Bull Protectors

by T B Mann

  “I arrived just after her, and he kept her doped up so that she couldn’t use her powers of persuasion on him. But over the years, he’s grown so powerful that he didn’t use the same methods on you.”

  “Finally. What took you so long?” The octowoman, who she assumed was Elise, pushed through the seaweed in that weird rippling way that octopuses moved.

  “Had to deal with a few issues.” The mermaid jerked her thumb in Sarah’s direction.

  “Ahh.” Elise chuckled. “A bit of an eye opening, huh? Seems like you came into this life blind.”

  “Her mother warned me this might be the case.”

  Elise grabbed her other wrist and the two began to pull her along. “We can evade most of the cameras if we stay in the weeds, but we still have to hurry.”

  It took a few minutes, but her brain caught up to her surroundings. She yanked on their arms, pulling them to a stop. “Wait. I’m not going any further unless you explain some things. My mother? You knew her? She told you stuff? About me?”

  “Keep swimming and I’ll tell you.”

  “Yeah, you told me that last time, and I still don’t know anything.” She wrenched her arms in an attempt to break from their iron grip holds but failed.

  “She’s a stubborn one. Just tell her so we can get the hell out of here. I don’t know about you, Marnie, but I really don’t want to stay another minute.”

  Marnie tossed her long blond hair, revealing blue, purple, and green streaks. “Fine.” Her long hair moved as she took in a deep breath, revealing naked breasts. Where was the seashell bikini top that mermaids always wore in the books?

  Marnie reversed her grip until she held Sarah’s hand. “I’m sorry. I know this is all new for you. Yes, I knew your mother, but only briefly. She knew she wouldn’t survive and there were so many things that you either wouldn’t remember or wouldn’t know when she activated her spell. It had been an extra layer of protection she and your father built into his spell. But to be safe, in case their spell failed and you were caught, she told me some things. Nymph lore if you will. Things that are only passed on from Nymph to Nymph.”

  Everything Marnie told her filled her with more questions, but the tingle in the back of her neck became more pronounced. They needed to escape now, but she still didn’t know how. “That’s great and we’ll talk more, but I need to know how we’re getting out?”

  “Through the water of course.” Elise released Sarah’s wrist, crossing her arms over her chest. Thankfully, even though it didn’t look like she was wearing clothes, her breasts were covered in a black skin that hid her nipples. Or maybe she didn’t have any? Sarah nearly laughed at the thought. Here she was in a life or death situation, or maybe even worse, and she was wondering whether or not Elise had nipples.

  “I do.”

  “What?”

  “Have nipples when I’m in my human form.”

  Laughter sounded loud and clear from Marnie and Elise as Marnie wrapped her arm around Sarah’s shoulder. “Sorry, but that was too funny. You should have seen your face. Guess we’ll have to work on your underwater talking skills.”

  Sarah ground her teeth but kept her mind blank. This was getting her nowhere fast. And the tingling was getting worse. She straightened her shoulders, pulling them back, and filling herself with confidence at the same time like her mother told her to do. Marnie’s arm slipped from her shoulder and both she and Elise straightened.

  “You keep saying through the water, but if it were that easy, why didn’t you already escape?”

  Both women appeared to blossom before her eyes. Muscles defined themselves. Hair shone brighter. Eyes luminesced. Even the ocean around them sparkled.

  “That’s why. None of us had our power. But with you, we’re almost back to normal.” Elise pulled her tentacles in tight, rising to tower above Sarah. “Oh, I’ve missed this feeling. I’d begun to forget how it felt.”

  Her eyes drew together. How had she made them stronger?

  “It’s the biggest secret that Nymphs have and your mother entrusted it to me to ensure you would know if needed.” Marie took her hand. “While nymphs draw and entice men, they can also affect women. They can either strengthen them or destroy them. And when they put other women first, they strengthen them.”

  A beautiful woman is one who puts others first, who allows other women to shine. Her mother’s words, the creed she lived by her whole life, was the secret Nymph power. Could her mother have been teaching her about herself with all those stories?

