by Celeste Raye
The second message was about the microchip. It did contain a recorded message. Little of it was understandable. However, they had retrieved a few garbled words: 'mine to command, obey, wish dead, destroy you. It sounded like old-fashioned brainwashing to Belle. The problems came in with the fact that she couldn't prove it had anything to do with the Talonians or who was responsible for the message.
The last message showed a very nervous man, who continually glanced over his shoulder. He was whispering. "Belle, I just overheard something. The director is going to have all the weredragons rounded up immediately. There's been another incident. The Chinese stock market was decimated. The traders are all dead, thousands of them. It's rumored that there were diplomatic representatives in attendance. A weredragon was found, still alive. He didn't last long but mumbled the words 'no control' just before he died. They've already taken in the other Talonians based there. They didn't resist or protest when they locked them away."
The message had been received less than ten minutes before Belle's arrival. Why hadn't the director notified her? Where was everyone? Why was he locked in his office, or was he? She couldn't see in, so it was entirely possible he wasn't there. Where would he go?
One destination came to mind. The oil rigs had been rumored to be targets, just like the stock market. The director had gone after Blayze. He hadn't told her, because he knew she would interfere. She would have warned the weredragon. The director didn't know she had been unable to reach Blayze.
Belle had to get to the oil rig and using a CIA helicopter was now out of the question. She needed to call in a favor from the private sector. Two years ago, she had saved a billionaire's daughter from kidnappers. He had told her to call anytime she needed something. This was the time.
She locked away the illegal COM link and put in the call. "Mr. Sharkon, I need that favor you offered."
"Whatever you desire shall be provided immediately," he replied.
"You have a helicopter at your disposal, don't you? I need to borrow it."
"Where do I pick you up?" he asked.
"This could get complicated and be dangerous. You shouldn't come yourself. I'm going up against my own superior."
"It doesn't matter. Tell me where to pick you up."
"I'll come to you."
She reached his estate in record time, thanks to a private transport and her badge that gave him permission to use top speed. The helicopter was ready, with the billionaire at the controls.
"Are you certain you want to risk yourself?" she asked a final time. "Our destination is an oil rig. This concerns the weredragon incidents, and I'm on their side, not the CIA's."
"Excellent; I enjoy aiding the underdog. Just for your information, I don't believe the weredragons did this on purpose. I have informants that say it is a conspiracy and that a high-level government official is involved. The Talonians are only a means to deflect suspicion, and it is a way to remove their presence from Earth."
"Who told you that? Is there proof? What is the purpose?" Belle was stunned by the news.
"I can't tell you where the information came from. They would shut me out, and I wouldn't learn more about this matter or any other. Gaining more data can be helpful to you, correct?"
"Yes, I need all the help I can get. I'm going to tell you something, in confidence, that I haven't told my superiors. I found a small microchip in a hidden hospital suite that can control minds. It had a recording that makes me believe the weredragons are being brainwashed and used as weapons. Before you ask, I can't prove it was intended for the Talonians, nor is there anything to show who's behind it. The director is out to get the weredragons and prove they are at fault. He refuses to listen to my theory or anyone else's."
"Have you considered that he may have a part in the conspiracy? Perhaps it is his job to make everyone see the dragons as the culprits and declare them evil. He hates them, and this would serve to remove them from Earth and gain the favors of whoever is in charge, especially important if it is the government."
"Oh, my god! That hadn't crossed my mind, but it makes so much sense."
8
Blayze
It was an invasion. Helicopters were in the sky, with men repelling out of them. Watercraft surrounded the rig, their weapons aimed directly at the level on which the workers stood. Everyone was wearing the same silver coverings, no skin or faces visible. The three humans slid to their knees, putting their hands behind their heads in surrender.
