Seascape

by Stephanie Burke

  “There is one that may help,” Elanna continued as she turned her head to stare up at the metal ceiling. “But I am afraid our captors will do something to him. He said his people had an affinity with your people, once. He tried to help me.”

  “The only good human is a dead human,” Storm growled as he gave up his struggle and flopped back to the metal table, tired but not defeated.

  “And what am I?” she asked, amusement tugging a smile at her lips.

  “Exceptional,” he replied as he closed his eyes and tried to draw in what energies he had left.

  “What are you doing?” Elanna asked, looking on in concern. “You’re going to deplete yourself.”

  Snorting, Storm focused in on his inner power and the room began to vibrate.

  A light blue aura began to surround him as he drew more and more power from the very air.

  Suddenly, there was a spark. Lightning flowed from his body, through the metal of the table, and the smell of ozone filled the air. As Elanna stared on in amazement, the leather bands that held him began to smoke, then snapped as he gave a sharp jerk.

  First one arm, then the other.

  An eerie smile began to grow on his lips as the glow faded from his body.

  He reached up above his head, felt the strap holding his forehead in place, and began to shred it with his sharp nails.

  Soon, that band too gave way and Storm was pulling himself in a sitting position.

  “Hello, love,” he purred, discovering that as long as he was sitting up, the hanging lantern above his head did not sear his eyes with its light.

  “Hello,” Elana giggled, fear, relief, and nervousness running through her mind. “And don’t even think to try that with me. Metal is a good conductor of electricity and you would fry me before I could open my mouth to scream.”

  “The only screams that come from your lips will be the ones of orgasm, Elanna,” he replied, as he reached down and tugged the straps holding his lower appendage.

  Tears again bubbled from Elanna’s eyes as she watched her mate. He was so beautiful, so exotic, and he was trapped here because of her.

  “Don’t cry, Elanna,” Storm soothed as the straps gave way and he undulated to maneuver his body into a more comfortable position. “You need to save your moisture. It appears they plan on roasting us slowly under these lanterns.”

  “This is all my fault!” Elanna gasped. Her sobs filled the air, ringing throughout the metal room, sending painful vibrations straight to his heart.

  “No, Elanna. You had to do what you thought was right. That is why I love you so much—you think for yourself.”

  “If I had listened to you….”

  “You would have had regrets for the rest of your life. Don’t live like I was, Elanna. Let go of the past. We have to find a way out of here so that we will have a future.”

  Still Elanna sobbed, rough, tearing sounds made all the more harsh because she could not move her head or cover her face. That added to her shame. She didn’t look good when she cried, and she was helpless to even have the comfort of shielding her face from view.

  “Elanna,” Storm began, but the lights flickered and loud footsteps sounded.

  Storm rolled to face the door, to see what new misery this visitor would bring. He would protect his mate with everything that was inside of him.

  He began to glow an eerie red as something scraped against the metal door.

  * * * * *

  “We have to let them go!” Crystal snarled as she stomped across the small office. “Who knows what they can do, John? Who knows what they will do to all of us?”

  “We keep them both.” John was calm as he stared at the collection of worried people in his office. “They are contained, Dr. Port. What harm can they do?”

  “The blue one was controlling the weather, John. You weren’t there, but I was! I will never forget the sight of my own dart flying back at me! We have to let those people go!”

  “They are not people, Crystal. They are fish! Talking fish!”

  “We don’t know that!” she countered leaning over his desk, her eyes boring into his.

  “We will when I finish my experiments.”

  “Experiments are all well and good,” James Manda replied, as he watched the two of them spar. “But you both are overlooking one thing. She mentioned people, specifically, their people.”

  “So?” John sighed as he shifted his gaze to the young black doctor.

  “So, if one of them could find her, then don’t you think the others will be able to as well? You were not there, John. I saw what the creature could do. What if he can do more that make big waves and wind tunnels? How can you handle a tornado, John? A contained tornado directed at us? I got lucky with that shot because he was concentrating on Crystal. If he had been more aware…” His words trailed off as he sadly shook his head.

  “I don’t see a threat.” John sighed again as he thought of how to rid himself of the doctors.

  “Then you are blind!” Crystal railed. “I say we turn them back out into the sea and be done with it! You have some blood samples, John. You have photos of her, videos of her. You have her piss, for cripes’ sakes! Let them both go so that we can survive to find them again!”

  “I would expect that from a woman.” John’s gaze cut to James. “Too much emotion.”

  “Where is Shelby?” James suddenly asked, ignoring the doctor’s quips. “I haven’t seen him since we strapped that creature in.”

  “Shit!” John gasped as he rose to his feet and raced for the door.

  James shrugged at Crystal, and soon both of them were racing after the doctor.

  Chapter Thirty-one

  “Elanna?” a voice whispered as the door began to open a crack. “Are you okay?”

  “Shelby!” Elanna hissed back, sure that their conversations were being recorded. “You are going to get yourself killed!”

  “Sooner than you know, human!” Storm growled, as he thrust out his arm and a blast of cool air rushed around the room. Shelby was sucked helplessly inside as the door slammed shut.