  “We need to go. I can feel him drawing closer.” Elise shuddered and her voice shook. She reached for Marnie’s hand. “I-I can’t stay any longer.”

  “Then let’s go.” Despite being new to her power, she could feel the strength coursing through her, energizing every muscle. With a tug this time, it was her pulling the other two along. “Is this the right way?”

  “Yes. We keep heading this way until the end of the seaweed plantings. And then we’ll cross an open expanse before we hit the fence.”

  “Fence?” Why hadn’t Marnie said anything about a fence earlier.

  “Yes. We’ll need help with that, but since you can entice any male, we should be good.”

  “Didn’t Mr. Vodnikski say that she met her mate? Is he close by? Could you contact him?”

  “Yes, contact him,” Marnie urged. “Just call his name with your mind, and he’ll hear you whether you’ve mated or not.”

  Who? She met three new men. Each of whom had called to her and fanned her lust. So which one was it? There was only one way to find out…

  Kai?

  Zale?

  Dylan?

  Kai faltered, nearly swimming into a rock when he heard her voice in his head. And then he heard her call for Zale and Dylan as well. Never had her voice sounded so beautiful. After hours of going crazy with worry, this simple form of communication meant everything.

  “Sarah. Keep talking, love. We’re trying to get to you. Can you tell us where you are?”

  Zale and Dylan added their words of comfort as well, attempting to combat the fear they heard in her voice.

  “Oh. This works.” The relief in her voice released the band that squeezed his heart. Not that it would fully release until she was safe in his arms, but it was a start.

  “Of course, it does, sweets. You can’t get rid of us that easily?” Kai nodded at Zale’s lightheartedness. If anyone could calm her down, it was him. And while this was needed, what he really needed was her location.

  “Sarah, love. I”—two tails slapped up against him—“we really need to know where you are.” A few minutes earlier they’d passed the first underwater security camera, and Dylan had activated the special computer program to hide their presence.

  Over the years, Dylan, along with researchers from the Navy SEALs tech division, had created special harnesses that transformed with them when they became dolphins, allowing them to carry weapons and other tools of the trade. But Dylan, on his own, made improvements, allowing them to neurally transmit simple computer commands to activate pre-set programs. It kept their asses out of tight cracks a number of times. And he thanked Dylan’s foresight for bringing it along on this trip.

  But while they continued to swim towards the underground room, it had only been a guess. Each mile they covered could be a mile in the wrong direction. He didn’t want to keep going if it was the wrong way.

  “Um. We’re in thick seaweed, and they say we’re heading toward an underwater fence. It’s somewhere under the island, but I don’t know where.” The panic began to creep back into her voice. Shit, this wasn’t good. They needed her calm.

  Dylan’s smooth voice filled his head. “Can you tell us where you went after you climbed into the cart? That way I can track your movements on the map.”

  “You saw that? So you know who kidnapped me? I can’t believe it. He took my mother, too. Why? How did no one know? And the women… he’s got so many of them. And I don’t know where they all are. Where he’s k
eeping them. They need help. Please, help them.”

  “Stop!” He needed her to stop working herself up. Once she was safe, they’d call for backup and rescue any remaining women. The entire might of the task force and even the FPU would get involved searching for the missing women. Mr. Vodnikski wouldn’t have a place to hide once they were through with him. But all that could wait. She was their priority.

  “Sarah. I need you to focus. We’ll get the rest of the women out. But first we need to find you.”

  He could imagine the way her chest would heave, pushing her breasts out as she struggled to calm. He’d witnessed this feat during his many confrontations with her. It was part of the reason why he liked to start the arguments. Her face would flush, her nipples would protrude, and she’d step up, going toe-to-toe with him. Every single time, his cock hardened. Every. Single. Time.

  “Calm down, Kai.” Zale’s laughter sounded in his head. “You don’t want to add some extra salt to the water. Besides, we don’t have time for you to slow us with that rudder hanging down.

