by J. C. Diem
On the far side of the balcony, Quin and Mirra kept pace with us. Our footsteps echoed throughout the building, enhanced by the water and concrete that surrounded us. We reached the final tank, but saw nothing unusual.
“All right, Mirra,” Quin said. “You’re in charge now. We’ll follow your lead.”
Connor resolutely turned away, but I watched in fascination as the siren unleashed her power. Her hair stirred in a breeze no one else could feel and she suddenly became even more beautiful than before, if that was possible. It was hard to me to tear my eyes away from her. Connor ground his teeth together and clenched his hand around his flashlight until the metal groaned in protest when her power washed over us. “Are you okay?” I whispered.
His head turned and he stared at my face in near desperation. Even after working with Mirra for a decade, her allure still affected him. Concerned that he was going to succumb to her, I slid my gun into the holster and put my hand on his shoulder. He took a deep breath and moved closer until our bodies were touching. Closing his eyes, he leaned against me and pressed his nose into my hair. It was disturbingly intimate and I wasn’t sure how to react.
“I sense something,” Mirra said and Connor shuddered at her voice.
I could now see that she usually hid her true power. Her voice was so enchanting that I almost felt the need to go to her myself. Connor had put his gun away and his hands grasped my waist. Leaning against him, I slid my arm around him until our chests were flush. I could feel every hard ridge of his muscles pressed against me. “Fight it,” I said in a low voice. He nodded and gripped me even tighter.
“What is it?” Quin asked. Even her voice was strained.
“Whatever they are, they’re not human,” Mirra reported. “But they’re familiar somehow.” She went silent as she debated about what to do next. “I’m going to see if I can control them.”
Quin had relinquished leadership to her team member and she had to trust that Mirra knew what she was doing. Connor’s back was to the pair, but I had a clear view, thanks to Quin’s flashlight illuminating the siren. Mirra raised her hands and began to sing. Connor’s breath came faster and he now had both hands wrapped around me. He was shaking, fighting her power with everything he had. I slid my hand from his shoulder to his face and he pressed his cheek against my palm. It was wrong, but desire throbbed inside me. Not for Mirra, but for the shifter who was pressed against me. We were colleagues and having a relationship with him would be disastrous. Besides, the only reason he was clinging to me was to ward off Mirra’s power.
Staring over his shoulder, I watched as the siren sang in her own language. I couldn’t understand her words, but it sounded coaxing to me. Quin’s flashlight shifted to the closest tank as a head rose out of the water. My mouth dropped open when a scaly being emerged. “It looks like a creature from the Black Lagoon,” I whispered, vaguely remembering an old black and white movie from decades ago.
The monster reached upwards, grasped hold of the hatch to the grate and pushed it upwards. It then grabbed hold of the edge of the walkway and pulled itself upwards in one fluid motion. Standing upright, it was humanoid, but it was far taller than an average sized man. It was also far more muscular. Its hands were tipped with long claws. It lurched towards Mirra and at first, I thought she’d managed to bamboozle it. Then a ridge of what looked like spiny fins rose from its head and it roared at her in rage.
Mirra’s song cut off and Connor managed to snap out of his daze. He shoved me back a step and reached for his flashlight and gun as a dozen creatures emerged from the tanks. They flinched away from our lights as we opened fire. I hit one in the head and it went down, proving that they could die easily enough.
On the other side of the building, Mirra displayed just how dangerous she really was. She shrieked at the aquatic creature that was advancing on her. It bellowed in pain, putting its hands where human ears would have been. Dropping to its knees, it’s eyeballs burst and dark, horrible fluid began to leak from its orifices.
Quin fired with precise shots, taking down the five critters that were racing towards her. Mirra’s song had disoriented them enough that they were unsteady on their webbed feet. Connor and I finished off the final few on our side and the silence that came after the last shot was deafening. I was afraid I really had ruined my hearing at first. Our gunfire had been so loud it had been painful. I coughed at the heavy smell of gun smoke, relieved that I could hear myself.
