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Chapter 5

Agent Harper was awoken when the captain announced they were beginning their final approach. He had taken the train up to Philadelphia to catch a flight down to Orlando as it was an earlier flight than he could get out of DC. Harper would be meeting with field agents at the airport and then driving with them to Blalva Beach. It wasn’t just that this was a huge lead for him on the case, he was concerned for Ellie's safety. Harper’s rational mind knew the local cops weren't going to miss something as obvious as a tanker truck, but Ellie was more than just a victim of Atargatis, she was his friend. The landing procedures went smoothly, but it felt like it took an eternity before they were at the gate.

He had spoken to an attendant when he boarded the flight, and he would be allowed to disembark before the other passengers. Harper retrieved his go-bag from the overhead and made his way off the plane ignoring the perturbed looks of the other passengers. An agent was waiting for him by the gate and introduced herself.

“Agent Harper?”

“That’s me.”

The woman offered her hand. “Nataly Rowland, Orlando Field Office, nice to meet you.”

Harper shook her hand. “I wish it was under better circumstances.”

“Isn’t that how it always goes in our line of work?” she smiled.

“Heh, true.”

They started making their way away from the gate.

“Agent Becker will be waiting for us in the car.” she explained.

“Please tell me you followed my brief and it’s not a black SUV with government plates.”

“I was getting pushback about that, so we’re using Becker’s personal vehicle.”

“That’s one way around red tape.” Harper shook his head.

“I take it that not standing out is important for this case.”

“This is the biggest lead we’ve got on tracking down the remnants of Atargatis. Not to mention, I think some of the state LEOs are compromised.”

“What about the local cops?”

“The chief at least can be trusted. He’s a friend of Ms. Derstine's, and from what I hear she’s in the good graces of Blalva Beach PD. I’ll contact him once we’re on the road.”

“You’ll have time, it’s not a short drive from here.”

Harper shrugged. “I figured as much.”

Harper didn’t want to discuss the situation any further until they were in the car. A silver sedan was waiting in the unloading zone. Harper saw who he assumed was Agent Becker talking to an airport police officer.

“Ah, there’s my partner and our guest. Thanks for understanding the situation, we’ll be going now.”

“Is everything alright?” Rowland asked as they approached.

“You know how it is. If you sit here for more than five minutes and they get antsy. Since we’re not in a Bureau vehicle they decided to tell me to shove off. After showing my credentials and a short conversation I smoothed things over.” he turned to Harper and offered his hand. “Welcome to Florida, I’m Agent Becker.”

“Thank you, and thanks for driving, Becker, I appreciate it.”

“It’s fine, at least this way no one can argue with my choices in music.” Becker smirked. “There should be room in the trunk for your bag.”

“Harper, you can take shotgun,” Rowland said as she opened the back door, “I’d rather have the space to stretch out on the way to Blalva Beach.

After all three agents were in the car and pulled away from the berth Harper pulled out his phone.

“I’m going to call ahead and let Chief Blair know we’re on the way.”

Rowland and Becker listened quietly to the call. There was little to update either party on, there had been no sign of any truck or other suspicious activity in the small beach town. Ellie was camped out in her business/home with her two friends there keeping an eye on her. Harper ended the call and sighed.

“Just how long of a drive is it going to be?” He asked as they exited the airport onto the highway.

“Depending on traffic, two to three hours.” Becker answered. I’ll stop for gas once we’re out of the city.”

“Becker is a Florida native,” Rowland said from the back seat, “he knows the back roads and highways by heart.”

“Heh,” Harper smiled, “I bet you thought joining the Bureau would get you out of Florida.”

“You’re not completely wrong, but I got a little homesick after a couple of years in the Midwest. Besides, all my family is here.”

“So, what exactly is going on in Blalva Beach and with its resident mermaid?” Roland asked as she shifted to stretch her legs out over the back seat.

“I became aware of some suspicious job offers being received by mermaids, three different instances were reported to me. The offers were enticing to the mermaids, but sounded a little too good to be true. All the contact info they were provided led nowhere. I advised Ellie, er, Ms. Derstine to be on the lookout for such an offer, and within a month or so she received one.”

“Yeah, sounds fishy as hell, but why are we focusing on Derstine and not the earlier instances?”

