by J G Barber
Suvanna watches the last of the chosen potentials board the first boat. “Why do we travel without them, my Queen? I long to accompany our sisters on their journey to becoming Sirenians.”
Leucosia connects with her. “We must allow the potentials to arrive at the site before us. They will occupy the guards while we are inside the pyramid. We will emerge transformed, as a united force, prepared for El Aniquilador’s attempt to take us hostage.”
Lorelei weighs in. “He has fooled himself into believing he can control us. We will teach him the full extent of his foolishness.”
“We must be very careful,” Jaio warns. “I have spoken at length with El Aniquilador. He is not a fool. He holds a secret advantage he reveals to no one.”
Narmaya looks to Lorelei. “Did you test him for the Sirenian gene? Could he transform into one of us?”
Lorelei scoffs. “No. I assure you he cannot. I do not sense it in him.”
Narmaya engages Monica-Lorelei face to face. “Then how can exert he power over us?”
Monica-Lorelei grins, pleased to see Narmaya stepping into her role as the seventh sister. “Humans like El Aniquilador seize control through terror and violence,” Lorelei says. “That is all they know how to do. When his attempt to control us fails, indecision will paralyze him and render his men ineffective. We seize that moment to sing our song of self-destruction and properly thank the Cartel Nuevo Ciglo for their services to the Sirenian race.” She kisses Narmaya on the lips.
Sirena grabs Monica-Lorelei’s shoulder. “What if it doesn’t work?”
Lorelei laughs. “Why wouldn’t it work?”
Maraja studies the unfolding scene on the dock. Discomfort grows in her belly. “I also feel there is something we do not know.”
Monica-Lorelei turns to face her nervous sisters. “The feeling realm is a plane of deception, sisters. Reach out with your mind and tell me what you see.”
“I have done so, sister,” Maraja says. “I see nothing. It is only a feeling.”
Monica-Lorelei turns away to watch the proceedings on the dock. “Your feelings are of no use to me.”
“Enough!” Leucosia herds the seven sisters into a circle with her. “We have worked for centuries to realize this day. Our destiny awaits us now. Stand together with me in our true Sirenian power. We are fearless!”
“We are fearless!” the seven sisters repeat in unison. They turn toward the sound of a helicopter coming in for a landing. The sisters join arm in arm with Leucosia. Leucosia starts a circle of kisses, one siren to the next, until she receives from Suvanna the kiss she gave to Monica-Lorelei. She starts the circle again in the opposite direction.
“We seal our circle with a Sirenian kiss,” Leucosia says. “No human can break it.” The sirens board the helicopter, a united force. Leucosia signals the pilot to go ahead to the pyramid site.
Laura cradles her newborn son for the first time. “Welcome to the world, Jason.” She kisses his forehead. “This is your Aunt Ellen. She helped bring you into our lives.”
Ellen smiles at the baby, her eyes beaming. “Hi Jason. Nice to meet you.”
El Anciano helps the household maid clean up the used towels and medical supplies. Ellen nods to her to send her away while Jason fidgets in Laura’s arms.
Laura looks deep into Jason’s eyes. “You’ll meet your father soon, don’t you worry.” Laura looks to Ellen. “How long before I’m back in action?”
“Cool your heels, sister. You’ve got six to eight weeks of recovery time to go.” Ellen joins in with El Anciano and the maid to help restore order to the room.
Laura looks for a way to escape the bed. The bed railings, medical equipment and Jason in her arms remind her of her limitations. “Fuck!” Ellen shoots her a look. Laura sighs. “I know. You told me that before. I still refuse to believe it.”
“Just relax. Bond with Jason. He needs you now.” Ellen turns toward the sound of a helicopter approaching. “What the fuck is that?”
“Remain here.” El Anciano runs down the hallway.
Laura tries to get out of the bed, but she’s not fit to do so. The sound of rapid gunfire causes Jason to cry. “It’s okay, baby boy. It’s okay.” Ellen searches the two closets for weapons. They did not prepare the room for this scenario.
El Anciano returns, covered in Warren’s blood, with four cartel guards training their weapons on him. “Laura. Ellen. These men demand that you leave with them.”
