by Celeste Raye
His feet were shackled; his hands too. He tried not to let himself get upset. Blayze now knew it would make the pain start over. A moment of panic set in when they gagged him. He did not want to be smothered. Counting to ten, he breathed through his nose, and the panic subsided. The gag, he realized once he calmed, was to keep him from using dragon fire. The humans did not comprehend that if he so chose, one heated exhale would turn the gag to ashes. He would not do it. For Belle, he would stay strong and allow himself to be captured once more. She would save him. He had faith in her.
In the meantime, he would listen, as he had before. He was remembering more and more of the words spoken during his captivity. He would add new phrases from these men and piece it all together. The information might help him get free and perhaps clear the weredragons of suspicion. If he focused on that, he had a chance of remaining sane.
"Have they caught her?" a deep voice asked. "What do you mean, she disappeared? How do you lose an entire copter? You idiots! I want her found. Do you understand? She's trouble. I don't care what your orders are. I'm overruling them. You don't need to know whose authority I have. Do it!"
Blayze concluded the man was speaking into a COM link and that his subject was Belle. She had gotten away with some information that the man did not want known. Good for her.
The voice now spoke to him, quietly, not wishing to be overheard. It had a face. The CIA director had removed his head cover and was leaning down, nose to nose with Blayze. His bravery was foolish. If Blayze desired it, he could kill him instantly. Instead, he listened. "What made you hold back? It was stupid, you know. Now, you belong to us, and it's going to be bad, very bad. You'll never be free. You'll never transform, fly, or breathe fire again. You were better off dying here. We won't send you back to Talonia. That would be a reward. Oh, Maxxus will be told you died. He'll believe you all did, from the biologic. You won't though. Instead, you'll live a long life, underground. You'll all be in tiny concrete cells, suffering as you lose the ability of dragon fire. Up here, I'll be rewarded. I'll get to help rule this planet."
"Rule the planet? With who?" Blayze wanted to ask. Was that what this was all about: gaining control of Earth? How? Unlike Talonia, Earth was divided into countries, each with their own government. Sure, they worked in harmony now, but none of the governments would give in to one all-powerful ruler. Unless the others were dead and the world was in crisis. The remaining leader could rush in, save the planet, and take over. What lunatic had that as an agenda? Talonia would stop them, just as they had the Xycon. But, if the weredragons were the enemy, either dead or banished, then the plan might work. It was a conspiracy, most definitely. Which leader was behind it? Who did they need to kill? How many innocent lives would be taken to make the crisis believable?
Belle would not be allowed to live. She firmly believed the weredragons were innocent and was determined to prove it. She had seen the director here today. She would figure out that he was involved and become a target. No, that was wrong. He was already hunting her down. Go to Maxxus, he pleaded in his head. Get help. Do not worry about me. You must live.
Sinking into oblivion as the needle slipped into his neck, he dreamed of Belle. The ardent kisses in the bar had not been enough. He desired more. He wanted to feel her long red hair brush across his chest as she leaned over him. He needed to watch her green eyes grow hazy and slumberous as her ardor grew. She should shout his name as he gave her the pleasure she deserved. It would happen. His soul was positive, even though his body was confined.
Belle
"The scientists were baffled when they learned a biological weapon was once again in use," Josie explained. "As far as they knew, all such weapons had been destroyed. It was upsetting to learn they had been stored away, the same as the nuclear ones. You'd think the world leaders had learned their lesson, but no, they like to have secret leverage just in case. Anyway, they got their hands on a sample. I don't know how and I'm not sure I want to. It matched an old one, made in America. There was an element mixed in that didn't belong and was benign. It was harmless. They have decided it was a part of a container, metallic and minuscule. The idea is that it held the biologic encapsulated until the time of use. Dragon fire melted the container and sent the poison into the air. It killed the host and anyone within twenty or so miles. It dissipates as it travels, thus not harming cities more than twenty miles away."
"A biological weapon that won't spread far is ingenious. How could someone get their hands on it?" Belle wondered out loud.
"I would rather know who," Shark replied.
"How did the biologic get into my men without their knowledge? They would not willingly allow such a thing. Had they known it was there and what could happen, they would have refrained from using their gift and found a way to remove it," Maxxus declared.
"I don't think they had much of a choice," Belle warily explained. "I found a microchip that held more than information. It had a recording that repeated constantly. There were things inside it that could control minds, through pain and constant suggestions. Blayze disappeared for a month. I couldn't find him, and he didn't reach out to anyone. They had him. I just know it. When he returned, his neighbor said he was different. He was rude, filthy, bearded, and thinner. I found his torn clothes in the trash. She was right. I hadn't seen him since the night we spoke to you, until today. All hell has broken loose on Earth. More attacks, on bigger targets, are occurring. Weredragons are the accused and are being rounded up and imprisoned, except for those who die using the biologic in defense. We went to save Blayze, but we were too late. He fought, yet he never resorted to dragon fire. We could tell he was fighting himself. He'd open his mouth, then snap it shut. Suddenly, he'd double over in severe agony. He appeared crazed. Just once, his eyes cleared and he looked straight at me. There was sadness, and regret, but also determination and pain. He doubled his efforts and collapsed. We heard, from a source, that his heart stopped. He was revived. Somehow, he beat the mind control. He'll be used as a scapegoat. We have to free him."
