Sharkbait Down Under

The epic diving and packed events of our tour helped keep my mind off my mate, who was thousands of miles away. I felt sorry for Linda; there was so much good film that I knew a lot of it would never make it to air. There was enough for a show at each stop.

After leaving Singapore, we went to the Maldives in the Indian Ocean. This series of islands spread over hundreds of square miles with clear blue water around them. The islands were surrounded by sand flats, coral reefs, and canyons to form a paradise of shark diving. Linda loved the warm and clear waters because it meant lots of free-diving in revealing bikinis as we cavorted with massive whale sharks. These gentle giants, filter feeders, could grow up to forty feet long and weigh twenty tons. It made for great television as the four of us swam with them. The Maldives had dangerous sharks, like sand tigers and big hammerheads as well. We save a dozen different species of sharks in our daytime dive, plus turtles, rays, and reef fish.

Then we went out scuba diving at night.

It was un-freaking-believable. Hundreds of nurse shark swam around us, between three and eight feet long, as we formed a circle with our lights on the sandy bottom. Nurse sharks are not an aggressive species, especially during the day. Capable of forcing water over their gills at rest, they often rest on the ocean floor or swimming around slowly. Despite their laid-back nature, you still had to be careful around their mouths; they ranked #4 in the number of humans bit because people don’t consider them dangerous.

At night, these predators came alive. We could see dozens swimming above us while dozens more swam between and around us as we remained motionless on the bottom. The sharks would come right up to us, sometimes begging for scratches like cats. We made two dives into forty-foot water before the charter ended. “Did you SEE that,” I said with a wide grin as I was helped into the dive boat by a member of the crew.

“They learn to associate the boat and the lights with food,” the guide said. They would bring down some bait buckets with whole fish and feed the sharks, causing them to school when they put down anchor in the same spot at night.

Amy was bouncy as she got her dive gear off. Her vision had been steadily improving, so now she could see about fifty percent clearly in front of her. Diving was safer for her now. “I’ve got to get Kai here someday. The diving is wild, and I’d love to get one of those over-water huts on a reef,” she said. The huts were popular with honeymooners and couples, built over the shallow water with only a wooden walkway connecting to them. You could sit and watch the sea life swim under you, or go from bed to ocean in seconds.

“It’s pretty cool, but a long way for me. Even longer for you.” By the time we got back to our rooms, it was almost three, and we slept until it was time to go to the airport.

We had a puddle-jumper and a few connecting flights to get to Capetown, South Africa. The climate was a lot like southern Australia, and the diving was similar as well. The Great White population wasn’t the same as it had been at the turn of the century. Pods of Orcas had devastated the big sharks in False Bay, killing them and eating their livers. The Great White population was still recovering, and they weren’t as concentrated as in the Air Jaws days.

Rio de Janeiro lived up to its reputation with its party atmosphere and great food. Hot bodies and tiny swimsuits were commonplace on the beaches, so our shoots didn’t cause trouble. We did have a lot of armed security around us, and Fiona and Carly kept busy coordinating that. We had overflow crowds at our appearances since my documentaries aired dubbed in Portuguese. Linda took the opportunity to played teaser footage from our current project in the rooms for the people in line, and I could see a lot of smiles in the audience from that.

We spent four hours signing autographs and taking pictures with the crowd. “Esses peitos,” many of the men said with a big smile as they posed with me.

“You’re welcome,” I said. It wasn’t until after the event that I learned from my guide what it meant. 'These Tits' had followed me to South America.

The next day, we left for Arraial do Cabo Marine Reserve, a protected reef area a few hours north of Rio. We boarded the boat of the dive charter Linda had organized, and our expert was waiting for us. I gave a big hug to Marine Biologist Sofia Graca Aranha, our expert for the day. We’d met once during a World Wildlife Federation function, and she was one of my heroes. In 2017, Sofia filmed a fourteen-episode show for Brazilian television highlighting the fragile marine life under threat from overfishing and pollution. I’d found it on the Internet as a young girl, watching it with subtitles. She was now in her late thirties and a beautiful woman. Linda was going to love this footage.

