by J G Barber
The siren hunters pause at a roundabout that leads to three other passageways, each marked with a symbol: an upwards pointing triangle, the ouroboros and the labrys. Leucosia’s face and eyes appear in Paul’s mind. He points to the labrys. “We follow this path.”
The dozen guards surround the south tunnel entrance. They try to awaken their sleeping counterparts without success. The group leader shoots the four men in the head. “Muéstrame el video de vigilancia!” He pulls out a smartphone to play the surveillance video, showing Paul opening the tunnel door. As the second tone Paul sang plays on audio, the access panel activates. The group leader signals another guard to mimic Paul’s hand motions to tap in the access code sequence. The tunnel door opens and the guards run inside, weapons at the ready.
Leucosia enters the Atlantean lab. The ceiling lights up, bathing the cylindrical room in liquid white light. The crystal columns pulsate with energy. The circular floor underneath the recliner chair and workstation rotates toward her, activating the displays. She closes her eyes and searches her memories. Repeating what she saw in Etanautine’s lab, she taps out a sequence of symbols. The reclining chair moves into position to receive her. She removes her swimsuit and climbs onto the chair. It returns to its inclined position as the crystal columns oscillate with multi-colored light and energy.
“Reactivate Leucosia and update,” she says in the ancient Atlantean tongue. Pulses of energy travel through the fiber optic lines in the floor into the chair. Waves of blue, yellow and red light immerse Leucosia’s body, enveloping her in an energy cocoon. The cocoon stabilizes and turns green.
Paul feels the surge of energy in his body. He stops running. The other siren hunters stop and circle back. “We’re too late,” Paul says. “She’s being reactivated.”
Sorcerer pulls a pistol out of its ankle strap. “Then we must kill her before the process finishes.” He leads them into a full run, following the labrys symbols until they arrive at another roundabout. The foyer leading to the lab faces them. The siren hunters gather at the outer door to the lab. All of them can feel the vibrations caused by Leucosia’s transformation.
Paul steps up to the door, expecting it to open, but not surprised when it doesn’t “There’s nothing we can do. It must seal the doors when the cycle starts.”
Clive searches the walls for a hidden control panel. He finds nothing. “What the fuck do we do now?”
“Wait until the cycle completes.” Paul steps back into the roundabout. He studies the symbols marking each passageway: a right-pointing triangle leading back the way they came, an inverse triangle, and the ouroboros. His mind flashes back to the sirens’ snake collars and the pervasive snake symbology in Lorelei’s Whidbey Island mansion. I’ve got to see where that passage leads.
The guards’ boots pound the passageway floor as they draw nearer. Clive panics. “Fucking bitches!”
Sorcerer alternates listening to each passageway. He confirmed the direction. “They followed us in.”
The siren hunters circle up in the roundabout as the approaching boots get louder. Alexei’s eyes dart from Paul, to Sorcerer, then to Clive. “Time to leave,” Alexei says.
Paul points to the inverted triangle symbol. “We swim for it.” The siren hunters flee, following the spiral ramp down to the underwater entrance.
The crystal columns and the energy cocoon surrounding Leucosia pulsate with violet, orange and green light. A powerful, resonant sound penetrates her body, illuminating her circulatory and nervous system. As the sequence slows to completion, her body radiates in the green light of protection. The chair rises to exit position. She feels her feet on the floor, taking a moment to connect with her body and assess her condition.
Leucosia closes her eyes and transforms into bird-woman. Ecstatic, she lifts off and flies around the room in circles several times. She lands and transforms into a horse-woman, trotting around the circular chamber several times in the opposite direction. Paul’s face and eyes enter her mind, interrupting her glee. She trots through the four doors out of the chamber and follows the inverted triangle symbol toward the underwater entrance.
The siren hunters arrive at the platform surrounding the water as the sound of hoofs clacking echoes around them. Paul recognizes the sound. “Leucosia’s coming.” The men fill their lungs with oxygen and dive in.
