Of Neptune (The Syrena Legacy) (26 page)

He’s getting frustrated with me, I can tell. There’s a turbulence in his eyes that hints at unpredictability. His behavior is all over the place, too. Calm then agitated. Mild then excitable. I have to at least guess at the answer, if it’ll make him happy—for the moment. “Because you’re their friend and they wouldn’t betray you?”

He laughs pityingly, crossing his arms. “I don’t believe I’ve ever met someone so obtuse.”

Insult me, fine. But keep pointing that gun everywhere but at me.

Tyrden shakes his head. “Jagen still has an interest on land, Emma. A Half-Breed son. His name is Asten. Lives two towns over with his mother. I check in on them every once in a while. He’s getting big. Almost two years old now.”

The realization of what he’s saying slaps me in the face. “You threatened to kill his son if he told.”

He tilts his head, giving me an off-balance smile. “You see, I have to make sure my secrets are safe.”

“If you let me go, I promise I won’t tell. I’ll keep your secret, too.” But we both know it’s a lie. As soon as I was in the clear, I’d go straight to Reder and tell him about Asten, that his life is in danger. I’d make sure the baby was safe, that Tyrden couldn’t do him any harm.

“Of course, our situation is different, Emma. You and I have already reached an impasse.”

“I still don’t understand.”

“You remember the part of my story where Jagen and Paca had the Royals right where they wanted them?” He takes several slow steps toward me. I nod, eyeing the end of the barrel now pointed at me again. “Then of course you recall who showed up with a wall of fish and ruined everything.”

40

GALEN PRESSES
himself against the wall, listening for any movements or noise coming from Reder’s house. There are no lights on, and like the entire town of Neptune, it seems deserted—which Galen couldn’t be more thankful for, considering he’s naked.

He creeps up the steps to the front porch and jiggles the doorknob as quietly as he can. Peering in the window, he finds no one in the living room or dining room. He decides to make an entrance in the back of the house; if he has to break a window to get in, he doesn’t want to be seen by any passersby from the road.

He tiptoes around the side of the house, using the moonlight as his guide, and nearly trips on the coiled-up water hose lying close to the back porch. Opening the screen door, he cringes when it gives off a boisterous creak, which reminds him a little of the way Toraf belches after he’s had too much to eat.

To Galen’s surprise—and relief—the back door is unlocked.
Thank Triton for small neighborly towns.
He inches through the house, checking each corner and room for signs of life and finding none. Deciding clothes would make this whole break-in less stressful, he makes his way up the stairs to find Reder’s closet. Reder’s build is more like Galen’s than Reed’s is.

He pulls on the first pair of jeans he can find and slides into a worn T-shirt. He tests out some of Reder’s shoes and finds them a bit big, but if the laces are tight enough, they won’t fall off.

Galen had hoped to find Emma here. It’s the one place he thought she would be. Now that she isn’t, he’s not sure where else to look.
I’ll try calling her.

He eases his way back down the stairs and into the kitchen where he remembers seeing a telephone hanging on the wall. Dialing her number, he holds his breath, knowing already that it would be too easy if she answered, that tonight is not going to work out that way.

When it goes to voice mail, he hangs up and dials Dr. Milligan. Though he’s quite certain no one else is in the house with him, he still whispers when his friend picks up.

“Dr. Milligan, it’s Galen. I need you to come to Neptune. Kennedy is here, and he’s taken Reed. He’s going to expose the Syrena.”

“Galen? Neptune? What?”

“Kennedy—one of the men you were snorkeling with when we first met—he’s here in Neptune. Neptune is a town in Tennessee full of Half-Breeds and Syrena. He’s got Reed. And I can’t find Emma.”

After a long pause, Dr. Milligan says, “Okay, okay, just calm down.” But to Galen, it’s Dr. Milligan who seems alarmed. “Kennedy you say? Greg Kennedy? I haven’t seen him in years.”

“He’s been busy hunting Syrena. And now he’s found some.” Galen describes all that has happened in short, choppy sentences that may or may not serve as a decent explanation. He’s hoping Dr. Milligan can follow—and that he picks up on the urgency of the situation. Apparently, he does.

“Oh, dear. This isn’t good.”

Galen nods into the phone. “I know. Can you come?”

“I’ll catch the next flight out.”

