The Dark Edge Chronicles - Clan War

Careful Questions

The half dozen legionnaires that were standing guard, stiffened to attention as the small group stepped out of the elevator and walked down the short corridor towards them. Of Vulcrum's team, there was no sign. But Lash had no doubt they were inside, carefully working Anna van Tallert over. And he had equal confidence in their inability to get anything out of her.

- Are you listening, my friend? - he asked into the depths of his mind.

- Lash! - Mordecai's mental voice answered. - You know I am, brother. I see you're back at Hunters' Fjord with your arch traitor in hand. -

- Which is why I'm contacting you, - Lash said, slowing down slightly to let the rest of the group move ahead of him. - Anna's been hardened against questioning with nanites. Which means our regular methods are having no effect. And if we try using pheromone compulsion, we might lobotomize her like I was. Any chance you can take a remote peek inside her mind and extract the extent she is involved with the traitor on the council? -

- Along with the name of her handler, I would imagine, - the psylord added.

- Precisely. -

- Yup, I can do that. You want it in a data vault? Or you want me to take control of her motor cortex and speech centers and turn her into a meat puppet? -

- Dark Father's mercy, you can do that?? -

- I can, yes. No other psionic can, so you can rest easy that none of my people will suddenly jump into one of your leaders' minds and start a war or something. Not to mention, only my reversed polarity is safe inside a vampire's brain. Anybody else tries it, and you'll get a vampire-flavored roman candle. -

Lash had to fight the impulse to grimace. He had seen the effects of a Brotherhood telepath deliberately scanning a vampire's brain and what happened after. The image still rose up to haunt him on the odd occasion.

- Having seen it happen, I believe you, - the big vampire said just as the group reached the door. When they looked back at him, Lash had fished out his smartphone and had it up to his ear to cover his silent conversation. Feeling their eyes on him, he held up a finger before turning away.

- While it's tempting to have you coerce her into speaking the truth, as it would remove any possibility that my people would question how we got the information, I think a scan into a data vault would be ultimately more useful. But be careful: if she's infested with White Flame nanites, her brain may be protected from telepathic intrusion like that White Flame officer's was. -

- Damn. Good catch, my friend. I could've just barged in and turned her gray matter into jello by accident! - He paused slightly. - Let's do it both ways. I'll get her to give up her handler with her own words then get the details in a vault for later examination. That way you won't get the questions later about how you got those details. -

- Ah, right. I'm a little too focused on results at the moment. Not thinking too clearly about consequences. -

Mordecai's mental voice dryly chuckled.

- You saved me one, I saved you one. - Then he sobered. - I'm tagging you so I'll hear when you ask Anna for her handler's name and go in at that point. And I'll be sure to scan for that disruption booby trap before I do. If I see one, I'll let you know before I back out completely. -

Lash nodded, both to carry on the illusion that he was taking a phone call. And to confirm to Mordecai, who could see him with his psionic ability to see over great distances, that the plan worked for him.

- Hopefully this works, my brother, - the big vampire said. - We need this war over so we can start rebuilding our battered nation. -

- Amen to that, - Mordecai replied. - Good luck! And Glory to Ventru. -