Anomaly Read online

  Radar and I laugh. It’s not often any of us gets the chance to turn the tables on Sneak for his pranks.

  “I’ll go get him,” Radar says. “Lights, you go find Rerun. Plush, get Doc.”

  “And I’ll round up my dad,” I say. “Bring everyone to my house. We’ll meet there. Radar and I will tell everyone the story at the same time.”

  I watch my three friends disappear down the street and then head inside to summon my dad.

  A little more than an hour later, we’re all sitting around the big table in our dining room. Dad is at the head of the table and I’m sitting on his right. Dad looks like a rough, tough Marine, which he is, although he’s got plenty of pussycat in him when it comes to me and my mom. He’s a couple inches over six feet tall, muscular, with a ramrod posture. His brown hair is cut in a typical Marine buzz and is just starting to show a bit of gray at the temples. He’s fifty-six years old, but he’s as fit as a man in his thirties. His age is one of the reasons I’m such a Daddy’s girl. He and my mom got married one year before The Incident. As the years went by without any children being born anywhere, my parents had pretty much given up on ever having kids. So you can imagine their joy at my arrival.

  My mom is sitting on Dad’s left, across from me. She’s two years younger than Dad and still very pretty, with high cheekbones, blue eyes and short light brown hair. Mom is light years smarter than either of us, with a PhD. in molecular biology from Stanford. She was working in biotechnology before The Incident—now she works on whatever scientific projects the government thinks are the most pressing. Dad picked her up at her lab on his way home today so she could be in on the discussion.

  Radar is next to me. Plush sits opposite her, and of course Lights is next to Plush, holding her hand. On Radar’s other side is Doc. Her real name is April, but she’s Doc because of her Power. She can heal most cuts and bruises almost instantly, and is getting better and better at speeding the healing of much more serious wounds, especially if she can get to them quickly enough. She’s half Asian, with long, very fine black hair and a beautiful tan complexion. She’s the quietest and most introverted of all the Miracles. I think at least part of that comes from all the wounds and injuries she’s seen since her Power manifested years ago. It’s difficult to be overly exuberant when you spend so much of your time healing injuries.

  I’m pretty sure both Sneak and Rerun would love to pair up with her, but I doubt that’s ever going to happen.

  Rerun is sitting next to her now, with Sneak at the end of the table. Rerun is a gangly redhead, with a friendly looking face that’s full of freckles. His Power is amazing—he can actually stop and rerun time in his immediate vicinity, sometimes for just a few seconds, sometimes for almost a minute. It’s quite handy when he makes a mistake, but it can also have some profound usefulness. Sneak’s real name is Alex. He looks like a typical Southern Californian kid, with bright blond hair and blue eyes. With his mischievous nature, we all wanted to call him Imp, but when a guy can turn himself invisible it’s smart to stay on his good side. Radar came up with the name Sneak, which Alex loves.

  We all have a drink in front of us. Mom and Dad are sipping from mugs of satz-coff. None of us kids ever tasted coffee, so there was no reason for us to learn how to stomach the bitter coffee substitute. We’re all drinking water flavored with fresh lemons. San Diego is blessed with lots of fruit trees of all kinds—lemon, orange, apple, plum, lime and cherry, to name a few—insuring a plentiful supply of fruit. We’ve got lots of veggies, too, as well as dairy and chicken farms. We all know how lucky we are to be living here. Places like Las Vegas, to name one, were far less fortunate in the aftermath of The Incident. With no transportation network to bring in food and supplies, the city quickly degenerated into a lawless ghost town filled with deserted hotels and casinos, not to mention creatures from the other world prowling the shadows.

  “So, Leah,” Dad says, looking at me, “we’re all here. What’s going on?”

  I love the way he asks the question without judgment, even though I pulled him away from work in the middle of the day. Still, I hesitate, not at all sure how to begin. Radar has no such problem, though, and she jumps right into the silence.

  “We swam with some dolphins today,” she says.

