Underground_A Merfolk Secret

by M. N. Arzu

  Kate nodded, and Jeff nodded. “As Ken has planned this, we will be talking about first contact by the end of the year.”

  “Is there any reason why he wouldn’t want to expose Brooks Inc.?” Patrick asked, suspicious.

  “Julian Brooks has a lot to lose if we do this carelessly, and that man can drag us through the mud if we do this wrong,” Kate said, shrugging. “We’re planning this carefully, that’s all.”

  Patrick sighed in relief. “For a moment there, I thought you wanted to kill the story.”

  “In all honesty, Ken thinks that blowing the lid on this now would throw the story into chaos. As he sees it, the story right now is that Ray’s alive and recently freed. But, everybody noticed he communicated in written English. So, we need Ray’s story to settle before we go explaining how and maybe why he can do that.”

  Patrick looked at her, clearly unsure if he should open his mouth.

  “What?” she asked, glancing at Jeff, who was studiously ignoring her half-truths behind his screen.

  “There might be a bigger story that goes in parallel with Brooks Inc.’s involvement: The merman the Navy freed on Saturday is not the same one that washed up in Maine.”

  “The tail color,” Jeff said, nodding. “People on the net have noticed and are clamoring for an answer. Most believe the tails might change color according to mood. Others that the treatment caused it. But some think that is not the same merman.”

  “A facial recognition expert confirmed to us that the faces aren’t the same,” Patrick said, leaning on the table. “Someone’s lying here. Or maybe everyone’s lying, I don’t know. But I think your boss is right. We can’t publish anything until we know for sure where the truth leads us.”

  Kate looked at him. One day, she was going to have to tell him the truth. One day, he would know that telling the world the Brookses were merfolk would only endanger Julian and his teenage sons, who had everything to lose if they irresponsibly reported their identities. One day she might trust Patrick to tell him herself, or he might find out the truth on his own.

  One day, but not today.

  * * *

  Patrick leaned on the rail, watching the Statue of Liberty saluting in the horizon. “I don’t know what Veritas is hiding, but they know far more than they’re telling.”

  Beside him, Paul McKenzie followed the flight of a nearby seagull with mild interest. “It has to be bigger than what you’ve already given them, or they would’ve shared it with you by now.”

  A couple of tourists chatted animatedly in Italian, wearing twin Save the mermaid! t-shirts. Patrick ignored them. “I can’t decide if they’re protecting themselves or their sources. Kate did mention that Julian Brooks might sink them if they weren’t careful, but I’m not buying that. He already told them about Brooks Inc.’s involvement in finding merfolk. He expected them to publish the story he told me.”

  McKenzie nodded. “He told the story to you. He wants it out. Or at least, he wanted it out until the Navy released their version of the story. The editor might be right, though. It might be too noisy to contradict the Navy while everyone’s going nuts over Ray’s happy ending.”

  “That’s the only part of everything Kate told me that makes sense…” Patrick said, a bit exasperated. But then, he smirked. “It’s funny, you know? I started this story by following Kate’s steps, so it’s only fitting that I ended up following her right into her office. If only she could start being truthful. Sorry, Paul. This might end up taking more time than we had anticipated.”

  McKenzie sighed, thoughtful. “It can’t be helped. Keep informing me of any Veritas developments. In the meantime, as destiny would have it, my daughter has become quite close to Alexander Brooks. What better reason to talk with Julian than that of the shared concerns of single parenthood?”

  * * *

  Gwen finished tying up the last stitch on Drake’s lower back, and sighed in relief. She looked at Higgs, and then both turned to look at the subtle rising back of their patient.

  “Well, that was incredibly easy,” she said under her medical mask. The tracker hadn’t been placed deep, but the skin was still badly damaged from the original burn, so they had to be extra careful with it. For someone who’d lived a long life, Drake barely had any marks on his back. She wondered if this was going to leave a nasty scar behind.

