When I spot the shipwreck, I dive as fast and deep as I can, heading for the smallest opening. Once I slither inside, I peek my head out, looking for my predator. I pull my head back in as soon as I spot him, but not before I glimpse a dark shadow high above me in the shape of a boat. The guys must’ve been able to follow me after all!
The shark aims his vicious snout straight for the cabin opening, but he’s way too big to enter. After a few aggravated passes, he swims away, probably looking for another entrance. I’m safe, though, as long as I stay where I am. He might hound me for a while, but eventually he’ll get bored and swim away. I just hope the guys don’t notice that I’m no longer moving and dive in to investigate. The shark might find them just as interesting as me.
I peek my head out once in a while, keeping an eye on the shark’s location, until he finally swims off away from the shipwreck. Breathing out a stream of bubbles, I feel my body relax as the tension floats away. Calm again, I’m just about to go exploring, looking for more gold, when a large figure swims in front of me.
I jolt at the sight, fearing the worst, but quickly realize it’s a human not a shark. It must be one of the guys, but which one? He’s dressed in a tight black suit with a large, metal tank on his back and a mask covering most of his face, so I’m not sure who it is. Only his hair is clearly visible. It’s about the length of Liam’s, but it’s… sandy blond!
The man reacts quicker than I do, grabbing me and twisting my arms behind my back. His legs wrap around my waist, pinning me in place. I flap my tail frantically, trying to propel myself, but his weight holds me down, and the space is too small to get any real momentum. I feel like the whole ocean is pressing down on me, crushing me.
My siren song! I remember a moment later and open my mouth to sing, hoping to compel him into releasing me. I only get a few notes out before he slaps a hand over my mouth then grabs the duffel bag I dropped and shoves a wad of the fabric into my mouth, forcing my jaw open and making me gag. The pressure makes my eyes pinch, squeezing out hot tears. I try to push the bag out with my tongue, but it’s in too tight.
He takes his own bag and wraps the straps around my wrists, tying my hands tightly, the coarse material biting into my tender skin. He scrapes against my wound several times while he’s working, sending jolts of pain through my arm. My head whips around frantically, looking for something, anything that might help me escape, but there’s nothing here but rotting debris.
Once my hands are tied, he pushes me out of the cabin and into the open water. Now that I have more space, I try to swim, even without the use of my hands, flapping my tail as hard as I can. But he’s still wrapped around me, weighing me down.
Hope bubbles up in me when another diver appears, but it’s obvious he’s not a friend, either. It takes him a moment to react from the shock of seeing me, but once he does, he jumps into action, helping the first man. Together, the two men swim towards the surface, dragging me with them.
“We found the treasure, James! And it’s more incredible than we ever imagined,” the diver clinging to my back says as soon as our heads break the surface.
I gasp when he pulls off his mask, revealing a familiar face. The other diver does the same. It’s Sam and Roy, and leaning over the deck of the boat with a stunned look on his face is Captain James Hendricks — the divers who rescued us from the island but cared more about our treasure than saving our lives.
“Is that the same girl we pulled off the island?” James wrinkles his brow and squints at me, his thick, bushy, gray beard and eyebrows twitching.
“Yeah, but she’s no girl,” Sam says.
James sticks his hands under my arms and pulls me onto the boat as Sam and Roy push me up from behind. I flop onto the deck like a flailing fish, smacking my face against the wood planks, my fin flapping useless behind me.
James stumbles backward in surprise at the sight of me, and Sam and Roy scurry up the ladder. They all hover around me, poking and prodding at my tail. I want to crane my head around to look at them, but instead I keep my face pressed to the deck, my tears soaking into the rough wood.
“Well, I’ll be damned. I’ve seen a lot of things in my years at sea, but never an honest-to-God legend come to life,” James says.
“Look, she’s wearing a tracker.” Sam, the short and trim man with tan hair and skin grabs my arm and unclasps the tracking device.
