12
Blayze
Blayze knew that scent. It reached him as soon as the basement door opened. Belle was here. He did not know how it was possible, yet the scent was unmistakable. He had dreamed about it since the night they kissed. It should have brought relief and happiness. It did not. As her identity processed in his brain, hostility arose. He tried to tamp it down, knowing it would bring confusion and pain. As he had informed his cellmates, keeping your breathing and heartbeat slow and stable made the pain easier to live with.
By the time Belle reached his cell, his heart was pounding, and the voice was back, louder than before. It had a new message. "Belle Simons controls your mind. Kill her and gain freedom." His body slammed into the door. Anger built. His heart warred with his brain.
He growled and tore at the bandages. He was ready to kill.
Belle's disguise saved all of them. What Blayze saw did not match the scent. Through crazed eyes, his brain registered a woman far older than Belle, the hair dull and brown. He whimpered and backed away. Blood ran down his head. A stitch had popped open during the stressful encounter.
She reached toward the window, wanting to touch him and ease his suffering. He growled and cowered.
"Lady, I do not know who you are, but just toss the sandwich in and get out," Condor told her. "He has been altered. We all have. Poor Blayze got it a second time because the first one did not take. A man came and spoke to him. He has been programmed to kill a specific human, but he also said they might have damaged Blayze when they removed the original implant. So, he is unpredictable."
It made Belle sick to hear what Blayze had endured. She knew, without a doubt, who they had programmed him to kill. She was the target. The director was vindictive, and he would see it as an appropriate way of getting rid of an obstacle. It would also give him great satisfaction to win. A part of Blayze had recognized her and caused the uproar. Thank goodness her appearance didn't match his memory. She moved out of his sight and whispered in Shark's ear, "It's me he's after. If I speak, it will set him off again. You'll have to do this."
"Listen up, guys," Shark began. "We're here to get you out. It's going to take patience and self-control. We know it's hard for all of you. You're not in complete control of yourselves. You're going to feel pain and confusion but try to cooperate. Maxxus and Daer are waiting for you. The implants will be removed, I swear. But, first, we have to get out of here without detection. We'll need you to help control Blayze. The lady can't touch him. Do you understand?"
Both men nodded and mouthed, "It is her?"
Belle gave acknowledgment and Shark continued, "There are cameras recording us, but they pick up no sound. Due to Blayze's violent reaction, I suspect we're running out of time. Someone will come to investigate. It's going to appear as if we're breaking the rules and giving you extra rations. However, as we push the food in, we're attaching a device to the lock that will send a signal to override the system. The instant it beeps, we'll stop the cameras. You have ten seconds to get out of their range, and into the hallway, cell doors closed behind you, before they reactivate. Ready?"
"Anytime," Promesus declared.
Belle made sure that Shark was the one at Blayze's door. The food went in, the electronics went on, and the cameras were blocked as they turned on the plastic boxes at their waist. Condor and Promesus slammed the cell doors behind them, and each grabbed one of Blayze's arms. They practically dragged him into the hallway and out of sight. Belle and Shark remained steady as the cameras reactivated. For those watching, they calmly pushed the carts out of the room.
Luck was with them. Possibly, the watchers had decided Blayze's violent reaction was simply due to the recent surgery, for no one came to investigate. The plastic boxes worked perfectly, and James had the door unlocked at the right moment.
An alarm did sound as they reached their transportation. Blayze had captured the eye of a guard when he fought against being pushed inside. Belle hated to resort to drugging him, but she had anticipated the need for at least one of the prisoners to be a problem. She jabbed the needle into his neck as tears fell down her face.
Condor and Promesus grabbed their heads in agony. She tranquilized them too, realizing they were being activated to release the biological weapon. They were pursued, but Shark easily outmaneuvered the slower transports.
Belle
Back at CIA headquarters, the director was enraged. He put his fist through the wall, ripped down the COM link screen, and bodily attacked the guard who brought him the message. This failure could keep him from getting his reward. It might make him expendable. In his panic, he made a rash decision. If he went down, so would his superior. He would name everyone involved. He wasn't about to bear all the blame. He left the building without looking back.
Daer and Dr. Davis were waiting when the group got back to the ranch. They hooked all three weredragons up to IV's and monitors provided by Dr. Davis. All remained sedated. Blayze would go first, as they feared he had sustained damage.
Belle wasn't allowed to remain in the sterile environment. Sobbing, she removed the disguise and showered. Dressed in jeans and a tank top, she let Maxxus hold her as she cried and explained how Blayze had reacted. She told him what the other weredragons had seen and heard.
"The worst is over now," Maxxus consoled. "Daer will see that he heals properly. Whatever damage they caused, Blayze is strong enough to overcome. We received good news while you were away. It may bring you some cheer. One of my weredragons mated with a human female. She hid him and several others, six in total, during the roundup. They were unaffected by the terrorist regime. Her job is in communications. She was able to reach out to Talonia to ask for information and aid. Josie answered. This group will be joining us shortly. They were in a neighboring state. With the woman's help, Josie sent out a message, using an old code of our warships. It was answered by other groups in hiding all over your world. They are well and making plans to do as you did today. We will secure this planet from the terrorists. We did not explain who we believe is controlling the terrorist faction, however. Should the transmissions get into the wrong hands, our plans would fall apart."
The news was excellent. There were others out there fighting to prove the weredragons weren't the terrorists. It didn't soothe Belle's soul at all. In her heart, only one weredragon counted at that moment, and he might never be the same. Would he lose a part of his memory? Would the kiss be lost with the implant? She could end up being a stranger to him. She told herself that was fine, as long as he survived with all his faculties. She was lying to herself.
Belle's personal COM link vibrated. It was Daer. "This is taking longer than anticipated. They put the device deeper than we had dreamed. We are moving one micromillimeter at a time, trying to minimize the damage. They did not use the same care, so there are no guarantees. We had to wake him several times to be certain he could breathe on his own. Of course, we removed the capsule containing the biologic first. It is sealed in the freezing container you provided. Dr. Davis suggested that you might be helpful. He would like you to scrub in and sit here speaking to Blayze. He believes your voice will keep his brain active, kind of light the way for where to snip and make him fight to live."
"My voice may make it worse. His last instruction was to kill me and anyone with me. He tried already. Even without the biological weapon, he's dangerous. I don't want to stir up the aggression," she replied sadly.
"We cut loose a tendril or two. We think it is enough to make it safe to try. If he shows signs of a problem, raised blood pressure or faster pulse, we can stop. Are you willing?"
"I'm on the way."
Blayze
Blayze had been aware of a man speaking, explaining a daring escape plan. He planned to obey if his mind and body would allow it. He felt strong hands grab both arms and drag him forward. He tried to cooperate. He knew he was stumbling and slowing everyone down. The pain was gone. His head was numb. The surge in power to make him attack had fried the circuits. Why had he attacked those kitchen workers? He was so confused.
Fresh air and warmth bathed his skin. Something inside him stirred to life. Freedom! He was outside without chains. Hands tried to shove him into a small space once more. He fought with all his strength. No! He would not be caged. Please, just leave him alone. A single tear fell when he felt the needle.