  “What I would give to see his EEG right now,” Higgs said with longing. Human sedatives and anesthetics were not compatible with merfolk biology, since they triggered unexpected reactions. What they did instead was connect to another mind, and quite literally flee their bodies during this kind of procedure.

  Beneath her careful hands, Drake wasn’t sleeping. He was holding on to Julian’s mind in the next room, waiting for them to be over. Christopher had done something similar with Matthew when he’d been at ORCAS. Something about listening to music, if she remembered correctly.

  She could understand why the neurologist in Higgs wanted to get a reading on merfolk telepathic mind tricks, but she still marveled that they trusted her enough to use a scalpel on their bodies.

  “Okay, we’re good to go,” she said as she finished cleaning up the skin and disposing of the last cotton swab. The whole thing had taken less than twenty minutes. Higgs nodded and left the room to tell Julian it was over.

  “Drake?” she said, placing a hand on the merman’s shoulder. She felt him taking a deep breath, and then tensing, as he surely felt the incision she’d just closed. “Hey… Take it easy… There’s no rush, everything went okay…” she told him, seeing dark scales shifting all over his spine.

  “Is it out?” he asked, sounding drowsy.

  “Yeah. Higgs took it to Julian a minute ago.” The scales shifted back to skin as Drake let the tension go. “You do have a swimmer’s body, you know?” she said as she stared at his broad back. He laughed, and then grunted.

  “Sorry,” she said, wincing. Laughter was only going to upset his injury.

  “That’s okay. It’s a small price to pay to be rid of that thing.” Drake moved, slowly getting on his side. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. So, Mr. Merman, what are you going to do with your newfound freedom?”

  “I’m meeting with the UN, apparently,” he said with a fleeting smile, as if that was the most common thing in the world. He started to sit up, and she reached for his arm.

  “There really is no rush, you know,” she admonished, as Drake closed his eyes. “Dizzy?”

  He nodded. “Still having trouble being upright…” A few seconds later, he sighed. “Julian and I have been talking about how things are getting too hot in New York. I’ll meet with the head of the UN committee in Sweden in a couple of weeks. We were hoping you might want to take some time off and come with me?”

  She froze. “Are you asking me to go to Europe?”

  “We don’t feel you’re safe in New York anymore, and having your testimony with the committee might prove crucial—”

  “Yes,” she said, and then laughed at catching Drake off guard. “You don’t say no to Europe. And you’re right, I need to go off the radar for a while. Giving a semblance of the truth to the UN committee might help clear my name, as well. When do we go?”

  “In three weeks. Before the world wonders if Ray’s coming back.”

  * * *

  Something about Dr. Higgs’s apartment put Major White at ease. It helped that the doctor had a pragmatic mind and knew how to play both the political and the diplomatic games.

  “They don’t blame you,” the tall man assured him, as they both shared a cup of tea on a rainy afternoon. “Drake has an uncanny way of telling friend from foe.”

  “It’s a skill born out of experience, I’m sure,” White said. “The kind where your life is on the line every single day. Did he mention anything about the suit?”

  Barely a week had passed since Drake’s release on Saturday morning, and all White had heard from either Drake or Julian was that they wanted the specific schematics o
f Drake’s altered suit. White had sent it without a question.

  “He thought that the extra inner biometric system was always going to short-circuit. That Coleman wanted to make sure that Drake wouldn’t pass the test smoothly.”

  “Wouldn’t put it past the admiral.”

  “That man likes to play risky games,” Higgs pointed out. “I’d expect a frosty relationship with merfolk for a while.”

  White nodded. After all, there had to be consequences for what Coleman had done, not only to Drake but also to Adrian. Even if the merman was a wanted man, he was still merfolk, and that meant that the Council had a duty to protect him.

  “Risky is a good way to phrase it. Still, however misguided and unethical his efforts, he did gain invaluable insights on merfolk dealings. He proved they’re not a tight unit, and found reason to believe the Council can be destabilized.”

