Mecca Prime Neil’s Villa -Day 380- Ell Singer
I finally came to, feeling cold. Not the physical cold of the stone floor I was laying on, but an emotional cold I hadn't felt since before I had left the Fenix Service Program; cold rage.
I knew I had to be cautious about anything I did when I was like this. The things that I had done in the past while in this state had much more collateral damage than I had anticipated.
Neil had to have known he was a target, yet he had us come to a place where we were extremely vulnerable to attack; a villa with thick stone walls, on a planet with old world tech, and almost no electronic devices; my abilities virtually are non-existent here. If Echo had been here... better to move forward, dwelling on past, worst case scenarios would only pull me deeper down into that cold rage.
I took stock of myself and my surroundings. There was a throbbing at the base of my skull. I had been hit from behind. I was in a small room that appeared to be part of Neil's villa. The same muffled sense of being disconnected from the ever present hum of electronics that was such a large part of my life was still present. There was a shelf that took up the space of the back wall. It held emergency food and water, basic medical supplies, and I was glad to see a number of weapons stored on it. This must be some kind of emergency bolt hole. Most likely in the master suite where I remembered having been last. I tried to remember if Neil had been the only one behind me at the time that I had gone down, but things were still fuzzy and someone else could have made it in through the terrace doors. The only thing that was completely clear was Neil running into our room to say that Fenix was attacking.
The room only tilted a little when I got to my feet. I felt the back of my head, it was tender and there was a small lump forming, but nothing to be too concerned over. The blow hadn't broken the skin so there was no blood to clean up. I took some standard pain meds out of the emergency med pack and downed them with a water ration. As I waited for them to activate I selected the weapons that I was familiar with; a small handgun, which was very straight forward and a knife in a sheath that l slid into the waistband of my pants.
I needed to make it to the shuttle and get back to the Waylay if I was going to have any chance against Fenix. It was obvious that a strike team had been on a retrieval mission, but that didn't make the situation any safer for Jason and the others once they were delivered to whomever commissioned this operation to begin with.
The door swung into the safe room I was in. I cautiously opened it a fraction to get a look beyond, I could see through the sheer curtains into the master suite, which Jason and I had been given to use. The room had been thoroughly tossed. There was no sign of anyone about.
As I eased the door open just enough to slip out into the room I was greeted by silence, except for the sound of the ocean in the distance. I stood motionless, stretching my senses out as much as possible. The door I had come out of slid noiselessly shut leaving no trace of where it was from this side. It was much like the vault on the Waylay, but it was all accomplished without the help of electronics here.
Neil’s villa had the feeling of a hollow shell. I slowly moved from one room to the next, careful to stay out of the natural line of sight in case anyone was still here. Once I reached a corner in the main reception hall, I heard a loud crash... I carefully peered around the corner, and observed that it was only a vase that had most likely been too close to the edge of a table. Whatever took place here, it was apparent that things weren't carefully put back the way they were found, resulting in items falling at random. But for all of my careful concealment, I needn't have bothered with being so covert.
The villa was as empty as it had seemed. All the rooms looked as though they had been searched from top to bottom. It made me certain that Fenix had been sent to retrieve all of us. Their failure to find me would not be looked upon kindly by their superiors.
The courtyard where we had landed the Siren’s Song appeared to be as deserted as the rest of the house. At first I thought our shuttle would have been disabled, but to my surprise it sat exactly as we had left it, with only open air between it and me. No doubt, the only reason it wasn't demolished with an explosive charge was because the strike team didn't want to attract more attention. I was able to reach out and sense that no one had even approached it when the strike team had moved in. They must have been in place and known we had all disembarked from it after we had landed; making me wonder if this was an ambush. Since they had been unable to find me, they may have all pulled back to wait for me to come to them.
From my hiding place behind one of the tall hedges, which surrounded the small courtyard where we first landed, I brought the shuttle up to full power and ran it through its preflight checks. I couldn't see any movement in the area and the shuttle’s limited sensors weren't picking up any life signs either. Apparently, all of Neil’s servants had fled or been captured too.
I had the Siren’s Song lift off to get a better view of the surrounding area, but still nothing made a move towards it. As it settled back into the courtyard, now with the entrance hatch opened and facing me, I made a dash for it; expecting to receive a tranquilizer dart for all of my caution. Even though the shuttle was close, it was as though I was running in slow motion. I could hear the slightest of sounds, some of which I thought were twigs snapping in the distance, but I kept running... once again there was nothing in my way.
After doing one quick scan of the skies around the villa, I concealed the shuttle from all but the naked eye, and headed for the Waylay.
Fenix Battle Cruiser in Route to Unknown Destination -Day 380- Mark Driver
I awoke as I was being dragged. The training Jason had given me kicked in, I needed to evaluate the situation. I seemed unhurt, but couldn’t move. It was probably a nerve inhibitor. Two other figures could be seen on the floor of the room we were leaving. Girl: auburn hair. Man: dark brown hair. Not Ell or Jason. They must be Bree and Neil. The Guards dragging me: Fenix soldier uniforms. Location: slightly metallic air, thrum of engines, a spaceship then. Last memory: Mecca Prime, Neil's villa, a sting on the neck and all went black. Questions: why was Fenix after us? Who paid for this operation? Who was the actual target? Plan: gain as much intel on the situation as possible and watch for opportunities.