  “Storm!” Elanna screamed out, trying to check his motions as the lab assistant flew several feet into the air. “Don’t hurt him!”

  “He is human!”

  “He is my friend!” she sent back, glaring at her mate.

  “What she said!” Shelby called out as he began to drop. From four feet up suspended by nothing, four feet seemed a long way down.

  “You will release her,” Storm demanded as he gave Shelby a shake.

  “That is why I’m here!” he shouted back, fear overcoming any manners that he might have had. “And for goodness sake, don’t drop me!”

  Let him go! Elanna mentally commanded her mate. Please!

  “As you wish,” he answered as he glared at the human, but gently lowered him to the ground. “But you will release her, human.”

  “That’s what I came in here for!” Shelby breathed, his eyes locked onto Storm.

  “Then do as I command,” Storm repeated after a moment of silence with Shelby staring at him in open-mouthed wonder.

  But Shelby stood there, rooted to the spot, his eyes glazing over.

  “I think he’s in shock,” Elanna said, catching a glimpse of the statue-like young man.

  “He’s going to be in pain if you are not soon released,” Storm growled, as the wind began to circle around the room.

  “Right,” Shelby gasped as he seemed to jerk back to himself. “Release Elanna.”

  Almost tripping over his own two feet, Shelby raced to the strapped woman, fingers fumbling as he released the leather cuffs. “Sorry. But…but he’s real!”

  “And dangerous,” Storm added in a low menacing voice as he watched Elanna stiffly roll to her side before she attempted to sit up.

  “Let me help,” Shelby sighed, seeing her condition.

  “Touch her at your own peril,” Storm growled, not liking the two-legged creature holding his woman.

  “Like
you are going to walk over here and help,” Shelby muttered under his breath.

  “I heard that, human.”

  Shelby blanched.

  “Um, he has very good hearing,” Elanna said as she was hoisted into a sitting position, her weary muscles protesting each move.

  “Fascinating,” Shelby muttered, his eyes going back to the blue man.

  “I need water,” Storm said as he took in the condition of his fin. It was dry and painful to move, his scales losing a lot of their glimmer.

  He ran his hands through his hair, finding it stiff and salt-caked. His skin burned from the heat and the bright lights still blazing in the room.

  “Me, too,” Elanna whispered, her throat dry. But she discovered something else as well. She felt a sharp tearing pain between her fingers and her toes. Her webbing had dried out. The pain was sharp and intense.

  “Oh, I have something,” Shelby replied, pulling a bottle out of his lab coat even as he shrugged out of it. “Bottled water.”

  That said, he began to pour the cool liquid over Elanna’s hands before dropping the jacket around her shoulders, hiding her nudity.

  That seen to, he cautiously approached Storm.

  “I’m just going to dump this on your…lower fin. I can’t believe I just said that!”

  Shelby rolled his eyes skyward and shook his head as he took another step towards the Merman from the depths of the sea, this creature his people told of in legend.

  “Do you have a way off of this metal island?” Storm asked, raising one eyebrow as Shelby approached and began to put what was left of the bottle over his body, making him close his eyes for a moment as the water sank into his thirsty scales.

  “Metal island? You mean this platform?”

  “No. I mean the metal bench that I am resting so comfortably on,” Storm snapped.

  “Sarcasm,” Shelby breathed, his eyes opening wide in shock. “He really does speak English!”

  “And several other languages you humans speak as well,” Storm sighed. “You’ve only been broadcasting them across the oceans for centuries, polluting our waters and our hearing.”

  Shelby blinked as he took in the scope of this pronouncement.

  “Several languages?”

  “Are all human males this dense?” Storm asked Elanna, who struggled to hold in a laugh.

  “I am not dense!” Shelby defended himself. “It’s just that I never thought you existed, let alone could understand what we were saying.”

  “Human, since your kind developed on land, we have been observing you, and not liking what we were seeing. Human arrogance! Is there anything greater? You act as if you are the only sentient beings who have a right to exist and possess intelligence! Then you have the nerve to act superior and surprised when you discover something other than you has a greater understanding. Pathetic!”

  “Not true!” Shelby spoke hotly as he poured the last of the water over Storm and glared at the blue Merman. “When we discover something new, we learn from it!”

  “By dissecting it,” Elanna hissed, remembering Dr. Woods’ plans for them.

  “Not true! Not really! Dr Richfield….”

  “I only know that I was strapped to a table and humans took my mate from me,” Storm cut off his protest. “I know that my people are not something new, we have been here for eons, and yet we have never taken one of you humans captive. And yet, here I am…drying out in this ridiculous metal floating hulk!”

  Shelby said nothing, then turned towards Elanna.

  “I’m going to get you out of here. Both of you.”

  “Because,” Storm insisted, glaring at the human, the only one there for him to release some of his ire upon.

  “Because this is wrong, okay?” he growled, turning back to Storm. “This isn’t right.”

  “It’s a pity you feel that way,” a voice echoed through the chambers.

  “Dr. Woods!” Shelby called out, looking around the room, trying to spot the source of the voice.

