SeaChange (18 page)

“We see them,” replied one of the Mexican agents. “We’ll do
our best to follow them inside.”

“Where are you,
pendejos
?” Coyote Two called as they
approached the side of the hacienda. The outer wall here was only eight or ten
feet from the actual house, allowing for ventilation, but not much activity in
the side yards. The trio of agents here stood outside the wall, unlike those in
front, who’d taken their position in the garden near the inner door. “Show
yourselves, or we shoot the girl.”

“Do as they say,” came Jake’s voice over the radio.

Wen added, “Team one, come over the back wall, through the
sitting room into the courtyard. Miguel, I want the van brought around as close
as possible, and get an ambulance on standby.”

“We’ve got four men entering the courtyard from the right
wing,” Steve added. “They must have heard the gunshot back here. We’re moving
out into the courtyard to keep the fight away from Van Dorn.”

Heidi heard the faint sound of yelling over her headset. A
weapon coughed. “Three,” Wen corrected drily.

There was another sound and Jake said, “Two.”

The three Mexican agents stepped out into the shadows, each
holding an automatic weapon up in the air with one hand.

“Put them on the ground. Slowly.” At least that’s what she
thought Coyote Two said. Her Spanish was a little rusty. He pulled his gun away
from Heidi’s waist to point it at the agents. Heidi knew he’d seen that they
were armored. He’d definitely go for headshots, and she didn’t want these men
to die because of her. When she saw Number One shift his attention, his gun
briefly pointed at the ground, she did the only thing she could think of. She
dropped like a rock.

“What the…” Number One scrambled to grab her but the agents
were quicker. One of them caught him in a flying tackle, while another swept
the legs out from under his brother, then brought his weapon butt down on the
top of Coyote Two’s head. Heidi rolled backward, trying to get out of the way.

“The two coyotes are down,” she said into the microphone as
she made it up to her knees, wincing as she put weight on her sore arm. “How do
we make sure they stay that way?”

“Kill them,” said Miguel calmly to his men.

“They can’t regenerate a bullet to the brain,” added one of
the American agents.

“Ten-four,” said the one sitting on Coyote One, then
repeated himself in Spanish. With calm, cool precision, he picked up his weapon
and held it to the fallen man’s head, squeezing the trigger twice. One of his
partners did the same to Number Two.

Heidi was glad she hadn’t eaten dinner. She’d said she didn’t
much care if the drug dealers were killed, but seeing it just a few feet from
her face was a wake-up call she could have lived without. After a couple of dry
heaves, she managed to let one of the agents haul her to her feet.

“
Bueno
. We’re good out here,” said one of them into
his communicator.

“All four men in the courtyard are down,” Jake confirmed. “That
leaves three in the kitchen and Velasquez with one guard in his office, plus
however many are sleeping.”

“We can hit the kitchen,” said one of the Mexicans. His
English was better than that of many American students Heidi knew, with just
the faintest trace of an accent.

“No,” Jake barked. “You need to guard Heidi.”

“The lady just picked up both the coyotes’ weapons,” said
another with an amused grin at Heidi as they went through the gate into the
side yard of the house. “Looks like she knows how to use them,
compadre
.”

“Come around to the back. Heidi can help guard Van Dorn,”
said Wen.

Heidi wanted to hug him for not treating her like a piece of
glass, though Jake’s protectiveness was awfully sweet, in an aggravating sort
of way.

“We’re in the courtyard,” said one of the SEALs. “Nothing
moving in the backyard or the sitting room.”

“Fine, you take the kitchen,” said Wen. “Jake, you and Heidi
guard Van Dorn. Steve and I can go deal with Velasquez, using Miguel’s team for
backup.”

“Fine, but take him alive if you can.”

“We’ve got one man entering the courtyard from a bedroom,”
said one of the SEALs.

“Not anymore,” said another. “He’s down.”

Heidi followed the agents through the patio doors into the
living room, marveling at the coolness of the adobe structure. They moved
through into the courtyard and she tried to hide the leap of joy she felt at
the sight of Jake, standing beside his two friends outside a set of glass
doors. Vaguely she could see the American team across the courtyard, peering in
a window.

“There’s nobody in the kitchen,” said one of them.

“Shit,” Jake growled, wrapping an arm around Heidi as she
got close. “Now what?”

“We’re going in anyway,” said one of the men. “See if Mad
Dog here can follow the scent trail, see where they went.”

“That’s why we have a werewolf on the team,” said Wen. “The
main rooms on the front may all have interior connections.”

Werewolf? Heidi shook her head. It didn’t even surprise her
anymore.

Wen was still giving orders. “You three, go around this way
and check in every room. Steve, you’re with them.” Then Wen’s form shifted and
suddenly Heidi couldn’t see him at all.

