Lillibulero snatched up the radio on the boat's dashboard. "Helen, Jacob, is anyone still at ICS? Over."

"We can't leave until the boat's back at our dock, over," came Jacob's quick reply.

"We were starting to get worried," came Dr. Cho's voice over the radio. "We hadn't heard from you in some time. Is everything alright?"

Lillibulero let out a sigh and quickly explained the situation. There was a moment of silence before Jacob's voice came booming through. "Those scoundrels kidnapped Finski too? Who's next?"

"I think William is next."

"William? Who's William?" asked Dr. Cho.

Robby quickly punched the button on the radio. "He means Uncle Billy, Dr. Cho. Mr. Lillibulero likes using full first names."

"I see," said Dr. Cho. "What's our next move?"

"The kids will drop me off at William's dock," replied Lillibulero. "And then they'll come back to ICS. Are James and Miriam still there?"

"No," replied Jacob. "I sent them back to the bungalow. I told them I'd wait for the boys and we'd figure out transportation."

"Speaking of, I won't be here when you return," said Dr. Cho, "just Jacob."

Stan groaned. "Five people in my Jeep?"

"Irene, Maggie took Ilithyia home," said Jacob, "so you could have the car. I was thinking that you take Robby and Harry back to the bungalow since that's closer to where you live and Stan could take me home. We do have to close up."

"That works. They'll talk to you when they get back. Over and out," said Lillibulero before picking up the radio.

Irene bit her lips as she thought over the arrangement. She sighed and turned to the boys. "As soon as we get to ICS, we are leaving right away and you're going to get out of the car quickly."

"Um, Ok," said Robby, shooting a glance at Harry. The two shrugged.

"Actually, I would prefer it if they stayed with you. I would pick them up from your house once I have gotten William there and I will take them home."

"They, they can't come. My father doesn't like having strangers in the house," said Irene, a harshness to her voice the boys hadn't heard before.

Lillibulero locked eyes with her. "Considering the circumstances, I'm sure your father will be fine with it."

"You don't know my father." She let out a growl. The two stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity, with nothing but the sound of the boat engine to break the thickening silence.

"Just this once, Irene, that's all I ask," Lillibulero finally said. His voice remained steady, even though the boys wondered how as there seemed to be a growing storm in Irene's eyes. They jumped when they heard a clap of thunder overhead. "Just this once."

She let out a soft breath and answered him in a more even tone. "Fine." She turned to the boys. "No questions."

Harry threw up his hands in surrender. "No questions, got it."

"Thank you," said Lillibulero. Stan was slowing the boat to a stop. They were coming to the dock. Lillibulero turned and jumped nimbly from the boat to the dock. The next moment, he was off down the dock, heading towards Uncle Billy's. Stan turned the boat around and began racing back towards the ICS dock. The boys glanced at Irene from time to time. She was grumbling away in a corner with her arms crossed, but otherwise, the way back was quiet.

As soon as they docked, the four quickly tethered the boat to the dock and rushed into the lab. Robby and Harry got to say a quick goodbye to Jacob before dashing after Irene. She was already climbing into the car as they came out. She had pulled out her phone and was sending a text, giving them time to jump in and buckle. She started the engine and pulled out.

"So, um," said Harry, "are there any other rules we should know about before we get to your house? I know you said no questions, but we're not there yet." She shot him a glare in the rearview mirror. He grinned sheepishly in return.

She brought her attention back to the road and let out a sigh. "My mom doesn't like it when talk centers around Ianthe's . . . condition. And she will simply murder you if you make fun of Ianthe."

"Duly noted," said Harry.

"But besides that and we avoid the big question, things will be fine?" asked Robby, looking pointedly at Irene.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about. What big question?"

It was Robby's turn to sigh. "The big question. You know, what are you hiding?"

"Yes, avoid that question and we'll be fine."

"Irene, does Dr. Finski know your secret is related to his research?"

"What?"

"Those notes Stan had found, they had nothing to do with cetaceans. You should know that, having worked with dolphins for quite some time now," said Robby in a calm and soft voice. Harry leaned forward, ready to back-up his friend. Sure, Irene was pretty, and he was still interested in her, but he wasn't going to turn on his best friend right then. "I especially know that, having befriended one and being the son and grandson of marine biologists. But it is your secret Irene, we won't ask. I'm just warning you, we may find out without you telling us."