  “You sound rather impressed,” Higgs said, curious.

  “My mission is to gather information about our best opportunities in dealing with merfolk, doctor. I won’t dismiss any of it, no matter who’s bringing it to the table.”

  “That’s not what I meant,” Higgs explained. “Admiral Coleman is as much a strategist as you, but he seems to be under the impression that merfolk can be controlled. You, on the other hand, are more into the diplomatic approach.”

  “I have no reason to be hostile,” White corrected him. He placed the mug on the coffee table, and thought for a moment. “If I may be honest with you, Drake earned my respect that day at ORCAS when he shot me. He stormed the place alone to rescue Scott and singlehandedly directed everyone to deliver Christopher into a medevac no one had seen coming. In the space of eight minutes, he infiltrated a heavily guarded facility and flawlessly executed a rescue mission without seriously hurting any of my men. They’ve never wanted confrontation, but I know they could bring one to our doorstep with no problem.”

  “I hadn’t thought about it like that,” Higgs said, nodding. “He did do a number on us, huh?”

  “He did a bigger number on Coleman,” White said, earning a good laugh from Higgs. “But the fact that they’re avoiding hostilities is just part of it. There are other practical reasons, of course. Brooks Inc. is a global company that can flex its muscle in our politics, not to mention abroad. And before this incident, they were willing to share some of their technology, and small as it might be, we’re getting it before anyone else. Staying in their good graces is in our best interest right now.”

  “So, in short, you’re relieved they’re still willing to play with us.”

  “I’m relieved Julian didn’t leave, I can tell you that much. But they do seem to have their hands full with their own kin, and that’s making people in Washington nervous.”

  “That’s understandable. No one likes unknowns. And there are no bigger unknowns right now than these people you cannot buy or control.”

  White shook his head. “You can control them, doctor. That’s exactly what Coleman proved. And if he was able to get Adrian to do his bidding, you can be sure he’ll be back for more merfolk, wherever and however he can find them.”

  * * *

  Spring finally came in full force to New York City, chasing away the perfect winter chills that merfolk loved so much. Not that Alex was paying much attention to the weather as he walked with Gill through Central Park.

  “…And then Dad said that seeing Ray come out of the water was one of the best moments of his life. That he felt like he was truly making a difference, you know?”

  “You are making a difference. Your dad and you and the SWIMMERs. Ray wouldn’t have been able to pull through without you guys. He has a newfound respect for your organization, your dad, and certainly you. My dad gave him a very detailed description of your grand speech.”

  She beamed, her eyes shining with pride and possibility. He could only imagine what being in the middle of his family drama must look like to her, and wondered where she would go in the future. Hopefully, somewhere that also included him.

  They stopped in the middle of the bridge, looking down at the lake. Gill sighed, content. “You think one day I’ll get to see one…?” she asked dreamily.

  Alex frowned. “You’re seeing me right now…?”

  She looked at him, confused, and then blushed. “I mean—I wouldn’t—I would never imagine seeing you in…scales,” she whispered the last word, turning beet red, which looked odd with her already reddish curls. She turned a moment later, too embarrassed to look him in the eye.

  He gently tugged her hand, so she could see him smiling.

  “Hey… That’s okay. I’m pretty sure you’ll see one,” he promised her with a mischievous smile. Gill was strangely right: Showing his tail and his colors did feel like a rather intimate moment to share with anyone who wasn’t his family—who wasn’t merfolk. But someday, soon, he could clearly picture her wish coming true.

  She squeezed his hand, and shyly smiled back. And she didn’t let go of their interlaced fingers for the rest of the day.

  Epilogue

  Few things felt more familiar to Matthew than the million lights of the New York City skyline. Of all the things he recalled about his early months with Julian and Christopher, the sight of New York that first night Mireya had brought him was still crystal clear in his mind.

  Here was his new home, he’d thought, but he’d had no idea that here was also his new family. He’d had absolutely no expectations, and quite frankly, he’d thought Julian would kick him out before a week had passed.