  Oh, how he missed having a hand while in his dolphin form. Right now, he’d be giving Zale a great big middle finger.

  Zale laughed. “Got the picture.”

  “—went down an elevator that emptied into a beautiful room with underwater windows. Then he took me through a hidden wall door where there was a cart. We drove for a few minutes, but it went fast, really fast. There was another room with glassed-in cages surrounding it.”

  “Were any of them open to the ocean?”

  “Yes, Dylan. Most of them were. Although some had land in them as well. Marnie took me out through her cell.”

  “You’re with Marnie?” He recognized her name from one of the cases Dylan had discovered when they added the new parameters to the search. As a mermaid, she should have been able to pinpoint their location, but considering how long she’d been missing, he didn’t know what shape she was in. And why hadn’t she communicated with her pod? The lack of it had been the basis for her being listed as presumed dead since nothing should have been able to interrupt mermaid communication between pod sisters.

  Sarah didn’t answer his question. And the longer it took, the more he wanted to stop, but Dylan kept assuring him that this way would be the fastest based on the descriptions she’d given.

  He’d surfaced for a quick breath in the hopes of calming the racing of his heart when he heard her voice.

  “Marnie says she thinks we’re at 135 degrees west and 24 degrees north. She can’t narrow it down any further.”

  “We’re close,” Dylan said surfacing next to him. “I’ve been reviewing camera placements and none of what she said matched up, but then I realized that the club room Zale was in, wasn’t listed either. As we swam, I found a secondary system. I haven’t seen them yet, but I’ve found the fence.”

  The news shocked him. How had Dylan done all that while swimming in his dolphin form? This was far above any of the things he’d done before in this form.

  “Someone got some new skills.” Zale surfaced beside them.

  “Yeah, well, I needed something to do to keep my mind off Sarah.”

  Kai nearly laughed at the redness that creeped up Dylan’s cheeks. Who’d ever heard of a blushing dolphin before? “Once we’re done with this case, we’ve got to talk about all the new improvements you’ve made since we obviously haven’t been talking enough these past few weeks.”

  “Yes, boss,” they parroted.

  “Lead on.” Kai dove beneath the water and waited for Dylan to take point. It wasn’t usually how they operated, but in this case, it was necessary.

  They passed more cameras which Dylan took care of before they found the dimly lit windows of the club room.

  “Not much farther.” Dylan swam past the windows, leading them towards a clump of seaweed waving in the current. “This should give us some protection as we make our way to the enclosure.”

  Throughout their swim, they talked to Sarah in an attempt to keep her calm. She told them a little about Marnie and Elise, but of Edlyn Daucina, the woman they were tasked to find, she knew nothing. At least they knew who the mastermind was. She told them everything Octavious told her about her mother and why he’d been after her. Each word strengthened the anger he felt. And the matching grumbles and snarls in his mind from his friends confirmed they felt the same.

  On their end, they told her about the letter they’d found on her bed and how Dylan infiltrated the security system. She apologized for running out on them. Her tears were evident in her voice. As one, they reassured her that they weren’t upset with her. That they still wanted her even if she’d kissed all of them.

  “Let’s talk about all that later. Once we’re safely back home.”

  “Okay, Kai.” Her voice quivered and shook.

  “She’s reaching her end, Dylan. How much farther?”

  Dylan stopped short. Fast enough that Zale had to dive underneath to avoid hitting him. Under normal circumstances, Kai would have found the sight funny but not so much at the moment.

  “The fence should be just on the other side of these weeds.” Dylan used his snout to push the final row of seaweed aside. Zale swam about fifty feet away and repeated the same movement.

  “Did you hear that Sarah? We’re at the fence, and we’re waiting for you.” Kai kept his voice calm and relaxing. She needed all the comfort she could get.

  “We’re on our side hidden behind the weeds. Marnie and Elise say a few more captives are making their way to us. We want to leave together.”

