Warrior Rogue (The Drift Lords Series) (21 page)

His scalp crawled. Only one way existed for him to determine how the Trolleks maintained the rifts, and that was to step through and take readings on the other side. He hadn’t told Jen his entire plan because he didn’t want her to worry. He might end up being trapped on Jak’tar—the Trollek home world.

“Look, if you’re spotted, I want you to leave.” He gripped Jen’s arm, concerned for her safety. He hated leaving her alone but had to use this opportunity to his best advantage. “Do not engage the enemy. Find out where the Trolleks are confounding people, and that’s all.”

He checked his chronometer. “We’ll meet outside the front entrance to Manga World. If I’m not there by five o’clock, assume I’m not returning and take the next flight home.”

Maybe he should have let her go and not involved her. She could have gone to the airport this morning instead of staying behind with him. Was he being selfish in wanting her company? Keeping her here had put her in jeopardy.

She’d be in danger anyway, fool.

Once her airplane touched down on American soil, the Trolleks could come after her. That is, if Algie still wanted Jen for her experiments. And if not, likely General Morar would still hunt for his escaped prisoners to save face.

“Are you sure we shouldn’t stick together?” Jen regarded him with a forlorn expression as he handed her back the map.

His mouth curved in a mirthless grin. “You don’t want to go where I’m headed,
leera
. Stay safe.” He pulled her into his arms, gave her a lingering kiss, and then headed off.

****

Jen watched him leave with a sinking feeling. After struggling for so long to be self-reliant and independent, she disliked the sensation. Paz’s absence left a hole in her heart in a space she hadn’t known existed.

Dread pitted her stomach at the thought of him entering General Morar’s fortress again. Yet she knew him well enough by now to realize he wouldn’t back off from his goal.

It struck her as uncharacteristic, with his skill set, that he’d settle for a complacent job fixing telecom equipment. Could there possibly be more to his work than he cared to admit?

Maybe he’d been dragged into his role as a Drift Lord, but the man appeared to be a natural born warrior. It seemed incongruous for him to work for a corporation without exhibiting the same initiative as he did now.

Or perhaps she just wanted him to be more than what he seemed in real life. She shouldn’t judge him, considering how he’d proven himself in all the ways that mattered.

As a tender lover, he couldn’t be beat. He faced adversity with courage, determination, and resourcefulness. They’d only known each other a short time, but she trusted him with her life.

Then why was it so hard for her to accept who he was outside of being a Drift Lord? Was that the only part of him that appealed to her?

With a grunt of self-disgust, she studied the map to gauge the best place to start her hunt. The park was divided into several themed sections surrounding a broad lake. These appeared to be based on genres.

Pirates, Ninjas, and Samurai adventures occupied one corner with a stunt show as its highlight. Modern Fantasy with vampires, werewolves, wizards, and such stood on the opposite side of the lake. A popular ride there was the Dragon Dive Bungee Jump.

The Science Fiction area had a Rocking Robot Roller Coaster and an Asteroid Shooting Gallery, among other attractions. Was this different from Superheroes? That appeared to be a separate site while Romantic Comedy brought up the rear. So she counted five sections total. Where to start?

Jen tapped her lip as she contemplated the most popular attractions as noted by the wait times on a digital board by the information kiosk. Fortunately, all the signs were in English as well as the local language.

She’d expect the Trolleks to wear costumes that blended in with a themed show or ride. Monsters usually appeared in fantasies or as hostile aliens in science fiction. Through a process of elimination, she decided they could pass for pirates, dark fantasy creatures, or evil aliens.

So where might they lure their human recruits? Scratch the family attractions, since the Trolleks only confounded adults.

She narrowed her choices to thrill rides with height restrictions, scary 4-D shows, or adults-only rides. The brochure gave a one-liner description of each numbered point on the map.

Sweating from the heat and an attack of nerves, she proceeded down the main street bustling with people rushing in one direction or another. Gift shops, confectionaries, toy stores, and boutiques tempted guests to empty their wallets.

Jen appreciated Paz’s trust in her to complete her own mission. Not wanting to let him down, she considered which attraction might involve personal contact between a staff member and a guest.

