Chapter 16

Finding Sam

Valery Gray sat uneasily, twiddling her thumbs upon one of the campus's many park benches. She'd hardly spend half an hour in with the financial specialist; going over her options if she chose not to accept the check Mr. Masters had so 'generously' given her. The guilt had eaten away at her, along with her current driving worry to the point where she'd cancelled her appointment halfway through, making up an excuse that something had come up and that she would have to reschedule.

She was certain that she'd embarked some great evil upon her friend, despite the situation going well over her head. All she knew was that she'd been played and that the nefarious plot that was aimed at Sam involved the billionaire and the jet black mer. It left her coffee tasting foul, thus left forgotten next to where she sat, fidgeting and uncertain of what to do.

Her boyfriend, Tucker, had been lucky. Considering he'd been unconscious for most of his kidnapping, she was able to play off the whole thing as some vivid dream induced by his over indulgence in his new video game. He was speculative at first, though the more the techno geek mulled it over, the more it seemed to make sense. Thus he agreed to take a break from the game, instead picking up another once, an old classic he claimed, called Doom III. Val cared not for the details.

She looked up from her hands as she picked up on passing conversation. A small group of students from one of the science clubs; she could tell by the badges on their sleeves; were complaining about the latest class cancellation. While it wasn't unusual for instructors to cancel a class for the day if they needed to call out sick, the class in mention pulled her attention instantly. It was the interactive marine biology course offered by Sam's uncle, Nathaniel.

She remembered the class had picked up a few weeks ago with the start of the spring semester, leaving quite a line in its wake for signups. She'd been quite surprised when Sam hadn't signed up for the course and when asked, the answer did make sense. The goth spent enough time at the aquatic center as it was, plus it had been a haven for her away from class. Thus it had been a bit much to expect all aspects of her life to revolve around school. While it was understandable that Sam needed a break, her uncle was another matter. The man loved teaching as much as he did interacting with the wild world. For him to just cancel his class out of the blue left an unpleasant chill up her spine.

It didn't help her anxiety with the fact that Sam hadn't shown up to class that Monday. Her fear was almost a panic when the absences continued for the rest of the week. The goth hadn't even shown up at their room.

Val darted off not long after that, not interested in the rest of the conversation. Her feet carried her in hasty strides off towards the downtown aquarium. Something was very wrong, and she feared she'd been part of the reason why.

The aquarium was its usual hustle and bustle, people coming and going, staring at the exhibits in awe and wonder; children pointing at the glass with curious expressions. What got her attention right off the bat was the corridor that had originally been closed off from view. The one that led to the main exhibit that housed the jet black mer. Such a dramatic change, where they'd originally been determined to keep the mythical sea beast a secret, and yet there it was open for all to see. The only thing that struck her as odd, was the lack of conversation pertaining to the aquarium's mystery resident. Perhaps they'd moved him? It all just left alarm bells buzzing with the others in her skull.

The African American teen pushed her way through the crowds, seeking out entry into the backrooms. She needed to speak with the elder Manson, and it left a sense of urgency in her stride. However, just like the first time, she was met with locked doors barring her way. A scowl crossed her lips before she banged on the doors, uncaring if she caused a scene. If anything, the attention of the staff would help her find whom she was looking for.

"Can I help you with something?"

Val startled at the voice that greeted her. Whilst she'd wanted to gain some form of attention, the calmness in which she was confronted threw her off balance. It was far from the aggressive approach she'd prepared for. Whipping around, she prepared to yell at them, demanding for the location of the redheaded biologist, only to once again be thrown off kilter by the face that greeted mer.

"You!"

"Me?"

None other than Nathaniel Manson stood before her. The man looked worse for wear, his hair disheveled and dark bags under his eyes told that he hadn't slept in days. His clothes a wrinkled mess, with old coffee stains from shaky hands, telling that he hadn't taken the time to change, let alone rest. Overall, he looked more of a mess than she did.

He eyed her for a long moment of scrutiny before his expression softened, taking to adjusting his glasses whilst he spoke, "You're Samantha's roommate, yes?"