“Okay, Heidi, we’re on guard duty,” Jake whispered to her. “I’m
going just inside this door, so I can watch the exterior. You get behind that
bed and shoot anyone who comes in.” The room had twin beds, with a dresser in
one corner and a table with two wrought iron chairs in the other.

“Brad’s in the room behind us?” Heidi tipped her head to the
side as she took up a position behind the bed, using the mattress as a rest for
her weapon. She tried to ignore the two bodies that had been dragged over by
the dresser. Better them than Brad, she kept telling herself. There’d already
been so much death tonight—more than she’d ever had to deal with in one place
at one time. On top of that, it was she who had put events into motion, though
she’d do it all over again to save Brad. The scent of gunpowder and death clung
to the inside of her nostrils and, justified or not, she knew she’d smell that
combination in her nightmares for years to come.

Jake nodded. “In the walk-in closet over there.” He stood in
the front corner of the room, right next to the doorway.

“They seem to have gone all the way through to the office,”
said one of the men.

“Confirmed,” Wen agreed. We’ve got a total of five men in
the office, all heavily armed. Time for tear gas.”

“The windows and doors look bulletproof,” said one of the
Mexicans. “How do we get the gas in there?”

“Steve?” Wen sounded almost amused.

“Hand me the canister.” A few seconds later, Steve added. “Tear
gas is deployed. They’ve got some magic, by the way. One of them just missed me
with some kind of energy bolt, though it didn’t look very powerful.”

“Take that one out first then, when they open a door or
window,” Wen replied.

Heidi listened intently as the drug dealers were finally
forced to open a side window. Steve was waiting, and shot the magic user, the
man who’d been guarding Velasquez. After that, the others surrendered. Heidi
and Jake waited in position until the commandos had finished clearing the
building, then Heidi set her gun down on the bed and ran into the closet where
they’d been holding Brad.

Heidi dropped to her knees beside Brad, who was lying on a
thin air mattress on the hardwood floor of the otherwise empty closet, partly
covered by what looked like the bedspread from the adjacent room. The closet
was about six foot by eight foot, so there was barely room to move around the
mattress. Some of his wounds were clearly infected, and the septic smell in the
tiny place was horrible. Tears dripping from her cheeks, Heidi picked up his
hand, which was warm to the touch but not scalding hot, thank goodness. He had
a fever, but it wasn’t raging out of control.

“One of the men said that once they found out his parents
had money, they started making sure he stayed alive.” Steve stood in the
doorway, alongside Jake. “His parents were negotiating with them, which they
didn’t tell the FBI. They wanted the authorities to go on suspecting you’d
killed him.”

“It figures.” Heidi turned back to Brad and touched his
cheek. “Come on, pal, you’ve got to get better just so you can tell them to
fuck off.”

“Heidi?” Her name was barely a whisper as his cracked lips
moved. “Got…you…too?”

“No, they didn’t. I went for help and we got you out. The
paramedics will be here in just a second to take you to the hospital.”

“Knew…you…could.” His lips contorted into a semblance of a
smile, then he faded back into unconsciousness.

“We’ve got a chopper coming to take him directly to San
Diego,” Steve informed them. “Miguel was worried that Velasquez might have
friends at the local hospital. His wounded man is being transported to Mexico
City, since his injuries aren’t life-threatening. Brad and Malone will go to
the U.S.”

Malone, one of the ex-SEALs, had been seriously injured in
the final firefight, and one of the Mexican men had taken a minor wound. Heidi
was grateful that none of them were dead.

“Heidi?” Brad squeezed her hand as he woke up again. “Not a
dream?”

“No way, dude. I’m real. And we’re getting you on a rescue
flight back to San Diego.” She fought hard to keep her voice level.

“Cool.”

Heidi checked her watch. It was eleven fifteen.
Oh crap!
Almost midnight.
“Steve, when did you say the chopper would be here?”

“About ten minutes, why?” He’d dragged the two bodies out
into the courtyard and now sat with Jake on one of the beds.

“Because that will make it eleven thirty. And Jake needs to
be back on the boat by midnight.”

“Shit.” Jake winced. “I damn near forgot about that.” He
looked over at Heidi and she saw him swallow hard, then square his jaw. “If you
need me to stay, I’ll stay.”

Heidi was staggered. She remembered every word of what he’d
told her about his nature. If he wasn’t in the water at midnight, he couldn’t
change, and if he didn’t change, he’d be stuck as a human—forever. Based on
what Leta and Niko had said, the merfolk were having real problems and they
needed Jake to help work through them. That he would sacrifice all of that just
to stay by her side staggered her.

She shook her head, blinking back the tears that pricked her
eyelids. “Go. My keys are still in my car. I’m sure someone will get me back to
the boat.”

