They entered a large room, at the center of which was a small holding tank where Ariel lay in a sling of sorts, her tail dangling in the water. She wasn’t awake.
“What’s wrong with her?” Jake asked as they approached.
“She’s in a sort of medically-induced suspended animation so she doesn’t hurt herself.”
“Why?”
“She became increasingly agitated and had to be subdued. We can only keep her in this state for a few more hours due to the risk of harm to the baby. This is why we decided to bring you into the fold. She asked for you.”
“What is all this?”
Roger walked them to a wall on the far side, where several very old pictures hung on the wall. He pointed to the top left. “Gretchen Korolev, she was the first one. Born to a Russian mother and father unknown, she came out severely disfigured. The bones in her legs were fused together, her hips were malformed. Doctors tried everything but the mother was told she would die.”
“I don’t understand.”
Roger pointed to another picture. “That was Anna Companelli. By the time she was born they had a name for the condition, they called it Mishkaylev Syndrome after the one prior.”
“What is it?”
“It’s a genetic mutation. It’s like nothing anyone has ever seen before, and even in this day and age we don’t understand what causes it.”
Ashley touched a picture. “They’re all so beautiful.”
Roger nodded. “They are indeed.”
“Who’re their parents?”
Roger smiled. “As I indicated, not every question would be answered. There are things even I don’t know.”
“This makes no sense,” Jake stated. “So these babies are born with this syndrome and you turn them into mermaids? This is twisted.”
“Do we turn them into mermaids? Or are they born that way?”
“You put tails on them and toss them into the water. For what reason? To perpetuate a myth?”
“Myth and legend are rooted in truth. There is nothing so callous going on here as you suggest. They are not born like you and I…they are different.”
Ashley spoke up. “You steal their lives, force them to have babies, and kill them. What the hell do you mean there’s nothing callous going on here? That’s the very definition of callous.”
“There are things you don’t understand. We do as we’ve been commissioned.”
Jake rolled his eyes. “Passing the buck again. To whom this time?”
Roger’s poker face didn’t flinch. “We save them.”
Jake tilted his head. “What’s to stop me from killing you and taking Ariel out of here?”
“Son, you’d not get a minute down the road before being crushed into dust. You wanted to know the truth, now you know.”
“I don’t know anything. All I know is that something twisted is going on here and you still won’t tell me who’s in charge.”
“Who’s in charge doesn’t matter as much as the fact that they are.”
“It matters.”
He motioned one hand. “Look around. You’ve seen only a tip of this operation. There are millions upon billions of dollars at work here. The untold fortune behind this is not what you think it is. It’s more money than you’ve ever seen. And more power than you can imagine.”
“But why? To what end?”
Roger walked along the wall, looking up. “A legacy perhaps? A fascination with the unknown? It’s anyone’s guess.”
Jake laughed. “This is insanity. Are you telling me some eccentric billionaire has been taking little girls born with some crazy unknown syndrome and turning them into mermaids for his own twisted pleasure? Is that what you’re telling me? Because I want to get this straight.”
“It’s far more complex than that.”
“Well, why don’t you break it down for me so I can understand it.”
“There are things we are not meant to understand.”
“This is bullshit!” Jake exclaimed. “You’re telling me everyone goes along with this not knowing who they’re working for or to what end? I don’t buy that, Roger. You’re a smart guy. You wouldn’t agree to this unless you knew exactly what it was all about. So quit jerking our chain and tell us what’s really going on here.”
“I told you what I’m allowed to tell you. It has to be enough to satisfy your curiosity. There are certain things I’m unable to pass along to you for various reasons.”
“Like what?”
“It’s not that simple.”
“Everything is as simple as the truth, Roger.”
“The truth is an illusion of time. All things we know of truth today will be but myth and legend tomorrow. And all things that were myth and legend of the past will be truth again someday.”
Jake sighed. “Why are we really here?”
“Because, Jake, the organization is impressed with you, mostly with how much you cared. They want you to be the next guardian.”
Jake let his jaw drop open like his mouth was expecting words his brain would not send.
“That’s right,” Roger reiterated.
“But I’m not a doctor.”
“No, Jake, not the guardian for one of the mermaids, the guardian for all of them. They want you to run the entire organization. You’d be working directly above me. You’d be my boss.”
Jake looked to Ashley, she was just as flabbergasted as he was. “I don’t understand. I don’t know what to say.”
“What’s to understand? With all that has gone on, we have not had the time to vet a replacement. Under normal circumstances, one would be chosen ahead of time. However, our friend Castro made some flawed errors in judgment. Losing Dr. Shepard was not part of the original plan, but things went sideways a little bit and he left us on his own terms. He was on the committee set to choose a new president.”
“Why me?”
“Because you’re the perfect choice.”
“No, I’m not. I’m really not.”
