The men continued to haul in fish until the holds were full, then the vessels prepared to head back to their home port to unload them to waiting vehicles for them to be taking to a processing factory.
These were older trawlers, not the ones with on-board processing units.
Kate was fast asleep in the small two-bed bunk-room where one woman, a widow slept, the other, her sister, had a joint bunk-room with her husband, the chief engineer. The trio had once been a foursome and had lived their working lives as fisher people.
Pulled from her bed at sunrise, Kate found herself dragged up the stairs, one man in front and one behind. She found herself in the bridge.
"Someone wants to talk with you, mermaid," one of her captors said, releasing her.
Her father's face came on a screen. "Kate. I'm relieved to see you. I'm in a helicopter, coming for you. Go up on deck..." The operator moved in front of Kate's face, calling, "You wait. We have other offer."
The screen went blank as the operator turned a dial.
Richard's face appeared. He said, "Kate. Thank God. I'm coming for you in a speed boat."
Kate remembered the languages spoken. Richard spoke Mandarin. The fisher people spoke Cantonese, a similar language...
Replying in Mandarin, the operator said, "Two million dollars, you can have her, Mermaid Kate..."
"Fine," said Richard, "I'm not far out."
"You wait," the operator bargained, turning the dial to reveal her father's face. "Three million dollar, Mister, for your Kate."
"We have a jet bomber on our radar, Sir, Mr Operator!" Kate's father called, his face twisted with agony, "You need to abandon ship now! They will blow your boats out of the water! Get out of there now, Kate!"
Kate didn't wait, she pushed the men away so forcefully, they were taken by surprise. Rushing up the steps, turning and moving up more, she hurried around the bridge at the same time the jet plane began swooped down towards her.
Diving out as far out as she could from the trawler she pulled herself down, down, down. The water turning into a moiling tumult as she was buffeting around and around, swirling. She could see the orange and scarlet of flames above her. Her eardrums felt as though they were bursting.
Spinning in the water, she closed her eyes, allowing her breath to come out slowly, giving in to the upward current...
She knew nothing, felt nothing...
*****
Kate screamed, asking "Where am I?"
Nothing around her or within her felt anything like anything she ever lived through before...
'Where am I?" she repeated, then, "I don't know who I am..."
"Kate, your name is Kate."
Someone took her hand and squeezed it. The hand felt warm, so warm. Hers was like ice.
"Who are you?"
"Kate, it's me, your Amma." She kissed Kate's cheek.
"Amma? I'm... confused. I feel... broken. It's all dark... I can't see you..."
"You have a bandage around your eyes, Kate. We're having you fixed, healed. You'll be all right. I promise." Squeezing her hand, the voice said, "They have to take you, but be sure, I'll be right with you, in prayer, all the way..."
"Is God still here, Amma?"
"Yes, He is, He's right here."
"How do I know that... for sure?"
"He is with me, and I see Him with you, going with you all the way..."
"I need your music Amma."
"Yes, you have that too..."
"Tell me who I am, Amma, tell me..."
"You are Kate..."
"Yes, but who am I really?"
"Listen to your music, the song you really liked, you still like... and when you wake, you will be able to see the pictures that go along with it... you told me, you said, 'it's one of my most favorite songs'."