"Earth is not supposed to be our enemy. We fought together. We trade technology. Why are weredragons being used? We will leave your world if we are not wanted. We do not require an alliance. Let them leave, and I will consider it broken. I will not attack."
"I know how it looks and I also know it hurts you to feel betrayed. I don't think that's what's happening. Ninety-nine percent of humans want the alliance. We welcome you here. Your men are an asset. Crime goes down in the areas they reside in. Where they work, production rises by almost double. They obey the laws in every country, better than the humans. The person or group behind this wants us to see the weredragons as terrorists when it is actually them who are. Their agenda isn't clear yet. I am certain that they want the dragons out of the way because they fear them. They fear you. By discrediting your people, they believe it will wipe out the one group who can defeat them. But humans are not as gullible as they think. We are skeptical and willing to dig for the truth. We'll find it.
“Between us, we have resources that can do almost anything. My first action will be to free Blayze. He knows something, I guarantee it."
"I insist on coming to aid you. It is my people that are the targets. I cannot, in good conscience, let you take all the risks. I know my warship would not be allowed through the shields. However, I can use it to catch up with our trading vessel. I will arrive on board it in three days. It is landing in Australia this time. Where do I go when I reach Earth?"
"I'll have a private air transport waiting," Shark promised. "I'll get you to Texas. You're welcome at my company or my estate."
"No," Belle declared. "We need to be somewhere remote, a place no one would ever look for us. My grandfather had a small ranch outside Houston. I own it, but I never changed the deed. In fact, he didn't either. It bears his great grandmother's name. It won't be traced back to me. It's the perfect place to hide all sorts of things. Every weredragon we save can recover there. We can gather our own little army to
prove their innocence. What do you think?"
"I'll personally equip it with all the technology we could ever ask for," Shark replied. "This is going to be fun. I can bring the copter and a few other useful vehicles as well."
"You'll need medical help if the weredragons have one or both implants. They're dangerous, even to themselves, until those are removed. I have someone we can trust. May I tell him where to meet you?" Josie asked.
"He can meet us in the plaza in Houston, where the Astrodome once stood. I'll insist on researching his name. You might trust him, but I have to as well," Shark told her. "I have a lot at stake, besides the weredragons' safety."
"Understood. I'll ask for his help without mentioning your name or Belle's. He's Dr. Collin Davis. His practice is in New Orleans. He's discreet, reliable, and adores the weredragons."
The conversation ended. Belle was deeply relieved. "He took that really well. I expected at least a prolonged argument, if not full out war."
"His calm is more frightening than an argument or declaration of war. He's holding in his anger, allowing it to build and fester. I watched his eyes. Have you ever heard the expression 'hell has frozen over?' It did. The fire behind his gaze was encased in ice. If he has been betrayed by anyone, that person will die, preferably slowly and screaming. I'm thrilled to be on the same side as he is," Shark explained.
"Okay, nice description. I'll be sure to warn everyone we work with. Speaking of which, I have several calls to make. Someone at the agency I trust must know where they took Blayze. I'll call their personal numbers and pray they aren't too scared to answer."
"I'm hungry. There's a five-star restaurant downstairs. Do you want a steak with all the trimmings? We can order dessert too. Molten lava cake with fresh homemade ice cream sounds good. No one is allowed up here, so I'll have to go down. Will you be alright?"
"Do you trust me that much? I could snoop while you're gone, you know."
"You won't. You're not that kind of girl. If you were, you wouldn't be in love with an alien accused of conspiracy. You care about the heart, not the package it comes in."
True enough, Belle thought. There was good and bad in everyone. If you loved them, it didn't matter. One night of fun, a kiss, an erotic dream, and pleading eyes were all it took to make her love Blayze. Okay, it was just the kiss. The pleading eyes had joined their souls.
She rang three numbers before she got someone to answer. "Belle, where are you?" her colleague asked. "The director has a search party looking for you. He's put your picture on the news feed as a terrorist sympathizer. There are warrants out for your arrest."
"For both of our sakes, I won't give you a location. Don't try to use my COM link to find me either. Trust me; it's blocked in about a hundred different ways. I hope you don't believe what the director is saying. He's the one who's a part of this mess, and I'll eventually prove it."
"If I believed him, I wouldn't have answered."
"Yes, you would. You would hope to learn my location and earn a promotion by telling him."
"That's harsh, my friend. I owe no loyalty to him. I want him taken down as much as you do. I refused to be a part of the weredragon roundup, so now I've been demoted. He would have fired me except my uncle is his brother's boss. It's a small world and nepotism is alive and well. I don't have the access I used to, but I'll do my best. What do you need?"
"Where are they stashing the weredragons, especially the one from the Gulf oil rig?"
"That I do know. He's locked up in our basement. There are two more there also. I don't know where they came from. In most states, they're using old concrete warehouses. In other countries, I have no clue what they've done. Information is extremely limited. The director is in close contact with the president. He doesn't disclose what is said."
