Author's Notes: Hi, readers. Here's chapter thirteen of "Ride the Wind II: Justice Unbound." I'm glad it took just a week to get out. This chapter features the first appearances of Brenda, Lilli, Izzy, and Jane. It begins the hinting of Lilli and Isabella being one in the same. Stay tuned for chapter fourteen.

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Chapter 13: At the Aquatic Theater

The early evening moon beamed its light on the Northwest Adventure Park's aquatic theater and the ocean. It reflected off the water. This made it seemed as if it were sparkling. The theater consisted of three sections and had fourteen rows. The splash zone consisted of the first four rows. The tank was in a half-oval shape. It measured one hundred feet long, eighty feet wide, and twenty-two feet deep. Two circular-shaped tanks were on both sides. They were sixty feet long, twenty-five feet wide, and ten feet deep. A gentle wind went through the trees surrounding the area. This caused their leaves to rustle quietly.

Lilli surfaced in the middle of the tank. Jane and Izzy came up behind her. All three of them headed underwater. They broke the surface once more. The orca stayed there while the dolphins disappeared. Her eyepatches appeared to be scooped out in the middle. They came to sharp points just above her dark blue eyes. Her dorsal leaned to the right at a forty-five-degree angle. It contained two knicks at the base. Her flukes had one notch each. Her saddle patch was closed on both sides. Rakes could be seen on her left side under it.

Izzy surfaced on the tank's left side. She was the bigger of the bottlenose dolphins. She happened to be dark gray. She bore rake marks along her left side. Her dorsal had a knick at the tip of it. It leaned slightly to right. It seemed to have a waviness along the back of it. She had dark blue eyes with a scar underneath the left one.

Jane did a spyhop on the tank's right side while letting out a playful squeak. She was light gray. She possessed rake marks along her right side. A scar could be seen under her dorsal on the left side. Her left fluke had a notch in it. Her eyes were dark brown. Izzy and Lilli came to her. They rubbed noses, affectionate squeals leaving their blowholes.

Lilli, Jane, and Izzy swam toward thirty-seven-year-old Charles Winky and forty-year-old Mark Williamson, who were sitting on the tank's edge. They emitted clicks and opened their mouths. The former petted Lilli and Jane's tongues. The latter did the same with Izzy's tongue. The orca and dolphins squeaked pleasurably.

Charles clicked his tongue twice. Being African-American, he was short for a man. His skin was somewhat dark. He had a muscular frame. His head possessed no hair whatsoever. His eyes were brown. His cheeks were decorated with freckles. His right hand contained a scar that went from the top to the bottom of his palm.

Mark licked his lips. He was Caucasian and was slightly taller than Charles was. His skin happened to be tanned. He wasn't as muscular. He had dark brown eyes. His hair was black. It was in the style of a buzz cut. His left hand bore a scar on the palm, which went from the top to the bottom in a straight line. His cheeks contained a few pimple scars.

The men stopped petting Lilli, Jane, and Izzy's tongues. The orca and dolphins closed their mouths. They rolled on their sides in which they exposed their flippers. They waved at them while blowing air from their blowholes. This made the water around their blowholes bubble. They ceased both actions and returned to right side up. Charles and Mark tried not to laugh, but they couldn't help themselves.

"You three are such goofballs," Charles said while shaking his finger at the trio.

"You sure are," Mark agreed. He focused his attention on Jane and Izzy along with his friend. "It's too bad Odin and Hopper are no longer here. We know how much they meant to you two."

"They meant a lot to us and Brenda too," Charles added.

"Look on the bright side. You found a new friend in Lilli," Mark said, jerking his thumb the orca's direction.

"Yep," Mark said, a small chuckle leaving his mouth. "You were apprehensive toward her at first, but you three have become good friends."

Charles and Mark sighed softly. They remembered when they and Brenda first came to work for Dial seven years ago. All three of them had just moved to Seattle and were looking to work for the Seattle Aquarium. When Dial offered jobs as dolphin trainers after the previous three left due to personal issues and would pay them handsomely for it, they decided to take the positions. They were saddened when they learned Hopper and Odin would be leaving, but they were happy when Lilli arrived soon after the dolphins left. They befriended her very quickly.

Charles and Mark observed Lilli, Jane, and Izzy turning away and going underwater. Suddenly, the trio leapt backward in the middle of the tank. They arched their backs as they reentered the water. They returned to the surface. Jane and Izzy chattered happily. Lilli mimicked their chatters while opening her mouth and folding her tongue.

