Chapter Nine

Men and their guns. Ethney watched as the men and one woman on the team assembled, cleaned, and test fired their weapons in the abandoned warehouse. They seemed to be fascinated with the things.

Ethney didn’t understand what all the fuss was about. The weapon was heavy and so loud you could hear it a mile away. Why on earth anyone would want to alert a target was beyond her.

Consequently, when Noah offered her a semi automatic rifle she lifted her brow and shook her head. No way. A sword maybe, but a gun, I’d rather use my hands. Plus, the proximity to the water would allow her to manipulate it if needed. Her magic never failed her and she trusted it more than she did some primitive weapon.

Daire was going to have a bit of a problem, though. His dragon was huge and would be easily noticed by the rangers, as would his fire.  He opted to take the crude weapon and, to her surprise, knew how to use it pretty well, too. At least he kept hitting all the targets the men had set up for him.

“Are you okay with the plan?” Noah asked as he came to sit down next to her.

“No. This isn’t what we agreed to,” she huffed and pumped her fists at her side. Neither Ethney nor Daire were happy about them grabbing everyone from the group to bring in for questioning. The newly turned would go to the house where Elena set up her lab; everyone else would go to some black ops holding facility.

“I’m sorry.”

She rolled her eyes. “Yeah. I’m sorry we let the government get involved. I should’ve known it wouldn’t be easy.” She fixed him with a glare. “Just so we’re clear, those lycanthrope need to be extinguished before the full moon or they’ll try to infect others. You could be aggravating the problem.”

Noah heaved in a deep breath. “I’ll make sure they know that. Mick’s the commanding officer on this op. He’s a good guy. I’ll talk to him.”

She hoped the team would listen to Noah. If they didn’t, the lycanthrope problem would intensify.

“Do you know what you need to do?” he asked in an effort to change the subject.

“I’m going to stay on the beach. My power is strongest near the water,” she told him. They wanted her to go in and help infiltrate the house, but that would be too far from the water. She needed to stay where she was strongest. Plus, she could catch any stragglers. The rangers might not kill them, but she would take out as many as she could. There was no hope for the lycanthrope. They were insane and ravenous. It would be doing them a favor to put them down now.

“I’m stationed by the back exit. Will I get to see your other half?” Noah asked as a small smile spread across his face. He picked up her arm and trailed his thumb over her mermaid mark.

“If the situation calls for it. Why? Do you want to?” she asked curiously. No one but the other guardians ever discovered what she was and what she could do. Was it something that interested him? She shouldn’t care. With that thought she jerked her arm out of his and crossed her arms over her body.

Noah shrugged. “I’ve seen Daire and Aric, I’m interested to see what you look like, too.”

“I’m nowhere near as big as they are. It’s just a fin. Nothing special.” She got up and took a few steps back from him, spinning on her heel.

Noah trotted after her. He grasped her by the shoulder and she whirled around to face him; heat surged through her from his touch causing her to shrug away from him.

“What?” she asked.

“We never really talked about last night.”

“There isn’t anything to talk about. I’ve already told you how I feel.” She swallowed down the lump in her throat and glanced over his shoulder. Confrontations weren’t her thing and the fact she actually liked Noah exacerbated the situation.

“Fine. Let’s get through tonight and then let Elena work her magic. When she figures it out, and I know she will, then we’re going to revisit this conversation.” He took a step forward, closing the distance between them, and put his hands on her shoulders to meet her gaze. “There’s something here. I’m not walking away from it.”

“If she figures out how to cure you then we’ll talk,” she whispered. She couldn’t get her hopes up again only to have Noah die.

“She will,” Noah said.

Ethney narrowed her eyes. “How can you be so sure?”

“You don’t know Elena. She doesn’t know how to fail. Having my and Claire’s lives on the line, she’ll figure it out. I know it.”

He seemed so sure. She opened her mouth to tell him not to get too hopeful, but didn’t. Let him have hope. It couldn’t hurt anything.

“For your sake, I hope you’re right.”

Noah closed his eyes. “Yeah, me, too.”

One of the men called out for everyone to gather around. She assumed it was Noah’s friend, Mick.

“We need to get ready to move out,” Ethney said. She licked her lips and then took a few steps back needing to create distance between them. “I’m going to swim there. I won’t be in the convoy.”

“Are you sure?” Noah asked.

She couldn’t be cooped up in the car with him. “I’ll meet you there.”

Ethney didn’t give him a chance to respond before she spun around on her heel and took off. She grabbed the bag she brought with her off a bench, slung it over her shoulder, and then shoved the door open to the warehouse, letting the sticky humid night air wash over her. She breathed it in. The aromatic sea salt from the ocean calmed her frayed nerves and she inhaled and exhaled deeply before walking down to the ocean.

The waves clapped against the shore sending a spray of water into the air. The droplets landed on her as she let the water soak into her skin for a moment before removing her clothes. She folded them neatly and then stuck them in her waterproof bag.

Ethney dipped her toe in the sea first and then took a few steps in. The water was pleasantly warm. She waded in waist deep before diving under the surface. The water moved past her as she closed her eyes and willed her change. She pressed her thighs together until they became one, her scales rippling from her toes to her waist as her tail formed.

Flipping her tail, she dove deeper so she could skim her fingers against the grains of sand on the bottom of the ocean floor. A few fish fluttered past her and she smiled watching them move. It was so much easier to be in the ocean away from everyone and everything. Part of her wouldn’t mind permanently living in the murky depths away from all the problems of the world, but there was also a part of her that craved human contact and relationships. Besides, she had a job to do. With that thought in mind, she pushed back up toward the surface.

