Chapter 23: Fall

The first thing that Tina noticed upon entering the room was Ozera waiting for her with a smile on his face.

The second thing that she noticed was the gun in his hands that he had leveled directly at her heart.

Still, he beamed at her like an uncle beholding his favorite niece. “Tina! You look well, That's a nice tan.”

Tina wanted dearly to give him a snappy comeback. She wished she had some witty response right there on the tip of her tongue. However, just looking Ozera, all of her intelligence just seemed to leave her.

He didn't look a bit different from the last time she had seen him and that had been two years ago now.

Victor Ozera had the look of an elderly statesman. With his snow white hair and crisp, formal clothing, he could easily blend in well with the politicians he used to rub elbows with. Time had been kind to his charming face but there was a distance in his eyes that neither Jack nor Tina had ever trusted.

Seeing him hold a gun was almost comical. He didn't look strong enough to even lift one. Still, Tina had no doubts that he could easily pull the trigger. This was a man who had killed almost sixty people that they knew of. He was a mass murderer and a sociopath. Killing her now would mean nothing to him.

“Nothing to say?” he asked kindly.

All at once, the rage she had toward this man swept through her and she took an involuntary step towards him. She only stopped because of the flash of the gun in his hands.

This was the man who had taken away everything from her father. This was the man who had destroyed his legacy, his sanity.

She grinned darkly back at him. “You don't know how good it is to see you, Ozera.”

XXXXXXXXXX

“I think the girls are going to want to have play dates.” Warren said.

Kai sent him a strange look. The statement had come from seemingly no where and echoed strangely in the otherwise quiet dock. Warren caught his stare and quickly explained.

“I mean Brook and Joe. Two friends pregnant at the same time? They're going to want to hang out a lot and bring the kids together to play.”

Kai shrugged. “That's fine.”

“It doesn't bother you?”

Kai's eyes narrowed at the surprise in his voice. “Why would it?”

Warren held up his hands quickly to show he meant no harm. “I guess I just expected you to be all loner and dark and not enjoy something like that.”

“Merfolk are social creatures.” Kai explained. “The women who are pregnant or nursing often swim together. I expected the same to be true for humans. If that is what Kyma wants, then I do not object.”

“Another question,” Warren stretched his bored limbs, “why do you call her 'Kyma'? I don't get that at all.”

Before Kai could launch into the explanation behind his beloved's name, they heard the motor sounds that signified the elevator coming down.

Kai was on his feet in a flash and Warren adjusted his knuckles quickly. There was no one they expected to be coming down the shaft, therefore anyone doing so much be treated as an enemy.

They waited, the air tense, as the elevator drew closer and closer. It slammed to a halt at the dock and they both tightened their muscles in preparation.

The air wooshed out as the pressure inside the dock and elevator equalized.

Kai took a cautionary step forward. Warren needed to stay by the door of the sub just in case.

The elevator doors slid smoothly open.

XXXXXXXXXX

“I must admit, you've put me in a tight spot.” Ozera shrugged like it meant nothing to him. “You've taken over my dock, my submarine, even killed off my two right hand men.”

“Only one of them is dead.” Tina corrected, crossing her arms carelessly like the gun he held meant nothing to her. “The other is just crazy. Though, to be fair, she was pretty much that way to start with.”

“She was an excellent follower.” Ozera said apologetically like a boss trying to talk up an employee that had made a mistake. “Not all that bad in bed either.”

“Gross.” Tina made a face. “You're old enough to be her father.”

“Power is the ultimate aphrodisiac over women. You should know.”

Her eyes narrowed sharply. “And what is that supposed to mean?”

“I meant no disrespect. It was a compliment.” he said quickly as if he were genuinely worried he might have offended her. “I only mean to say that I appreciate a woman who appreciates power.”

“And what is that supposed to mean?” she was getting angrier and angrier with every word he spoke.

He gave her this look like she was being purposefully coy. “Come now, Tina. You know exactly what I mean. Why else would you be attracted to Crispin besides the power he has?”