When they hang up, Galen dials Grom. He’s surprised when his brother answers. “Galen, where are you?”

“I’m in Reder’s house. I can’t find Emma and she’s in danger.”

Galen hears a slight shuffle on the other end of the phone, and suddenly he’s talking to Nalia. “Emma’s in the basement of city hall.”

“How … How do you know that?”

“We’ve spoken on the phone. Go get her. And tell Toraf we don’t need a hostage.”

“Toraf? Where’s Toraf? A hostage?” Didn’t he tell them not to come to Neptune? Still, he’s glad they didn’t listen. He could use their help right about now. Especially since they’ve been in touch with Emma.

“He’s on his way to town to kidnap someone for us. We were going to do a hostage exchange.”

Galen shakes his head. “Nevermind. I don’t even want to know. I’m going to find Emma. Where should we meet you?”

“We’re in a picnic area right outside of town. It’s a little off the road.”

Galen nods. “I remember seeing a sign for it on the way in.”

“Good. Hurry. Oh, and Galen?”

“Yes?”

“I’m going to beat you senseless for leaving Emma all alone there.” And then Nalia hangs up.

Galen beats his head against the wall. How could this possibly get worse?

Before he leaves, he takes the magnetic dry erase board from the refrigerator and scribbles a message on it. Hopefully someone will come home and see it before anything else bad happens.

Tyrden and Kennedy are your enemies.

He places the board on the kitchen table and leaves.

*   *   *

When Galen gets back into town, he’s forced to dodge into alleyways between buildings. The streets of Neptune are flooded with people wearing orange vests and carrying flashlights. Probably search parties for Reed. By their downtrodden expressions, they haven’t found him yet.

Galen ducks behind a dumpster just as a couple passes by on the sidewalk in front of him. He has to get to city hall without being detected, but he’s not sure exactly where it is.

“I knew I smelled something,” a voice says behind him.

He turns to face Toraf. “How long have you been there?” Galen hisses. Still, he’s never been so glad to see his friend.

“I was here first. You almost stepped on my foot. Not very observant, minnow.”

“Have you found Emma yet?”

Toraf shakes his head. “She’s not at city hall. I already checked.”

“How did you know where city hall was?”

Toraf shrugs. “I asked someone. They’re pretty friendly here.”

Galen massages his temples with his fingers. “And have you already gotten yourself a hostage?”

“Nope. That’s what I was in the process of doing before you almost head-butted me, trying not to get noticed.”

“You can’t just take someone out in the open in the middle of town.”

“I was going to call a cab and get them to take me to the picnic area where everyone else is. Boom. Hostage taken. What’s with your face? I hope the other guy looks worse.”

“This town is too small to need cabs.” He wonders where Toraf learned about calling for cabs but decides to put the question off for later. Now is not the time to go off on a tangent especially where Toraf is involved. Still, his friend’s plan was rather impressive.

“Um, minnow? Not to interrupt your expert strategizing, but…” Toraf points to the street behind them. “Isn’t that Emma?”

Galen whips around. Sure enough, Emma is in the passenger seat of a car stopped at the only stoplight in town. And Tyrden is driving.

41

I WANT
to scream at the people around me. To beat on the window and yell for help. But Tyrden is pointing the gun at my stomach, and I know he’ll shoot before anyone can come to my aid. Before anyone will realize what happened.

So my choice is getting shot now or later. It’s just that I think I have a better chance for escape later. Now, if I even move, I’m dead. Later, when we stop wherever we’re going, he’ll have to get out of the car at some point. There will be that brief second when the gun isn’t pointed at me. At least, that’s what I’m hoping. That’s when I’ll make my move.

Rachel taught me that when someone has a gun, the best chance you’ve got is to run away in a zigzag pattern, that it’s harder to hit a moving target. She says that way, even if they do shoot and hit, it lowers the odds of them striking a vital organ—and increases your chances of getting away.

I’m startled from my thoughts when one of the pedestrians knocks on my window. I’m too terrified to look up at whoever it is. “What should I do?” I ask Tyrden quietly.

“See what he wants,” he says. “And remember what I’ve got in my hand.” Tyrden lowers the gun to rest it on the seat between us, hiding it in a shadow cast by a streetlamp.