  “And did you think this room would not be bugged?” Elanna asked as she rolled her eyes at the innocence of Shelby’s youth.

  “Very good, Doctor,” Woods chuckled. “You have done this before?”

  “No. It’s what I expect from a sadistic asshole like you!” she shouted back, her eyes narrowing in anger.

  “Not very complimentary,” Woods sighed. “But so fascinating to watch.”

  “Let us go!” Elanna screamed, only to be answered with a laugh.

  “Good one, Doctor! I didn’t know that you were a comedian as well.”

  With that, water began to flood the bottom of the room.

  “What are you doing?” Shelby screamed, the smell of salt filling the room as water flowed through lower vents.

  “Why, our specimens are getting too dry, Shelby. It was not very well done of you to not give them water.”

  “I had to sneak in here, you bastard!” Shelby screamed, a frightened look coming into his eyes.

  “Yes…” John drawled, then snickered at the sound of his former assistant’s panicked voice. “It’s a shame too, that the creature drowned you as you sought to aid him. Too bad, really.”

  “What the hell are you talking about?”

  “It was an accident, you see. No one knew you were in there, and they just held you down so that you couldn’t scream for help.”

  “What are you doing?”

  “My discoveries, dear boy!” John laughed, the sound echoing off of the walls. “They can breathe underwater. And alas, poor Shelby, you cannot!”

  “This is murder!” Shelby screamed as he felt the water began to soak his pants up to his knees. “You can’t do this!”

  “I can do whatever I want!” John cackled. “And as an extra added bonus, your death will convince Drs. Manda and Port that those creatures must be destroyed before they do any more harm. I can find out what I need to know with the autopsies. So you see, your death will not be in vain, Shelby.”

  “No!” Shelby screamed as he felt the water close in around his waist.

  “Good-bye,” John laughed as the microphone squeaked and then clicked. Silence, but for the rushing of the water, filled the room.

  “This is good,” Elanna said, a smile crossing her face as Storm dropped into the water, then disappeared from view.

  “Yeah, good for you, Fish Lady!” Shelby nearly screamed. “I can’t breathe underwater!”

  “You won’t have to.”

  Shelby jumped as the Merman surfaced beside him and wrapped his arms around him tightly, and smiled, showing razor-sharp teeth.

  “No!” Shelby screamed, the sound echoing around the room and carrying out into the sea.

  * * * * *

  “What was that?” Crystal breathed as a high-pitched scream echoed through the walls.

  She and James had lost John as he raced through the complex. They were now seriously hunting for the deranged man.

  “I don’t know, but we had better find John and Shelby.” James ran a tired hand over his face. “I don’t know why I signed on for this project! John Woods is seriously cracked!”

  “We should let those people go, James, and destroy what evidence we have of them.”

  He paused in his walking to turn and stare at Crystal as if she had lost her mind.

  “Think about it! You saw the power that one blue man had, James! What if there are more of them? What if they are on their way here, right now? We could be up against a war that will devastate humankind, all because of one man’s race for glory!”

  “Humankind, Crystal? Come on!”

  “Seriously, James! What if we can never venture into the sea again? What if they scare away the fish, destroy our equipment, and call up a windstorm to destroy ships? And you saw it talking to that dolphin, James! What if it can do more? Like talk to whales and sharks? We don’t know what we are getting into!”

  “Crystal, you don’t know that will happen!”

  “And you don’t know that it won’t!”r />
  The two glared at each other for a moment, before they were interrupted by rushing feet.

  “Thank God!” John cried out as he raced towards the two of them. “Something dreadful has happened!”

  “What?”

  “Shelby! He went in to aid those monsters! He turned the water on to wet them down! But they did… something! They got free and they are drowning him!”

  Instantly, James and Crystal took off for the submersible lab, never even looking behind.

  If they did, they would have noticed that John Woods had a huge grin on his face.

  Chapter Thirty-two

  “What the hell!”

  James gasped as he looked through the observation window down into the metal tank room.

  Crystal came up behind him, her eyes wide in shock!

  “Drain the room!” James yelled as he frantically pushed buttons on the console.

  “It’s too late, James,” Crystal gasped as she stared at the floating bodies in the room.

  “But we have to get him out of there. What are they doing to his body?”

  Inside the room, there was a huddle of bodies—Elanna’s, the blue man’s, with Shelby’s floating somewhere in the center.

  His legs floated out between the tangle of fin and legs and the trio drifted somewhere in the middle of the room, not close enough to the window for them to get a good view of what was going on, but close enough for them to worry.

  “I’m draining it,” James growled as he located the proper switch, and with a gurgling sound, the room began to rapidly drain.

  When the water was visibly going down, James turned and pulled a key from around his neck.

  The weapons cabinet was in this room, and with a fierce scowl on his face, he reached in and pulled a large caliber rifle from the sealed box.

  “What are you doing?” Crystal asked, alarmed at the expression on James’ face.

  “I’m going to get his body. And I am not going in without protection!”

  “Something is not right, James.” Crystal said as she placed a hand on an arm knotted with tension.

  “Yeah, Shelby is dead and those two are behind it.”