"Then what?" I asked.
"Then poof," Opal tossed out a hand. "Gone. All three, with not a puff of smoke left behind."
"We searched the area and found nothing," Kell went on. "Once they disappeared, even their scent faded at the location. I couldn't detect anything of them after a while."
I'll admit, that worried me. If a vampire or werewolf could no longer scent these people moments after they disappeared, we could be fucked and not in a pleasurable way.
"Are there images from nearby security cameras?" I asked, lifting the cup of tea to drink.
"None. We've already checked. They knew what they were doing, I think," Kell grimaced.
"I can provide projected images," Opal said, her voice stiff. She didn't utilize her abilities as anything other than a talented shapeshifter while in ASD employ, but this had her worried and baffled enough to skirt that rule.
"Then let's see it," I leaned back to give her room.
Opal's eyes lost focus, then a three-dimensional image floated over the small table. I blinked as I watched the two men and their female companion walk along a narrow, deserted street.
Just as Kell said, the three of them stopped abruptly. In moments, they were gone.
"Rewind, please," I breathed.
Opal replayed the image.
"Stop," I commanded. The image froze. "There—it looks as if they're listening," I pointed. All three had their heads cocked to one side, as if they'd heard something. A warning, perhaps?
"Fuck. This is crazy," I mumbled, raking fingers through my hair. "Can you give me those images?"
"On comp-vid?" The image disappeared above the table.
"I don't care if it's written in pencil, I need it," I said.
"I'll place it on your comp-vid," Opal agreed. This was so important, in her mind, that she'd expend the power to do it.
"Director, I have no idea what it is we're dealing with," Kell said. "But it scares me."
I was beginning to agree with him.
Chapter 5
BlackWing X
Randl
"They traced the origin of the scan, but there's nothing there now," Travis informed me at breakfast.
I had a slight hangover from drinking more beer after boarding the ship the night before, but I didn't tell Travis that.
"Are we going?" I asked. I wanted to see the location myself, in case I could sense anything.
"Yep. Right after breakfast. Here," he set two pain-kill tabs in front of me, then pushed a glass of water in my direction. "Drink up. It'll help."
"How?" I asked. I didn't have to finish the question; he understood what I meant.
"I've been drunk enough times to recognize a hangover when I see one," he said. I imagined a grin accompanied his words, but it was gone before my mental vision adjusted.
"Does your mother know?" I asked.
Travis laughed.
An hour later, we wore disguises provided by Bel Erland and were on our way to a location on Pyrik's surface, on the outskirts of Mer'bali. The ship's hover-shuttle parked outside a concrete building that bore a holographic For Sale or Lease sign above the door.
"Kooper's already checked the records; nobody's leased or bought it, and it's been on the market for two years," Trent said as we climbed out of the shuttle.
"I wouldn't buy it, either," I said, after mentally studying the exterior. Parts of it had crumbled away, revealing steel bars beneath the concrete. It likely had foundation problems, too. "Too many things to repair," I shrugged when Trent turned toward me.
"Bro, do you think they had a portable scan unit on the roof?" Travis asked as we walked toward the door.
"Could be. Let's go inside, first, so Randl can get a feel for the place."
Travis had a key-scanner, which he pointed at the door. I heard the old-fashioned lock click and the door creak open before I saw the actual images.
"Power isn't on," Travis informed me as he stepped inside. "Kooper says it's been off since the building was listed."
"Another point in its disfavor," Trent said and followed his brother inside.
My skin prickled as I walked through the door. "Travis, I forgot something in the shuttle," I said. "Will you and Trent come help?"
Code, bro? Travis' mental voice asked.
"Please," I said, with a nod.
Both followed me to the sidewalk, then to the shuttle. Travis opened the door; I climbed inside, then motioned the brothers to follow.
Once the door was shut, I sighed. "We're being watched inside the building," I said.
"Fucking hells," Trent cursed.
"We have to go back, or they'll suspect we know," I said.
"Damn," Travis whispered.
