“What do you want?” I asked.

“We just need to ask you a few questions and find out exactly what has been happening to you. You’re not the only one, and we can help,” Agent Smith said, taking on a motherly tone as she spoke to me.

“Who are you people, are you with the government?” I asked.

“We are a special group, and while affiliated with several governments, we are an independent organization. You’ll need to come with us. I can promise you won’t be hurt, and what you can tell us might be a benefit to all humankind,” the older man said. As worried as I was about the government snagging me, it appears these guys were something else, something they didn’t want to explain too deeply.

I didn’t have a whole lot of options here. Gary had been ushered into the back of the store by one of these people, so there would be no witnesses if I left with them. Running was out, too many people covering the exits and even if I used my mana, I couldn’t get past them all. The merfolk figurine might buy me some time, but if these folks were affiliated with the ones that had been chasing Isaac, they would be armed. For now, I’d play along, see what they had in store for me and watch for an opportunity to get away.

“What happens to me if I go with you?” I asked.

“Nothing, we’ll get your story, run some harmless tests, and then send you on your way. We may even be able to help you with things, like the headaches you’re probably experiencing,” Agent Smith said, it was tough to think of her as some kind of secret agent when she was standing there in a shabby blouse and mom shorts. She fit perfectly as a customer in a pawn shop, not as some high-speed agent.

“I’ll go with you for now,” I said.

“That’s a wise choice, Rico. We’ll bring you to one of our safe locations while we prepare transport to our main facility,” Smith replied.

I was ushered out into a black SUV that was parked in the pawn shop parking lot. The windows were darkly tinted so nobody could see inside. Agent Smith, the older guy who hadn’t said his name yet, and another agent got inside the SUV with me. On the way out of the store I spotted at least six other people loitering about that I was pretty sure were also part of this whole thing.

With more people watching things from outside, I felt better about not making a run for it. Even if I could have gotten out of the store, I wouldn’t have made it twenty feet out the door before being jumped by the others. With my mana pool, I could cast maybe two spells before it ran out, and two Psionic Jolts weren’t going to beat twenty or more of these people. I barely handled four when I helped Isaac, and that even ended up with me dead.

I was expecting something like a police station or government office building would be our destination. When we pulled up a few blocks later to a closed Chinese restaurant, I was sort of shocked. I was led into the building, past the front seating area, through the kitchen, then into a small office.

I noted there was a back door just past the office, which might be a good way out if I needed it. The tiny office was only big enough for me and Agent Smith to sit and talk. She seemed to be running the show here, despite playing a customer earlier. I was on a wobbly chair and Smith sat behind the manager’s desk looking at me with a pleasant smile on her face.

“Ma’am, we’ve locked down the immediate area, but we shouldn’t remain at this location too long. The others were probably already on his trail,” the old man said.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“Who are the others?” I asked.

“That’s need to know,” the old man grunted.

“I think he does need to know. Rico is in danger, and he should be aware of what he’s facing and how we can help keep him safe,” Smith replied, waving the old man out of the already too cramped office.

“What exactly am I facing?” I asked.

“Maybe I should start at the beginning and bring you up to speed before we talk about the others. We’re seeking people like yourself to study the strange energy you seem to possess. Not only energy, but we’re also interested in the technology that allows you to travel instantaneously to other worlds. Understanding what is happening to you could lead to unprecedented technological breakthroughs.

“If you help us, we can keep you safe and pay you well for your efforts,” Smith offered.

“Who would help me and pay me well? You still haven’t said who you are,” I asked.

“We go many different names, but the overall corporation that I’m a part of what is called the Grimslade Group,” Smith replied.

“So, you’re not the government, you’re just a corporation looking to profit on what happened to me?” I asked.

“Yes, we’re a corporation that seeks to profit from you. You’ll also profit and become incredibly wealthy if you choose to work with us. Just think of all the advances we can create,” Smith offered.

“And what happens to me if I refuse?” I asked. That was the real question. I was already a summoned being through no choice of my own, and the last thing I wanted to add to my resume was being a test subject for a corporation that wanted to exploit me for profit. At least the system that summoned me paid me and sent me home each time, I had no idea how these guys would really treat me.

“You need to understand something, Rico. Turning down our offer is not an option for you. The only option you have is whether you work with us as a partner, or if you do so under duress. If we must force you, there is no going back. I’m giving you a chance to help us, and yourself, in the least difficult way possible,” Smith advised.

So, I could be their unwilling test subject, or a volunteer test subject. I refused to be either of those things. If I had to play along for a bit until I could make my escape, so be it, but I was out of here the first chance I got. Isaac’s situation also kept going through my head. The ones chasing him and trying to gun him down could have been some different organization, but my money was on the people trying to kill him being part of this Grimslade Group.

“Ma’am we need to move him now. Their scouts have been spotted and they could be here at any time,” the older man said. For the first time, he looked a bit rattled.

“Pull two of the cars around to the back. Rico will go with us willingly, won’t you Rico,” Smith said.

“Yeah, I’m in, but who else is out there trying to get me?” I asked, playing the role of willing subject. The old man nodded and left the room, shouting for his people to get ready to move.

“We’re not sure what they’re called, some kind of religious fanatics. It’s a cult that thinks they can bring their god to life by sacrificing people like you,” Smith said. She looked like she was about to explain further when the unmistakable sound of gunfire was heard from the front of the restaurant. Smith opened the door to look out, drawing a small pistol from a hidden holster in the back of her waistband.

“Get ready to move,” Smith said. “Let’s go, quickly,” she said urging me out of my seat and pointing toward the rear exit. As I ran down the short hallway to the exit, Agent Smith turned toward the front of the restaurant and began to fire at someone. I didn’t stop to look, being in the middle of a gunfight was not how I wanted to spend my afternoon.

After the darkness of the restaurant, the bright daylight blinded me a bit as I pushed open the rear door. The overcast sky had given way to sunshine, but I wasn’t exactly able to enjoy it just now. There, in the alleyway behind the restaurant, were more of Agent Smith’s goons standing around a pair of SUVs. They had guns drawn, but they weren’t alone out there.

Over a dozen people were running into the alley armed with knives, machetes, and a pistol or two. Upon seeing me, the armed crowd gave an inhuman wail and charged toward me, ignoring Agent Smith’s people who were trying to gun them down.

Agent Smith then stumbled out of the restaurant, firing at someone as she tried to close the door. The door burst open hurling Smith to the asphalt as something walked out. I recognized the hulking green figure as it emerged into the sunlight. It was an orc, and it turned toward me with an evil smile on its face. The orc began to drool before charging right at me, a bloody meat cleaver from the restaurant gripped in its huge fist.