Of Neptune

by Anna Banks

  “Up close, I’m a fair shot, Galen. Don’t make me waste bullets on you. Not when we’ve just really started to develop a relationship.”

  “You were an unhappy child, weren’t you,” Reed drolls. “Sounds like Daddy issues.”

  Whatever that means. If Reed keeps distracting him, how will I lure him outside? Besides, Reed is supposed to be afraid for his life right now, or something close to it. His sudden burst of confidence is ill-planned, to say the least.

  “Surely you of all people don’t want to talk about Daddy issues, Reed.” Kennedy laughs. “Not the shadow of the almighty Reder.”

  Reed grimaces. He knows he’s said too much, and yet he’s been provoked badly enough to keep talking. Galen can see war on his face. Talk back, no don’t, yes let’s. Reed’s pride has taken a harder hit than his face ever did.

  “Why don’t you just let him go?” Galen says, bringing the attention back to him. “He’s just a Half-Breed. I’m full-blooded.”

  Kennedy rolls his eyes. “Oh, yes, let Reed go so he can run away to his pa and tell him everything so the entire town of Neptune can go on a witch hunt looking for us. No, thank you.” Kennedy does something to make the gun in his hand click, then pops two more bullets into it from his jeans’ pocket. “Fully loaded. Now, Galen, what is this gift of yours?”

  Galen says, “It’s a surprise,” at the same time Reed says, “He can talk to fish!”

  If it wouldn’t make a fantastic noise with the chains and all, Galen would run a frustrated hand through his hair. Galen decides Reed is officially an idiot.

  Kennedy laughs. “This smells like a trap, boys. I mean, don’t tell anyone, but even I can talk to fish.”

  Reed rolls his eyes. “Except when Galen does it, the fish listen and obey him.”

  This ignites a fire in Kennedy’s eyes. “You’re bluffing.”

  “Really? I’m going to have to take another beating because you won’t just go get proof for yourself?”

  And Galen decides that Reed is actually a genius. The plan was to tell Kennedy about his gift of speed, but that would put the lunatic biologist on high alert as soon as they got to the water. Telling him Galen has the Gift of Poseidon is much better. Kennedy will be so intent on watching the fish’s reaction to Galen’s voice, Galen will be able to catch him off guard long enough to get into the water and swim away as fast as his Gift of Triton will take him.

  Reed adjusted according to Kennedy’s intelligence.

  Brilliant.

  “Is this true, Galen?”

  Galen turns away, doing his best to act betrayed. Kennedy takes it as a yes.

  He strolls over to Reed and grabs his face, sticking the gun in his left eye socket. “I hope you’re not lying to me, Reed. Because if you are,” Kennedy moves the gun lower, to Reed’s hand.

  Then he pulls the trigger. Reed shrieks and squirms as Kennedy backs away slowly. Blood oozes down his forearm, dripping off at his elbow.

  “If you are lying—hush now, pay attention, Reed—I’ll cut out your tongue.”

  With that, Kennedy pulls a small key from his jeans’ pocket. “Shall we, Galen?”

  Guilt tightens around Galen’s chest like a giant crab claw as they leave Reed behind to suffer alone.

  * * *

  The afterglow of the sun filters through the trees behind them, staving off the full effect of dusk at the shore. “If you keep yelling like that, you’ll scare away all the fish,” Galen whispers to Kennedy. Which Galen couldn’t care less about. “Stop splashing around.”

  But Kennedy is in danger of popping several blood vessels, pacing barefoot back and forth along a small patch of the beach. Already, he’s allowed Galen to get calf deep, distracted by his own fit throwing. Which might do more than scare away the fish; all this noise could attract attention. And Tyrden’s men could be anywhere.

  “Did Reed really lie to me?” Kennedy shrieks. “Did he really send me down here to the lake knowing I’ll carve out his tongue?”

  Galen sighs. “You’ve gone and spooked the fish again. I think we should move deeper into the water.”

  “Oh, I’m sure you do!” Kennedy yells. “What, so you can swim away?”

  This catches Galen off guard. Obviously Kennedy isn’t as distracted as Galen had fervently hoped he was. A breeze wrestles through the trees, and Kennedy points the gun in the woods. “Who’s there? Show yourself.”