"It is really cool that orcas can imitate bottlenose dolphins," Mark whispered in much amazement.

"When they have just dolphins as companions for a long time, they tend to act like them," Charles pointed out matter-of-factly.

"Lilli has been here for only eight months, but she has Jane and Izzy's behaviors down pat," Mark responded and cleared his throat.

"I have no doubt Lilli was very lonely during her time at the Brighton Aquarium. She didn't even have a dolphin to play with," Charles muttered.

"That sucked for her," Charles said, his body turning a little tense.

"Why wouldn't it for any cetacean forced to live alone?" Mark asked, looking a little angry. "Willy didn't have any companions to interact with here other than Randolph, Rae, and Jesse. He wouldn't respond to Randolph and Rae, but he responded wonderfully to Jesse."

Charles suppressed a yawn. "A cetacean needs to have one more or companions because it is very important for it to be socialized."

"No denying that. Shouka the orca became aggressive toward her bottlenose dolphin companions and trainers. It was believed having been without a companion of her species for several years caused the aggression. She was transferred from Marineland France to Six Flags Ohio in 2002 to avoid possible inbreeding with Kim 2 and Valentin. They were her father and half-brother respectively. She went to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in 2004. After lunging at a trainer last year, it was decided to send her to SeaWorld San Diego. Her behavior improved drastically after she was exposed to the orcas. She has found her place in their pod," Mark explained.

"Had extreme anti-caps found out about her scheduled transfer, they would've done everything in their power to stop it," Charles said, hints of anger lining his voice. "They managed to keep Ulises in Spain for five years. He was supposed to leave for SeaWorld San Diego in 1989. He didn't leave until 1994." He gritted his teeth tightly. "They didn't even care they were causing him to become aggressive."

"They wouldn't have cared if Shouka's aggression got worse had they succeeded in keeping her at her previous home," Mark hissed in disgust. "We see them outside the park holding signs saying 'Free Lilli, Jane, and Izzy,' 'Captivity kills,' and 'Let the orca and dolphins go home' from time to time. They will launch verbal abuse at the employees as they enter the park. They aren't helping anyone, except themselves."

"Lilli, Jane, and Izzy have spent most of their lives in captivity. It would be difficult to teach them how to survive in the wild," Charles said seriously.

"The extreme anti-caps don't care. They think instinct will kick in if these girls are released into the ocean. Orcas and bottlenose dolphins have to learn how to hunt from their mothers. The former won't let strange animals join their pods due to a rigid social structure. The latter has a much looser social structure. They will go from one pod to the next," Mark murmured.

"I respect the protesters' right to be outside the gates, but they have no right to be cruel and heartless toward us or any of our fellow employees. If they really cared, they'd help wild cetaceans," Charles commented bluntly.

Mark scoffed. "They won't because it requires them to get their hands dirty."

Charles nodded in agreement. He and his friend watched Lilli, Jane, and Izzy chatter to each other.

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Charles and Mark waved their hands in the air on their knees thirty minutes later. Lilli, Jane, and Izzy imitated them with their flippers. They squealed playfully. The trainers put their hands down. The orca and dolphins ceased their wiggling. They went downward up to their heads. They spouted air from their blowholes before squeaking.

"You three just love wiggling your flippers when we wave our hands in the air," Charles said with much pride.

"Yes, you do," Mark cooed and made kissing sounds. "It's not every day trainers on overnight watch play with animals."

Charles chuckled. "You got that right. Some aquariums just have security guards who walk the perimeter of the exhibit."

Mark licked his lips. "You can never be sure who could be hiding in the corridors. An extreme anti-cap could be lurking around in hopes of feeding animals some poisoned food. They want the animals to die and the aquarium or zoo to be blamed for their deaths."

Just then, thirty-nine-year-old Brenda walked into the theater. She headed down the stands toward the men. She was Caucasian and happened to be tall for a woman. Her skin was so pale that she appeared to be a ghost. She was lean with a muscular frame. Her long brown hair was straight. It was up in a ponytail. Her brown eyes had bags underneath them. She stopped close to them and cleared her throat, causing them to look over their shoulders at her.

"Hey, boys," Brenda greeted as she came to Mark's side.

"Hey yourself, girl," Mark replied and looked at her along with Charles. "What brings you here?"

"I thought I'd come visit you and the girls for a while," Brenda said and smiled sweetly. "Is that okay?"

"Sure," Charles said and winked at her. He and Mark moved into sitting positions. "You can spend as much time with us as you want."

