Mentally - 15. Secrets

“W-what happened?” I stirred. There was an awful pound inside my head and sticky stuff all over my face. My hand found its way to the throbbing portion of my temples. A man knelt beside me, but I couldn’t recognize who it was initially. “Ugh. It fucking hurts.”

“Good job, son.” His dry voice said. Slowly, he took out something soft and wiped the sticky stuff off of my face. It was then I noticed that it was my blood. “I often see that Mentals are potentially powerful, but I’ve never seen something like this. You could be a one-man army, Kieran.”

“How long I was out?” I asked with a wince. A sharp feel of electricity ruptured the side of my head. Then I looked around, but my companion was nowhere to be found. “It feels like a whole day.”

“Almost ten minutes.” The man motioned his head to see that armed people were around us. A small tent was already erected nearby, and a small facility was set up for whatever was needed. “They’re about to take the guy back. He should be sent to a facility in a sedated state so that the drug can exit his system. But we need to-”

“Wait!” I groaned. Panic was on my face. And the blood on my skin almost came back to life. My body went back to its feet and dragged myself towards the crater. “I need to see his face. I need to know where Damian is!”

I thought the man was going to stop me. But he didn’t. Our enemy was already strapped to a stretcher. Even from the first look before the battle commenced, I just knew it was not Damian. However, something inside me just nudged and thought he should be connected. There was just hidden intuition that screamed from within.

The black helmet was already removed, and my instincts were further vindicated. It was probably a middle-aged man with blonde hair. He was no one familiar, and I was sure he was just an experiment gone wrong. Whoever was making the new drug was undoubtedly trying to scare society. As I walked nearer and my mentor followed behind, I sensed the psychic energy still emanating from the body.

“Can I touch him?” I asked.

“I’m not sure how that would help.” Mr. Horikoshi replied behind me. But at the same time, he looked curious. At that point, I no longer cared if he knew the extent of my abilities. It was pretty apparent at that moment that I was a powerful Mental. “Is there by any chance you could access the guy’s consciousness?”

“I think I should still be able to access his mind.” I replied with a low and wary voice because I wondered how he would react. If I proved to him that I could have access to people’s memories or at least put them in a potent trance, I would be labeled as an interrogation machine, too. “I am not really sure. The person is already sedated. I have never experienced accessing the consciousness of someone in that kind of state.”

“I’ll let you give it a try.” My mentor permitted. I was kind of surprised that he would say something like that. It would have been the protocol to stop already since it might take a lot of time. “I’m also curious about the extent of your abilities.”

But I wouldn’t say something against it. I couldn’t waste time on my end either since it was the only chance to get something that might lead to Damian. There was a slight nudge at the back of my head. For some reason, I just knew that I was very close to finding Damian.

I knelt beside the stretcher. I touched his temples for some added effect and gave all my focus. The unseen realm opened itself to me once again, but I saw all the glowing lines inside the person’s head this time. Some of the lines would make sparks of different colors. Guided by my instincts alone, I projected my reils into the person exactly how I pictured invading a person’s mind.

Whenever my reils would touch the spark of flashing colors, some voices came flooding in my head. Numerous people were speaking to me at once. The sparks were probably synapses of memories inside the man’s head. And if I stimulated him correctly, I was sure I could pinpoint the precise memory.

The problem was how to find a specific memory. If it was buried deep inside him because it happened from weeks, or months or even years ago, it might take a lot of time and energy. I just recovered during those moments. So, I knew that I couldn’t afford to lose a lot of psychic energy.

He’s awake. A lone voice said. It was a bit gruff. The voice was tense with excitement. Almost giddy like a child. The child is finally awake.

Yes. He’s awake. He’s finally awake. Another voice came in. This one was cold and confident. I sensed that the person probably knew more than the first person. My eyes were still shut-in. He will lead us to Paradise.

The Second Prophet is finally here. The first man commented. He was definitely a fanatic. And a crazy one, I might add. The thrill in his voice was intoxicating even if I heard from a far-off memory. Prophet Daniel will arise.