“Ms. Derstine was a bit paranoid about things, and asked her friend Chief Blair to keep a lookout for any kind of vehicle that could transport a mermaid. Low and behold a few weeks later the highway patrol stumbled on what had to be some kind of converted tanker truck on a routine stop. The trooper who made the stop is a friend of the Chief’s and clued him in on it.”

“What happened to the truck?” Becker asked as he changed lanes.

“Apparently a lawyer showed up and demanded just the ticket and had a crew of people to fix the broken light, some of whom were obviously security personnel. Back at his barracks the entire incident was wiped off the records and he was told to just let it go.”

Becker gave a small nod. “Ok, now that answers why we’re traveling out to Blalva Beach over the other incidents.”

“Ellie and the other mermaids have been put through enough because of these people. We need to nail these guys, and I don’t just mean the guy driving the truck.”

***

Sasha Kirkland was sitting in a van in a truck stop parking lot. From the outside it looked like just a nondescript white commercial van, but inside it was a mobile command center of sorts. Her driver and bodyguard were in the truck stop getting food. It was just as well, the call she was about to make didn’t concern them. The secure satellite phone took a few moments to connect. Once it did, she was looking at the face of her boss on the screen.

“Kirkland, what’s the situation with transport number three?”

“It’s currently parked in a warehouse and under guard. Our contacts within the Florida State Police have kept the incident off the record.”

“To think, a lousy tail light almost exposed the entire operation.” The man shook his head. “I want the driver to triple check every damn little thing that could get him pulled over moving forward.”

“Yes sir.” Sasha paused for a moment. “Are we still moving forward with acquiring Ms. Derstine?”

“Her acquisition is critical, and not just because of the client. That is all you need to know.”

“Very well. Once I get the rest of the team into position we will continue with the operation.”

“Take as much time as you need, I’d rather there be a delay then see this operation get bungled. There will be heavy consequences if it is.”

“Understood, sir.”

“Good. Keep me apprised of the situation.”

“Yes sir, good day.” Sasha ended the call and leaned back in her chair. Why is the eel-tailed one so damn important?

Sasha needed some time out of the van. She looked out of place wearing a suit at a truck stop, but she didn’t really care. Sasha entered the plaza and looked around. She spotted her driver and bodyguard getting some food at the deli. Sasha wasn’t feeling hungry, but could do with something to drink. As she filled a large paper cup with truck stop coffee she couldn’t help thinking about the situation.

Realistically we should just focus on the other targets, at least for the time being. People talk, and that trooper is going to tell someone about the transport. Frankly I don’t see the point in recovering any of the assets. We could just as easily grab some women no one will miss off the streets and make new ones. But I suppose there’s less money to be made selling a crack whore to a wealthy client. But the boss let that slip in the conversation, “Her acquisition is critical, and not just because of the client.” Is it because of her unique tail?”

Sasha added cream and sugar to her coffee, still unsure of the reason. But in the end, she had a job to do for people who would do far worse than just fire her for failing. She met up with her team and nodded to them.

“If you’re both ready, let’s get going. I want to be in town ahead of the transport and the rest of the team.”

***

Ellie was in her wetroom. When she had first moved into the boat shack she had enclosed the area under the shack with plastic fencing and a metal grate for a door, mostly just to keep any of her things from floating out into the bay. After a talk with Bob, she was now worried about divers coming in. Ellie felt vulnerable and was attaching wooden planks to make actual walls. Enclosing the area, however, was bringing back memories of the lockdown at the Atargatis park.

I don’t feel safe, I feel trapped. Like I’m going to go stir crazy in my own home.

Ellie let out a long silent sigh and swam back up to her dry room. The only thing that would keep her sane was some human contact. That, and a cup of coffee. As she slipped her head above the waterline, she heard a female voice talking to Josh and Bob.

“Oh, there she is.” Josh said as he turned to the water. “Hey Ellie, my mom stopped by to bring us a few things.”

Ellie could see the family resemblance between Josh and his mom, they had the same eyes, nose, and smile. Ellie smiled at the older woman and swam up to the edge.

“Nice to finally meet you, Mrs. Andrews.” Ellie offered her hand.

