Page 60 of Soros
They didn’t respond until Lios told them softly, “No more secrets. Tell the detectives everything you know.”
Stanley leaned forward and looked around at all of us in the room. “I have a secret that I’ve never told anyone. I killed my brother’s dog when we were kids. I mean it was a shitty thing to do, but back then I was angry at him for hogging the Nintendo.”
“That’s nothing,” Tania’s attacker, who had a spiderweb tattoo across his hand, said. “Last week, I stole money from my grandmother to buy drugs. It was especially rotten because she didn’t have much, and she needed that money for medicine. I used to take drugs with my dad. He was the one who introduced me to coke. We made money by taking hitman jobs. I had killed at least ten people before I was twenty.”
The detectives raised their brows and exchanged a look before one of them pivoted and looked around as if searching for something. “Is thisCandid Camera?”
“When will the ambulance be here?” Tania asked with a worried glance in Malene’s direction. Nerix had carried Malene in to the bed that Tania had been on and wrapped her in blankets. The door was open, and we could see one of the German girls sitting with Malene’s head in her lap, softly caressing her hair.
“It’s easier if the paramedics come in through the bike shop and use the back door,” Stanley explained. With an attitude of wanting to please Lios, Stanley offered, “I can run out to help show them the way when the ambulance arrives.”
“That is helpful,” Lios agreed but the detectives worried that Stanley would make a run for it and weren’t willing to let him go.
“No, he won’t run,” Nerix assured them, but the gray-haired detective still followed Stanley outside.
“Soon this place will be cramped with more police and medics arriving. The police will insist on bringing Ko’roz down to the station for interrogation,” Tania whispered to me. “Without you three there to control him, Ko’roz will break free and escape again in no time. Star and I will have to spend hours explaining what happened, but I really just want to go back to the hotel and get out of here.”
Through our telepathic connection, I relayed what Tania had just told me to Lios and Nerix, and it got Lios to take action fast.
“Soros, you cloud the women’s minds. Nerix, you’ll handle the men on the couch, and I’ll deal with the detectives and Carlos. We were never here; they never saw us or Ko’roz.”
“Understood.” Nerix gave a short nod and moved into action. Unwilling to let go of Tania’s hand, I walked into the room where the three German women were on the bed.
“How is she doing?” Tania asked and sat on the edge.
“She’s in pain, but she doesn’t think anything is broken. We’re just all scared and shocked.”
“That’s understandable,” I said. “In a minute, medical staff will arrive, and you’ll finally get out of here. Call your families and hold on to each other to process what happened. You won’t remember Tania and Star. And you won’t remember Lios, Nerix, or me.”
The girls looked at me as if I was crazy. “You think we’ll block the experience?”
“Look at those four men out there in black shirts,” I pointed through the door. “Remember them and how they held you in this basement. But Ko’roz with the blue shirt you won’t remember.”
“He’s the one who brought us here… wasn’t he?” one of the girls tilted her head. “Wait, I’m not sure any longer.”
“All you will remember are the detectives and the pirates,” I told them.
“Bikers,” Tania corrected me.
“But what about…” The woman looked at Lios and Nerix, but then she blinked her eyes and relaxed her features. “Oh, right. I thought I saw two more. How strange.”
“Take care,” Tania told them as she stood back up and we left the room. Star was in the doorway and as soon as we came close, she held on to Tania’s sleeve.
Lios and Nerix walked on either side of Ko’roz when we left the place. Because of Lios’ mental lock on him, Ko’roz acted complacent and didn’t speak.
“I’m contacting the base and getting them to send a shuttle to pick us up and take us back to theGreat Defender,” Lios told us in English. I knew he chose to express himself verbally so that Star and Tania would understand. “I want Ko’roz to be detained in our secure cell. Keeping him mind-clouded is draining work.”
“We should call our contact person and get a ride back to the hotel,” Nerix suggested, but Tania shook her head.
“That will take time. We’ll get two taxis instead and be back quicker.” Sidestepping to the edge of the sidewalk, she looked back at the approaching traffic and raised her hand when a yellow vehicle approached.
The driver stopped and she told Lios and Nerix to bring Ko’roz back to the hotel. “We’ll wait there until the base sends you pick up instructions. Soros and I will take care of Star and meet you there.”
“I’m not leaving Star to two civilians,” Nerix grumped.
“We’re not civilians,” I protested. “Tania is an agent and I work for the Federation as well.”
“You’re not soldiers trained to protect her like Lios and me. Star, you’re coming with me.” Nerix was authoritarian in his tone. Tania opened her mouth but seemed too tired to argue with him and Star was quick to follow his instructions.