He handed Jake a set of keys. “These are for the house where Dr. Shepard was living, and for the front entrance to this facility. You will watch over Ariel until the baby comes, and then you will live here and oversee the operations. We will train you on everything and give you a handsome salary beyond your wildest dreams. And of course Ashley is welcome to join the organization. You asked how people do work and don’t ask questions? Well, you’re going to find out why.”
Jake stood there slack-jawed. He didn’t know what to say.
Roger fixed his hair. “I’ll leave you two alone to talk for a few minutes while I take care of a few things.”
Chapter 34
Roger
Roger Pender entered the office where the willowy woman waited. She was no less than six-foot-three and built like an exotic runway model, tall and lanky beyond explanation with absurdly large blue eyes and a tiny mouth that barely moved when she spoke. To him her name was only Avaroush.
“Is he on board?” she asked in her slight British accent. Her voice was soft and direct at the same time and had a somewhat mechanical resonance.
Roger nodded. “It’s an offer he can’t refuse.”
“Very well. If he plays along, he lives today. If he refuses, he and his lovely girlfriend will die today.”
“Keep your enemies closer,” Roger added.
Avaroush turned to face the large window that overlooked the inlet. “We don’t have enemies, Roger.”
“I’m still not completely certain he can be trusted.”
“It doesn’t matter. We only need him for a few months, because once the baby comes, he and the girl will be disposed of.”
“We don’t want to underestimate those two. They’ve proven quite lucky.”
She moved with refined grace toward the window. “Luck is only a manifestation of ability and desire. There is no possible way to estimate the level of one’s desire until the immediate need to overcome adversity crosses into their path. People have the ability to rise to the occas
ion, constantly surprising their peers, adversaries, and themselves. It is the human station in life to trample upon the ground of mediocrity until greatness is required.”
Roger considered himself an intelligent man. He graduated medical school at the top of his class. But when Avaroush started spewing her philosophy, he often felt like he was mentally inadequate. He had no idea how old she was, but she didn’t look a day over thirty. Something, however, told him she was much older. It was not surprising she was so skinny; he’d never seen her eat anything except raw vegetables and fruits.
He stepped toward the door. “I trust in the plan.”
“As you should. The universe has a way of taking care of what needs to be.”
He turned and headed out the door.
* * *
Avaroush
Avaroush turned to face the wall where her twin sister appeared from a small door. Ayallta was identical in every way to her twin; there was not a single distinguishable difference. They often worked independently under the same single profile. No one knew the other existed, as they’d never appeared in the same place at the same time in public.
Ayallta lowered her large eyes. “I don’t believe Mr. Pender is of use to the operation any longer.”
“Agreed. I think things have become increasingly difficult to sustain on our current course. We may need to cleanse. It is no longer fluid. Far too much attention has come.”
“Mother and Father would approve this course of action if we feel it is the correct solution.”
Avaroush flexed a long finger and pointed to the window. “It is time, perhaps, to move on for now. This baby must be protected at all costs, she is the purity. We cannot risk a single thing. But for now we keep the operation on track. We will make the decision when the time is appropriate and not before then.”
Ayallta nodded. “We will know. And what is to become of the Pender man?”
Avaroush turned a tiny smile. “He will become…special.”
“It is too bad. He has served us well for a long time.”
“Too long. We have to remember next time to choose better. We were too clinical with this operation, it was too unfeeling.”
“I agree, we need a more caring approach next time.”
Avaroush smiled. “We have made our decision then?”
“Yes, my sister, I believe we have.”
* * *
Ariel
Ariel woke up, but would quickly fall back to sleep again. It was a weird sleep. It was not restful, but it was peaceful. It almost felt like she was in some sort of dream but could still wake up, but couldn’t. Each time she would wake, a woman in a white mask would come over and twist a dial on the tall green canister by her side.
When she would sleep, she would dream of kissing Jake. They were walking around. In the dream, she was human with legs, and it was wonderful. Also mixed in was a strange place she’d never been. It was a peaceful place with a pinkish sky and perfectly crystal blue waters. The dreams would come and go quickly.
She was familiar with medical procedures, over the years she’d had many. Sometimes Father would tell her it was minor, and other times he’d tell her not to worry but when she woke up something would be different.
Now that she knew the truth, she wondered just how much of it was real at all. A new dream started to rise in her. She was swimming in the ocean with her favorite pod of dolphins. Snaking in and out of their wakes, she loved to jump in behind them. She could speed so much faster when they were breaking the water ahead of her. It made her feel invincible, like nothing could catch her.
Although the dream seemed happy, sadness overwhelmed her as she wondered if she’d ever get to swim in the ocean again. She felt like there was a chance they’d never let her go. They were just going to take her baby and kill her. She no longer believed that she would die. She no longer believed anything Father had told her. If one thing was a lie, it was all a lie.
As she tried desperately to keep her mind sharp while pretending to be asleep, the woman in the mask eased over and twisted the knob. It sent Ariel into a deeper state of sleep.