“You can just call me Clair, dear.” She bent down to shake the wet hand without any hesitation. “I figured the three of you could use a good meal after being stuck in here, and I brought a few comfort items as well.”

“I appreciate you going out of your way for me, ma’am.” Bob said with a nod.

“Robert, I already told you, it was no trouble to make a vegetarian dish. Besides, making and preparing the dough is the hard part of making ravioli; the fillings are easy.”

“Homemade ravioli?” Ellie smiled and shook her head, “I would have been happy with your meatloaf. Thank you.”

“Oh, don’t worry, I brought a container of that too.”

Josh chuckled. “Yeah, mom filled our little fridge with food, we had to throw all the beer and energy drinks in the cooler.”

Ellie smiled widely. “Thank you, Clair, I really appreciate it.”

“Really, it’s no trouble at all. I just wanted to do what I could to help relieve some stress.”

“Speaking of stress,” Ellie turned to Josh, “any word from the chief yet?”

Josh shook his head. “Not from him personally, no. An officer called and checked in while you were below but other than that, nothing.”

“If he was flying down I’m sure it won’t be long before that FBI agent gets here.” Bob glanced at his watch. “Assuming no delays or anything.”

“Yeah, I guess.” Ellie sighed. “Bob, Josh, thanks for staying here with me. I’d be even more of a wreck without you two keeping watch and talking to me.”

“Hey, you were there when I needed someone.” Josh smiled, “I’m going to be there for you.”

“Not only does working jobs for you keep the Sea Cucumber floating, but you’re a damn fine friend,” Bob looked away slightly, “and I’ve run low on those over the years.”

“It runs both ways, you know. As shitty as it is what I got duped into, At least I’ve got you guys to try and stop things from getting any worse.”

The phone started to ring and Josh picked it up. “Eel Bait Recovery and Salvage…” Hey, Ellie, it’s the Chief!”

“Put him on speaker.”

“Ellie, I got word there’s a car parked outside your place.”

“That’s my mom, she dropped off some food and stuff for us.” Josh quickly replied.

Chief Blair sighed deeply. “Alright, but you better head on home now, Mrs. Andrews, and please keep quiet about what’s going on.”

“You don’t have to tell me that, I know things are serious.”

“Honestly though, thank you for stopping by.” Ellie said with a smile.

“You all stay safe, and let me know if you need anything.”

Chief Blair waited until he could hear the door shut. “Ellie, your FBI friend has landed and is on the way from Orlando.”

“That’s good to hear.”

“They are going to stop by the station first to discuss some things with me and the boys before we head to your place.”

“Let us know when you’re on the way. In the meantime, I’m going to get back to work securing my wet room.”

“Alright, you stay safe, you hear me?”

“Loud and clear, Chief.” Ellie said and ended the call. She went to make herself a quick cup of coffee before going back below. “Do you guys mind breaking up a few more of those pallets for me? I’ve still got a lot of area to enclose down there

“You know, that’s just untreated wood, it’s not going to last long in the bay.” Bob said as he joined her by the coffee pot.

“I know, I’ll want something better I think in the future, but for right now a solid cheap wall is fine, I don’t need it to last all that long, just long enough.”

“Don’t forget to leave a way out for yourself.” Josh said as he joined them both by the coffee pot.

“Don’t worry about that, I’ll have a heavy bolted door and a little hatch in the back I can slip out of if needed.”

Bob poured himself a cup of black coffee. “And you have your bolt-hole all set up?”

“Yeah, I’ve got food, water, lights, and a burner phone with a solar charger. All of them are stashed in a little cave. Even at low tide you’d have to swim to get in there.”

“And what do you have for self defense?” He asked before taking a sip.

“Just my diver’s knife and speargun. Both of which I’ve been keeping close to me. But let’s be honest, I can out swim any diver without even trying.”

Bob nodded. “Yeah, and that is what I recommend you do.”

“Hmmm.” She finished taking a sip of her coffee. “Says the guy guarding my front door with a shotgun.”

Bob smirked. “We’ll pile the wood right by the edge where you can grab it.”

“Thank you.” Ellie said before lifting her mug to her lips once again.

