There was only one thing I could think of doing to stop him, even though it was probably the dumbest thing I had ever done in my life, second to bringing two mermen into my home. I grabbed Mellac's left arm, the one he was using to hurt Jay, and pulled as hard as I could. At first, he didn't even seem to notice me, but then I was suddenly the one grabbed by the throat.
"M-Mellac?"
He easily lifted my body into the air as he got up, fingers tightening around my windpipe with little effort.
"You are just as bad as him, trying to trick my brother into mating you just to save your pathetic life."
My fingers scrambled against his, but it felt like they were glued to my skin. I began gasping for air after seconds, having not gotten in a breath before being grabbed.
"C... Call... em..."
"Shut up. You are just a worthless human. Don't you dare call for my brother."
Believe me, I don't want to ask one murderous mer to save me from another, either, but I'm kind of out of options here.
I felt my mind beginning to get fuzzy as my oxygen supply dwindled. Nothing seemed to be working, not even the few kicks I'd managed to land on his bare legs. It honestly just felt like kicking a rock. Mellac also ended up tightening his grip, blurring my vision to the point of near darkness... until I felt strong arms wrap around my waist and something rub against the back of my damp shirt.
"Brother, go back inside," Mellac growled in warning.
Callem barked behind me and tightened his hold. I think he was shaking his head, too, because I felt something brushing back and forth against my back.
"He isn't your mate. He's just a useless human. He can never go back to the ocean with you, and he only let you claim him so he wouldn't die."
"Arf!"
Mellac sighed out a growl and refocused his attention on me.
"He will be fine once you and your human friend are dead."
I felt Callem's arms tighten further and would have winced if I wasn't feeling more pain from my lack of oxygen.
"Goodbye, human."
"P-Parker Callem's!"
I was released immediately and fell back into Callem's arms as he sat down, tugging me into his lap. There was absolutely no strength left in me to move so I let him hold me without complaint, honestly just thankful that I could get in big gulps of air now. Callem felt tense beneath me and was obviously paying attention to his brother, because of the angle at which he stared. I couldn't make my head move at all, but I did close my eyes and focus on listening as Mellac began to speak.
"After all of these years, you speak for this... this, human?"
Callem hugged me tighter against his chest and glanced away toward the pool. I knew animal behavior enough to know that he was submitting to his brother, perhaps just so Mellac wouldn't get more upset?
"Callem... why?"
While I was definitely curious about the same thing, I really needed to get Jay's head to stop bleeding. My body felt like jelly, but thankfully it did as told after another minute of deep breathing and moved slowly out of Callem's arms. I was surprised the mer let me go, but he seemed a bit more focused on his brother to mind me going a few feet away.
"I-I... Parker to Callem," he stuttered as I felt Mellac's attention shift to me, but I was too busy pulling off my shirt so I could wrap it around Jay's bleeding head to really pay him any mind right then.
"You still don't really understand what you're saying, do you?"
Callem whined like a puppy, but Mellac didn't seem interested in giving his brother an out. He had spoken up when he was not supposed to be able to. That left him open to his brother's anger and confusion.
"Callem, up."
I turned to watch the younger mer get to his feet, but I also saw something else inside just beyond the open door. The relief that flooded through my system when I heard Oliver's dart gun go off was incredible. The dart hit home in Mellac's previously injured shoulder, then a second one quickly buried itself in his left thigh. Callem was quick to react, but Oliver had been ready with a smaller dart gun... and a bigger dart. It hit in the mer's upper right shoulder. Callem managed to get inside and chase Oliver for a minute, but there was no way he would be catching him since he had just learned how to walk recently. In fact, he dropped after only two minutes, then was out cold after a few more.
Oliver came out to us after he was sure both mermen were completely unconscious. I couldn't help but smile at him and was about to thank him profusely when he said the one thing that would make me mad.
"I called the facility. They should be here any second now."
My attention moved over to Mellac's unconscious body only a foot or so away, then inside to Callem's.
They would definitely put them in a higher security area this time. They may not even get a pool!
"Oliver! How could you?"
He knelt down beside Jayson, checking that he was still breathing before carefully getting him into his arms. I could hear sirens getting closer and figured it was safe to assume that he had called 911 as well.
"I heard you scream when pulling into my driveway and did what I had to in order to save my friends."
