Underground_A Merfolk Secret

by M. N. Arzu

  “Dr. Higgs, the UN-assigned doctor. Why isn’t he here, again?”

  A look passed between Gwen and Andrew. “We think something happened to Ray,” Gwen said slowly, “maybe something medical, maybe just trust issues. Higgs hasn’t been in his apartment since last week. He wouldn’t tell us where he was going, which usually means the government or the UN is in the middle.”

  Patrick frowned. “A conspiracy to keep Ray safe. A kidnapping by the Navy. A cover-up involving the UN and Brooks Inc. And now we can add a missing doctor. All this coming from the woman who’s been in international news declaring how Ray died, and a previously unknown physiotherapist who’s suddenly a merman expert. I’m sorry, this just sounds too good to be true.”

  Gwen smiled, one of those smiles Andrew had learned to dread. “We don’t expect you to believe us out of thin air, Mr. I-don’t-believe-in-conspiracies. We can prove it.”

  Patrick raised an eyebrow.

  “Not exactly we,” Andrew corrected. “Julian. He has the lab tests, the videos. Everything.”

  “We don’t expect you to print our stories,” Gwen added. “We’re here to tell you that you need to convince Julian that this is the right thing to do. If you do that, he’ll give you all the proof in the world.”

  33

  Knowing

  “You certainly have a talent for moving people around,” Higgs said, handing Drake the whiteboard and marker. Coleman had ordered that the keyboard and all network connections be suspended. Drake was only allowed access to them for official meetings.

  Which basically means only when Coleman’s around, Drake thought, as he started writing his first message of the day:

  New equipment?

  “The last of it is arriving today. Please tell me you’re going to cooperate with the testing,” Higgs added. Drake wanted to know when the Brooks equipment was arriving because that would let Julian know where he was. Higgs needed to run the tests because Coleman was getting impatient with both of them. Until Drake’s condition improved, Coleman had his hands tied. Exacerbating or in any way delaying Drake’s full recovery was not in the Navy’s interest.

  Of course, Drake wrote, an innocent smile on his face. Higgs laughed, shaking his head. Then he got serious.

  “You were right about your back,” Higgs said, getting closer to the edge so only Drake could hear him. “There seems to be a small device lodged at the base of the spine. Dr. Greensburg didn’t seem to know about it, so it might be courtesy of the Honos medical team. It won’t be possible for me to remove it in our current circumstances.”

  Drake nodded. He’d already known escaping in any conventional way was next to impossible. But then again, nothing about him was conventional.

  “Okay,” Higgs said louder, as if they hadn’t been discussing anything important. “I’ll see what’s taking Lieutenant Lewis so long, and then we can start with the basics, okay?”

  Drake had told Higgs a few days back how his body was still slow, so they’d started measuring his speed and muscle resistance. It was boring as hell, but at least it gave him something to do while he waited for his next move.

  Alone, he leaned on the edge of the pool, chin on his hands, and tail lazily moving down. Come on, Julian. My whereabouts are the last piece to make this work.

  Once he saw the machines there, then he would start the last part of his ambitious plan. The more time that passed, the more likely someone would take a good look at his code and find out what he’d left in the communication system. And if Coleman found it before Drake had the grand finale in place, then Drake knew he was going to be in serious trouble.

  He sighed, his mind going in a million different scenarios of how this was going to end, hardly any of them with a happy ending. And then he froze.

  Did I just sigh? He tentatively exhaled again, air slowly coming out of his mouth.

  “I can breathe,” he whispered, his lungs feeling queasy as he consciously tested them. It was probably best not to force them. It was definitely best not to let anyone know.

  * * *

  “We have a location,” Aurel said over the computer, and everyone on the call shared a collective sigh of relief. “It has just arrived in Massachusetts at the Institute of Marine Life Research.”

  “A civilian facility?” Julian asked. He’d expected a Navy base.

