Romance with the Cursed Siren

CHAPTER 58. The Escape

Gabriel was currently dreaming deep in his sleep when his continuous phone ring cut off his beautiful thoughts. He whimpered and looked beside him where Crystal was still peacefully sleeping before he reached his cellphone on the bedside table. It was Jason.

"Yes?" He answered with his still groggy voice.

"I'm sorry if I woke you up, but you have to get out of there right now!" Jason said in his deep voice.

"Wha-what? Why? What do you mean?" Abruptly sitting up as he listens intently to what the man is saying.

"Rachel and her father reported you guys to the authorities as wanted persons just tonight. They even show Crystal's video wherein her feet are switching into a tail, and now the government also wants to catch her. They promise an extensive amount of money as a reward to anyone who could tell where to find you." Jason explained in haste.

"But why do we have to go? It was a hidden place, right? And no one knows where we are except you." 

"Someone called just now and reported your location." 

"I can't believe someone saw us already in just a short period!" Gabriel unbelievably complains as he packs their essentials quickly.

Crystal woke up with the noise as she moved and put her feet on the ground to look at the commotion.

"Because you’re not being careful, Mr. Anderson. They saw you at a carnival together the other night!" Jason hissed at him.

"Come on! Would you stop that!? It's not helping!"

"Gabe? What's happening?" Suddenly, Crystal interrupted.

"I'll call you later," Gabriel said on the phone and ended the call.

"We have to go. Let’s go." He quickly grabbed her still wounded wrist, making Crystal wince in pain because Gabriel accidentally put pressure on it.

"Aw! Gabriel!" She cried.

"I-I'm sorry, love." He apologized and held the small of her back instead, leading her inside the car.

He reluctantly roamed his eyes on the surroundings, and thanks to the poor weather, they haven't ambushed yet.

"Gabe, where are we going? What if I turn?" Crystal worriedly asked as she settled on the back passenger seat.

"s**t!" He cursed and looked at the time on his phone. It is less than an hour before her switch. He then quickly got back inside and took the thick blanket. He rapidly wet the fabric and put it inside the vehicle with a large container full of water.

"Gabriel, what's going on?" She asked again.

"I'll explain it to you later, okay?"

"But I'm scared." 

Gabriel reached for her hand. 

"Don't be. I'm here, and I will protect you, no matter what, okay." He said and kissed her on the forehead before he settled himself in the driver's seat. 

Gabriel immediately drives away from the area. Though he has no plan on where to go next, he also has no plan on stopping either.

They haven't gotten away too far yet when he notices some suspicious vehicles on their tail. But he only kept it to himself so the lady would not get even more frightened. He stepped on the gas to speed up their car as he also tries to trick their enemy.

"Gabe, slow down." Crystal said as she kept her body steady on the seat. 

"Sorry, babe." He apologized but refused to reduce his pace.

Until he thought he already lost whoever was chasing them and just continued his driving. He breathed a sigh of relief and took a glance at Crystal through the rearview mirror.

"Are you okay, love?" He asked.

"I think so?" Crystal responded, unsure of what she had to feel.

Later on, Gabriel's phone rings with an unknown number. At first, he hesitates to answer it, but when he thought it might be something that could help them, he finally picked it up. He didn't speak yet as he waited to hear the caller's voice first.

"Bring lady Crystal to the port quickly." A man's voice ordered.

"Who's this?" He asked with furrowed eyebrows, but the caller ended the call already.

"Who is it, Gabe?" Crystal inquired.

"I-I don't know." He stammered as he also can't think straight about what is best. He's afraid that the caller might only trick them and corner them from there.

Gabriel chose not to listen to the unknown caller and drive straight, going to the town’s boundary. However, before reaching another intersection, he immediately noticed a police checkpoint on the road and immediately drifted the car back. But Gabriel is too late as the officers guarding the checkpoint have already seen them. 

"Gabriel, they are chasing us!" Crystal announced as she looked behind them. While in front of them, Gabriel noticed the previous cars that were chasing them earlier. 

"What the heck!" His adrenaline is the one controlling him now as he quickly steered to the side, making their vehicle jump into the grassy ground to get to the other side of the road.

Crystal shrieked in shock while her heart was pounding hysterically because of the event, but she tried hard to calm herself as she didn’t want Gabriel to worry about her. Until a few minutes later, she can already feel her switch is about to start. She grabbed the dripping blanket and wrapped it around her body. Gabriel notices her action and feels even more anxious about her safety. 

