Dark Queen’s Army

by I. T. Lucas

  Ouch, that hurt. But he was right. Still, there might be another option. Things were seldom black and white, and perhaps the solution was somewhere in the gray area.

  “I get what you’re saying, but why give up on a sure Dormant? Eleanor might be someone’s mate. Perhaps after the mission is over, and she remembers nothing of it, we can watch her and reevaluate? Maybe even send someone to befriend her? I’m a great believer in redemption. People can change.”

  He nodded. “That’s a possibility. We will address it after this is all over, and we either find Jin or find out that we’ve been on the wrong trail.”

  58

  Arwel

  Eleanor, or rather Marisol as Arwel had been calling her for the past two hours or so, was warming to him.

  He’d been careful, not laying on the charm too heavily, just friendly banter with a bit of competition, which she seemed to appreciate. He’d let her win a couple of times, trying to not make it too obvious that he’d held back.

  As it was, the woman was suspicious of every word and motive, proving once again that everyone saw the world through the prism of their own beliefs and convictions. A crook thought that everyone was dishonest, and an honest person believed the opposite.

  In Arwel’s experience, people were mostly honest about things they attached moral value to, and sometimes dishonest about those they didn’t.

  The classification of what was okay or not okay to do depended on the culture around them.

  Some societies viewed lying in general as morally wrong, while for others, it was a way of life, and everyone expected everyone else to lie. Some societies valued the work ethic, and their members wouldn’t think of making personal phone calls or playing games on their computers during work hours, while others thought nothing of it.

  Marisol believed that everyone was out to get her, and in his case, her instincts were correct.

  Arwel didn’t like being the bad guy in the story. He had a hard time convincing himself that he was the good guy catching the bad one, even though his opinion of Eleanor, aka Marisol, hadn’t changed despite her somewhat warmer attitude.

  Making sure that he made it down only a few seconds ahead of her, he pulled down his scarf and smiled. “I don’t know about you, but I’m hungry. How about we find a restaurant and I buy you dinner? Any place you want.”

  She arched a brow. “Any place? There are some pricy ones in the hotels.”

  He nodded. “Any place.”

  “I wish I could, but I need to get back to work.”

  He glanced at his watch. “Isn’t it a bit late to start your workday?”

  She shrugged. “I have flexible hours.”

  “What do you do?”

  “I’m a part-time bookkeeper,” she said without hesitation, and if he hadn’t known better, he would have believed her.

  “So you don’t have to clock in. Whenever you put in the hours is fine, right?”

  After painting herself into a corner, she had no choice but to nod. “Still, I don’t want to work until midnight.”

  “We’ll make it short and share a pizza in the village.”

  “Okay.”

  Thank the merciful Fates.

  Half an hour later, they were sitting across from each other in the pizzeria.

  When she was done with the first slice, Marisol lifted her cola, took a few sips, and put it down. “So, I told you what I do for a living. But you didn’t tell me what you do.”

  “I’m a therapist. People pay me to listen to their troubles.”

  She cracked a smile. “Do you actually help them or just take their money?”

  He shrugged. “Talking about what’s troubling them is therapeutic in itself. Usually, I can’t offer solutions, but I can help them develop better tools to deal with whatever they are facing.”

  “Do you enjoy it?”

  “Not really.”

  His answer seemed to surprise her. “So, why do you do it?”

  “Because I know I can help, so I feel obligated to do it. But I’m not the type who can leave work at the office. I carry the things I hear with me, and they weigh me down.”

  She eyed him like he was a strange creature. “That’s the trouble with being empathic. I’m glad that I’m not.”

  No, she wasn’t.

  But her problem was not the lack of emotions or even empathy. Eleanor was too angry and suspicious to allow herself to feel anything for anyone.

  Arwel forced a smile. “I envy you. One day I’m going to switch professions and become an accountant. It’ll be heaven for me.”

  “You should do it then. Don’t wait.” She took another sip from her coke. “I should be going, but I would like to see you again. How long are you going to stay in the resort?”

  “I’m leaving Sunday afternoon.”

  “Perfect. I have Saturday off, and we can meet on the slopes.” She pulled out her phone. “Can you give me your number?”

  “Sure.” He gave her the burner phone’s.

  “What’s your last name?”

  “Maddox.” Arwel blurted the first one that popped into his mind. “Can I have your phone number?”

  “I’ll call you.” She smirked. “After I check up on you and make sure that you are not on America’s most wanted list.”

  He had no doubt that given the chance she would do precisely what she’d said.

  “In that case, do you want my social security number as well? It will make your background check easier.”

  She chuckled. “It would be nice, along with your driver's license number. I’m cautious about the guys I date.”

  If he were a regular guy going after an ordinary girl, that was where he would have made a mental fist pump. Still, he had to keep up the act.

  “Is that your covert way of inviting me on a date?”

  “Only after I run you through my security check.”

  “I like how careful you are. That’s very smart of you.”

  She liked his compliment. “Next time, dinner is on me. If there is a next time.” She rose to her feet. “I had fun, but I really need to go.”

