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.
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."