I wanted to yell at him, but my throat was extremely sore and he was already walking toward the front of the house with Jay as I saw the flashing lights pulling up through the open door. If he wasn't helping Jayson, I would have called our friendship over right then and there, but the fact of the matter was that he had likely just saved our lives. Several of my colleagues rushed in to retrieve the mers as EMTs got me up and onto a gurney. I really didn't think I needed to go to the hospital, but as soon as my head was pushed down onto the pillow, I passed out.
They wanted me to stay in the hospital for observation, but I walked out after checking on Jayson and signing three forms.
Thank god my job provides medical insurance.
I walked the five blocks home and noticed Jay's SUV was back in the driveway. Oliver must have grabbed a spare key from the counter and gone to get it, figuring it would be at the beach. I dug through the fridge and stole one of Jay's energy drinks, then got in my truck and headed down to the research center. When I arrived, I noticed that there were barely any people in the main hallways besides the guards
Hmph, bet I know exactly where they are.
Grumbling random curse words under my breath, I quickly grabbed my lab coat and ID badge from my locker, then made my way through the three security doors. There were a couple of scientists swimming in the large tank, but I ignored them and checked in the back where the four observation pools were. I could see before I even got there by looking through the windows that nobody was inside.
"Darn it all. Isolation then."
I turned to the right and walked swiftly down the hallway leading from the main tank room. Taking a left at the end of that hallway, I pushed through a set of double doors with warning signs on them reading: Caution: Dangerous Animals In Vicinity.
I'll show them a dangerous 'animal'.
Stepping into the brightly lit room, I walked over to the first isolation door and peered in through the small window.
Not them.
Going to the next one, I did the same, but saw the same result. It was three doors later when I finally came across Callem and Mellac's cell. It was technically a room, but screw that. It looked more like a jail cell, especially for a damned aquatic creature. There was obviously no toilet, not that they knew how to use one, but there wasn't much of anything else to be honest. There was a small lift door that, if opened, would lead out to a small ten by ten pool, but they didn't even have access to that! Furious, I whirled around and started going off on one of the senior biologists, who was above me by just one level of management.
"What the hell are they doing cooped up in that tiny room? There's no food or water, and they are huddled in the damn corner, terrified."
The older blond-haired man looked at me with nonchalance as he fiddled with some test tubes that I noticed were labeled M1 and M2.
Of-freaking-course they already took samples, the bastards.
"They need to go back to the wild."
"We have video footage from the other facility's research vessel showing the incident that happened yesterday. The larger male attacked them, drowning the entire crew. So we have decided that they are too dangerous to return to the wild."
"What?"
"Do not shout at me, Dr. Ryans. Both mers are under my personal care, and I have made the decision that they will remain in there until we decide where they can safely be moved to. They will stay in captivity, but do not worry, many high-level facilities are already putting in bids to take them, and they have very nice habitats and the trained personnel to handle them."
"Y-You're talking about putting them on freaking display? They just want to go back to the ocean. The smaller brother was injured, and his older one came to help. Why can you not just take them out to one of the uninhabited islands off the coast where we release our dangerous animals and let them go there?"
"I cannot do that."
God dammit. His easygoing attitude is seriously pissing me off. But, if I let it get to me too much I can get fired or at least removed from this area and I can't risk that.
Turning back to the mer's room, I slammed the button on the side of the wall and watched as the lift-door rose, allowing them access to the small pool in the other area. It wasn't much, but as soon as Callem peeked in and saw the water, he scrambled inside, quickly being followed by his older brother. I expected them to shift and at least stretch out their tails, but neither did. Instead, they just dipped beneath the water and rested at the bottom of the six foot deep pool.
"It isn't big enough."
"That's all they are getting for now until we can get them to a better facility that can handle their aggression."
I wanted to beat the heck out of him, but instead I took a deep breath and turned toward the guy.
"Who has the highest bid so far?"
"A privately owned marine park a little ways up the coast."
"Name?"
"Poseidon Water Park."
I bristled immediately.
"That place isn't even accredited. They have animal deaths yearly, and they only have one vet on staff."
"That is not my problem. They have the best facility and the highest bid to take them."
"They are going together?"
"Yes."
At least that was good. The only thing that is, though.
"When will the bidding end?"
"In about five minutes."
"F-Five?"
He stared at me for a moment because of my shouting but went back to the experiment he was running with a nod.
"Yes. We cannot keep them here. They could easily break the isolation door if they tried together so we need them out of the building as soon as possible."
I swallowed and looked back toward the pool. Callem was halfway out, his eyes wide and upset as he stared at me through the small glass window in the door.
"Parker!"