Steve coughed. “Actually, I’d rather put you on that chopper
back to the States. You’re kind of supposed to be there when we wrap up the
paperwork on all of this.” He turned to Jake. “You too, really.”

Jake considered a moment. “How about if I bring the boat up later
tonight? That should put me in San Diego before dawn. Heidi can come with me or
ride with her friend, whichever she prefers.”

“Fine with me,” Steve agreed. “Heidi?”

Torn, she looked down at Brad, who was gazing up at her with
eyes that were starting to focus. “Are Brad’s parents waiting in San Diego?”

“They are,” Steve assured her. “They’re being questioned a
bit, but no one will file any charges against them for complying with a ransom
demand—more’s the pity.”

Before she could respond, the paramedics rushed in, wheeling
a gurney. Heidi was shunted aside while they assessed Brad’s condition, started
an IV and transferred him to a gurney. She couldn’t follow their rapid Spanish,
but as she sat beside Jake on the foot of one of the beds, he translated bits
and pieces into her ear, enough for her to be sure that thanks to their rescue,
her best friend was going to be fine.

“Why are you still here?” she asked, just before they
wheeled Brad out to the courtyard. The helicopter was waiting in the wide field
right next to the hacienda. Heidi got to her feet to follow, tugging Jake with
her. “Go. Before it’s too late.”

“You’re flying up?” Still holding her hand, he followed her
through the courtyard to the main foyer, then out the front door.

Heidi looked at Steve. “Will Brad be conscious on the
flight?” Brad was safe and he was in good hands. This could be her last night
with Jake. Ever.

“With the painkillers they’ve given him? No.” Steve tipped
his head toward the car. “I’ll keep an eye on him, I promise. You keep an eye
on Flipper, there. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Thanks, Steve.” She leaned up to plant a kiss on his
scruffy cheek, then turned and ran after Jake.

* * * * *

Jake barely made it to the water in time. If Heidi hadn’t
been perfectly competent to take the inflatable the rest of the way to the
Siren
,
it would have been too late. He’d gotten them away from the shore before the
tingles had begun, but just barely.

“Just tie up at the swim deck and we’ll haul it on board
when I’m done,” he told her, swimming alongside the boat.

“Fine,” she said, over the growl of the outboard motor. “I
might just join you in the water. I feel filthy.”

“For someone who’s been through what you have, you look
amazing.” He wished he could do something to erase the lines of stress and
sadness from her eyes. “You should probably just take a shower and go to bed.”

“Yeah, like I’ll be able to sleep,” she replied with a
grimace. “This has been, without a doubt, the weirdest few days of my life.”

“I hope not all of it has been terrible.” Guilt weighted his
gut for the part he’d played in complicating her life. The last thing she’d
needed was to have her world turned upside down as well as being shot at,
abducted and having her best friend held for ransom. Yet she still smiled in
that wry, rueful way.
And he felt her pain.
The bond forming between
them was happening, despite his best efforts. He’d heard about it all his
life—the telepathic connection that formed between two mates when they were
perfectly matched. It started with empathy, feeling the other’s pain or powerful
emotions. He’d never really believed in it. It certainly hadn’t happened with
his parents, and he had never once heard of it happening between a mer and a
human. Several times tonight he’d known something had happened. When she’d been
shot, his own arm had hurt. When she’d been captured by the coyotes he’d felt
her fear and anger. Then relief and joy had flooded him when she’d learned that
Brad would be okay.

If the stories were true, the bond would continue to develop
until they could read one another’s thoughts, even from miles away. They would
be able to augment one another’s magical abilities and lend each other strength
or energy as needed.

The downside was that when such pairings were fully formed,
the two usually died within days of one another, if not minutes. Since Heidi
was human, Jake was very afraid his own days had just been numbered. The
weirdest thing was, he wasn’t sure he cared. It hadn’t even occurred to him
until the drive back to the marina, well after he’d offered to forego his swim
to stay with Heidi. Being with her for as long as he could simply meant more to
him than spending several hundred years as a lonely merman.

“Looks like we’ve got company,” Heidi said, pointing at the
Siren
as they approached the cove where she’d been anchored. The running lights were
on and there was movement on the deck.

“Leta,” he told Heidi. “And Niko.”

“Figures,” she said with a sigh. “So much for a little alone
time.”

“They’ll be gone ten minutes after I change back,” he vowed.
“It’s a four-hour cruise back to Mission Bay, which means we’ll have a couple
hours to ourselves.”

Heidi cut the outboard as the inflatable nudged up against
the stern of the
Siren
. Niko leapt down to the swim deck and caught the
rope she tossed him. Jake was glad to see his not-quite brother-in-law had at
least put his borrowed shorts back on while they waited, and that Leta was
wearing some of Heidi’s clothes as well.

“So tell us,” Leta demanded from over the rail. “Did you
find your friend?”

