CH51
I trail behind Peter as he walks briskly toward his own cabana, the sun casting long shadows across the facility’s grounds. The cabana itself is as modest a structure as mine, tucked away behind a row of palm trees that sway gently in the breeze. When inside, he gestures for me to take a seat at the dining room table, his space surprisingly homey compared to my own empty chamber.
“Make yourself comfortable,” he says, then slips inside his room, the door clicking shut behind him. I wait, shifting my weight from one foot to the other, nerves jangling. Moments later, he reappears, a sleek laptop cradled in his arms. He sits down across from me, flipping the device open with practiced ease.
“I wish Lily gave me a laptop,” I say, eyeing the machine. “It’d be a lot more convenient when I’m taking notes.”
Peter chuckles, a sheepish grin tugging at his lips. “Yeah, I figured you might say that. It’s not an Enigma laptop, though. It’s my own.”
I cock a brow, skepticism lacing my tone. “I assume Lily doesn’t know about it.”
He shakes his head. “No one does. It’s not even connected to the facility’s Wi-Fi. Whatever we find today, it’ll stay between us.”
I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. “Good to hear. So, who exactly are you contacting?”
Peter leans back, fingers dancing over the keyboard as he prepares to make the call. “I’m going to reach out to my friend Hiro. We did undergrad at MIT together. Now he’s the Head of Research and Development at Enigma’s Nagasaki headquarters.”
I sip my coffee, considering. “How many research facilities does Enigma have?”
He shrugs, glancing up briefly. “Dozens, but headquarters like the one we’re in now and the one in Nagasaki are a different story. There’s only one on each continent.”
I blink, processing the information. “Each continent?”
Peter gives me a pointed look, his eyes glinting. “Each continent.”
Just then, the screen begins to ring. “Peter?” a voice crackles through the laptop’s speakers.
“Hiro!” Peter exclaims before switching to flawless Japanese, the conversation flowing effortlessly. I watch as Hiro responds, and Peter laughs, motioning for me to join him in front of the screen. He switches back to English, introducing me as his colleague who’s helping him research a… particular matter Hiro might be able to assist with.
Hiro’s voice comes through, curious. “Shoot, all I can do is try.”
I give Peter a sharp look. “I presume Hiro is aware of the special subject the South Pacific lab is developing.”
Hiro pauses, surprise evident in his tone. “The siren initiative? Yes, Peter’s told me that’s what St. Cloud was working on, but I thought it was all theoretical at this point.”
Peter leans forward, eyes gleaming. “Things have gotten a lot less theoretical lately.”
Hiro responds, intrigued. “As in, you’ve found concrete evidence of sirens?”
Peter smirks. “I’ll do you one better—we have sirens.”
Hiro gasps. “You’re kidding!”
I interject, keeping the conversation on track. “We have two in captivity—a male that was only acquired two weeks ago and a female who’s been in Enigma custody for decades.”
Hiro’s jaw drops, and he starts glaring daggers at Peter. “Decades?! Thanks for filling me in, man.”
Peter shakes his head apologetically. “Sorry, brother. You know how it is here, and I won’t put Marina at risk like that.”
Hiro’s curiosity piques. “Marina? What exactly are you all up to over there?”
I cut in smoothly. “Nevermind that. We were hoping you’d be able to look into something for us.”
Hiro tilts his head. “Something like what?”
I take a deep breath. “Marina, the female siren, was originally captured and housed at the Nagasaki facility. We have reason to believe there’s more to the story. Could you help us find out what?”
Hiro hesitates, the wheels clearly turning in his mind. “Are you going to tell me why you need this information?”
Peter steps in, earnest. “Hiro, please. You know I wouldn’t be asking if it weren’t important.”
There’s a long pause, and I worry he might shut us down. Finally, he asks, “What year am I looking at?”
Both Peter and I respond in unison, “1883.”
Hiro nods slowly. “Give me an hour,” he says before ending the video call.
The screen goes dark, and silence settles between us. I turn to Peter, anxiety bubbling up. “Is Hiro trustworthy?”
He gives me a reassuring smile. “He’s the most solid guy I know. He’ll keep quiet about what we’re doing.”
I let out a relieved sigh, sinking back into my seat. Peter springs to his feet, energy bouncing back. “Would you like some tea while we wait?”
I nod, grateful for the distraction. “Yeah, that’d be great.”
He heads to the kitchenette, and I bury my face in my hands, trying to calm the whirlwind of thoughts racing through my head. What exactly are we getting ourselves into by pulling Hiro into this?
Moments later, Peter returns, setting a steaming mug in front of me. “It’s oolong. I hope you don’t mind.”
I take the tea, warming my hands on the mug before taking a cautious sip. The soothing aroma helps ease some of the tension. Peter sits back down, taking a sip of his own tea before leaning forward.
“Phoebe, can I ask what, exactly, it is that we’re doing?” His eyes search mine, genuine concern etched into his features.
I squeeze my eyes shut, fighting the urge to scream internally. “I don’t know, Peter. All I know is that Wake can’t stay here much longer. He won't.”
He furrows his brow. “So… what? You want to try and break him out?”
I groan, frustration bubbling to the surface. “Yes? I mean, not really. I don’t know! He won’t leave without me, but he has to return to the sea.”
Peter leans back, thoughtful. “Why won’t Wake leave without you?”
I push up from the table, beginning to pace the small room. “Because the only reason he was captured was that he was trying to find me!”
He blinks, startled. “What?”
I continue, voice gaining strength. “Apparently, he’s been looking for me for most of my life, coming back to the same location year after year, knowing that somehow, at some point, I would be drawn back to the Tasman Sea.”
Peter’s mouth opens and closes a few times before he croaks out, “Why?”
I collapse back into my seat, exhaustion and frustration washing over me. “That’s the thing, Peter. I don’t know! But I know that if I want to find out, that means seeing this thing through with Wake.”
He nods slowly, absorbing my words. “And what about Marina?”
Just then, Peter’s laptop dings with an incoming email. Both of us rush to the screen as he clicks it open, eyes widening at the message:
I hope you both are sitting down when you read this. Whatever the fuck you’re up to? I want in.
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