Chapter 15
Harper took a minute before entering the lab, sitting in the rickety lawn chair outside the door until her hands stopped shaking.
She had no intention of telling the others.
Harper didn’t even know what she would tell.
It wasn’t a dream or hallucination, which left some very unscientific answers.
Kyle opened the door and peeked outside at Harper.
“You okay, boss?” he asked worriedly.
Harper nodded. “Yeah, I’m good. Just enjoying the weather.” She managed a smile.
Kyle looked at her curiously and held the door for her. Harper entered and hung her coat on the rack. Whatever she had seen would have to wait. The only answers she would get would be from locals, not scientists. She ran a glass of water and steadied herself at her laptop.
Harper sighed as she downloaded the files from the ornithology people at BSI.
It was a cushy assignment, and Harper could see the relief on Kyle’s face.
Only Shuri looked as frustrated as Harper felt.
They had both been on field teams before and knew how fickle the sponsoring universities could be if they weren’t getting results fast enough.
They were like to be shut down if they kept running into obstacles.
Leaving Kyle behind with his soil, she walked with Shuri to the East Dock, carrying the lab camera, a bulky Canon with long telescopic lenses.
The wind had picked up, and she doubted they’d even be able to accomplish this simple task.
Murphy was on the research vessel, tying down equipment.
“Need help?” Harper called out as they approached.
“I’ve got it.” Murphy looked up and brushed her hair off her eyes. “Not much to be done really. I was just double-checking.” She observed their packs and the camera. “Let me guess, harlequin ducks and eiders?”
“Yep. We’re to hike a bit south of here, close to the lighthouse, and watch for ducks.” Harper looked out at the tumultuous ocean. “You got the messages too, I see.”
“I see everything,” Murphy said with the faintest humor. “Heard you had a night out on the town last night.”
“Yeah, well. Yes, I did,” Harper said. “I’d tell you all about it, but we have ducks to spot.”
“Fair enough.” Murphy turned back to her work. “I’ll check in later today, see what tomorrow looks like.”
A few fishermen were working on their docked boats; they looked up as the team approached. Harper nodded a hello, one of the men grunted a reply. A tabby striped cat lay on the wooden planks, lifting its head to watch them pass.
“I swear the cats are the friendliest residents on this whole island,” Harper said quietly.
“They don’t hate us,” Shuri replied. “They don’t trust us, and they have reason not to. Not after the last time …”
Harper looked at her curiously. Before she could push the matter, Shuri started up the hill and Harper followed.
They finished the walk in silence. Harper’s mind was on edge, full of scorpions, so went the quote she remembered from a literature class long ago.
As they approached the lighthouse, she stopped and turned to Shuri.
“Alright, this is good. We can see the water, we can see the lighthouse. You all good on what we’re doing here? ”
“Ducks,” Shuri said with a nod.
“Yep, ducks. This flock was tagged by the Puffin Project some time ago, and they ought to be in Canada by now, but the trackers are saying they are here, like, right here.” Harper looked around.
“Although I do not see any ducks. But we are to hang out, log any sightings, that includes any birds whatsoever, and take photos, especially of what they are eating.”
“Logging the GPS coordinates now,” Shuri said as she pulled a clipboard from her bag.
“Starting time is 9:23 a.m. on the dot,” Harper replied.
“Got it,” Shuri said as she logged. “Location … lighthouse? That clear enough?”
“Works for me,” Harper replied.
“Not sure how long we’ll last at this. I feel like I’m going to be blown straight over,” Harper said as she set her pack down and began adjusting the settings on the camera. Shuri pulled out a pair of binoculars and started to scan the horizon line.
“Whoa,” Harper said as her phone buzzed. “Hold on, incoming earthquake on GeoRata app.” Shuri had already dropped to her knees.
“Harper, sit. Now.” Shuri pulled her down next to her as the ground beneath her began to tremble. She did not have time to reply before a jolt below them struck. Harper could feel the earth shaking. Shuri just grinned at her.
“You okay?” Harper asked, trying to keep her voice calm. Shuri nodded as a lesser wave rattled underneath them and then … calm.
“This is so weird, I’ve never felt an earthquake before and now one after another,” Harper said, her voice tight.
“You shouldn’t have felt one here,” Shuri said carefully.
“And that was a strong one. Check the NOAA site, they’ll have it logged already.
GeoRata is saying 3.8.” Shuri looked up from her phone.
“Point of origin about four hundred kilometers that way.” She pointed to the east, leading out from the docks.
“That’s close. Really close,” Harper said. “Still, probably not enough to do much more than knock some things off shelves.” She looked at her teammate. “I know this is just another day in Tokyo, but us East Coasters are not accustomed.”
“Japan is good at earthquakes,” Shuri replied with her head in her phone. “But they said no earthquakes here.”
“There really shouldn’t be,” Harper said as she stood and looked around. “Alright, well, excitement over, let’s find some ducks.”
The day passed uneventfully. As noon approached, Harper’s phone buzzed with another text from Carli. It contained a picture of what looked like black hair on the cream wall of their tiny bathroom back in Boston.
Do you see this shit? Do you see this?
She spelled out “Hi Carli” in her damn hair on the wall
Who the actual hells does this?
Miss you.
Harper tagged it with a heart emoji.
Miss you too—but I bet you’re missing me more—heh.
The wind eventually drove them back to the lab. Shuri carried a log full of birds that were not ducks in her pack. As they entered the lab, Kyle looked up.
“You all good out there?” he asked.
“Yeah, I take it no damage?” Harper asked, looking around.
“Rattled the tables. I spilled my coffee.” Kyle shrugged.
“Tragic,” Harper said as she packed up the camera. A message alert blinked on her open laptop. “Oop, looks like we have something from Boston.” The others gathered around.
Hope all is well, earthquake has been logged.
If you can send any reports of damage, anything at all back, that’s helpful.
Seismic activity is not unheard of here, just unusual.
Attaching a couple more reports. NOAA looks like your wind should be dying down by end of week. Till then do what you can.
“Am I the only one who thought it was crackers to send a research team out for this particular task in the winter?” Kyle asked quietly to no one in particular.
“Hurricane season is worse, that’s spring and summer. But yes, I do think there’s a window next fall that would have been more optimal,” Shuri answered, staring at the computer screen.
“They were in a hurry, there’s something that can’t wait,” Harper said quietly.
“They told you that?” Shuri asked, regarding her curiously.
“No, they didn’t. I just know it’s true. I have no idea what can’t wait, but there’s something.” Harper poured herself a cup of coffee. “The wildlife in the area is doing unusual things, hence our duck hunting trip today. And now an earthquake? There’s wheels within wheels to this job.”
“It’s official, you’re a witch,” Kyle said as he held his cup out for a refill.
“Maybe. Maybe they were at the end of a grant and had to say they tried before they closed Thalassa for good.” Harper topped off Kyle’s cup and sat back down at the laptop.
“I like your first explanation better,” Shuri said with a sigh. “We need more mystery.”
Harper gave her a smile. There was something expectant in the air, something that was about to happen, inevitable and unnamable.
She had been on Bell for two weeks and it felt a lifetime.
She could never tell her teammates, but she belonged here, she had been here before and it was no accident she was here again.