I was taken to a room with a bright light in my line of vision, making it so I couldn't see anything else. Eventually, someone to my right began speaking, "Name, Mark Driver. Age, 28. Place of birth, Aegir. Employment history, engineer for Valhalla Enterprises, allegedly captured by pirates, now turned bounty hunter. Personal history, son of Audre and Dalia Driver, deceased, engaged to Ana Thor, before her current marriage to Edward Palov, currently not in a relationship. So Mr. Driver, is there some reason why you took a pilot assignment into areas of pirate activity, which you admit to having been in, that are now the areas that Valhalla Enterprises has expanded into? What deal did you set up with them? How is the Waylay involved with the pirates? Do you feed them information to leave Valhalla Enterprises alone?"
This was so absurd! I fought the urge to laugh. "That mission was assigned to me. I was then enslaved by pirates for over two years. Jason Singer captured the pirates, who are still in the Teslon Grid detention center, and rescued me. The only dealings the Waylay has with pirates involve saving others from them. As for my previous employer, I have had no contact with them since my capture. I don't have any information as to their business dealings." I stated.
"You didn't set up a deal at your fiancé’s bidding?" He asked accusingly, getting so close I could feel his breath on my face. Still, he stayed out of my line of vision.
"No. We were in the middle of an argument when I left on that mission. That was the reason I was sent." I hoped that would be the end of it. There was no information I could give them, but there were plenty of unpleasant memories involved. What if I was the reason for the attack? Had they found out I had survived? Had Ana actually made some kind of agreement with the pirates? Considering what she had done t
o me, I wouldn't put it beyond what she is capable of.
Fenix Battle Cruiser in Route to Unknown Destination -Day 381- Bree Reiter
It felt like time had crawled by before the door opened again. The same armed guards, who took Neil away the first time, brought him back to our cell. This time I caught a glimpse of the guard’s chest badges. It was a symbol of a four pointed star, with a hollow circle at its center, with eight claws, two claws being at the base of each of the star’s points. It almost looked like four daggers tied together by a circle. For some reason, it reminded me of the symbol for Teragene and I wondered if there was some sort of connection.
They dropped Neil not far from me on the floor. He didn't have any outward signs of mistreatment, but I could sense he was shaken.
"Did they hurt you?" I asked him.
"It's Gregor. He wants me to give him control of everything." He replied weakly.
I thought of everything I had seen of Neil's. There must be a fortune at stake here, as well as Mondragon Industries. Then I thought of what Neil said. What evil would that fortune and company be used to perpetrate? "Neil, from what little you've told me, you can't give him control. If he wants it, it is probably best he not get it! You have to stay strong. Think of all you have already accomplished. You can do this." Then a thought struck me; would Echo and I be included in this fight for control? Neil said everything he had, he now had family. The very thought of it made me feel ill.
"I don't know how long I can resist him. He has ways of making people fall in with his wishes. I’ve already signed over more than half of Mondragon holdings to him." Neil’s voice almost cracked. It made me want to gather him in my arms as I had Echo, and tell him it would be okay.
"You said Jason and Mark were here. Have you seen Ell?" I asked with sudden hope.
"I vaguely remember Ell in a safe room. I don't think she's here." He answered.
"That's good! Ell won't leave us here. She will come after us. She will come up with a plan. I know it!" I said, willing him to feel the same conviction.
"She'll come for Jason, but she doesn't care for me. Why should she? I'm weak." Neil said, losing hope.
"No you are not! Gregor is telling you that isn't he!? If so, it is just to demoralize you. Don't believe him. Prove him wrong!" If I could have moved, I would have been shaking with fury; such despicable tactics. "As for Ell, I know she's a bit odd, but I trust her to do the right thing. She won't leave without us."
"I wish I had your confidence.” Neil said quietly.
The door opened again and this time both Jason and Mark were brought in. It was obvious they were treated more harshly than Neil, but I didn't feel weakness from them. If anything Jason exuded determination. Mark was more stoic, but far from shaken.
"Are you two okay?" I asked. It was a foolish question, physically they were injured, Jason much more so.
"Nice thing about these inhibitor restraints, you don't feel anything below the neck." Mark said, apparently having no appropriate quote.
"Bright side thinking." Jason said. "Another bright spot, Ell isn't here. Have they hurt you Bree?"
"No, I've been ignored. I guess they see me as the little minnow that got caught with the big fish. Not of much strategic value. But I'm not going to complain about that. I've been worried about the three of you." I replied.
"Neil, did they interrogate you too?" Jason asked.
"Yes, but they did nothing physical." Neil said.
"I'm glad you are physically unharmed, I'm sorry about the rest though. The leader was in my regiment. He's taking this personal." Jason said.
