Damsel in Distress!
Thank you RECH2o for the idea. I hope you like how I continue the story.
Cleo's pov
It took forever, but it was finally happening. I was going to see this project every scientist at the park has been talking about but doesn't really know about. I was about to be a part of the select few who will get to know the secret, and will have to keep it safe from scavengers. Yeah, more secrets, and this time I can't tell Rikki or Bella. Actually according to the contract I had to sign, I can't tell any human soul. That is except the other two scientist on the project. They said I would be their secret weapon, whatever that means. They think I have a special way with sea creature, which, in a way, I guess I do.
"Cleo, this is Dr. May Danilova," Lorry introduced a tall woman with long dark brunette hair.
"Please, I like first names, call me May," The woman said sticking her hand in my face. It was wet and I knew that I couldn't take it. I didn't take it and after ten seconds of just standing there, she pulled it back with a confused look. "Why don't you follow me."
I followed May to one of the three more closed in labs. Using a pass card I would get soon, May opened the door to a room full of scientific devises that only Lewis would know the names of. Only two other scientist were there, along with a girl about a year or so younger than me. I knew her as Perri, a new employee who helped with some of the exhibits. The two scientists were new to me.
"Cleo, you will be working closely with Perri here. You two have been chosen for a project only the two of you could handle. Dr. Hank, Dr. Jamie and I have tried all we could with this project and have gotten nowhere. Just remember the contract you signed before you see what you will have to do." May explained.
I looked to Perri. She seemed antsy, as if she knew what was going to happen but she didn't want to let on. I watched as May pulled two passes out, and handed one to Perri then one to me. Then she motioned for us to follow her out to the pool in the back. Confused, I followed with no question. Perri was right behind me.
Outside, the pool looked empty. There was obviously something in it. We just couldn't see what that was, and May wasn't giving us any hints. Unlike me, Perri didn't seem to care.
"Ok, girls," May finally said when she realized nothing was happening, "In this tank in a very special creature, and I want you two to talk to it and see what you can find out, most likely a name, home, does it have a family?" While talking, May quickly looked from me to Perri. When she finished, she smiled and left with nothing more to say.
Without a word, Perri started for the pool. Not wanting to get to close to the water, I let her do whatever it was she was doing. To me, it looked like nothing was in that pool, or nothing that wanted to come out. But I was mistaken, for all of a sudden, I saw what looked to be a mermaid coming from the bottom of the pool. Once she was surfaced, I could tell for a fact, it was a mermaid, and Perri knew her.I tried to strain my ears to hear what Perri was saying, but I didn't want her to know I was listening, or that I'm not as shocked as I should be.
"Eva, if you just let me help," Perri said softly. "I can talk to her."
"It's ok," Eva said, "She is under contract, right?" Eva said obviously about me. Perri looked at me, as if I were the threat here. I didn't feel like explaining myself here, so acting was my only choice. Good thing Perri was buying it.
"Cleo right?" Perri finally asked, it was the first few words she had ever spoken to me. "From the dolphin show?" I guess she didn't know enough about me to say that I was good at secrets. I mean I have a specific one I have to keep from every one.
"Yes, that's right," I answered not taking my eyes off of Eva-a name that I felt I should remember, but didn't. Perri looked back to Eva, and whispered,
"I have to tell her everything. She could help. She has more power here than me." I saw Eva nod before Perri turned back to me and said, "I guess you can tell that Eva is a mermaid." Perri knew as well as I did that stating the obvious was the easiest way to start the conversation.
"Yeah, I can," I said, realizing when Perri said everything, that she knew more than I let on. So, to test this, I asked, "From Ireland, am I right, or are there other place I don't know about."
"Yes, I'm from Ireland," Eva said, "How did you know?"
And that's when it hit me. Eva, as in the mermaid that stopped the commit over 150 years ago. But that wasn't possible. Then again, my definition of possible had change in the last three years. I turned back to a stunned Perri and Eva, whom were looking for an answer, as was I. I mean it can't be the same Eva. There must be plenty of Eva's' in Ireland, and it just so happens, another found the pool. It's possible.
"O-My-Gosh, you're a mermaid," Eva said piecing together every clue I never meant to be giving off. I nodded and Perri stared at me.
"That's impossible," Perri said. "You work with the dolphins. You're a dolphin trainer. There is no way." Perri looked confuse. She looked at me dumbfounded.
Ignoring Perri's comment, I looked back to Eva and the pool she was in. Attached to the ocean, the scientist weren't as smart as they advertised. Without much thought, I started to come up with a plan to get Eva out of the Marine Park without ruining either mine or Perri's jobs here. But every time I did, I kept running into a problem with the can't-tell-anyone clause. Finally the thought came to me.
"Perri, do you remember the last line of that contract we signed," Cleo asked turning her back to Perri and Eva to survey the area.
"You can't tell a human soul. If you do, you will be locked up, forever" Perri quoted.
"Perfect," I said with a smile on my face.
Later that Day
Later on, I showed up to the café to find Rikki and Bella talking to Will in the back. Smiling, I walked over to them and said,
"Guys, I need to see the both of you at Mako now. It's important." I wished I could tell them there but I knew it had to be somewhere I could feel safe and less uncomfortable.
"So important you can't talk about it here?" Rikki asked obviously confused by my request.
"I can't explain here," I said softly, looking over my shoulder to make sure one of the scientist wasn't here. I saw Perri on the other side of the café. I smiled to her. "Please, just meet me there." Then I started towards the door, and the beach. Once out the door, I heard Perri right behind me.
"I trust you and all, but I don't understand what you are doing," Perri explained. "If you tell them, then you get locked up."
"If I tell a human soul, I get locked up," I answered without turning around. "You'll understand by tonight."
It wasn't long after I showed up that Rikki and Bella were there. They were confused and worried, but I cleared everything up quickly. As mermaids, I told them everything, from the contract, to Eva, even every name of every scientist who was working for the project. What I left out was the fact that Perri knew I was a mermaid. I knew Rikki would flip out if she knew, and after that night, it wouldn't matter, anyway.
After explaining the situation, I explained the plan. It was risky, but it was the best we had. Perri and I would go to work as usual, showing no change in our attitudes', while Bella came to the Marine Park interested in security. Once inside the security wing, Bella would find a way to disable the security camera while Perri and I acted as if I were doing our job. When the camera was down, I would give the signal to Rikki to unlock the underwater gate, as she did when she and Emma let Ronnie out two years ago, and free Eva. While Rikki was doing that, Perri and I would be pretending to turn our backs to the pool for five minutes to have "an augment." That would give Rikki just enough time before one of the scientist came to check on us and see Eva gone.
The plan was working great, Bella was in, Rikki was in place, Perri was a great actress. I even thought for a second that this was going to work. But whatever works the way we want. Un to my luck, one of the scientist that came in on us wasn't one from the project. It was Denman, and she knew exactly what was going on.
"See I told you, May," Denman said mater-of-factly, "Cleo here knows way more than she is letting on. In fact, she must be behind this little escape plan."
"You know if you told anyone you are as well as locked up," May said upset.
"Oh May, don't get to worked up," Denman said. "She didn't break any rules, did you, Cleo? I read that contract, and you messed up when you said, 'human soul.' Cleo here didn't tell any humans. She told the mermaids."I was silent, and shocked at how she could know we were still mermaids.
"But lock her up good," Denman said, "And make sure to tie this one's hands tight."