  “This one is heavily funded by the Navy. My contacts tell me all research has been postponed. The place has never been open to the public, either, so it’s probably the ideal place to let Drake recover before moving him somewhere else.”

  On the screen, Aurel shared a satellite image of the Institute.

  “It’s closely guarded. Even if Drake managed to reach the ocean, it would be next to impossible to get past their security. If your plan doesn’t work, then I don’t see a way of getting Drake out by force.”

  “Gwen and Andrew talked to the reporter, and he took the bait. He’s already contacted my office to arrange a meeting tomorrow. The sooner we get out the news that Ray’s alive, the safer Drake’s going to be.”

  “Many merfolk have reached out to us with questions about our plans,” Aurel said, while Mireya nodded. “We’ve been telling them to prepare for an event in the coming days and weeks. They don’t want to be taken by surprise, like what happened with Christopher and then with Wallace.”

  “Are we absolutely sure we don’t want to alert The City?” Lavine asked, one last chance to try to sway their minds.

  “The City won’t do anything,” Julian said. “They won’t help us with Drake, much less with our talks with the human world.”

  “Shouldn’t we—shouldn’t we let them know what we’re doing?” Lavine practically begged.

  “We should,” Mireya agreed, “but don’t expect a pat on the back.”

  “Once we get Drake back, we’ll notify them,” Julian said. “Those who are thinking about leaving The City need to know how welcome or not they’re going to be. In the meantime, we need to prepare for the breaking news about Ray being alive.”

  * * *

  The digital clock behind the glass wall read 6:54 p.m.

  Coleman was behind the wall as well, but eerily enough, no one else was. Even the telltale red lights of the cameras were off, meaning this conversation wasn’t being recorded. Lewis had handed him the underwater keyboard, and had told him Coleman wanted to talk to him.

  If I didn’t know better, I’d think this man knows exactly what I’m planning to do, Drake fleetingly thought as he typed his greetings.

  Good evening, Admiral.

  “Mr. Drake,” Coleman said, the words appearing on the monitor.

  You fixed the voice-activated feature, Drake wrote. He’d been working on the problem before Coleman had benched him.

  “We do have competent people,” the man said, coming closer to the glass to openly stare at Drake’s body. “Dr. Higgs’s report says you’re getting better.”

  I’m feeling better, thank you.

  “It’s always been a complicated problem, I’m sure you know. Your alien biology prevents us from aiding you. No drugs, no regular procedures. Even the water temperature needs to be right. You put us in quite the dilemma after your accident.”

  Drake didn’t miss the alien part. So this is why you don’t want people around, he thought.

  Your accommodations have been stellar, he wrote.

  “What about your memory? Do you have any recollection of your attacker?”

  Drake shook his head. He’d been getting pieces and flashes, but nothing solid. He was too worried about his future to really think about his past. He’d have all the time in the world once he was out and about.

  “Shame. I’m sure your Council has a better idea of who attacked you by now. We’ll be happy to help them in their investigation if not.”

  Something about the way the admiral smiled didn’t sit well with Drake.

  “They’ve been mobilizing people these past days,” Coleman continued, not expecting an answer from Drak
e. “Contacting the UN officers. Even the UN spokeswoman cut her vacation short to be here on time.”

  Drake went very still. Please, tell me you don’t know Diana is one of us, please, he thought, dreading what else was going to come out of Coleman’s mouth.

  “Even that rag of Veritas seems to be in on the game. A big-shot reporter has recently joined them. Whispers abound about how Ray didn’t die. What do you think people would say if they knew the truth about your nephew?”

  He’s bragging, Drake thought, narrowing his eyes. Coleman was bragging about all the intel he had on what was going on, but was he giving him pieces, or was he disclosing everything he knew, waiting for Drake to fill in the blanks?

  Coleman chuckled, something the computer couldn’t translate. “You and I are not so different, you know? We’re both men of shadows. Knowing is our business. Strategy is our game. So I’m sure you can understand the frustrating feeling of having your people running around without us knowing what you’re up to.”

