Book excerpt: Tensions are growing between the surface merfolk and the increasingly impatient US government. When a joint mission goes awry and Drake goes missing, trust between both species reaches a breaking point.A new reporter in town has been tracing Kate's steps, convinced that Ray is alive. He's getting dangerously close to discovering Brooks Inc. participation in a worldwide conspiracy, bringing to the public light some uncomfortable questions.And behind it all, an unforeseen enemy plays with the bonds and fears of the Brooks family, testing how much it would take to break them.