Tidal Vortex-Book One

Chapter Seventeen

Teal:

A phone rings shrilly in the tense silence as we hide behind the shelves. Connor protectively holds me close, probably more to calm his own nerves than mine. We both ignore the fact that we shouldn't be touching. The attraction we both feel towards each other zings between us like an electrical current. Tension in the air makes us both easily ignore the rules of Atlantis. Instinct to protect each other takes over as we stand together still. The sound of a woman's voice slowly gets closer as she walks leisurely down the wooden stairs. In walks a young woman slightly older than me with blond hair, blue eyes, and a slim build, who looks familiar. She talks on the phone to someone as she makes her way over to the computer area. Pulling out the computer chair I just vacated, she sits.

"OMG! I can't believe she got away. Hopefully, she sank along with the ship. Yes, Mother. I understand that. If I see anyone who resembles the bitch who killed my father, I will let you know. Stop worrying, Mom. Just give me a chance to turn the computer on and find you the information. Oh, by the way, Bernie forgot to close the trapdoor again," the woman says.

Her voice sounds so familiar. It takes a few minutes to put two and two together. I finally realize the woman I'm staring at through the gaps between the books on the shelf is my adoptive sister, Serina. She has grown so much since I was last here when I was twelve. Clearly, she thinks I murdered our father. Hearing that hurt, but I knew to expect that. If our roles were reversed and I thought she killed him, I probably would feel much the same way. In fact, I would be out for blood and wanting revenge much like I am now but under different circumstances.

"Okay, I found your file. The creature's file number is B469932. Yes, I will lock up after I leave," she says into the phone she holds to her ear with her shoulder as she clicks away on the computer.

Connor and I both look at each other, communicating without a word. I silently pass the flash drive to Connor, and he slides it into his tactical bag. The fear of getting caught reflects in both our eyes as we stare at each other. The realization that my adoptive mother and sister run Nimrod, the organization known for hunting my species down, settles like a lump in my stomach. If rumors were true, Nimrod captured sirens and used our genetic makeup to prolong their human lives. This truth is life changing for me! Shock settles over me. I grew up with these people, how could they be such monsters? Connor grips my hand while he signals for us to run, then counts down from three with his fingers. We run as fast as we can up the stairs.

Behind us, my sister screams, "Stop! How did you get in here?"

Serina runs towards me, throwing a punch that lands harshly on my left shoulder. As I push her arm aside, she stumbles back, then comes running at me again. This time I kick her in the stomach, sending her backwards a few feet. She sails through the air, landing on a wooden chair that shatters under her weight. Turning, I run up the stairs right behind Connor, only to be yanked backwards. I gasp in surprise as I am roughly dragged back down the stairs a few steps. Having lost my balance when she attacked, I now find myself falling on the wooden steps, the steps digging into my back as she drags me down each step. Suddenly Connor is at my side throwing my sister off me before he grabs my hand and we run like mad up the stairs.

She clearly doesn't recognize who I am. Mind you, they probably still think that I've drowned at sea. We don't slow our steps for even a second. The sound of our bare feet slapping against the wooden floor echoes in the small space. My heart beats a mile a minute in fright. There's no way I want to end up like the sirens in those videos. Running into the office study, Connor closes the hatch door, holding it down firmly.

"Hurry, grab something that will jam this lock," he says as he holds the door firmly while the thudding of fists sound on the other side.

I run to the desk, quickly opening a drawer as I pull out what used to be my father's favorite steel letter opener. Running back to Connor, I hand it to him. On the other side of the door, I can hear Serina calling someone.