"I'll take this," I felt for the jacket I'd brought with me. "Let's go back. Just—guard your words, all right?"
"Sure."
"I've never been so grateful for a disguise in my life," Trent added as we clambered from the shuttle a second time.
Whatever watched us caused a buzzing in my mind as we traveled through the deserted space. Once we reached the top floor, we knew what had happened. A huge hole in the roof had recently been repaired. There were no records of repairs done; Travis told me as much in mindspeech.
So the ones who scanned the ship did the repairs, after knocking a hole in the roof to begin with, Trent said.
Looks that way, Travis agreed.
"Well, we've found what we came for," Travis said aloud.
"I want to go to the roof," I said, surprising both brothers.
"Sure," Travis shrugged and led us toward a stairwell in an empty corner. The key scanner got us through the locked door at the top, and we stepped onto the flat roof.
The buzzing stopped. Whatever watched us inside the building didn't cover the outside of it.
Once my vision of the rooftop cleared, I walked toward the patched hole. Crouching down, I placed a hand on the patch.
"Three here, to make the repairs," I said after a moment. "None of them the ones we saw last night. All male, and all with the same affliction."
"Fuck me running," Trent sighed.
Travis
"So there are six, at least," Kooper didn't sound happy when I delivered Randl's news. "Six who can possibly disappear without a trace," he added, his frustration evident in his voice.
"Here's my question," Randl said. He and Trent were with me for the debriefing; Kooper requested it.
"What's that?" Kooper turned toward Randl.
"You say the three last night disappeared. What has kept the one in Queen Lissa's dungeon from disappearing, if they can do this on their own? Surely he'd have escaped the cell in the Refizani facility if he could do so."
Kooper drew an audible breath.
"I think," Randl said, "that something pulled them away. I don't think they disappeared on their own."
Kooper blew out the breath he was holding. "That makes sense," he growled and pulled his comp-vid from a pocket. "Randl, can you see well enough to look at these images?" He held out the comp-vid.
After only a moment's hesitation, Randl took it. Kooper tapped the screen, so the vid-images would play. Randl blinked, then nodded as the vid ran. "Yes," he said afterward, handing the comp-vid to Kooper. "I believe my suggestion is correct. It appears that they were waiting or listening for a signal, before someone or something pulled them away."
"Thank the Mighty," Kooper breathed before pocketing the comp-vid. "I had terrifying visions of a new race that could fool us all."
"They're still fooling us—for now," Randl pointed out.
"You're right," Kooper admitted. "We have to figure this out and fast. The Conclave starts tomorrow. Unless I'm badly mistaken, that's why we're seeing all this here and now."
"You think they'll strike on the first day?" Travis asked.
"I sure as hells hope not," Kooper replied.
Randl
Terrett and Jayna went to dinner with us; Quin invited them, as Jayna was a good friend and Terrett was
one of Quin's mates. They'd stayed aboard the BlackWing X up to that point, watching the ship and restocking supplies while the rest of us worked on the planet's surface.
David joined us, too, and appeared genuinely excited about it.
"He's friends with Uncle Perdil," Travis grinned, which brought a frown from David. "Perdil and I see eye-to-eye," David said, causing Travis to bark a laugh.
"Come on or we'll be late," Trent said, attempting to hurry us along. He transported us from the ship to the massive suite atop the hotel; the large space was needed to accommodate so many, I discovered.
"Teeg San Gerxon," he introduced himself and held out a hand. I took it after the usual delay in my vision.
"Very pleased to meet you, Founder San Gerxon," I said, employing the courtly skills Master Morwin taught me.
"Oh, good—you found each other," Wyatt appeared at his father's side.
"Hello, Wyatt, good to see you again," I nodded in his direction.
"Wyatt tells me there's a slight delay in your mental vision. Is that correct?" Founder San Gerxon asked. "And please, call me Teeg."
"Yes," I said. "It's only a short delay, as if my brain has to adjust when things change around me. Small things I often miss—such as a quick smile or swift gestures."