"What? What makes you so sure of that?"

"You do know you've been dropping little subtle hints this whole time?" piped up Harry. "And it's become harder and harder to miss. Stan might buy it, or just let it be because he just thinks it's the quirks of another Marshall. But us? We noticed those wide eyes when Stan read out those notes. Heck, you've been itching to go home and tell your folks!"

"But not with you two along for the ride!"

"We won't ask, I promise," said Robby soothingly. "I just wanted to let you know that there's a possibility we'll still find out."

"I know," said Irene with a catch to her voice. "And if you do find out, will you please, please talk to us first? Don't go spreading it!"

"It's a secret," said Harry, "we promise not to share it with anyone else unless we have your permission."

"Which you will never have," mumbled Irene.

"Ok, Ok, fair enough," said Harry, throwing up his hands in surrender again. He put his hands down. "But seriously, anything else?"

Irene thought for a moment and answered in a calmer voice. "Not that I can think of, but I'm sure my parents will."

"I'm sure Mr. Lillibulero won't take too long to get Uncle Billy to your house," said Robby.

Harry scoffed. "Well yeah, you're a trouble magnet, as we've learned."

Robby waved his hand. "Only in the water my dear boy."

Harry fought to keep a straight face. "Well, let's not wait too long and find out if it applies to the land either, my dear boy." Both boys glanced at each other and burst out laughing.

"How can you laugh at this time?" asked Irene, her anger rising again.

"Oh, sorry," said Robby, "but it's something we've done for a while now. Picked it up from Harry's grandmother, in fact. She always waved her hand and said 'my dear boy', so we ended up picking it up while we made fun of it."

"And now our grandkids can continue the tradition when we get old and do the same thing," remarked Harry with a big grin. He shrugged. "Besides, it's good to laugh every now and then, can't exactly expect people to stay grumpy all the time. It's not good for your health."

Irene rolled her eyes. "Whatever. It's just . . . it doesn't feel like it's an appropriate time to be acting silly."

"You are absolutely right, we'll stop," said Robby.

"But it is how some people deal with stress," said Harry with a shrug as he sat back. Irene had no comment on that, and the rest of the way to her house was in silence.

As soon as Irene parked the car in the garage, she was out of the car and heading into the house. Robby and Harry waited a minute before following. Harry was itching to rush in after her, find out this secret and clear the air, but he followed Robby's lead and went slower than he would have liked. It ended up not mattering at all. The boys opened the door and walked into the living room only to find the surprise of their lives. Irene was helping Ilithyia move who had to have been their sister Ianthe from the couch to a wheelchair. The boys saw why she couldn't walk. A mermaid's tail was where her legs should have been! Both boys stared in shock. Ianthe let out a shriek.

Irene turned and glared at them. "No! You idiots!"

"Your grandpa was right, there were mermaids!" exclaimed Harry.

"Dr. Finski was looking to prove your existence!" exclaimed Robby.

"Irene, Ilithyia, Ianthe, what in the world is going on?" A woman who looked to be an older version of Irene walked into the living room, followed by Ismene. The two took in the situation and stared at the boys in shock.

"Daddy!" shrieked Ismene. The two jumped, startled by the loud sound.

"What's with all the commotion?" A man about as big as Mike Lam entered the room. He didn't look Hawaiian like all the women did, he had more of an European look. His dark eyes took in the scene before him before glancing at the boys. They quickly stepped closer together, he looked even more dangerous than Mike Lam.

Harry threw up his hands. "We thought we gave Irene enough time! Honest!" He cast a sideways glance at Irene. "Based on what you were doing, it should have been enough time."

Irene turned to her sisters. "It actually should have been done long before now." She crossed her arms. "Why not?"

Ianthe crossed her own arms. "I'm tired of hiding, that's what! Besides, you and Ilithyia have been singing their praises this past week, didn't think it would matter if they found out."

"Silence!" their father's voice boomed. Everyone turned to him as silence reigned for a few minutes, waiting for his decision. He let out a sad sigh. "Ianthe's right, though, we need to stop hiding."