She rubbed her temple. A troubling dream of Aunt Alba had plagued her last night. As before, they stood in a cemetery. Her aunt had crouched in front of a headstone, mouthing words Jen couldn’t hear. The dream had left her with an unsettled feeling.

Or maybe the discomfort came from the low grade buzzing that sprang into her head. Trolleks must be close, trolling as it were for victims to confound.

She hit pay dirt inside the Goblin Forest Flight, where attractive females dressed like wood nymphs with glitter on their faces and crowns of leaves greeted each guest in two separate lines. Jen approached the turnstile that would allow her entrance to the ride. A hostess smiled at her in a way that made Jen feel like a butterfly about to be pinned to a board.

“Welcome to the Goblin Forest, mistress. Please insert your index finger into the scanner to receive your boarding pass.”

Jen’s heart thudded as she complied. Something inside scraped her fingertip. Startled, she jerked her hand out. A paper popped from the machine. The attendant held it out, and when Jen reached for it, the woman grabbed her arm for a quick squeeze.

“Congratulations, visitor. Have a pleasant ride.”

Jen snatched the ticket, berating herself for being caught unawares. Her pulse pounded in her ears.

“Beware the enchantment of the ghost walkers,” the hostess exhorted. “They may tempt you to linger in the forest.” A sly smile curved her mouth. “Listen to the recorded message. It will tell you what you need to know to escape.”

Shaken, Jen pushed through the turnstile and took a seat on a bench next to three other people. A safety bar lowered in front of them. Ahead of the track loomed a dark tunnel. Would they emerge safely at the other end?

The bench lurched ahead and seemed to rise into the air as they entered a magical land beyond the tunnel. They soared, dipped, and twirled through a colorful landscape with giant mushrooms, huge green plants, and goblins popping up to scare visitors.

Trees reached for guests with grasping branches. A waterfall sounded ahead, and her heart leapt at their sudden plunge toward a pool below. They lifted at the last moment, soaring into the air again, their feet dangling.

The bench tilted dizzily as they flew over a swamp with knobby cypress knees and prickly plant spines. Music drummed in the background. They ascended a grassy slope and then skimmed across a forest.

A goblin king rose at the far end, a snarl on his face. He blocked their progress forward. As their bench hovered, a Manga warrior popped up to battle him. A brief combat ensued and then the goblin sank from view. The victorious caped hero addressed the guests in a mechanical voice.

“You will be rewarded generously for helping us vanquish the evil king. When your ride comes to a stop, step through the exit and receive a special gift. Then go home and tell everyone you had a great time. Remember to visit our other theme parks around the world.” He repeated his message in various languages.

Jen gulped.
Around the world?

Paz’s theory was correct. Trolleks were acquiring mind slaves through popular tourist attractions. Who would suspect a nefarious purpose to favorite vacation spots around the globe?

Wait a minute. Didn’t they also test blood samples of humans at these sites? Individuals who showed certain protein markers became subjects for Algie’s experiments. But how did they go about it in this place?

She probed her fingertip, the one she’d stuck into the scanning device at the ride’s entry. Her skin seemed a bit red. Had they taken a scraping for DNA analysis? Why go to the trouble of drawing blood when that method might be more expedient?

A disembodied voice spoke from a loudspeaker as their bench glided to a stop. “Some of you may be selected for a special promotion. Please go along willingly. Your companions can meet up with you at home.”

She exited at a brightly lit platform, where an attendant shuffled them through to an adjacent gift shop.

Jen strode down an aisle with goblin dolls made in Japan. They looked suspiciously like Trolleks with their long noses, shaggy hair, and toothy grins.

“Excuse me, miss, do you speak English?”

She glanced up. A westerner covered from head to toe in a safari jacket, cargo pants, boots, and a hat approached.

“Yes, I do.”

He bustled to her side. “Tell me, did you notice anything strange about this attraction?”

“In what manner?”
Talk about strange, aren’t you hot as hell in that outfit? You’re even wearing leather gloves. Are you afraid of germs or something?