"Thanks," Brenda commented happily. She seated herself with a soft sigh. "I am glad I don't have to come into work until seven-thirty tomorrow morning. It beats coming in really early, though I don't mind doing that."

"Living close to the park does have its advantages. It takes us less than ten minutes to get here," Mark murmured warmly.

"It's too bad we don't have flying cars. We'd be able to get here in even less time," Charles responded and imitated a plane's takeoff.

Squeaking caught Brenda's attention. She looked toward Lilli, Jane, and Izzy as they swan to her. She got on her knees, forming a big smile on her face. The orca and dolphins emitted soft squeaks.

"Hey, ladies," Brenda greeted and petted Lilli. She did the same with Jane and Izzy. "Have you been good for the boys during their overnight shift so far?"

"Yes, they have," Charles answered honestly. "We've played with them some."

Brenda giggled. "That is wonderful."

Charles smirked. "Just don't let the ladies pull your pants off and eat them."

Brenda waved Charles off, getting a laugh from him. She splashed water on Lilli, Jane, and Izzy. They responded by ducking their heads and spitting it all over her. She screamed in delight. They chattered in much amusement.

"You naughty girls!" Brenda yelled while shaking her finger at the orca and dolphins. "If you do that again, you will be put in timeout!"

Lilli, Jane, and Izzy shook their heads rapidly. They stuck out their tongues and wiggled them. Brenda, Charles, and Mark mimicked both of their actions. Everyone pulled them back into his or her mouths. Lilli, Jane, and Izzy spouted air from their blowholes as Brenda gave them gentle pats on their melons. She scratched each of their chins after they rested their heads on the tank's edge. She cleared her throat.

"The first show of tomorrow isn't until ten o'clock. That will give me plenty of time to get the ladies ready for it," Brenda said eagerly.

"It sure will," Mark agreed. "I am sure they are up for it."

"Most whales and dolphins love to play around and do tricks," Charles said, warmth echoing from his voice. "They like the stimulation."

"They need lots of stimulation. Without it, they can go crazy from boredom," Mark mumbled, cringing badly.

"Dial did the right thing expanding this tank. Of course, it could be a bit bigger for Lilli. It's not exactly suited for an orca," Brenda murmured in concern.

"It doesn't seem to bother her at all. She is able to leap, breach, and dive without any trouble," Charles pointed out truthfully.

"Still, it would be very beneficial to her," Brenda said, sighing quietly. She scratched Lilli's nose before patting it gently. She gave it a soft kiss. "At least the water is cool enough for her."

"Yeah. It was way too warm for Willy," Charles grumbled, cringing badly.

"It's no wonder he had those lesions around his pecs," Mark mumbled in disgust. "He looked a little underweight too."

"Had it not been for Jesse, Willy would've died. Dial could've been charged with illegally obtaining a protected wild animal, but he wasn't. He's learned his lesson. He will never try what he did with Willy again," Charles said, cupping his chin in his hand. "It would be really bad for business."

"That is so right," Brenda agreed. "Many business owners take risks in order to make money."

"Some risks work really well. Some risks don't work at all," Charles commented and scratched his nose.

"Each one has to be carefully examined to see if it is well worth taking," Brenda answered. "Dial decided to risk getting another orca. This time, he got one that was already in captivity."

"American aquariums don't obtain animals from the wild anymore," Mark said and let out a long yawn. "It is due to successful breeding programs."

"The only wild animals that end up staying in captivity are those that are deemed unreleasable for a variety of reasons," Brenda said and ran her hand all over Lilli's melon. "The perfect example is an orphaned dolphin calf."

"SeaWorld has a number of dolphins that were rescued as babies. Some were just days old when they arrived there," Mark yelled in great awe.

"It takes a miracle for a days-old dolphin calf to survive without its mother," Brenda said. "Isn't that right, Lilli?"

Lilli nodded fast. Brenda smiled and moved her hand under her chin. She proceeded to scratch it. Lilli let out a series of pleasurable whistles. Brenda gave that area a very light pat.

"I am sure you are eager to perform in tomorrow's shows, aren't you?" Charles wondered. He smiled at Lilli's nodding. "I thought so."

"What about you two?" Mark asked, looking toward Jane and Izzy. "Are you up for performing?" He chuckled as they nodded. "That's wonderful."

Brenda giggled. "The four of us are going to have such a fun time tomorrow. Yes, we are."

Mark snickered. "Just don't let them pull your wetsuit off!"

