The Siren, the General's Daughter Book One Read Online Free Page B

happily chatting before they paused at the stern to catch their breath.
    “I’m going in, ok?” Sam stated, stripping off her sweats and standing before her father and brother in a simple black, high cut one piece suit.
    Her father shook his head. “Not like that. Put your wetsuit on, it’s freezing.”
    “I’m ok. See you soon!” she stated, climbing over the rail and diving off before he could stop her.
    He watched her slice beneath the waves. “I’m gonna blister her…. Go in after her, please.” Dr. Quimby ordered his son.
    Michael laughed. “Not without my wetsuit, it is way too cold.”
    “Talk with her about wearing proper gear. She needs to exercise some more modesty. That suit hides nothing.”
    “I hate to break it to you, but neither does the wetsuit. Her curves are noticeable in everything but sweats. She’s not a little girl anymore. Ask the crew,” he elbowed the man, who rolled his eyes.
    “She will always be our little girl. Go change and find her. I want to check out the neuroband this morning.”
    It took twenty minutes for him to successfully retrieve his sibling. She had been playing with the calves in a pod of Pacific bottle-nosed dolphins.
    “Come on, time to get back. Ooo, Dad is going to jump down your throat for this. You need to wear the wetsuit to protect your skin. Plus,” he added, looking at her the deep scratches that covered her arms, “blood attracts sharks. Let’s not invite trouble.”
    Sighing, Sam reluctantly followed her brother towards the ship. They boarded, meeting two of the engineers on the platform.
    “Good morning, lieutenants.” They were greeted with towels, “Nice swim?”
    “You look cold, Sam. Here,” one of the men handed her a cup of hot tea, English style with cream and sugar. She moaned, and her eyes closed as she sipped it. Her crew knew her routine to the minute and took very good care of her needs. They were often awarded by getting an eyeful of her in a swimsuit!
    “Mmmm, this is so good. Thanks, Frank. Are the tanks ready?” Sam asked, drying off her long braid.
    “Yes, ma’am. Are you going to chow?”
    “No, I’m not hungry—”
    “Yes, she is going to chow,” Michael interrupted, wrapping the towel around her waist before taking her elbow. “She’ll be in the lab in about an hour.”
    “You are such a spoil sport,” his sister complained as she was led to her cabin.
    “And you are a tease. I’ll be back to get you in 15 minutes. We are working the band today, so dress appropriately.” The hidden meaning was that they would be working with their father, so wear a uniform.
    “Aye aye, Sir.”
    After chow, the two went to the bio lab that adjoined the engineering department. Dr. Quimby was standing next to an upright module, studying the readings.
    “Good morning, again, General,” Michael said with a teasing smile.
    Sam, disregarding policy and procedure, met her father with a hug. “Hi Daddy, thanks for letting me go out to swim this morning.”
    “What happened to your arms?” he asked, noticing the scratches on her hands. He pushed up her lab coat sleeves to reveal the angry red slashes crisscrossed over her limbs from her hands to her shoulders.
    She shrugged, letting him examine her. “Baby dolphins. They were so cute! Ow,” she yelped as he probed at one deep cut.
    “This is close to needing stitches. Wetsuit for now on, Lieutenant,” he said gruffly, letting her go.
    Making a face, she mumbled ‘yes, Sir’ before fixing her sleeves.
    “This would be a good time to try to develop a topical seal or a scent neutralizer. Either of us could get scratched or be around someone who is injured and we’ll need to discourage a shark approach,” Michael said seriously.
    His sister interjected, eager to change the subject to experimental science. “That’s a good idea, Mike. Try it on me. Sharks don’t scare me at all.”
    Dr. Quimby firmly shook his head. “Absolutely not, I’ve had enough with you trying new