Chapter 20: Take action

Traeger:

Mathias, Council’s head, steps out of a large black vehicle with some of his men. All of the men are tall and imposing in their black fatigues, t-shirts, and combat boots. Apparently, Mathias is an angel. I don’t know why I’m shocked, but I’ve only ever seen other Lycans. However, part of our education consisted of learning about other supernatural beings and their weaknesses. The angel is definitely imposing. We’re about the same height, but where I’m dark, he’s light. He has auburn hair and gold eyes.

Standing stiffly, I observe as he strides towards me and gives me a slight bow. “Traeger, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Mathias…” He points towards the men who follow behind him. “This is Mikhail, Azazel, Gadriel, and Isaiah.” I nod my head in greeting. Gadriel and Isaiah are definitely angels. The other two men, however, are different. I can sense that Mikhail is not something I was familiar with. Azazel smells like a demon. Having Lycan senses can come in handy. Azazel smells like ash, which is what we learned Demons smell like. They all smile, but not in a way that tells me they trust me. More like they're taking my measure. None of them speak.

Taking a deep breath, I slow down my breathing and reply. “I’m glad you’re here. Did you look at the information I sent you?” Mathias nods his head with a grim frown. “Yes, I did. And I have to tell you this is not good. The Council and I have been investigating some serious threats to the Council for the past few months. We recently had an incident where a former council member named Lukan Garron tried to take over the Council. And I have to tell you, his name is all over this. He’s dead now, but we think that this goes beyond the hate of the council. We suspect he wasn’t working alone. However, after seeing this, we realize that this is bigger than we imagined. You said that your pack was raised here. Do you know of any other institutes like this?” I think for a moment and nod my head. “There was a file that says there were. However, I don’t know where. It’s a possibility that they have the information in their databases. I mean, from what I gather from these files, they plan on making a new order. I imagine that they would require a large army to do that.” They all nod their heads austerely.

Mathias paces in place then look back at me. “Can you get in the system again?” I nod my head. “I can…but they have securities in place. My pack is in that Institute; one wrong move can cost them their lives.” I move forward, feeling my body expand in a threatening pose. I don’t do it to fight. I do it to show them that I’m serious about protecting my people.

“I need your guarantee that the Council will not hurt my people. I am willing to help; however, I can, but this is non-negotiable.” Mathias looks at the other men, then at me. “We are willing to help your people, Traeger. However, we need you to tell us what they use to control them. I need to know how so that I may find a way to help you.” He turns to the other man. The one he called Gadriel. “Gadriel is our residential scientist. If you can get us the information, we can find a way to get your people from under the Institute's control.”

I step back, my thoughts moving from my people to Jelena. If everything goes well, I can be with her. I look back at Mathias. “What do you need me to get for you?” Gadriel places something in Mathias’s hand, which he shows me. It’s a slim tube. “We need to run some tests on you. If we can find what they are using to control you, we can neutralize it.” I nod my head in agreement. "Alright, but it has to be quick. I’ve been gone too long, and I don’t want the doctors to become suspicious.” Mathias extends the slim tube towards me. “This is for you to use when you break into the security system in the Institute. If a computer system is nearby, it will unite all of the systems remotely controlled by the council. Once you do that, we can monitor any outgoing transmissions.”

He gestures to Gadriel. “Gadriel here is going do a quick scan on you. You don’t have to do anything but stand there. He will need to place his hand on your head, though. Is that okay?” I nod my head in concession and move towards Gadriel.

Gadriel has brown hair and bright blue eyes. Unlike the other men, he has a very pale complexion and a slim build. Reaching forward, he places his hand on my head and closes his eyes. I instantly feel a warmth moving down my head until it reaches my toes. There’s an intense blue glow coming from his hands, which, I won’t lie, freaks me out a little. After a moment, he staggers back in exhaustion and opens his eyes. Isaiah and Mathias reach for him and hold him up. He blinks a few times until his eyes change back to their blue haze. If anything, he is paler than he was earlier and a lot shakier. I observe evenly as he clears his throat a few times before he speaks. “It took a few moments to find what I was looking for, but I found it. There’s a small chip implanted into your spine. I was able to deactivate it, but to be honest…” He takes another deep breath looking faint. “We will need to find a way to deactivate all of yours at once. I don’t have enough power to do it on my own.” He looks back at Mathias hurriedly. “We need to get back to the council. I need to figure out how to disable this.” Mathias and the men agree. “Alright.” He mutters before he turns back to me and hands me a cellular phone. “Here. This phone is encrypted by the council. All of our numbers are on there in case you need to call. I will call you as soon as we find a way to disable the system. For now, see if you can get that installed on the computers.”

Without another word, they all move back to their vehicles while I remain standing there until they leave. Time to get to work.