I kicked and screamed under the water, anxiously flapping my arms to prevent from sinking. I couldn't swim. Water filled my tight lungs.
Guns fired off in the distance. Water took over my ears to the point where all I could hear was the rushing water. I felt a tug on my arm. I pushed my eyes open to the dark blurriness that was the Chicago River. Opening my eyes didn't help. I still couldn't see anything. I was tugged again and pulled closer to Nova.
Before I reached her, I slipped into a dark, stiff state of unconsciousness.
I stiffened my shoulder when I woke, no longer emerged in water, I was only just drenched in it. Every part of me ached and shivered. I began coughing.
I was moving. Where was I?
"Will."
I opened my eyes. Nova stood above me. I was securely wrapped in a heavy towel.
"Will." She repeated more aggressively.
"W-where are we?" I said weakly.
"We're below deck on a yacht. We luckily ran into one of dad's friends out here. Can you hear me?"
I could, it sounded like a low mumble. I nodded and jerked my head, flushing the water out.
Nova was in the early stages of drying. Her hair was still dark and stiff, as was her clothes. She wasn't wrapped in a towel.
"How are the kiddies doing down here?"
A tall man with a crooked smile came from the upper deck. He walked with a silver cane. He was well past middle aged.
"Thank you so much, Mr. Mills. We're fine. How could I ever repay you?" Asked Nova.
"No trouble at all. Don't even mention it, always glad to help out the kids of the great Frank Merlin."
"What were you doing out here so late anyway?" Liam asked, wiping his wet head.
"Just bringing the little yacht back deck. It's not much, but it's good enough for me. I had a party earlier this evening, sorry about the mess."
I didn't even notice it until he pointed it out. Glasses were scattered through out the boat, as well as empty bottles of champagne.
"Almost to the shoreline." He began to go back up.
"Be right back." He muttered and went on the upper deck.
"How fortunate for us, huh?" Nova said to me.
"What happened out there?" Liam questioned, expecting Nova to know the answer.
"It seemed to be a setup. The police intercepted the dealers and the-..Did we just stop? Why did we stop?" Nova jumped up. Before she could open the door, Glenn Mills flew the door open. His gun was tight in his hand.
We jumped up, my towel dropped. We waved our arms up in defense.
"What are you doing?" Asked Nova.
"I'm about to become a very rich man." He smiled.
"How?"
"The three Merlin kids. What to do with you.. I could hand you to the police, but that wouldn't do much for me. I think holding you for ransom is the best way to go... Should I hold you separately or as one? I think separately, see which one daddy doughs out the most for. We'll see who his favorite is."
"If you were smart, you wouldn't double cross my father. People who double cross my father end up in the river." Nova explained, her hands still up.
He stayed still. He didn't seem convinced of our threats, or he was too greedy to care.
Bravely, Liam attacked him. The gun went off, driving a bullet into Liam. He screamed, and knocked the gun across the room, right by my foot. He dropped to his knees and slid down to reach it. I scooped it up and pointed it down at him before his finger tips could even touch it.
"Do it, Will! Ahh!" Liam moaned in pain, clutching his upper arm. Blood spilled out of his wound.
My thumb set on the trigger. My hands shook unsteadily.
"Do it!" Liam screamed.
THUMP.
I sharply winced. Mr.Mills fell forward in front of my feet. Behind him, Nova put his heavy silver cane down. It was more of a fashion statement than a necessity.
"Give me the gun, Will." I obeyed and handed it to her, hovering over his unconscious body.
BANG.
She shot the back of his head. Blood splattered on the carpet, along with my shoes. I felt sick. I turned away, I didn't want to look at it.
She stared at his body a few seconds, almost expecting him to move. Then she turned to Liam, checking on his bullet wound.
"I'm fine, I'm fine." He cuffed his bleeding arm.
"How do we get back?" I asked, attempting to keep the bloody body out of view.
"Well I see two options. One, drive this back to shore, dispose of him and the yacht or swim back to shore and dispose of him and the yacht."
"I'd be easier to get rid of him out here." Liam winced through the pain.
"Yeah, but you're injured and he can't swim." Said Nova.
"So we steer it?" Said Liam.
"I guess so." Replied Nova.
"Is there auto pilot?" I asked.
Nova and I checked up deck. Liam stumbled up against Nova's request.
"Doesn't seem to be one." Nova examined. Her fingers danced on the control.
"We could call someone." I suggested.
"Like who?"
"Dad."
"'No. We're not calling him." Liam jumped in sternly.
"Alright. Liam, sit down before you hurt yourself more. Will, Google search 'how to drive a yacht." Nova commanded.
I pulled out my phone out of my pocket. My wet, damaged phone.
"Ugh, alright. Hold on."
Nova quickly began to experiment with the buttons, jerking us backwards and forwards. Left to right. Then we heard a loud unnerving sound coming up from below.
"Oops. I wonder what that did." Nova shrugged and continued playing with the controls.
The boat began to move forward. Slowly, it would tug every second.
"It's not like I'm bleeding out over here or anything!"
"Oh shut up, you survived through worse. It didn't hit any major arteries. You'll be fine." Nova snapped back.
She drove us all the way to the nearest port a half hour later, almost crashing twice. We slipped off onto a deck and helped Liam on.
"We can't go back to the car. The police probably already have it."
"What are we supposed to do then?"
"Find a pay phone, and hurry."
Considering none of us are Hufflepuffs, it took us a while before we found one. Nova dialed the number quickly with utter disgust. She wiped her hands on her jacket.
"This thing probably has herpes. Sick." She disgustingly pressed against her ear.
"We need a ride. Western port, about a mile from Navy Pier. Yep. Thanks."
"Was that dad?"
She gave a slight, worrisome nod.
"So we can call him now! Why not before when we were almost dead?" I asked.
"That was different. Stay down."
Almost on her words, Liam spun and fell with a loud bang on the sidewalk. A wondering man across the street glared at us.
"Here's our ride."
A dark car pulled up, opening it's long doors.
We walked into father's office late the next day, fairly well rested and healed. Liam's arm was secured in a sling, where it would rest for a few weeks.
"We think it was an ambush set up by the police and DEA."
"You are quite right, Nova. The three dealers, Rick Westel, Tony Briggs, and Harry Flemming. I just found out this morning. The police intercepted them, made them a deal about shortening their sentence. They agreed, and, well you know the rest." My father explained.
"Did they at least get their sentence shortened?" I asked. Both of my siblings glared at me, I immediately sunk down. It was a not so friendly reminder of theirs not to speak unless spoken to.
"I seriously doubt it, son. You know how cops are."
"What about Mr.Mills?" Asked Nova.
"Him, I'm not sure about. One of my lifetime partners. He went as far as to kidnapping my kids and hold them for ransom.. If people are getting this idea in their heads.. I think it's best if you'd leave."