Valencia felt uncomfortable, stiff and cold. Opening her eyes slightly, she looked around. They were someplace dark, chilly and damp.

"Birgit," Valencia whispered.

"Talk in our mind," Birgit's voice whispered in their head, "we are in a cave."

"Where?" Valencia asked, "how did we get here?"

"We were jumped in the garden and brought on a boat," Birgit whispered, "they knocked you out but I was behind the door so ... kept tabs. Sorry about the fight we had, its ridiculous that we do but ... well ... never mind. They brought us on a boat to this cave a few hours. It looks like they waiting for you to come around. I have noticed they are not aware I'm here. Perhaps we can use that to our advantage."

"That explains why we're so stiff," Valencia whispered mentally, "why are we here, though?"

"I heard something about needing your emotional triggers to boost an extraction," Birgit whispered.

Valencia went very still, "We're on Jasmine's Island," Valencia sighed, "Madden has us."

"Then its the energy extraction thing .... If he wants to extract energy from either of us," Birgit grunted, "that isn't going to work. I tried to trigger us."

"What happened?" Valencia whispered in the dark.

"In our head V. Nothing," Birgit said in their mind, "I couldn't even rouse you, which is a little strange cause it used to work, now .... you're as stable as an thousand year oak tree. Shh, no chuckling. I wasn't able to get the usual result but in trying to trigger us, I could feel an energy source, its large, and I feel drawn to it."

"Explain," Valencia murmured, "what do you mean by that?"

"Its like a child drawn to a chocolate bar, its so large and tempting ... V, I want to find the source and drain it," Birgit whispered mentally, "I get the feeling Madden thinks he can extract large amounts of energy from us."

"Well, can't he?" Valencia frowned.

"Yes," Birgit whispered, "he could if you were on your own, which he assumes you are."

"You have a plan," Valencia whispered mentally, "what are you going to do?"

"Of course I have a plan. I've been kicking my heels for hours. Lots of time to think. If you can behave as if I'm not here ... at all, I think I can find the energy collection point and break it open," Birgit whispered, "once that is done, the collected energy should go back to its source. I can pull energy from anywhere to regenerate now so I don't need to worry about hurting people. Oh V, I can also feel the emotional torture he is putting the captives through to get this energy from them. Sadistic."

"What do you mean "go back to its source" what source?" Valencia whispered mentally.

"The source of extraction," Birgit said, "it will return to the people it was extracted from. Some of them will have an energy overload if Madden has performed more than one extraction."

"We may have super energized people to deal with, but that can be put to good use. When do we get to this place?" Valencia couldn't help but grin.

"Soon, they are taking the parcel to the room in five minutes," Birgit said, "I presume the parcel is us."

A scuffling sound brought their attention as Madden and four fanatics moved toward them.

"Game time," Valencia whispered.

Madden smiled tightly at Valencia as intense pleasure pulsed through him. It was good to see this once-promising agent again in his grasp. Little did she know how helpful she was going to be, he couldn't wait until she performed to his liking.

"So glad you can finally join us," he simpered as they moved through tunnels toward a sterile room filled with computers and strange looking equipment, "Darcia would be so grateful that you are here."

"Why am I here?" Valencia said, staring ahead, refusing to meet his insane gaze as they entered the room, "I was made to understand I was never to return to any of the facilities. It was made very plain by Darcia."

"What Darcia doesn't know will never harm her," Madden smiled, "for instance, she has no knowledge that all of this was put together by myself."

Valencia took in the painful scene below before schooling her features and slowly turned to look at him, "Do you know everything Darcia has done?"

Madden frowned at her words, "I'm privy to all her work."

"Are you?" Valencia asked, narrowing her gaze on him, "did she tell you I was not to be retrieved? Did she say why? Do you know that I was put through procedures without your knowledge, approval or presence."

Madden stared blankly at Valencia before frowning deeply, "What are you speaking of? I have knowledge of everything she did, its in your file."

"Are you sure?" Valencia cocked her head, "did she explain to you recently that some of her work was never logged or noted?"

"Recently, no she seems to have disappeared before she told me anything of her recent work," Madden said, "you could tell me."

"Oh that would be nice to do, but you know experiments are never aware or told what they were ... obtaining. It is a surprise you don't know everything Darcia has done and said," Valencia nodded, "I have been released for over three years, and she never told you why I was not to be retrieved. If I was not to be retrieved as others were not to be," Valencia sighed, "it means that she will not be happy to hear you are rounding us up for whatever scheme you have plotted."

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

"Scheme? No," Madden hissed, "I plan."

Valencia nodded, "What were Darcia's world domination plans?"

Madden stared at her blankly.

"Do we know Darcia's world domination plans," Birgit whispered in their mind.

"In part," Valencia gritted out, "now shush."

"We shared our world domination plans," Madden said, staring at them down his nose.

Madden felt a hint of unease. Had Darcia double-crossed him as he had her?

Valencia was the source of the power surges, plus he knew she had a high regenerative speed. He could make a fortune out of her and he would. Darcia had not been heard of for a while so it could be she was captured by the authorities, or could he hope ... dead.

"We shared everything," Madden smiled broadly pretending he believed every word he said, "take her in and put her in the room with the others."

Birgit inhaled sharply as they were led away. Battling the rising panic she clutched to Valencia, "I don't want to be locked away."

"Its for a moment or two," Valencia soothed, "necessary if we are to complete our plan."

