by Joyce Lavene
The man with my mother was much more frightening and more difficult to understand. I could feel his force directed toward me in that room. Of course he was in the past and couldn’t really hurt me.
Still, the dream had left me rattled. I needed to talk with my grandmother again about her feelings toward him. Something had caused her to recommend that I use him to speak to my mother.
Still feeling unbalanced, I went up on the widow’s walk and leaned against the iron rail as I looked at the town below me. Traffic had died down to just a few cars and pedestrians on Duck Road. Everything looked quiet and serene with the bright moon hanging above us.
Tomorrow, our Fourth of July crowd would begin going home. Some would stay, and others would arrive until the summer season was past. Nothing was ever as large and difficult—or as rewarding—for the full-time citizens of Duck. It was the way the world had always been here, feast or famine. Our ancestors had survived, and we would too.
I sighed and went back down the stairs, wondering if what Manfred had suggested was true. If the seafolk hadn’t killed Captain Lucky because he’d threatened to expose them, had Cathi done it to keep her name and face out of the newspaper? Or could it have been Carl Lynch to get the lavish stateroom and captain’s title?
Lying back on the bed with Treasure, I was almost asleep again when my cell phone rang.
It was Mary Catherine. Her voice was a whisper on the phone.
“Come to the Blue Whale quickly, Dae,” she said. “Tess and Kevin have trapped Lilly. We have to set her free.”
Anger and fear rushed through me as I agreed to get there as fast as I could. I pulled on shorts, a top, and sandals. Treasure whined as he followed me downstairs. I shushed him and kept moving, murmuring an explanation of why he couldn’t go with me.
I was surprised when Gramps didn’t wake up. Maybe that was why he’d begun sleeping in the recliner after my mother had died. He was afraid he wouldn’t catch me sneaking out of the house. The idea made me smile as I stepped out into the moonlit night.
The electric golf cart was quiet. It was slow too, but still faster than I could run to the inn. I hated that Mary Catherine was out there alone. And I was furious that Kevin and Tess had trapped Lilly. I hoped they had been very careful when they’d set their trap and that she was unharmed.
I was passing the line of trees that separated my house from the Duck Shoppes when Tovi sprang into the cart. One minute, the seat beside me was empty, and the next he was there.
“How did you learn to jump that way?” I demanded after my heart stopped pounding at the surprise.
“I don’t know. It has always been this way. Perhaps you should ask the lady scientist who has trapped my sister in a net.” He sounded as though his teeth were on edge as he spoke.
“It was stupid to trap her,” I told him as a part of an apology. “My friend and I will release her.”
“I was on my way to do the same. I will never understand humans. We see you diving in the ocean, exploring your wrecked ships. We don’t attempt to trap you or keep you under the water with us.”
“Don’t make it sound like you’re that different,” I said. “You used to be human. You understand some of how we are. We just want to understand you. People don’t believe in mermaids and mermen.”
“Our only defense,” he snickered. “It must stay this way, or seafolk are doomed. You know this. Why defend what these people have done?”
“Because I know both of them and I know they mean well. They’re a little excited and carried away with trying to make sure everyone respects your people.”
“Bah. I remember being human well enough to know that you can’t stand not to explore and destroy. You even destroy each other. There is no logic or understanding.”
My foot was down so hard on the golf cart accelerator that it rattled along on the street like an amusement park ride. Gramps wouldn’t like to know that I was driving his baby so roughly, but there was no time to waste.
“Did you kill Captain Lucky from the gambling ship to keep your picture secret? Did you do it to protect Cathi?”
“I had no reason to kill him. He meant nothing to me. I could swim away and not return for years until I was forgotten.”
“But you just said secrecy is the only thing keeping your people alive.”
“I don’t have to explain myself to you.” Tovi grinned at me before he jumped out of the golf cart as we approached the inn. I saw his shadow running along the edge of the road and then he disappeared.
