Chapter 22: Chapter 22

...

..

Elsewhere

..

...

Lovely groaned as his eyes blinked open, everything was upside down including a blurry woman who was seated in front of him.

A heavy splash of water landed on his face thereby jolting him to consciousness.

He was suspended upside down with a rope that was connected to the ceiling.

"What the hell?". He cursed and swung his body around.

"You never get to learn son, always proving stubborn". Mrs. Arrowood s cursed and rose to her feet.

He groaned loudly and pulled himself up grabbing the knot around his neck but his waist ached badly and he let go.

"Can you kindly save me the torment Mother"? He said.

"Seems you want us to start training from level 1 again son, you're past this already, when I call, you respond or you know what I can do, if it's the hotel that makes you feel pompous I'll take it away". She threatened.

"Leave my hotel out of this Mom, fine, I'm sorry, you ruined my today's plan and it's always fun letting your agents chase me". He said biting his lower lip.

She took the knife from the table and threw it cutting the suspended rope.

He groaned as he crashed to the ground.

Ashley moved to him and loosen the rope from his leg.

"Don't touch me". He cursed.

"And what did I teach you on respecting your siblings?". Mrs. Arrowood said.

"Sorry, Mom". He said and she helped him up.

"Are you alright?". She said.

"Yeah". He replied and staggered to the table where he picked his shirt.

" As I might have told you before, I have some Mermaids captives for eighteen years now to get to the Arctic Mermaid which is our focus ".

" Captive Mermaids? ". Finn asked.

"I must have told you in one occasion or the other but I haven't taken you to see the mermaids I held captive at a warehouse, only ten escaped, we still have about forty but we can't let the ten be on loose ".

"Just hit the nail on the head". Diaz complained.

"You four are going to hunt them down".

"C'mon Mom, not again, can't you take Dahlia". Ashley asked.

"Dahlia is on a special assignment and will return soon, Do I have to remind you what happens when you disobey me, daughter".

"I'm sorry Mother".

"They all escaped into River Fion which is currently surrounded, we have them trapped in". She said and snapped her fingers.

Some men hurried in with crates and dropped down.

"As usual, you pick your choice, arrows and bow, harpoon, guns, they're all here and not forgetting... ". Mrs. Arrowood said and dropped a jar of honey in front of them with several cotton buds.

"You'll need to fortify yourself from their charm when hunting, that's rule number one, have you forgotten so soon?". She asked and Diaz stepped forward.

"Here we go again, can't we just get something like Ashley and Dahlia's earring that repels the charm in a Mermaid's voice". Finn asked.

"It's the same theory, it's filled with honey as well and if you want earrings, you can put them on, I'm not opposing you but if you don't get the honey into your ears right now I'll start hanging you upside down right away".

They picked the cotton bud and dipped it into the honey rolling it.

"Putting honey into your ear or at a close range to your ear creates an atmosphere that repels or filters the charm in the voice of the Mermaid making it a normal human sound".

"Mom, can you just let us concentrate". Lovely complained.

"When was the last time you did this, you need to start again, from henceforth it becomes a daily routine, is that clear? ".

"Clear". They replied.

"They could be anywhere, walking as humans and observing daily activities, I can't have any of you under their control". She said.

They dipped the honey filled bud and rolled it into their ear over and over again till the buds were finished.

"That should sustain you for 24 hours". She said.

"Or I'm just gonna wash it when we're done". Lovely said and she slapped him across the face.

"Sorry, Mom".

"Then what are we waiting for?". Diaz asked and cocked his desert eagle pistol.

"I'm not working with them, Mom".

"Listen to me Lovely and I'll never repeat myself ever again, you can hate your step-siblings in whatever height you desire, I don't care but when it comes to my operation, they're your best of friends, atomic hate is unacceptable and when you're done you can return to your normal lives ".

Diaz stretched his hand and Lovely shook it as he pulled closer.

" Just note that the next time you try to kill me, your body would be found on the Atlantic Ocean ". Lovely whispered and they smiled as they disengaged.

" Good boys, now grab your UV spec ".

..

..

..

Kapella walked out of the school premises with Cindy who was furious.

" You can't believe it, he couldn't even say a thank you, he was furious and just left for home".

"Furious that I unlocked his phone?". Kapella asked.