She nodded, "Have you seen her? She hasn't been to school all week."

Something in her voice seemed to light a spark in the biologist's eyes. Giving a quick glance around them for onlookers, he swiped his keycard and ushered her into the backrooms.

"This way," he gestured for her to follow him down the hall.

The two of them remained silent during the rest of the traverse to his office. Nate refused to initiate any conversation till he'd closed the doors, keeping a wary lookout as if he was expecting someone to drop in on them. In the dim of the office light, the scientist appeared worn, filled with a similar anxiety that she felt. He slumped into one of the armchairs, a defeated look about him as he cupped his face in his hands.

"I haven't been able to find her. She was hurt pretty badly and Mr. Masters had taken her to the hospital…"

"She's in the hospital?!" Valery gasped, mind reeling over a number of frightful scenarios. Was the mer at fault for her harm; and what of the conniving billionaire taking her there, with everything he seemed to want from the goth. It was a nerve-racking mystery, fueled further by the biologist's words.

"Or so I thought…. I've checked every hospital in this town over into the next county… The police aren't helpful, Vlad won't answer his phone and Sam's was left in the enclosure…. Oh this is all my fault…" he trailed off, looking absolutely miserable.

Val had to sigh, stopping Nate from pulling out his hair. It seemed he felt just as guilty if not more so than she did. But now was not the time to be wallowing in self-pity, after all, it wasn't going to help them find Sam. She was still out there, and needed their help.

"We'll find her Mr. Manson."

"You think so?" his voice wavered, barely above an audible whisper. It took everything she had to pull herself together, trying to stand strong for the two of them.

"I know so," she put a reassuring hand upon his shoulder, "When was the last time you spoke with either Sam, or Mr. Masters?"

While she was no detective; that was her father's job, had been since before she was born; she'd promised herself that she'd do everything within her power to make up for her mistakes. The first step was finding her friend, Nathaniel's niece. Taking down notes, Val jotted any usable information the man provided upon a spare notepad he'd offered her. It wasn't much to work with, at least not on her own standpoint, but it was at least something to work with.

"Nine days is a bit of a stretch, but there's a chance we can still make use of it," She tapped her pen against her chin in thought, "Did you use a cell phone to make the call?"

Nate looked at her questioningly, but nodded anyway, pulling out the said device from his pocket for her to examine. She took it, scrolling through the recent calls until she found the one that matched the date in question. It was near the bottom of the cache's list, showing just how many times the man had called out in search of her. It left a sad smile on her lips, knowing her father would likely have done the same if it was her. She set it down upon the table along with her notes, taking out her own phone and dialing out.

"What are you doing?"

"Calling in backup," Val smirked before turning her attention to the dial tone, "Hello, Tucker? Yes. I need you to gather up your gear. We've got another job."

The redheaded scientist could practically hear the groan coming from the other end of the line.

"No, I don't care if you're in the middle of a boss fight on level whatever! This is a matter of life and death," she hissed before her features went stony, a look of seriousness settling upon her face and into her voice, "….Sam's in trouble."

There was silence on the other end of the line before the boy, dubbed Tucker, spoke up again. An air of finality in his voice carried out into the room, "Where are you?"

"The Aquatics Center, downtown."

"I'll be right over," the click of the phone hanging up was the last sound that graced them. Valery hung up not long after, nodding appreciatively before pocketing the device. Nate just gave her an incredulous stare, as if trying to figure out who or what that was all about. She just grinned in turn, a glint of mischief returning to her eyes.

"It helps to have a techno geek for a boyfriend with expert level hacking skills."


Sam stirred, blinking blearily at the bright lights that shown down upon her. With a grumble, she tried to sit up, only to find that she couldn't move. Eyes snapping open, she gave her arms and legs a tug, finding them strapped down to cold hard steel. Upon further examination she found her predicament was far worse than just being strapped down onto a lab table.