I took a deep breath and pulled around the side of the building. The golf cart was hidden from sight by the side of the inn’s high blue wall and a few trees.
What was I going to do? Tess and Kevin weren’t my enemies. They didn’t even realize what they were doing. All I had to do was find Lilly and free her. Once that was done, I could go home. But how difficult was that going to be?
“Dae!”
It was Mary Catherine—I almost jumped out of my skin.
“You shouldn’t sneak up on people that way.”
“Sorry. I just wanted you to know that I was here.” She adjusted her pink sweatpants. “It’s much easier communicating with other animals. Humans are so excitable.”
“It’s okay,” I murmured. “I just had a surprise visit from Tovi.”
“You mean he’s out here too?”
“I’m afraid so. He knows about Lilly and wants to free her. How did you find out?”
“Kevin and Tess awakened a pelican. As soon as he realized what was going on, he got back with me.” She put a hand to her head. “They have painful mental patterns.”
“Okay. Where’s Lilly?”
“They snagged her at the end of the pier. I don’t know why they went off and left her there, but this is our chance to free her.”
“Ladies.” Manfred Vorst’s voice was distinctive in the darkness. “I assume we’re all out here for the same reason.”
Mary Catherine groaned. “Go away. There’s nothing to report here. Leave us alone.”
“I disagree. A little bird told me that someone captured a mermaid out here. You haven’t seen anything like that, have you?”
“A little bird?” Mary Catherine sounded angry. “Those darn pelicans don’t know when to keep their big mouths shut.”
“What?” Manfred asked.
“Never mind. She’s right. There’s nothing going on out here.”
“Then why are you out here, Mayor?”
We heard a screech come from the darkness near the water and started running in that direction. There was still plenty of time to get Lilly out of the trap before sunrise. We had to work fast though, and despite Manfred, if we could.
It wasn’t like Kevin to start a plan and not finish it. I was surprised that he and Tess hadn’t waited with Lilly, doing whatever Tess had decided needed to be done. It was another way I could tell Kevin’s heart wasn’t in it.
“Where are we going?” Manfred asked. “We’re going to fall in the water. I can’t see a thing.”
“Maybe you should go home then,” I suggested. “It can be dangerous out here. I’d hate to see you get hurt.”
“No, thanks.” He chuckled, beginning to sound out of breath. “I go where you go.”
Mary Catherine stopped first. She sat down on one of the pretty benches that I’d helped Kevin pick out for the back garden that led to the shore.
“Go ahead,” she said breathlessly. “I have to rest for a minute. You get her, Dae.”
“Okay.” I kept running.
“I assume your friend, Kevin Brickman, caught the mermaid,” Manfred huffed. “I guess he was in need of a little company since you’ve given him the cold shoulder lately.”
“Shut up. Go away.”
By that time, he couldn’t answer, just making a few groaning noises.
As I reached the end of the pier, a set of bright spotlights came on. Kevin had installed at the back of the Blue Whale for night time events. I was blinded for a moment, t
ook a misstep, and ended up with my feet in the surf.
Manfred fell face-first in the water. I would’ve laughed, but I didn’t have the breath for it.
Tovi ran out on the pier, and I jumped back up on it to follow him.
“What’s going on out here?” Kevin called from the inn. “Is that you, Mary Catherine?”
Mary Catherine replied, but I wasn’t sure what she said. I didn’t stop to find out. Lights had also come on along the edge of the pier. I could see the large, heavy net and Tovi going after it with his bare hands.
Of course I hadn’t thought to bring a big knife or even scissors to cut the net. How was I going to get Lilly out? Tovi was strong and agile, but that wouldn’t help with a heavy-gauge, modern net.
“Dae?” Kevin followed us out on the pier. “What’s going on? Why are all of you out here?”
“Don’t pretend you didn’t catch the mermaid,” I said. “We’re here to let her go. I can’t believe you did this.”