Tina's eyes narrowed. “And how did you know about me and him?”

He indicated to his left and Tina looked over. There, against the wall, were a series of monitors that each showed different parts of the sub including the three other rooms on the third deck.

She had been so focused on Ozera himself that she hadn't even taken stock of her surroundings. Her hatred of him had blinded her to the marvelous room around her. It was the captain's bedroom and it was furnished for a king from the tapestry covering the wallpapered walls to the golden ornate bed and the plush carpet under her feet. It looked so completely out of place on a submarine that she felt like she wasn't even on one anymore.

It was an emperor’s bedroom and he had been spying on them their entire way here like a sick voyeur. He had watched her and her friends mow through his people, kill Alin and destroy Dora. With his gun, he could have easily stepped up to them at any time. Instead, he had chosen to watch as they fought their way here. Watch as his people died.

She sighed. “Ozera, the world is not going to miss you at all.”

Ozera grinned. “You seem to overestimate yourself, Tina. You have nothing but I have a gun with enough bullets for each of your friends. What is it, exactly, that I have to fear?”

XXXXXXXXXX

“Well, I was never much of a field medic.” Dallas grimaced as he looked at the hack job he had done at wrapping up Crispin's wound. They had used some cloth they found on the second deck but the once white fabric was already stained red.

Crispin lifted his hands to tell Dallas that it would be fine but the pain that shot across his arm forced him to lower them again. He wouldn't be able to sign for a while. Instead, he sent Dallas a smile that tried to say the same thing.

Unfortunately, Dallas was not Tina and he didn't get the message.

“Do you think you can climb up to the first deck?” Dallas asked, a bit worried. It had taken a bit of teamwork to get Crispin up to this deck.

Crispin nodded and stood up.

As they were walking towards the ladder, they heard footsteps echoing from the deck above. Not just one pair, but two.

They froze in place and sent each other a look.

Acting quickly, they got on either side of the ladder, ready to bring down whoever tried to descend.

The boots were the first thing they saw.

XXXXXXXXXX

“You can probably take me out.” Tina acknowledged unwillingly. “But I'm willing to bet you won't be able to shoot all of us. One of us will get you. It doesn't matter to me who.”

Ozera just smiled at her. She could see by the look in his eyes that he didn't believe her. In his own mind, he was invincible. He could stay there and watch everything he had getting destroyed because he was so convinced that he was untouchable. Even while knowing they had gotten so close, he was still completely assured that he was going to make it out of this.

Just seeing such arrogance made Tina want to take him out that much more and she wanted him to know she did it.

“So are you going to shoot me or are we just going to talk?” she asked.

Even as she asked, her muscles tensed, ready to throw herself to the side and out of harm's way. She knew that she couldn't dodge a bullet but she also couldn't prevent herself from trying.

Ozera smiled. “It'll hurt me to do so. I loved you so much, dear.”

“You don't know the meaning of the word.” she told him with a snarl.

He lifted the gun, a manic look appearing in his eyes.

Tina's body clenched to jump to the side.

The door behind her squeaked open.

Ozera's attention was caught by whoever was coming in.

Tina didn't see them but she didn't much care who is was either.

She threw herself to the side and ran at Ozera from the left.

Distantly, she heard the person who had come in behind her run towards the right.

Her eyes were focused on Ozera who's gaze was darting quickly between them, unable to decide who to shoot first.

Before he could chose, Tina was there, knocking the gun was his hands.

A second arm from the other person reached out and clasped around Ozera's neck.

As the gun bounced away on the plush carpet, Tina looked in surprise at Jack's angry face.

“Dad?” she gasped in amazement. “What-? How-?”

He looked at her. She could see the familiar, strong and unconquerable father in his eyes.

“And what would you have done if I hadn't shown up?” he asked her sounding horribly like a father.

Tina crossed her arms defiantly. “I would have handled it.”