  That had been five years ago. The dark times he’d left behind contrasted harshly with the multicolored decorations of the Brooks yacht, with a large Happy Birthday, Matt! banner lazily undulating with the sea breeze. He was turning eighteen today, but somehow, Matthew felt ancient.

  Everything about his life felt faked. He wasn’t born a Brooks, he wasn’t a blood relative, he wasn’t even human. I might as well enjoy being a fake adult now that I’m eighteen…

  What a crappy birthday this was turning out to be.

  He longed for a time when these things didn’t matter, for a time before the world knew about merfolk, and certainly for a time before Chris had been attacked. Most of all, he longed for a time before Adrian.

  You’ll be eighteen next month, Adrian’s words echoed in his mind. Leave Julian for a while, come see the world. I’ll gladly show it to you.

  His chest tightened at the memory. He couldn’t tell if Adrian had meant that, or if he just wanted Matt out of the way for Admiral Coleman to hunt his family down. Lately, Matt was certain that Adrian didn’t believe half the things he’d told him about Julian and the Council, and he wondered even if his smuggling stories were true or a watered-down version of events.

  Everything about Adrian was tainted, and Matt felt tainted, too. And he felt so, so lost.

  “Hey,” Chris said, joining him at the rail, probably sensing his brooding. “Scott’s threatening to finish the last piece of your birthday cake…”

  “That’s okay. We both know how treacherous that hunger can be. Though he’s eating less, isn’t he?”

  Chris nodded. “It’ll be a few weeks before he gets back to normal. Or whatever passes for normal with him…”

  Matt laughed at Chris’s uncharacteristic quip. His brother smiled, and Matt felt a wave of relief coming from Chris. Matt hadn’t been laughing since leaving Adrian in that hotel by the roadside.

  “Do you feel—different?” Chris tentatively asked. “Lighter?”

  Matt frowned. “Lighter?”

  “I’ve been having this—this anxiety, for weeks now. It got really bad at the hospital, and my insomnia was getting worse, but… since you came back that day at the diner, I’ve been feeling lighter.”

  “Because Adrian hasn’t been intruding into our minds,” Matt said, and Chris nodded.

  “I think part of me knew,” Chris said, thoughtful. “That first day in Central Park, when he turned and I saw him? I had this visceral reaction to him. I
knew he was going to attack me. But since he’s been gone, this fog of fear, of feeling threatened, just disappeared.”

  “Maybe all you needed was closure,” Matt suggested. “Knowing who and why has to help somehow, right?”

  “Yeah, that probably helps, too. But have you been…dreaming about me? Or him? Have you been on The Deep C at all?”

  Matt shook his head. “No. Nothing. I do keep thinking about him,” Matt confessed, his gaze going to the skyline. “I can still hear his voice, taunting me about the Council, about my life, about—about being brothers. But the thing is, it shouldn’t have affected me this much. I mean, I barely knew him. And every single time I was around him, I was always on my guard. So why do I feel like I lost something that was never there?”

  “Because you have the most generous heart I’ve ever known,” Chris said, leaning on the rail, studiously looking at the skyline as well. “You saw a man who needed you, who needed the warmth of a family, and despite your misgivings, you gave him all you had, because maybe—maybe that would’ve fixed him. But people like Adrian only know how to take, and all the people in the world cannot fill that void.”

  Matt sighed. He had no idea if any of that was true, but there was little he could do about it. It had taken him weeks to understand that he had nothing to do with Adrian’s decisions, and much less with Wallace’s vendetta against the Council and all the surface children by extent. But he still felt responsible, and deep down he feared that whatever was missing in Adrian was also missing in him.

  “You don’t have to worry about me,” Matt said after a long moment of silence. “I know I haven’t been myself lately, but I’m getting there, okay? I just needed to work things through. To look at the pieces Adrian left behind and—I don’t know, make sure I don’t turn out like him or something.”