“We did,” Heidi replied as Niko helped her onto the deck. “He’s
hurt, but the paramedics think he’s going to be fine.”

“The healers are with him? That is good.” Jake didn’t think
Leta had any idea of human medicine. That was just one more problem his people
faced. Without spending much time among humans, they simply didn’t understand
technology or the culture at all.

“If nobody minds, I’m going to go use up all the hot water,”
Heidi said with a wistful sigh. “See you soon, Jake.” She gave him a little
wave as she climbed up the stairs to the deck.

Jake watched her go, then turned to Niko. “Did you receive
any word from my mother?”

“She’s at the Catalina settlement. She’d like to meet with
you there as soon as possible.”

“I can’t go to the settlement, but I can anchor the boat a
ways out. Does anyone in the settlement have a ship-to-shore radio?”
Communication was yet another problem the merfolk needed to address.

“I will stay with Che, and then swim in to fetch Mother,”
Leta offered. She narrowed her eyes and glared at Niko. “If you will promise to
tell her the wedding is off.”

Jake winced. He really didn’t want to get caught up in his
baby sister’s love life—especially when the man involved was his own youthful
rival. To his relief, Niko just rolled his eyes.

“Why would I want to marry a woman who hasn’t grown up
enough to know her own mind? I love you, Leta, but I wouldn’t marry you now if
your mother held a spear gun to my back.” He made sure the inflatable boat was
securely tied, then stripped off his shorts and dove into the water beside
Jake. “Stay on the boat, Leta, in case your brother’s woman needs any help. She
is more injured than she lets on.”

“I will, though not because you told me to,” Leta snapped.
She turned with a toss of her head and stalked toward the stairs.

“I wouldn’t be in your shoes for a million bucks,” Jake said
to Niko.

“I don’t own any shoes,” Niko pointed out. “And why would
you need a million deer?”

“You’ve got a lot to learn if you want to interact with the
human race, my friend. How did you come to be engaged to my sister?”

“Despite what she says now, it was the usual way,” Niko said
with an angry swish of his powerful flukes. “
After
we’d decided to
marry, your mother pointed out the advantages. Yes, I’m not so apolitical as to
not see them, but I did not seek Leta out for that reason. I’ve been waiting
nearly a hundred years for her to grow up and realize we were meant for one
another.”

“So your parents were exiled with my uncle when he attempted
his coup?”

“My father was. My mother was killed by a shark forty years
ago. One of the problems your uncle capitalized on was that your mother was
training fewer and fewer warriors, and not allowing us to obtain a steady
supply of human weapons. My father went over to Phaeton’s side shortly after my
mother’s death.”

“I’m sorry, Niko. I remember your mother as a lovely
mermaid, and a good teacher.” She’d taught reading and writing to the younger
children. He wondered who was doing that now. “But you didn’t agree with your
father?”

“No. It made no sense to me to worsen our problems by
fighting amongst ourselves. We need every able-bodied mer we have, just to try
to stay alive, with all the technology the humans have today.” Nikolaos cast a
meaningful glance at Jake.

“Look, I’m sorry.” Jake looked his old rival in the eye and
admitted his mistake. “I realized I was a fool about two days after I left, but
by then it was too late. All I could do was amass what knowledge I could to
help the colony when I was able to return.”

“That is not a bad thing,” Niko acknowledged with a
reluctant nod. “It’s true we need to learn more about the humans, especially if
your mother’s new plan is to work.”

“Her new plan?” This was something neither Niko nor Leta had
mentioned yesterday.

“Yes.” Niko lowered his voice. “Leta was off looking for you
before she heard of it, and I did not want to bring it up. But your mother has
petitioned the gods to alter our essential nature—to make us able to be human
most of the time, only changing shape when we wish to. She wants us to be able
to live secretly among humans, rather than going along with Phaeton’s plan to
openly declare our superiority.”

“What I don’t understand is this—if Phaeton wants to come
out of the closet, so to speak, why hasn’t he already done so?” Jake began
swimming in leisurely laps around the boat, needing to stretch his muscles
while he could.

Niko matched him without comment. “Your uncle wasn’t our
only mage. Remember Irene?”

“Of course I remember Irene. She raised me, more or less.”
Jake’s mother had been too busy being queen to pay much attention to her
children. The older mermaid had been both royal advisor and nanny to Leta and
Jake.

“When your uncle was banished, Irene cast a powerful spell.
Phaeton and his followers were rendered unable to speak to any non-mer about
our race.” There was a tinge of sadness in Niko’s expression that answered Jake’s
next question before he even asked it.

“Spells that powerful carry a heavy price. What did it cost
her?” He knew, of course. Grief caused his gut to clench. Irene was older than
his mother but she’d still been well within her natural lifespan, and Jake had
been looking forward to seeing her again.