Free Stranded With Her Ex by Jill Sorenson Page A

about the research she’s been doing.”
    While the Farallones were famous for the great white sharks that came to feed on the plentiful seals and sea lions, one glance across the rocky isles proved they were first and foremost a habitat for birds.
    On Southeast Farallon alone, there were more than half a million. The flat haul-outs near the shore were ideal for lounging sea lions, but the rest of the jagged terrain was bird territory. Every inch of space, every dip and peak, every nook and cranny, housed a roost.
    There were cormorants and auklets, storm petrels and pelicans. Rare breeds, like the black-footed albatross and tufted puffin, could be spotted in the same general area as the common murre and Western Gull.
    As they hiked toward the blind, hoods of their jackets pulled up to protect them from the inevitable outcome of having so many winged creatures overhead, the cacophony was deafening. Hundreds of thousands of birds, cawing, screeching, twittering, individual voices blending together in a chaotic blur of sound.
    It was pure lunacy.
    Daniela followed Taryn into the outbuilding, overcome with relief when Elizabeth pulled the door shut behind her, muting the noise.
    “Can you believe it’s not even breeding season?”
    Daniela’s ears were ringing, her senses reeling. “You mean this gets worse?”
    “God, yes,” Taryn said. “The gulls are brutal in spring. They’ll dive-bomb anything. Last year Jason was out here, walking around in the open, and one of them almost knocked him unconscious. They’re crazy.”
    Elizabeth bristled. “They do what they need to do to survive, just like any other animal. I don’t hear anyone calling sharks crazy.”
    “True, but some species of birds are vicious. They eat their own young, rob other nests, swoop down with so much striking power that they actually kill themselves during an attack.” Taryn shrugged. “You have to admit, that is odd behavior.”
    Daniela didn’t say so, but she agreed with Taryn. Flying scavengers weren’t her favorite. “What’s your area of interest?”
    “Dolphins,” she said simply. “I love them.”
    Of course she did, Daniela thought wryly. All young, idealistic surfer girls who wanted to save the world loved dolphins.
    While Elizabeth outlined the basic premise of her research project, which had to do with the harmful effects of chemical pollutants on coastal birds, Daniela peered through the slotted peephole that gave the blind its name.
    At eye level, there were several narrow openings in the wall of the outbuilding, allowing scientists to observe wildlife without being seen.
    On the westernmost edge of the island, a flock of cormorants glided through the air, making a lazy tornado above an object hidden between two rocks near the shore. Their shiny black feathers glinted in the sun, catching the reflection off the water.
    “Something’s dying out there,” Taryn murmured, watching them circle.

Chapter 6
    A t midmorning, Sean lowered his binoculars, watching Jason hike up the hill. Brent followed close behind, carrying his video equipment.
    He felt a twinge of trepidation. Before Daniela came, he hadn’t minded Brent’s constant filming. Now it seemed unbearably invasive. He didn’t want the camera on his face while he made cow eyes at his ex-wife; he knew his longing was transparent.
    After they reached the tower, Brent set up his tripod in a calm, leisurely fashion. To Sean, he seemed more like a casual observer than a director. The footage he collected was rarely prompted, and he asked few questions.
    He just sort of waited for stuff to happen.
    Most members of the media were impatient types, always rushing, so Sean appreciated Brent’s relaxed style. Shark research was all about waiting.
    Sean continued to do a slow sweep of the waters surrounding the island. He’d divided the seascape into sections, checking them off one by one. Perfect Wave, West Side, Skull Rock, North Tip. There was a flock of cormorants in the