Page 43 of Dark Gambit: The Play

"It's a device that can incapacitate humans and immortals by producing a loud noise," Turner said. "We would need to test it on a Kra-ell to see if it affects you the same way."

"I volunteer," Vrog immediately offered.

"Thank you," Turner said. "Testing it on you will be very helpful in gaining data on how it affects hybrids, but we need to catch a pureblooded male to see how it affects them. Also, we can't make any plans before we know more, and only a pureblooded warrior will have all the information we need."

"Right." Kian looked at Vrog. "How much stronger are the purebloods than the hybrids?"

"As you would expect, they are stronger. In a hand-to-hand fight between a similarly trained pureblood and a hybrid, the pureblood will win. If the hybrid was better trained, he might be able to hold up longer, but he will eventually lose."

"We might need your help to catch one. Can we count on it?"

"Of course. But just to remind you, I was never trained as a warrior, and I'm a hybrid. I don't know how helpful I would be."

"We are still figuring it out, and we might end up not needing you. I just want to know that I can count on you if needed."

"Of course. I'm sure Aliyah will gladly help as well." Vrog smiled. "You shouldn't discount her just because she's a female. She's very strong, and she's also resourceful."

Kian drummed his fingers on the table. "I don't like using females in combat, and I don't care if that makes me a relic or a chauvinist, but perhaps we can utilize Aliyah in some other way." He looked at Turner. "What do you think?"

"I'll put her name on my list of assets."

30

MARCEL

During the drive back to Safe Haven, Sofia had been making an effort to get back into Marcel's good graces, and despite his resolve to stay firm and not succumb to her charms, his resistance was slowly eroding.

The truth was that it was working both ways.

Sofia had been suspicious of their motives, and she'd resisted sharing information as best she could to protect her loved ones. But the more they'd talked, and the more she'd learned about Igor and what he had done to Jade, the more inclined she seemed to believe that their agenda wasn't conquest but liberation.

Perhaps if he told her about Turner's suspicions with regard to the tracker, she would be even more inclined to cooperate with them, provided that they didn't endanger her family.

And that was a problem he didn't have a solution for. If Kian chose to attack her compound, there would be casualties no matter how diligent they were to protect innocent lives.

Hell, even some of Igor's inner circle could be decent people who had been coerced into doing his bidding. With his compulsion power, he was like a god, or rather a devil.

At least the gods had done their best to appear benevolent. Igor had made no such effort.

They entered Safe Haven's outer security ring when Marcel finally decided to share it with Sofia. "I looked up the pendant you were given to communicate with Valstar and Igor. It's not very sophisticated, and it can be bought online. The design is also very tacky, and it looks cheap. In comparison, the tracker we removed from your body is state-of-the-art. I don't even know how he got a piece of such advanced technology. Maybe he brought it with him from the home planet."

Sofia frowned. "Is there a question in there somewhere? Because I don't know anything about alien technology or where he got it. I've never seen anything in the compound that looked like it wasn't human made, but that doesn't mean much. Igor might be hiding the good stuff."

Marcel had to smile. It didn't even occur to her to wonder about the discrepancy between the two pieces of equipment she'd been given, one knowingly and one unknowingly.

"We talked about it, and we have a hypothesis. We think that you were given a simple piece of technology for communication because you were supposed to get caught. The tracker would have led Igor, or whoever he sent to trail you, to our base or headquarters or wherever else he thought you would end up after getting caught. Somehow, you've outsmarted everyone, though. Our instruments didn't pick up on the transmission. I guess you used your daily runs to get a few miles away from Safe Haven and activated the communicator there."

"I did, but Valstar told me to find a secluded spot where no one could overhear me."

"Did he tell you to get far away from Safe Haven?"

She shook her head. "The first day, I went on a walk on the beach, looking for a good spot, but when I was stopped by one of your guards, I got scared and decided to walk much farther than I planned." She tilted her head. "Do you monitor transmissions to and from Safe Haven?"

He nodded. "We are conducting classified research here."

"Is it something that Igor might be interested in?"

"Not likely, and I doubt that he suspected what we’re doing, but the fact remains that the device you were given was not very sophisticated while the tracker was. It might not mean anything, but it seems suspicious when combined with your lack of experience and that you haven't been told what you were supposed to look for."