I roll down the window. And come face to face with Toraf. My eyes feel like they’ve doubled in size.
Toraf is here. Toraf is here. Toraf is here
.

“Hi,” he says, poking his head in. I want to push him out, to tell him to run, to tell him to help me, to tell him there’s a gun. My mouth is hung on the hinges, unwilling to make the words. “Can I get a ride to city hall?” he says.

There’s no way Toraf doesn’t see the gun.
What is he doing?

“Sorry, we’re not going that way,” Tyrden says, his voice all friendly and cheerful. He presses the gun into my hip. “And we’re late getting to where we’re going.”

“Oh, sorry. Could you just give me some quick directions then?”

“Sure.” A bit of his impatience shines through. “Turn right at this light and—”

The sound of shattering glass hits me from the driver’s side before the actual shards do. Toraf flings the passenger door open, and I spill out of the car on top of him as I hear the gun go off behind me. It makes contact with the door panel inches from my head.

“Get up, get up,” Toraf says, pulling me to my feet. He wraps his arm around my waist and hauls me to the curb.

There are screams all around us. The car bounces up and down, squeaking the suspension, which is made more horrifying by a succession of male grunts resounding from the front seat. After a few seconds, another shot rings out and with a clink, the gun falls onto the pavement beside the car.

“I’ll be right back,” Toraf says, kicking it away. Then he all but dives into the passenger seat.

In a matter of milliseconds, Galen appears from the driver’s side, and my stomach does cartwheels. He drags an unconscious Tyrden out of the car by his armpits and unceremoniously throws him in the backseat. He seems oblivious to the crowd that has gathered around him. He spots me on the sidewalk, doing nothing at all to save myself or him. Galen appears relieved that I’m not being useful.

“Emma!” he yells. “Get in the car.”

Robotically, I scramble back to the passenger side just as Toraf’s feet fly over the bench seat and he takes his place next to Tyrden’s limp body in the back. “Go go go,” Toraf says, and Galen stomps on the gas, parting the crowd.

The advantage of being in a small town is that you can get out of it quickly. Two minutes, and we’re speeding down the highway. I’m clutching the door panel, trying not to think about the bullet hole in it. Also, trying to absorb what just freaking happened.

“Angelfish,” Galen says beside me. He puts a gentle hand on my leg, and I instinctively cover it with mine. “Are you okay?”

I nod, eyes wide. “You?” It’s a valid question. He’s got bruises all over his face, a puffy eye, and both his top and bottom lips are split. Some of the bruises are yellowing already, which means they’re older than the recent scuffle with Tyrden in this car. I’ve never seen him look so rough.

“I’m going to be,” he says with confidence. “Once I get you safe.”

“What should I do if he wakes up?” Toraf says behind us. I glance back at Tyrden, who is folded up into an almost ball in the seat. He looks like he’s been packed in a suitcase in a hurry.

Galen looks in the rearview. “Keep your boot in his face and get ready to use it.”

“Will do.”

“Galen?” I say softly. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry, but whichever I choose is going to be done in a state of hysteria.

“Hmm?”

“Where have you been?”

He takes a deep breath and squeezes my knee. “You’re not going to believe everything that has happened.”

I take in Galen’s face, the bullet holes in the car, the man we’ve kidnapped in the backseat, and the fact that he was holding me hostage not ten minutes before. “Try me.”

42

GALEN DUMPS
Tyrden in the back of the SUV Nalia rented from the airport. With concentrated movements, he starts wrapping him in layer after layer of rope she’d gotten from a hardware store a few towns down.
She really was prepared to take a hostage.
With his teeth, he tears off a piece of duct tape and places it carefully over Tyrden’s mouth.

“You should put it around his whole head,” Rayna says from behind him. “It’ll hurt more if he has to pull it out of his hair.” Then she smacks the sleeping man on the cheek. Hard. “He’s really out of it.”

Triton’s trident, but Galen has missed his twin sister. “Hopefully he won’t get the chance to pull it off at all.”

“He won’t.” She leans against the back of the SUV and slowly raises a hand to touch his face. “This guy did that to you?”

“It doesn’t feel as bad as it looks.” Which isn’t a lie. His lips will tear themselves back open if he’s not careful, but other than that, everything seems to be healing well. At least, that’s what Nalia had said.