"Understandable," Teeg agreed. "It's astounding that you can process the images at all."
"I've gotten better over the years," I admitted. "At first, images were very slow to appear in my mind."
"What about the clairvoyance?" Wyatt asked. "Was that slow, too?"
"No," I confessed. "That has always been sharp and immediate."
"I believe his clairvoyance may have trained his brain to operate along new pathways." Someone new had arrived.
"Physician," I bowed to him as the information slid into my mind ahead of his image.
"Randl, this is Karzac Halivar," Teeg introduced the man.
"You're Refizani by birth," I said, holding out my hand. "I must say, the beer from your home planet is quite good, Doctor Halivar."
"Astonishing," Doctor Halivar whispered and clasped my hand in his.
"What can you tell us about the building where the portable scanner was placed?" Teeg interjected.
"Ah. The scanner was placed there, certainly. I believe the hole was torn in the roof to fire the rockets, if it were necessary."
"That would make sense," Teeg breathed a sigh. "The scanner would work without the hole, if it were a relatively new device."
"Have you not determined the source of the rockets, yet?" Karzac asked.
"The general area," Teeg replied. "Randl just pinpointed their location. These new rockets apparently sent out shadow lasers, which makes it difficult to determine which blast actually hit the ship."
"Isn't that the new technology being designed by Kend Industries?" Karzac asked.
"Yes, and the designer has no idea how it was stolen. We've checked all the records—nothing has been taken or copied, so we have no clue how it ended up here. Kend is sending the designer to review the images from local sat-bots, to attempt to sort this out."
Ruther Kend. I turned that name over in my mind. He'd been kidnapped shortly after my rescue from Vogeffa II. Someone had wanted his expertise, then, to repair faulty technology.
In fact, his entire family had been kidnapped, and his captors threatened Kend's family if he didn't cooperate.
"You're sure he isn't being threatened again?" I asked. "Ruther Kend, that is."
"We're sure," Teeg said. "ASD and CSD checked everything, and just for good measure, Quin confirmed it."
"Discussing family secrets?" Kooper Griff had arrived; I recognized his voice before the image cleared.
"Just Ruther Kend's technology, which was apparently used in the destruction of the pirate ship," Wyatt said. "Want something to drink, Director?"
"Sure. Bourbon on the rocks, if they have it."
Wyatt walked away to find a server; I turned to Kooper. "Who will Kend be sending?" I asked.
"He said he'd send his best designer—the one who worked on the new technology involved," Kooper shrugged. "They'll be here tomorrow."
I could tell he wanted them here sooner than that, but he didn't say it. "Did you get through any of the vids I sent?" Kooper redirected my attention.
"Yes. I'm grateful for them—I can stop and go back to any part I may have missed with vids. It's easier than sitting in a classroom, in that respect."
"You have the comp-vid code for questions, correct?"
"Travis gave it to me," I said. "So far, I haven't needed it." The code would allow me to send questions to the instructors at ASD Academy. I didn't tell Kooper, but after my visions of the instructors cleared, my clairvoyance enabled me to answer the questions on my own.
"You'll be tested on the courses," Kooper reminded me. "Do you want a verbal test, or by comp-vid?"
"Comp-vid is fine," I shrugged. "As long as I get sufficient time to read and respond."
"You'll have it," Kooper said. "They'll extend the time to accommodate the circumstances."
"Thank you."
"There's something else," Kooper said, suddenly uncomfortable.
"What's that?" I knew already, and it tied my guts in a knot.
"Amlis wants to see you. I'll send Travis and Trent with you, if you want. Winkler, too—he's volunteered to go in case Amlis gets out of hand."
"Yes, Travis and Trent's presence would be much appreciated. Please tell Winkler yes, too," I said. The werewolf could stare anyone down, if it were necessary.
"I'll arrange it for tomorrow morning, before Conclave starts," Kooper said. "When registration begins at ten bells, I expect you, Travis and Trent near the entrance."
"Of course, Director."
