Beneath The Waves (bxb)

15. Situations and Stipulations

The drive to the facility was eerily quiet, considering the amount of people in the truck. Granted the guards were in the back where the crate was securely fastened and had likely been ordered not to speak, but even in the front, there was complete silence. We stopped for a bathroom break once at a rest stop, and about two hours later, we arrived. The six hour trip had me fidgety to get out and check on Callem and Mellac.

The second the truck pulled into the loading dock for the exhibit, I jumped down and ran to the back. They were already getting a makeshift tunnel set up so the mers could walk in by themselves. There was no window in the truck, but there was a small one in the tunnel they were pulling out. I quickly ran over to it and looked in, but the mers hadn't moved yet so I couldn't see them.

"Excuse me? Are you Doctor Parker Ryans?"

I whirled around to see a redhaired business-like woman walking toward me with two of her own security guards.

"Uhm, yeah. That's me."

The woman smiled and reached out a hand. I took it on instinct, wincing slightly when she tightened her grip on mine.

"Nice to meet you, I'm the curator here, Mrs. Smith. Doctor Warren said you were coming and may be able to help move the two mers without us needing to sedate them."

I nodded, licking my lips before chancing a look back at the window.

Still haven't moved...

"Alright then, what do you need us to do?"

Let them go.

"Um... is there a way to open one of the small windows in the tunnel?"

She raised a brow and shook her head.

"No, they are all sealed with bullet-proof glass and do not open."

"Oh... uh, then I may need to go in with them."

"That is not possible. They are extremely dangerous."

I fought to keep my face from showing any anger or annoyance, the only two emotions I was honestly feeling right then, and instead schooled it to seem almost patient.

"They will not hurt me, but if you drug them, it could cause adverse effects."

She seemed to consider my words but shook her head anyways.

"I cannot risk another life just to get them to move without being tranquilized."

The woman motioned her guards forward, which I now realized had tranquilizer guns strung over their broad shoulders.

"Wait. They'll come for me. Uhm, let me call them from the other end of the tunnel. Th-There's a safe place close enough for me to shout so they can hear me, right?"

She thought for a moment, then looked up at her guards.

"Hold on, Marco, Jacob. We're going to let him try first. I'd rather not dart them if possible."

Both guards turned, eyeing me suspiciously. I glared back, but when Mrs. Smith began walking toward the enclosure they had prepared for the mers, I quickly followed. To say that I was surprised by what I saw was an understatement. The exhibit was actually quite nice, if small. The area was clean and well-maintained, and as I looked around at nearby ones, they all actually looked pretty good.

I suppose it's better than what I expected, but this still isn't a place for a mer to live.

"You can call them from right here."