Love on Loch Ness

by Aubrie Dionne

  He leaned in farther and pressed his lips against hers in a desperate kiss that ripped through her with its passion. He placed both hands on her shoulders and his fingers traveled up her neck to cup her cheeks gently, pulling her closer still. She yielded to his embrace, melting into his arms.

  Gail didn't hear the last calls for the flight, the door closing, or the plane taking off without her.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Reunion

  Giddiness bubbled inside Flynn as he drove Gail away from the airport. He'd won her back again, at least for the time being. She was going to give the operation and their relationship a second chance. She could reclaim her luggage later. By the happy look on her face, he didn't think she minded.

  Knowing how much the death of her father had affected her life, he couldn't blame her for losing faith. He could only hope to make it worth her while to stay by restoring some of the faith she'd lost over the years. If not in Nessie, then at least in love. Right now he had to focus on the Nessie part. He owed it to Tabitha to find her. Tabitha had said she'd be waiting.

  Flynn turned onto the winding country road that led to The Blue Flipper. On the left, they passed a farm with lazy-eyed cows standing next to rolls of hay.

  "I spoke to Blarney before I left to visit Tabitha. Each time he's tracked Nessie, the appearances lasted for about two months, starting at the beginning of the summer and ending in late August. From your fish observations and what he's seen so far this season, he seems to think she's at the end of her eating cycle. This means tonight may be our last chance at finding her before she goes back into hibernation for another twenty years."

  Gail reached out and took his hand. "Then we have to make tonight count."

  Flynn was glad she was on his side again. With Gail back, he felt as though he could find the Ark of the Covenant. "I like the sound of that."

  They pulled into The Blue Flipper's parking lot, and Flynn couldn't help but think back to their first date there just a week ago. So much had changed since then. His feelings for Gail had grown ever since the day she'd stood on the hill looking at Loch Ness as though she had a bone to pick with Nessie. He'd broken through her tough scientific façade and found a true believer at heart, someone as interested in finding the truth as he was and willing to go out on a limb to get there. One didn't find someone like that every day.

  They got out of the car. Gail took his arm as they walked to the door. "I don't think he'll want to come back when he sees me."

  Flynn hugged her arm tightly to his side. "With Tom, that's a chance I'm willing to take."

  "He has all the recording equipment. What if he sees me and quits, taking it all with him?"

  Flynn tugged on her arm. "Then we'll buy some disposable cameras at the drug store and make do. There's no way I'm doing this without you."

  The shutters in the tavern were open, allowing the setting sun to hit the liquor bottles on the back shelves in a bath of amber light. Four young men, possibly college students, sat around a back booth, chuckling and watching a game on a TV propped in the corner. The bar was empty save for one drunkard hunched over an empty glass.

  "Damn that woman. And damn L-PIB while we're at it. She was right in my hands. I could have had her by now."

  Flynn wasn't sure who Tom was cursing about — Gail or Nessie? Either way his words were a little disturbing. Gail was with him and Nessie wasn't a prize to be had, but a legend to honor.

  Gail pulled on his arm and turned to leave. "Do we really need him?"

  "If you want video evidence, you do."

  She rolled her eyes. "I'll use my phone."

  Flynn tightened his grip on her arm. "It's not the same quality. With something like this, believe me, you're gonna want clarity so the nonbelievers won't discredit it."

  Gail's gaze trailed off through the window as though she considered his words. She crossed her arms and sighed. "Oh, all right."

  As they approached Tom, Flynn put his arm in front of Gail to shield her from the videographer's wrath. The bartender, an older bald man with a nose that had been broken, raised his head, alerting Tom of their presence. Tom turned around in a slow wobble. His face crinkled at the sight of Gail.

  "It's her, the Sonar Witch who spoiled everything."

  Gail pointed her finger at him. "Who's calling who a witch?"

  Flynn waved her back. "I'll handle this." He turned to Tom. "Hey, man. Gail's come to help us, okay? I found some evidence ruling out the hoax equipment. She's on our side now."

