Chapter 12- pool

When they arrived at the swimming center to see police guarding the entrance and interviewing what must have been a victim. Before they could get in however they each had to show their ID's at the front. No one wanted any journalists mulling around the place.

They met up with Nick besides the entrance to the pool. "Stephen I need you to get changed into the gear I told you to bring. There's been a suspected murder and the woman keeps talking about seeing some sort of monster. Abby, Connor and Avery I want you to take water samples of each pool. I'm going to go talk with Claudia and the head of the police."

"Why is it a suspected murder?" Connor asked him.

"They couldn't find a body. The woman had called saying her boyfriend was missing and there was a creature in the water. The police found traces of blood in the pool, suspecting he could have been murdered." Nick replied.

"Ok we'll test the water." Avery said.

"Ok But wait for Stephen to go in first." Nick said quickly before walking over to Claudia.

Heading over to several pieces of equipment stacked against a wall she lifted a metal case and carried it over to the pool opposite where the man was possibly murdered.

While they were testing the other pool Stephen came out dressed in a pair of swimming trunks and carrying a pair of flippers in his left hand. He put them on quickly then jumped into the other pool. They finished up with their pool then went to join him.

Connor took his shoes off and rolled his pant legs up. He sat with his feet dangling in the water. Stephen climbed up next to him and took his flippers off. Abby and Avery knelt behind them against a metal bar separating them from the boys.

"See anything down there?" Avery asked peeing into the clear blue water.

"No nothing yet. But I may take another look." Stephen replied. "Cutter and I are unsure with whether the anomalies can turn invisible or if their always glowing. It can't hurt to be sure."

"With all this chlorine in the pool, I'm surprised the creature came through. To a reptile it would have been like swimming in a bucket of acid." Connor pointed out. The creature would not have been used to chlorine if it came from the past.

"Yeah. It probably sensed the danger and got out fast before the anomaly closed." Stpehen said.

Abby gets up and walks away carrying a sample case. Stephen finishes putting on his flippers on now and cleans the lenses of his goggles before putting them on. Avery looked at the puncture mhe hole was closed and all that remained was a dark purple bruise.

"So, how's Allison?" Connor asked bringing up the same question as Avery was thinking.

"Jet-lagged." Stephen replied. Not looking at him or Avery.

"You see, it's funny, because you always give the impression like you were single." Connor said.

"That's funny, I didn't think I was giving any impression whatsoever." Stephen tried to get Connor off the topic of his supposed girlfriend.

"You'd be surprised."

"Connor, I'm flattered, but you're really not my type." Stephen said. Connor let out a sarcastic laugh as Stephen dived into the pool. They both got splashed as he breached the water.

"Poor woman." Avery said looking at the girl wrapped in a blanket used for shock victims. "I couldn't imagine how I would feel if Michael was killed."

"You have a boyfriend?" Connor asked turning to her.

"Yeah Michael Tiller. He goes to the university but we don't have any of the same classes."

"How'd you meet?"

"We met his first day at the university. He just came over from Australia to live with his sister."

"That's sweet." Connor said.

"Well I'm going to go help Abby. Keep an eye on him will ya'. He may not be fully recovered yet. There unsure because of the unknown poison."

"Will do." Connor said as she walked away.

"Find anything interesting?" Avery asked walking up to Abby. She was dropping some sort of solution into a beaker of water. She watched as it turned a pale blue.

"The water in the pool Stephens swimming in has been diluted. There's not as much chlorine in it as the other pool or what is normal." She lifted the pale blue water up for Avery to see. "The water in hear should have turned a dark blue if there was a fair amount of chlorine in it. I think there was an anomaly here, but it's gone now."

"Let's bring the samples back to the home office for further analysis. There's nothing more here we can do." Nick said walking over to the pair.

"What's happening with Diane Johnson?" Avery watched as Diane was walked out of the building by one of the officers.

"She's going to be charged on the suspected murder of her boyfriend." Nick said with an annoyed look on his face.

"But she didn't kill him. A creature did." Abby was outraged with her conviction.

"I know. But we cannot tell the police that. We have to keep things a secret." Nick said then looking at the scowl Avery wore he added "I know it's not fair but there is nothing we can do. Only Claudia has a chance of removing her sentence."

"I'm going to get Stephen and Connor. You start packing up things here." Nick said sensing no further arguments. Avery turned back to packing the equipment, silently contemplating.

"You okay." Abby asked noticing her silence.

"Yeah. Just thinking. I will grab the other case near the pool and you can start bringing things to the car?" Avery asked.

"Yeah." Abby said.