CHAPTER 29: Back to work...

Celeste
After I let Mr. Woods know about Randol waking up, I realize I had totally forgotten about all the captives we still have in the holding cells. I am physically and mentally exhausted, but I have to talk to them. We need the information that only they can give us. I have everything Mr. Bianchi sent, but I bet there is something in those tiny little brains that even he missed. I head back to the basement to find Daddy.
I find him sitting in the lounge by the infirmary with Uncle Anthony. "Daddy, just the man I needed to see."
"Uh - oh. What now?"
"I need to talk to Donnelly's men now. Do you and Uncle Anthony want to join me?"
"Celeste, it has been an exhausting day. Don't you think you should get some rest first?"
"I can't, Daddy. I can't rest knowing they are still here. We need to interrogate them and get them out of here." Apparently, I've had some eavesdroppers while talking to Daddy, because I soon hear Cerin behind me.
"Where exactly are we going to put them if we remove them from this house?" He is clearly agitated by the notion.
"We are going to set them free." Several gasps can be heard around me now.
"Celeste, you cannot be serious! They just came in here and tried to wipe us out." Okay, so Ryu isn't on board either, clearly.
"Look, I know this sounds crazy, and I would love nothing more than to just go into those cells and start ripping out everyone's tracheas, God knows, but that would make us no better than Donnelly himself. Right?" I look around at what has now become a full - on audience and am met with nothing but ashamed silent looks. "That's what I thought. I have been thinking about this, and we can let them go if we just reprogram them a little."
Mr. Yamaguchi steps up next. "I understand your feelings about this, Celeste, and I agree. Ryu and I can beguile them so that they never speak of the paranormals to anyone."
"Cerin and I have the power to hypnotize as well, dear. We can help." Mrs. Monave is very sweet when she wants to be.
"I appreciate the offer, everyone, but I have to be the one to do it."
"Celeste, you are my daughter and I love you, but you can be so stubborn. Why not let them help you?"
"No, Daddy, I'm not being stubborn, or being a control freak before you even suggest that. Both the vampire and dragon suggestive powers are forms of hypnosis. Vampires have the added benefit of being able to actually blank out portions of the subject's memory as well. Here's the problem, though, if someone were to find any of these guys they could undo the hypnosis currently in place, if they know what they're doing. Blanking out their memories won't work either because we have no idea how long we would have to go back, not to mention that it would cause a stir in the human world if this amount of amnesia cases broke out across the country all at once.
In both species, the suggestive power can be known by the human
subject too. In other words, it's like mentally being awake, but completely physically paralyzed. You can tell you are doing something
you don't want to do but can't physically stop yourself from doing it,
due to being in the suggestive state."
"Okay. Disregard my stubborn statement."
"Daddy, as you know, my power of suggestion is different. Where others can only change what the subject physically does or says, I can change their thought process."
"What does that mean?" Ryu says, looking like a curious little boy. Still cute.
"Essentially, I don't plan to erase any of this from their memory. I plan to make them decide that we were merciful to them when we didn't have to be. I will make them think they were misinformed about paranormals altogether. They will decide to leave the organization and never speak of it or paranormals to anyone ever again. They will decide that no matter the cost, they will always remain loyal to that promise for the rest of their lives. They will go back to their normal lives, and, ya know, live happily ever after, blah blah blah. Our bear friends will have a slightly different scenario implanted, but with the same basic premise. Unlike hypnosis, this will be their own thoughts and feelings after I am done. Even hypnosis won't be able to counteract it, because while it is basically their own thoughts at that point, my magic will hold it in place in their minds indefinitely." Why is everyone looking at me like I just had an appendage fall off? "What?"
The members look at one another and smile. The heirs continue to stare at me. Finally, Uncle Anthony breaks the silence. "Okay, if we could all just pick our jaws up off the floor for a minute. Yes, Celeste is quick thinking and impressive, but there is still work to be done, apparently. Standing here staring at her like she's a damn unicorn isn't going to help that along." I send Uncle Anthony a "thank you for stepping in" glance, and he sends me a smile back.
"Wait a minute, Celeste."
"Yes, Mrs. Monave?"
"Is there any way to test the theory that hypnosis won't override what you've implanted? I have complete faith in you, dear, but I just want to make sure about this before we let them go. Some hypnosis is very powerful."
My lips purse, my eyes squint, and my brows furrow. Not the cutest deep - thinking face, but it's the one I always get. "Um... ah! Got it! Who here has the most powerful hypnosis?"
"I suppose that would be me. I have a few hundred years of practice."
"All right, does everyone else agree that Mr. Yamaguchi is the strongest?" Everyone nods their acceptance. "Great. Now Mr. Yamaguchi. You and Uncle Anthony are going to go into the holding cell that he put the first captives in. When you get in there, you are going to beguile them."
"Okay, what should I beguile them to do?"
"Kill Uncle Anthony."
Stunned gasps and a lot of "what the fucks" go up around the room. "Celeste, you have lost your mind! You want my father to try to defend himself against all those men?"
