while.

He hoped Sadie’s task proved easier.

~

As Sadie ran into thebuilding, an official named Asper introduced himself and motioned for her to follow him. He led her into a cavernous space painted ocean blue with different hallways leading off of it. “You’ll find your next assignment at the top of the stairs.” She raced up the two flights. Arrows directed her through many doors until she ended up in a room in the private part of the building. Chairs lined two of the walls and huge doors were propped open directly across the entrance. Black wet suits were laid out on the floor, each with a person dressed in a blue Aquarium t-shirt next to it.

She ran to the first man. “I’m Sadie.”

“Gus. You’ll need to change into your swimsuit.”

“I’m wearing it under my clothes.” She whipped off her t-shirt, shoes, socks, and shorts, then set them on one of the chairs. She heard footsteps, and the next second Brett entered.

“We’ll need to take your mic off,” Gus said.

She held her arms out at her sides and let him unhook her microphone. Once Gus helped her into the wet suit, he gestured toward the chairs. “Sit for fifteen minutes. We’re taking everyone’s blood pressure and heart rate before they get in the water.”

Brett, who also wore his swimsuit under his shorts and quickly put on a wetsuit, sat in the seat beside her. “You dive a lot?”

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