“Him shooting you is handling it?” His eyebrow raised in wry amusement.

“Oh, shove off.” she turned her nose up at him. Inside, she hadn't ever felt such elation and she was unable to stop herself from sneaking a look back at him.

He smiled at her just slightly and she couldn’t resist giving him one back.

Her father was standing there looking almost exactly as he always had. Sure, he had dropped some pounds but it was still Jack Cross and Tina had never been so happy to see anyone.

“How did you find us?” she just had to ask.

“Because it's so difficult to find the only gringos in this part of the world.” he answered, looking down at Ozera.

The elder man was clawing at Jack's hands frantically but he might has well have been doing nothing for all the good it did.

“I have to admit,” Jack said tightening his hands convulsively on his neck, “I've been wanting to do this for a long time.”

Tina grinned wickedly at her father. “Well, don't let me stop you.” She had said it before and she meant it; it didn't matter who brought Ozera down, as long as he faced justice for his crimes.

Jack smiled back at his daughter and lifted Ozera up. “Do me a favor and bring me something to tie his hands with. Two somethings preferably.”

Tina nodded and looked around for the requested items. What she ended up bringing him was two silk ties from Ozera's dresser.

She then helped her father tie Ozera's arms to two opposite bedposts and stood back to admire the results.

“Are we going to kill him now?” she asked him a little too eagerly. Maybe Crispin was right, maybe she did need to get over this white whale thing.

To her surprise though, Jack merely shook his head. “No. We're going to leave him right there.”

Tina looked around, sure she had heard him wrong. “Sorry, dad. You want to run that by me again? It almost sounded like you said you wanted to let Ozera live.”

Jack smiled at her, not taking his eyes off of Ozera. “No, Tina. I said we're going to leave him right there. Come on. Our plane back home leaves in a few hours. I don't want to miss it.”

Confused, Tina looked between her dad and the bound Ozera. He father was walking away to leave the room and just leaving Ozera tied to the bed.

“You better kill me, Jack.” he spat at him as he walked away. “I'll just come after you again. I'll never stop until I have your daughter on my examination table.”

Jack didn't miss a step. He kept going until he reached the door then turned back expectantly. “You coming?”

Tina cast her eyes between the two men. She really didn't understand. “Dad, did you forget what this man did?”

“I didn't. Now come on.”

“But-”

“Tina.”

The protest froze in her throat. She knew that tone. She had earned it many times as a kid. Part of her, even now as a grown woman, still feared that tone. It did not promise good things to come. So, unwillingly, she left Ozera and stepped from the room ahead of her father.

He left the door open, stepped over the babbling Dora, and continued passed the cooling body of Alin.

“You're seriously leaving him?” Tina asked him quietly. None of the doors had shut. If she looked back, she could still see Ozera on the bed already struggling to free himself.

“I certainly am.” he said easily as he grabbed a hold of the ladder.

Tina stopped him with a hand on his shirt. “Do you know what I've been through to get here? Do you know what we've all been through? Crispin got stabbed!”

“Yes.” Jack nodded slowly so she could get it. “And if we don't hurry, his wound might get infected. The clinics around here aren't exactly top notch medical facilities but they'll serve him fine until we can get back home.”

Jack shook her grasp and climbed up the ladder. Baffled, Tina followed him.

He didn't say a word as they ascended first to the second deck, then the first. All of the doors Tina passed on the way were open which was strange because she was sure that a few of them had remained shut on the way down.

Jack got to the bottom ladder and called, “We're coming up.”

Jack ushered Tina up first, he stayed right behind her.

When she came out onto the sub, she saw nearly everyone standing on the dock. The only people missing were Joe and Kai. Ilia was standing in Dallas's embrace, smiling at them both. Warren was sitting at the edge of the pool, grinning triumphantly. Even Crispin looked completely unworried as he stood at the rim..

Tina walked across the sub and allowed Crispin to use his good hand to pull her back onto the dock.