…..
When the door opened once more they took Neil. "Remember, you are strong enough to resist. You can't let him win." I called out.
After the door closed, I shared what I knew of Gregor. I couldn't bring myself to share what Neil said about doing something awful, though. I felt it had been shared in confidence.
"So Rask being here is a coincidence? Somehow I doubt that." Jason said.
"If this Gregor has been trying to gain control of Neil and his assets, he probably researched us too. He may have asked for Rask to lead the team. The one interrogating me brought up my personal information; they must have done their homework." Mark said as if thinking aloud.
"What if he wants control of me and Echo for some reason?" I asked quietly.
"Then he'll have a fight on his hands." Jason said determinedly. "You are family. We won't let some power hungry tyrant control either of you."
"Talia is a Teragene rich planet and Echo is the rightful owner." Mark pointed out.
"And Ell and I agreed that Bree should get part of that as well. We told Neil as much." Jason added.
"So in the end it is all about money." I said exasperated.
"And being in control," added Mark.
"Money and power, the perfect combination for corruption... it sounds like a good enough motive for Fenix to get involved, regardless of why Rask is here." Jason affirmed.
The conversation was not improving any of our moods. The thought of someone trying to control me was frightening. How could I have any relationships if there was some shadowy person lurking in the background? Kendric would always have to be on guard against people who would try to control and enslave him. How could I be so selfish to add to his burden? At the same time, the most painful thought was that if we didn't escape, I would never see him again.
"We will have to be on the watch for any advantage. We know we won't be forgotten by Ell or the others." Jason said.
"Right now it just seems they want to upset us. Throw us off." Mark commented.
"I'll keep my eyes open, but that's all I can do at this point." I added.
"No, you can keep us all up to date with each other, be our line of communication." Jason directed.
"And morale officer." Mark added with a grin.
"I'll do what I can." I replied.
Again the door opened and Jason was taken away.
"We will survive this." Mark said.
"Now who's keeping up morale? Already vying for my job?" I asked.
It was good to hear Mark laugh.
Fenix Battle Cruiser Interrogation Room -Day 382- Jason Singer
I was in for more of Rask's hospitality, I thought as I was dragged away. At least I knew the others were okay for the moment. Thinking of what I had learned from Bree and Mark, I couldn't help feeling like a rat in some experiment. If Gregor was what we suspected, then even Rask was only a pawn.
…..
"Maybe you'll have something to say now." Rask said, more calmly than before.
"Like what?" I asked.
"He speaks! Maybe you will be so kind as to explain how honor can mean so little to you." He demanded.
"Like honoring an agreement to not conduct say… illegal operations on Mecca Prime? I doubt that Fenix' treaty has dissolved since I left." I replied.
Rask's face contorted with anger. He had never accepted correction well; another reason for his slow promotion.
"That is a minor issue. Your defection is a greater offense." He finally replied.
"If you really want to know why I left, I'll tell you. The only people who stay in Fenix are those deluded into believing their propaganda and those who crave power. I am neither." I said firmly.
Rask stood quickly and slammed his chair into the wall. With a sneer he said, "You may think that you know the motives of the Sthenos Council of Thirteen, but you fail to grasp the strength of their will and the purity of their goals. And to believe that you were ever my commander! Now look at you; a disgrace, a filthy shadow of your former glory... running away from your responsibilities, forgetting the rich heritage of your own people. You got yourself a ship, made yourself the dictator on it, you deal out punishment upon others, got yourself a child bride… forcing your brother to go Recreant…and you say you don't crave power?"
Rask then did what I was expecting all along. As I was restrained to a chair by wire which cut into my arms
and legs during the interrogations, unable to move, he turned off my nerve inhibitor... all the pain came rushing over my body. It was overwhelming and I couldn't tell where my injuries all were... they were severe... yet, I wouldn't encourage him by allowing him to hear me scream, so I clenched my jaw... I calmed myself with military training techniques and by thinking of my lovely wife's face. How grateful I was that he hadn't been able to do the same to her.
Rask would never understand what we had built on the Waylay. So I didn't try to explain.
"Maybe we should ask the girl we found, what you are really like. Is she your wife's replacement?" He accused.
If I had a different relationship with Ell, I may have reacted. As it was, the idea I'd be interested in Bree that way was laughable. She was practically my niece. It would be unwise to allow Rask to see any emotion, or for him to suspect our real connection. I strove to remain impassive and manage my pain, having said all I intended to. Nothing would be served by saying anything further, regardless of how long this interrogation continued.
Fenix Battle Cruiser in Route to Unknown Destination -Day 383- Bree Reiter
Mark and I kept up a light banter, talking about stories he had read, and places I had heard about and wanted to see. At one point our captors came in and gave us each an injection and helped us swallow some stale water.
"That was a nutrient shot. Apparently we are to be kept alive." Mark said.
This was the longest I had ever known him to go without making quotes. It felt strange. "Mark, may I ask why you make quotes so often?"
Alpha Dawn: Book one of the Teragene Chronicles Page 24