"Dad!" exclaimed Irene.

"Yes!" said Ismene at the same time, pumping her fist. She grinned sheepishly when her father shot her a glance.

"You spoke to the council, Nereus?" asked his wife.

He took her hand and pressed it gently to his lips. "Yes, my pearl, and they seem to be in agreement. It's time we revealed our presence to the world." He paused and chuckled softly. "Worlds, now that we have people living on Mars and Venus."

Robby took a step forward. "If you don't mind my asking, why have you kept your people hidden for so long? And how? We've had underwater transports for decades now."

Nereus nodded. "Yes, and we have managed to stay out of sight of them as well. We have become almost too efficient in keeping ourselves hidden." He patted his wife's hand. "And we have managed to keep our numbers down, to help prevent the attention to our presence. But there's been a general consensus for a while now to reveal our presence. There are a few who are vehemently against it, but for the most part, we're all tired of hiding." He smiled at Robby. "And Ilithyia and Irene have spoken highly of you and your family. If we can count you among our friends, I think we are doing very well."

Harry blinked and glanced at Irene. "Wait, she did?"

"But, why did you stay hidden?" asked Robby.

"Fear, mainly. You might not believe this, but we have our own stories of human-like sirens, if you will. When we came up to start observing your ways, we found that some were just as scared of us as we were of you. But you, you were beginning to overcome that fear and treated those old tales as nothing more than silly stories, though some wanted to be cautious, which is understandable. It was just up to us to get over our own fears of you. And we have. It has been a long and slow process, but it has been worth it, I think." He sighed as he placed a hand on Ianthe's shoulder. "Even though there have been quite a few accidents in the process. It would have been ideal to wait a couple more years before revealing ourselves, but we are technically ready now."

"Why did you want to wait?"

"To rekindle the belief in merfolk. It makes it easier to convince people of our existence when you start spreading gossip."

Robby nodded. "That is a fair point."

"Well, now that that's all settled," said Mrs. Marshall, "welcome to our humble abode! Would you like something to snack on? Something to drink?"

"I'm curious to what a merperson eats," said Harry. "Um, that is, if you don't mind, ma'am."

She smiled. "I'd be happy to introduce you to our cuisine, Harry. Robby, would you like to try?"

Robby smiled. "Yes please!"

"Alright then. Let me put dinner in the oven and I'll whip up something for you two real quick." She paused. "Though, I'm wondering if we should invite your parents over?"

Harry scoffed. "Actually, that might be a good idea. Gossip doesn't work with Mr. Hoenig, he needs to see the proof."

Robby bobbed his head. "Yes, he's of the firm belief there's hardly any truth to the stories of old, fairy tales and the like. He's convinced me that the kraken doesn't exist!"

"Good, because it doesn't," said Nereus.

Robby blinked. "It doesn't?"

Nereus shook his head. "Never did, the closest you might get to it is the giant squid, but that's it."

"Oh," said Robby, feeling a little dejected.

Harry patted his shoulder. "Nice try."

"Would you like to call your parents, Robby?" asked Mrs. Marshall.

"Oh, um, should I?"

"Well, we are inviting them to dinner," she replied.

Robby grinned. "Sure! But, um, may I have your address?"

"I'll write it down for you," said Ilithyia. She led Robby to a side table where pens and paper were and wrote it down while he called his parents.

Harry glanced at the clock. It was getting close to seven. "By the time they get here, Uncle Billy and Mr. Lillibulero should be here as well."

Nereus shook his head. "Not entirely so. Billy can sometimes take until six-thirty to finish closing up, and it takes him about forty-five minutes to walk here."

"He walks here?" asked Harry.

"Oh, maybe we can go meet them and bring them back!" said Irene. "We should be back by the time Robby's parents arrive." She glanced at her father. "And we may tell Mr. Lillibulero?"

He nodded. "Of course, he would be the only one in the vehicle to not know, if he hasn't figured it out yet."

Harry's eyes bulged. "Wait, Uncle Billy knows you're mermaids?"

Nereus let out a booming laugh. "Of course he does! He's the only human on the island who knows where the secret passage is! He's an honorary member of the council for it. And he's been using treasure-hunting as a cover these past thirty years!"

