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. You'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.