Popping back above the water, she watched as Noah’s team finished loading up and drove down the rickety road toward Brockwell’s camp. They’d be there in a few short minutes.

She dove back beneath the surface and moved her tail rapidly. The water soared past her as she moved through it, bubbling up around her in a comforting frothy foam. If she weren’t in a hurry, she would take the time to enjoy it.

* * *

Noah crept along the back of the building stopping at a spot by a window, but careful to stay just out of sight. His combat gear clung to him like a second skin while sweat beaded on his brow from the heat. He faced worse conditions overseas, but it didn’t matter. Sometimes it was just hotter than Hell.

Since Ethney took off earlier, he did not see her, but there was no doubt in his mind she was there. His eyes briefly drifted to the water only a few hundred yards away. She was out there somewhere. It was silly to worry about her. She was immortal and couldn’t die, but the thought of someone harming her set him on edge. In just a short period of time, Ethney found her way into every thought. There was something special about her—unique. He wanted to know more about her, if she’d let him. He desperately needed Elena to develop a cure. He wasn’t ready to die and he wanted to figure out what this thing was with Ethney.

“Is everyone in position?” Mick said over the comm in his ear.

Noah looked at the six other men near him and met their eyes, ensuring they were all ready. He listened as his team replied back and then chimed in when it was his turn. Everyone was in position. He drew in a breath, placing his back harder against the wall needing to feel something solid.

“We go on my count. One, two, three,” Mick commanded.

Noah grabbed a flash bomb from his vest and jammed his elbow backwards through the window, shattering the glass with a loud crack. Screams filled the inside of the building as Noah pulled the clip from the bomb and tossed it inside. A few seconds later, the rumble from the bomb echoed off the walls. Gunfire bursts filled the air as the attack got underway.

He clasped his gun and aimed at the door, waiting for people to start flocking out. It flung open and the first group of people rushed onto the beach; he opened fire. The bullets were only tranquilizers meant to stun everyone and render them unconscious until they could be moved to a secure location. It was the only way to save the lives of people misinformed and scared. Noah had a feeling there were a few of them; he and Claire weren’t the only ones held prisoner.

Noah kept his shots steady and aimed for places that would inflict little damage, but still allow the tranquilizers to do their work. More people flooded out, too many for him to keep up with. A few made it to the shore and were hurrying to the water where boats were waiting.

Suddenly, the water pulled back from the shore and a few seconds later a wave, several feet tall, hurdled onto the shore. Is that Ethney’s magic? She said she was strongest in the water. The water retreated once again and an even larger wave barreled onto the shore.

The escaping lycanthrope fell down, some of them swept into the water; their screams lost in the bombardment of crashing waves. Not one of them resurfaced.

“Noah! To your right,” one of his teammates shouted.

Noah forced his attention back to his task. A large group was headed around the opposite side of the house. They were huddled around several people and appeared to be dragging someone with them.

“Let me go! Help!”

He recognized that voice—Claire!

She was somewhere inside the horde. Noah fired; hitting as many people as he could, but there were just too many clustered together, as if Brockwell was using them as shields. Who was he kidding? That was exactly what Brockwell was doing. What was he doing with Claire?

Noah took out his fully loaded gun from his side holster, aimed, and fired. Blood spurted out of the man he hit as he stumbled and then crumpled to the ground. The group shifted, realizing real bullets were in the mix. Some of them broke off and made a beeline for the trees to the west while others fled to the boats.

Nevertheless, more than a small number stayed in formation, protecting Brockwell and effectively cutting Noah off from Claire. He had to get to her! That madman wasn’t going to harm his niece more than he already had!

He steadied his gun and aimed for those closest to Brockwell. His finger curled around the trigger and fired. A few more people scattered from the crowd.

“Uncle Noah!” Claire screamed. She reached out for him, struggling to break free of Brockwell’s death grip, but she was no match for his strength.

Noah pointed his gun and fired at Brockwell, but someone else hopped up at the last second and the bullet hit him instead. Damn! He tried to find his target again, but couldn’t as the human shield filed in closer to Brockwell. They were getting closer to the water and would be in the boats soon.

The waves stopped and Noah squinted, seeing something in the water. It had to be Ethney. Could she stop a boat? He was unsure so he sprinted after the group, firing at people when he had a clear shot. When he ran out of bullets he went back to the tranquilizers. He wasn’t fast enough though. Brockwell yanked Claire and the other girls into the boat. Four other men jumped in with him while other followers shoved them off the shore.

Noah lifted his gun and aimed. Brockwell stumbled and fell onto one of the boat seats, a dart sticking out of his shoulder. He hit him, only it didn’t seem to faze him as Brockwell smiled and plucked the dart out before standing up.

The tranqs were working on everyone else. Why not him?

Brockwell turned to the boat’s engine, yanking the cord until it roared to life. He went to the control panel and the boat sped out into the open water.

Noah darted down the beach after them only stopping when the water reached his knees. The boat raced away and he could hear Brockwell laughing and smiling at him on the shore. The smile was short lived though as something—no someone, flew out of the water.

Ethney dove over the boat, wrapped her arms around Brockwell, and using her momentum to bring him over the other side of the boat with her. The two disappeared into the water. Some of Brockwell’s followers sprung into action, withdrawing weapons and shooting into the water.

Ethney didn’t come back up to the surface. Had she been hit? Was she staying under intentionally? Was she okay? What the hell was going on?

His heart pattered violently in his chest and apprehension filled him. He needed Ethney to be okay.