  I glance around the table. Everyone but my mom and dad look puzzled or surprised. My parents’ expressions are blank as they wait to hear more.

  Rerun is the first to respond. “I don’t understand. You called us all here to tell us you swam with some fish?”

  “Technically, dolphins are mammals, not fish,” my mom says, ever the scientist.

  “I’m jealous,” Plush says to Radar. “But how could you go swimming?” She looks back and forth between Radar and me to see if we’re kidding. “The water’s freezing.”

  “Mammals, fish, who cares?” Sneak says. “What’s so important about you swimming with some dumb dolphins?”

  “Dolphins are not dumb,” Plush says. “They’re highly intelligent—unlike some people I know.”

  Sneak looks like he’s trying to come up with a suitable retort, but before he can say anything, Radar interrupts.

  “Oh, did I forget to mention the part about there being mermaids there, too? How silly of me.” She grins.

  “Get out!” Lights says. “Mermaids? For real?”

  “Were they hot?” Sneak asks.

  Leave it to Sneak to hear that Radar and I met some mermaids, and all he can think about is whether they were hot.

  “They were definitely warm,” I say, smiling. “That’s how we were able to swim with the dolphins. The mermaids kept us warm.”

  “I think you’d better start from the beginning, Leah,” my dad says, his expression and tone all business now. He knows I wouldn’t joke about something like this, and that if Radar and I met some mermaids, they could only have come from one place—There. Anything concerning There is going to be of great interest to the military, of course.

  I recount our morning’s adventure in as much detail as I can recall. Radar jumps in now and then to add any pieces of information I forget.

  “The mermaids took us swimming with the dolphins to show us the dolphins trusted them, hoping that we would trust them, too,” I say, nearing the end of my story.

  “Why did they want you to trust them,” Dad asks.

  Radar and I glance at each other.

  “Because they had a message for us,” she says.

  My dad’s eyebrows shoot up. He’s not easily surprised, but this has surprised him for sure. I can see from the looks on everyone’s face that they’re all a bit shocked at Radar’s declaration.

  My dad recovers quickly. “A message for you two specifically?” he asks, directing his question to me.

  “Well, to the seven of us, actually,” I say. “To the Miracles.”

  My friends’ eyes are glued on me now. I can only imagine what’s going through all their minds.

  My mom frowns. “Did they use that term exactly?” she asks. “Miracles?”

  I shake my head. “No. They called us the ‘seven.’”

  “They knew about our Powers,” Radar adds. “They said that’s why we had to go—because we have Powers.”

  “They thought I had a Power, too,” I say. “So either they were wrong, or I’ve got one I don’t know about yet.”

  “Wait a minute,” my dad says. “Go where? Where did they say you were supposed to go?”

  I swallow hard. “To Alcatraz. They said we have to go Alcatraz—on December 21st.”

  My last statement stuns everyone even more than any of the previous amazing things they’ve heard from me and Radar. Several of my friends’ eyes are almost popping out of their heads. Alcatraz has become a place of legend, a place of fear. Its name is seldom mentioned, and certainly never as a destination. Once again, my dad recovers first.

  “Why would anyone in their right mind think you would go to Alcatraz?”

  I draw in a deep breath. “To stop what’
s going to happen,” I say.

  “And just what did they say is going to happen?”

  “They didn’t know exactly. They said all they knew was that whatever it is, it has to be stopped.”

  “They used the word ‘disaster,’” Radar adds. “Disaster for our world, and maybe for theirs.”

  My mom and dad exchange worried glances.

  “How do these mermaids know what’s going to happen?” my mom asks me after a moment.

  “I don’t know,” I admit. “They said they were sent by someone, but they weren’t allowed to say who.” I look at my dad. “They knew there would be questions. They said you could come talk to them tomorrow morning. I don’t know how much they’ll be able to tell you, but they’ll be waiting for us. You can’t bring anyone else, though.”

  “What about us?” Sneak asks. “We’re part of this. I want to see the mermaids.”

