The Turning Tides (Marina's Tales) (37 page)

“
Can I go home now?
” Nixie asked.

“
Yes!
” I said emphatically. I hesitated for a second, taking her hands, “
I’m going to change back now… but I’ll
take you
home soon… okay?
”

Her lower lip started to shake again, and she clung to me desperately, still afraid of Neuman’s bobbing corpse.
“
Don’t leave me
alone.
”

“
I promise
,” I said solemnly
.
“
But I have to change back
first
.”

I looked up at the open hatch to see wavy figures through the watery distortion. I steeled myself for the agonizing pain I knew would come with the first few breaths of air, surprised to find myself more afraid of being seen by Ethan than I was of the transformation. I pulled away from Nixie and thrust my head into the bright cool rush of air.

“Ethan,” I gasped, and he reached for me, locking his arms onto mine. He pulled me out and I landed with a splat on the smooth acrylic lid of the tank.

“Marina… I’m so sorry,” his voice was anguished, “I…I...”

He knelt by my side, cradling my head as I choked and sputtered the rest of the water out of my lungs. I was ashamed, embarrassed to be seen for what I was, and I turned away as I started writhing in pain. Max climbed up to join Yuri on the roof of the tank, and Ethan pulled me to his chest, wrapping his arms around me to shield me from their eyes.

“What can I do?” he asked, pressing his forehead to mine.

I could only shake my head; no words would come. I tried to turn away again, curling up into my misery, but he held me close, murmuring soothing words into my ear. I clutched my ring tightly in my fist, focusing on his voice.

“I love you,” he told me, “I love you, I love you.” He stroked my back and watched my face helplessly as my body uncontrollably spasmed, jerked and contorted in agony. As the worst of it subsided, I went limp from the effort, and he laid me across his lap, swiftly stripping off his shirt and dressing me like I was a rag doll. I clung to him silently while my bones ground into their final shape.

“Is she going to be okay?” I heard Max’s voice coming from far away. I pressed my face into Ethan’s bare chest, breathing in his warmth as I came back to earth.

“We have to get Nixie back home,” was the first thing I managed to get out.

I struggled to raise my head, looking down to see Nixie cowering in the corner of the tank, arms wrapped around her head. She was suffering the transformation secondhand, and I couldn’t possibly put her through the same terrible experience in the flesh. I had no idea what it might do to
her
… W
hat if she couldn’t survive it?

“
Nixie… it’s alright, I’m fine now,
” I said, knowing she could hear me perfectly.

She swam to the top, and we all
looked
down to see the frightened face of a child. She
glanced
over at Yuri in fear and I saw him return her gaze with a stricken look, “Ees just baby,” he said, looking up to me in surprise.

I took a ragged breath, “We have to hurry
!
” I tottered to my feet, “Paul is on his way here…”

“Who’s Paul?” Max asked nervously. I still couldn’t believe what I was seeing; everything had taken on a
bizarre
, dreamlike quality.

I stumbled, and Ethan caught me. I looked up at him, “Do you have your truck?”

Before he could answer me, the bay doors behind the tank started to slowly groan open. Ethan and I exchanged a look, and he saw the fear in my eyes. He scooped me up in his arms and headed for the ladder. Max was already starting back down.

“No!” I cried, struggling to free myself, “I’m not leaving her!”

Ethan changed direction, following Yuri to put me up against the wall alongside the slowly opening door. The sounds of the
truck backing up filled the air, and
Yuri reached into his vest for a weapon.

I heard Paul jump down from the truck, his footsteps crunching on the gravel outside. He climbed into the doorway, guiding the boom with the sling attached. He took a few steps in, freezing when he saw the open hatch on the top of the tank.

In a flash, he pulled his gun, looking down into the tank to see Nixie. He raised his weapon in two hands, moving slowly to peer over the edge of the tank. I could hear Edwards
’
muffled yelps when he saw Paul.
He wheeled around with his gun to see Yuri’s weapon trained on him.

“Well, well,” Paul said acerbically, “Wonders never cease.”

Yuri took a step closer to Paul, “Drop eet.” Ethan moved to stand in front of me.

Paul sneered at them, “And the boyfriend too…Priceless. You are aware that I can shoot her straight through you, right?”

Ethan looked like he was poised to lunge at him, but I grabbed his arm, stepping out from behind him. “Just leave us alone, and no-one has to get shot.”

Paul laughed bitterly, “Brave little Marina… I really have no idea how you keep screwing up our plans.” He glanced back over to Edwards, “I’m willing to let the three of you go.”

He kept his gun trained on
us, and both
Yuri
and
I knew how fast he was
.
I could see the weapon he had was fully automatic. We dared not make a move for him.

“I won’t leave without my sister,” I told him.

“Sister?” he said contemptuously, “We caught that thing fair and square. It’s Olivia’s property, and I won’t let Olivia down,” he said coldly. I knew he wouldn’t.

“You can’t have her,” I told him.

“That’s unfortunate. I’ll simply have to kill the three of you
then
.”

A flash of movement from behind him startled me, and I looked in amazement to see Max dart
up
over the top of the tank and grab Paul by the ankles, throwing him completely off balance. Paul’s eyes flew open in surprise, and he started rapidly firing the automatic weapon as he struggled to gain his balance. Bullets flew straight up, ricocheting off the ceiling, and Paul fell over backwards, disappearing over the side.