The scales that had started to form were now full and flush against her skin, skin that was fully exposed in all her naked grandeur. Her legs had also bound to one another, seeming to have all but melded together into a long scaly tail, her feet all but gone, stretched out into long flowing fins. She couldn't help but scream, struggling against the binds that held her, desperate to escape.

"Now, now Samantha. That won't do. You could hurt yourself, and you're upsetting our guest."

She froze at the sound of the familiar voice. She knew it could only belong to one man, with such a sly, silky tone that left her feeling grimy like motor oil. Vladimir Masters stood over her, downed in a white lab coat and with malicious smirk upon his lips. The look in his eyes only made her feel more exposed than she already was.

He pointed off across the room, her eyes following his outstretched hand to their apparent guest. Green met lavender, and she was left staring at none other than the jet black mer. In truth Danny looked just as frightened as she was, form shaking and ear-fins low, trapped in a tank too small for him to really get around. Guilt seemed to accompany that fear as he took in the sight of the mutation that racked her body. He didn't stare for long, unable to hold her gaze. He only turned back when the man moved forward, running a hand along Sam's abdomen.

She flinched, trying to pull away from the invasive hands that ran along her skin, fondling her breasts and teasing her sides. But her struggles were in vain, as she remained bound to the table below her, spread for the whole world to see and unwillingly open to the violating intentions of the man trapping her here.

Vlad ignored her discomfort, taking to kissing over her neck and collarbone as he ran his hands down along her sides. A thumb massaging over her breasts, a bit disappointed that the scales had covered them over, but relishing their feeling regardless.

"It seems you're mutation has developed exponentially faster than our expectations. So it seems it is now useless to try and hide it from you any longer, after all you've made such a beautiful mer," He kissed over her breasts, sucking on one of them between words, "I can't help but wonder if this transformation is permanent. As it is, I'm curious of the offspring you'll produce. I'd so want one to be my own."

Sam squirmed, wishing to break free of his ministrations; the billionaire pulling himself up to sit atop of her hips, rocking slowly. She turned her head away, tears welling up in her eyes, biting her lip in attempts to stop herself from crying but to no avail. Her distress wasn't completely ignored, as the screech of the dark mer reached her ears, the sea beast ramming against the glass.

Vlad frowned up at the mer with a raised brow. Said mer simply snarled, baring his fangs and continuing to ram against the glass. At least he did until the billionaire lay a hovering hand dangerously above the keypad controlling the small tank's environment.

"Tut, tut, tut. That won't do, Daniel. Must I remind you of what happens should you bare your fangs at me again?" He set his sights upon the dark mer with a glower, daring the beast to continue with its challenge.

Danny in turn swiped at the glass floor, baring his fangs full with a hiss. His fins were flared in a full challenge, a warning that out on the open sea meant he'd kill the offender if they didn't leave his mate be. Vlad wouldn't have any of it, flipping the switch upon the panel, starting the reverse osmosis, draining away the water's precious oxygen. It wasn't long till he had the mer writhing about the bottom of the tank, unable to breathe.

Sam watched the onslaught with absolute horror etched upon her features, almost unable to bear the sight of what she'd considered a friend being tortured before her very eyes. Once again she struggled, crying out for it to stop, "Please! No! Stop it! Let him go!"

He paid her no heed, focused on the mer. He waited another minute or two before switching the flow, watching as the sea beast visibly relaxed, trying to catch its breath.

"Are you done, Daniel?"

Danny in turn, groaned. He so wished to tear the billionaire apart but could do nothing against the man's control over the very oxygen he breathed, let alone break the thick glass that trapped him there. He was stuck, forced to watch the bastard violate his mate and potentially lay seed to his own offspring inside her. It left a sickening feeling in his stomach, slowly burning away at him.

Vlad just smirked, satisfied with himself as he pulled away, ignoring the sobs coming from the goth turned mer. He righted himself once he'd gotten down from the table, refastening his belt with an audible snap of the connecting clasps. He then took to washing off his hands in a nearby sink, fixing up his hair before returning, snapping on a pair of rubber gloves. Sam refused to look at him.

