Page 7 of Away in a Tentacle Lair
“They won't care. They are terrible for the local area.” Kai huffs.
Here is the conspiracy theory I was expecting.
“They are destroying the town by bringing in their own supplies from out of the area. They don't buy locally. But they leave us with all their rubbish.”
“That is very unfortunate for the town. I can see how they would be annoying.”
“They cycle their water for all the tanks through the sea, clean water, dirty water out. My cousin is a lawyer, and he fights against the research centre, trying to get sanctions in place.”
“How else are they going to keep the tank water clean?”
“We pump the water from our tanks through filters. Nothing goes into the sea from our house.” He leans back in the seat, crossing his fingers behind his head.
“You have fish tanks at home?” I can't see my eco-warrior keeping live animals in tanks at home. “Yes. But we take nothing from the sea and put nothing in.”
“And your job is to pick up rubbish from the bottom of the sea?” But he has one cousin fighting a lifelong eco battle with the centre, and he gets to pick up bottle caps from the sea. I feel like some of his family work harder than others.
“We all do our part.”
“A lawyer and a litter picker?”
“Well, if he'd learn to hold his breath, he wouldn't have gone to law school, but that's what he wanted. Peter was very passionate about stopping the pumps legally.”
“Does your family buy locally?”
“Of course we do. We do everything to support this community. My family are devoted to the area. I spend all my time cleaning up the mess that the research centre makes. Research is terrible for the wildlife around it.” His fists clench with the passion filling his words. This guy is obsessed with the ocean.
“This is my dream job,” I warn before he says something we might both regret.
“Your job is stealing from the sea and looking at it under a microscope? Why don't you look at it in the sea where it belongs?”
“I'm going to make amazing discoveries, and my name will be in the scientific papers.”
“I'm sure that will make your wallet very happy.” Kai huffs. “I prefer making my discoveries in the deep and sharing them with my community.”
“That doesn't put food on your plate,” I scoff.
“You don't get food from the ocean? Oh, Mr Neoprene, how naive you are.”
“Mr Neoprene?” I smile as his face flushes red.
“You're not as infamous as I am.” He pulls away. “Try being known by those around you, and you'd rather than a facelessname in an unread paper.” He stands up and offers me his hand. “Thank you for saving my life.”
Why do I feel so rejected as that man walks out of my life?
“If you change your mind about the research centre, come find me. I'll either be under the water or helping my cousin with his water samples at home.”
That feels like a challenge, but it's not the rejection I expected. His flirtatious smile as he walks away sends a tingle through my body. If I find this guy again, it won't be for his water samples.
Chapter six
Kai
Uncle Nicholas will be on the warpath after Jonas tells him what happened. Each year, the bay fills with wannabes and hopefuls eager to destroy our home to get a job in the research centre. If my chat with Leo has done anything to plant a seed of doubt in his mind, then it will all be worth it.
He gave me the same look as everyone else when I compared my job to my cousins. There is no comparison between us. Peter loved to study, whereas I was always in the sea. Spending hours perfecting my breathing so I could spend longer caring for the ocean was as taxing and time-consuming as Peter’s degree. I don't remember a single day when anyone would pick my life as easier than their own.
I slide my arse across the saddle of my bike and kick the engine into life. The motor purrs through my body.