  Pride filled his chest. For someone who had no training, who’d been kidnapped, and who discovered the world wasn’t what she thought, his Sarah handled it all without losing her cool. He’d seen soldiers who hadn’t reacted as well as she had under such pressure.

  But their job wasn’t done yet. It wouldn’t be until he held her in his arms.

  “Sit rep.”

  Dylan flicked his head. His snout pressed against a spot on the harness. “Changing the cameras to variable repeat. Scanning fence blueprints to see if there’s a gate that can be accessed.”

  “If there isn’t, there’s a cutter in my harness. I’ll shift back. I have a rebreather.”

  He nodded. They may not know much, but they had a plan. And a plan was a great beginning, something to fall back on when things went south. Not that they were going to this time. No. This time things would go off without a hitch.

  “The rest are here. We’re going to leave the weeds. They say that there’s a guard station where the fence attaches to the building. We’ll cross there.”

  Dylan pulled back and took off like a flash with Zale following. Shit. They must not have been at the right spot. He followed, barking out orders. “How far? Can you keep the guards from seeing? Do we need to blow the room?”

  “Deep breaths, Kai. We’ve done this before.” Zale slowed until he swam next to him. “Keep your head in the game. This is just another rescue.”

  “How can you say that. This is Sarah. My mate.”

  “Our mate. And if we don’t say it, we’ll forget about our training. That was the first thing you taught me all those years ago. It’s never failed us yet.” He brushed up against Kai’s flank before picking up speed.

  Before Kai could say anything, Dylan’s voice filled his mind. “One minute. Zale will scope the guard shack and will blow it if necessary. But that’s a last resort.”

  Zale poked his head through the weeds, pulled back, dove deep, and then disappeared. He pulled up, taking a position higher than Dylan, and then pushed his nose through.

  A fence made from steel reinforced rope spanned as far as he could see emerging from an outcrop of the building. Two large windows, one on each side of the fence spilled light over this end of the fence. A couple of shadows passed by, but the light prevented him from seeing clearly inside the room.

  “Any camera angles from inside?” He watched as Zale swam up from below the window and peered in.

  �
�No.”

  “Two men. Banks of screens watching the fence. No motion detectors noted.”

  “Plan?”

  “I could try to make them see something weird on one of the screens, but we don’t know what their protocol is for that.”

  The seaweed parted on the far side. Sarah, a mermaid whom he suspected was Marnie, and a cecaelia whom he suspected was Elise swam out into the open. His heart raced. What were they doing?

  They swam up to the window drawing the guards. Fuck. What were they going to do?

  “Sarah?”

  “Sh. Not now.”

  Her answer didn’t reassure him. He couldn’t let her put herself in harm’s way. “Tell. Me. What are you doing?”

  “Using my power.” The confidence in her voice transferred to him, even as fear for her gripped him.

  The men inside the room crowded around the window. They stood stock still as if tranced.

  “They’re not moving.” The puzzlement in Zale’s voice matched his own.

  He watched in fascination as the men turned away from the window and stared at the wall. Sarah remained where she was while Marina motioned toward the weeds. They parted. More female sea creatures emerged including Miss Daucina, much to his relief.

  Once the others reached them, the group swam toward the fence.

  “Kai? Dylan? Zale? We’re here. Where are you?”

  He swam out from the seaweed with Dylan on his flank. Zale joined in their formation on his other side as they reached the fence.

  “We’re here.”

  “Y-you’re dolphins?”

  Zale chuckled at the confusion in Sarah’s voice. During their talks, while she told them all about Marina, Elise, and herself, they’d forgotten to tell her about their own secret.

  “Yes, dolphins. Zale, we’ll need you to cut the fence since there doesn’t seem to be a way to get through without it.” Kai poked the fence with his snout. “The holes are too small to pass the cutter through.”

  He’d come to the same conclusion earlier when he’d first examined the fence. The steel cables within it would make it difficult, but the cutters he’d packed should cut through without any problems.