Chapter 35
Jake
Jake entered the large home and dropped his bag of new clothes on the tile floor of the foyer. He took a deep breath and looked back at Ashley, who was striding across the threshold. She plopped her bag next to his.
“I don’t like this,” she said.
Jake just shook his head. “No…not at all.” He took a few steps in and turned back to her. “But for now, we’re going to have to play along.”
“Should we?”
He shrugged. “I don’t think we have another option.”
“See, that’s what I’m talking about. They made an offer we couldn’t refuse, quite literally, knowing we wouldn’t.”
“Yeah.”
“But what if we had?”
He met her eyes.
She stepped closer to him. “What if we had, Jake, then what? Where would we be?”
“I don’t know.” He knew she was right, and he knew this whole thing stank, but only a complete fool would pass it up. Only a fool would believe there was no hitch involved. A fool would also sell his soul to the devil.
Ashley sauntered through the archway into the kitchen. “Well, the place is nice.”
“It looks nice, but it feels all wrong.”
“Well, any new place is bound to feel that way.”
He shook his head. “No, it’s something more than that.”
She spun to face him, walking slowly toward him. “Are you okay with this?”
He sighed. “I don’t feel good at all, but if we don’t look after her, who will?”
Ashley slid her arms around his waist. “No, I mean are you okay with this?” She pulled him closer. “With this!”
He raised his shoulder and held it there as he thought. “Of course, why wouldn’t I be?”
“We’re going to be living together here, not in the way we’d both probably wanted—under some bizarre circumstances. Technically, we’ve never even been on a real date. I just wanted to make sure. I mean, we haven’t really had the time to talk about feelings and things like that. This whirlwind has taken us away and thrown us into a world we’re probably not even meant for.”
“None of that matters. We don’t have to talk about anything. You know how I’ve felt about you for years. Just because we couldn’t be together doesn’t mean I never wanted to. This feels as natural and normal as anything I’ve ever known. Yeah, the circumstances are whacked out of reality. But what can we do? We just have to go with it for now and worry about all that other stuff later.”
She slid her arms up his shoulders and bent him down to her. “I just wanted to be sure. You know me. I never assume anything. I always need verbal confirmation. Maybe that’s very female of me, I don’t know. But be patient if I ask stupid questions.”
He laughed. “Of course. And be patient with me if I don’t get it. I’m historically kind of clueless with women’s feelings, so never be afraid to speak up. Don’t assume I know anything either.”
“Okay. So open lines of communication will go a long way.”
“A very long way.”
The sound of a vehicle hummed up the street. Jake knew it was probably the van bringing Ariel back to the house.
He walked over to the window and pulled the shade up. A white van waited at the gates near the driveway. He pushed the button near the door and let the gate swing open. The van crept down the slight hill of the drive and around the back.
They both went downstairs. Roger Pender was at the side door looking through the glass. Jake pulled the door open and Roger entered. He pushed his back into the door, holding it open so the two men dressed in white lab coats could carry Ariel into the room where they unceremoniously dumped her into the water in one motion and turned away.
Roger walked over to her. When she surfaced, he squatted down. “Now, Ariel, you’re going to behave. Right?”
She no
dded. “Yes.”
“You have to take care of that baby. She’s your legacy.” He stood and nodded to Jake. “I’ll be in touch.” Then he walked out the door.
Jake squatted down. “Are you okay?”
Ariel propped herself on the edge of the pool and looked around suspiciously. “I’m fine for now. As long as those creeps are gone.”
“Well, they’re gone. But they’ll be back every week to check on you and the baby.”
Ariel looked behind her. “Am I still locked in?”
Jake shrugged. “I have no idea.”
Ariel quickly went underwater and kicked away across the pool, disappearing into a tunnel of which he could only see the leading edge.
“Jake.” Ashley kicked off her flip-flop and dipped her toe into the pool. “We need some sort of exit strategy.”
He rose up, crossed his arms. “Like what?”
She twisted her lips to one side. “I don’t know yet. But we’ve got some time to think about it.”
Ariel popped up out of the water. “The gate is closed.”
Ashley questioned, “There’s a gate?”
Ariel spit some water. “It’s in the tunnel that leads to the river.”
“Was it locked before?” Jake asked.
“Yes, they’d locked me in when the baby started growing.”
Jake could see the look on her face and it was an uncomfortable consternation. “Maybe I can talk to them and see if they’ll open it.”
“It must open and close from somewhere in this house,” Ariel offered. “Because Father used to do it.”
Jake glanced around and then started to make his way around the pool area. “Where did he go to do it?”
“I don’t know.”
Jake scoured the pool area but didn’t find anything. He then went into the thin door near the rear of the pool next to the door that led outside. After opening the flimsy door, he found the circuit breaker box and several other buttons.
He flipped and clicked every button in that room but nothing worked. With a palm-up shrug, he walked back toward the pool. “I’m sorry. I’ll ask them.”
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