Chunks of cement rained down, and a pipe broke
free
from its bracket. It started to pull loose from the high ceiling with a groan, taking snapping electrical wires down with it. Max scrambled up the ladder as they fell
on
to the wet floor of the lab. We all rushed to the edge of the tank, and Yuri lowered his gun as the scene below us began to unfold.

The live wires arced and sparked, writhing on the floor like deadly snakes. Edwards’ body went rigid, and then started jerking like a ghastly marionette
, with
Paul lying motionless at his feet.
We cringed, but there was nothing any of us could do about it. The restraint chair had turned into an execution chair; rendering its own gruesome brand of justice.

Fate had tried and convicted Nathan Edwards, sentencing him to capital punishment for his many crimes.

“Whoa,” gasped Max.

“Let’s get out of here,” Ethan held me up to keep me from collapsing.

“We can move her in that truck,” I said, watching numbly as Yuri went to go check it out.

I fell to my knees at the open hatch, “
Nixie!
” I called, coaxing her to me, “
It’s time to go now… We
have to
take you back the same way they brought you…alright?
”

I heard the engine start up, and Ethan went to try and figure out how to move the sling.

“I know how to work it,” said Max, joining in the effort.

Yuri returned, and the three of them labored together to lower the sling closer to the hatch.

Nixie bravely swam to the surface, allowing Ethan to lift her carefully out of the water. The three of them loaded her into the tank as the last rays of the sun dipped down below the horizon. I was tired,
lightheaded and weak, but I focused on staying upright. I would not rest until she was back home in the sea. Back where she belonged.

I took one last look inside, peeking over the edge to see Paul’s body
sprawled
on the wet floor. His carcass was twisted in an unnatural attitude; his face was contorted in a death grimace. Looking down upon him w
ere
the charred remains of Nathan Edwards.

There, still strapped into his deadly throne,
wisps of smoke rising from the top of his head, sat the man who had no intention of dying.

“C’mon,” Ethan gently steered me out with his arm around my waist. We all piled into the front of the big tanker truck, driven
by Yuri. We lurched around
the building, passing the deserted guard kiosk to drop Max off at his little car. I climbed out to thank him for his help, self-consciously pulling down Ethan’s T-shirt before shaking his hand.

“I don’t get it… Why are you here? How are you with them?” I asked.

Ethan smiled sheepishly at Max, “I kind of… hijacked him at school. I knew he could get us into the lab, so I had him drive me and Yuri here.”

“Yuri fit in the bug?” I asked, looking at the big man and the small car incredulously.

“Yeah,” Max laughed
.
“Barely.”

“Well, you saved us all,” I said, and even in the low light I could see bright red splotches appear on his cheeks.

He exhaled loudly, “I still can’t believe that I grabbed a man holding a gun.”

“He was a monster,” I said with conviction, “A murderer.”

Max nodded, swallowing hard. He looked with regret to the deserted lab building. “They cut us all off a couple of days ago… Said they had a bomb threat, and wouldn’t let anyone in the building… I guess my research project is ruined.”

“I’m sorry,” I said sincerely.

“We need to go,” Ethan said.

“Max… can you please not tell–”

He smiled wryly, holding up his hand, “Don’t worry. Nobody would believe what I saw here today. I’m not even sure that I do.”

Ethan guided me back into the
tanker
truck, putting me in and fastening my seatbelt. He directed Yuri to drive us to the dark night harbor, telling me how he’d called to San Francisco for help when he realized that something was wrong. With Boris and Evie in South America, Yuri was there alone, and Ethan decided he had to trust him.

I looked up to see Ethan’s apartment. There were no lights on.

“Is she gone?” I asked him.

“Yes,” he said grimly.

We backed the truck down the boat ramp, and shielded by the cover of darkness, hoisted Nixie out of the tank.

“
I want you to find Lorelei
and Nerissa
right away
,” I told her, “
Warn
them
about the tricks they use
.”

Yuri took her in his arms and walked her to the
ocean’s
edge, gently lowering her down and watching as she darted away into deep water. He stood still for a moment, watching the rising moon’s trembling reflection on the dark night sea, and I finally understood that
Yuri
h
a
d
also
completely transformed.
He’
d gone from the captor of mermaids to the savior of the littlest one.

I realized that I’d misjudged him, and as I stood leaning against Ethan, I wondered how I could have been so blind. A cool breeze was blowing, and I shivered, my bare feet aching on the cold cement. I was suddenly overcome by exhaustion.

“Let me take you home,” Ethan whispered in my ear.

Yuri got behind the wheel, and I went to the window to offer him my hand
to shake.
“Thank you,” I said solemnly, “I’m… I… I just want to thank you, okay?”

He nodded seriously, starting the truck.

“And Yuri?” I called out, getting his attention again, “Uh
m
… Sorry about th
at
Tasing.”

He was smiling as he drove away.

And
then
the two of us were alone, standing in the cool night air. Nixie was safe, Ruby was gone and Edwards would never be coming for me again. I was with Ethan. My knees buckled and black spots
clouded my vision
. The last thing I remembered was Ethan’s worried face swimming before my eyes, his bare chest flying by as I slid down into the black abyss.

Nice abs, I thought randomly, right before I passed out.

~

C
hapter
T
wenty-S
ix

RECOVERY