Chapter 14
Landy was in the separate building with Kulde. Together, they were hard at work using their connections to put the rest of the dragons under one roof. They face a computer preparing to send messages of assistance to their counterparts.
"Is it necessary that the SIS have to know?" Kulde asked.
"Trust me, if there is anyone we can relate to, it would be the SIS. They're pretty good." Landy replied.
"Then why are we sending a message to the SAS?"
"Together, they can do their job more effectively. We'll be able to round up the dragons in all of United Kingdom in a matter of days."
"Okay. Do it."
A mermaid comes in the door. "Sir, Ma'am, the French and the Chinese governments have accepted our call."
"That's great news." Landy said.
As the mermaid left, Landy and Kulde could see Jake, David and Fu Dog coming in from the long corridor.
"Good to see you back Jake." Landy said.
"So what's the damage?" Jake asked.
"We have good news and bad news." Kulde said.
"The good news is that we're getting some positive responses to our counterparts. They're willing to help. We've also received a tip from our friends that they've found the exact location of Draco Island." Landy said.
"Councilor Kulde, don't you already know where Draco Island is?" Fu Dog asked.
"Unfortunately, the magic elevator was the main transportation used to go to the island. It's also much easier to go from the island to somewhere than the other way around." Kulde replied.
"Okay. So what's the bad news?" Jake asked.
"40 percent of US military assets were wiped out or damaged in the attack. Most of the military are being repositioned to the West Coast." Landy said.
"So what now?"
Landy and Kulde looked at each other.
"Jake, the military is in bad shape. General Wilson just asked me that he needs your kind to be in LA immediately. Uhmmm… Councilor Kulde will follow and accompany you after we finish this. You will be meeting with the chosen dragons recruited by the United States from other countries." Landy said.
"What about David… and Fu Dog. Won't they assist me too?"
"I'm sorry kid, but some of the assistants here, including myself, have been trying to find an antidote for the neural drug." Fu Dog said.
"But what about gramps? I thought you guys were close to a breakthrough." Jake said with an emotional tone.
"I wish it was so. Unfortunately, we tried testing it to gramps but the antidote didn't have any effect on him." Fu Dog elaborated.
"Jake, we'll take care of your grandfather, but right now, you need to go to LA." Landy said.
Jake tried to take it in. "Gramps… No." He then faced Landy firmly. "I want to see him."
Landy sighed. "Sure."
Jake left the room.
"Kid, wait for me." Fu Dog said as he left the room.
Only David, Landy and Kulde were left in the building.
"Kid is having a hard time." David said.
"If only things weren't so complicated now." Kulde added.
Suddenly, Landy's phone beeped. She looks to her phone to see who it was. It was a text message from Voahsen.
I'm outside. -Voahsen
"Councilor, I'll be right back." Landy said. She then left and walked through the long corridor until she reached the outer perimeter. Voahsen was just standing outside. The guards would not let him go in.
"It's okay! Let him in. He's with me." Landy said to the security personnel.
The guards finally left them alone as they walked around the perimeter.
"You're quite the lady Pam. I feel more like a VIP than a person coming in at my own expense." Voahsen said.
"You have something good for me?" Landy asked.
"Define good and I might answer your question correctly."
Landy gave a small grin, indicating Voahsen to enter. They finally come inside the briefing room joining Kulde and David.
The first thing that Voahsen noticed was David whom he felt a little bit uncomfortable with.
"Councilor, this is Noah Voahsen. He's one of our supervisors in New York. We used to work together." Landy introduced.
"It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Voahsen but what brings you here?" Kulde said.
"Voahsen was the one who tipped us on the island's actual coordinates." Landy explained. She then looks to Voahsen. "Still, what I don't understand is why you're doing this."
"It's complicated Landy. Let's just leave it at that." Voahsen said.
"Okay. So what do you know?" Landy asked.
"I'll tell you under some conditions."
"This is not the time for games. You are risking millions of lives out there."
"Millions of lives including mine Landy."
"What do you mean?"
Voahsen came to a safe house near Norfolk but found that the house was messed up as if a tornado had passed by. The house was not used for a long time but someone ha just broken in. He felt as if it had something to do with what he was doing. He could see scratches from the walls made by claws indicating that what entered here was no human. He then tried to find what he was looking for, hoping that the intruders did not find it. As luck would have it, the intruders did not search hard enough as Voahsen found the hidden files relating to Operation Endeavour.