Blayze felt confusion, fear, and anger rolled into one. He could not breathe. He could not move. Voices were shouting at him, but he had no comprehension of the words. Lasers pointed at him from all directions. He would not be taken again! A roar built in his chest and slowly rose upward. Each time he was touched, he tossed the offender aside, like a bag of trash. Another would take their place. He fought with all his might to remain free. Anytime now, he expected to feel the bite of a laser. That would be fine. He would rather die than live through another waking nightmare.
The voice in his head returned with a vengeance. "NOW! Obey me. Destroy them!" He felt a pinprick on his head. The area beneath the scar was vibrating. The need to use dragon fire had never been stronger, but something inside him fought back. He knew it was wrong to kill. The pain began to grow. He doubled over and vomited. His head was on the verge of exploding. He could not stand it anymore. Lifting his head, he opened his mouth, releasing a warning growl. He summoned the fire, yet it never came.
Above him, he saw Belle leaning out of a helicopter. She was screaming and pleading with him. He could not hear the words. Her facial expressions told him all he needed to know. Tears ran down his cheeks as he tried to take control of his mind and body. He could not let her see him kill. The pain was too much. Sobbing and choking, he summoned the fire again. This time he heard her. She simply said, "Please!" His brain sent a signal to his chest. A knife pierced his heart. He fought to live and to show Belle he was not evil. He collapsed and stopped breathing.
Belle
They were too late. The oil rig had already been invaded. Belle could see Blayze slinging silver clad men like rag dolls. His eyes were wide and rolled back in his head. He was a madman, crazed and in pain. The invaders had him cornered. That was a huge mistake. Like any wild animal, he would fight back.
"He's got one of those chips in his head already, doesn't he?" her pilot billionaire asked.
"Yes, Mr. Sharkon. He's been missing for a while. Now, it's obvious why. This isn't him. Blayze is nothing like this."
She opened the helicopter door, braved the strong winds, and screamed out to Blayze. He didn't hear, and she saw his mouth open. She knew what was coming. She was crying and begging when he finally looked up. Their eyes met. His focused briefly. She saw sadness, pain, and regret in them. His chest heaved, and he tried to hold back the fire. He was losing the battle.
The wind changed direction and carried her final plea to his ears. "Please!"
Blayze fell to the platform and was instantly set upon by the invaders. Belle couldn't see him. She came close to jumping, but a restraining hand grabbed her arm.
"Get in, Belle. We have to go. There's nothing we can do for him now. Maybe we can help him later, but we have to save ourselves first. Don't you see? The director has removed his face covering. If looks could kill, you would be dead now. He's going to come after you. He's sneering. He thinks he's broken you by getting to Blayze."
"I can't go back to my job. He knows where I live, too. What do I do? I can't fight the whole CIA. I guarantee, he's going to claim I'm in cahoots with the weredragons. He'll have me locked up and the key thrown away. Then, who will unravel this mess? Oh, my god, I've implicated you as well. I'm so sorry."
Mr. Sharkon laughed. "No one got a glimpse of me. They can't trace the copter, either. There aren't any call letters or identifying features on it. It's illegal, I know. In this case, however, it's a very good thing. It's also faster than theirs. Hold on. We'll shake them and then go to my estate. Yo
u'll be safe there until we figure out the next move."
Belle held on tight as the copter shot off like a rocket. Three others followed. Mr. Sharkon dropped low, nearly slamming into a wave, then rose quickly. One of the pursuers went into a spin, its larger size unable to copy the maneuver. The others tailed them until they reached land.
Their copter danced between oil refineries, alternately hiding behind tall structures and speeding to the next one. They lost the others in the city when Mr. Sharkon made a sudden descent into the center of a building, and the roof closed over them.
"Welcome to my sanctuary," he told Belle with a grin. "I own this monstrosity. It comes in handy when I want to disappear. My ownership is hidden behind so many other corporate names, it will never be discovered. I hope I can trust you not to use this against me. You are, after all, CIA."