"No, Ajax, I don't. They will not move. I love your father. I would never put him in harm's way. This is how confident I am of my barriers. You have to trust me." Ajax runs his hands through his hair in annoyance, but says nothing.
"Ajax, calm down. I trust Celeste with my life. You know that. Besides, I can take them with one hand behind my back if I have to." He shoots me a wink, and I giggle.
"Okay, Celeste, I will do as you say. If they attack Anthony, though, I will not hesitate to rip them all to shreds."
"I am strangely comfortable with that outcome as well, Mr. Yamaguchi." He tries not to smile, but he can't stop it. We all move to the holding cell area, where we split up. Uncle Anthony and Mr. Yamaguchi go into the cell, and we go into the observation room next door. We can see and hear everything from there. I push the button on the intercom, "Okay, Mr. Yamaguchi, give it your best shot." I have instructed Mr. Yamaguchi to keep his back to the two - way mirror and Uncle Anthony to stand behind him. This way the spectators nor Uncle Anthony will be able to see his eyes and accidently get beguiled during this little experiment.
Mr. Yamaguchi stands before the group of men. I can see him looking down at them. I can hear his serpentine voice, trying to crawl into the men's ears. No one moves. He tries several times and several methods, but still, no one moves. He turns to look at the mirror and says, "I have put more power into that beguiling than I have any other before, but I can't get through." A smile spreads across my face.
I push the intercom button again. "Uncle Anthony, tell them all to bark like dogs." He does, and the entire room fills with barking noises. "Okay, tell them to stop barking." He says only those two words, and the room goes completely silent. "Okay, you guys can come out."
We all walk back into the parlor to finish our discussion. "Does that put everyone's fears at ease?"
"Never doubted you for a minute, honey."
"Thanks, Uncle Anthony. The reason Mr. Yamaguchi's beguiling didn't work is because my magic was blocking it. I have given that room of men an order to obey commands from Uncle Anthony or myself only." I look around the room and see relief on a lot of faces.
"Celeste, do you think you can plant that in Ajax's brain too?"
"Hahah, sorry, Uncle Anthony, no firing at the friendlies."
"Thanks a lot, Dad."
"It was worth a shot."
"So would someone mind setting up a cell for me? I need to sit right in front of the subject to make sure I have good eye contact. I need a table with a chair on either side of it. This is going to be a long - term suggestion that I am implanting, so I need to do each person individually instead of as a group. We don't need any slipups."
"I'll go get it set up right now."
"Thanks, Cerin. Before I start, though, I need to go check Randol's vitals and IV. I also need a giant cup of coffee, because this is going to take a while."
"I'll go get you some coffee while you check on Randol, sweetheart."
"You're like the caffeine fairy around here, Daddy."
"At least you still need me for something." He gives me an amused grin as he walks away.
"If everyone else could just kind of help me get people in and out of the room, I would really appreciate it. After I am done with them, they won't be specifically under anyone's control anymore. Maybe we could use one of the LMTVs that isn't destroyed to cart them all into town. From there, we can let them take over driving and get themselves home."
"We'll divide everything up while you're in with Randol, dear. We'll be ready when you get done."
"Thank you, Mrs. Monave. I'll be back shortly." I make my way to the infirmary then to check on Randol.
When I open the door, I peek in quietly. Good. He's asleep. He needs all the rest he can get right now to help him recover. I update his charts with his current vitals, which look great. His IV needs to be changed out, so I do that and note it on his chart as well. Last, I need to check his stitches, but I really don't want to. I don't want to wake him, but he has the blanket pulled all the way up to his chest. The stitches are across his side and stomach, so I would have to pull it down to see them, which might wake him. It has to be done, though. I slowly pull the blanket down, trying not to wake him. Wow. The edges of the skin around the laceration are already starting to fuse together. Those shifter genes are impressive. I am running my finger over the stitches when I hear giggling. "You know, if you want to see me naked all you have to do is ask."
"Very funny, mutt. I was just checking your stitches before I head in to interrogate our uninvited guests. I tried not to wake you. I'm sorry."
"It's fine. Anytime I get to open my eyes to that beautiful face
is a blessing."
"I can see you're feeling better. Your stitches look good too. You should be able to get up and walk around some tomorrow, at this rate."
"Does that mean we can go for a walk, and get some alone time? I feel like we have a lot to talk about."
"That, we do. Let's see how you feel tomorrow before we plan our five K, shall we?"
"That sounds reasonable. This is torture, by the way. I finally know that I can try to win you over, and I am stuck in this bed."
"You don't have to try anything, Randol. You have already won me over." He smiles the most gorgeous smile at me, and places his hand on my face. I lean down and give him a gentle kiss on his full lips.
"That makes me very happy but I still want to be out of this bed and spending time with you."
"I want that too, but I want you to get better first. If you are able to walk tomorrow, we'll take the elevator up to the balcony so you can get some fresh air. Until then, please, rest. I'm going to get your dad to bring you something to eat. Any requests?"