***

Blalva Beach has two motels, The Beachfront and The Palm Palace. As the name suggests, the Beachfront sat right on the beach. It was the more expensive of the two with its prime location, though most locals believed The Palm Palace had better food at its attached restaurant. Sasha Kirkland had chosen the motel not for its view but for the easy access to the bay and ocean. It would be two days before the rest of the team was in town, and she wanted to be ready.

Sasha had changed from her suit to a rather casual khakis and blouse she had purchased on the way down, wanting to appear as just a tourist while in town. She needed to assess the police presence in town and map out the quickest routes in and out of town, and make arrangements for the rest of her team.

She finished her disguise with a cheap pair of large sunglasses. She instantly missed her designer pair, but they were a dead giveaway she was more than just a tourist. Her sandal clad feet led her out of the room and she paused to take a quick look at the ocean.

Maybe we should go with the boat rather than the truck, at least to get her out of Blalva Beach. Let’s keep the option open at least.

Sasha turned and walked away from the hotel towards the town proper. It was early in the season, but the town was starting to gear up for the summer. Sasha could smell sawdust and fresh paint as businesses got ready for the season. She had never been one for the beach, she preferred the mountains. Not that she had been afforded much in the way of vacations in her current job. The money she made, however, would allow her to buy a cabin of her own and retire at thirty-five, assuming she didn’t fuck things up.

She was making notes on her phone, but to anyone passing by would just assume she was texting. She made her way to the marina, and tried to make her way down to the target’s home and place of business. It was a decently sized boat shed, and was in good repair from what she could see. She paused to snap a few pictures. There was an old pick-up truck parked out front and Sasha made sure to get the license plate to look up later. On one side there was a pier with several boats moored to it. On the other side another boat shed.

There is just enough room to get the truck into position, but they may have to take out a wall to get the crane close enough to the bay to pull out the target. Sasha mused as she took several more pictures before moving on. I have a feeling this extraction is going to get messy.

***

Becker turned off the highway. At the bottom of the ramp they were greeted with a large ‘Welcome to Blalva Beach’ billboard. Harper felt a little less anxious as they drove into town. The police station was in the center of town. It was an old brick building that had weathered more than a few hurricanes since it was built. Becker pulled into the small attached parking lot. After the long ride, the three occupants took a moment to stretch out before entering the station. As they did the desk sergeant guessed who they had to be.

“You must be the FBI Agents we’re expecting.” He said looking up from the papers on his desk. “I’ll let Chief Blair know you’re here.”

“Don’t you want to check our credentials first?” Harper sighed.

“Oh please, you three are obviously feds.” He replied as he picked up the desk phone. “Hey Chief, the feds are here…alright.” He turned back to Harper. “He’ll be right out.”

“Thank you.” Harper sighed. What if someone else had come in claiming to be federal agents? It’s not hard to find a black suit and sunglasses.

They didn’t have to wait long for the chief to come out. He at least had the good sense to confirm their identities.

Special Agent Cyrus Harper, Augmented Humans Investigation Division. Special Agents Nataly Rowland and Calvin Becker are my colleagues from the Orlando Field Office.”

“Cyrus, that’s a name you don’t hear very often.”

“Yeah, there’s a reason I’ve gone by my surname since middle school.”

Chief Blair chuckled. “Come on back to my office, we can discuss things for a bit before we head down to Ellie’s place.”

The officers currently at the small station stopped what they were doing to watch the three agents enter the chief’s office. Once the door was closed they got down to business.

“What’s the situation with Ellie currently?”

“She’s been at her place. I believe she’s just been trying to secure the area under the boat shed.” Blair shook his head. “It’s one thing not locking your doors, she didn’t even have walls under there.”

“The idea of people diving down to cause her trouble probably wasn’t on her radar, until now.” Rowland said, shaking her head.

“What about the civilians staying there with her?” Becker asked.

“Yeah that would be Josh and Bob. Josh Andrews is her employee and Bob Shaw owns the ship she contracts out regularly for her salvage work. I don’t particularly like them standing guard, but honestly, Ellie needs someone there with legs if trouble starts, and having an officer staying there would attract too much attention.”

“Are they armed?” Becker asked cautiously.

