Species Unknown [Book 2: Pisces)

15. A FULL VIEW

THE NET APPEARED seemingly out of nowhere. Though I couldn't move, I could see it in the corner of my vision, spread out in front of us like an impassible wall. The creature tried to react, stopping with inhuman precision to move around it, but the net was quick too. The net moved with us, cutting the creature off and surrounding us like a cage.

Unable to escape, the net fell upon us. The creature tightened its grip on me as it hissed and thrashed. It was futile though. Within seconds the net had completely consumed us, trapping us in its ropes. Then, it began to rise, dragging us out of the water.

As we were pulled out of the water, my body fell heavily on top of the creature's, with my head laid helplessly across his chest. His chest rose and fell in panicked breaths, and I could hear the rapid beat of his heart pound, matching the quick pounding of water droplets as they rolled off of us and back into the sea.

Now completely removed from the water, we laid suspended a few feet above in the net. My legs limply draped themselves against something cold and slimy, making me shiver. If I could have moved, I would have looked down to see what it was, but I was completely numb. All the while, I laid sprawled across his chest as the creature held me tightly.

That's when I saw the motors attached to each end of the net, like miniature rockets unlike anything I had ever seen. Suspended in the net, we were flown back to the beach which, to my horror, was now crowded with black vans and people in suits barely visible in the dark.

The net brought us directly in front of the beach, and stopped just before a man holding a remote control. A man, that was unfortunately very familiar.

"Precisely according to plan." Dr. Grant said, pressing the remote control. Suddenly the net's jets stopped and we fell to the ground with an unceremonious thud.

Men began approaching us from all sides and the creature shifted from under me, gently positioning me to lay on the net-blanketed sand beneath him. His whispy pearl hair fanned over me like shield as he put both arms on either side of my face, caging me in as he snarled at the men surrounding us.

That's when I noticed his teeth. They were sharp, like fangs, and entirely terrifying as he snarled at the approaching men.

"Don't make this difficult now." Dr. Grant chimed, watching his men approaching with a wicked gleam in his steely grey eyes.

I scowled. I didn't think it was possible to feel so much hatred for someone, until now.

The net was forcefully ripped off of us and the men lunged towards the creature. The creature thrashed and snarled as the men grabbed his hair, his arms, everything they could to pull him off of me. Fighting a losing battle, the creature locked eyes with me for a brief moment. In those blue depths, I saw his helplessness and desperation, but also something that made my heart clench; fear.

Just then the creature was ripped off of me and dragged across the sand. That's when I finally got a full view of his body.

I could see several long silver needles sticking out of the creatures back and I realized that I most likely had one in mine as well. Yet, while I was left paralyzed, the creature didn't seem impacted by it much.

As the creature was dragged away, my eyes traveled down its body and widened as I began to process what I saw.

Instead of legs, the creature possessed a long tail decorated with an array of pearlescent scales glimmering with vibrant blues of every shade. My mouth gaped in shock. It was huge, longer than some of the men trying to haul him away. His tail moved and thrashed as he was dragged roughly across the sand, occasionally swiping one of the men and sending them flying a few feet away.

I had never considered what the creature hid beneath the water, but I never thought it could be a freaking tail! Noah had said the footprints that led out of the tank were not quite human, but they were footprints nonetheless. Key word being "foot". But this creature only had a long, thick, scaly tail.

All I could do now was watch in horror as the men began restraining the creature. Roughly pulling his arms behind his back, four men worked to lock his hands together with a metal cuff while another two locked a thick metal collar around his neck. Once that was done, the creature stopped thrashing, slumping against the firm grip of the men that contained him.

"There now, that wasn't so bad was it?" Dr. Grant quipped sardonically, moving to stand above me. The creature jerked slightly when Dr. Grant leaned over my limp body still sprawled out on the sand. With his foot, he moved my body to the side, leaning down to pluck the needle from my back. Removing his foot, my body rolled back to lay flat on the sand. I watched as Dr. Grant let out a dry chuckle, putting the needle into his suit jacket.

"I'm afraid the tranquilizer was a necessary evil. But your help was appreciated nevertheless." Dr. Grant said, staring down at me with a victorious gleam in his eyes.

I frowned. "Help? I didn't help you you slimy-"

"Ah but you did." Dr. Grant added, cutting me off.

I opened my mouth to retort but I stopped short. My mind mulled over his words, and began to really think about what he said. My blood ran cold. I helped him find the creature. I...I called for him, I lured him out of hiding...in some idiotic attempt to save him.

My eyes began to water. Noah had told me he would be watching, and I was too concerned with the creature's safety to even make the connection. It was all my fault, and now, the creature would suffer. Because of me.

At the realization, hot tears began to freely roll down my face.

Dr. Grant chuckled, "Don't worry little girl, you did your job and now you can go home free." He said, gesturing to his men. Two burly men appeared on either side of me and hoisted me up. One carrying my legs and the other holding me under my arms. I fell limp in their arms as they took me towards one of the parked black vans.

The men blocked my view of the creature, but I could hear the torrent of angry snarls and the yelps of men as he began to fight.

"Let him go!" I screamed hoarsely, utterly helpless to do anything but lay limp. The damage was done. There was nothing I could do now.

"I'm so sorry!" I cried again as I was placed into the van, just before one of the men slammed the door shut.