Brenda eyed Mark and stuck her tongue out at him. She pulled it back into her mouth and turned back to Lilli. She proceeded to pet her some more.

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Brenda, Charles, and Mark were still sitting at the tank an hour later. Lilli came up with a loud burst of air in the middle of it. She slipped underwater. Jane and Izzy floated motionlessly at the back of it. Their bodies seemed to touch each other. Brenda and Mark wiped tears from their eyes as they tried to contain their laughter. Charles had been telling her about the time a bottlenose dolphin named Chance spit water on him during a visit to the Angel Grove Aquarium.

"I splashed water on Chance. He went underwater and spit water all over me!" Charles yelled in great delight.

"I wish I could've seen that," Brenda said, giggling. "I would've been rolling on the ground with laughter."

"Me too," Mark agreed. "The Angel Grove Aquarium's dolphins really know how to have fun."

"Of all the cetaceans I've seen in parks throughout the world, the ones at that aquarium are the most engaged with their trainers. Almost all of them have teeth in perfect condition. I've seen many cetaceans with worn-down teeth due to mostly wall-chewing," Charles explained. "Some of them were worn down to the gums. It reminds me so much of the shark-eating orcas. Their teeth rub against the sharks' sandpaper-like skin. It wears them down."

"A reason for wall-chewing is boredom. The cetaceans don't get enough interaction from their trainers, so they chew the walls and gates in frustration," Brenda mumbled intensely.

"Another reason is they are testing their environment. They want to see if they can find a weakness. Of course, they can't," Mark said, giving a shrug.

"One more reason is it became a bad habit. The cetaceans started biting the walls out of curiosity. Then they couldn't stop doing it," Brenda commented. "Let's not forget that toys can wear down their teeth from constant biting."

"That's unfortunate, but trainers can't take the toys away because of that possibility. The cetaceans will get bored," Charles grumbled with a heavy sigh. "Nobody wants to see a bored cetacean."

"Trainers are damned if they take the toys away. They are damned if they don't. The cetaceans will chew on something," Brenda said, snorting as she rubbed her nose.

"Yep," Mark whispered.

The trio shifted their attention toward the water. Lilli came up, letting air out of her blowhole. She headed underwater in which she swung her tail upward. She spyhopped close to the tank's left side. She emitted a soft squeal. She slipped beneath the surface. Charles, Mark, and Brenda couldn't help but smile.

"Lilli just doesn't want to rest," Charles said with a chuckle.

"She's so much like a child. She plays pranks on people," Mark commented while rubbing his chin.

Brenda touched her temple. "For example, we could be standing next to the tank drinking coffee. All of sudden, Lilli comes up and spits water all over us. Jane and Izzy join on it."

Mark punched her in the arm. "They love being funny toward everyone, especially you."

"Yeah," Brenda agreed and cleared her throat. "I do wish Dial would show more care toward these animals." She frowned. "He is always sneering at them when he looks at them."

"He's a businessman. Most business people act like he does," Mark murmured honestly.

Charles scratched his ear. "Still, he doesn't always have to look at the animals in an ugly way."

Lilli surfaced once more. She went underwater and slapped her tail on the surface. She swam toward the tower. She did a spyhop and let out a soft cry. She repeated both actions twice. Charles shook his head in disbelief. Similar distant cries came, but they were too quiet for the trainers to hear them.

"There goes Lilli into one of her moods again," Charles grumbled.

"That's the third time since Thursday she has done this," Mark added and sighed heavily. "I don't understand why she gets this way."

"Me neither. You'd think all the love we give her would stop her from doing this," Brenda muttered and frowned.

"Jane and Izzy don't do this stuff. They probably think what Lilli is doing is really weird," Charles suggested.

"Beats me," Brenda said, shrugging.

Mark showed thoughtfulness. "I hope she will be in the mood to do the show with you tomorrow, Brenda."

Brenda inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly. "I hope so too. If not, I will just let her do her own thing."

"It's better than trying to force her to do anything," Charles said truthfully. "Then again, we can't make whales and dolphins do anything they don't want to do."

"When they are busy engaging in sex, nothing will make them come to you," Mark added, making a funny noise as he remembered all the times Odin, Izzy, Hopper, Jane, and Lilli wouldn't come to him, Charles, and Brenda. "Not even offering a favorite toy works."

Charles snorted. "That's right."

Lilli spyhopped once more. She emitted another cry before going underwater. Distant cries followed suit, but they were still too quiet for the trainers to hear. She resumed swimming around.