"For now, I'm not. I'm thankful you have some secrets. I have a few of my own that I'd rather not reveal. I think we need each other to figure out this mess. What we learn about each other's secrets during this time will remain between us. Deal?"
"Sounds like a plan. Call me Shark. Let's get out of here and go see what we can discover. We have the newest COM links, computers, and surveillance equipment here. If there's something out there to hear, we'll get it."
"I need to reach Maxxus. He has to be told that the weredragons are being rounded up and how they're being used. I sincerely doubt that the government has let him in on it."
"We can do that from here, too. You think he'll start a war with Earth?" Shark asked.
"That may be his first inclination, however, he'll listen to reason. He wouldn't harm everyone for what a few are doing. The Talonians are actually more civilized than humans. Before our interference, they were happy to stay isolated on their paradise planet. It was our old weapons that screwed everything up for them. If we had destroyed them all, instead of storing them, the Savra couldn't have stolen them. Nothing that transpired in the last few years would have happened," Belle explained.
"Without discovering them, we would have lost Earth to the Xycon. It's twisted and mind-boggling how everything happens for a reason. You were there when I needed help and, because of it, I'm here for you. I don't try to understand it all. I just do my best with each day. We'll find the reason for this. Come on. I know you are panicking inside and want to find out what happened to Blayze. I do, too. He fought with everything he had, and he did it for you. He's a hero in my book."
They left the helicopter in the circular, concrete hangar. Stepping out into the building, they entered a new world. Glass surrounded them toward the outside, curving with the round building. The floors were marble, white with black veins. The furniture was minimal, futuristic, yet inviting. The inner walls designated the separate rooms by what was on them. A large screen for the living area. Cooktop, cooler, and counters for the kitchen. A huge bed for the master. A smaller version of the same constituted the guestroom. Between the two, a desk made of wood, declaring an office space. It was oddly out of place amidst the sleek black COM link and surveillance equipment. Only one room had walls. It was, of course, a bathroom. The shower had so many controls, she would need a manual to understand its workings. The sink was centered in the space, its counter circular. The bathtub was sunken, large enough for four, and also round. It seemed to be a theme.
"I don't like to be cornered," Shark said from the doorway. "It's a bit paranoid, I know. I've found it useful at times. Care to listen in on the news feed? Not the part that will be officially on air, but the chatter behind the scenes. I have someone on the inside who will broadcast it straight to me."
"You think they'll mention Blayze? I have to know if he's alive, and if so, where he's been taken. I won't let him stay locked away."
"They won't use a name, but there may be a mention about the raid on the oil rig. I'm with you. He fought too hard to keep from harming anyone. He deserves freedom. It may take some time to find him. We'll do it somehow."
While Shark got in touch with his informant, Belle washed her tear stained face. She had no makeup to repair the damage, so her face remained unenhanced. It left her feeling exposed.
On the big screen in the living area, the backstage of the newsroom was displayed. It was slightly blurry, and there were more body shots than facial ones as the news team wandered around. However, the sound was excellent.
"How many more have to die before we get rid of the weredragons for good?" a man asked.
"What do you mean by 'for good?'" another retorted.
"I don't mean sending them home, that's for sure," the first man replied.
"We would bring down the wrath of Maxxus if we destroyed his dragons. I, for one, don't want a war with aliens. I don't even believe this is the weredragons' fault. There are easier ways to take over here, and they could have done it when they brought their warriors to fight the Xycon. This is a frame job. It's been far too easy to pin it on the Talonians; very convenient," the second argued.
"Have you heard?" a woman joined in. "Reports have just come in. Because of the China incident, they took the threats to the oil rigs seriously. They raided them. There's video we're going to show. In Russia, two rigs were destroyed by the weredragons who worked on them. Their coworkers were killed, and so were several of the men sent to capture the Talonians. In Kuwait, the same thing happened on one, but on the other, the weredragon wasn't there. They can't find him. Here, in the gulf, they got the perpetrator. He didn't release the biologic or set a fire. Of course, the CIA is claiming they were heroes and overcame him. I've seen the footage. It looked more like the dragon refused to hurt them. He was hurting. He collapsed, and his heart stopped."
