CHAPTER 34
Gauge kept Lena close to his side as they entered one of the many buildings in this heavily guarded area.
Keeping tight with the general’s thoughts, he knew the male had begun to worry about dealing with a real Djinn, even though the female had kept her real power carefully hidden from them.
She’d wanted to come across as a benevolent being, hoping to gain their trust. It’s what Djinn did.
Gain the trust of their target by pretending to be helpful or granting wishes, then striking hard with the intention of utterly destroying them.
Not always through death, though they would kill if it suited their purpose.
What Djinn enjoyed most was breaking down the spirit of their target.
It wouldn’t be difficult to conquer humans, ignorant as they were about outside intelligent life.
It didn’t surprise Gauge to learn they were being taken to a different building from where their Hunter and the Umi queen were being held.
The Djinn was nowhere in sight, having ridden back in a separate vehicle, but Gauge knew she wouldn’t go far.
He knew who was really in control of this facility.
Gauge opened his senses, trying to find a pathway to Neyvarre.
Sensing another ancient Hunter should have been easy, but he found nothing.
He knew through the general that they were all still alive, but he couldn’t tell in what shape.
The only image that came to mind was of Neyvarre sitting in silence at a table, his expression empty, his mate nowhere in sight.
They were lucky they were keeping the Hunter drugged.
If they had hurt his mate, nothing would have saved them from his wrath.
“We won’t all fit in the elevator,” the general said. “I don’t suppose these three would agree to remain here while we talk.” He motioned to Samantha, Seraphym, and Lena.
“No, they stay with us. My tracker, Lena, and I will take the lift down first with you. Jax will follow with Samantha and Seraphym.”
“You don’t give the orders here,” General Hardy snapped. “I’m in charge, and I prefer the dragons stay on the ground floor, at least for now. I can’t have them shifting in the lower levels. God only knows what kind of damage they’d do.”
“If you don’t give them a reason to need to shift, you have nothing to worry about.”
“I don’t trust them. I don’t trust you either, but at least with you I know I won’t be dealing with a two-ton, fire-breathing dragon.”
Funny that he thought the serpents presented the greater danger here.
It surprised Gauge that they weren’t better informed through the Djinn, but he had yet to figure out the Djinn’s end game.
“Then I’m afraid we are at an impasse, General.
I will go nowhere without my mate, and I’m afraid you don’t have the necessary power to force me. ”
“We’ll just have to see about that,” he snapped, motioning to one of the males following them.
His gun came up to his shoulder, pointed at Gauge’s chest.
“Have the dragons move over to the side. They can stay here under heavy guard. There’s no need for violence here, but I won’t run away from it either,” the general said, taking a few steps back.
Gauge smiled, knowing it would do nothing to help relax the general.
With a thought, he entered every soldier’s mind, putting them to sleep.
They all dropped like stones, their weapons clattering across the hard floor.
“I too would prefer to avoid violence, General.” Gauge held out his hand toward the entrance they’d just come through.
“Shall we? I would like to speak with Amanda or Neyvarre now. I know they are not being held here.”
The general’s mouth dropped open when all his males collapsed. He snapped it shut, fear in his eyes as he swallowed hard. “M-my men. Did you do this? Did you kill them? How?”
“They are not hurt, but I think for now it’s best if they remain sleeping.
You should know that between Jax and I, we could put your whole base to sleep.
We could do much worse, but unless you give me a reason to, I don’t wish to hurt you.
Our council is trying to save your lives and your planet.
It would be easier to accomplish this with your cooperation.
Now take us to our people. I won’t ask again. ”
“You can’t do this.”
“But I just did. Now go,” Gauge said, giving a slight mental push.
The general walked stiffly out of the building, ignoring the puzzled looks being cast his way once they stepped outside.
“Did you do that?” Lena asked telepathically.
“Yes. The general believes he drugged me and Jax. He has no idea what he’s dealing with here. Try to relax, Lena. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
“I’m not worried,” she replied. “I just didn’t realize you could do something like that.”
Gauge took her hand and squeezed lightly before releasing her.
If Lena took on more of his vampire traits through their new bond, she would be able to do this one day too.
The human mind had no defense against mental attacks.
They didn’t know how to erect mental shields.
If they stopped fighting and faced their fears, shifters or Laizahlian could teach them to protect themselves.
Perhaps not against a Hunter of his strength, or Djinn, but they could at least be taught not to project their every thought to those around them.
Gauge found it far more exhausting to block out their fragmented thoughts than he did in trying to read someone specifically.
The general walked up to a large building guarded by two soldiers. Their eyes widened when they saw who approached them, guns brought up as their small group stopped in front of the double doors.
“Step aside,” the general said, his tone too high-pitched, cracking from stress. “I said step aside!” he snapped when they didn’t immediately move.
“Yes, sir,” the soldier on the left said, moving out from in front of the door. He reached up and punched numbers on a pad beside the door.
Gauge motioned for the general to go in front of them. He knew through his thoughts that the male had planned to try to escape as the rest of them entered the building.
“Who is being kept here?” Gauge asked, though he already knew.
“A small female shifter and her mate.”
“Take us to them.” Gauge tried to reach out to Amanda and Tallyn but again came up against a blank wall. Strange. Had the Djinn found a way to trap the Umi queen? Somehow he doubted it. If the queen was trapped here, it’s because she allowed it.
