by I. T. Lucas
“Yeah. Surprisingly, it worked. Eleanor is a prideful woman, and she couldn’t accept peeing in her pants.”
“What’s her real name? Is it Marisol or Eleanor? Or maybe it’s actually Gina?”
“Her real name is Eleanor Takala. She is Ella’s aunt on her father’s side, but she thinks that Vivian and her children are dead. We staged their deaths, including a funeral and all the proper documentation.”
“Her being the recruiter for the government paranormal talents program is a strange coincidence, wouldn’t you say?”
“Tell me about it. She was the lead we had on where to look for Jin. But that’s a long story and we don’t have time for that. Eleanor is a nasty number, so don’t feel that you need to handle her with care because she’s Ella’s aunt. Threaten her, scare her, do whatever you need to get her to talk.”
“I’ll do my best not to resort to torture. But what do I do after I get her to talk? How do I make her forget? Jacki mentioned something about a drug you used.”
“Let me get Turner on the line. He was the one who arranged for it. I’ll call you right back.”
“Very well. I’ll wait.”
Kian ended the call and dialed Turner’s number. “Do you have a few moments?”
“I have all the time you need. What’s going on?”
“The woman who snooped around Kalugal’s house turned out to be Eleanor, aka Marisol. He has her in his bunker, and he’s asking about the drug that we used to make her forget. Hold on one second, I’ll call him back and put him on.”
“Go ahead.”
This time, Kian didn’t use the translation application as he made the call. “I have Turner on the line.”
“Hello, Kalugal,” Turner said. “Kian told me that you have a problem. Regrettably, I don’t think the drug we used before will be good enough for what you need. It’s not foolproof, and she might remember something. In our case, she had no idea where she was or who was holding her, so even if she remembered something, she couldn’t use it to locate us. In your case, she knows where you live. Even with the drug, you can't let her go and stay in your house. You will need to relocate.”
“That’s a problem. I don’t have a new place ready. I could move into a hotel, but I can’t move my stuff so quickly. I can’t leave my artifacts and my books behind. They are irreplaceable.”
Turner sighed. “I hate to say it, but maybe it’s best to get rid of her.”
“She might be a Dormant,” Kian said. “She’s Ella’s aunt on her father’s side, but we suspect that the father was a Dormant as well. Besides, I don’t like the idea of killing Eleanor even though no one is going to miss her.”
“I don’t like it either,” Kalugal echoed the sentiment. “Let’s give the drugs a try first. If it worked once, it might work again. We can keep her imprisoned until I move my things out, and then drug her.”
“That’s risky,” Turner said. “The drugs that affect memory can muddle the brain only a day or two.”
“I understand that, which is why I don’t think they will solve my problem entirely. Since she’s been snooping around the house and even got inside, she has more than a couple of days worth of memories of us. She will remember some of it despite the drugs. I’ll have to move, but I don’t need to rush with that. I’ll just keep her locked up and isolated until I’m ready.”
“You can store your things in the village,” Kian offered. “I can send both of our planes to pick up your artifacts, and we can put them in our underground, where they will be safe.”
“Thank you, but you underestimate what I have here. I will need several large trucks to move them. At this point, what I need most is help with the drugs. I don’t want to accidentally kill her. I understand that Julian administered them to her before. Can you send him over with whatever he needs to repeat the process?”
“Of course. I can have Julian at your place in a few hours. We don’t have the drugs on hand, though.”
“I need to check with my contact,” Turner said. “But I can probably arrange for them to be delivered to your house or some other place of your choosing.”
21
Kalugal
Kalugal ended the call and turned to Jacki and Rufsur. “I don’t know how much of the conversation you heard, but Kian is sending Julian over, and Turner is arranging for the drugs to be delivered.”
“I heard.” Jacki crossed her arms over her chest. “Turner is one hell of a cold fish, but he might have a point.”
“You don’t mean that.” Kalugal joined her on the couch and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “Did you know that she was Ella’s aunt?”
“I did, but I didn’t know that she was a possible Dormant. Not that it matters. Marisol, aka Eleanor, is too rotten to be induced.”
“Perhaps she can be redeemed,” Rufsur said. “I talked with Dalhu during our village visit, and the guy had to go through hell to prove himself to Amanda and Kian and the rest of the clan. I bet that they thought he was too rotten to redeem as well, and look at him now. Kian trusts him completely.”
Jacki let out a breath. “Yeah, you might be right. But I’m so mad at her. Even though I would love to move into the village, I hate that we have to do everything in a hurry because of that bitch.”
It was the second time that Jacki had mentioned moving into the village as if it was a forgone conclusion. Kalugal wondered whether he should tell her that it wasn’t on the table. Kian had offered to temporarily store his artifacts, but he hadn’t issued an invitation, and even if he had, Kalugal would have politely declined. He could store his things in a warehouse and rent a small hotel to house them until a more permanent solution could be found.