"Come now, Samantha. You'll need to pay attention for this," He chided, forcing her gaze up to look him in the eyes with a tilt of her chin, "After all, we're about to start the next part of your appointment."

Sam couldn't help but eye him fearfully as he pulled out a bottle of some sort of gel, spreading a dollop of it across her stomach. She shuddered under the cold touch, not wanting the man's hands anywhere nears her. They thankfully didn't remain there for long, replaced instead with a soft probe that ran along her skin, spreading the gel as it went. She watched it hesitantly uncertain as to what it was, only that the billionaire's attention was focused on a screen off to the left.

Gather up the courage, she dared herself to look over towards the screen that held his attention so, eyes going wide when she realized it for what it was. An ultrasound. Her mind reeled, frightened with the prospect of what it meant. The probe still gliding across her skin.

"Come on now, where are you…?" Vlad hummed to himself, searching for the rhythm of a little heart. Upon finding it, he adjusted the focus onscreen to try and clarify the image, "There you are little one."

All pairs of eyes shifted to the image on screen. Even the jet black mer, though unfamiliar with the screen, could see the picture for what it was, ears picking up on the amplified sounds of the soft heartbeat. There in front of them was the image of a little beating heart, not much larger than a pea. The heart of Sam's child, nestled deeply within her womb.


"That was fast… If only you were that quick when I asked for help with the dishes…"

"Oh, har, har," Tucker scowled over at his girlfriend whilst dumping out the contents of his pack upon the table; two laptops, three PDAs, and a number of wires, cords, connectors, and other electronic contraptions littered the table.

Nate just stared dumbstruck as the two teens set about sorting and prepping the equipment, turning his shabby office into what he could only describe as something out of a science fiction movie. Cords wove about the floor, bouncing between equipment, feeding information back and forth from the central hub that was the techno geek's laptops. It was almost too much to take in all at once, not even picking up on much of the conversation that bantered between them.

"How'd you even get in here anyways?"

"I asked nicely."

"…Whatever."

"So, what have we got?" Tucker ignored her snipping, focused on his setup and the screen display before him.

Valery huffed, getting back to business and tossing him Nate's phone, "One call, about nine days back. Phone contacted is either off or dead. Can you work with that?"

"Should be. Can't exactly trace it to its exact location, but I can find out which towers the call signal bounced from," He caught the phone, hooking it up to one of the devices before typing away.

The practiced speed and grace in which the two teens worked had Nate blinking, glasses nearly sliding off the edge of his nose. It was clear from the ease in which they worked that they'd done this song and dance before, but he couldn't comprehend why or how. He wasn't sure he really wanted to know. One thing was clear was that whatever they were doing was to help him find his niece.

"So what are we doing exactly?" his curiosity had gotten the better of him.

The two of them didn't even bat an eye at his reaction. Tucker's attention still focused on the screen as he spoke, fingers moving in rapt succession over the keys, "I'm tracing your last call in order to pinpoint the closest proximity that it had come from."

"In other words, you had mentioned that Vlad claimed he was with her at the hospital the time that you called," Val used air quotes upon saying hospital, "If we can find the closest cell tower that the call connected from, we can find the general are in which to start our search."

The redheaded scientist nodded at the clarification, albeit somewhat uncertain over the matter. It was still better than nothing. Valery in turn jut nodded, looking over at her boyfriend for confirmation. Tucker nodded his affirmation, continuing to type away at the keyboard.

"It's easier if the call is in progress, considering I can get a more accurate origin point whilst in real time. But I can still dig through the backlogs to find a relevant source," he shifted to the other computer, eye never leaving his screens, "And there….. I got it! The last tower accessed was this one, number 1768HD12.

Both onlookers peered over the techno geek's shoulder to get a better view of the screen. Tucker highlighted the area around the designated tower for better clarification, "The call could of originated from anywhere in this perimeter."

His girlfriend narrowed her eyes at the screen, trying to decipher it further, "Can't you narrow it down a bit? That's a lot of ground to cover."