  He stood up as well. “I’ll escort you to your car.”

  She eyed the tray with the half-eaten pizza. “Don’t you want to stay and finish it?”

  He threaded his arm through hers and leaned to whisper in her ear. “It’s not that good.”

  At least he wasn’t lying about that.

  She shrugged. “If you are already being such a gentleman, you can carry my equipment.”

  “Gladly.” He hefted her bag over his shoulder.

  From across the street, Brundar nodded, giving Arwel the sign that everything was ready.

  When they arrived at the parking lot, he saw Yamanu leaning against the Suburban.

  Arwel released a relieved breath. What they were about to do would go unnoticed no matter who else was at the parking lot. Yamanu was going to shroud the entire area. Even if Eleanor screamed, no one was going to hear her.

  As they reached her car, Eleanor popped the trunk, and he casually dropped her equipment bag inside. Watching Julian approach her from behind, Arwel closed the trunk and walked up to her.

  Taking her gloved hand in his, he smiled. “I guess I’ll have to wait to see you on the slopes on Saturday. Is there a chance you can make it sooner?” He pulled her against his body and wrapped his arm around her middle.

  Surprised by the move, Eleanor pushed on his chest and was about to say something when Julian plunged the syringe into her arm.

  As the extremely long needle went through all the layers of her clothing, Arwel held her tightly against him, muffling her scream. It was an instinctual response, and only later he remembered that Yamanu was shrouding the scene.

  Or maybe he just didn’t want to hear Eleanor scream.

  It seemed to take forever until she stopped struggling and slumped against him.

  In the next moment, Anandur pulled up with the Suburban. Julian opened the door, and Arwel climbed in with th
e unconscious woman in his arms.

  After laying her over the back seat, he allowed himself a moment, closing his eyes and puffing out a breath.

  “Check her phone,” Kian told Anandur. “She might have useful information stored in it.”

  “What are we going to do with her car?” Arwel asked.

  “Yamanu is going to take it to one of the lodge’s parking lots. I’ll tell you the rest of the plan on the way.”

  “All I see is Arwel’s number,” Anandur said. “It must be a burner phone because she has nothing on it. Not even a record of incoming calls. No email, no contacts, nada.”

  Kian nodded. “Erase Arwel’s number, put the phone in her purse, and leave it in her car.”

  After that was done, Julian went back to watch over Eleanor, Brundar hopped inside, and Anandur took the wheel.

  As he pulled out of the parking lot, Arwel asked, “Where are we taking her?”

  “Harrisonburg.” Kian locked his seatbelt in place. “Lokan is meeting us there.”

  Arwel nodded and closed his eyes again. Hopefully, Lokan would be able to compel Eleanor, and the interrogation would be effortless. He really wasn’t looking forward to seeing the woman suffer.

  59

  Lokan

  “How much further?” Carol asked.

  “Not much.” Lokan checked the map on the navigation system. “We should get there well ahead of the others.”

  Naturally, Carol had jumped at the opportunity to see her family and friends, refusing to stay behind. When he’d tried to point out that witnessing an interrogation might be unpleasant, he’d gotten an earful from her about forgetting who she was and what she was capable of.

  “I’m so excited for some action.” Carol shifted in her seat. “Your car is nice, but I don’t like long drives.”

  “It’s not long. In fact, Harrisonburg is smack in the middle between Washington and the Quiet Zone. It's a two-hour drive from each direction.”

  “So how come we are early?”

  “When I talked to Kian, he estimated that they would be heading out in three hours. So, if his estimate was correct, we would arrive nearly an hour before them.”

  “You have the code to the door, right?”

  He smiled. “Why, were you hoping to see me break it?”

  Lifting her arms, she flexed her muscles. “Seeing my manly man in action would have made me all hot and bothered.”

  “You are going to see your man in action, hopefully, compelling a human to talk.”

  They arrived at the duplex just as it began drizzling, the dark clouds that had been gathering ominously over the city, fulfilling their promise of a rainy night.

  “The weather is cooperating. It’s appropriate for the occasion,” Carol said as he opened the door for her.

  Holding an umbrella over her head, Lokan walked her to the front porch and opened the door. “Make yourself comfortable. Kian said that the place would be fully stocked. I’m going to get our things.”

  Stretching on her tiptoes, she kissed his cheek. “I’m going to choose our bedroom. Since we are the first to arrive, we can call dibs on the best one.”

  “Shouldn’t you leave the master for Kian?”

  Carol scrunched her nose. “First, I’m going to see what’s available. After all, we are the only couple here, so we deserve the master.”

  “Yeah, but Kian doesn’t even know that you are coming. Maybe it’s not the best idea to antagonize him.”

  “You’ve got a point.”

  Since they weren’t expecting to stay for more than one night, he and Carol had brought along only two small carry-ons.

  “There is one bedroom downstairs and three upstairs.” Carol leaned over the railing at the top of the stairs. “The bottom one should be the interrogation room.”

  “What about the upstairs?”

  “Two have queen beds, and one has two singles. I think we will be sleeping on the other side of the duplex. There aren’t enough bedrooms for everyone.”