“I didn’t see any other boats nearby, but the range on these is pretty small. Where’s the rest of her crew? I’m positive this is the wreck they got the gold from, so they should know where it is. Why aren’t they here with her?” James strokes his beard as he stares at me.
“Maybe they don’t. Maybe she was leading them to it and they got separated,” Sam suggests.
“Well, in that case, we don’t need to make it any easier for them to find it, or her. Can you disable that?” Roy, the medium build, middle-aged man with short brown hair, asks. Sam pulls the tracker apart and pops out the battery.
They roll me over and prop me up against a nearby bench so they can get a better look at my front. I’m not wearing any clothing; I figured it would only get in the way. But now I feel naked and exposed, my bare breasts heaving with my ragged breaths. Their eyes linger just as long on my chest as they do on my tail. My first instinct is to wrap my arms around myself, but they’re still bound behind me, my shoulders throbbing from the tension.
My jaw is still wrenched open, my face aching from the pressure of the bag shoved in my mouth. Saliva builds up around it, but I can’t even swallow right around the gag. I grunt in distress and shake my head, trying to dislodge it.
“Sorry, missy. I got a million questions for you, but we can’t let you sing any more of those special songs of yours.”
James grabs a roll of silver tape and tears off a length of it. He bends down beside me and nods to Sam who pulls the bag out of my mouth. Before I have a chance to even take a breath, James presses the tape across my mouth.
“I’m gonna get my phone and take a video of this. We’re gonna be famous!” Sam says, but James grabs his arm, stopping him.
“Wait just a minute, young man! Let’s think about this. There’s a reason those other divers didn’t turn her into a viral sensation. They must’ve thought she was more profitable to them kept secret, and I reckon I know why. I’m guessing this little siren is real good at finding treasure. Ain’t that right, missy?”
All three of them turn to stare at me, greed blazing in their eyes.
Chapter 24
I stumble away from him, dizzy and off balance, as James barrels through the door to my cabin prison. My mind is cloudy, but my body reacts instinctively to the threat of his presence. I shiver as I huddle in the corner, but I’m not sure if it’s from fear or fever. My skin is blazing hot even though I feel cold. The frantic beat of my heart drowns out the pounding in my head. I blink, trying to clear my vision, but even my tears have dried up after so many days without water.
“Now, there’s nothing to be afraid of, little siren. You’re no good to me dead. But I bet you feel half dead by now, don’t you?”
My tongue is too dry and cracked for me to speak, but I can’t, anyway. My mouth is still taped shut. They’ve given me no food or water for three days, not willing to risk being compelled by my song. My stomach aches and churns with emptiness, but dehydration will kill me long before I can starve to death.
“It’s decision time, missy. You won’t make it much longer without water. Are you going to help us out, or do we tell the world about you and let the government stick you in a tank and poke and prod you for the rest of your life?”
Helping these ruthless pirates is the last thing I want to do, but would spending the rest of my days in a science lab be any better? I think back to the creatures in Liam’s lab, living in tiny tanks, their existence reduced to swimming in an endless circle while humans observe them.
Worse, that would mean revealing the existence of my kind to the world. What would happen if h
umans knew that merfolk were real? Would they track us down for sport, decimating the shoal? It’s not a risk I can take, even if it means sacrificing my freedom.
No, I can’t allow that. I have to cooperate with James and his crew, if only to ensure their silence. Besides, the less people involved, the better. Perhaps if I obey them and earn their trust, I can eventually find a way to escape.
I nod my head, and James’ face spreads in a wide smile, revealing large, yellowed teeth. “Alrighty then. Here’s what’s gonna happen. I believe there’s another shipwreck not too far from here. You’re gonna find it and bring me back as much as you can carry. If you do that, I’ll take that tape off for a bit and let you have some food and water.”
James grabs my bound arms and pulls me out of the cabin. My eyes squint, adjusting to the bright sunshine. Up on deck, Sam and Roy are waiting for me. James wraps a strap around my waist, tying it tight, and ties the other end around Sam.