"Keep listening. I'll be in touch." Belle had to hang up before her head exploded. The president? Was this his conspiracy? The biological weapon came from America. Its existence was known by only the highest authorities, and it was only accessible to a few. It took power and money to execute the plan. Who else could reach out and control so many? He, alone, would know where the troops were deployed, not to mention every weredragon's location. Why? What did he get out of it?
10
Blayze
The room was tiny. Blayze held out his arms and touched both sides at the same time. There was no room for a dragon. It was windowless. The floor and walls were solid concrete. The door was made of heavy, thick steel, with a small grated window. Dragon fire could burn through it, but if he used it, he would die from the biologic. There was no point in trying to escape.
He was not alone. The cells on either side held more of his kind. They often shouted and raved, banging their bodies against the heavy doors. Each time their rage was spent, they began to moan. He understood that the voices were back in their heads, and so was the pain.
Blayze had learned to keep his temperament even, neither angry or dejected. As long as he could do so, the voice stayed away and the pain barely registered. He could not remain this way forever. Eventually, he would completely lose his mind. Insanity, though, was preferable to understanding that he would never leave, never fly, or see his homeworld.
It had grown quiet. His fellow prisoners had finally surrendered to their circumstances. Blayze called out to them. "I am Blayze. Which weredragons are you?"
No sound came for several minutes, then a faint voice replied, "Condor."
"I know you," Blayze answered. "You are a soldier belonging to Tae. You were assigned as a bodyguard to a mayor in Florida. How did you get here?"
"I was traveling with the mayor and his family. I went to sleep in my hotel room and woke here. There is a voice in my head and when I seek to escape, my head bursts with pain. Does this happen to you?" Condor asked.
"Yes. Do not fight against it. It will become worse. You must, however, refrain from using dragon fire. We contain a biological weapon that is released in the fire. It kills us and those around us. The voice will try to make you obey the urge and when you do not the pain grows. Do you have a scar on the side of your head?"
"I do."
"So do I," the second man replied. "I am Promesus. My assignment was building structures. I was located in Mexico. I was sent here to bring copies of plans for a bunker that they did not want to risk sending by COM link. I thought they were trusting me with important information. Instead, it was a ploy. What does the scar mean?"
"I am almost certain it is an implanted device to control our thoughts and actions," Blayze replied.
"Why do you know so much? Do you work with the humans? Are you here to spy?" Promesus asked with suspicion.
"I listen. When I wake, I do not open my eyes or move. I allow the humans to believe I am still unconscious. They speak freely. You can learn many things in that manner. Some of our kind have died doing their bidding. Innocent humans were killed by weredragons. It has occurred in many lands. We are being used as weapons. Do not let them use you."
"The pain will kill us," Condor answered.
"It is better to die by our own choice than to kill others for unknown reasons. If we give in, then we are allowing the enemy to win. I cannot. Someone out there will come to free us," Blayze assured them.
"How can you have faith in a human when it is they who put us here? Why not pull out the control device?" Promesus inquired.
"There is evil on all worlds, but that does not make the entire population evil. We know this from experience. Only one world was entirely evil, the Savra, and it has been destroyed. You worked for good humans, did you not? You were treated as equals? Xycon live among us. They rejected their world and its evil occupants. I believe the good will triumph. Belle will never give up. She will help us."
"Who is Belle? What do we do in the meantime? I want this thing out of my head!" Promesus shouted.
"Anger brings pain. Keep your breathing and heartbeat even. I considered digging out the device but realized it must be deep inside in order to control
us. Prying it out could destroy our minds or even kill us. We will need medical help to remove them. As to the biologic, I do not know how it works, nor how to remove it from our bodies. Belle works for the CIA. She does not believe we are the perpetrators of this crime and is trying to prove it. She and I alerted Maxxus before I was taken. She will come for us."
Belle
The ranch was just as Belle had remembered it, except for the absence of animals. The homestead was centered on the acreage, far from prying eyes. Its last update was more than thirty years previous, so the technology was ancient in comparison to what Shark was supplying. The modest, two-story home would now house technology more advanced than the CIA itself had access to. The huge barn sheltered every fast vehicle imaginable. The helicopter rested in a dry, tree-lined creek bed. There were six cots in each of the five bedrooms. They were for Belle's rogue colleagues and any weredragons they managed to free. The master suite was prepared for Maxxus. Shark took the dining room, making it more luxurious than necessary. Belle would sleep on the sofa, when she slept at all. If needed, there was a bunkhouse that could hold twenty more. It was a frightening prospect to have that many weredragons contaminated with the biologic so near.
"I've got the layout of the CIA basement," Shark announced. "I guess no one thought it was necessary to update the protection of old documents. I broke into the computer without a problem. There are cells down there dating back to the late twentieth century. I'm sure they've been modified for the weredragons and security has been added. I can tell you where they are and the quickest route to get there, but not what obstacles you'll have to overcome. Of course, you're badge or handprint could override a lot of the security. However, it would alert the director to your presence, and you'd be locked up too."