  “Works for me.” He left the two rollers next to the front door and went to check out the downstairs bedroom.

  It was small, with one twin-sized bed, a compact desk, and a chair. The best part was that it had only one window, and it faced the back yard. There was also a three-quarter bath attached to it.

  Carol peered inside over his arm. “We should take the bed and the desk out and leave only the chair. It’s a shame that we didn’t think to bring handcuffs. I’m going to search for something to tie Eleanor up with.”

  “Do we really need to? She’s just one human female. She can’t escape five immortal males. Six, if you count me as well.”

  “It’s for the psychological effect. Don’t underestimate it.”

  “She’s going to be scared enough as it is.”

  Carol shook her head. “It would be better if she wakes up tied to a chair. It will send a clear message that this is about getting information out of her and not sex. She will be more willing to cooperate when she realizes no one is going to rape her. That’s why we need to take out the bed.”

  “Interesting. I guess it takes a female to think like one. I’ll take out the bed.”

  “I’ll help you.”

  “I can manage by myself.”

  “I know you can, my love, but you are going to bang the walls if you do it alone. Together, we can maneuver it without causing damage.”

  Lokan leaned and kissed the top of Carol’s head. “You are so wise.”

  She eyed him suspiciously. “I hope you are not mocking me.”

  “Mortdh forbid.” The invocation had left his lips before he thought better of it.

  Carol ignored it. “I’ll take this end, and you take the other. We are just going to put it in the living room for now.”

  When they were done, Carol rearranged the bedding that had gotten messed up. “We need to find a rope and some masking tape. I’m going to tape towels over the windows in the bedroom and the bathroom. We don’t want dear Aunt Eleanor to know where she is.”

  “You can just close the curtains.”

  “I meant tape on the outside. Kian is not going to leave her tied up the entire time. She will need to use the bathroom at some point, and if left alone, she would peek outside. Not that there is much to see, but it’s the psychological effect.”

  “Have you done interrogations before?” He followed her to the kitchen. “You seem to know a lot about it.”

  She shrugged. “I didn’t interrogate anyone, but I’ve been interrogated. Did you forget?”

  He wanted to slap himself. “Right.”

  “Not that this is the same. No one is going to torture Eleanor, I hope. The idea is to scare her into talking.” She opened the laundry room door and looked at the supply cabinet. “Here we go.” She pulled out a spool of coarse rope. “They will have to wrap washcloths around her wrists and ankles. Otherwise, it will be torture for real.”

  “I’m truly impressed. You think of everything, and you are very compassionate.”

  She smiled sadly. “I know how it feels to be on the receiving end of it.”

  60

  Kian

  They were about twenty minutes away from the duplex when Lokan called.

  “We have the downstairs bedroom ready for Eleanor. We took everything out except for one sturdy chair. Carol prepared a rope to tie her to the chair with.”

  “Good thinking. Fear alone might make her talk.”

  “That’s what Carol thought. How far away are you?”

  “Twenty minutes or so. How is the place, passable?”

  “Basic, but okay. Except, there are only four bedrooms on this side of the duplex, and we turned one of them into an interrogation room. I suggest that Carol and I sleep on the other side.”

  “No problem. But maybe no one will have to spend the night here. If your compulsion works, we can all go home once we get what we need out of her.”

  “I hope so. Compared to this place, the cell you had me locked in was
luxurious.”

  Kian chuckled. “It was luxurious period. You were treated like royalty.”

  “I’m not complaining.”

  “Right. See you shortly.” Kian ended the call and turned to look back at Julian. “How is she doing?”

  “Stable.”

  “Good.”

  After Julian had checked Eleanor and sent Turner her stats, he’d been put in touch with Turner’s guy who’d explained how to use the drugs he was sending over.

  Hopefully, they would arrive tonight. If not, they would have to stay and wait for the delivery to arrive before they could leave the place.

  “Home sweet home,” Anandur said as he pulled up in front of the duplex. “Is there a garage?”

  “It should be in the back.”

  “Lokan’s car is blocking the driveway.”

  “I’ll get him.” Kian opened the door. “I don’t want the neighbors to see us bringing an unconscious woman inside.”

  “I can shroud her,” Brundar offered. “In fact, I should shroud us getting in.”

  “Good thinking.”

  Brundar’s shrouding wasn’t anywhere near Yamanu’s caliber, but he could cast a decent shroud around a small area, blocking sights and sounds. It should suffice.

  Kian put in the code and opened the door. “I need you to put your car in the garage.”

  “Oh, right. I should have thought about that.”

  As Lokan left to move the car, Carol took Kian to see the interrogation room they had prepared.

  “Nice work.”

  The curtains were drawn closed, and the one in the bathroom had something taped over the glass on the other side. When he parted the drapes in the bedroom, he found that window had gotten a similar treatment to the one in the bathroom.

  It was a bit of an overkill, but he couldn’t fault Lokan and Carol for being extra careful.

  A small lamp was tucked in the corner, the shade covered with a pillowcase to reduce the amount of light. Eleanor would be able to see their silhouettes, but not much more.