"He's a jerk, whether you unlocked the phone or not it would have still been destroyed, he's just dumb to see it".

"Maybe we should get him a new one".

"No no no Baby K, let him drown in his stupidity, what does he think that video can do, the Arrowood Family have gotten into bigger shit and always found their way out to deal with the person, he just does

not realize that".

"Or maybe he's just trying to be brave".

"Brave indeed, he wants something with Ashley which I can't figure out yet".

"Maybe he wants to play her as a playboy does".

"hush! You can't play Ashley, she's known as a playgirl herself so whatever he wants with her is out of possible".

"Um, do you think Ashley is Um... A..". Kapella stammered and paused.

"Now maybe I'm so good at fill in the gap or I know naughty things that K can't mutter".

"Is she a Lesbian?, Right?".

"Don't act like that's not what you intend to say, Ashley has a history of picking on beautiful girls who threaten her position but she's known also as a playgirl who shatters people's hearts so I have no answer to that". Cindy explained and they walked out of the gate.

"She was literally asking me if I had a thing for her, isn't that crazy?".

"Ashley is crazy but when did she say this".

"Don't bother".

"I saw you with Ashley's bag and now.... What are you hiding Kapella?".

"It's nothing, seriously it's nothing". She said.

"Friends are meant to confide in each other, we've been together for years now and I can't be trusted".

"No Cindy is not that?".

"I don't know if I can continue with these secrets all over Ella, I'll go first". Cindy said as she flagged down a taxi and hopped in.

"Cindy!". Kapella called out but the vehicle drove off already.

"Ma'am". A cabman called halting in front of her.

"Fion Boutique".

..

..

..

Men and women armed with harpoons could be seen standing on structures around the big river.

Some others had a drawn bow and some had guns.

A Hyundai SUV drove speedily to the shore and came to halt creating an atmosphere of dust around it.

The doors pulled open and the Arrowood got down.

Ashley had a bow with a sheath filled with arrows behind her.

Finn had an M4A1 hung around him while Diaz had a stun gun and a desert eagle in his holster.

Lovely appears to have no weapon as he got down from the vehicle with Mrs. Arrowood who wore her eye patch.

"Mom, the blueprint of the river". Lovely reminded and they moved toward the armed men.

"Someone is getting it". She replied.

He climbed up the ladder to the top part of the building where a woman was viewing the river with her sniper rifle mounted on the roof.

"Excuse me". He said and she drift back.

He squatted low and looked through the scope.

"This is not a UV scope". He said and turned back to her.

"Yes. That one over there has a UV scope". She said pointing to the other sniper rifle on the roof.

He moved to it and looked in through the scope.

He could see the little creatures in the river but not big enough to be Mermaids.

"UV does not have them in sight, they must have gone deep into the river ". Lovely spoke into his walkie-talkie device and retreat it.

"Then luring them above is the best shot". He heard Ashley's voice and he turned back to see her.

"Send the divers in, use them as bait". Ashley spoke into her Walkie-talkie and retreat.

"This doesn't change anything between us". He told her.

"I don't care, you heard Mom, loud and clear". She said and he nodded.

Divers could be seen moving into the waters and Lovely returned to viewing the river with the Sniper rifle.

He could see the divers in ultraviolet color as they swam in when suddenly some creatures with fins like them appeared from deep down grabbing them.

Lovely aimed one with his sniper and fired in the arm causing the rest to flee toward one direction.

"The blueprint". Diaz said as he climbed up the ladder.

He placed it on the ground and they gathered around it.

"There's a tunnel, over there". Finn said marking it with his pencil.

Lovely rushed to the sniper rifle again and looked through it.

He could see the divers headed in the same direction as well.

"Where does the tunnel leads?". He asked.

Ashley collects the pencil from Finn and trailed the tunnel down to an intersection.

"It connects to a sewer that burst out in Fion Factory ".

"They're escaping through the tunnel ". Lovely told them.

" What? ".

They hurried down the ladder and almost bumped into Mrs. Arrowood.

" The divers sent a message, the Mermaids are headed for the surface of the waters at the north side ".

" It's not the surface mother, it's a tunnel that's close to the surface, we know where it's bursting, Diaz you drive". Lovely said as they moved toward the SUV.

They all got in and he reversed the vehicle before driving off speedily.