“Are they all dead?” Quin asked Mirra.
The siren sent out another burst of power and Connor swayed on his feet. I grabbed hold of him before he could go to her. He sent me a relieved look and manfully resisted her allure.
“I don’t think so,” Mirra reported. “I can still feel a strange presence coming from below.”
We all leaned over the railing of the balcony, peering into the darkness. Our flashlights had ruined my vampire vision enough that I couldn’t see all the way to the bottom. Whatever was waiting for us down there remained still and silent.
Chapter Thirty
Quin took photos of the deceased monsters with her cell phone. I examined one of the ones I’d shot to see it had scales all over its skin. It was dark green on its back and sides, but the color lightened to yellow on its front. Both its hands and feet were webbed and I noticed gills in its neck, which allowed it to breathe underwater. All of them had a ridge of fins that ran from the top of their heads to their lower backs.
They were a different species, but they still reminded me of the rat-like things that had attacked Barbara. Their bodies had all been humanoid, but their heads were vastly different. This thing had black pupil-less eyes like a fish. Its teeth were sharp and pointed. It didn’t have a nose or a chin and its face was flat and oval shaped. It looked a bit like it had been bashed on the face with a shovel. “What are they?” I asked Connor when he motioned for me to follow him.
He glanced at one of the bodies as we made our way back along the walkway. “I have no idea. I’ve never seen them before.” His tone was as grim as his expression.
Quin and Mirra were just as worried when we met them at the ladder that led downwards. “I’ll go first,” Quin said, assuming leadership again. Mirra hadn’t been able to control them and she’d only roused them from their watery slumber. “Mirra, you’re next,” she added. “Arienna will follow you and Connor will guard us until we reach the bottom.”
Mirra had withdrawn her power into herself again, but Connor still avoided looking at her. A strong residual essence clung to the exotic beauty. I could see how humans would become her mindless slaves. Even I was a bit drawn to her even though I knew she could be an unpleasant cow.
Quin descended the ladder, stopping every now and then to shine her flashlight downwards. When she reached the bottom, the ground squelched beneath her boots and she made a sound of disgust. “Watch your step when you get down here,” she called softly. “The ground is covered in mud.”
I exchanged a look with Connor. We now knew where the mud from the lake had gone, but it was a mystery why it had been brought here.
Mirra descended the ladder next and I waited impatiently for her to reach the bottom. An itch started up between my shoulder blades when it was my turn to climb down. Something was watching us and my instincts told me it wasn’t friendly.
The noisome stench of sewage and swampy mud clogged my sinuses when I stepped off the ladder. I slipped in the thick ooze and nearly lost my balance. Quin stood with her feet planted wide apart, warily searching the gloom. It was like a cave down here and my eyes adjusted to the dimness. Seeing something moving out of the corner of my eye, I raised my gun. It scurried out of my sight before I could fire off a shot. The tanks would make it hard for us to see if anything was creeping up on us.
“What did you see?” Quin asked, peering in the direction I’d pointed my Ruger.
“I didn’t get a clear look. It was just a flash of something dark, but it was the same size as the creatures we just killed.”
“Great,” Mirra muttered, clenching her hands into fists. “Dozens of those fish-men could be down here.” She glowered at the gross mud that clung to her boots and jeans. “It’s going to be almost impossible to walk in this crap.” She’d chosen to wear a t-shirt and pants rather than a dress, which had been a wise decision.
I almost sniggered, privately glad it was just mud and not actual crap that we were standing in. Quin flicked me a look almost as if she knew I was on the edge of nervous laughter. It was enough to quell my amusement and to snap me back into focus.
Connor descended the ladder and we took up positions to stand guard until he reached us. “What’s the plan, boss?” he asked.
“We stay together this time,” Quin decided. “I’ll go first, Mirra and Arienna can guard the sides and you’ll watch our back.”
