Chapter 14

Zane's POV

I woke up in a cell.

"What the hell?" I asked the air.

I was surprised when someone answered me.

"Hello Zane," said the voice. It was dark down there, so I couldn't see who it was, until she stepped into the light.

"Denmen," I said with disgust.

"Don't sound so happy to see me. I wonder why?"

"You bitch! Let me out of here!" I yelled as I got up and went to the bars of the cell. I need to get out of here so I can save Rikki.

"You have a smart girlfriend. She didn't believe me when I said you were drowning again. It almost worked. I need your help Zane. How can I trick her into the water?" she asked me.

"I'm not going to help you. You tried to hurt Rikki and lied and about where I was!"

"Did she ever answer the proposal?" another voice asked.

"Who's there?" I asked the mystery voice.

Another woman stepped into the light. Someone I haven't seen in a long time.

Charlotte.

"Hello Zane. So good to see me, isn't it?" he asked me.

"No." She looked hurt, but in a fake way.

"Zane. If you help us, we'll let you out, right Dr. Denmen?" she asked her.

"It depends on if the help actually helps us."

"Where is Rikki?" I screamed.

"I don't know. I could find out though. One of the men must be following her. Who did we assign Charlotte?"

"I think we assigned Andy."

"Who is Andy?" I asked them.

"Do you remember a man asking you about mermaids the other day?" Denmen asked me.

"Yes."

"That's Andy!" Charlotte said.

"You're part of that group. The people who go after mermaids and try to kill them," I said, realizing that Rikki's dreams were true.

"Yes, but we don't kill them, unless they give us no choice. Our job is to trap the mermaids and train them. We want to use them against other countries, to conquer the world. That will happen in the future. Far in the future unfortunately. The mermaids aren't really cooperating," Denmen explained.

"Where's Emma?" I asked her.

"Emma is not your concern. She is currently in a state where she can't do anything." Charlotte smiled.

Rikki's POV

When I got to the docks, I went to the spot where Denmen keeps her boat when she's in town. I saw a boat there. And Denmen was on it.

"Denmen!" I screamed.

She turned to me and said, "Rikki, what a nice surprise. Care to tell me your secret."

"Where is Zane?"

"You will find that out when you tell me your secret."

"What do you want with me?"

"I want to know the truth about your identity. I need to know how and why this happened to you."

"Well, you won't find out. There are no mermaids in town."

"I don't believe you. I know for a fact that you're still a mermaid. Thanks to Emma."

I jumped on her boat.

"What did you do to Emma?" Then it hit me. She's in the group. She wants me dead.

"That is none of your concern." She went back to her work. I followed her.

"It is my concern. Emma is my best friend and is missing, and I know for a fact that you and your son of a bitch group have her. Did you kill her? She fought back didn't she? You found her first and asked her the same question you have been asking me. She wouldn't tell you anything, so you did what you think is right. You killed her. How could you? She just graduated. She hasn't even been married. She hasn't seen her boyfriend in a year. How can I look him in the eye and say that Emma is dead because of a bitch like you. Do you know how hard that is going to be for me? Go to hell, Denmen!"

I ran off the boat and hid behind a nearby wall. I couldn't hold it in. I cried like a baby who lost their favorite toy to their teething dog.

I took out my cell and called Cleo and Bella. I told them to meet me at Zane's house.

"Why are we meeting you at Zane's house?" they both asked me.

"Just trust me."

I hung up and headed to his house. I need to see Zane. I can't stand being apart from him. How do I know if he is even alive still?

No. He can't be dead. I will just heal him. I healed myself, but I don't know how I did.

When I got to his house I took out the key Zane gave me a while ago and let myself in.

"Mr. Bennett!" I screamed. He came running down the stairs.

"Did you find him?" he asked me.

"No, but I know Denmen has him somewhere. She said that she would tell me where he is when I tell her my secret." I sat on the couch.

"Rikki?' I looked towards the door and saw Bella and Cleo.

"Hey guys. Come in and sit. I have to tell you something. You to Mr. Bennett."

They sat and I talked. I told them about everything that Denmen told me. When I got to the part about Emma, Cleo burst out with tears and I almost did too, but I held it in.

"I thinkwe should just tell her," I said when I finished telling them everything.

"Are you insane?" Bella asked me.

"We can't tell her anything! She killed Emma. If we tell her, she'll do the same to us," Cleo said.

"She has Zane! How can I just sit here when he could have been killed too? I love him. I want to be with him. I can't stand what she is doing!" I cried and cried until Bella spoke.

"Do you see what she's doing? She's trying to put you guys against each other. You can't let her do that. Rikki, we will save Zane and get justice for Emma's death. I promise, but we have to do that without revealing our secret."

"She's right," Cleo said.

"I know."

We sat and talked and figured out a plan.

We got up and went for a walk. We headed for Denmen's boat. She was going to pay for what she did. Bella went to hide while Cleo and I went on her boat.

"Denmen?" Cleo said.

She came out of her little walk through in her boat.

"Finally came to your senses?" she asked us.

"Talk," I told her.