She held an unconscious man wrapped partially in a blanket in her arms. His face was covered with those giant charcoal black splotches, and his arms hung limp to his sides. In the row behind Dana, Dr. Fuller sat shaking like a leaf.
Okay. How the hell did Dana get on this plane? Liv didn’t know if she wanted to weep with joy because Dana was alive and sitting just a few feet away, or scream hysterically because, obviously, Dana was on the fucking plane.
With two strange men pointing guns at everyone.
Where the hell did they come from?
Liv’s sat phone buzzed in her pocket, reminding her she hadn’t spoken with Phil again. Phil, who’d been trying to warn her of…
Well, of this, obviously. But these were not tourists. And fuckingshithell. Hadn’t Phil said something about there being one hundred of them?
Okay. Stay calm. Pretend you knew they were coming, put them on their guard.
“You must be some of the assholes from that ship. We’ve been expecting you,” Liv said to the guy standing in the cockpit to her left, pointing an automatic weapon at one of the pilot’s heads.
The middle-aged bald man—husky, sweaty, and dirty—flashed his yellow teeth, giving her a vicious smile. Toward the back galley, another man—wiry frame, dark skin, and even darker eyes—held a gun.
Her mind quickly went to work, trying to pull a solution together. These men had gotten past one of the beaches, which meant the maids were either too weak to fight or they had been no match for guns. Second, they had mermen on this island. Two hundred weak mermen. Most weren’t fit to stand, let alone fight. Not without food, more water, and more time. Third, they had about sixty ex-mermaids who were fiercely protective of their men, but they were weak, too. No one had eaten. No one had been sleeping. Their only weapons were knives and machetes.
Dammit. They had only one good option: get these intruders to leave.
“I know why you’re here,” she said. “But you’ve come at a bad time. There’s an illness going around on the island.” She looked at the man in Dana’s arms—likely Roen’s other pilot, Ed or Eddie or something—to prove her point.
“He ain’t come from the island,” the bald guy said.
“He was here a couple of days ago. That’s how he caught it,” Liv argued, hoping to convince the man that staying was not a good choice.
“Guess it’s a nice thing you’ve got that special water here on the island.”
Liv laughed. “You don’t really believe that crap, do you?”
The man scowled at her. “I seen it in my dreams. I seen it. The island told me to come and take it.”
Liv blinked at him. It was just like with Dr. Fuller. Just like with you. Just like with Roen. The island wanted all of this to happen. She’d lured these men here. But why?
“Don’t you look at me like that,” he growled. “I know this place is special. I know that water is worth a lot of money. It’s mine now. The island said so.”
Fuck. What the hell was happening?
“Okay,” Liv said. “You can have it. But I’m the only one who knows where the water is now.”
He pointed his weapon at Liv. “Then you best be tellin’ me, lady.”
Liv raised her hands in the air a little higher. “I will. For a price,” she added. “Let me get the food and medicine off the plane and to all of the sick people.”
“You’ll take me to that water or you will fucking die.”
Liv smiled at him, letting him know that she wasn’t afraid. If anything, he should know she was a woman of different cloth. One who didn’t back down from bullies and wasn’t afraid to die. He had no choice but to negotiate with her.
“This island,” she said, “and the people who live here are all connected. If they die, she dies. No more water. It’s in your best interest to let this doctor try to help them.”
A gunshot echoed off in the distance, jolting Liv in her skin.
The man smiled sadistically. “Better hurry. I think one of your
Okay. How the hell did Dana get on this plane? Liv didn’t know if she wanted to weep with joy because Dana was alive and sitting just a few feet away, or scream hysterically because, obviously, Dana was on the fucking plane.
With two strange men pointing guns at everyone.
Where the hell did they come from?
Liv’s sat phone buzzed in her pocket, reminding her she hadn’t spoken with Phil again. Phil, who’d been trying to warn her of…
Well, of this, obviously. But these were not tourists. And fuckingshithell. Hadn’t Phil said something about there being one hundred of them?
Okay. Stay calm. Pretend you knew they were coming, put them on their guard.
“You must be some of the assholes from that ship. We’ve been expecting you,” Liv said to the guy standing in the cockpit to her left, pointing an automatic weapon at one of the pilot’s heads.
The middle-aged bald man—husky, sweaty, and dirty—flashed his yellow teeth, giving her a vicious smile. Toward the back galley, another man—wiry frame, dark skin, and even darker eyes—held a gun.
Her mind quickly went to work, trying to pull a solution together. These men had gotten past one of the beaches, which meant the maids were either too weak to fight or they had been no match for guns. Second, they had mermen on this island. Two hundred weak mermen. Most weren’t fit to stand, let alone fight. Not without food, more water, and more time. Third, they had about sixty ex-mermaids who were fiercely protective of their men, but they were weak, too. No one had eaten. No one had been sleeping. Their only weapons were knives and machetes.
Dammit. They had only one good option: get these intruders to leave.
“I know why you’re here,” she said. “But you’ve come at a bad time. There’s an illness going around on the island.” She looked at the man in Dana’s arms—likely Roen’s other pilot, Ed or Eddie or something—to prove her point.
“He ain’t come from the island,” the bald guy said.
“He was here a couple of days ago. That’s how he caught it,” Liv argued, hoping to convince the man that staying was not a good choice.
“Guess it’s a nice thing you’ve got that special water here on the island.”
Liv laughed. “You don’t really believe that crap, do you?”
The man scowled at her. “I seen it in my dreams. I seen it. The island told me to come and take it.”
Liv blinked at him. It was just like with Dr. Fuller. Just like with you. Just like with Roen. The island wanted all of this to happen. She’d lured these men here. But why?
“Don’t you look at me like that,” he growled. “I know this place is special. I know that water is worth a lot of money. It’s mine now. The island said so.”
Fuck. What the hell was happening?
“Okay,” Liv said. “You can have it. But I’m the only one who knows where the water is now.”
He pointed his weapon at Liv. “Then you best be tellin’ me, lady.”
Liv raised her hands in the air a little higher. “I will. For a price,” she added. “Let me get the food and medicine off the plane and to all of the sick people.”
“You’ll take me to that water or you will fucking die.”
Liv smiled at him, letting him know that she wasn’t afraid. If anything, he should know she was a woman of different cloth. One who didn’t back down from bullies and wasn’t afraid to die. He had no choice but to negotiate with her.
“This island,” she said, “and the people who live here are all connected. If they die, she dies. No more water. It’s in your best interest to let this doctor try to help them.”
A gunshot echoed off in the distance, jolting Liv in her skin.
The man smiled sadistically. “Better hurry. I think one of your
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