Mirra sighed and took a gun out of her backpack. “I thought you didn’t need weapons,” I said, unable to stop myself from goading her.
“Apparently, these things aren’t susceptible to my allure,” she said stiffly. “Bullets appear to be effective enough. I won’t be able to use my voice to ward them off while surrounded by you three.” I hoped she knew how to use the Glock that was a match for Connor’s. From the way she handled it, she’d had adequate training. Quin had told me she made the siren practice weekly. With no choice but to trust her, I shifted to the right side to guard our flank.
“Move out,” Quin ordered and we began to shuffle forward.
Just as Mirra had predicted, it wasn’t easy to make our way through the mud. It kept trying to suck my boots from my feet. Each step was a trial of strength and agility to remain upright. Slipping sideways, I sat down with a plop. Muddy water instantly soaked through my cargo pants. If Jonah had been here, he would have been in fits of laughter. “Gross,” I complained softly, unwilling to use my hands to push myself upright.
Connor slogged his way over to me and hauled me to my feet with one hand beneath my elbow. Mirra sneered at my clumsiness, then promptly tripped over something and sprawled face-first in the ooze. No force on Earth could have stopped me from sniggering when she cursed in what sounded like several different languages. “Don’t worry,” I said when she pushed herself to her feet and glared at me. “Mud looks good on you.”
“Everything looks good on me,” she said sulkily, wiping globs of crud off her face and flicking them to the ground. Her gun was coated in mud as well. Quin waited impatiently as the siren took a water bottle out of her backpack and poured it over the weapon to unclog it. The Glock would need to be cleaned properly later, but this would do for now.
I’d noticed Connor hadn’t helped the siren to her feet. His mouth was quirked up in a tiny smile at her disheveled state. Quin’s expression warned me to keep my smart comments to myself. It was a reminder that this was a test. If I failed to impress her, I wouldn’t become a part of their secret unit. I wasn’t sure what would happen to me if I failed. Maybe I’d be sent to a prison for monsters, if they didn’t just kill me.
That thought sobered me and I resolved to be professional until we’d dealt with whatever was lurking down here. Once we were safe, I would be able to unleash my inner snark on Mirra. I might not get another opportunity like this to make fun of her again.
Stealth wasn’t possible when slogging through the viscous sludge. Curses frequently rent the air every time we lost our balance and went down. Quin swore foully enough to almost make me blush the first time she fell. Mirra made a sound of disapproval and received a flat stare in response. The next time our leader lost her balance, she clamped her mouth shut and remained grimly silent.
Even Connor wasn’t able to remain upright forever. I heard him fall and turned to see him holding his gun up so it didn’t become filthy. Working my way back to him, I planted my feet firmly and offered him my hand. He took it and I easily pulled him out of the muck, glad for my increased strength. He nodded in thanks and we proceeded onwards.
“We’re getting close,” Mirra whispered when we neared the center of the plant. We’d seen shadows darting around and could hear stealthy scuttling sounds, but we hadn’t gotten a good look at whatever was down here yet. “I can sense a presence just ahead,” she added.
“Stay alert and shoot at anything that moves,” Quin told us, then grimly pressed onwards.
Chapter Thirty-One
As we neared the area where Mirra could feel something lying in wait, I caught more and more glimpses of things moving in the gloom. Their feet didn’t get sucked into the mire like ours did and they moved with far more agility and swiftness. We’d lost any advantage we’d had when we’d descended to the bottom of the plant. Now we only had our weapons and our wits to aid us.
Quin’s flashlight picked out something between the two tanks ahead. At first, it just looked like a heap of mud. Then it moved, standing up to display a larger version of the aquatic creatures that we’d killed on the upper level. A full head taller than its minions, it roared and the shadows that had been stalking us moved in to attack.
More of the fish-men swarmed towards us, webbed feet moving agilely over the mud. I aimed and fired, taking down the minions that rushed towards me. Quin shot at their leader and it roared so loudly in rage that we flinched beneath the barrage. “Mirra!” she shouted.
