Chapter 13
Left behind
As Riley maneuvered the boat out of the harbour and into the open ocean, she couldn't shake the feeling that her day was a series of blunders. Leaving Gray behind had only added to the list. She'd better let the Lagoon know someone needed to fetch him and his research equipment.
"Hey, Declan. No one mentioned the researcher would be at the harbour this morning, so I left him there.
He had too much gear for me to fit along with the supplies that you all left for me to bring today.
Someone needs to go pick him up. Over." She reached into her bag for a granola bar, taking a bite, letting the sweet and salty mix hit her tastebuds as she navigated the canal, out to the ocean and toward the Lagoon.
The radio clicked again, but this time, Cam's voice came through, tight and controlled. "Skiffty, this is Cam. Switch to channel five. Over."
Riley fumbled to change channels, half her granola bar slipping from her grasp. "Skiffty here. Hi, Cam. What can I do for you? Over." Her pulse quickened; it wasn't even hot yet, but she was sweating.
"Riley, please tell me you didn't leave the researcher at the harbour. Over."
Before she could answer, another voice cut in. "Cam, this is Harbour 1. We can confirm the researcher is here, and to quote him, 'his 'stuffff' is here too."
There was some murmuring on the line before the person added. "And he says he can't wait to work with you, Riley!" The background erupted in laughter, but Riley wasn't amused—and she knew Cam wouldn't be, either.
"Harbour 1, get off this channel. Riley, get back to the lagoon and come see me. Over."
Just as she opened her mouth to respond, the same voice from Harbour 1 cut back in. "Cam, this is our channel, actually. Don't worry, the researcher's a funny guy. We'll keep him entertained until someone shows up. Over."
Riley sighed, deciding the best thing she could do was lie low and get back to the Lagoon.
Cam was probably just stressed about their first big project, and now that she was away from the harbour, she realized she should've introduced Gray to the harbour staff or arranged for him to catch a ride on the tourist catamaran, where his gear and equipment would've been better protected.
As she navigated the boat, she replayed the morning in her mind and thought back to the conference nearly a year ago.