Ellen studies the four men to assess if she could take them out with her new set of Krav Maga skills, without risking harm to Laura and the baby. The cartel sent in the A team; these guys are large, muscular, and fierce. She concludes she’s outnumbered. Ellen shoots an apologetic look to Laura and Jason. “Looks like we’re going on a little trip.”
The lead guard motions to wheelchair folded up against the wall. “We go to see El Aniquilador.”
“No.” Fueled by adrenaline, Laura sets Jason down, unclasps and lowers the guardrail, and turns to slide off the bed. Ellen intervenes to stop Laura and to detach her from the monitoring equipment and IVs, while El Anciano unfolds the wheelchair next to the bed. They lift Laura into the wheelchair, and Ellen hands Jason to her. Laura looks down at Jason and up into her sister’s eyes. “Ellen. We can’t do this.”
“It’s not like we have a choice.” Ellen packs two large shoulder bags with water, bottles, blankets, wipes and medication she’ll need to care for Jason and Laura. She continues to study the four guards, looking for any sign of weakness. Sensing her intent, the lead guard signals two of his peers to point their weapons at her.
El Anciano wheels Laura down the hallway and through the main room. Laura shields Jason from the scene as El Anciano steers the wheelchair around Warren’s body, bullet holes in his chest and head, lying in a pool of blood. They proceed onto the patio.
The lead guard and his second carry the wheelchair over the grass and hoist it inside the idling helicopter. The other two guards corral Ellen on board. They strap the women in as the helicopter winds up its rotors. As El Anciano attempts to climb on board, the lead guard shoots him in the head. The helicopter lifts off as Laura and Ellen stare in horror at his dead body lying in the grass.
As the siren hunters propel toward the pyramid, Paul notices how he feels at one with the water, connected with the plant life and fish around him, a sensation he’s only felt a few times during his meditations or experiences with the Y Griega. Paul reaches out with his mind to see the activities unfolding outside the pyramid.
His mind floods with images: the busses arriving at the site, the cartel guards forming their positions at the earth circle entrance and around its rim as the women exit the busses and take their places inside the circle, the helicopter in flight with Leucosia and the seven sisters, and… another helicopter carrying Laura, Jason and Ellen.
Paul speeds up his DPV to max throttle. The others match his pace. They slow to a stop as the lake floor ramps up to the pyramid’s underwater entrance. Sorcerer’s hand reminds Paul they must adjust their tanks as they float up to allow their bodies to adjust to the pressure change. The siren hunters use high beam handheld flashlights to scan their surroundings for cartel divers. All clear.
Leucosia and the seven sisters watch the spectacle as their helicopter hovers above the pyramid and descends for landing. The guards put in ear protectors to protect themselves from the sound of the rotating blades, amplified by the concave earth speaker. The women cover their ears, wincing in pain as the speaker amplifies the sound. On touchdown, the sirens unbuckle and jump to the ground.
El Jefazo greets Leucosia. He waits until the rotors wind to a stop before speaking. “All the preparations are complete. Your destiny awaits you, La Jefa.”
She’s careful not to let her eyes give away she knows he’s lying. The sound of another helicopter approaches catches Leucosia’s attention. “What is this?”
“A gift from El Aniquilador,” El Jefazo replies. The sirens watch and the potentials prot
ect their ears as the second helicopter lands.
The lead cartel guard and his second carry the wheelchair to Leucosia. She leans into Laura, greeting her with a passionate tongue kiss. Unprepared and unable to resist with Jason in her arms, Laura succumbs to desire and melts into the kiss. “My lover returns to us at last,” Leucosia declares as she inspects the child. “And she brings with her our second son, Jason, fresh from his mother’s womb.”
The other two guards bring Ellen to El Jefazo. He’s attracted to her beauty and her strength. He moves into her space. She throws a Krav Maga horizontal elbow blow, knocking him to the ground. A guard points his rifle at her head as El Jefazo laughs, wiping the blood off his mouth. He stands and brushes off the dust. “This one, I am keeping for myself.” The guards stop Ellen from attacking El Jefazo again. She stops struggling as the strength of their grips crush her arms, cutting off the blood flow. They loosen their grips once she stops resisting.