  Galen rolls his eyes. “It’s the wind. Look, you’re making too much noise. People are going to be looking for you since you took Reed. If you want to stay hidden, then shut up.”

  “I’ve made tracks all over the place. They’ll be going in circles for days looking for us.” Kennedy eyes Galen curiously. “You don’t want to get caught in the grasp of Neptune either, I take it.”

  “It’s not my favorite town.”

  “But Emma is there.”

  Galen considers. “Apparently Emma is safe there. I’m not.”

  “Ahhh, so they accepted your girlfriend but not you. Interesting.” Kennedy taps his finger on his cheek, thoughtful. “You really don’t remember me, do you? Oh, but I would recognize you anywhere. You’re the reason I’m here, after all.”

  Galen stiffens. “What?”

  Kennedy laughs. “Maybe if I donned a mask and snorkel it would jog your memory. You know, I’ve always wondered, did you know Jerry before our little run-in at the reef?”

  Jerry? Dr. Milligan. It all comes back to Galen in a tidal wave. He was just a fingerling then, playing around the reef with Toraf and Rayna when he spotted a human—Dr. Milligan—lying on the ocean floor, clutching his leg. The doctor had strayed from his snorkeling group and developed a cramp and was on the verge of passing out. Galen pulled him to the surface immediately and to his boat. Dr. Milligan had been with two friends—one whom Galen realizes now was Kennedy—and when they saw Galen’s fin, they tried pulling him into the boat as well. But Dr. Milligan put the boat in gear, full-speed. The other two snorkelers lost their balance and dropped Galen.

  That was the first time he’d met Dr. Milligan. And the first time he’d come in contact with Kennedy. Later, Kennedy and the other man claimed they’d seen a merman. Dr. Milligan contradicted them, and the sighting was dismissed as a hoax.

  Kennedy smiles as the astonishment washes over Galen. “Ah, so you do remember. It was starting to hurt my feelings.” His face turns hard. “How fitting that I’ve recaptured you after all these years. You’re my unicorn, you know that?”

  Galen remembers what Kennedy said in the cabin. That he considers himself a mermaid hunter, which has made him a laughingstock among his peers. And I’m the reason for it.

  What are the odds that he would ever find me again? Galen shakes his head at the unlikelihood of it all.

  Kennedy nods. “Yes, let it all sink in, Galen. I bet you’re wondering why I haven’t just shot you yet, aren’t you? Because you and I are going to have a long life together. One exhibition after another. Can you just imagine the millions of dollars we’ll make together showing the world that mermaids really do exist?”

  He wants to put me on display? “If money is what you want, I have plenty of that. I’ll pay you to let me go. And Reed.”

  Kennedy purses his lips. “I think we both know it’s not about money, Galen. You ruined me, you little snot. You ruined my future, my credibility. I couldn’t even get a teaching job.”

  Galen can tell that the bitterness is beginning to really fester inside Kennedy. He might think better of all this talk about living and decide to shoot me. Now would be a really good time to think about escaping again.

  Galen nods. “I’m sorry.”

  This strikes Kennedy by surprise. “Are you? For what, exactly? Getting caught?”

  “For doing it to you again.”

  And Galen dives in, shocking even himself.

  His fin rips through what’s left of his twisted jeans, which is a worthy sacrifice for the chance at escape. He’s stretched to his full length when a bull
et whizzes by his head, then a staccato of shots all around, making thin water tunnels ahead and beside him. Galen’s tail is still sore, and it takes careful maneuvering to keep a straight course, but he shoots forward as fast as he can, remembering that Kennedy is a terrible shot but that he’s desperate. Plus, luck hasn’t exactly been on Galen’s side lately—and he’s not sure how many bullets the gun has left.

  He’s mindful to keep low, toward the bottom, in case Kennedy set any traps this far down the river. He hears more gunshots in the distance but sees no bullets hurtling by.

  Truth be told, he’s torn between going back and helping Reed or pressing on. But what can I do against a gun? And how would I get Reed free of the chains? I could hardly help myself when I was tied to a chair.

  No, if he’s going to go back, he needs help.