“Do you see how these folks behave after they get off the ride? It’s like they’re robots. You’re different. You have an alert look on your face.” His brown eyes examined her. He had a scar on his upper cheek and looked to be in his mid-forties.

“I’m sorry, I’m not following you.” Was this a test to see if she was confounded? If so, she’d failed miserably.

“You’re from the States, aren’t you? I can always tell a fellow citizen. Talk to me.”

Her eyes rounded. “About what?” Who was this man, and how much did he know?

“Things aren’t right in this place. They do something to people here. Folks have gone missing, too.”

She surveyed his attire, realizing he’d covered himself on purpose. He had left no exposed areas for a Trollek to touch.

Her pulse pounded in her throat. “Who are you?”

He withdrew his wallet and flashed a badge. “I work for the U.S. government. We’re concerned about certain anomalies.”

What? Could they be aware of the Trollek incursion?

“I-I can’t talk now.” She peered past him, afraid he’d impede her own investigation.

“Then take my card. Call me later. Seriously, I could use your input.”

She stuffed the card into her pants pocket, hoping no one had observed them. Further down the aisle, a tall, thin Asian browsed a display of fake swords and shields.

A staff member dressed as a goblin with a pointy green hat hurried up to the guy. His overly large ears and hands alerted Jen. Alarm frissoned up her spine.

“Sir, congratulations, you’ve won a free photograph. Kindly step behind that curtain.”

Without hesitation, the fellow obeyed. From the corner of her eye, she noted the man in khaki watching.

Her body trembling, she made a beeline for the exit and the bright sunshine outside.

A firm hand on her arm stopped her. “Just a minute, mistress. You’ve been chosen for our special promotion. Please follow that gentleman.”

Jen’s heart skipped a beat. Dear heaven, what now?

She glanced toward the door, where freedom beckoned. If anything went wrong, Paz wouldn’t be available to assist her. She’d have to rely on herself and her unknown power. She quaked at the notion of unleashing it again, of losing control.

She’d have to take that risk. Paz had assigned her this job, and by God, she’d follow it through.

Willing her face to appear impassive, she stepped past the black curtain as indicated. On the other side, she faced a large space with partitioned cubicles. Another staffer gestured her toward cubicle number three. She entered the area where there was a scent of antiseptic and a single chair facing forward against a gray background.

A pretty blonde entered immediately after her. True to their deception, she carried a camera with a large lens. “Before I take your photo, may I see the hand you put into our scanner? I’m afraid it might have left a smudge.”

Jen turned her palm over, hoping the Trollek wouldn’t notice her tremors. If she were confounded, she’d be in a calm state, receptive to commands. She lowered her gaze to appear docile but couldn’t help her sharp intake of breath when the blond grasped her hand.

“Let me just clean that for you.”

Jen felt a cool, moist swipe on her skin followed by a sharp prick. She bit her lower lip to keep from crying out. Had she been stuck? Sure enough, from her peripheral vision she saw dark red oozing from her fingertip. So they did take blood samples here after all.

“I’m so sorry, there must have been a splinter in the wipe. Here, press on this gauze with your other hand while I snap a headshot.” That task done, the Trollek beamed at her. “It will just take a moment to process. Please wait here.”

On her way out, the female flicked a privacy curtain down. Jen didn’t know if a hidden security camera might be aimed at her, so she resisted the urge to examine her finger. She waited as ordered, her spine stiff, expecting at any moment for a bunch of armed Trolleks to burst inside and grab her.

How did they know who to waylay after the ride? The scanning device that presumably took a DNA sample must give quick results. Those humans who possessed genetic compatibility to the Trolleks would then be targeted for further testing. And if they showed the protein markers, they’d be candidates for Tent Ten.

That raised a host of other questions. How did the Trolleks transport the fated guests from this theme park to Togura Island, assuming that held the closest facility for Algie’s scientists? Had Paz been correct in guessing the portal at Manga World had reverse functionality?

Moreover, what happened to the people who never returned home? Weren’t their families concerned?

She thought about the government agent, if that man’s identity was real. What if some of the confounded guests who’d been sent back to lead normal lives were diplomats, holding positions in high places? Maybe their behavior had alerted the intelligence agencies.