High all, just thumbing through all the recent reviews since my literary pleading.
Oh well, back to business. And welcome Australia.
Chapter 24
Is it the end?
As a local policeman from the Sheriff's Office writes in his pocket notebook, another attends to the fallen officer.
"Ok, Officer McClure." A para-medic administers smelling salts to the dazed lawman.
We thought you were dead when we got here." Comments the other deputy sheriff. He chuckles as a way to ease the revived man.
"I don't remember anything." Said Xander. "Wait, Ryn…" He tries to sit up.
"Oh, no. Give it a little while." The para-medic tells Xander. Putting a hand on him to keep the previously unconscious man calm.
"I was with someone." He shakes his head. "I got some headache. Wait," his voice is strong. "I remember a mist or something…It was wet. Then it went black."
"You'll have to fill out a report. You know that better than us." Reminds the deputy.
"You'll need twenty-four hours, observation, blood tests. Your department will want to know how you are." He adds.
"Hold it, what do you think?" Xander asks. "You think I was drunk," he snorts over a disgusted expression. "Drugs? Maybe I came all the way out here to get wrecked and fall out next to this highway?"
"Officer McClure, there are two dead bodies over here." The overweight deputy points to the black van from the morgue. "The Medical Examiner said one of them from asphyxiation after his throat was crushed by something and the other died from internal bleeding." He pauses. "Some tremendous force hit her head-on in the stomach. "What the hell happened here, officer?"
Xander remains silent. He has no recollection of anything occurring.
"Why did you come out here?" Asks the deputy. "This is way out of your jurisdiction? And all we know about the two victims, well," he takes his pad from his chest pocket. "Two Polish nationals, I guess tourists."
"Polish? Tourists? Here?" Xander asks.
"I know. Something is fishy about this." The deputy answers.
"But back to my question. Why dah hell you here?" He takes a deep breath. "And why is your firearm the cause of death for the male victim?
"What?" He asks. "He was shot with my gun?"
"Shot? No way." The deputy raises his eyebrows. "It was thrown with some unbelievable velocity crushing his throat."
Xander's mouth is open. His expression is one of disbelief. Then realizes what must have happened.
That had to be Ryn.
"Those two, I remember them. The girl talked to me." Said Xander.
"You ever see this before?" He holds up the gas-mist gun to Xander's face.
"What the hell is that?" He asks.
"We think it is some kind of knock out-think. I think they used it on you." The officer states.
"Me?" Xander leans back after the question.
"Anyway," Xander holds his heads still feeling a slight ache at his temples.
"About your other question, we were looking for a young girl, blond. She's about eight, nine. A friends daughter…" He sits up. "Her mother…" He stops to think about what could happen if he makes them aware of Ryn's presence. "Her mother is a close friend of mine. We fear abduction."
The para-medic helps him up.
"Listen, while you keep me under observation and test my urine," he chuckles. "Put out an alert about her. I got a picture on my phone." He reaches in his pocket and pulls out the I-phone. After scrolling to find a photo of Hope, he hands the cell to the deputy.
"She' the blond headed girl. Gosh, she's the only kid."
"Big family." Comments the deputy as he checks out the group photo.
"That's her step-father. He's my best friend." Feeling stronger, Xander begins to speak in a direct manner. "He came out here or around here to look for her. He's like her real father. No talking to him. He went off by himself. Could not wait."
The deputy nods his head as if understanding the story.
"Parents never wait for us. Always think they can do things by themselves."
Xander relaxes. They are buying his story.
"One more thing," asks the deputy. "You mentioned you were here with someone."
Xander's throat becomes dry.
"Who were you with?"
Across the two lane highway in a small motel room.
Ben remained in a semi-conscious condition even when held in a sitting position by Ryn. The maturing Hope held his limp hand close to her cheek.
"Daddy…" The young teenager's words are frail. "Daddy…"
"He's not your daddy!" Yells the gun-toting Robb. "Your father is some unknown absent sperm donor."
Ryn stands, her arms extended with fingers spread. A loud hissing sound fills the small motel room.
Sean remains on his knees with both hands behind his head.
"Sit down you Siren." Pointing the automatic at her face, Robb's expression contorts. "Seamen of the past were right. You are nothing but a sea-beast. A siren of the deep. You are all vicious creatures spurred by jealousy of humans to wreak havoc against mariners." He pauses to take a breath, scanning the prisoners. "Tia had the correct idea, only backwards." He snickers. "Your great love's ancestors knew the deal. Exterminate them!" He sneers in the helpless Ben's direction. "Great Pownall did the right thing." He inhales pointing the weapon at Ben and Hope.
"Please, don't do this. If it is me you hate, kill me." Ryn tells the man with a slight tremor in his gun hand.
"I don't hate you Ryn, in a way I admire you."
Sean inches his knees closer to the distracted Robb.
"What?" Her expression is one of confusion.
"You can live on land and under the sea. You have a beautiful daughter that can do the same."
The gunman's voice causes Ben to flutter his eyelids.
"And you have someone that loves you so much…" Robb halts gritting his teeth as the truth claws up his throat. "Quite a trick, I know it wasn't your song." His tone has changed from hostile to one of weakness. "And I know the spell he has over my Maddie…was not Siren Song." Tears run down his face.
"Young fellow," Sean speaks in a calm voice. "I can't believe what I got into when I helped that young lady," bringing his hands down from his neck. "I mean, mermaids. Government shenanigans," he chuckles as his nose flexes from a snort of air. "And the damn Russians," extending his hand toward Robb. "And all this is really because of a broken heart?" Sean slowly rises.
"Give me the gun, son. Please." He takes a step toward the shaking figure with the firearm.
"Stop!" Robb barks, turning the automatic on him.
"Ahh!" Growls an airborne Ryn as she launches herself headfirst into Robb's stomach. Sean rushes the doubled over biologist and grabs the hand with the gun.
Ben reaches under the bedsheet and gives the hypodermic needle he's been hiding to Hope.
"The neck…"He pushes out the words. "The neck…"
She hops from the bed holding the implement as if a dagger.
As Ryn's hands squeeze Robb's throat. Sean tries to wrestle the weapon from him. He swings the now choking man to the side. Robb's hand extends.
A shot is fired.
Ryn screeches in terror shattering the window.
And alerting all in the area.