  And he needs to find Emma.

  39

  TYRDEN PEEKS out the window shade. “Looks like the streets have died down a bit. Everyone who’s not looking for Reed is at home enjoying their dinner. Probably waiting by the phone for news.” He turns back to me, rubbing the back of his neck. “This little town runs like clockwork. Day in and day out. Everything shuts down by five thirty.”

  Beside his foot, Frank stirs, moving one leg and groaning. The other leg is bent at an odd angle probably broken from his plunge down the stairs. Tyrden nudges that one with his boot and Frank whimpers.

  “Stop hurting him,” I say, closing my eyes. I sound braver than I am. I still don’t know what Tyrden wants from me. Why is he keeping me here? I keep hoping and praying someone will come check on us, that they’ll come through the door and see what he’s done.

  Then again, he’d probably shoot them on the spot.

  “It’s almost time to go.” He walks back toward the couch.

  “Go where?”

  “I have a special place for you, princess. I dug it this morning.”

  He’s going to kill me. I swallow the vomit and terror as it rises from deep within me. “Why?” My voice is shaky now. In fact, my whole body seems to quiver from the inside out. “Why are you doing this?”

  He gives me a pouty face. “Oh, Emma, how naive can you be? Don’t you remember the story I just told you?”

  Is he worried that he’ll be punished for his role in the conspiracy? I wish he hadn’t told me about it. Now I’m a liability to him. Now he feels he has to eliminate me. “No one else knows about that. If you let me go, I won’t tell anyone, I swear.” But that isn’t true. Jagen and Paca know about the conspiracy and about Neptune, and they haven’t told anyone, despite their sentence to the Ice Caverns.

  Why is that?

  “Jagen and Paca kept the secret. I will, too.”

  Tyrden sneers. “You think I actually trust Jagen and Paca?”

  “Don’t you?”

  He clinks the barrel of the gun to his head. “Think, Emma. Why would they hide anything now that they’ve been caught? Why would they continue to keep the secret?”

  He’s getting frustrated with me, I can tell. There’s a turbulence in his eyes that hints at unpredictability. His behavior is all over the place, too. Calm then agitated. Mild then excitable. I have to at least guess at the answer, if it’ll make him happy—for the moment. “Because you’re their friend and they wouldn’t betray you?”

  He laughs pityingly, crossing his arms. “I don’t believe I’ve ever met someone so obtuse.”

  Insult me, fine. But keep pointing that gun everywhere but at me.

  Tyrden shakes his head. “Jagen still has an interest on land, Emma. A Half-Breed son. His name is Asten. Lives two towns over with his mother. I check in on them every once in a while. He’s getting big. Almost two years old now.”

  The realization of what he’s saying slaps me in the face. “You threatened to kill his son if he told.”

  He tilts his head, giving me an off-balance smile. “You see, I have to make sure my secrets are safe.”

  “If you let me go, I promise I won’t tell. I’ll keep your secret, too.” But we both know it’s a lie. As soon as I was in the clear, I’d go straight to Reder and tell him about Asten, that his life is in danger. I’d make sure the baby was safe, that Tyrden couldn’t do him any harm.

  “Of course, our situation is different, Emma. You and I have already reached an impasse.”

  “I still don’t understand.”

  “You remember the part of my story where Jagen and Paca had the Royals right where they wanted them?” He takes several slow steps toward me. I nod, eyeing the end of the barrel now pointed at me again. “Then of course you recall who showed up with a wall of fish and ruined everything.”

  40

  GALEN PRESSES himself against the wall, listening for any movements or noise coming from Reder’s house. There are no lights on, and like the entire town of Neptune, it seems deserted—which Galen couldn’t be more thankful for, considering he’s naked.

  He creeps up the steps to the front porch and jiggles the doorknob as quietly as he can. Peering in the window, he finds no one in the living room or dining room. He decides to make an entrance in the back of the house; if he has to break a window to get in, he doesn’t want to be seen by any passersby from the road.

  He tiptoes around the side of the house, using the moonlight as his guide, and nearly trips on the coiled-up water hose lying close to the back porch. Opening the screen door, he cringes when it gives off a boisterous creak, which reminds him a little of the way Toraf belches after he’s had too much to eat.