  I smile at him. “You’re all invited.” I turn to my mom. “Mom, I don’t think they’ll mind if you come, too. But no one else.”

  I look back at Dad. The expression on his face is as serious as I’ve ever seen.

  “They’re damn right I have questions for them,” he says.

  CHAPTER 6

  THE MORNING IS COOL AND DAMP, with a low, heavy marine layer that’s becoming more and more like fog the closer we get to the beach. It’s barely eight o’clock—we could wait a few hours and all this would almost certainly melt away, but everyone is too anxious to see the mermaids and hear what they have to say to wait that long.

  We’re all wearing sweatshirts or windbreakers against the chill, with loose pants that can be rolled up above our knees. Radar and I told everyone we’d have to wade at least a little ways out into the water, so be prepared. Sneak and Rerun have done us one better and are wearing shorts. They don’t seem cold, so I guess their sweatshirts are keeping them warm enough.

  My dad has eschewed his uniform and is dressed in a worn brown leather bomber jacket and khaki pants. I guess he doesn’t want to look too official or scary for this meeting. He still looks like a warrior, though—it’s in his carriage and his nature. My mom has on a navy blue knit sweater and beige pants. I’m wearing a dark gray sweatshirt and lighter gray pants. Nobody knows this, but I have a bathing suit on underneath my clothes, just in case I’m lucky enough to get another swim with the mermaids or dolphins.

  When we reach the top of the bluffs above the beach, the fog has thickened greatly. Only a narrow strip of water is visible. There’s no horizon this morning, only a place where the gray water merges with the slightly lighter gray cloak of fog. The low rumblings of the invisible surf tell us the waves are small, which is certainly good. When we get to the edge of the beach we should be able to see a bit farther out into the water. I just hope the mermaids will be able to see far enough in this direction to know we’ve arrived.

  We scramble down the bluffs and cross the beach, depositing our weapons and shoes and socks on the sand above the tide line where they’ll stay dry. My dad keeps his pistol in his holster—old habits die hard when you’ve been a Marine as long as he has.

  All of us stare hard out into the fog, searching for any sign of the mermaids, but the soupy mist is too thick for our eyes to penetrate.

  “Selene,” I call, hoping they are near enough to hear. “It’s Leah. Radar and I have brought the rest of the seven. My mom and dad are here, too.”

  We listen, but hear no reply. Remembering how high and soft the mermaids’ voices were, I’m not surprised. Even if they’re out there in the fog, I doubt they could yell loud enough for us to hear.

  “I think we need to go out into the water a little ways,” I tell my companions.

  Dad nods, taking my hand and stepping forward with me. Radar and my mom are on the other side of me. The Miracles follow behind.

  “Geesh, it’s cold!” Sneak complains before we’re more than four or five steps out into the water.

  “What did you expect?” Radar asks him. “Bathwater? You said you wanted to see mermaids, so stop complaining.”

  We wade out about fifty feet into the surf. Sneak is right—the water is cold. It’s not quite up to our knees yet, so it’s bearable. Thank goodness the waves are small. The tiny white lines of foam raise the level of the water no more than six inches when they pass. I’m glad they’re not splashing higher up against our bodies.

  “Look!” Radar exclaims, pointing her finger out ahead of us. “There they are!”

  Sure enough, three familiar faces have appeared out of the mist, swimming toward us. I smile, pleased that Selene and her sisters have kept their word.

  The other Miracles all push forward, anxious to see. We’re now stretched out in a long line, watching the mermaids approach. They stop about fifteen or twenty yards from us.

  “We cannot come…any closer,” Selene says—at least I think it’s Selene, since she was the spokesperson yesterday. “The water is…too shallow.”

  At this distance, I can barely hear her over the sound of the surf. “C’mon guys,” I say to my group, stepping farther out into the water. “We’ve gotta get closer. A little cold water won’t hurt you.”

  We all splash forward. Everyone’s eyes are fixed on the three mermaids, bobbing in the surf. I doubt anyone is noticing the cold very much.