  The only encouraging part of this meeting so far was that Coleman considered him an equal.

  “It’s always been our main concern how little we know about you as a society. No formal presentations, no official invitations. There’s been little in the way of unofficial interactions as it stands.”

  The admiral looked at him, calculating, mistrusting. “What makes you tick?”

  The sentence lingered on the screen, but Drake was more than a captive audience. Any word would be a misstep, any gesture a mistake.

  “We’ve been asking that question for months now,” Coleman continued, looking at the computers beside him. “We’ve been trying to find a way into your minds. Is it family? Is it status? What keeps you up at night?” He walked to the left, but Drake remained where he was. On his back, a fine line of dark scales shifted, the only outward sign of how tense he was. “Where are your mermaids? Where is your City?”

  Coleman looked up, as if he could see something beyond the glass and the water behind it. “What do you want?”

  He wasn’t expecting an answer, and Drake wouldn’t have given him one, either. Whatever game this man was playing, this was his move. Drake had to wait his turn. “That’s what keeps me up at night,” the admiral said, his eyes back on Drake’s face. “I suppose we don’t have to be enemies, you and I. We can find common ground. Rumor has it that your Council is preparing to receive newcomers, isn’t it? We can provide them cover and safety.”

  Coleman walked back to the middle again. “Or we can hunt you down and keep you in cages. We can clearly keep you alive.”

  The threat lingered in the air for a moment. “I’m sure you’ll be happy to hear that your friends have finally pinned down your location. It took them longer than I thought it would, actually. Maybe we can arrange a visit?”

  Don’t react. Don’t react. Don’t react, Drake coached himself, willing his body to remain still. He’s phishing for what buttons to push.

  “You see, Mr. Drake, we know. You can try to keep your secrets all you want. Hide in plain sight for a little longer. But in the end, we will find the cracks in your armor; we will find the answers we need. We are already one step ahead of you. I’m sure by now you’ve realized that you can’t escape us, so it’s up to you if you want to give those answers willingly or not. Think about it in the upcoming days and weeks. I’ll be right here when you want to talk.”

  With a tip of his hat and a rather menacing smile, Coleman left the room.

  My turn, Drake thought, as he found it strange that the admiral hadn’t wanted the whole conversation on record. His racing heart at least rejoiced in knowing Diana’s identity was safe—for now. But how on Earth does he know what the Council is up to?

  The question haunted him all the way to his dreams.

  34

  Confessions

  Matt stood perfectly still at the edge of the pool and, taking a deep breath, he jumped into the water in the most graceful arc Saavan Academy had ever seen. Not that anyone was watching. He was spending his free period in the pool, trying to forget about the world and its problems for an hour.

  The water welcomed him as he dove deep, wrapped him in the confidence of doing something he knew and loved, and for one perfect moment, Matt’s mind was silent and at peace.

  I didn’t think you would have the guts to spy on me, Adrian’s mental voice said with a touch of admiration, and plenty of annoyance.

  In the middle of the pool, Matt lost all sense of serenity.

  Adrian?

  I spent the entire week trying to figure out who had sneaked up on me, because the only one good enough to do that who wasn’t Julian was your dear little brother Scott. But his mind has been blanked since I met him, and Julian wouldn’t allow him to shield himself that well for so long.

  You know about Scott? Matt asked, swimming to the closest edge so he could get out of the water. He didn’t want to feel Adrian so clear in his own mind.

  I know a lot about you and your family, Matt. What hurts is that you don’t want to know about me.

  Guilt flooded his mind as Matt touched the wall, but instead of going up, he remained in the pool. I wouldn’t be spying on you if you weren’t hiding so many secrets, Matt countered honestly, water dripping from his hair and face.

  I’m not the bad guy here! Adrian shouted, making Matt wince. I don’t have time to convince you of every single thing that is wrong with the Council, Matthew. I just need to know you’ll be safe.

  He could feel Adrian’s anger, yes, but he could also feel his brother’s desperation.