“I know for a fact Bob is, he’s a retired master chief and knows his way around firearms. Josh is just a young kid, I doubt he’s even held a gun before, but I know there’s a bat by the door if you get my drift. As for Ellie, I know she has a speargun and a diving knife, but she’s been instructed to just swim for safety if shit goes down.

“Swimming would probably be her best bet, and she has a safe place to hide?” Harper asked to confirm.

“According to her, even stashed some supplies and a prepaid cell phone to contact us.”

“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.” Harper sighed. “Other than that tanker your buddy stopped, has there been anything else out of the ordinary?”

“Careful asking that in Florida.” Rowland smirked.

“Hey, watch it!” Becker gave her a playful shove.

“We’re at the tip of the summer season. We’ve got people in town getting summer rentals ready, not to mention businesses, so plenty of contractors everywhere. Also a few tourists have shown up in the motels, trying to enjoy the beach before it gets crowded.”

“So, outsiders could blend in with the workers, and trucks and vans wouldn’t be out of place in town. Wonderful.”

“The boys have been patrolling, trying to keep an eye on strangers, especially anywhere near the bay. I’m probably going to catch hell from the mayor for the gas we’re burning, but I don’t care.” He turned and looked out his office window towards the bay. “Ellie has done so much to help our department. Hell, the first murder we’ve had in ten years is behind bars because of her work. And she’s done it for beer, like a buddy helping you with your truck. I’m not going to let the same bastards who left her like this get their paws back on her.”

“More than just keeping Ellie safe, we need to bring these people to justice.” Harper balled his hands into fists without realizing it. “I’m certain all the mermaids are at some risk, not to mention the illicit augmentation still going on.”

“I had a feeling stuff was still going on.” The chief sighed. “Ellie’s friend Josh lost his job because his company was involved with that backroom augmentation crap.”

Harper nodded. “Yeah, it’s all over and running deeper than anyone would ever admit to the public.”

“The little cover-up of that, as Ellie put it, mermaid-kidnap-mobile shows us that much.” The chief said as he turned back from the window.

***

Ellie could hear the door buzzer going off from her wet room. She slipped her hammer into a sash across her chest and swam up. Josh was already checking the security monitor.

“Can I see some ID first?” Josh asked as Bob was standing back from the door with a shotgun in hand.

“That’s Harper.” Ellie sighed with relief. “And get rid of that gun!” she snapped back at Bob.

“Just being careful.” Bob said as he placed the shotgun back in its case and closed it up.

Josh buzzed them in and they quickly entered. Ellie swam up to the edge to greet them.

“Hey Harper, good to see you in person again.”

“Yeah, I guess I haven’t been down here since you got the place.” Harper took a sniff. “Still smells a bit like gasoline though.”

“I’m working on it, that’s the main reason I had the vent fan installed.” she pointed up into the rafters.” She smirked, then her expression softened. “Thanks for coming down.”

“Of course I did, I’m the head of the unit after all. Speaking of which, the Orlando field office has loaned me Special Agents Rowland and Becker to assist with this investigation.”

“Nice to meet you.’ Ellie waved. “I should introduce my new friends Bob Shaw and Josh Andrews.”

“As much as I don’t like involving civilians, I’m glad you’re not alone.”

“We both know what that is like. It’s only been a day and I’d be swimming in circles if they weren’t here to keep me sane.”

“I heard you were remodeling your wet room.”

“Yeah, it’s mostly enclosed now. It’s just wood salvaged from loading pallets, but I figure it’s a lot harder for divers to get past that than just snipping their way though plastic fencing. I hate it though, like I’m cut off from the bay and beyond.”

“I was there at the park too, I remember. But, this is serious, not just because of the tanker truck, but how it was swept up under the rug. We’re lucky Chief Blair was friends with the trooper that pulled him over, otherwise we’d have no idea they were going to make a move on you.”

“Are you a hundred percent sure they’re after Ellie and not any other of the mermaids?” Bob asked.

“There’s only two mermaids living in Florida, and the other is settled on the pan handle, working in the gulf as a diver. That truck was definitely heading here, though god only knows where it is now.” Harper shrugged.

“What about the DOT numbers and plates on the truck, have they led anywhere?” Josh followed up.

“It’s a mess of shell companies and fronts with the registration. The rest of my team is still working on untangling it back in Quantico.”

