We pulled you out of a car that held a seriously high up agent," Freckles said, "and he has information that we need, information that you can help us extract."
"Y.. you mean Mann?" Ian asked, trying to stay focussed enough to follow what she was saying. It was hard enough that he was still concussed, but she was really very cute too. For a girl.
"I don't know his name, but probably. The guy that was in the car with you. He's very powerful, but we have him sedated, and under guard."
"He probably has a tracker on him too," Ian suggested.
Freckles rolled her eyes. "You think?" she asked, sarcasm dripping all over him. "Oh, how I wish you'd been here earlier to warn us." She glared.
"Okay, okay," Ian said, trying to raise his hands to avert her stare. "So, you can't get a bit of information out of him without me then? I'm not sure I'm joining the right side."
"No one said anything about you joining us," she replied, straightening up.
"Fine, so I'm what? A prisoner?"
"Let's just say you're a guest of ours, okay?" she replied.
"Fairy snuff." He groaned and clutched at his bruised ribs. "You don't happen to have any pain-killing drugs on you by any chance?"
~ * ~
Ian ran his fingers through his hair, newly washed, and took a deep breath. It was amazing what a good day of rest, along with several well cooked meals could do. He was feeling on top form nearly. At least mentally, his side still ached.
"You ready?" asked Freckles, whose name he had learned was Amanda.
"I'm always ready," he replied, with a confident nod of his head.
"Mmm," she mused, but opened the door anyway.
Beyond was Mr. Mann, sitting with his hands chained to a metal loop, which was attached to the table his chair was drawn up to.
Behind him stood two large, serious looking men, both armed with pistols in shoulder holsters.
"Hello there." Ian grinned at his former captor. "I passed your silly test, do I get a star?"
Mann just glared at him, unable to respond because of the ball gag currently inserted into his mouth.
"His power is through his voice mostly," Amanda had explained. "You have to try and listen to what he's saying, not what he's, er, speaking."
Despite her rather vague explanation, Ian had understood what she meant. He'd met others with similar powers before, and his training, ironically by the same organisation that Mann worked for, had taught him methods to resist such. He'd said as much, although Amanda didn't seem to be reassured.
"Chill babe," he'd replied.
Ian pulled out a chair opposite his formed captor, and sat on it. "Hey there, s'up?" He grinned widely.
Mann snarled through his gag.
"Now," Ian said, leaning forward. "I'm given to understand, from my new friends, who, by the way, haven't tried to kill me..."
Mann interrupted him, garbling something through his mouthpiece.
"Yes, yes, I know," Ian replied, interpreting the missive correctly. "There's still time." He waved a hand dismissively. "But for now, I understand that you know the location of a certain... item."
That took the agent by surprise, he could tell, despite Mann's quick attempt to cover his shock up.
"Ah ha! So, it's true then." Smiling, Ian placed his hands upon Manns'. Ignoring his attempts to shake them off, he concentrated hard, really hard, and glared at the man.
"Tell me what you know about the artefact, especially where it is!" he commanded, putting every ounce of energy into his voice.
As he did so, one of the guards behind man stepped forward and ripped the gag out of Mann's mouth.
"It's in the tower... it's guarded by the..." Mann, with what was obviously extreme effort, gritted his teeth. "By... the..." Two more words slipped out before he again managed to stem the flow.
"Tell me!" ordered Ian.
"Guarded by the..." Mann started to shudder. "By the... Wa... By the W..." He was turning purple now, and sweat was pouring down his face.
"Stop it," cried Amanda. "He's..."
Too late. Mann gave one great convulsion, and slumped forward.
Ian pulled his hands back quickly. "Bloody hell," he said.
"Dammit!" Amanda shouted, slamming her hand down on the table. "You, see if you the doctor can do something, quickly! Be careful though, he's dangerous."
"Yes ma'am," said the same guard who'd pulled the gag out. Between him and the other man, they quickly detached Mann's chains from the table, and half carried, half dragged the unconscious, possibly dead, agent from the room.
"I've never seen anyone do that before," Ian said, leaning back.
"He had some kind of block," Amanda said, slumping down in the chair so recently vacated by Mann. "Someone, probably with your kind of ability, commanded him not to say anything." She looked at him with those big, wide, innocent looking eyes. "It says something for your power that you could get him to say as much as you did. You must be really something."
"You should try me in bed," said Ian.
Amanda just shook her head.
This story is paused for now. however, you can find more of my at https://www.NeilHartleyBooks.com