Jack hadn't followed her. He stayed at the hatch. “Everyone ready?”

“Woo!” Ilia yelled out happily as the others nodded their agreement.

“Alright! Go!” Jack yelled into the sub. Just like that, he crossed over the hull and climbed onto the deck himself.

Tina still didn't understand. “Dad, you know that it is Victor Ozera down there, right? The same guy we all hate?”

“I'm aware.” he crossed his arms and looked back at the sub.

“Then why are we letting him live?” she looked at everyone's faces. They were all grinning like they knew a great secret that she did not.

She didn't understand what it was until she heard warning sirens going off inside the sub.

She looked back at the ship in surprise.

Bubbles began rising rapidly from underneath the surface and the submarine began sinking.

Tina's mouth fell open in surprise. The hatch was still open and, the moment the water line reached the bottom, it began spilling inside with a great rushing sound.

“Dad?” she asked not taking her eyes off of the sinking sub.

Jack's head was held high. “He killed many people in this same ocean. I'm merely giving him what he is due.”

Everyone fell silent as the sail of the sub slowly sank beneath the water. Enormous air bubbles kept coming up from inside as the vessel filled. She didn't know how much time it would take for the entire sub to fill up but she was pretty sure it wouldn't be that long before at least the third deck was completely submerged.

And, as it disappeared under the rapidly bubbling waves inside the dock, Tina could feel only a sense of relief.

Ozera was gone. He was a normal human man. There was no way he survived something like this.

They all stood there watching until the last of the bubbles had faded and they were left looking down at the eerie black hull of the submarine. Every now and then, a few bubbles escaped from inside but it was silent and still.

A few minutes after that, Tina saw a flash of silver dart out of the hatch.

Kai's head bobbed to the surface of the dock and he swam over to the rim of the pool.

Still, they stood there and watched. There was no reason for them to do so. Ozera was long past dead at this point. He would be food for the fishes just as he intended his victims to be.

What finally broke the sound was a relieved sigh that drew all of their attention to Ilia.

“Sorry.” she said softly. “It's just...they finally stopped watching me.”

“Who did?” Dallas asked her curiously.

She shook her head and embraced him tightly. “Nothing. Forget it.”

Kai pulled himself from the water, his legs finally formed. “I'm going to meet up with Joe.” was all he said before grabbing his pants and walking towards the elevator.

“Wait up.” Warren called and followed him.

Ilia and Dallas moved away a moment later.

Tina, Jack, and Crispin were all that remained once the elevator had moved away. They just watched the now calm water surface with impassive faces.

“I guess...it's over.” Tina said as an enormous weight lifted from her heart.

“It was over a long time ago.” Jack told her. He looked down at his daughter, “You really need to learn to let things go sometimes, Tina.”

“Would you have?” she countered sharply.

“Of course not.” Jack reached up and brushed a strand of hair out of her face. “I also wouldn't have gone on a multiple month long voyage just to hunt him down. I would have been a little smarter about it.”

“My way was effective.” Tina told him stubbornly.

Jack, in a rare moment of affection, leaned forward and kissed his daughter's temple. “I love you, Tina.”

“You better.” she quipped but her heart warmed at the gesture.

“Come on then.” Jack said to both of them.

“Wait.” Crispin spoke up quickly.

Tina and Jack both turned to face him at the same time. Then Tina looked swiftly over to her father but he hadn't fallen to Crispin's thrall. He really was back to normal.

“Yes?” Jack prompted him when he hesitated.

“Jack...” Crispin cleared his throat, “I want to ask you for something.”

“Anything.”

Crispin looked over at Tina who cocked her head curiously. He grinned and looked back to Jack. “I want to ask you for your blessing.”

“For?” Jack's eyebrow raised curiously.

Tina's eyes narrowed. She had an idea where this was heading and she wasn't entirely sure if she liked it yet or not.

Crispin outright smiled, showing his real smile, his real self, to Jack for the first time. “I want to ask you for your blessing to marry Tina.”