"I went through a lot of trouble getting that. I don't feel safe Landy. It feels like someone or something is watching me." Voahsen continued. "I asked for a condition Landy, and that condition is to give me protection status."
Voahsen looked solemnly into Landy's eyes trying to convince her that he is not joking. Landy sees the honest intentions of Voahsen and gave him a solemn "Okay."
"Thanks."
"So can we get this new information?" Kulde asked.
"I'm afraid it's not new information to you Councilor." Voahsen said.
"What do you mean?" Kulde asked.
"Isn't it true that dragons can make duplicates of themselves called doppelgangers?" Voahsen asked.
"Yes it is. It is an important characteristic of being a dragon. That's how I narrowly escaped death from those jets." Kulde said.
"According to Project Discovery, applying doppelganger tactics was not included in the Treadstone-like training. It was only in Project Endeavour that they started incorporating doppelgangers but it was never included in the report on our database since dragons already knew how to make duplicates of themselves. Training was not mandatory." Voahsen said.
"Are you saying that what's attacking us are copies of the dragons?" Landy said.
"Exactly. And the fact that copies and only copies are attacking US soldiers means that they have not lost a single casualty while we are already at our knees. This makes our position much more difficult. With US forces thinned, a full scale attack of similar magnitude would wipe us of the next time and only God knows when that will happen."
David, who watched them do the conversation, finally thought about saying something.. "Looks like we need to stop this thing sooner before it gets worse. Jake needs to…" David then realized something. The abrupt end of David's speech made Landy uneasy. "I think Jake and Abbott are in trouble."
Jake and Fu Dog walked through the hidden clinic area where Jake's grandfather rested. According to Fu Dog, his condition had not improved since he was recovered.
"I… can't believe this is happening to me." Jake said softly but to the point that Fu Dog can hear. They were about to approach the room.
"Jake, I know how you feel. I used to be Gramp's animal guardian. We have a common bond and that's what makes me more determined to find a cu…" Fu Dog's words were cut short when they opened the door. Jake's grandfather sit up there facing the opposite direction.
"G, you're okay!" Jake said as he walked closer to his grandfather.
"Wait a minute, somethings not right here. He doesn't seem excited to see… Oh my God, Jake don't go near him." Fu Dog warned.
"What?" Jake said.
"Jake, Gramps is still under the influence…"
It was too late. Gramps looked to Jake. He dragoned up and pushed Jake as strong as he could away from him. Jake hit the wall which cracked due to the shear force.
"… of the drug. I tell the kid, but does he listen?"
As Jake's grandfather leaves the room, Fu Dog grabs his leg. "You're not getting away from me." He looks to Fu Dog. "Oh boy." He is pushed away to the wall near where Jake impacted.
The blue dragon was now on his way. The alarms in the building went on. Soon, the dragon reached his destination. He entered the room where Abbott laid to rest and was about to fire but…
"Gramps, you can fight this!"
The dragon looked back. It was Jake.
"I know you can."
The dragon stopped at what he was doing for a moment. Then, he went near to Jake and hit him with his tail and Jake was tossed out of the room. With Jake gone, the dragon continued. He looked where Abbott rested but saw that he was no longer there.
"He maybe silenced but he still has a voice."
The dragon looked to his side. Abbott was not only standing, he was pointing a gun towards the dragon. Not missing the opportunity, he shot the dragon with all the bullets in his gun. The dragon was shot and fell down to the floor and disappeared.
Jake saw what the man had done to his grandfather and could not help but be angered.
"No…!" he said as he went close to Abbott and dragoned up his hands. Jake punched him to the jaw and he fell down on the floor. Jake came closer to him and picked him up from the floor with his dragon claws.
"You know, to be fair, he was the one who was trying to kill me." Abbott said.
"You killed my grandfather! Tell me why I shouldn't kill you right now?" Jake said angrily.
"Because he isn't real."
Jake looked to the back to see David along with Landy, Fu Dog and another man whom he recognized before.
"You. You tried to kill me and Rose!" Jake said.
"Actually, if you're looking for justice, you should kill him now. He organized your supposed accident, but I suggest you not to because he is important right now." Voahsen said.
"Jake, your grandfather is not really here with us." David said.
"What do you mean?" Jake asked.
"If that was him, his body should be there." David explained. "The person that came with your dad on the rescue wasn't him. It was a doppelganger."