After a thorough and complete search of the ship, it was easy to determine that the researchers were tucked away in their room. The door was locked and from the sounds of it, likely blocked as well.

"Open this door!" Halcreek rammed his shoulder into it hard. The door barely rattled. It was definitely blocked off. The researchers must have heard or suspected something to have barricaded themselves inside. Although, it wouldn't have taken a genius to understand that the odds weren't exactly in their favor.

Their voices could be heard. They were agitated and speaking to each other in their own language the men didn't recognize. Back and forth, they fought frantically.

The men outside their room still had the rifle. But what good was that to this blocked off door?

"Just open this door!" Edmond tried. "We just want to talk." At least, that was what Edmond wanted. He couldn't control what Halcreek or Willas would do once that door was opened.

"We aren't fools!" One of the men screamed. "You mean to kill us!"

"Look." Halcreek growled, "You can't hold up in there forever. You'll only starve until you eat each other." From the tone of his voice, it almost sounded like he would have been amused to see that outcome.

Did the men have to be handed over alive? Edmond imagined that was the case. After all, if someone had taken his daughter, he would want them alive. He would show them no mercy. And these things were more monstrous than he was, he was sure.

Edmond wasn't sure which fate was worse. Starving or being taken by the sirens. Would they be drowned? Was that fate too kind for men such as this? Did the punishment even fit the crime?

Edmond couldn't be the judge of this. At this point, it was basically kill or be killed. He had to make this decision to give these men up if he ever wanted to go home. And if he didn't want the sirens to haul away any more of his men.

"We don't have that kind of time." Edmond pointed out quietly. Who knew when the next attack wave would come. They would take off with two more men. Regardless if they were the correct men. He couldn't risk that. He had to get this door open.

"We can do this reasonably or like savages." Edmond tried to sound reasonable but how could you reason men to willingly come to their own deaths?

It was no secret what their intentions were. They would need to use force to open the door.

"I'll take this door right off the hinges!" Halcreek yelled through to them in a threat before ramming his shoulder hard into the creaking wood again.

A loud gunshot was heard. The door splintered outwardly as the shot ran through the door and into Halcreek's arm, cutting out the other side cleanly. Blood splattered back along the wall by the impact. Soon, the crimson fluid dripped down his arm.

Halcreek gripped his arm, blood oozing between his fingers as he backed away from the door.

The researchers must have brought a pistol on board with them. The hole in the door wasn't a large one.

Halcreek spit curses at the men through clenched teeth. All three men were away from the door now just in case they fired again.

"Stay away!" Both men gave them various warnings as much shuffling could be heard beyond the door.

"I'll kill them myself!" Halcreek roared, storming back to the door, his adrenaline pumping. Edmond and Willas pulled him back before he could catch another bullet.

Halcreek ripped the sleeve off his shirt in order to tie it over his wound. He winced at the pressure.

"We need a plan." Willas stated the obvious. "One that doesn't involve us getting shot at."

"I'm ready to burn them out!" Halcreek really went to the extreme. "Light a fire. They can burn or come out."

"We aren't burning my ship!" Edmond yelled, "Be reasonable!"

"A happy middle." Willas tried to balance the idea. "We can always smoke them out. Make them think there is a fire. A flame we can control."

"That won't be enough." Halcreek still winced from his injury. "It needs to be convincing."

"They will still come out shooting." Edmond made the point. "We need to get that gun away from them."

"How do you propose we do that?" Halcreek rolled his eyes. His agitation was clearly growing as his arm pulsed from the pain.

Edmond didn't have the answer. At the same time, he couldn't stand the idea of losing one of them. Could they really just wait for them to come out on their own?

Even more so, could he possibly reason with the sirens? Could he tell them where to find the researchers to the point that the sirens would leave the rest of his men alone? Could they understand him like his Maryann and Emmalien did? He didn't know what to expect.

"Can't we just shoot them?" Halcreek was still very much bitter from his wound, his sleeve a dark red stain.

"No." Edmond could feel his pain, but they had a duty to their men. They had to finish this properly. And that meant handing them over in one piece.

"We don't know how much ammunition they have." Edmond said. "Or if they only have the one gun." He paced now as he tried to think. So much was riding on his shoulders.

"They can only reload so fast." Halcreek leaned against the wall, his blood smearing from his shirt onto the wood. He cupped his hand over his wound again to apply more pressure. "I need to dress this." He walked away from them to go to his sick bay area. His supplies would come in handy.

Willas and Edmond went into the captain's quarters. He needed to update his logbook, and they needed time to think of a plan. It was highly unlikely the researchers would leave their room for any reason. Even food wasn't worth the risk.

"I hate to admit it, but I am starting to side with Halcreek." Willas leaned against the desk. "I'm more of a 'think before you act' kind of guy, but maybe this is something we really should use brute force with."

Edmond could see that Willas was scared. He was, too. For Willas to side with Halcreek, he could tell the situation was getting out of hand. He had two rats on his ship and no way to properly collect them.

"That could involve one of us getting shot. Again." Edmond reminded him.

"The window." Willas said.

Edmond thought about that. There was an outer window that led to their room. It was possible they could use the window as a means of accessing the room. Unless the men had boarded that up as well. Though, it wasn't likely. Maybe they could lower down to the window to at least get a visual of what was happening within the room. It was a long shot, but it could work.

"It's not impossible." Edmond pondered aloud.

"No, the window!" Willas pointed behind the captain. Edmond turned around to see fog pouring in through the broken glass. The fog was getting so thick and concentrated again. Another attack? So soon? With no defenses? They would come to take more men. Any man they could grab. Perhaps one that was alone and wounded.

Willas and Edmond both looked to each other at the same time before saying in unison, "Halcreek."