The turquoise waters and abundant sea life were great for filming, but we didn’t see any large sharks. That didn’t mean there were none; we saw tigers, blacktips, hammerheads, and others, but nothing of great size. Still, it was a good day; the best reefs were in ten to thirty feet of water, meaning we could free-dive them easily. The corals and tropical fish were beautiful, and we even dove a shipwreck. In between dives, we talked about shark tagging and conservation with Sofia.

I learned a lot from her, especially what it meant to be young and beautiful in the academic world. “It will be harder for you because you have embraced being a model,” she told me. “The internet is forever. Those scenes and sayings will always be there, ready for someone to use to dismiss you as a vapid blonde. No matter how smart you are or how many degrees you attain, you will forever be a hyphenated woman.”

“Hyphenated?”

“Yes. Your name will only come after ‘swimsuit model-student’ or ‘producer-biologist’ or “television star-researcher.’ They will choose which ones they emphasize based on how the speaker feels about you or how they want to make you feel in comparison.” It was a hard truth, but she was right. I saw this already on my television and radio appearances. “I had to fight the same way to get respect as I worked for my doctorate. Some men feel threatened by the combination of beauty, strength, and intellect. Eventually, the ones that know you respect your intellect, but you have to prove yourself by working twice as hard.”

“Do you regret making the show?” Like me, her show had made her famous, but she had the same ‘dash’ problem now.

“No. For me, it was never about being sexy of famous; it was about the ocean and its life. If people found me sexy, that was on them. This reality show you are making is dangerous. Edit it one way, and it’s fun and educational; edit it another way, and it becomes frivolous and exploitative. That’s why most reality show stars end up looking bad. It is the producer that has the power to shape how people feel about the subjects.”

“I’m the producer,” I replied. “You’re right; I saw that in my last documentary. They made me look more qualified than I was when it easily could have been the ditzy spokesmodel routine.”

“And you will have more power and influence as a producer of these shows than you ever will as a model or a student,” she said. “My advice? Don’t worry about degrees. You don't need the money or exposure from modeling. Learn how to make high-quality television shows, and use your face and talent to get people to watch. You will educate more people and do the world more good with your documentaries than by sitting in class, listening to lectures.”

“Do you think so?”

She nodded. “A few hundred people may read my Doctoral Thesis on deepwater shark diets. Millions saw my television show, and it changed public attitudes. It helped with the push for marine reserves and protections. Which do you think did the most good? Which do you think I’m prouder of as I look back?”

“The show,” I said.

“Exactly. You’ve changed more with your foundation and your tagging program than anything you’d do at a university. I bet you’re having more fun, too.”

I looked out over the water as we ate lunch and waited to arrive at our next dive site. “A lot more,” I said. “I’m so busy that I had to prioritize, and freshman chemistry lost out big time.”

She snorted at that. “You’re young, rich, beautiful, talented, and about to get married. Enjoy it. If your lack of a college education bothers you, tackle that later.”

“Strike while the iron is hot?”

“Exactly. Don’t have regrets as you look back on these years. Live life to its fullest, and let the rest take care of itself.” I didn’t respond for a while. “Of course, a hot husband and constant sex help big time.”

“SOFIA!”

“What? I’ve seen the pictures of you two!” We dissolved into laughter, joined by the others.

Of course, they heard everything, but I didn’t mind. Sofia validated for me that I was doing the right thing, and the girls were too. We dove another three sites, and Sofia and I were close friends by the time we finished.

When we got back to shore, my phone had a message to call Adrienne. Since we were almost in the same time zone now, I called her from the car. “Leo would be SO jealous of me right now,” I told her before I talked briefly about our dive trip.

“I’m afraid I have some news for you,” she said. “I have a source in the Council that warned me they are planning to take a harder line with you if you don’t come to heel soon.”

“What is going on?”

“Carrot and stick. The Council representative will meet you when you arrive in Jamaica. His job is to convince you to join them voluntarily.”

Great. I was hoping to avoid the Council entirely until the wedding. “Who are they sending?”

“Lawrence Fenwick.”

I smiled; Lawrence had defended Leo thirteen years ago before the Council and had prosecuted the Killington Alphas and my ex-mate. He was a family friend, and I trusted him. “They are trying the soft sell first.”

“Yes. I don’t believe Lawrence is a security risk but prepare for anything.”

“I’ll let Nicholas know; it wouldn’t surprise me if they tried the stick back home while dangling the carrot in Jamaica.” We’d have to wait and see what the Council gave to Lawrence to tell me. “How goes the negotiations back home?”