“Why are we here?” Laura asks Leucosia. “You’re risking Jason’s life!”
Leucosia laughs. “Nonsense. His strength is beyond your comprehension.”
Laura tries to stand up from the chair. The seat belt restrains her. “Answer my question! Why are we here?”
“My dear sister, this was not my plan. We invited your husband to join us. You and our son were also invited. He refused.” Leucosia motions for the seven sisters to circle around Laura and Jason. “None of that matters now. Your presence here is a welcome blessing! Our Sirenian sons will grow up together as brothers. Achelous and Jason will share the pleasure of fathering the new Sirenian race.”
Ellen scans their surroundings, looking for a move. The odds are far worse than they were at the villa; dozens of cartel guards beyond the four holding her. No options. Two guards deliver a heavy metal chair. The guards force Ellen to sit and bind her forearms, torso and ankles to the chair.
They bind Laura’s wheelchair alongside Ellen and strap Laura’s legs and torso to the wheelchair. Laura cannot mask her panic. “Don’t take my son inside the pyramid.”
“It is his destiny.” Leucosia opens her arms and turns to call attention to the potentials all around them. “Witness the birth of New Sirenia. The day of our resurrection is here.”
The seven sisters hover around Laura, checking out baby Jason. He returns their gazes, curious and not frightened. The sisters delight in Jason’s smile. Laura and Ellen exchange looks of sheer terror.
The siren hunters penetrate the rock crevice leading to the pyramid’s underwater entrance, checking all around them as they go ahead toward the surface, surprised they have not yet encountered any resistance. They swim up to a position where they can see the vague shadows of men encircling the platform. Paul signals the others; he will face them alone. The green light of protection emanates through his suit, enveloping him in an energy cocoon.
The guards open fire as soon as Paul emerges from the water. Bullets ricochet off the cocoon, bouncing them around the walls of the room, resulting in a total massacre. “Whoa.”
Paul reaches into the water to help Clive out. Before they complete their grasp, something pulls Clive underwater. Paul dives into the water to see a spear plunged through Clive’s heart. Deeper and out of reach, eight cartel divers brandishing knives and spear guns swarm Sorcerer and Alexei. The siren hunters draw their knives. Water churns and blood stains the water as they wrestle with the attackers, killing six of them. But Paul can only watch as the last two cartel divers slit his friends’ throats before he can reach them. Paul releases a gurgling scream as the water turns red with blood.
Paul launches out of the water before the two guards can grab him. The divers emerge from the water. Paul grabs a machine gun and opens fire, emptying the entire magazine of bullets into them. Their bleeding bodies finish the job of turning the water red.
Collapsing onto the floor and into the fetal position, Paul sobs over the loss of his friends. Water and blood pool around him. The emotional purge clears his mind enough for him to remember the mission, and the bloody water motivates him into action. He fights his way through the grief and out of his scuba gear. Paul grabs a pair of automatic pistols and follows the labrys symbols up the spiral ramp to the lab.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Paul feels the vibration from the lab resonate through the passageway as he ascends the ramp. He pauses at a roundabout and studies the three symbols to decide what to do next. Triangle: go above ground to see if a helicopter arrived with Laura and Jason, as he saw in his mind’s eye? Labrys: Face the sirens outside the lab? The ouroboros: where does that lead? He feels compelled to follow the ouroboros symbols to the gallery.
Once inside the gallery, Paul surveys the pedestals. One hologram activates. He watches Leucosia’s escape from Atlantis, years of time condensed into minutes. As he finishes one, another hologram activates. The sequence of condensed holograms chronicles all of Leucosia’s journeys throughout Europe. The murders of her siren sisters and brothers as they flee across the Mediterranean and around coastal Spain and France. Their entry and migration up the Rhine river.
The next hologram chronicles Leucosia, Lorelei, Erik and the siren hunters in St. Goar, Germany. Paul watches in horror as the events that shaped his European ancestry unfold, scenes from dreams and ancestral memories replayed before his eyes. Lorelei’s attempted suicide and rebirth as a siren. Erik’s love affair with her. The night of his death and soul transfer to his son, Odin. The bloody retribution led by Odin against Leucosia’s gossip. And Leucosia’s escape with Lorelei from the beheadings. Whoa. No wonder they’re pissed.