  Tell me, Matt said with determination. I want to know everything that’s wrong, every single reason why you hate that I’m a Brooks. Tell me why I won’t be safe with Julian.

  Silence followed his statement, but he knew Adrian was still there, deciding if he could trust him.

  I can pick you up in thirty minutes.

  I’ll be ready in twenty.

  * * *

  Nathan almost dropped the grocery bags when he saw who was waiting for him in the lobby.

  “You’re back!” he said with probably the biggest grin he’d ever felt. He hadn’t realized how much he’d missed Diana—both as a UN ally and as his favorite mermaid—until she smiled back.

  “Against my mother’s wishes,” she said with just enough annoyance to speak of trouble. It was odd, really, how merfolk weren’t considered adults until they were twenty-eight, and how much deference to their guardians and parents they seemed to have.

  “Everything okay at home?” he asked, as she picked up one of the bags and they both went to the stairs.

  “Nothing to worry about. I’m here because Julian talked to you as a Council member talking to a UN officer. That’s huge, Nate! How could you leave me out of it?” she asked, half joking, half not.

  “I wasn’t expecting him to agree, to tell you the truth. I was frustrated with how things were going, and basically just went up to him and said, ‘Let’s talk’. And next thing I know, we are. If you feel left out, don’t make me start on how much Goronson chewed me out for unilaterally deciding to start the talks.” The head of the UN committee had practically strangled him over the phone.

  Diana nodded as he opened the door to his apartment. “But then she congratulated me for finally getting things started. Julian doesn’t want to talk to the special committee yet, not while Drake’s fate still hangs in the balance, but he might be running out of time. The UN is one of his best backups.”

  “Public opinion can be a great way to sway things, but not the Navy, and much less the Pentagon,” Diana warned.

  “That’s why you might need the help of an insider,” a man said behind them. And to their surprise, Major White walked toward them. “You might want to know what I found out these past days.”

  * * *

  The fiery red sports car smoothly stopped in front of one of Saavan’s four entrances. Like Scott had found out two months ago, if one was ditching the Academy, this was the best place to d
o it. Matt opened the door without a word, tossed his backpack behind the front seat, and felt the accelerator roar beneath him.

  Julian was about to talk with the reporter, so there was little chance he would notice Matt was moving, much less ditching school. By his side, Adrian’s mind remained shut down, a clear sign he didn’t want anyone knowing he was in New York.

  “I take it you don’t ditch?” Adrian asked, picking up on Matt’s uncomfortable vibes.

  “No reason to get on Julian’s bad side,” Matt murmured, watching the streets pass by. “When I first became a Brooks, I used to ditch school and the penthouse all the time, but Christopher was always there—it’s a long story. After a while, it was just easier to finish school every day and do whatever I wanted afterwards.”

  “Mom used to laugh so hard at my science textbooks,” Adrian said as a red light stopped them. “They gave up and started homeschooling me. Didn’t want weird ideas getting into my head as a young kid.”

  Matt remembered that laughter. When his mom was actually there, she had the most contagious laughter he’d ever heard. He shut that memory out. He didn’t want to remember it.

  “You said you were going to tell me what’s so bad about Julian. And I want to know. I really do,” he added when Adrian looked at him in disbelief. “Look, I’m here, right? That should tell you something.”

  Adrian sighed. “You’re right. I’ve been hiding things from you, but not because of you. I’m hiding them from Julian. He might find my line of work questionable…and there are some things I’m not even sure you’re ready to know right now.”

  Adrian kept driving, their silence stretching as his brother didn’t know how to start. “Our parents weren’t always addicts, you know?” he said, threatening to open the door Matt was trying so hard to keep shut. “They wanted to try everything in the world. They travelled. They would eat something new every single day. They never settled for routine—they had had centuries of routine already down in The City. Dad said life was too short to do the same thing twice, let alone do it every day for the rest of your life. And…eventually…inevitably, they ended up trying different things. Most drugs don’t affect us—”