By the time horse-woman Leucosia arrives, the water has calmed. She inspects the circular platform, noticing the water splashed onto the edge. Leucosia leaps into the air, morphing into her mermaid form as she dives into the water to pursue them.
Once in the water, she changes her mind. Not now. I cannot reveal my reactivation. She circles a few times to celebrate the return to her mermaid form, then leaps out of the water, morphing into her human form in mid-air and landing on two feet as the guards emerge from the spiral passageway. The guards stop in their tracks. Jaws drop as they take in Leucosia’s dripping wet skin and glowing green eyes.
She points to the water. “They have escaped. Return to the surface and find them.” They obey her command. She slips into her scuba gear and returns to the water.
Outside, the siren hunters surface, gasping for air. “Holy shit,” Paul says. “I didn’t think we would make it.”
“Over there.” Clive points to a tiny beach surrounded by trees on either side. They swim for it as the guards exit the south tunnel.
The siren hunters reach the beach and escape into the woods before the guards spot them. They navigate the woods to find the Jeep. Ellen starts the engine as the men scan the area for signs of pursuit. The coast is clear. They load their gear into the back and climb in. Ellen punches it, and the Jeep speeds away.
Surrounded by the guards, El Jefazo watches the siren hunters escape through binoculars. “Let them go,” he commands. He signals the men to stay at the entrance, taps in the access codes, and returns inside the pyramid.
Chapter Nineteen
El Jefazo, carrying a laptop bag, herds a dozen pyramid guards into El Aniquilador’s private office at the siren island facility. El Aniquilador pushes his chair back from his desk and walks in a circle around the men. He studies them without a word, wearing a look of displeasure.
His quiet, ominous voice stirs fear in them. They know that when El Aniquilador is displeased, someone is likely to die. “First, I send a hit squad to their home. They survive. The south tunnel guards fail to do their jobs, and the siren hunters enter the pyramid without opposition. You send men into the pyramid to pursue them, yet they escape without harm. I cannot fathom the incompetence. Please, explain to me how this happened.”
“Tranquilizer darts.” El Jefazo motions to the group leader. “El teniente executed the guards for their failure.”
El Aniquilador stops to view El Jefazo’s smartphone. “Show me.”
El Jefazo plays the surveillance video. “Paul possesses the access code. We pursued them, but they escaped through the underwater entrance before we could catch them.”
“This man.” El Aniquilador points at Paul, “El Cazador. The one who survived our bullets. He is not human.”
“Perhaps not,” El Jefazo says. “The sirens have a strong interest in him. He fathered their child.”
“A father will do anything to protect his child.” El Aniquilador considers his next move. He addresses the men. “The policía have provided no leads. Increase their motivation. These men are criminals. They trespassed on private property to kill four of my men. Very dangerous.”
“It is done, El Jefe Superior.” El Jefazo signals the men to leave. They follow his instructions, leaving El Jefe Superior and his number one alone in the room..
“Did you get it?” El Aniquilador asks.
El Jefazo sets his laptop bag on the desk. He withdraws a rectangular object wrapped in cloth, and hands it to El Aniquilador. “Yes. The codes we captured from El Cazador granted access to the device. I believe I can program it to respond to your commands, El Jefe Superior.”
“Excellent.” Resis
ting the temptation to open the cloth and test out his new prize, he hands the object back to El Jefazo. “Secure this at the safe house. You will show me how to use it another time.” El Jefazo returns the object to his laptop back and exits the room.
El Aniquilador steps out onto the second floor walkway, watching Maraja lead the topless women exercising on the clay dance floor. My most prized possessions. His extraordinary intuition, which enabled him to rise to the top of Mexico’s newest and most lucrative cartel, tells him to pay a visit to Leucosia.
He descends to the lower floor and enters her chamber. “La Jefa, a moment of your time.”
“Do you wish to see my naked body as well?” Leucosia asks, annoyed by the dozens of false errands by the cartel guards who came for a glimpse after hearing the stories from the inside the pyramid.
“I wish to learn more about El Cazador. The man named Paul.” He ignores the wave of desire washing over him. “What is your interest in him?”