Alternatively, he could keep Eleanor locked up in his bunker for as long as it took him to build his new place. After all, she’d expressed the wish to stay, and he would be just granting it for a longer period than she’d expected. The extended prison sentence was definitely better than what Turner had suggested for her, and no less than she deserved.
He turned to Rufsur. “Greggory should be back with her suitcase. Call him in here and tell him to bring it with him.”
“Yes, boss.”
“Also, tell Ruvon to take her laptop to our hacker. If she is collaborating with others, the information we need might be in there.”
“Good idea.”
A few minutes later, there was a knock at the door and Greggory walked in with the suitcase and a guilty expression on his face. “I’m so sorry, boss.”
“You’ve already apologized.” Kalugal pointed at the luggage. “Let’s see what’s in there.”
Greggory put the suitcase on the coffee table and opened it. “There wasn’t much, and all of it is in here.”
“Did you find anything interesting?”
Greggory shook his head. “I brought her purse and her laptop last night. The rest are clothes, shoes, and toiletries.”
“Any medication?” Jacki asked.
“None. It looks like she’s a healthy human. I found a box of Band-Aids if that counts, and some feminine products.” He blushed. “I packed them too in case she needs them.”
The guy still thought that they were dealing with a poor delivery girl who happened to be an immune.
“Take a seat, Greggory.” Kalugal pointed at the other office chair. “Gina is not who you think she is. She worked for Roberts and Simmons as the recruiter for the government’s paranormal talents program. I thought that Roberts erased all the information pertaining to us, but she must have had access to records he didn’t know about, or she might have made notes before he erased everything. She is also the woman who drove by and took pictures while Jacki and I were at the village. I assume that she hijacked the restaurant delivery van to gain access to the house.”
“Damn.” Greggory shook his head. “She played me so well. I never suspected a thing.”
“What’s your impression of her?” Jacki asked. “What prompted you to give her your number?”
“Nice pair of bo
obs.” Greggory’s face reddened again. “Long, muscular legs. She’s my type.”
Apparently, there was some truth to the saying that beauty was in the eye of the beholder.
Jacki rolled her eyes. “I’m not talking about her physical attributes. I know that lady, and she is not exactly a charmer.”
Greggory shrugged. “I liked her. She seemed lonely, and she was really into me. It wasn’t an act.” He tapped his nose. “There is no fooling an immortal male’s nose.”
Jacki grimaced. “Yeah, I still think that’s gross.”
“But useful,” Rufsur said. “We are more difficult to manipulate.”
“True,” Jacki conceded. “But then part of the fun of courtship is the mystery, the insecurity. Does she like me? Does she not?”
Rufsur chuckled. “I prefer less mystery and more certainty.” He glanced at Greggory. “That being said, even immortal males are still simple creatures who can turn into putty in the hands of a clever female.”
A guilty expression on his face, Greggory looked at Kalugal. “What are you going to do with her, boss?”
“Interrogate her.”
“And after that?”
“I don’t know yet. If she acted alone, and no one else has access to the information about us, I might keep her locked up in the bunker until we can move into the new place I was planning to build for us anyway. But if there is a chance that others know our location or are going to find out where we are, we will have to evacuate sooner. In that case, I will have the clan doctor give her drugs that will make her forget the past couple of days, and then we will drop her off somewhere.”
“Can I still see her?”
“I’ll let you know after I talk to her.”
Greggory shifted in his chair. “If you can, please don’t hurt her.”
“I’ll do my best to avoid that.”
22
Eleanor
Eleanor knew that something was up the moment Calvin walked into her room. His smug expression indicated that he knew something today that he hadn’t known the day before.
“Hello, Marisol.” He pulled out a chair and sat down.
Eleanor’s gut sank all the way to her toes, and even though the room was cold, she was suddenly covered in sweat.
The guy who’d come in with Calvin last night seemed nice despite pointing a gun at her. It had obviously been meant to discourage her from attacking his boss. But Calvin, which was most likely not his real name, was a scary man.
The intelligent, soft-spoken villains were the most dangerous.
“How did you find out?”
“That doesn’t matter. What I want to know is how you found us. Roberts was supposed to destroy all the records mentioning our organization.”
“Is he in cahoots with you?”
“Not voluntarily.”
“Are you threatening him?”
Calvin’s smirk made him look like the devil himself, and not as in a sexy devil, although he was that as well. It was evil.
“We have our methods, which I’m sure you don’t want to be subjected to. Make it easy on yourself and answer my questions. How did you find out about us?”
Eleanor swallowed. It was hard to think through the panic, but one thing she knew for sure. If she told Calvin everything, he would have no reason to keep her alive. But if she told him nothing, he would torture her, and she would tell him everything he wanted to know anyway.
“Simmons kept notes in his home. I offered his widow to help sort out his office, and that’s how I found out.”
“Did you destroy the information?”
“No. I scanned everything, and it’s also on his computer at home where anyone can access it.”
Given his grim expression, Calvin didn’t like her answer, which was good. As long as she wasn’t the only one with the information about his organization, there was no reason to kill her.