  “Wow!” Sneak says when we draw within about ten feet of the mermaids. “Topless mermaids! Leah, you left out the best part.”

  “Shush,” my mom says to him, casting a withering look upon him.

  “Sorry,” Sneak says sheepishly. He drops his gaze down toward the water in front of him, but only for a moment.

  The mermaids don’t seem to care about Sneak’s comment, for which I’m grateful. I quickly introduce everyone, admitting that when I get to the mermaids, I don’t know which is Colella and which is Tamika. Selene helps me out with that.

  When the introductions are finished, Selene moves directly in front of my dad. Everyone is watching her closely. Even Sneak has managed to pull his eyes away from her chest and is watching her face.

  “You have questions…of course,” Selene says to Dad.

  He nods. “Darn right I do. Lots of ‘em. Let’s start with how you got here.”

  “The same way…others from my world…enter yours. Through a black gateway.”

  “And you were sent specifically to look for my daughter?” my mom asks. “And the others?”

  “We were told…to find the seven. Yes.”

  My dad takes over the questioning again. “Who told you?”

  “The one…who sent us.”

  “And who is that?”

  “I cannot say.”

  “Can’t? Or won’t?”

  “I am not allowed. So it is…the same thing…is it not?”

  I can see the frustration on Dad’s face. I’m guessing he’ll come back to this, but for now he moves on.

  “How is it that you speak our language? Is English used on your world?”

  Selene shakes her head. “We were taught…by the one…who sent us.”

  “So wherever this mystery person or thing is, they’ve known about this for some time. Long enough to teach you English.”

  “Yes. We studied…for many tides.”

  “You say the seven must go to Alcatraz?”

  “To the place…where it all started, yes.”

  “What are they supposed to do when they get there?”

  I notice my fellow Miracles are listening even more closely now. For the first time, I see doubt in Selene’s dark, almond-shaped eyes.

  “I do not know…exactly,” she admits. “But I was told…one of the seven…will know.”

  My dad turns around and looks at us all for a moment. I’m sure right now we seem impossibly young to him. I know he would be concerned for anyone in this situation, but my being his only child makes it all much worse—much, much worse.

  “Which one?” he asks Selene.

  “Again…I do not know.”

  My dad sighs.
“You don’t know very much, do you?”

  “I am sorry,” Selene says, the chagrined look on her lovely face showing that she is indeed sorry.

  “Is there anything else you are permitted to tell us?”

  She nods. Her expression turns very serious. “I am…to tell them…to beware of…

  Movement behind the mermaids catches my eye. More than a dozen dark forms suddenly rise up from the mist-shrouded surf, apparitions appearing as if by magic. For a moment I think monsters from the other world have appeared, but then I realize they’re Navy Seals, clad in black wetsuits. Each one is holding what looks like a length of thick rope in front of him. They had used our conversation as a distraction, moving silently into place in wide a half-circle around us. The ends of the formation are in water too shallow for the mermaids to swim around. I suddenly realize what the men are holding—the top of a huge net. I’m certain the bottom of the net must be weighted, holding it down against the ocean floor, allowing nothing to pass under it. My heart sinks. The Seals have come to capture the mermaids!

  Selene and her sisters huddle behind us. The look of hurt and betrayal on their innocent faces is heartbreaking.

  “We didn’t know,” I say, desperate to have them understand we had nothing to do with this. Their expressions don’t change, though.

  My dad recognizes the Seal commander. “What’s the meaning of this, Captain Harper? I was to be left alone here.”

  “Sorry, Colonel. General’s orders. He thinks there’s too much intelligence to be gathered from them.”

  “Which is exactly what I was doing before you showed up,” Dad says, the anger and frustration clear in his voice.

  I realize he must have told General Ashley, his commanding officer, about the meeting. The soldier in him would not have let him keep this mission to himself. Even though Dad outranks Captain Harper, it’s clear the Seal leader has orders of his own and will not be backing down from my dad. If the mermaids are to escape, it’s going to be up to us.