"This is the police! Come across the bridge with your hands up."

Chapter 13: The Police

As soon as Cleo fell back, she did a flip, and landed in the water head first. The water came over her body and her legs transformed into her tail. She came up and looked up at the top of the boat. Everyone was in some mad rush. It wasn't long till everyone was out of sight. She then swam off towered the shore. It took her awhile to realize how far off shore she really was.

When she got to the closest shore, she dried off and tried to figure out where she was. It turned out to be the beach nearer the school. Not to Cleo's luck, the school was empty. The janitors were even gone, and they are always there. Cleo had to run the rest of the way to the police station. She had to get the police on the seen on the boat before Allen or Berry did something bad to her friends.

On the boat

"Get the kids put away, NOW," Berry told Allen.

Allen took Zane and Lewis's arms with on hand. Then with the other he took Ash and Emma. Rikki dodged his grab and fell to the grand in front of Berry. He took Rikki by the shoulders and said, "We'll keep this one here."

Rikki struggled to get free but was stuck in his grasp.

Emma pulled on her arm, trying to get free. Allen kept his grasp tight. Zane and Lewis, knowing how tight Allen's grasp was, didn't struggle. Emma twisted her arm and pulled it out of Allen's grasp. Allen's grasp on Ash loosened as Emma got free, so Ash could get free too.

"What the… how did you do that?" Allen asked.

"I guess I've had lessons with Cleo," Emma said.

Allen, who was now standing next to the edge of the boat in a puddle, dropped his grip on the other two boys to get Emma back in his arms. But before he could move, Emma stuck out her hand and froze the water to Allen's feet so he could not move. Zane and Lewis backed away from Allen as quick as they could.

"What is going on?" Allen asked. "First Cleo and the wind, now this, I don't like it what ever it is."

"Why are you doing this anyway?" Lewis asked.

"Berry offered to pay me… a lot," Allen answered.

"Same way he got Rikki," Emma pointed out.

"You didn't think I wanted to kidnap my old friend. At first I didn't even know I was doing something wrong. I just thought I was doing a little work for him. You know, getting clients… who happen to be 17. I need the money for my dad."

The teens gave each other a look that said they were sorry for him.

Cleo

Cleo ran into the police station. Everyone there dropped what they were doing as soon as the missing girl entered the room. She was out of breath and could not speak. One of the officers got her some water so she could catch her breath.

"He's got them on a boat in the middle of the ocean," Cleo said as soon as she could.

"Who's got who?" the officer asked.

"This mans got Rikki," She answered.

"You mean that other girl?" another officer asked.

Cleo nodded and added, "And my other friends."

"Your other friend has her or he has your other friends?" asked the officer.

"Both," Cleo answered. "My friend has my other friends."

The officers motioned for Cleo to follow them to the police boat. Then they started out.

On the boat

"So, Mrs. Rikki Chadwick, you remember me?" Berry asked.

"How could I forget you? You were the one that strung me along, into getting wild fish, and then sold them off the peer. That is a hard man to forget," Rikki told him.

"You even remember what I did, but do you remember what you did?" Berry asked taking a strong grip on Rikki's arm.

"Of course I remember what I did. I don't normally forget things that easily, especially things I do for good reasons," Rikki told him with a smile.

He took a stronger grip and asked, "Why you still smilen', I'm gonna toss you over board," Berry told her, even though she already knew his plan for her.

She slid from her standing position to sitting on the floor. This pulled Berry with her. Then she twisted and pulled on her arm, to get free. Once she was free, she jumped up and faced Berry with her hand stuck out in his face.

"Look, sweet heart, I told you not to go and do something stupid."

"And I told you, don't call me sweet heart. I am not, or will ever be, your sweet heart."

Berry looked at her and laughed. Then he stepped closer. Rikki started to crunch her hand into a fist. Berry started to sweat. Still he walked closer. The closer he got the more in a fist Rikki's hand became, and the hotter Berry became. Still he kept walking. As soon as he touched her his hand burned so much he quickly let her go and started to yell. Rikki took the moment to run and find the others. Just as she found them standing next to Allen, who was still frozen to the deck, she saw a boat in the distance. Then they all heard, "This is the police! Come across the bridge with your hands up."

The kids looked up to see a police boat right next to Berry's boat. There were two police officers and Cleo standing on the dock. Allen was in shook.

Back on shore

Cleo sat in the police station in front of Allen, whose feet were defrosting from Emma's little freezing incident. Berry sat next to Allen, hands in handcuffs and in ice water. Rikki and Emma were sitting in the back of the room. The boys were standing next to them.

Just then the police came in with Cleo's dad and little sister. He did not look happy to see Allen, but hen he saw Cleo was fine he felt a little better.

"Allen, why in the world would you do this, kidnap my daughter and her friend. I told your dad that I was going to keep you safe. This is not what I meant when I said safe," Cleo's dad told Allen.

Allen looked upset. He looked down at the floor. Emma did not like the way he was getting lectured. She knew he didn't think he was doing anything wrong. So she cut in with, "It wasn't all his fault."

"Em, what are you doing?" Rikki asked in a whisper.

"He was kind of rapped into it, like Rikki was about a year ago. He did not know this man was a crook when he accepted the job," Emma told everyone.

The police looked over at Allen and asked, "Is this true?"

Allen nodded and said, "He offered to pay me almost a hundred dollars."

"Did the same thing to me. Where he say he worked the marine park, or somewhere else?" Rikki asked.

"Said he worked for some big cooperation, also said that it was a serious company and was willing to pay a lot."

Rikki nodded in agreement.

"Ok then, I guess Allen is off the hook, but I'll have a lot of questioning for you, Mr. Berry Rolings, if that is your real name," The police officer said.

"It's not," Rikki pointed out.

Lewis, Emma, and Cleo nodded in agreement. The police gave a nod and told them that they were free to go. When they stepped out into the lobby, Rikki's dad was waiting for her, as well as Emma's family, Lewis's family, Ash's family, and Zane's dad. All the teens went home and it was a happy ending, until the next mermaid adventure.