Disclaimer: I don't own Mutant X.

Chapter 9- Tagged

An early breakfast began their day as they spoke to the Creator about his trip. "Don't you have more than 4 guards who have remained loyal?" Adam asked.

"Yes," the Creator replied. "Not all are here. There are 2 others who will remain here with you. They have orders to protect you both at all costs. The rest were dispersed with the members who remained true to the cause."

"But there are 18 other guards who live here," Tasha added. "That doesn't include the operatives under the leader's control." Worry returned to her face though it never really left her heart.

"Those operatives are rarely called in routinely, though I do know that he called in for 6 last night. They should have already arrived."

"You know they were called in to follow you, don't you?" Adam warned.

"Yes, but don't worry. My guards are more than what they appear." The Creator smiled as he finished his breakfast. "I will be leaving in half an hour. Is there anything you would like me to take to Gabriela for you, My Dear?"

After a brief look at Adam, Tasha nodded. "I would like to write her a note, if that would be alright."

"Of course, but please try not to worry. Everything will be fine," the Creator assured her.

Tasha and Adam returned to her room where she quickly wrote a note to her grandmother. Trying to assure her of safety without invoking fear, she told her she would see her soon. When she turned with the sealed envelope in her hand she saw Adam sitting on her bed, deep in thought. "Adam?"

"I need to talk to Jesse," was all he said, then watched as she complied and opened the link. "Jesse?"

"Yes, Adam, we're here."

"Did contact go smoothly?"

"Yes. The Creator will be shadowed by 8 guards. Did you find anything else in the files?"

"Not yet. The Creator told us that 6 operatives were called in last night. I think they're your target. He also seems to believe his guard can handle them. He said they were more than what they seemed but he didn't explain. Tell your guards to stay back until necessary. We don't want to play our hand too soon. Just get in and get them to safety, asap. Try to keep Mutant X for supervision only. I don't want you compromised."

"We'll handle it. Anything else?" Lexa asked.

"Yeah, the leader is very confident. There are only 18 guards you have to worry about here beside the key players. When your plan goes down 2 loyal guards have orders to protect Tasha. If they survive, you should be able to spot them. There are 2 other main board members who live here. The rest of the people are staff and scientists. My guess is that they're here just to do their jobs."

"Our contact has identified 2 other members who have turned. I pulled their locations from the files you sent. He'll have teams simultaneously go in and take them down. We really shouldn't have any problems on this end." Brennan voice held his confidence.

"Good. The Creator leaves in about 15 minutes. Call Tasha if you need to."

"Be careful, Adam," Shalimar warned.

"Don't worry, Shal. I'll be back soon," Adam smiled and watched as Tasha closed the link. "Let's deliver your note and get to those files." He held her hand as they walked back to the lab.

After the Creator left, Adam and Tasha settled in front of a terminal at a desk to find the files the Creator mentioned. As they were just about to key in the password 4 guards came into the lab unannounced. Adam stood quickly and positioned himself in front of Tasha. "What do you want?" he demanded.

"You have to come with us. The leader wants to talk to you," one guard explained snidely.

Adam turned and silently looked into Tasha's eyes. He could see the fear and smiled as he touched her arm. "Don't worry," he whispered then turned to leave the lab. Once out in the hall, Adam noticed a guard standing by the elevator. Turning he saw one stationed by the stairs. He prayed that for Tasha's sake they were the 2 who were there to protect her. He also hoped she would do as he told her and...hide.

The leader smiled as Adam walked in. "Dr. Kane, how good of you to grant my request for a meeting."

Adam smirked then replied, "I have work to do. What do you want?"

"I just wanted to congratulate you on the success of your latest project. I was pleased to hear that after so long it was completed. I was also pleased that the Creator decided to take some time to himself. He has been under a great deal of stress lately."

"Drop the false concern. You and I both know you only care about the work. Now that it's done, what do you want?"

"I want to congratulate you. After today you will be the new head scientist of the Dominion. I have decided to give you a promotion." He watched as Adam remained stoic.

"I told you before, I won't work for you."

"Yes, you will. You see, I know that you've been in contact with your team. Since you seem so determined to keep in contact with them, I've decided to bring them here. Perhaps they will give you incentive to work."

"Your goons don't compare to my team. Besides, you'll never find them."

"I won't have to find them. You'll tell me where they are; consciously or not." The leader glared at him. "I have my ways. You have no choice any longer. Call it the cost of you promotional package." He turned to the guards, "Take him. When you're done get him to Dr. Simone."

Adam furrowed his brow as he tried to process everything that was said. He was pulled out the door and taken back to the interrogation room.

Tasha was alone with her worries for an hour. She couldn't stand it any longer. She peeked out into the hall and saw the two men guarding the exits. She's always had free roam of the building. She decided to try to make it to the ground level. With her heart beating wildly in her chest she approached the elevator. She watched as the guard looked to his companion then back to her and stepped in her way. "What is the meaning of this?" She tried to act as normal as possible. "Let me pass," she demanded.

"I'm sorry, Dr. Stanos. We have orders to guard the exits and not let you pass."

"What? Who gave such orders? I have always been allowed to carry out my duties anywhere necessary." She put her hands on her hips in emphasis.

"The orders are from my leader, Dr. At this time we can not let you pass." The guard remained at attention and turned to look straight ahead.

Tasha turned and went back to the lab. These men don't seem to be like the others. Could they be the ones the Creator spoke of? She went back inside and tried to keep occupied as she waited for Adam to return.