She eyes him. “My interest? I am interested in you stopping him from interfering with my plans. A task you have proven to be incapable of fulfilling. Must I consider revisiting our arrangement?”
“Thus far, you are correct, La Jefa. My men did not meet the terms of our contract. It will not happen again.” He steps closer. “We must not work against each other. Do you seek an alliance with this man?”
She meets his gaze, searching his eyes to learn his intent. “The siren hunters seek to annihilate us. Why would I seek an alliance?”
“He seeks one with you.” He studies her non-verbal response and steps into her personal space, catching the subtle beginning of her eyes changing into the eyes of a snake and her willful choice not to transform. As I suspected.
She turns away from him. “He is a fool. He believes he can broker a peace treaty with New Sirenia.”
“I will see to his demise, La Jefa.” He rests a hand on her shoulder. “Nothing will come between me and my lovely sirens.”
His touch reveals a truth Leucosia refused to recognize before this moment. “See to it, El Aniquilador. Eliminate all the hunters.” She withdraws into the back of her chamber. “Now leave me.”
Once he’s gone, Leucosia sings a call only the seven sisters can hear. Maraja is the last to arrive. Leucosia directs her to check the entrances to the chamber as the others form in a loose circle. She waits until the room is secure and Maraja has joined the circle. “We have a new enemy. El Aniquilador intends to enslave us.”
Monica-Lorelei steps forward into the center of the circle. “Our contract is unambiguous. We will turn over the humans we reject. It is their right to do what they wish with them. We retain the rights to the potentials we choose. The contract gives them no authority over us.”
“I tell you, he deceives us. El Aniquilador believes he can take control of us and use us to advance his rise to global power.” Leucosia wrinkles her nose with disdain. “Typical human.”
“Ridiculous.” Jaio says as she steps forward to join Monica-Lorelei. “And impossible.”
“I do not know his plan,” Leucosia says. “I only know his intent. Until all of you are resurrected, we are vulnerable.”
Maraja laughs. “El Aniquilador and El Jefazo are consumed by their fantasy of global domination.” Maraja connects with Leucosia and her sisters around the circle. “The siren hunters are our only concern. Beware of Europeans on a mission.”
Monica-Lorelei scoffs. “Why do you all refuse to hear the truth? I have said this many times. Paul is one of us. When he joins us, it will render the siren hunters ineffective.”
Leucosia disrupts the circular conversation. “I have tested the process.” She motions to the others to step back and then transforms into a lioness-woman.
The seven sisters gather around her, stroking her fur. Touching her lights the fire of purpose in their eyes, Narmaya even more than the others. “Our dream is realized,” Narmaya says.
Leucosia returns to human form. “Not yet.” She grabs a TV remote on the conference table. The sisters sit, activating a large touchscreen display built into the tabletop. A drone video of the pyramid pans counter-clockwise to show the cone of earth surrounding the pyramid, the scuba shack on the lake shore and the waters above the underwater entrance, and the south entrance where the siren hunters hacked their way into the pyramid. “Paul knows the access codes. We must revise our plan.”
The Jeep races into the siren hunters’ home driveway. Clive opens the garage with urgent speed. They pull in and close the door just before a pair of black, unmarked SUVs turn onto their street, drive around the cul-de-sac, and slow down as they pass the crap shack before speeding away.
The siren hunters head underground as Laura and El Anciano watch the SUVs exit the perimeter cameras. “That was close!” Laura says as the others descend the stairs.
Ellen studies Laura’s large belly. “What do we do now? She’s almost ready.”
“We will travel to the villa,” Sorcerer says. “You will remain there until we have completed the mission. El Anciano will use his gift to ensure they do not locate you.”
“I so want to be a part of it.” Laura grips her sister’s hand as she processes the latest swirl of emotion: the desire to kill, frustration about missing out, and fear of the new dangers her son faces.
The siren hunters digest their new reality in silence. Paul retreats to the kitchen to prepare dinner as the others fuss over the computers and weapons store to occupy themselves.
