4
Blayze
In the shadows outside the bar, four figures hid from view. They were growing tired of waiting, anxious to do the job they had been hired for. The youngest, a new recruit, couldn't hold his silence any longer. He whispered, "Why do these places still exist? Why would anyone want to go in there? I mean, think about it. You can go anywhere or do anything from your own home with the virtual reality tech we have. Why dress up like a cowboy from the past and get all sweaty when you don't have to? What a waste."
"Not everyone wants to stick their head in a game and pretend, kid. Try a little reality: live. You might like it. Now, shut up before someone sees us. Look, the woman's leaving and she's in a hurry. Get ready. This isn't going to be easy," his companion replied.
The kid drew a syringe from his jacket pocket. It was filled with a strong sedative: strong enough to bring down a large animal.
Blayze walked out of the bar searching for Belle. He understood her confusion and had wanted to give her a moment to regain her composure, but he did not care for the idea of her being out here alone this late. He would take her to the hotel and apologize for his actions. She was nowhere in sight.
A tingle ran up his spine, one he had not felt in a while. It was a warning that danger lurked in the night. Afraid for Belle, he took no precautions for himself. Who in their right mind would mug a weredragon? Even if they thought he was human, he was a large, muscular opponent. When arms grabbed him, ones almost as large as his own, he realized he was outnumbered three to one. He tried to transform out of desperation. His skin shimmered, turning burnt-orange, but he ran out of time. A huge needle was jabbed through the thick scales and into his neck. The streetlight blurred, his world spun, and he collapsed, reverting to man's form.
Vague images appeared as he was dragged into the alley. Fingers dug into his arms and legs as he was lifted into a vehicle. He could feel the rumble beneath his paralyzed body. In limbo, somewhere between the conscious and unconscious world, he tried to fight against the sedative and the men. His body betrayed him. Nothing moved when he asked it to. Even his eyes held one position. Unless an object came into range, he could not see it. When they did, everything was blurred. He would not be able to identify his captors. The only advantage he had was that they did not know he was awake. Parts of their conversation drifted past the fog in his brain.
"Check his prints. We have to be certain we got the right one. The big man would have our heads, literally, if we brought the wrong guy."
"It's him. I've seen him getting off the copter from the rig. He's the last on this week’s list. They got the two in Russia, the two in Kuwait. It's amazing how stupid the world is, letting fire-breathing creatures work on oil rigs. Well, they're about to learn their lesson."
"Did they place the one at the Chinese stock market?"
"He's locked and loaded, waiting for the code to set him off."
"Aren't you worried about dying from the biologic? We could get contaminated if one of these weredragons so much as spit on us when we return them to society."
"Nope. They're too drugged up and brainwashed for that. That tiny piece of tech that's stuck in their head keeps them tame until the code is entered. Then, nothing survives. I'm more scared of whoever's in charge. We know way too much, and that makes us a danger to him. I'll be leaving for parts unknown real soon. You all should be too."
"There's nowhere to hide, man. If he wants us dead, we will be."
Silence fell after that revelation. Blayze fought to understand what he had heard, but his mind was so doped up, the words tangled and swirled making no sense. He gave in to the sedative.
Bright lights hurt Blayze's eyes. He could not turn away from them to ease the pain. His body still remained frozen, refusing to obey commands. Blurred green shapes surrounded him, leaning over and prying open his mouth. He smelled antiseptics that burned his nose and the metallic scent of blood.
"His eyes are open," a gruff voice said. A sharp pain in his neck sent him off to slumber.
Every time Blayze became slightly conscious, he could hear the same words buzzing in his head. "Your life is mine to command. You owe your loyalty to me. Only I can save you. You will obey me and obliterate the enemy. Your work companions wish you dead. Destroy them, or they will destroy you." Over and over it repeated. The refrain became a mantra, then a fact embedded in his subconscious.
Time held no meaning. He could have been locked away for hours or months. Never fully awake, he did not see faces or register what any room looked like. Everyone was careful to never mention a name or location. Most of the time, the only voice he heard was the one in his head.
Belle
"How could I have let things go so far?" Belle kept asking herself. A virtual stranger had come very close to seducing her, and she'd wanted him to. She still did. She considered looking up his residence. It would be a simple touch on a computer key. Would he welcome her or laugh in her face? He would have every right to be angry, as she'd be using the unfair tracking to find him. How badly did she want him? Apparently, bad enough to give in to temptation. Her finger hovered over the computer key, then, closing her eyes she pressed it.
Blayze lived in a small efficiency apartment in an old part of the city. The brick building was painted a garish yellow that held no appeal or style. The hallways were dark and narrow, but clean. How could he stand it? It was Belle's understanding that weredragons lived in high places, close to the sky. They hated small enclosures because they weren't able to transform without space. She understood his choice once she reached the door. His home was on the top floor with access to the roof. She would bet he spent most of his time under the stars.
For an old building, with nothing to proclaim it as part of the modern world, all the new tech had been installed. Belle's thumb swept over the flat panel that would send an image of her face to the monitor inside, telling Blayze who was at his door. She smiled in hopes of getting him to answer. He didn't. She tried twice more. Nothing happened. She was turning away in defeat when a neighbor popped her head out of the apartment across the hall.
"Oh, hi. I thought you were Blayze finally coming home. I have his mail. He always has me keep it while he's on the rig. It's usually just ads and useless stuff, but he likes to see it. I think it makes him feel human. I'd rather be a weredragon. Funny, how we want to be anything except ourselves. Sorry, I didn't mean to tell you so much. I just get lonely working from home and Blayze being gone."
"That's okay. I don't mind," Belle said in her friendliest voice. She wanted information and being kind usually got her what she was after. "When did Blayze leave? I suppose he got home too late last night to pick up his mail."
"He's been gone for a month, like always. He hasn't come home yet. We have an agreement. No matter how late he gets here, he's supposed to wake me up. I don't sleep much anyway, and I feel better knowing he's back. He's kind of like a protective watchdog."
"I saw him last night. He's off the rig. We went line dancing. Are you sure he's not here? Maybe he asked you to tell me he wasn't in," Belle replied.
"No, I swear he's not here. He'd never hide from you or anyone, and he wouldn't ask me to lie. He hates people that don't tell the truth. It's a thing with him. He probably partied too hard and hung out at the liaison center. Try there."
Belle didn't think so, but she'd check just in case. "If I give you my COM link info, will you let me know when he gets here? I might miss him at the center. He might have gone out to eat or something."
