Tidal Vortex-Book One

Chapter Eighteen

Connor:

Teal's screams from above freeze my heart in utter fear. My body jerks in midair, and if I could fly, I would be back by her side in an instant to fight those bastards off her. She, like most sirens, are more vulnerable when out of the water, unable to use our songs in our human form. Internally, I kick myself for not waiting to jump together. I thought she was right behind me. How could've I been so fucking careless? Anxiety at knowing Nimrod has her shakes me to my very core. Above all, I hope they don't kill her. I hit the seawater, transforming simultaneously as I do. My clothing shreds to pieces, but I am beyond caring. Blood tinges the water and I absently realize it's my own. The bullets pop out of my body, sea water cleansing the wounds, burning like a bitch, but I grit my teeth that are now sharp in my siren form. My body has already started the fast-healing process. If I'm to rescue Teal, I will have to take a few minutes to let my body heal. I remind myself, rushing into a fight full boar while hurt won't help her any. I force myself to swim the short distance back to the underwater ship. If I want any chance of finding her again, I need to activate the waterproof tracking chip I secretly had Bianca sew into her bikini top. I still feel slightly guilty for not telling her about the chip, but right now I mainly feel relief for having done so. Holding firmly onto my waterproof tactical bag, I slice through the water and around fish that swim fast to get out of my way. A shark swimming by smells my blood and comes closer, looking to take a bite. I bare my teeth and shriek at it. Sonar like pulses rush out from my mouth as my voice attacks it and anything else nearby. It sends it swimming away in a hurry. I am no one's prey! I need to get back to the ship as soon as possible so I can see where they're going to take her. I flinch as a daring dolphin shows up right beside me. It nudges me, squeaking as if it's trying to offer to help me swim. So, I grab its fin, taking the animal's extraordinary offer of help. 'Could this be Teal's guardian dolphin named Coral?' I wonder. Just to be safe, I speak to it.

"Teal is in trouble. Coral, can you help me get to the ship, please?"

The dolphin turns and looks me right in the eye before bobbing its head up and down while chattering at me.

"Holy shit! You really are her guardian, aren't you?"

The dolphin bobs its head up and down once again before swimming back under my arm, assisting me.

With the dolphin's help, I make better time getting back to the ship as we swim through the water. No one knows where Nimrod's base is, not even Poseidon. He hasn't been able to find out where they take our kind. The only tech I have to track her is on board the ship. I just hope to the gods above that they won't change her into different clothing. If they did that, we would be screwed.

****

Teal:

I slowly awaken being jostled about while carried into a building. My vision is slightly blurry and my head aches as I try to look around. Men quietly talk around me as they carry me. The net is still snugly around me, hindering any movement or escape. I try to twist to look around more, but my body still won't cooperate. Wherever we are, it's an enormous space. I can tell by the way the men's voices echo slightly in the space. Their boots clomp on the cement as they carry me into a room at the back of the building, then drop me in a tank of water while holding me down. I struggle, trying to get free, while hissing through my teeth. But it's no use, there are too many of them holding me. My body thrashes as the water fills my lungs and I transform to my siren form. The hands holding me pull back as I instinctively bite at them in defense. My sharp teeth miss their mark, and my face hits the glass of the tank I've been placed in. A metal band of sorts is clamped onto my wrist against my will. Before I can fight my way out of the water, a clear lid is quickly closed over my head and locked. I rage, beating my tail and fists against the glass of the tank that's almost the size of my old prison cell. My dress floats around my tail in the small space, hindering my movement slightly despite its thinness.