Is a Thief Indeed

"Just a little further. The ship's at the very end of the docks."

Hands full of mechanic's equipment, Ray and Marlin led the way to their submarine. The negotiation hadn't lasted long: they'd quickly agreed on the number. Ray was glad that she hadn't pried into his reasons for secrecy. Marlin wasn't capable of such tact. The boy tried to get answers from Ray right in front of the mechanic, but was promptly shut down. He continued pestering Ray with cutting glares, furrowed eyebrows, and bitter pouts. And would have used his arms were they not full of tools.

"Here it is. And at the very back you can see a lovely turtle-shaped dint."

Marlin dropped the stuff he was carrying and sprawled on the walkway in a starfish fashion.

"I honestly have no interest in your turtle story, be they real or imaginary," with a blank face, she twirled a lock of hair around her finger.

Ray widened his smile, the corners of his lips twitching. "Why would I lie about such a-"

"And if you want my unbiased opinion, the imprint looks more like a common stone or a ship bow."

"We did crush into stones as well-"

"That anyway matters not. Is it fine if I go check the engine room?"

"Sure, you're free to go anywhere on the ship and touch anything. Oh, except Silky, you'll die if you touch him," he stepped forward and opened the door for her. "Marlin and I are going to look around the city for a bit. Wouldn't want to get in your way. When we come back, we can buy any extra stuff you'll need for repairs. How does that sound?"

"I'll make a list," Koi snapped a bulky measuring tool from her belt and went inside.

***

"Seems like she doesn't trust us much, huh. Is it because of the turtle story?" Ray rubbed the back of his neck.

Back on the streets, they wove through a lively marketplace, that bustled with people and rumors.

"You aren't the one to talk. What's the big deal with the ship ID? Are you in a gang after all?"

"Of course not. What would I be doing there? Looking after boss's goldfish?" He waved his hand in a dismissal. "Enough of this, let's focus. The plan is to gather information on all recent arrivals and suspicious visitors. And we better make it quick. Wouldn't want to leave our precious mechanic alone for too long."

"Lame. How about we go grab something yummy? A crab bun?"

"The only food we can afford now is sea cucumbers," Ray grimaced. "On the other hand, I'd rather starve. Should we look for another gig already? Not that we'd find anything worthwhile."

"When I say grab, I don't mean buy. It's been awhile. Don't wanna get rusty," Marlin slid his arms behind his head and turned around.

Before he had a chance to slip away, Ray grabbed his collar. "Hold the tide. We'll use your expertise only as a last resort. Who knows, for how long we're stuck in this town. Wouldn't want to get on anyone's bad side."

"Fine, no buns and no crackers. I'll just swipe some junk no one will miss."

"Didn't you hear me? Aboard the Azure Colossus you managed to enjoy your time without any unnecessary stealing, would it kill you to abstain for another day or two?"

Marlin bared his teeth in a grin, mischief sparkling in his eyes. "Don't take me for a bumbler. A genius thief never gets spotted."

Ray's eye twitched. "Oh no, don't tell me," He groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. "And don't get too cocky. Or should I remind you about this whole pendant business, your geniusness?"

"Never happened. Bet you dreamt it all, turtles included," Marlin hopped away, waving his arms widely. "I'll be swift. And will keep an ear out. Expect great things!"

There wasn't much he could do to stop the unruly kid, so Ray offered a silent prayer to the sea and went on his own hunt for clues.

***

With each fruitless day of searching, Ray had to fake a little more of his enthusiasm, run a little faster away from his fears, shove his screams a little deeper inside his throat. Smiling hurt more. His mind never grew quiet. Hope's whispers increasingly hinted at betrayal. But it was unthinkable to give it up. As he couldn't forget her cold, trembling hands tightly gripping his when they were awakened and chased from under the aqueduct, her triumphant, lop-sided smile when she brought him a toy clione after her first paycheck, her worried, lonesome eyes when he finally mustered the courage to tell her about getting the job at Neptune, so he couldn't abandon the slightest of possibilities that Coral still needed him.

An hour and a half later, Marlin sauntered back, gloved hands stuffed in his pockets, a smug smirk playing on his lips.

Ray waved the boy over. "Didn't find anyone who had seen my sister. Any luck on your end?"

"Went around the mechanics' places. They're all freaking out about some Vulcan stuff," he yawned and snuggled into his muffler.

"The tech company? Right, they were planning to break some kind of major news. So, what was it, a new lung prosthetic?"

"Nothing. The deep-steel-pockets run into problems. Now trying to squash down the rumors. Speculations are wild," Marlin laughed, hiccuping with joyful snorts. "Heard one nutcase blab on and on about submersive drones coming for our brains."

"How kind of you to warn me. Any other wisdom you can share?"

"Mm, there was also talk about a stolen ship. Some gramps with a funny beard bothered everyone. Bragging about spotting it."

Ray's face blanched.

"Gloating about how much money he'll be able to grind out of the company for reporting it. What's wrong? Have you eaten something bad? And without me!?"

"Marlin, we're going back. Don't fall behind!" He sprinted away.

"But my crab buns!"

When they reached the docks, Ray slowed down and went around, observing all the other submarines, trying to remember if they were here before.

"What eel zapped you in the butt?" Marlin huffed beside him.

"I'll explain when we're back on the ship. Hopefully, the mechanic didn't have the time to dismantle our engine."

Then Ray finally saw it, which he was so afraid to find here. A sturdy, armored ship of Neptune blue color. He swerved back to put as much distance between himself and the vehicle as possible, eyes constantly darting around. Where were its occupants?

Their every step echoed too loudly in the vast, empty wharf. The path to the submarine stretched for too long, with endless opportunities for an ambush. Several pairs of heavy footfalls entered the docks. Ray didn't look back. He grabbed Marlin by the wrist and darted to their ship.

Waiting for the door to slide open. Waiting for the control panel to blink online. Waiting for the turbine indicator to flash green.

"Marlin, hack the dock gates," Ray called out.

The boy's eyes widened, then glistened. "You're actually asking me to do something cool!"

"We'll celebrate later. Approximately half a minute before we reach the gates. Is that enough?"

"Make it ten, or I will fall asleep," Marlin pulled out a palm-sized metallic box full of buttons and light.

"I push the ship any harder, and we'll sink before getting anywhere."

"Pop! Cracked the gates. Started on the outer ones," the boy stuck a tip of his tongue out in concentration.

"No one's more reliable than a genius thief."

Drops of sweat trickled over the deep wrinkles on his brow. Ray couldn't peel his eyes away from the sonar readings even after they fled into the open ocean, but there were no signs of pursuit. It was unlikely that Neptune BioWorks stationed a vehicle outside the town, guarding for their escape. The only thing left was to get as far away from Anchor’s Reach as possible. He cursed himself for not asking Marlin to sabotage the gates.

"It isn't safe to power on the turbines when there's someone in the engine room," Koi stood in the doorway, unfazed, a heavy wrench over her shoulder. "And we are lucky I installed the filter back on. Or we could have all suffocated."

"Damn, it completely slipped my mind. What are we going to do with you?"