“Just in case you got any ideas about trying to swim off, Sam is gonna go with you.”
I jump when he grabs my hair and yanks it up on top of my head. “Let’s tape her up a little better since her hands will be free. I don’t want her pulling it off.”
Sam takes the roll of tape and wraps it around my head several times.
James picks up a mesh bag and points off into the distance. “The wreck is that direction. Now be a good girl and bring me back something nice.”
He slips a knife from his pocket and cuts the binding around my wrist. Pain streaks through my arms as the blood flows freely once again, and I groan in agony, but the sound is muffled. I carefully flex my hands and arms then shake out the stabbing tingles coursing up and down. My wound is scabbed over now, surrounded by dried, crusted blood.
When I feel like I have control over my arms again, I walk to the edge of the boat and gaze at the water. Sam joins me, handing me the bag, and I nod at him. When he nods back, I dive into the water, my own small splash quickly followed by his.
My body soaks up the cool, salty water like one of Liam’s fluffy towels, every cell in my body gorging itself as my tail unfurls, and my arms immediately feel the relief of weightlessness. I scratch at the layers of tape over my mouth, longing to tear it off and suck in deep gulps of water. But I’ll never be able to get it off in time before Sam stops me, probably violently. I have to play by the rules, make them think they can trust me, and wait patiently for an opportune moment.
Just being in the water clears my head some and reenergizes my body, even if I can’t eat or drink. After I’ve taken a moment to soak in the sensation, I swim off in the direction James indicated. I’m not able to swim as fast as usual due to my weakened body, but that makes it easier for Sam to keep up. If I was going my normal speed, he’d be dragged along behind me.
The sea water rehydrates my eyes, clearing up my vision, so it’s easy for me to scan the ocean floor, searching for the shipwreck. It doesn’t take long before I spot something. I speed up, energized by the thought of my reward, and I can feel the tether tightening as Sam struggles to match my speed.
I slow down as I approach the ship sitting silent and empty on the ocean floor. Sea creatures swim in and out of the various openings, but they dart away as I swim inside. It’s dark and murky in the cabin, so I drift slowly from room to room, trying not to disturb the sediment. Sam stays right behind me, no more than an arm’s length between us.
I search the entire ship, but I don’t find any gold bars like there were at the other wreck. Anxiety builds inside me like a growing wave at the thought of going back empty-handed. My eyes dart frantically around the space, looking for something of value. Eventually, I start pawing around on the floor looking for anything I can take back.
Just when I’ve almost given up hope, my fingers snag on the strings of a small, heavy bag, buried in the muck. I yank it open and stick my hand inside, pulling out a handful of gold coins. Yes! It’s not much, but it’s better than nothing, and it proves I found the wreck. Sam can vouch for me that I searched the ship thoroughly.
I make one more pass around the room where I found the bag, my fingers dragging through the layers of sediment, and eventually find a necklace with one pearl dangling from a gold chain. The bauble brings back a rush of memories that sting my eyes with hot tears. I blink rapidly, letting the sea wash them away.
The chain reminds me of the day my betrothed gave a similar necklace to my best friend, proclaiming his love for her even though he never said the words. I recall the sadness that overwhelmed me in that moment, realizing that I’d never experience that kind of love because the person I was meant to marry was in love with someone else.
But against all odds, I did find love, with not just one but four humans, a fate I could never have imagined considering the destiny I was called to. Will I ever see them again, these men who mean more to me than anything, more than my friends and family, more than my own life?
I wonder what they think happened. Do they think I ran away intentionally, drawn back to my own people and a life under the sea? Or do they believe I’m hurt or lost, and they’re desperately searching for me? How long will they look for me? It’s been several days already. If I ever manage to escape, will I be able to find them again? Grief threatens to swallow me.
I shake my head to clear my mind of the worries swirling around like a whirlpool. I can only focus on one problem at a time or I’m liable to drown in them.
I put the necklace in the bag with the coins and indicate to Sam that I’m ready to surface. He follows me back through the cavernous rooms of the ship and out into the open water then up towards the waiting dive ship.