"Can't. Not with how old the call is. I can only pull up a relative log of how far the tower reaches and go from there," he frowned, clicking in to zoom over the surrounding area.

"We may not have to," Nate cut in, reaching over the two of them to point out a location on screen, "There, on the waterfront by the marina."

"Axion Labs," Tucker frowned, zooming in on the mentioned facility.

"It's owned by Dalv Industries, isn't it? What makes you think they're there?" Val frowned, scratching her chin in thought. Then it clicked in her mind, earning a mass of screaming and curses as she flung her purse across the room in her anger, "Son of a bitch!"

"What?"

"Tucker. What is Dalv spelled backwards?!"

He paused for a moment to think about it before face-palming, wondering how such a simple detail had slipped him by. Nate himself couldn't help but chuckle despite himself. It was true that Axion was one of the many businesses in the billionaire's corporate empire. It was also the only probable company the man owned that was within range of this particular cell tower; the others being small distributors and an out of place coffee shop, none of which seemed suitable for a hostage situation.

"She has to be there…." he murmured, voice barely above a whisper. He silently prayed that he was right, even if he wished that none of this was real.

"Well, that's all swell and good, but how do we get in? The place is crawling with security," a scowl worked its way to the dark woman's brows as she crossed her arms in thought. It wasn't like some warehouse or shop that could be easily broken into via bypassing a few locks, Axion was a laboratory. Laboratories had top of the line security, from key pass locks to sentry guards. This wasn't going to be easy.

"I could see about making us fake access cards, though there's no guarantee that it would work…" her boyfriend pondered aloud.

"Wait. I almost forgot about it," Nate snapped his fingers, wandering over to his drawers and beginning to dig through them. The two teens stared on inquisitively, curious to what he had as a solution.

"Forgot what?"

"This!" the biologist grinned, successfully fishing a small black card out form its hiding place. It looked like an elaborate club card with the decorative pattern in the corner, looking similar to a 'V'.

"Considering that Mr. Masters and I are business partners, he gave me this. It's able to access a number of his facilities in case he required assistance in any of his work. Though he never has and over the years it was put aside and forgotten, so I've never used it. I'm not sure if it still works, though," he offered it for them to inspect, the techno geek eyeing it suspiciously.

"Give me a second," Tucker took the card, looking it over thoroughly before inserting it into one of the many devices upon the desk. A few minutes into him clicking away he relaxed a bit, deeming the card uninfected and thus safe to search through.

He dug away at the coding, pulling up hidden folders and verifying a number of certificates and serials within. But after a few moments he seemed to pause in his work, eyeing the screen suspiciously. While it was clear the card itself wasn't bugged, the coding seemed too simple, too easy to break. That including the sheer number of access codes available for possible use was extremely suspicious. Why would the billionaire give out such easily accessed security information?

A few clicks later and he realized the reason why, catching sight of the figures hidden just beneath the surface of the original code. It left Tucker cursing under his breath. There, hidden from the untrained eye was a receiving signal that fed back to its original program, something that was triggered the moment he'd accessed the files and was continuing to monitor his every move and change he made to its programming.

"Well shit…"

"What happened-what's wrong?" both spectators spoke in unison, phrasing their concern at his distress.

"Well, he already knows we're coming…. Or that someone is attempting to access his security," the techno geek frowned, adjusting his glasses.

"What?! How?!"

Tucker cringed at his companion's shriek, her hands slamming upon the desk. Nate had taken a step to the other side to avoid the tantrum, though the worry was etched heavily into his features.

"Can you elaborate?" the biologist's voice shook, despite his attempts to remain calm. He feared for his niece, and the boiling sense of betrayal was starting to dig at his insides. Just what else had this man hidden from him, snuck by him, and cheated him out of?

"While the security certificates are present, opening the files to activate any of them tripped a safety feature," the techno geek frowned, typing away at the keyboard again, "Its activates a monitoring program from its original source code, keeping tabs on what is modified and feeding back which facilities we're trying to access."

"So in other words the bastard is going to be two steps ahead of us," Valery growled out, crossing her arms.