That was the siren’s cue to unleash her power again. This time, Mirra didn’t hold back. Her magic spread out as she dropped any illusion that she was human. Up this close, I was almost enthralled by her unmatched beauty. Her hair billowed in an unfelt breeze and her face and form became subtly altered. She strode forward, moving so gracefully that I was mesmerized. It was suddenly as if the mud obeyed her command and shifted aside to let her through.
Connor held onto his control by a thread, continuing to shoot and reload rapidly as he held the monsters back. Claws raked my side, snapping me out of my daze. I shot the offending creature pointblank in the face, killing it instantly. Quin was surrounded by bodies of fallen lackeys who were desperate to protect their ruler.
From the corner of my eye, I watched Mirra face off against the far taller and larger monster. It bellowed at her and she responded in kind. The force of the siren’s shriek was almost enough to bring me to my knees. I knew if she’d directed her rage at me, I wouldn’t have been able to withstand it.
Staggering back a step, the huge water-creature raised a webbed hand to shield its face. Mirra advanced and her scream rose in pitch and volume. Dark blood began to seep from the monster’s eyes and mouth and it let out a pained bellow. Its few remaining minions turned away from us and rushed towards the siren.
Quin didn’t need to tell us to protect Mirra. We opened fire on them, cutting them down before they could reach her. Their leader was now on its knees, swaying beneath the force of Mirra’s shrieks. Stepping up beside her, we unleashed our bullets on the dying creature. With a glare of rage and hatred, it collapsed. It tried to let out a final bellow, but expired before it could let out the breath it had taken.
Cutting off her scream, Mirra swayed on her feet, suddenly graceless and clumsy. She’d used up most of her energy and wasn’t quite as stunningly beautiful now. The mud that clung to her was probably the reason for that.
“Well done, everyone,” Quin said, including me in her praise while steadying Mirra with a hand on her shoulder. “I don’t know what the hell those things were, but they were tougher than they looked.” Making sure Mirra wasn’t going to fall down, she slogged through the mire until she reached the leader of the strange creatures. Bright light flared several times as she took photos.
I peered into the dim recesses of the plant to avoid being blinded and spotted something strange. Shining my flashlight at the objects, I moved closer to see what they were.
“What have you found?” Connor asked as I crouched down.
“I think they’re eggs,” I replied. Picking one up, it was far larger and heavier than any egg I’d ever seen before. Oval in shape, it was an ivory color and bigger tha
n my hand. “Catch,” I said and tossed it to him.
Catching it with one hand, Connor examined it. Mirra carefully made her way over to him and studied it. She touched it, then snatched it back with a hiss. “It is the spawn of that creature,” she said, gesturing at the dead monster. “I think she was a queen. The minions we killed were most likely her consorts. They probably fertilized the eggs.”
Shining my light around, I saw dozens of nests. Each one had up to twelve offspring. “There’s hundreds of them,” I said uneasily. “How could it have laid so many eggs in just a few days?”
“I don’t know,” Quin replied just as uneasily. “But we can’t leave them here. We’ll have to destroy them all.” She wearily slogged through the quagmire over to the closest nest and took some photos. To my relief, she didn’t keep one as a sample. If even one of these eggs hatched a queen, we would face another potential disaster like this again.
It was a long, messy job, but we finally found and destroyed every egg in the place. We’d used our boots to crush them rather than wasting our bullets. I was thoroughly coated in filth and had grown used to the acrid stench by the time we were done.
“That’s the last of them,” Connor said wearily when he smashed the final egg. We’d stayed together rather than spreading out. Four pairs of eyes were better than one and we’d made sure not to overlook any of the creature’s spawn.
“I’m going to take the longest bath of my life when we get home,” Mirra said. She looked even more exhausted than I felt.
“Mud is supposed to be good for our complexions,” I said solemnly.