Ellie raised an eyebrow. “Wait, you have a team now?”

“Just a handful of other agents, but I’m hoping I’ll get access to a lot more if this goes well.”

“What is the plan, exactly?”

“For now, observation. We need to see if any visitors from out of town raise any red flags, and be on the lookout for any suspicious vehicles, besides the obvious one. We want to both catch them in the act, and as many of them as possible. There’s no way just one guy in a truck is enough to kidnap you.”

Bob crossed his arms before he spoke. “I’m not doubting any of your skills, but there’s just three of you and the local cops. Is that even enough?”

“The chief is already in contact with the county SWAT team. They’ll be our backup.”

Bob nodded. “And assuming that works, what’s next?”

“Then we push on all of them hard while we dig through every single piece of evidence they have on them.”

Rowland had been watching Josh and Bob quietly before she finally had to say something. “Excuse me, gentlemen, but how long have you both been up?”

“What do you mean?” Josh asked, shifting his stance to stand up straighter.

Rowland shook her head. “I can see it in your eyes; bloodshot and dark circles. I’m assuming you two stayed up all night watching over Ellie.”

Ellie glared up at her friends. “Are you serious? You told me you both got some rest!”

“We got a few hours each, we took turns sleeping.” Josh admitted.

“I admire your dedication, but why don’t you both go home, shower and get sleep.” Harper said in a reassuring voice. “We’ll hold down the fort.”

“But…” Josh started but Bob placed his hand on his shoulder.

“He’s right, we’re both tired, let’s take the break while we can, come back rested and ready to help. I’ll give you a lift back to your mom’s place.”

Josh looked between Bob, the agents and Ellie before nodding.

Bob turned towards Harper. “Want me to leave the shotgun, just in case?”

“Tempting, but we’ll make due with our sidearms for now. Also, it would be best moving forward if you left your weapons back home.”

“We’ll see.” Bob said as he picked up the gun case. “Come on, Josh, the sooner we get some sleep, the sooner we can get back.”

“I thought he would put up more of a fight.” Rowland said after they had left.

“He knows enough to stay on our good side to keep himself involved. However, I don’t doubt for one second that he will do whatever it takes to protect Ellie regardless of the consequences.” Harper turned back to Ellie, “That’s one hell of a friend you’ve got there.”

“I know, and honestly I don’t think I deserve it.” she shook her head. “Anyway, you three can make yourself at home. Josh’s mom stocked our small fridge with food. If you’re looking for takeout I recommend Captain’s Pizza, they make a great pie. If you’ll excuse me, I have a few things to finish down below.”

“Wait, what if we need to speak to you?” Becker asked with concern in his voice.

“Oh, just hit this button over here,” Ellie pointed to a large industrial button on her desk, “trust me, I can hear it buzz underwater clearly.”

“I thought you guys had to use sign language underwater.” He continued, still unsure about the situation.

She sighed. “Yeah, we learned ASL to talk underwater, my vocal cords work as well as yours do in there. When it comes to hearing,” Ellie pulled back her hair and showed a small disk-like section of skin below and behind her ear, “I have a second set of ears for underwater. Honestly they work better than my above water ears.”

“I ah, wow, I didn’t know about that.” Becker blushed slightly.

“Yeah well, they did a lot more to us than just giving us tails and gills.” Ellie shrugged as she let her hair fall back down. “I’ll let you guys know when I’m done.” with that she slipped back below the water.

“Shit, I fucked that up, didn’t I?” He asked the two other agents.

“A bit.” Harper sighed, “Maybe just trust a mermaid when it comes to underwater matters next time, huh?”

***

Ellie turned on the lights in her wet room. Normally she didn’t need them on during the day, but with her room now surrounded by wood planks she needed the light. She swam to the front door she was working on. She looked out of the square hole into the murky bay. As Ellie listened to the various boats motoring by, she couldn’t help but wonder if one of them was coming for her. She shuddered, all the way down to the tip of her long tail. Ellie pulled her tools back out and returned to work on the door.

Things can always get worse… She thought as she closed the door and barred it shut from the inside. Though I don’t know how much worse they can get at this point.

________________________________________

Original story and setting by Syntaxerror37

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