“I’m not here to let her go,” Manfred said. “I want all the pictures I can get. And interviews, if you’re up for them. If not, I’ll just make up my own caption.”
“This is crazy,” Kevin protested. “I didn’t catch anyone. Tess and I decided against the plan. We didn’t want the world to get any crazier than it is already.”
“You didn’t?” I smiled at him, thinking how much I loved him.
“No. You were right. Tess and I had some brandy last night, and she went home.”
“Help me,” Tovi yelled. “I can’t break the net, and it has begun moving away from the pier.”
“What?” Kevin asked.
“It’s attached to a boat,” I guessed. “We have to break her free.”
It was too dark to see the boat that was offshore, tugging the net behind it. Lilly screamed and struggled against it, but she couldn’t get out.
“I’ll get a knife,” Kevin yelled as he headed back toward the inn.
“There’s no time.” I jumped from the end of the pier and grabbed the net.
“Dae!” Mary Catherine shouted. “What in the world are you doing?”
I couldn’t answer as the net began to sink into the warm, salty water. I saw Lilly’s terrified face before I went under. Tovi was beside me, gnawing at the rope with his teeth. I knew that wouldn’t work.
The boat was pulling all three of us away from the shore toward an unknown destination. It was easy to imagine that someone had realized the value of having a mermaid. This was what Tovi had expected.
It was bad for Tovi and Lilly, but it was worse for me since the net quickly sank completely. At least they could breathe under water.
Chapter Twenty-two
I felt Tovi cover me, his chest against my back. He lifted my chin and breathed air into my mouth. Lilly, still on the inside of the net, clung in front of me. Between the two of them, I was able to breathe.
The movement of the net had picked up speed. The cable dragging it wasn’t long enough to allow it to sink to the bottom. We followed along behind the boat about ten feet from the surface.
Despite the assistance from the two seafolk, I was still terrified. What if the boat captain changed his mind and cut the net free? Or perhaps worse, what would be waiting for us if they pulled us up and dropped us on deck like a haul of tuna?
The current and temperature changed as we got out in deeper water. How far did the boat plan to go? It wasn’t like the gambling ship where they had to reach international waters to run their games. The government wasn’t interested in Tovi and Lilly. What were they waiting for?
It seemed as though my answers were coming as the pull from the boat slowed and the net sank another few feet. The cable immediately began to haul the net and its cargo to the deck. We were suddenly free of the water and held suspended about twenty feet above the boat and her crew.
I rubbed my eyes and took a deep, grateful breath of the night air. The men below us were talking and staring at us. Did they think I was a mermaid too? Should I shout to them to release us so they’d know I wasn’t?
“Are you all right, Dae?” Tovi asked.
“I’m fine, but I’ll never go fishing again.”
“What are they waiting for?” Lilly asked. “If they’re going to hack us to pieces, why don’t they lower us to the deck and get it over with?”
“Let’s not encourage any hasty action,” I said. “Maybe they just want to look at you.”
Then I heard the high-pitched squeal of a microphone. Someone hit a piece of wood with a gavel.
“What do I hear for the first bid on the female aquatic creature?” A man’s voice began auctioning Lilly. Dozens of rapid bids followed the first.
“Animals,” Tovi snarled. “We need something sharp to get out of this. We can dive into the water from here.”
“I think there’s only one thing to do. I’ll create a distraction. Be ready for your chance to get away.”
“What are you going to do, Dae?” Lilly asked.
“Just be ready,” I told her. “And don’t worry about me or look back. The two of you just get in the water.”
Tovi started to voice another protest, but I cut him off.
“Hey! Hey, you people down there. What’s going on? Let me out of here. I’m not a mermaid. I’m Dae O’Donnell, Mayor of Duck, North Carolina. I suggest you let me go before the Coast Guard gets here.”
The auction stopped, and the crowd of men on deck began talking loudly and pointing at the net. I didn’t recognize any of them, but I knew the man who came to see why the auction had stopped.