Please don't call for me, Callem... I can't help you anymore.
"Parker!"
My heart hurt as I turned away, giving him my back. This wasn't how it should have been. He should have left when I let him go... but he stayed for me. He could have swam away, I knew he could have.
Now his brother is in the same situation and will be heading to one of the worst water parks in the country.
"Are... you shipping them out tonight?"
"Yes. They will be put into the travel crate anytime now."
I could hear the beeping of one of our heavy transport trucks backing up, no doubt lining up to the tunnel behind the movable wall by the pool. They were likely just planning to spook the mers in there... and if that didn't work, they would just dart them.
"I want to go."
"Not a chance."
"I'm the one who found Callem and saved him. If I hadn't, we never would have found Mellac or had either of them. They are likely bringing in millions for this place, so don't tell me that I can't at least go with them."
He took a frustrated breath and straightened up, eyeing me suspiciously.
"Fine. You can go, but there are going to be several armed guards going along with them to be sure they don't cause trouble. You ride in the truck on the way there, then come back in the truck. If I find out that you stayed there and bothered anyone or tried to set them free, I will be reporting you to headquarters."
"Yeah, I got it."
He didn't look like he trusted me, which was smart, but ended up just shrugging and pointed behind him toward the exit door.
"Go help them get the mers loaded. I bet the younger one will follow you, and his brother seems overly protective, so go see if they will walk so we won't have to tranquilize either of them."
Pursing my lips, I did as told, ducking out of the facility and into the drizzling, muggy afternoon. It was getting pretty close to evening, actually.
Guess this will be an overnight delivery.
I noticed a few guys working with the fasteners, being sure the exit tunnel was secure to the truck so the mers couldn't slip out. When they were done, I walked over and introduced myself.
"Hello, I'm Dr. Ryans. I know the younger mer so he may follow my voice so we won't have to dart them."
They looked unimpressed to say the least, but I just opened the small window in the far end of the tunnel and called for Callem. Immediately, I could hear him getting out of the water and smiled. He might be dangerous, but the mer was honestly a sweetheart. He just didn't understand enough to be safe around people.
"Callem! Come here, hun."
I saw him a moment later, looking around before he saw me through the tiny window. He smiled a little and began heading toward me without a second thought. It hurt to do this to him, but it was better than drugging them both again.
"Good boy. Come here."
He did as told, walking the long tunnel, though it was obvious he was a bit uncomfortable with being closed into the hot space. When he was getting close, I glanced back into the small room he had come from to see Mellac glaring at me.
"Mellac, come on. If you don't walk, they will drug you and Callem again. Please, come here for your brother's sake."
His eyes narrowed, but he slowly began walking as I returned half of my attention to his younger brother. As soon as Mellac moved past the first part of the tunnel, the workers pushed a large steel wall in place to keep him from being able to go back. He didn't even bother looking behind himself as it slid into place. Two more doors were pushed in before he reached his brother and I. There were bars between the window I was talking through so neither mer could do much if they tried to grab me, making them both not even bother.
"You guys need to go into the truck."
"They are taking us somewhere," Mellac stated, making me sigh and nod slowly.
"Yeah... I tried to get them to let you both go, even somewhere far away from here, but they wouldn't do it. You're going to a water park."
I kept out the part about it being a pretty crappy place, not like the mers even knew what a water park was. It had been a long time since I had been there, and I could only pray that they had fixed the place up by now.
"Please. I don't want them hurting you or Callem."
He licked his dry lips and grabbed his brother's hand, tugging him into the steel-lined transport truck. When they were completely inside, Mellac turned toward me, holding his little brother back from trying to get closer to the little window where I was.
"Don't come near us again. I don't want my brother attached to a human. I will take care of him like I always have so just stay away."
The crew was already beginning to push the crate's back wall across to latch it so I quickly shouted over the screeching sound it was making.
"But I can help."
I saw Mellac bare his teeth at me before he hissed a response angrily.
"If I see you again, human, I will not hesitate to kill you."
I tried to reply, but the door cut us off and was quickly locked in place by several strong latches and bolts. The group of men then pushed the transport tunnel away and pulled down the back part of the truck just beyond the crate they had locked up. It was a very intricate truck, and I used to be so excited when I saw it because that meant we were getting in something new and amazing, but as I numbly climbed into the passenger's seat in the front, I could only feel dread for what I was doing.
This is all my fault...I ruined their lives.
The driver slid in beside me, but I just stared out the window as he started up the truck and got us out of the back lot and onto the road.