The next sequence shows Paul the continuing genocidal actions of the siren hunters. His heart aches as he watches the ancestors of Erik, Dutch and Alexander hunt down and murder siren gossips across the globe. He’s amazed to watch his line of grandfathers track Leucosia and Lorelei across Europe, where the multi-generational trouncing of the Douglass men began. Lifetimes replayed in minutes, leading to the sirens’ purchase of the Parthenope in Spain—the old schooner he saw with his own eyes in the Puget Sound of Seattle—and their escape with other siren survivors to America.
Paul continues watching as his 19th and 20th century ancestors pursue the sirens from the east coast of the USA, around Florida into the Gulf of Mexico, through the Panama Canal and up the Pacific coast to Seattle. Leucosia and Lorelei are the only surviving sirens by the time they set up their base on Whidbey Island. He witnesses his Pacific Northwest grandfathers lose their lives to their siren song, his father’s death, and the sirens’ flight to Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo.
The intelligent sequence of holograms ends on the forbidden island where the original Sirenian gossip survives. Listening to their loving song restores Paul’s heart. I was right. They were peaceful. He lingers in the gallery to reconsider the siren hunter mission, the purpose for his mating with Monica, and the destiny of their son. Leucosia is right. He doesn’t belong to me. He belongs to them.
In the foyer outside the outer door protecting the lab, Narmaya experiments with her new ability to transform. She morphs from bird-woman to horse-woman to lioness-woman to goat-woman to serpent-woman to Melusine and back to human, exhausting herself with the rapid succession of shape-shifts.
She collapses to rest on the long, white rectangular bench. “Never could I have imagined this.” A deep sense of relief expresses in a smile as she catches her breath. “At last I have found my home and my gossip. I must go to the water, and soon, to know myself as Jalpari the mermaid.”
Inside the lab, the crystal columns pulsate with energy as Leucosia taps in the sequence of symbols into the central workstation to lower the reclining chair. She helps Monica-Lorelei into position and returns the chair to its ready position. “Will it hurt?” Monica asks.
Leucosia taps the next sequence of symbols on the touchscreen displays. “You will feel pressure followed by intense vibration. It is uncomfortable, but it is neither painful nor pleasurable.”
“We have waited so long
for this moment, my Queen. I am ready to fulfill my destiny.” Monica-Lorelei lies back and closes her eyes. Leucosia taps in the next sequence of commands. The crystal columns surge with light. The room sparks with energy and fills with a rainbow of light as the energy pushes through the columns and projects light through the fiber optic cables to Monica-Lorelei. A cocoon of energy forms around her body.
Leucosia watches the transformation progress. Achelous lights up first, as it infuses his tiny in utero body with instructions to his Atlantean-altered Sirenian genes. The light radiates out from his body to encompass Monica-Lorelei. Monica’s eyes flash a look of devastation and betrayal as a column of light projects down from the ceiling, touching the surface of the energy cocoon. Monica’s soul separates from her body and Lorelei’s soul transfers into sole possession of the body. Monica’s soul disappears in the column of light. The column of light pulsates and surges before withdrawing back into the ceiling.
Lorelei sits up, her signature grin spreading over her face as she feels the renewed vitality and sensitivity of reactivated Sirenian genes. “Unexpected. Did you know this would happen?”
“I did not.” Leucosia lowers the reclining chair. “Another chapter of the prophecy comes to pass. The seven sisters resume their journey in physical form.”
Lorelei steps down from the chair on her own, confident in controlling this body. Upon standing, she succumbs to grief. “This was never my intention, Leucosia.” Tears stream down both their faces as Lorelei clutches Leucosia, allowing the full emotional impact of Monica’s loss. They hold each other until renewed purpose replaces the grief. “Let us give thanks to our fallen sister, Monica. She was a true Sirenian, devoted to our mission. We wish her spirit a peaceful journey.”
Leucosia kisses Lorelei. “I have shared you with another for as long as I’ve known you. My heart overflows in the presence of your Sirenian spirit. Show me what you have become.”