As soon as James pulls me aboard, I hold out the bag to him and start clawing at the tape around my mouth, my tail slapping the deck in anticipation.
“Hold your horses, missy. Let’s see what you found here.” He tips the bag, dumping out the coins and the necklace into his large, rough palm.
“She found the ship with no problem, but there wasn’t much of value inside. Had to dig through sludge to find that. She’s got a good eye, though, and of course, she’s a natural in the water.”
James spreads the coins out on his dirty hand, counting them. “Gold weight alone, we got probably ten grand here. Not bad for an hour’s work. You did good, little mermaid.”
He turns to Sam. “Take her back down and let her catch her dinner, then cut the tape off her mouth so she can eat, but wear some headphones. Hopefully, that’ll be enough to ward off her spell.”
He jabs a finger towards me. “We’ll be watching you on the sonar, so don’t get any smart ideas.”
Sam and I jump back in the water, this time in search of fish. There’s a coral reef nearby, so I head there, knowing I’m sure to find fish. I’m so hungry, I grab the first thing I see, not caring what it is. I quickly grab another with my other hand, wishing I had two more.
Sam swims close and slides a knife between the tape and my skin then cuts it open with one quick yank. He rips it off just enough to expose my mouth, pulling off a layer of skin that leaves my lips sore and bleeding.
I’m too ravenous to care, though. I ignore the pain and shove one of the fish up to my mouth, devouring it in moments. I’m about to start on the second one when a school of fish swims by, distracting Sam, and I realize this is the moment I’ve been waiting for.
Releasing the fish, I rush towards him, yanking the headphones off his ears while a song bursts from my lungs. Sam gapes at me, and I expect him to become immediately compliant. Instead, he lunges forward, trying to cover my mouth with his hand. Why isn’t my song working? Does the water lessen the effectiveness?
My first instinct is to swim away, but Sam is still tethered to me — I’ll never get away unless I separate us. Instead, I use my strong tail to evade his hands. I swish around behind him and cling to his back, grabbing for the knife. I keep singing, hoping eventually it will work, but Sam doesn’t seem affected at all. He struggles against me, his strong arms pushing at
mine as the water churns around us. I toss my tail back and forth, trying to avoid the knife, as Sam stabs at the space behind him.
I don’t have enough strength to hold him for long, he’s eventually going to overpower me. But if I don’t get away now, I’m sure my imprisonment will be even worse. I have to get the knife and cut us apart, but it’s taking both my arms to keep his down. I have to let go if I’m ever going to have a chance.
I don’t let myself think, I just pull my arms away and swim around him as fast as I can, grabbing for the knife. But it’s clenched tightly in his fist, only the sharp blade exposed. I grab his wrist and try to pry his fingers off the blade, but Sam swings his arm around wildly so all I can do is hold on. With his other hand, he reaches for my throat.
I gag as his fingers clamp around my windpipe, crushing it closed. I kick my tail, churning the water around me into a whirlpool, trying to shake him off while still clutching at his wrist. I manage to break free, but I lose my grip on his hand. Sam immediately stabs at me, but I’m faster, and I dart out of the way.
I’ve lost all sense of time and space, so caught up in the fight that I don’t notice when a figure swims into view until he’s right in front of me, hovering behind Sam. I’ve never seen him before, but his tail is unmistakeable. It’s a merman! He must’ve heard me singing and realized I was in trouble. Relief crashes into me like a tsunami.
Sam doesn’t see him either, giving the merman a momentary edge, just long enough for him to dart between us. Sam flinches in surprise, and the merman grabs Sam’s wrist and squeezes, his large hands turning red with the pressure, until Sam finally loses his grip on the knife.
The blade starts to fall, drifting slowly through the water, and I dive for it, flipping myself upside down. I grab the knife and flip again, holding the knife out as I kick my fins, slicing through the tether on the way back up.
Chapter 25
The Mermaid's Journey_A Reverse Harem Page 19