Dillon Guthrie.
From his recent emails, I had no idea that he was close to Duck. I thought he was still diving for lost artifacts in South America. I knew he was capable of anything from smuggling to murder if it made a profit. Selling a few seafolk, probably to collectors, was possible for him.
“Dae?” he yelled back at me. “Is that really you? I should have known you’d be in the thick of things.”
“Dillon. What are you doing here?”
“What I always do—follow the treasure. I heard about this particular treasure and had to see it for myself. You know how I am.” He chuckled. “I go where the money is.”
I heard him give the order for the net to be slowly lowered to the deck. One of his crew followed through, and the thick netting began to sink.
My eyes scanned the deck. The yacht was huge and extravagantly-appointed. Not as big as the Andalusia II, but a very nice size. Only the best for Dillon.
I was searching for anything I could grab and throw back to Tovi and Lilly that they could use to cut the net. On my first pass, I didn’t see anything, but my eyes were burning from the sea water, and my vision wasn’t as good as it could be.
All the people on deck moved out of the way for the net, creating a circle around where we came down. Several crewmembers stood at attention with rifles in their hands, their eyes glued on their captives.
“Captain.” Dillon nodded to the short, round man who immediately jumped to do his bidding.
“Let me help you out there, Miss.” The stubby captain offered his hand to me.
Tovi was still outside the net, as I was. He had the best chance to get away.
Dillon must have realized the same thing. He pointed to one of the crewmembers, and that man fired a dart into Tovi’s back. The merman dropped to the deck. Lilly screamed and reached for him.
Once I was untangled from the net, I wasted no time marching up to Dillon and demanding that he release them.
“You know this is wrong. They could be the last two of their kind for all you know. Let them go, Dillon. You have plenty of money. Be compassionate for once.”
He reached a hand to my bedraggled clothes. “Steward, escort Mayor O’Donnell below deck to change. I’m sure you’ll find something in your size there, Dae. Come back up, and we’ll talk.”
In the meantime, he’d be auctioning his cargo.
I swept a frantic search across the deck agai
n but didn’t see anything that could cut the net and release Lilly. I figured she could grab Tovi and jump overboard if she was free, but there was nothing to accommodate my plans.
“All right. Fine. Don’t do anything until I get back.” I knew he’d ignore me. But I stood a better chance below deck of finding something useful.
“No!” Lilly called out. “Don’t leave us, Dae.”
Her call made my stomach twist in knots, but I ignored her and followed the steward below deck. I couldn’t explain what I had in mind.
The man led me to a small stateroom that was tastefully decorated with sea motifs. There were also clothes of different sizes in the closet, most still with store tags on them, and a variety of toiletries in the bathroom. I pulled on a striped sundress, shorter than I liked, but it was quick. I’d lost my sandals in the ocean and found a pair my size.
The whole time, my mind was trying to formulate a plan to save my friends. I found scissors and a small paring knife in the suite, but neither of those tools would cut through the net. I ran a brush through my hair and went to the door, scanning the passageway for crewmembers.
No one was there. I started wondering where I could find something I could use. The galley? I ran down the passageway until I found it. But none of the knives looked sharp enough to cut through an industrial net. Maybe Dillon was paranoid about his chef having deadly utensils.
I left the galley, headed toward the engine room, and passed a closet marked utility. The door wasn’t locked, and I found a large pair of cutters inside. My sundress wasn’t big enough to conceal much of anything. I ran back to the stateroom and grabbed a shawl I’d seen in the closet.
Lilly wasn’t going to have much time to cut the net and escape, I realized. Even though they wouldn’t shoot them, they obviously didn’t mind tranquilizing them. My brain felt as though it was moving a hundred miles an hour as it went through all the places the cutters had been before they’d reached the utility room. Thank goodness the clothes and shawl were new. There wasn’t much involved in my awareness of them.