"Don't laugh, but I want chicken noodle soup. My mom used to make it for me when I was young to help me feel better."
"That is completely adorable."
"Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up."
"All right, I have to go, but before I do, I want you to promise me something."
"And what's that?"
"Well, two things actually. Do not get out of bed without me here and no shifting."
Sigh. "Fine, but will you come back to see me before you go to bed."
"Of course. I would never neglect a patient."
"Is that all I am to you? A patient?"
"Until you are medically cleared, yes."
"I'm not so sure that makes me happy. Do you kiss all your patients like that?"
"Hahah, only the extremely attractive ones."
"Not funny, Doc."
"Get some rest, your dad should be in shortly." I give him a little wave and leave to find Mr. Woods.
I head into the basement lounge area and see him reading a book on the couch. "Mr. Woods, I just went to check on Randol. He's healing quickly, but still needs to stay in bed for the evening. I'm going to let him try to get up and walk a bit tomorrow."
"Thank you, Celeste. I can see he's in good hands."
"No problem at all. I need him to eat something, though, to help build his strength. Would you mind taking something in to him?"
"Of course not. I'll head to the kitchen now."
"He requested chicken noodle soup." He immediately starts to giggle. "He said his mom used to make it for him."
"Never too old to be a momma's boy, I guess. I'll have it done in no time."
"Thanks, Mr. Woods. I have to get back to the cells. See you later." He waves me off, and heads to the kitchen.
I head over to the holding cell Cerin got ready for me, but I remember something on the way. "Oh crap!"
"Celeste, what's wrong, sweetheart?" Daddy hands me my coffee as he walks up.
"Thanks, Daddy. I totally forgot to ask someone to take notes from the other side of the glass. I have to interrogate these guys before I reprogram them."
"Don't stress out, I'll get someone to take notes. Are you sure you're up for this? You have to be exhausted."
"I guess I'm more like you than I thought, because I would endure anything to keep our paranormal community safe. This is a small step, compared to what's ahead."
"I guess it is. We are all here to support you, so if you need anything or need to take a break, just let us know."
"You've become my caffeine fairy, Daddy. That's plenty. I have to get in there. Can you let Mrs. Monave to have her team bring in the first one, when she's ready? Save the bears for last. Oh, and for God's sake, get some clothes on them first, please."
"Will do, sweetheart. I'll put someone behind the mirror to take notes first."
"Thanks, Daddy." I take my coffee and plop down at the table in the cell, with my back facing the mirror. I don't want to take the chance of anyone getting caught in my stare.
Shortly the door opens, and the first man is brought in. Uncle Anthony and Daddy are going to have to spearhead bringing them in, since they are only supposed to follow their orders. As each one comes in, the first thing I do is release their mind from that command. I then ask them various questions and when I think I have gotten all the information I can out of them, I reprogram them like I had previously planned. I get through all the humans, but it takes a long time. I am exhausted, but I only have three more to go.
When I get to the first bear, I run into my first problem. When asked why he betrayed the paranormal community, his answer chilled me to the bone. Apparently, Donnelly has a holding facility for paranormals. He has been kidnapping the children of powerful paranormals in order to force them to fight for the CPE. Unfortunately, no one but Donnelly and one of his generals know where this facility is. This is unacceptable. I have to do something. I do only a small reprogram on the bears. I only ask that they trust the council and go home to wait for their children to be delivered. I also ask that they not have any further contact or dealings with Donnelly or the CPE. After they take the last bear to the trucks, I find Daddy.
"Daddy, I know we have to do something, but I have to rest first. I can't keep my eyes open."
"Why don't you go get some rest and I'll compile these notes for tomorrow. We'll figure this out, Celeste. Don't worry."
"Thanks, Daddy. It's been a couple of hours, so I'm going to go check on Randol before I head upstairs."
"All right. Good night, sweetheart."
"Night, Daddy."
As promised, I go to the infirmary as soon as I'm done. "Well, hey there. I thought you would be asleep."
"I'm not used to getting a lot of sleep."
"I understand that." I sit in the chair next to Randol's bed and take his hand. "How was your soup?"
"Not as good as Mom's, but edible."
"Good. Well, your vitals are still good and you are holding food down, so I guess we'll be able to get you up for that walk tomorrow after all. Ugh. I mean today. It's almost two in the morning."
"Really? You must be tired. Why don't you head to bed and I'll see you in the morning."
"Actually, do you mind if I just lay down here for a little while? I could use the comfort."
"Sure. I'd never turn down a chance to have you next to me."
"It's just sleep, Randol. I am not throwing myself at you."
"While that is disappointing, I know you're not. I just feel more relaxed when you're near me."
"Me too." I carefully crawl into the bed on the opposite side of Randol's stitches. I lay my head on his shoulder, and he wraps his arms around me. I swear, I think it only takes about thirty seconds before I start to doze off. Just before I lose consciousness, I feel his lips on my forehead and then hear him sigh. This feel right. It feels like home.