  To Galen’s surprise—and relief—the back door is unlocked. Thank Triton for small neighborly towns. He inches through the house, checking each corner and room for signs of life and finding none. Deciding clothes would make this whole break-in less stressful, he makes his way up the stairs to find Reder’s closet. Reder’s build is more like Galen’s than Reed’s is.

  He pulls on the first pair of jeans he can find and slides into a worn T-shirt. He tests out some of Reder’s shoes and finds them a bit big, but if the laces are tight enough, they won’t fall off.

  Galen had hoped to find Emma here. It’s the one place he thought she would be. Now that she isn’t, he’s not sure where else to look. I’ll try calling her.

  He eases his way back down the stairs and into the kitchen where he remembers seeing a telephone hanging on the wall. Dialing her number, he holds his breath, knowing already that it would be too easy if she answered, that tonight is not going to work out that way.

  When it goes to voice mail, he hangs up and dials Dr. Milligan. Though he’s quite certain no one else is in the house with him, he still whispers when his friend picks up.

  “Dr. Milligan, it’s Galen. I need you to come to Neptune. Kennedy is here, and he’s taken Reed. He’s going to expose the Syrena.”

  “Galen? Neptune? What?”

  “Kennedy—one of the men you were snorkeling with when we first met—he’s here in Neptune. Neptune is a town in Tennessee full of Half-Breeds and Syrena. He’s got Reed. And I can’t find Emma.”

  After a long pause, Dr. Milligan says, “Okay, okay, just calm down.” But to Galen, it’s Dr. Milligan who seems alarmed. “Kennedy you say? Greg Kennedy? I haven’t seen him in years.”

  “He’s been busy hunting Syrena. And now he’s found some.” Galen describes all that has happened in short, choppy sentences that may or may not serve as a decent explanation. He’s hoping Dr. Milligan can follow—and that he picks up on the urgency of the situation. Apparently, he does.

  “Oh, dear. This isn’t good.”

  Galen nods into the phone. “I know. Can you come?”

  “I’ll catch the next flight out.”

  When they hang up, Galen dials Grom. He’s surprised when his brother answers. “Galen, where are you?”

  “I’m in Reder’s house. I can’t find Emma and she’s in danger.”

  Galen hears a slight shuffle on the other end of the phone, and suddenly he’s talking to Nalia. “Emma’s in the basement of city hall
.”

  “How … How do you know that?”

  “We’ve spoken on the phone. Go get her. And tell Toraf we don’t need a hostage.”

  “Toraf? Where’s Toraf? A hostage?” Didn’t he tell them not to come to Neptune? Still, he’s glad they didn’t listen. He could use their help right about now. Especially since they’ve been in touch with Emma.

  “He’s on his way to town to kidnap someone for us. We were going to do a hostage exchange.”

  Galen shakes his head. “Nevermind. I don’t even want to know. I’m going to find Emma. Where should we meet you?”

  “We’re in a picnic area right outside of town. It’s a little off the road.”

  Galen nods. “I remember seeing a sign for it on the way in.”

  “Good. Hurry. Oh, and Galen?”

  “Yes?”

  “I’m going to beat you senseless for leaving Emma all alone there.” And then Nalia hangs up.

  Galen beats his head against the wall. How could this possibly get worse?

  Before he leaves, he takes the magnetic dry erase board from the refrigerator and scribbles a message on it. Hopefully someone will come home and see it before anything else bad happens.

  Tyrden and Kennedy are your enemies.

  He places the board on the kitchen table and leaves.

  * * *

  When Galen gets back into town, he’s forced to dodge into alleyways between buildings. The streets of Neptune are flooded with people wearing orange vests and carrying flashlights. Probably search parties for Reed. By their downtrodden expressions, they haven’t found him yet.

  Galen ducks behind a dumpster just as a couple passes by on the sidewalk in front of him. He has to get to city hall without being detected, but he’s not sure exactly where it is.

  “I knew I smelled something,” a voice says behind him.

  He turns to face Toraf. “How long have you been there?” Galen hisses. Still, he’s never been so glad to see his friend.