Space-Yacht Mindbender
Sabrina Kend
Tell him to screw himself, I'm done, I tapped on my comp-vid. It was bad enough that Fergue and I had split up three months earlier. He's a lying, cheating tree-weasel, I added to the previous message.
My best friend, Lorvis, sent the message a day after I'd boarded ship for Pyrik. It had taken almost another day for me to calm down enough to send a reply. It was probably a good thing I hadn't been at home when Fergue asked Lorvis to send a message, telling me he wanted to get back together.
I might have asked Gord to punch him.
Gord, my bodyguard, looked up from his comp-vid as if he knew I was thinking about him.
Just once, I'd like to go somewhere on my own, without a bodyguard. Daddy was paranoid ever since we'd been kidnapped fifteen turns earlier. Nobody in the family went out unguarded.
He'd hired people, too, to teach us self-defense.
Fergue had gone through a vetting process, although he belonged to a wealthy family on Jaledis and should be above reproach. I wished they'd checked his loyalty meter, too, because it was on empty.
The whole time we'd been together, he was secretly seeing someone else.
"Calm down—you'll be meeting with the ASD Director tomorrow, and likely the CSD Director, too. You need to be composed when you see them. Your father's biggest contracts are with both agencies, you know."
"Thanks, Gord, for stating the obvious," I grumbled and switched off the comp-vid. Just seeing Fergue's name brought out the worst in me.
You have a job to do, I reminded myself. I had vids to review, to see how well they matched the laser rocket tests I'd run with my own designs. Leaning back in my seat, I closed my eyes and blew out a breath. There wasn't any way someone could have gotten my technology; it was too carefully guarded.
"I'm going to bed," I announced. Gord barely looked up from his comp-vid. On my father's private ship, I was safe enough. Leaving Gord to whatever game he was playing, I gathered my things and headed for my cabin.
Randl
"Welcome to the land of the dead." Amlis' greeting made me step backward. I didn't want to be here to begin with; his words increased my desire to get away.
He wasn't in bed; he stood
before the wide window in his room, gazing at the gardens below the hospital, his back toward us. Travis and Trent had come with Winkler and me—as guards or witnesses, I suppose.
"What does that mean?" Winkler asked Amlis, his voice a low growl.
"They won't let me do anything except talk to the doctors. I may as well be dead," Amlis turned toward us briefly, before showing us his back again. "Rodrik is acting in my stead, I hear."
"He is," Winkler agreed. "He and Lukas met for breakfast, this morning. It'll help to have a clear strategy when the votes are cast."
"And I didn't have a clear strategy, did I?"
"No," I said. "You did not."
"Ah. The traitor to New Fyris speaks."
"I suggest you review the definition of traitor," Winkler snapped. "Randl accepted a more lucrative offer, that's all. If you only wanted to see him in order to abuse him, we'll go, now."
"Take him," Amlis waved an arm in dismissal. "It won't be long before the Reth Alliance news vids are filled with reports of the blind man who unseated the Prince of New Fyris."
Winkler didn't bother saying good-bye. We were whisked away by the angry werewolf, and landed outside Kooper Griff's suite.
"Kooper wants you to see the representative Kend Industries sent," Winkler said quietly. "I hope you're up for this."
"We're with you," Travis whispered as Winkler knocked on Kooper's door.
Sabrina Kend
The balcony outside Director Griff's hotel suite was where I sat, patiently waiting for the CSD Director to arrive.
That's when four I hadn't expected arrived. I blinked.
The first to take a seat was tall, dark-haired and moved with an easy grace. Two more were Falchani—twins unless I missed my guess. Both were well-muscled, with long, black braids swinging at their backs as they took seats.
Last of all was one I didn't expect. While not as tall as the first, he was almost of a height with the Falchani. He wasn't as muscular in build, but he wasn't displeasing to look upon. Light brown hair lifted in the morning breeze, blowing away from his forehead and revealing eyes that were nearly white.
MindSighted: BlackWing Pirates, Book 1 Page 7