After a half an hour of refusing to tell the location of his team and enduring various methods of coercion, Adam was left alone in the room. Bruises were already forming on his body. His back was beaten and his sides shocked repeatedly. Cuts were on his wrists from the restraints he wore. Still working under the rule to not let his injuries show, the interrogators never touched his face. Weak and breathing raggedly, Adam watched as the guards returned with someone in a lab coat. His eyes widened when he saw the man take a syringe from his pocket and raise it to Adam's neck. Before he got the chance to question, he was unconscious.

Tasha waited for another hour. She knew something was wrong from the beginning but tried to be strong. After 2 hours her resolve was almost gone. She was worried about what Adam was being put through. He would have been back long ago if it were truly just a meeting. They both knew it wasn't when he left. Now she was in tears. Trying not to panic, she remembered Jesse telling her that even if she was just scared she could call him. He had a very soothing voice. She'd become accustom to it now that she'd heard it so many times in their contacts. Hesitating, she thought about what she would be interrupting. He was supposed to be supervising the protection of the Creator and her grandmother. She didn't want to distract him from his job but this was important. Adam had been gone too long. His team needed to know.

She moved to a remote corner of the lab and opened the link. Whispering she called his name. "Jesse?"

"Tasha?" He heard the link open. He was sure he heard her voice but she didn't respond. "Tasha, are you ok?"

"Jesse," she began, "I'm sorry but I'm really scared."

"It's ok, Tasha. We're all here. Tell us what's happened."

"Shortly after the Creator left this morning, guards came and took Adam to a meeting with the leader. Jesse, that was over 2 hours ago. I'm afraid of what they're doing to him. The leader knows he's been in contact with you."

Fear and suspicion gripped the team. "Tasha, does he know how?" Jesse knew that if the leader did then this was a set up call. He suddenly wasn't sure he could trust it. Looking to Brennan he saw the same concern in his eyes.

"We don't think so. The Creator suspected they would try to make Adam talk. If they knew about me, wouldn't they have taken me, instead?"

"Maybe..." was all she heard Brennan say.

Gasping with realization she continued. "Oh no. You think this is a forced call." She whispered. "Please, you have to believe me." She began to cry. "They took Adam and left me guarded on this level. I tried to leave but they have a guard posted at each exit." She suddenly brightened with an idea. "I know. Listen. I suspect the guards in the hall to be the ones who were to protect me. You have to know I wouldn't jeopardize the safety of Adam or the Creator by revealing these guards. Jesse, please," she begged.

"All right, Tasha. I'm sorry. We can't be too careful." He looked around to the others who all nodded. "We believe you. Don't worry about Adam. He's strong. They won't really hurt him if they want him to work for them. When they bring him back tell him to call in. Try not to worry. I have a job for you while you wait. I want you to get into the Creator's computer and pull the hard drive. Can you do that?"

"Yes, but why?"

"I set up a feed from the Dominion system to ours and can access the operational data but the scientific information is not in this system. I suspected that the Creator had his own internal system."

"He does. To get all the information here you would need all the storage units as well. But he told Adam and me about other areas he's kept information over the years. He didn't tell us where they were but told us how to find them."

"Ok, I just don't want anything destroyed if we can help it. Get what you can and keep it with you. We'll let you know what we can as the day goes on."

"Thanks, Jesse." She may not have been any less worried but now she had something else to focus her mind on. She was getting out and she had to pack the things they would all need. In her room she found a large shoulder bag which would do very nicely.

After another half hour Adam was dragged into the lab. She watched in horror as he collapsed to the floor when the guards released him. They left and she rushed to his side. "Adam, what did they do to you?" She helped him to a chair and began to remove his shirt. He remained quiet as she got the dermal regenerator and worked to heal his wounds. After healing his sides and back she went to get a wash cloth for his wrists. As she cleaned and healed them she was aware of his intense stare on her. Something was wrong she could feel it. "Adam, please tell me. What did they do?"

"They questioned me. They want my team. I held out as long as I could but then I passed ou..." He stopped mid sentence and looked at her with shock as he remembered.

"Adam, what is it? What's wrong?" She watched as he stood and took her hand then moved to the desk. Looking over his shoulder as he wrote she read, 'Injection' and 'Scan me. Thought probe?' She nodded her head and spoke as she led him to the bio bed.

"I'm ok," he spoke. "I told them I won't work for them."

"As long as you're ok," she said in as calm a manner as she could muster, "the Creator left notes for you to review." She tapped the keys and the scan started. "I found them on his desk with instructions." She turned to see the results as Adam quickly came up behind her. "I guess he doesn't really want you to have a day off." She turned to Adam with fear in her eyes as she finished the scan.

Adam stepped closer to the computer and began working. "I guess not," he continued her conversation. "If I finish quickly perhaps you and I can get an early dinner." The wait for the information was short. In only a matter of seconds the computer revealed that no brain functions were probed. Then a light blinked indicating the evidence of a foreign object introduced to the body. A small device was found by the scan to be in Adam's neck. Readouts indicated that it was an audio transmitter and locator. Adam sat and lowered his head for her to inspect the small incision that would have otherwise gone unnoticed. "Let's have a look at the notes and we'll see how long this will take." He led her back to the desk where he wrote again. 'Monitoring my speech and tracer if I escape or they let me escape.' He looked up at her. The fear in her eyes broke his heart. He touched her face and shook his head. Leaning in he kissed her very gently and hugged her close. Moving to write again he handed her the note pad. 'Go to your room. Tell Jesse.' He smiled when she kissed him again then picked up her bag and left the lab. He returned to the computer to further examine the device they gifted him with.

TBC