The sound of the helicopter made Gabriel shocked. He feels like a criminal trying to get away from their punishment, even though he did nothing against the law.

Seeing Crystal's transformation inside the car made him decide to bring her to the port like what the stranger wants him to do. 

'At least the water is open in case Crystal needs to escape.' He thought, inhaling some air deeply, then released some tension inside him as he focused on driving and steered the vehicle to the pier's direction.

"Baby, are you alright?" He asked Crystal, who just had her switch done.

"Yes," she answered with a forced smile.

Gabriel also smiled at her.

They finally arrived at the pier while the vehicles following them also stopped and caged them as they blocked their way out. A scene that they never imagined could happen to them for real. 

He tried calling the number of the stranger, but it was unreachable. 

"Gabe?" Crystal called to him in a shaky voice, and tears started streaming down her face.

Gabriel moved from the driver's seat, going to the back, and cupped her face.

"Hey, stop crying. You're wasting your precious pearls, love." 

"I can't stop." She said between her hiccups.

"Remember what I told you? We might get separated from here, but I promise I'll find you. Okay?" 

But suddenly, they got interrupted when someone spoke through a megaphone.

"Gabriel, get out from there and surrender that monster!" It was Rachel.

Crystal abruptly covered her ears when she heard her cousin calling her a monster. Gabriel also put his hands above hers and kissed her on the forehead. 

"That's right, love. Don't listen to them because you are the most wonderful thing that happened in my life. Always remember that." And hug Crystal.

"Mr. Anderson, surrender, Miss Crystal. We understand you care for the siren, but you can't keep her just like that. She needs intelligence to look after her, to survive, and we're here to help her." A man's voice said.

"Give her to us peacefully, and we can assure that there will be no harm." He added.

"Gabriel, no. Don't listen to them. I don't want to go, please." Crystal begged as she clutched onto his shirt while crying excessively.

"Don't worry, that is not happening," Gabriel promised.

Gabriel looks around them and realizes the sun had already shone after the terrible weather yesterday. He also admitted that they don't have a way out aside from the sea, but it will take a few meters before reaching it.

'We can't stay here.' He thought and took out a gun from the backpack.

"Gabriel?" Crystal muttered when the man was staring at the metal weapon.

"I'm taking you out from here." He firmly declared and moved to the front to settle on the driver’s seat, and without further words, he steered the car. He drifted it towards the water, but suddenly, bullets were shooting them from the back before they could reach it.

"Get down!" He shouted at Crystal as he continued to manipulate the steering wheel until he successfully drove the car into the water.

"No!" Rachel screamed when she saw what happened and ran in their direction.

She kneeled and looked down at the water where the car was sinking. When Rachel saw Crystal getting out of the car, she abruptly snatched the gun from the officer beside her and shot the siren under. Luckily, Crystal just came out to the water in time and avoided it, but her cousin didn't stop until she ran out of bullets.

"What are you waiting for!? Jump and get that fish!" Rachel furiously demanded to the officer beside her. But before anyone could get into the water, the sea wave suddenly got furious even though there was no strong wind blowing.

"What is happening!?" Everyone was in shocked as they stepped backward, away from the tremendous surge as they are afraid that the water might swallow them alive and buried  

Meanwhile, under the water, Gabriel is having a hard time getting out of the sinking car, and Crystal quickly swam in his direction to help him. But Gabriel is just an ordinary human who needs to breathe. She pulled Gabriel and connected their mouths to give him some air. Suddenly, someone pulled them apart from each other and gave Gabriel a mouthpiece connected to a breathing apparatus.

The man is wearing complete scuba gear that made him unable to recognize his features. The stranger gestured them to follow him, which the two complied and brought them to a vast and beautiful yacht anchored in the middle of the sea. They led to a hidden entrance from the bottom connected to a vast pool inside the boat. Gabriel quickly went up to the elevated platform as he gasped for the natural air while Crystal was busy roaming her eyes around the magnificent interior inside the yacht.

"Crystal," Gabriel called to her while coughing hard.

The siren waves her body, getting closer to the man.

"Are you hurt somewhere?" He inquired, examining her body.

"I'm fine." She shortly answered and looked to see the familiar face of the man who rescued them.

"Ja-Jack?" Crystal.

"Jack?" Gabriel.

Their concurrent surprised reaction.

"Welcome back, lady Crystal. Sir Gabriel." He bent his head in respect.

"Crystal, sweetheart." Another familiar voice came.

They both turned, and every emotion that Crystal had inside her burst out as she flipped her tail strongly because of excitement. That caused the water to splash.

"Daddy!"