Chapter 24: All strangers

Mr. Hansel walked towards Mr. Charles followed by his bodyguards, he was a bit surprised that Mr. Charles had come to see him which was quite unexpected especially for the fact that he used one of his employee "Kelvin" to try and get to him...

"What brings you here Charles? it's unlike you to visit me?" Mr. Hansel asked with his hands placed in his pockets

"Well, I realized i haven't come to congratulate you ever since you became the mayor of the city; forgive me for not even coming to your fundraising party" Mr. Charles said with a grin on his face

"Oh, you don't have to worry about that; i won't even notice you there because of the crowd of people at the party" Mr. Hansel said sarcastically triggering a slight laugh between them.

Mr. Hansel looked at Vashi who was standing behind Mr. Charles and looking around the environment like a total stranger

"Who is she?" He asked Mr. Hansel

"Just my personal assistant, do you have any problem with that?" Mr. Charles asked

"No i don't, I just think she looks familiar with someone i know" Mr. Hansel responded

Vashi glance at him when he had said that but Mr. Hansel looked away

"I have somewhere to be, sorry i can't give you my time right now" Mr. Hansel told him

"Until then Mayor, you seem to have a lot of things to worry about than I" Mr. Charles said to him

Mr. Hansel grinned and walked pass him with his guards.

"If your daughter had really crossed the sea like you told me on our way here; then he is the man we should be looking into, he owns few parts of the sea and ships here" Mr. Charles told Vashi when Mr. Hansel had left.

Vashi looked out of the window to take one last look at Mr. Hansel.

***

(Riveria)

The queen flipped the two Mer soldiers had causing them to lose their balance, she grinned why holding her weapon backwards

"You both still got a lot to learn" she told them.

The two Mer soldiers bowed to her when they had helped each other up, the Mer servant's and merguards clapped their hands for their queen who remained stronger than ever for her people.

"Why not try me mother?" Princess Adunni said from behind after watching her mother fight

"The fight is not for the weak, you might get a scar" The queen said to her

Princess Adunni smirked

"Are you afraid that you might lose your shine in front of every siren? you are supposed to train me as the future Queen of Riveria" she said looking straight to her mother's eye without blinking

"If you say so; I warned you on time" The Queen said to her 

"You don't have to worry about that mother, on the battle ground; we are just two warriors" Princess Adunni said to her mother. 

All the sirens gathered around to watch the duel between the mother and daughter.

The Underground Laboratory...

Idris had checked every CCTV footage looking for a hint that could help find Erica but couldn't get any solid one

" How possible is it that this creature disappeared under your nose?" He asked still looking at the CCTV footage

" It happened so quick" The guard in charge responded

" What happened to your ear?" Idris asked looking at the injured ear of one of the scientists 

" She bites it off" He responded

" She should have bite something else off" he told him before turning back to the computer, his eye met with a scene that happened so fast on the footage, he quickly paused it and played it back after which he bites his lower lips

" Nice trick" he said to himself

" What? Did you find her?" The scientist asked

" She haven't left the building yet, she is definitely hiding somewhere" Idris responded.

He got up from the chair he was sitting on.

The young scientist who was helping out Erica lowered her head when Idris had walked past her, she has been standing there together with some scientist

" Everyone dismiss, we must find the creature before it leaves here, you, you and you, follow me" The head scientist said to them.

They quickly dismissed as ordered but the young scientist stood behind unknowingly to them. She quickly entered the CCTV control room and turned off the whole camera and took their memory cards with her before leaving the room.

Back at Riveria ...

The queen flipped the princess down the battle field for the third time and the sirens clapped their hands at her victory again

" Just give up Princess Adunni, you are no match for me" The queen told her as she reaches out her hands to her

The princess grinned as she reached out her hand so that her mother could help her up, but when her mother's hand touched her; she quickly flipped her mother and got up faster pointing her weapon at her

" No mother, I haven't lost to you; I have been studying my opponent. I bet you didn't see this coming, right" The princess said

The sirens stood there quiet, not knowing whether to hail the princess or not...

"You played trick on me, this doesn't count" The queen said getting up

" Yes it does mother, a warrior should know every way to fight their opponent; you taught me that mother" she told her mother

" You have to win me in two more rounds to beat me" her mother said

" Bring it on mother" she said to her.

* * *

Oma closed the refrigerator she was getting water from when she had heard the newscaster mention a murder near by the facility

" The killer of these two men still remains unidentified, the people keep on asking what exactly is going on with the mayor as his workers keeps on dying in the hands of unidentified serial killer; could this be what is affecting the sea business in the city or is there any other reasons unknown to us?" The newscaster said on the news

Oma dropped the glass of water on her hand startling her mother

" There is another mermaid out of the sea?" She asked herself