  "Yeah right, she is. She'll wait until we turn around and then she'll…" He shook his head as though he'd lost his train of thought. "When we're not looking, she'll stab us in the back with the sonar pole she's got up her—"

  "Tom." Flynn used the same admonishing voice he'd used to use when Tabitha had wanted him to drive her to a rowdy party. "The team's getting back together without L-PIB. We've got some coordinates where we think Nessie's coming up tonight and we're going to give ourselves one last chance. You can sit here in this bar for the rest of the night swallowing your sorrows with what could have been, or you can get off your drunken ape, sober up and make history."

  Tom blinked and squinted at the sun through the windows as if he were a vampire. That seemed to be an awful lot of words for him to understand in his inebriated state. Maybe it was too late for him.

  "Count me in." He gave Gail a wary glance. "As long as Doc agrees not to flake out like last time."

  Flynn opened his mouth, but Gail stepped up. "I won't. I give you my word."

  "Great." Tom downed one last drink, holding the shot glass straight up so the liquid flowed directly into his throat. He brought the glass down with a clang as his eyes rolled to the back of his head. "Wake me up when we get there." His face hit the bar with a wet thump.

  "Wonderful." Gail's sarcasm was back again. "What are we going to do now?"

  Tom let out a nose-grinding snore.

  "We carry him to the car." Flynn put his arm under one shoulder and studied Gail. "Are you going to help me or not?"

  Gail shook her head, but she stepped forward and braced Tom's other arm around her shoulders. A sour expression pained her face. "He smells like a drunken ox who's had too many Danishes."

  "Just hold your nose and keep walking." Flynn did the same, but only after he'd inhaled another whiff.

  They reached the car and Flynn propped Tom up while opening the door. They threw him in the back seat, where he curled up in a fetal position.

  Flynn moved to close the door, but Gail held it open. "Wait one minute." She started digging through Tom's pockets.

  "What are you doing?"

  Gail stood and dangled his car keys. "Getting his equipment."

  Flynn shook his head, wanting to kiss her. "You're brilliant."

  They loaded most of Tom's equipment into Flynn's car. From the bottom of the pile of bags and lens cases, Gail brought out a long, torpedo-shaped duffel bag. "Do you really think he needs this tripod?"

  Flynn gazed at the back of the car where Tom snored. "Better be safe than sorry." He took the bag from Gail. It was much heavier than he'd thought. Steel legs for the tripod?

  "I'll jam it in the back with Tom."

  Car packed, Tom retrieved, and Gail ready to go in the passenger seat, looking just as hot the day he'd first seen her, Flynn was ready to conquer the world, or at least Loch Ness. He took off toward the forest where Blarney would be setting up his tent.

  Two down, one to go.

  ****

  Gail sat next to Flynn in his vintage car, complete with its dangling rabbit's foot. How could she ever have left him behind? He brought out the side she'd been hiding all these years, the part of her that wanted to believe. She'd kept her heart locked up for so long; it felt good to finally marvel at all the possibilities science couldn't begin to explain.

  So what if she disproved her doctoral thesis? The boundaries of science were changing constantly with new technologies and theories, and she was just adapting
to her pool of evidence. When it came down to it, she had more of her father in her than she'd thought. The idea had once scared her. Today as she rode on the quest to find the Loch Ness monster, she embraced it. She could almost feel her father's spirit hovering in the car around her, urging her to follow her heart. She belonged in that car, not on a plane to a memorial service being held five years too late.

  Too bad Tom's snores spoiled the mood. He reminded her they still had a task to accomplish, and a small voice of doubt told her it may already be too late. Then there was the doubt that Nessie didn't exist, but that doubt grew smaller each time she reminded herself of the evidence. For once in her life, she had to believe.

  Gail put her hand on the back of Flynn's neck. "How certain is Blarney that we still have time?"

  Flynn leaned his head back to rest in her hand. "Who knows? The man's been tracking Nessie for years, so he must have learned something… then again, he's spent all those years as a hermit in the woods."

  Gail smiled. "Are you suggesting he's crazy?"

  Flynn laughed, but there was no joy in it. "Considering how much we're betting on his estimates, I certainly hope not."