The siren hunters huddle around the central table when the food is ready. Paul delivers plates of chicken, beans and rice for everyone. “What if we partner with the sirens? We can take out the cartel together.”
The question rekindles Clive’s hopeful fantasy of a life with Narmaya. “Now you’re thinking outside the box, mate.”
Sorcerer shoots each of them a look. He’s not on board. Neither is Alexei. “Why do you persist in believing the sirens could be our allies?” Alexei asks.
Paul returns to the kitchen to grab jars of salsa. “The Sirenians are peaceful at heart. Otherwise, I don’t know who gets out of here alive.”
Sorcerer opens a jar of red salsa and dumps a pile on his food. “How do you see this working?”
Paul smothers his food with salsa. “Think about it. Leucosia’s already transformed and the seven sisters can sing. What if we synchronized our arrival at the pyramid? They sing to their song of self-destruction to the local cartel forces while we set up charges to destroy the pyramid. Then we get the hell out of there before the cartel gets word and sends reinforcements.”
Sorcerer’s not convinced. “Cartel Nuevo Ciglo has a global reach,” he says between mouthfuls of food. “They will offer a global bounty for us.”
Ellen chooses the green salsa. “Why would they sacrifice all their work to train those women?”
Laura surveys the salsa options. She passes. “And what makes you think the sirens won’t reneg on the deal?”
“All I’m trying to say is, maybe we’re missing something because we’re not thinking like sirens,” Paul says. “They lure. They seduce. They addict. They’re not hunters.”
Alexei grabs another plate of food from the kitchen. “Leucosia ripped Dutch to pieces and ate him.”
“True.” Paul follows his lead and grabs another full place. “Leucosia is a genetically modified super soldier.”
“And she’s in charge,” Sorcerer reminds him. “What happens if the sirens reject your offer, as they have rejected your other proposals for peace? Or they deceive us and transform their core group ahead of the others? How will we contend with eight siren super soldiers?”
“Point taken.” Paul sets his plate on the table and paces the floor, considering the questions. “All right, maybe not such a good idea. Just trying to come up with alternatives.”
“You are right to do so.” Alexei addresses Sorcerer. “Between the sirens and the cartel, our challenge appears insurmountable. We must consider every option.”
Th
e word insurmountable triggers Paul’s anxiety. He packs a duffel bag. “Laura, Ellen, time for you to go. Now.”
“Agreed,” Laura says. Ellen’s face shows resistance, but she nods agreement.
“We must wait until early in the morning,” Sorcerer says. “At the time of the shift change. We can drive outside the town before the police patrols resume.”
Ellen looks to Sorcerer. “What’s your plan now?”
“We’ll go to a safe place to train Paul and Alexei as technical divers,” Sorcerer explains. “When the time is right, we’ll swim the length of the lake, wire the pyramid with C2, and swim to safety before they discover us.”
Clive wraps his arms around Sorcerer and Alexei. “We’ve already thought through this scenario in great detail. It’s a good plan, mates.”
Laura, Ellen and El Anciano get busy packing for the trip. Clive, Sorcerer and Alexei bring up the pyramid interior map to review the scenario and locations for planting the C2 charges.
Paul drifts off on his own, reflecting on his most recent meditation. An uncomfortable feeling grows in his gut. He focuses his attention on the emotional discomfort. There’s something here I’m not seeing. What is it?
The seven sisters break their circle with Leucosia. “Sister Jalpari, remain with me.” The others exit. Leucosia waits until the chamber doors have closed before speaking. “I told you of the gallery inside the pyramid. The record of all our gossips who survived the Great Flood, where they migrated to, and what happened to them.”
“Yes, my Queen,” Narmaya says.
Leucosia speaks with powerful conviction. “An original gossip survives.”
Narmaya blinks away tears. “Yes. I know it to be true. I have always known it.”
Leucosia wipes away Narmaya’s tears. “Raina is their alpha. I have tried calling to her. They hide their location from me.”
Narmaya looks deep into her eyes. “I can help. We will find them together.”