“We have the basic structure and format figured out. Give me another week, and we’ll have another videoconference.” Since the mermaids were decentralized, it took a lot longer to get their feedback and agreement on anything. Some parts of the treaty were easy, but how to resolve issues among three groups when only two might agree was far more difficult. Someone needed to lead, after all. We talked for a while longer before I let her go.

I wanted to go to bed early, but Mercedes insisted we make appearances at the nightclubs so the press and cameras could see us in our Bodyglove designs. Amy and I finally got back to our room at two in the morning and slept until it was time to leave for the airport.

It was a long flight to Jamaica, connecting in Miami. Thank Luna, we were in first class, where we could stretch our legs and get some work done. Linda was doing rough edits on her laptop while I was going over wedding preparations. Mom didn’t understand the non-traditional dress I had chosen until she realized why I chose the two-color scheme. The girls were thrilled with their design, and Mercedes promised they would be ready for fittings when we got to Cancun, our second-to-last tour stop.

We landed in Kingston, Jamaica, and cleared Customs when I got the first warning something was off. “Alpha, we have multiple wolf scents out here,” Carly sent from the other side of the security checkpoint. “At least five males.”

I quickly whispered in Linda’s ear what was going on, then directed my people. Linda and her assistant went through into the main terminal with the twins and Mercedes. With all the security and cameras, I didn’t think they would try anything here. Still, we waited on this side until Linda had secured our transport van to the hotel and had the luggage loaded. “Stay together. Fiona to my right, Amy to my left.” Amy took Fiona’s carryon bag so her hands would be free, and we walked together through the security doors.

Counselor Lawrence Fenwick was waiting about twenty feet away in a lightweight grey suit, and he smiled when he saw me. “Miss Vicki, and Mrs. Steele, it is a pleasure to see you again,” he said. “I was thrilled to hear your eyesight was recovering.”

“Thank you,” Amy said as we stopped in front of him. Carly was keeping an eye on the four Council Enforcers closer to the exit doors. No one else was close.

“Lawrence, it’s good to see you again,” I said as I smiled back. I gave him a quick hug, followed by Amy. “I didn’t expect to find you here.”

“The rough life of a semi-retired lawyer. There are worse assignments than Jamaica in December,” he said with a grin. “I didn’t have your hotel, just your flight information, so I had to meet you here. I know you’re a busy woman, so perhaps I could offer you a ride to your hotel?”

I looked at the four enforcers, then shook my head no. “Sorry, but I don’t know them. Security rules, you understand, after the attempts on my life. I can offer you a ride, and you can catch up with your boys later.”

“I was hoping to speak in private,” he said.

“At the hotel,” I replied. Lawrence accepted the ride and told the Enforcers to leave for their car while he followed us to the hotel van. When we settled in, I asked him to turn off his phone and verified his escorts were not in his Pack. “Are you working for them now?”

“No, the Council asked my boss if I would be the courier for this,” he said. “He sends his congratulations on your engagement, by the way. We were all shocked to see your announcement a few weeks back.”

With a human driver and Mercedes, we had to be careful for now. “What can I say? I’m blessed. Only a few weeks left until I’m Mrs. Nicholas Corcoran.” We talked about our families and my tour during the trip. When we arrived at the hotel, Amy went up to our room, while I waited in the lounge with Carly, Fiona, and Lawrence. The four Council Enforcers set up to cover the exits. “Send the goons away, Lawrence. They make me nervous.”

“I can’t do that, Vicki. I don’t have the authority.”

Of course, he didn’t. I took out my phone and called the Council Headquarters. Chairman Carver’s receptionist answered. “Hi, this is Vicki Lawrence. Please inform Mr. Carver that if he doesn’t recall his security men in the next ten minutes, Counselor Fenwick will be returning without conducting his business with me.” I hung up before she could respond.

“He won’t like that,” Lawrence said.

“He doesn’t have to. Sending the muscle was a power play that I don’t appreciate; they are the steel fist inside your velvet glove. I don’t report to him, and I won’t stand for intimidation tactics. We’ll know in a few minutes how serious the Chairman is about negotiating.”

The Enforcer at the main entrance answered his phone and glared at me.