go! Let the mermaid go!” I cried frantically.
“Forget about the mermaid,” said the man. “You’ll never see her again.”
I grabbed the rail. My heart was pounding in my chest. I gasped for breath.
I couldn’t stand the mermaid’s terrified screams.
I couldn’t let them take her—not without a fight.
She had saved my life once. Now it was my turn to save hers.
But what could I do?
They had lifted the mermaid out of the tank. Three men held her in the net.
She squirmed and thrashed like crazy, splashing water all over the deck.
I’ll tackle them, I thought. I’ll knock them over. Then I’ll push the mermaid
into the ocean and she can swim away to safety.
Lowering my head like a football player, I took a deep breath and ran right
at them.
20
“Billy—stop!” Sheena screamed.
I crashed into one of the men holding the net, butting him hard in the
stomach with my head.
To my dismay, the man hardly moved.
He grabbed me with his free hand, lifted me up off the deck, and heaved me
into the fish tank.
I splashed into the warm water and came up, choking and sputtering.
Through the glass, I watched the men toss the mermaid aboard their boat. They
were getting away!
I tried to scramble out of the tank, but it was too tall. I kept slipping
down the wet glass, unable to reach the top.
I knew there was only one person who could stop the masked men now.
Alexander.
Where was he? Hadn’t he heard all the noise?
“ALEXANDER!” I shouted as loud as I could. But my voice was muffled by the
glass walls of the tank.
Then, finally, he appeared on the deck. I saw his big blond head and muscular
body moving toward me. At last!
“Alexander!” I cried, scrambling to stay afloat in the tank. “Stop them!”
I could hear the motor of the other boat begin to rumble. One by one, the
masked men lowered themselves off our boat.
Three of them had left the Cassandra. Only one remained on deck.
Through the glass I watched Alexander run up to him and grab his shoulder.
Yes! I thought. Get him, Alexander! Get him!
I’d never seen Alexander hit anyone before. But I knew he could do it if he
had to.
But Alexander didn’t hit the masked man. Instead, he asked, “Is the mermaid
safely on board?”
The masked man nodded.
“Good,” Alexander replied. “And have you got the money for me?”
“Got it.”
“All right,” Alexander murmured. “Let’s get out of here!”
21
I nearly choked on a mouthful of water.
I just couldn’t believe that Alexander was working with the masked
men. He had seemed like such a good guy.
But I knew now that he had arranged the whole thing. He had to be the one who
had told them the mermaid was on board our boat.
“Alexander,” I cried, “how could you?”
He stared at me through the glass. “Hey, Billy, it’s just business,” he said
with a shrug. “The zoo was going to pay a million dollars for the mermaid. But
my new bosses will pay twenty million!” A thin smile crossed his face.
“You know arithmetic, Billy. Which would you choose?”
“You rat!” I shouted. I wanted to punch him. I struggled to get out of the
tank. All I managed to do was splash a lot and get water up my nose.
Alexander followed the masked man to his boat. I pounded helplessly on the
glass tank.
Then I saw Sheena stand up. Lowering my gaze to the deck, I saw that Dr. D.
was moving.
Alexander didn’t seem to notice. He stepped over Dr. D.’s body. He didn’t
even care that Dr. D. could have been hurt badly.
I watched my uncle reach up and grab Alexander by the ankle.
“Whoa!” Alexander tripped and fell hard onto his elbows and his knees.
Sheena screamed and backed up to the rail.
Maybe there’s still hope, I thought, my heart beating faster. Maybe they
won’t get away after all.
Alexander sat up, dazed, rubbing one elbow. “Get them!” he shouted down to
the masked men.
Two of the men climbed back aboard the Cassandra and grabbed
“Forget about the mermaid,” said the man. “You’ll never see her again.”
I grabbed the rail. My heart was pounding in my chest. I gasped for breath.
I couldn’t stand the mermaid’s terrified screams.
I couldn’t let them take her—not without a fight.
She had saved my life once. Now it was my turn to save hers.
But what could I do?
They had lifted the mermaid out of the tank. Three men held her in the net.
She squirmed and thrashed like crazy, splashing water all over the deck.
I’ll tackle them, I thought. I’ll knock them over. Then I’ll push the mermaid
into the ocean and she can swim away to safety.
Lowering my head like a football player, I took a deep breath and ran right
at them.
20
“Billy—stop!” Sheena screamed.
I crashed into one of the men holding the net, butting him hard in the
stomach with my head.
To my dismay, the man hardly moved.
He grabbed me with his free hand, lifted me up off the deck, and heaved me
into the fish tank.
I splashed into the warm water and came up, choking and sputtering.
Through the glass, I watched the men toss the mermaid aboard their boat. They
were getting away!
I tried to scramble out of the tank, but it was too tall. I kept slipping
down the wet glass, unable to reach the top.
I knew there was only one person who could stop the masked men now.
Alexander.
Where was he? Hadn’t he heard all the noise?
“ALEXANDER!” I shouted as loud as I could. But my voice was muffled by the
glass walls of the tank.
Then, finally, he appeared on the deck. I saw his big blond head and muscular
body moving toward me. At last!
“Alexander!” I cried, scrambling to stay afloat in the tank. “Stop them!”
I could hear the motor of the other boat begin to rumble. One by one, the
masked men lowered themselves off our boat.
Three of them had left the Cassandra. Only one remained on deck.
Through the glass I watched Alexander run up to him and grab his shoulder.
Yes! I thought. Get him, Alexander! Get him!
I’d never seen Alexander hit anyone before. But I knew he could do it if he
had to.
But Alexander didn’t hit the masked man. Instead, he asked, “Is the mermaid
safely on board?”
The masked man nodded.
“Good,” Alexander replied. “And have you got the money for me?”
“Got it.”
“All right,” Alexander murmured. “Let’s get out of here!”
21
I nearly choked on a mouthful of water.
I just couldn’t believe that Alexander was working with the masked
men. He had seemed like such a good guy.
But I knew now that he had arranged the whole thing. He had to be the one who
had told them the mermaid was on board our boat.
“Alexander,” I cried, “how could you?”
He stared at me through the glass. “Hey, Billy, it’s just business,” he said
with a shrug. “The zoo was going to pay a million dollars for the mermaid. But
my new bosses will pay twenty million!” A thin smile crossed his face.
“You know arithmetic, Billy. Which would you choose?”
“You rat!” I shouted. I wanted to punch him. I struggled to get out of the
tank. All I managed to do was splash a lot and get water up my nose.
Alexander followed the masked man to his boat. I pounded helplessly on the
glass tank.
Then I saw Sheena stand up. Lowering my gaze to the deck, I saw that Dr. D.
was moving.
Alexander didn’t seem to notice. He stepped over Dr. D.’s body. He didn’t
even care that Dr. D. could have been hurt badly.
I watched my uncle reach up and grab Alexander by the ankle.
“Whoa!” Alexander tripped and fell hard onto his elbows and his knees.
Sheena screamed and backed up to the rail.
Maybe there’s still hope, I thought, my heart beating faster. Maybe they
won’t get away after all.
Alexander sat up, dazed, rubbing one elbow. “Get them!” he shouted down to
the masked men.
Two of the men climbed back aboard the Cassandra and grabbed
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