The general stopped before the lift. “Once again, we won’t all fit. I don’t suppose I can convince you to leave the dragons up here?”
“I can remain here with Samantha and Seraphym,” Jax said. “I won’t allow anything to happen to them. You, Teo and Lena go speak with Amanda and Tallyn. Find out what they want us to do.”
“What do you mean?” General Hardy snarled. “These people are my prisoners. They have no say in what is done.”
Gauge was growing tired of dealing with the general.
It appeared the male still hadn’t learned his lesson.
Entering his mind, he took full control of his body.
Moving the general’s hand toward the pad beside the lift, he punched in the numbers he picked up in his mind.
Gauge exited his mind as the lift doors opened.
“What did you do?” the general said, real fear in his eyes this time.
“Out of respect, I allowed you to believe you were in charge. You force my hand with your constant posturing, General. I don’t actually need you to take me anywhere.
I know through your mind who is here and how to reach them.
I also know where you are holding our Hunter and his mate.
You had best pray you didn’t harm his mate while you held them prisoner.
If you did, I won’t be able to protect you from his fury, nor will my council interfere.
There are no laws when it comes to males protecting a mate.
I suggest you remember this for future reference. ”
“The woman was right, wasn’t she? You do mean to take over our world?”
Gauge sighed, holding his hand out for the general to enter the lift.
To Jax, he shifted to their native tongue to say, “Contact me if you run into trouble. We know the darts can’t break through serpent scales, so Samantha and Seraphym should be safe.
I’m going to go speak with the Umi queen first, then we’ll go for Neyvarre and Kimberly. ”
Jax crossed his fist over his chest, tipping his head toward Gauge.
“What type of monster are you?” the general said to Teo as they entered the lift. “I know your boss and that other blond guy are some kind of vampires, and I know about the dragons, but you’re different.”
“Monster?” Teo replied, his expression amused.
“I think I have the right to know what I’m dealing with here. I’m responsible for all the people on this base.”
“I’m a wolf shifter, General, a tracker for the Laizahlian council.”
“Another animal,” the general said with disgust. He reached over and punched the lowest number on the panel next to the lift doors. “You said you’re a tracker. What are you, like a dog or something? You use your nose to track down criminals.”
“Yes,” Teo said, baring his fangs, his yellow eyes hard, cold. “A very large and very dangerous dog.”
“Teo,” Gauge warned telepathically. “Stop playing with the general.”
Teo shrugged, his lips twitching. “As Samantha would say, he’s being a dick. He deserved it.”
The general shivered, breaking eye contact. He didn’t say anything more. Maybe he wasn’t as stupid as Gauge was beginning to think.
A few seconds later, the lift doors opened, leading them into a narrow hallway, the walls painted white, lights hanging at regular intervals down the center of the roof.
“This way,” the general said, turning to the right.
Gauge reached out telepathically to the ship, wanting to make sure the captain could follow their movements in case they needed to be transported out quickly, but he came up against static. Interesting.
“What did you use to line the walls of this level?” Gauge asked the general.
When he refused to answer, Gauge entered his mind again and just took the information.
Chromastin. A new metal, supposedly indestructible.
The Djinn had given it to them. It obviously blocked telepathic communication, or kept it contained within this level, since Gauge could still reach Teo.
The council would need to be told about this chromastin ASAP.
Communication could become an issue if humans used it elsewhere.
His expression smug, the general stopped before a door, none the wiser that Gauge had been inside his mind again. “If you wait here, I’ll go get the woman. It’ll only take me a few minutes.”
Gauge allowed the corners of his mouth to tip up in a semblance of a smile.
“So you can try to use your drugs again, General? I don’t think so.
You will wait inside with us. I know you have a device you can use to order someone to bring Amanda to us.
” In the general’s mind, Gauge picked up the vents close to the ceiling of the room where they’d been brought to.
They could release a gas that would render most beings unconscious within a matter of seconds.
The general had increased the dose after Amanda, Neyvarre, and their mates showed up, a dose that would kill a normal human if released.
“Fine,” the general said. “Trust must be earned, Hunter. How can we learn to trust you if you don’t trust us?”
Gauge didn’t reply. What was the point. In his arrogance, the general still failed to grasp that Gauge could easily read his every thought.
He knew for a fact the human couldn’t be trusted.
The fool planned to use the Djinn to help control the Laizahlian, hoping for a promotion from his superiors, never realizing he himself was being played.
General Hardy entered the room first, going to a communication device attached to the wall.
He spoke into it briefly, giving orders for the alien woman to be brought to them.
“You can take a seat if you want. It won’t take them long.
” He motioned toward a large table set in the middle of the room.
There were metal rings welded into it where Gauge suspected cuffs could be attached.
Gauge helped Lena sit, adjusting her wings around the back of the chair. He and Teo remained standing.
The general sighed, taking a seat across from Lena, his expression curious as he studied her. “Do you mind if I ask you a few questions? You do speak English, don’t you?”
Lena glanced up at Gauge, seeking permission to speak. When he nodded, she said, “I have learned your language through my mate. What did you wish to ask me?”
“Can you really shift and fly?”