Belle screamed and jumped out of her chair. No! Blayze couldn't be dead. She had promised to protect him and the others.
Shark wrapped her in his arms and said, "Listen, it's okay."
The woman was replying to a question. "Oh, they revived him alright. They needed him alive so they could torture answers out of him before they destroy him. Isn't that how it works? The really sad part is, I don't think he'll have answers. He looked scared and confused to me, especially when he stared off into the sky like he was listening for someone to guide him. It broke my heart. Go watch it yourself, before we air it. It will probably be edited so that no one is sympathetic toward the dragon. Sometimes, I hate this job."
"She has a soft heart. I'm almost certain she has a crush on one of the aliens," one man announced. "You want to see if what she claims is true? Once it's edited, we'll only see what they want us to see."
"Sure, it can't hurt. What if she's right? What happens if they're being used?"
"We have to report the news the way we are commanded to. You know we'd be fired if we said anything differently. Our opinions don't matter in the least. One way or another, people are dying, and it has to stop. So far, the biologic has been released in remote areas. What if this escalates to large populations?"
"Turn it off," Belle demanded. "I don't want to see Blayze collapse in that footage, and I definitely don't want to see how they twist it in editing."
Shark obliged, knowing Belle would fall apart if she saw Blayze's pleading eyes. She needed to focus on the future, not the pain of the past few hours. "Why do you think the weredragon in Kuwait was a no-show? Did he figure out the puzzle or is he dead already?"
"I would like to think he figured it out and is fighting against the programming like Blayze. Yet, the capsule could have leaked, or he may have used dragon fire. In either case, he'd be dead. It's also possible that he never made it through the programming."
"It's time to speak to Maxxus. If he sees the news feeds first, things are going to get dicey," Shark replied.
"You're right. I hate to give him more bad news, though. The Talonians have had enough trouble. If I were them, I'd bring everyone home and put an impenetrable bubble around the planet. Earth has fended for itself for thousands of years, and it can do so again."
"You can't put the genie back in the bot
tle, I'm afraid. Once the government knows a planet exists, they won't leave it alone. If they surrounded themselves with a bubble, it would just be more tempting to discover how to pop it."
"Would you try?" Belle dared to ask.
"Sadly, it would be a challenge I'd find hard to resist. I admit I'm fallible and imperfect."
Belle nodded in reply. She couldn't judge him for his admission. No one was perfect. For now, he was on her side. That's all that really mattered. "Let's do this. Maxxus should hear the real truth, not a doctored news report."
It was the middle of the night on Talonia. Josie, Maxxus's human mate, answered the call. She was rocking the baby, her eyes barely open. She yawned, "This better be important. I only have a couple of more hours to sleep."
"Wake up Maxxus, please," Belle replied, without a proper greeting.
Josie awoke fully at the desperation in Belle's voice. "I know who you are. You're the CIA agent Maxxus wanted me to call at daybreak. I guess we both have some news. Let me put the baby down, wake Maxxus, and move this discussion to another room. I have a feeling there's going to be shouting, and Phoenix needs to sleep. Give me five minutes. I have a lot to tell you."
9
Blayze
Someone was pounding his chest. It was excruciating. His breath returned in a painful gasp. Blayze sucked it in gratefully until he saw the creatures above him. They were silver from head to toe. Only the anger-filled eyes showing behind a clear strip looked human. It took precious moments, time when he could have broken free, to remember where he was and what was happening. Belle! Where was she? Had he hurt her? Did he use dragon fire? He stared past the silver bodies, into the sky. She was not there. He could hear his coworkers arguing with someone. It was a relief to his soul. If they were alive, he had won against the voice and pain in his head.