"Bre," Clio called as they settled on the train, "newbie here wants to know what you did to her."

"Saved her life," Breanna whispered, knowing the newbie, as Clio called her, could hear everything she was saying, "now all she has to do is decide whether she will choose good or evil."

"You don't understand," Breanna heard her whisper, "Madden holds my entire family. I am all they have."

"Is that what Madden told you?" Breanna whispered.

"Yes," the newbie whispered.

"If that were true," Breanna looked at the newbie, "why did we stabilise you, give you gear and bring you with us?"

The newbie looked up at Breanna, startled before realization crept into her features.

"I finally have a choice," she whispered, smiling at Breanna, "and back up."

"Yes," Breanna smiled, "it's time to decide what you want to do with what you have."

Nodding, the newbie turned to look out the window thoughtfully. Breanna smiled, knowing the thought process she would be going through. She had a chance to make a difference. Would she take it?

Meeting Clio's twinkling eyes Breanna said, "Once we get to the end of the line, Jasmine says there's a boat we can use. Make sure the transfer of gear and people happens quickly. I sense we don't have much time until Madden releases his version of hell."

"Will do," Clio moved toward her seat, "no one deserves any kind of Madden hell."

Valencia forced herself to breathe evenly as she continued soothing Birgit. They needed to be prepared for anything Madden was throwing at them.

"What is in the room?" she whispered to the security officers.

They remained silent for a moment before one stopped staring at her intently, "There are two people within," he said, ignoring Valencia's question.

The other glanced at Valencia, startled, "Both stabilised?"

"Yes, but how? Didn't Madden get rid of that machine years ago to undermine Darcia?" the first asked.

"You work for this betraying, blood-sucking idiot?" Valencia asked, looking from one to the other.

"We worked for Darcia, and he is part of the team," the answer came as though memorized and recited.

"They don't know," Birgit whispered mentally.

"Did you hear that?" the one on the right said, looking both ways in the passageway before steering them into a shorter passageway, "there is a bathroom facility in here ... you used it."

"Okay," Valencia drew the word out, watching the two men look at each other before one returned to the entrance leaving the other staring at Valencia and Birgit.

"I could use telepathic abilities," he whispered, "somehow, I don't think the other half of you would allow me."

Valencia remained silent trying to hide Birgit's bristle.

"What did the other half of you mean by "they don't know?" he whispered.

"Birgit, they are enhanced and stabilised," Valencia whispered, "they know about the modulator."

"Who is Birgit?" the officer looked around, "where is she?"

"I'm here, egghead," Birgit's harsh voice whispered, "inside her. We share a body."

"That cannot be comfortable," the officer whispered, checking with the officer standing guard who showed two fingers. "We have less than two minutes before Madden calls a search."

"Darcia is dead," Birgit whispered, "Madden is acting alone. Nothing he was doing has been signed off by Darcia. He has betrayed the plan and I'm guessing he betrayed everyone a long time ago."

"How do you know?" the officer whispered.

"We were with the team that stopped Darcia," Birgit whispered, "Val was correct in saying we were not supposed to return."

"How do you know?" the officer whispered, acknowledging the one-minute signal from the passage guard, "you were suppressed."

"Didn't mean I couldn't' hear," Birgit hissed, "they are nearly here, and we have finished with the facilities."

"You two are absolute opposites," the officer shook his head, retaking her arm, "don't know how you do it."

"So, we are free to do as we please?" the second guard asked, "I heard everything but I'm checking."

"We were the last that were stabilised, and what Madden is doing to these people," the officer shuddered, "its not what we signed up for."

"You know about the incoming, don't you," Valencia whispered.

"Yes," both said quietly, "why?"

"Get hold of Breanna," Valencia said, "tell her you have been informed and have made a choice."

"Make sure you use those exact words," Birgit whispered, "now head me toward that energy source containment area. I'm hungry."

The officers chuckled as they punched the code for the door to open, "Save us all. Please."

Valencia smiled gently at both, "Thank you."

Stepping into the room, Valencia took a seat near the door as Birgit took over.

"Hello people," Birgit breathed in deeply, "apparently I'm the package. I want you to turn off your emotional trigger or triggers, don't think or feel anything. There is an energy source I need to find without the interference of everyone's emotions. Once that is in order I can find the source containing your energy."

"Valencia," someone whispered.

"Ah ... no," another person spoke softly, "Birgit."

"Yes," Birgit whispered, "we're both here. Hush, don't tell anyone."

A few chuckles met her words, "We can all keep a secret," someone whispered nearby.

Valencia felt Birgit's lurch of emotion before it settled, "Jacob," she whispered, "no. What are you doing here?"

"I was captured just outside of my hometown, Birgit," he whispered, "when I woke I was in this room of hell."

Birgit struggled to keep her anger in check, "If I get hold of that man ..." she breathed hard.

"B, you need to get a grip," Valencia said, "remember no emotion ... now shove it back down and lets get these people out.

"That is the Valencia I know," a soft feminine voice murmured from a human puddle on the floor, "giving encouragement and orders at the same time."

"We'll get you out," Valencia said, to the human forms scattered around the round room, "B, we can free them all," Valencia spoke in their mind, "find that energy source and let's get them out of here to be stabilised."

"Yes, we will," Birgit said before breathed in steadily, " then Madden is going to pay for what he is doing," closing her eyes she focused on locating the beckoning energy source.