  "Hey! They're my estimates too."

  Flynn winked. "Then we have nothing to worry about."

  He turned the corner and Loch Ness spread out before them. Thick mist covered the waters, making the surface especially dark and foreboding, like a glass mirror with no reflection. An ominous anticipation seized Gail, tingling from her toes to her neck. She squirmed in her seat. What may the night bring?

  "You okay?" Flynn glanced at her across the seat.

  "Yeah, it just seems like everything we've been working toward has led to this one night. I'm just not sure what to expect."

  Flynn shifted in his seat as though he felt the portentous inkling as well. "Neither am I."

  They parked alongside the street and left Tom in the car to sleep off his hangover.

  "What if he wakes up?" Gail checked the rear window one last time before they entered the forest.

  "Let's hope he remembers what he agreed to." Flynn chuckled. "Although from the sound of his snores, I don't think he's waking up anytime soon."

  As they made their way through the forest, Gail thought she could still hear Tom snoring. Or maybe the saw-like sound had embedded in her mind along with Nessie's call.

  Oh, the memories I'll take from Loch Ness.

  "Can you remember where you and Blarney had picked to stake out tonight?" Flynn jumped down a ridge and held out his hand to help her down.

  Gail slipped her hand into his. "Of course. Just beyond that hill to the west." She'd never reached the site because they stumbled on the hoax equipment before they'd gotten there, but she was almost certain she could find it. Her experience from all of those long woodland treks with her father had finally paid off.

  "Over there." Gail pushed through a clump of scraggly bushes and pointed to a hillside rolling down to a murky, shallow pool. Where was Blarney?

  Doubt crept in. Maybe she hadn't remembered correctly.

  "Wow, what a great hideout!" Flynn pointed to a dark spot between the trees where camouflaged tarps were hung on all sides. Gail had to concentrate to make out the form of the tent against the multicolored leaves on the forest floor. If she blinked, the shelter became invisible.

  Blarney had been busy.

  "Look at this!" Flynn slid down the hill toward the water. He pulled a fallen branch from the surface, the leaves dripping with icy water. Two canoes bobbed in the shallows.

  "That's if we hae tae gae efter her." Blarney appeared from the hilltop with a clump of moss in his hands. He waved to Gail. "Nice tae see ye, lassie."

  Gail was surprised how happy she was to see him, too. "It's great to be back."

  Blarney spread the moss over a lookout hole in the tarp. "Aboot done with me hideout."

  "I can see that." Flynn walked up the hill to join him. "You think we can all fit in there?"

  "Aye. Me, yae, and the lass with room to spare."

  Gail glanced at Flynn. "What about Tom?"

  "Thare's nae wey in hecklebrinie he's a'sharing this tent." Blarney held up a finger. "The man's gat an ill wind tae him."

  Flynn waved Blarney's comment away. "That's just the way he smells. Besides, we need his video evidence if we're ever going to convince anyone of our findings."

  Blarney shook his head. "Askin' him tae come is like temptin' the deevil."

  Flynn spread his arms helplessly. "None of us have the money for the type of equipment he's using. As much as he is obnoxious, we have no other choice." He rubbed his chin and sighed. "Listen, I'll have him set up his cameras all around, then take a spot on the hilltop away from the action, okay? He has a zoom feature, so he'll see just fine."

  Blarney crossed his arms. "Yer chyce, lad. Ye've haurd me warning."

  "It's settled." Flynn glanced around. "I'm going to go back to the car, wake Tom up, and send him down here to start setting up his equipment. Gail, can you stay here and help Blarney with the rest of the set up?"

  "Sure." Gail wanted to do anything she could to help, but something was strange about the way Flynn left himself out. "What are you going to do?"

  "I have some unfinished business back in town. Don't worry, I'll be back before twilight."

  Gail opened her mouth to protest, and he bent down and kissed her fiercely. "I wouldn't miss this for the world."

  Before she could react, Flynn had already taken off down the path. She turned to Blarney, who tightened a knot on the tarp with his teeth.

  "Where's he going?"