Harry's mouth dropped. "That's ingenious!"

Nereus smiled. "We think so too."

"Alright," said Robby, returning to the group as he hung up his phone, "my parents will be here in a few minutes."

"Wonderful!" said Mrs. Marshall before dashing into the kitchen.

"Don't go too crazy with the dishes, Na-maka, you don't want to overwhelm them."

They could hear Na-maka's scoff from the kitchen. "As if!"

Nereus chuckled before turning to Irene. "And I think picking up Billy and this Lillibulero fellow is a good idea. Why don't you take the boys with you and pick them up real quick?"

Irene jumped up. "Sure!" She dashed back out the door.

"Hey, wait for us!" shouted Harry and Robby before dashing out after her. This time she was a little more cordial and the air seemed a lot less tense than when they arrived at the house. Harry filled Robby in on the revelation that Uncle Billy knew about the merfolk.

"Wow, that does make a lot of sense," said Robby. "And pretending to be hunting for the treasure is ingenious."

"Speaking of, it's been almost a hundred years with hundreds of people looking for it," said Harry. "How come no one's found it yet?"

Irene sighed. "Because a mermaid hid it. She and the thief, Hank Mobley, were in love. Before he was captured, she hid it for him so the police couldn't find it. Later, when he had gotten out, she took some of the jewels and left to go with him to another part of America. They never came back for the rest, so we've just left it there, not quite sure what to do with it. Though it became obvious it worked fantastically as a cover story for Uncle Billy's constant going out to that area."

"Wait, so you know where the treasure is?" asked Harry.

Irene nodded. "Yes, we all do. It's hard to miss for a mermaid, but very hard to find for a human. I can show it to you once this is all over. You two have been pretty observant, though, so you might find it rather quickly."

"Well, maybe let us have a go at looking for it before showing us," said Harry with a smirk.

Irene chuckled. "Alright then." She became serious. "Speaking of observant, have either of you seen Uncle Billy or Mr. Lillibulero?"

Both boys glanced at the street before shaking their heads. "No."

"That's odd, we should have run into them by now. Unless Uncle Billy got held up even longer at the restaurant." She bit her lip, becoming more and more nervous.

Robby put a hand on her shoulder. "Mr. Lillibulero is with him, he'll be fine."

"Right." She tried to smile, but all three were watching the sidewalks with a growing anxiety. They didn't see any sign of either man on that entire trip to the restaurant. Irene was becoming visibly more and more anxious. She quickly parked the car in the driveway and dashed into the restaurant. The lights were still on. "Uncle Billy!"

"Mr. Lillibulero!" called out the boys when they entered. The three went from room to room searching for both men, but no one was to be found. Irene pulled out her phone and quickly dialed her father, putting him on speaker phone.

"Dad, Dad, they're not here! Uncle Billy and Mr. Lillibulero are gone!"

"Take the boys and go through the passage. We'll wait for Robby's parents and join you down there."

"Alright Dad," said Irene with a slight catch to her voice. She hung up the phone and led the boys to the diving equipment. She helped them get into the diving equipment, made sure everything was set, and led them out to the dock. All three jumped in, Irene's legs turning into a green tail. She led them through the water towards Devil's Hat. They didn't see the boat gaining on them. They had been swimming for a little while near the surface before Irene dove deeper. The boys started to follow, but then a harpoon tore through Harry's pipe and pinned him to the sand. Robby began to swim towards him to help him, but he was yanked out of the water and his helmet was torn off.

"No! Harry! Help him! He's running out of air!" shouted Robby, struggling against the strong grip of two men.

"His life is of no importance to me," came a cold voice. Robby turned, and found himself staring into the cold, dark eyes of Julian Vandal.

(Author's Note: So, another reason why I wanted to get this finished is because it was supposed to be a summer story. But the move did throw things off. Well, at least I'm almost done! That, and I had a dream about this before I started writing it, which inspired me to write it as soon as I did. This end part here and a few of the upcoming chapters were very prominent in my dream. I will point them out when we come to them. But we are also getting to the really exciting stuff! Thanks for reading and I hope you have a wonderful day! God bless!)