Betrayal: Book 3 of the Guardians Saga

Ch. 6.3 When You Kill Your Friends

After Rile and Cale dropped their swords and staffs, Scott clicked the handcuffs in place and led them into surprisingly a modern-looking room with clean white walls and a computer with an array of controls below its keypad.  Metal shelves with clear shoebox size cages containing rats lined one of the walls.

Dr. Dewey sat handcuffed in a chair and Alex pounded against the inside wall of the glass cylinder.

Alex swore when she saw Rile and Cale and said, "I'm really sorry about this."

"How incredibly stupid are you coming in here with Dr. Dewey?" Rile demanded.

"That's no way to talk to my beloved," Scott sneered.  "She's a sweet and delicate girl."

"They know better than that," Brockner told him, entering the room. "I told them a little background on your darling. I informed them about your early training in the CIA, dear."

"I don't remember anything about the CIA—aaaa!" Alex clapped her hands to her forehead as the clear cylinder she was imprisoned in crackled with energy.

"You will.  You just need some motivation."

"I wouldn't call it motivation." Dr. Cohan looked up from the machine's control board, "This indicates that she has considerable neurologic damage of the cortex of her brain.  It must have been incurred by her abductor."

"Analysis? Consequences?" Brockner demanded.

"I gave you my analysis.  As for the consequences, we'll see." Dr. Cohan tapped on the keyboard and the energy stopped. 

Alex leaned in relief against the cylinder's side, rubbing her forehead.

"Is that your scientific opinion?" Scott snorted in derision.

The doctor ignored him and, with deliberation, punched a large red key on the array.  The door to the cylinder slid open.

"What do you think you're doing, idiot?" Scott backed up, trying to keep a bead on both the prisoners and the cylinder.

"You wanted to know the consequences.  I say there's no time like the present, is there?" Dr. Cohan looked at Scott with disdain.

Groggy, Alex stepped out of the tube, yanking her right toe up when it caught on the edge.  She leaned against the tube for support, peering around her.

"It's about time," she said at length, breaking the silence. "What the hell took you so long?"  She rubbed her forehead again.  "I feel really crappy."

They all stared, their faces set in various expressions from suspicion to shock to hope.

"Agent Brockner, I expect an answer."  She looked up. "You take forever to contact me and then blow my cover like some green moron. At least grunt to show you're alive."

"I see you remembered your smart mouth.  What else?" Brockner said.

"Enough not to say anything classified in front of aliens and civilians.  I also remember this." Alex reached into a cage and took out a squealing rat.

Her hand flared with malevolent red energy and the rat went limp. She held it tightly in her fist for long moments, as she glared at Brockner. Then she hurled it at him and it bounced off his chest. "We'll talk later, Brockner, don't worry."

"You should worry. You have a lot of explaining to do to the higher-ups." He kicked the rat aside.

"Stop the threats. Let's go. I have a lot of work to do and a lot of loose ends to take care of."

"Speaking of loose ends." Brockner aimed the gun at Dr. Dewey's head.

Dr. Cohan made himself scarce, his white coat nearly flying off him as he ran out the door. Scott spared him a glance and shook his head.