  Blarney shrugged. "Daena know, lass. Must be important."

  Gail watched Flynn's blue jacket disappear between two trees. Just when she'd thought she was getting to know him, his actions still mystified her. What could be more important than the find of his lifetime?

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Preparations

  "Spak o' the devil, here he is nou." Blarney spit on the forest floor and returned, hoisting an adjacent tent that would cover most of their equipment and bags. The postman had already picked up Gail's sonar equipment and the packages were on route to Boston, so she didn't have anything too bulky to hide.

  Gail turned, hoping Tom had brought Flynn back with him. Instead, he stumbled into their camp hauling all of his equipment and cursing more like a drunken sailor than a professional videographer.

  Gail interrupted a particularly nasty chain of profanity. "Want me to help with that?"

  Tom gave her a suspicious look and clung to his bags. "No thank you. You've done enough already." He walked toward a stand of trees, lowered his bags, and started digging through them. He froze and gave Gail an icy glare. "You didn't open one of these, did you?"

  "Of course not." Gail wasn't a thief or a spy. What would she need with video equipment?

  "Good." He brought out a small handheld camera along with a roll of duct tape. "This is sensitive equipment only to be used by experienced hands."

  Experienced hands? Yeah, right. Gail wanted to bring up the fact his video camera hadn't even been turned on that one time, but she thought better of it. She had enough bad news for him as it was.

  "Did Flynn mention the fact you'll be stationed up the hill?"

  Tom nodded. "Yeah. I prefer it that way anyway. Better for the angle." He dragged the bag with the giant tripod up the hill and deposited the equipment in a clump of bushes.

  Angle? That sounded like the biggest piece of Loch Ness monster poo she'd ever heard. How could a view blocked by ten trees be any better than a shore side one?

  Was he afraid?

  She wouldn't doubt it.

  Well, let him sit up there. At least he'll leave me, Blarney, and Flynn alone.

  Still, a pang of guilt shot through her. The man hadn't done anything wrong, yet they'd exiled him. "You sure you don't want me to help you set up that tripod?"

  Tom scratched his head. "What tripod?"

  Maybe the alcohol still
hadn't worn off. "The one you just dragged up the hill."

  "Oh… that tripod." Tom furrowed his brow and dropped his gaze to a clump of pine needles on the forest floor. "Naw. Don't need it. I'm taping all the cameras to the trees."

  Then why did he haul the thing all the way out here?

  She was just about to ask when Flynn broke through the woods with his arm wrapped around a small, hooded figure. The figure slumped forward as if she had trouble standing upright, clutching the fabric of the hood tightly around her neck. Pink pajamas with hearts and rainbows were tied loosely around a waist so small Gail could put her hands around it.

  "A child? Flynn's brought a kid to the stakeout?" Tom taped a camera to a branch just above the water.

  Suddenly, Flynn's actions made perfect sense. "It's Tabitha." Gail rushed forward to help him.

  Flynn smiled as Gail approached. "Tabitha, I want you to meet someone very special to me. This is Gail Phillips."

  Gail glanced down at the small girl. She raised her head and sharp features stuck out from the edges of the hood. Gleaming green eyes stared back at Gail, framed in dark sockets. She had Flynn's charming smile. Tabitha held out a thin hand. "Gail, huh?"

  Gail took her hand. Her skin was colder than Loch Ness's black waters. She hoped her embrace warmed the girl's fingers. "You have a very special brother, Tabitha."

  Tabitha stared from Gail back to Flynn and her painted eyebrows rose. "Wait, are you two going out or something?"

  "Two minutes here, and you're already stirring up trouble. Come on." Flynn grinned and pulled her toward Blarney's tent. "I'll get you set up with a mug of hot chocolate."

  "You never tell me anything."

  Flynn showed her the tent and introduced her to Blarney. Gail was surprised at Tabitha's normality in the face of all she'd been through. She still gossiped about people's love lives, just like any other teenage girl.

  Gail walked under the tree that held Tom. Tom tested the branch to make sure the camera wouldn't fall off in the wind. The tape held.