“I’m sure you made a copy for yourself.” He lifted a hand when she started to shake her head. “Don’t lie to me. I will know when you do.”
She was so screwed. It seemed like Calvin’s paranormal talent was empathy, or maybe even telepathy. Was that how he’d known she was the program’s former recruiter?
“I have a copy.”
“Where is it? Is it on your laptop?”
She snorted. “How dumb do you think I am?”
“That’s what I’m trying to determine. Who else are you working with?”
Eleanor decided to test his claim about detecting lies. “A couple of old friends. Former Marines from my late brother’s unit who will do anything for me, including getting more of their buddies to storm this place.”
Crossing his legs, Calvin leaned back and smiled chillingly. “Nice try, Marisol. I know that you work alone.”
Damn. Had he really detected the lie, or had he checked her phone and seen that there were no contacts on it?
“The phone you found in my place is a burner. That’s why there are no contacts on it.” She tapped her temple. “I have a good memory, and they are all stored in here.”
Damn, why had she said that? She had no phone numbers memorized, and if he tortured her, she would have nothing to reveal.
Calvin sighed. “You are making things difficult for yourself for no good reason. I won’t beat you up, but I can leave you locked up in this room with no food until you break.” He gave her a once-over. “You can’t afford to lose much more weight, and starvation can lead to organ failure. Why torment yourself needlessly?”
“Because my life depends on it. If I tell you everything, you will have no reason to keep me alive.”
He shook his head. “We are an organization of paranormally talented individuals. We are not the mafia, and we don’t kill people. After you tell me everything that I need to know, we will give you drugs that will make you forget about this place. And when you wake up, we will no longer be here. So even if you remember something, you won’t know where to find us.”
With a sigh, Eleanor pinched her temples between her thumb and forefinger. “Like you did before. You got me to tell you where to find Jin and the other trainees, and then you made me forget.” She lifted her eyes. “I don’t get it. If you knew who I was from the start, why go through the charade with Greggory? You could’ve detained me when I delivered the food. And why didn’t you say anything last night?”
“Our organization has many branches, and the other time you were taken by a different group. We didn’t know who you were until we shared your photo with the other branches.”
That made sense.
Apparently, there were many more paranormals out there than Simmons had suspected, and they were well organized. Not only that, they had somehow managed to stay under Echelon’s radar.
Nevertheless, this was very good news. If they’d let her go then, they might let her go this time as well.
Perhaps she could even make lemonade from all those lemons she’d been dealt. “I also have paranormal talents. Is there a chance I can join your organization?”
“You are an immune and a compeller, and both talents are useful and quite rare. You could be a great asset to us, but regrettably, you are not trustworthy. We are very selective about who we allow to join our organization.”
“I have nowhere to go. I didn’t lie about that. Roberts fired me, probably following your or your boss’s orders.”
Calvin smiled again. “With your talents, I’m sure that you will lack for nothing.”
“Except for the company of others like me. That was why I joined the government program in the first place. I wanted to find out what made me different. What was the common denominator between paranormals, and where our talents originate from. I’m still searching for those answers.”
Given the guy’s amused expression, he wasn’t buying her plea for compassion. “You were well compensated for your work, you compelled people to join the program, and you also compelled them to have sex with each other, helping Simmons with his breeding program. Those were a
ll very nasty things to do, Marisol.”
She grimaced. “No one can compel people to be attracted to each other. If there was no initial attraction, I couldn’t have compelled them to have sex with each other. My compulsion only gave them a gentle nudge in the right direction. It was more like matchmaking.”
She didn’t expect him to believe her, but surprisingly, he nodded. “That still doesn’t make it right.”
“I know. But so far, everyone I’ve met in this house is immune to my compulsion, so I’m not dangerous to anyone here.”
“I’m sorry, Marisol, but I can’t allow you into our organization. Once you tell me everything I want to know, I will make you forget. And just for your information, the same drug is used to interrogate prisoners and POWs, so if you keep anything from us, we will find out anyway.”
“Are you talking about the truth serum?”
He nodded. “But we’ve developed a special variation that is much more effective.” He leaned forward. “Tell me everything you know, and where is the copy you made of Simmons’s records.”
So that was how they had gotten her to tell them where to find Jin. She hadn’t volunteered the information, but she was going to do that now for the simple reason that she had no choice. Besides, in light of what she’d learned, her plan to sell them to the Chinese seemed quite ridiculous. She would be lucky to get out of this room alive.
“I’ll tell you where you can find the flash drive and Simmons’s notebooks under two conditions.”
“You are in no position to make demands, but I’m willing to accommodate you if it’s not a security matter.”
“It’s not. The safe deposit box also contains several fake identities and money that I will need to pick up my life again. I need to stay under Roberts’ radar.”
“He’s not going to harm you, but I have no problem with returning to you everything that’s in that box other than the information pertaining to us.”
“Thank you.” She let out a breath. “My other request is an explanation about what was done to me. Did Greggory really bite me? Or was I drugged, and it was part of the hallucinations?”