"Not necessarily. I can scramble and encode some of the information, along with modifying multiple certificates. The program itself will only pick up on the fact that someone is trying to gain access to a number of facilities," Tucker continued to fiddle with the coding, switching between windows and his separate computer. He pulled up a number of unfamiliar programs, leaving the two onlookers to simply speculate their purpose, all the while muttering to himself, thinking aloud. After a few moments he ejected the card and held it up, Nathaniel taking it in hand examining it speculatively.

"We should be in the clear, so long as the guards don't have some shoot first policy upon seeing it. As long as we can make it through the gate I can hack the rest if need be."

"It'll have to do," the biologist nodded, pocketing the card. Hopefully it would be enough to slip by Axion's security.


Sam stared up at the screen, fear and uncertainty across her features as she desperately wished that all of this was a dream. Yet there it was, staring her in the face with its harsh reality; the little heartbeat thrumming in the dark, deeply nestled inside of her. The heart of a baby, her baby…. And it had been forced upon her along with the unusual mutation, warping her body to adapt to carrying it successfully. She could feel her stomach twisting, uncomfortable with the thought of some strange entity growing inside her, let alone the circumstances in which it was conceived.

The dark mer's howls from across the room weren't helping to block out the memory either. I left her squirming against the bonds that pinned her there, wanting to be elsewhere. To be away from the sight of the video feed, the creature responsible for forcing it upon her, and the sinister snake of a man who took such pleasure at her misfortune.

Her gaze settled on the glass of the far wall. While it looked similar to a tank, she could tell that it was not; sensitive ears picking up on the sounds of the shifting tide beyond the glass. A viewing window out into the open sea. A few fish darted by and she watched them for a while, grateful for the distraction while it lasted.

It didn't last long. Ripped out of her stupor by Vladimir's voice. The man was still grinning at the sight upon the screen.

"A beautiful hybrid child. I wonder what gender it'll be. A boy would be quite lovely. I'm curious as to which of you it'll take after."

She felt like she wanted to puke, the tightening sensation in her stomach clenching growing unpleasant along with her discomfort. It wasn't helped by Danny ramming against the glass, screaming any number of profanities in his own tongue. The billionaire either didn't notice, or didn't care for the mer's fuss, as he continued his ministrations, only interrupted by the sound of a buzzer for an incoming call. The nearby monitor flashing at him.

A growl in his throat, Vlad turned to address the screen, "Speak…"

"Sir, this is North Gate security. We have person(s) requesting access."

"Their clearance?" His eyes narrowed suspiciously. He wasn't expecting any company, nor did he have any meetings scheduled this week. So who had the gall to try and speak with him anywhere but his usual office?

"Black Card, sir. Protocol says we're to inform you prior to allowing access."

"Ah yes, I see," the billionaire nodded, mind running over his mental checklist. Black cards were a special circumstance; an item he would hand out to business associates as a means of appealing to their greed and trust. It held the promise of allowing access to his facilities if invited, but without the invitation they were a simple security measure. Anyone trying to slip in via its access wouldn't get by without his notice. A means of protecting his valuable assets and weeding out those that would try to double cross him through stolen information.

"Their names?"

"Nathaniel Manson, sir."

Vlad cursed under his breath, wishing he could throw something in his sudden flash of anger. He wasn't sure how the nature loving scientist had found him. Out of all the businesses that he owned within the city, how had the man managed to single out this one? He'd rather deal with anyone other than the redhead, the meddling fool. It seemed he was going to have to take some unexpected measures now that the biologist was becoming a hindrance.

"Allow them access as per instruction and have them escorted to my office…." He paused for a moment to compose himself before giving his next command, "Have alpha squad on station."

The guard remained silent for a long moment as if hesitating, but complied with the order, "Understood sir."

"Good…" Vlad hung up without another word to the sentry, a dark look within his eye as he turned to look out the viewing glass. The waters were calm, contrasting with the vehement turmoil churning within. It left a low, almost primal growl in his throat.

"Nathaniel Manson….. You've outlived your usefulness…"