Hail to the One! It was because of the creature’s knowledge that we could unlock the secrets of the mind. A third voice came in with snobbish praise. I couldn’t see any imagery of the memory. Voices were probably all I could manage with my current abilities. And that point, I was no longer sure how many people were in that memory. And we will make sure he comes!

Then the voices vanished instantly. I wondered what the knocked-out man had to do with these mysterious people. They sounded like some kind of evil organization that you’d see in movies.

But I set them aside for a moment. Damian was the goal. Nothing else mattered.

I pressed my reils further into the person. The grip in his mind was like a vice, and I could sense the mental pain the man was going through. As much as he was a victim of these unknown men, my patience had run too thin. I could not afford to lose another lead. Not this time.

The origin of this beta project is Project Isaiah. A new voice stated. As if the man was speaking directly to me. It was very similar to the second person from the previous memory. But I was not too sure. But Project Daniel is a different story. The Broods will come. And they will be one of the greatest weapons this world has ever seen.

Where is Project Daniel exactly? A voice came from my own throat. I knew it was not me, of course. But it seems the man we knocked did know something about what we were after.

He’s in the Ark of the Covenant. The first man replied. His mood suddenly turned contemplative. Sleeping. Waiting. Strengthening himself for the war to come.

The world will not see it coming. A woman’s voice spoke this time. And it was a very familiar voice. Anna Festus? My mind was too occupied with fatigue to make sure it was her. But it was not surprising if Anna knew, too.

Indeed, it won’t. The voice stated. Almost like an assured promise. His faith was unwavering.

And once the war is over. We shall take care of the ashes and build it anew. The woman declared. She sounded like a fanatic as well. But more calmly. We will prepare for the One who is to come.

Then suddenly, a couple of red eyes appeared in my mind’s eye. It looked at me directly. The gaze was so deep that it pierced the innards of my soul. And a powerful rage blasted me away from the mind of the person. I was hurled back into my own body, and it was Aiden who caught me.

“What happened?” He asked.

“Project Daniel. What was it?” I asked. Our mentor reacted, and a wrinkly appeared at the side of his mouth. It was probably frustration. Or surprise. Or maybe both at the same time. “It seems connected to Damian somehow, but I don’t know what it is exactly.”

“They were under our noses this whole time!” Mr. Horikoshi grumbled. The realization of betrayal was written all over his face. “I knew it. There was a traitor high up in the military. I just had no concrete evidence I could use.”

“But we don’t know where the Ark of the Covenant is!” I exclaimed. My eyes darted back towards the unconscious person. My eyes heated up as I focused again to regain connection with the mysterious memory. “What the hell?”

“He’s dead.” Mr. Horikoshi declared bitterly.

“What?” I shrieked. One of the men immediately checked the man’s pulse and shook his head down. It couldn’t be. “How? I thought he was stable. We were so damn close to Damian!”

“A construct must have been triggered when you were trying to extract the memory. That means he was in contact with a very powerful Mental.” My mentor stated his hypothesis. “If that’s the case, then that means we are close to the person you are looking for. Damian Davis is a ghost. His name exists. But his records have been wiped out cleanly.”

“You know something, don’t you?” I asked rhetorically. My lips felt dry. And it pained me so much that we were so agonizingly close. I almost wanted to beg him down on my knees. “Tell us! We have don’t know where to start looking.”

“You don’t. But I do.” The man muttered. A glimmer of hope appeared. But the man was frustrated about something else. Aiden was just silently watching behind. He was awfully more quiet than usual. “I will have to set up a team in a short while. Get rest as much as you can. We’ll go there right now.”

“What?” My eyes lit up. “Are you for real?”

My mentor just nodded.

“I expected you’ll give us a harder time.” Aiden commented sharply. His eyes wandered over to Mr. Horikoshi. “You said that there was a traitor amongst the military, right? That’s your goal, I assume.”

“Yeah.” He quipped. Then he faced one of the men that were on standby. “Hey Sergeant Steinfield. Assemble the Delta Team 6. We rendezvous at Point Nine and wait for my next orders. They should be on standby at this time.”

“Affirmative.” The man rushed away like a loyal servant.

My eyebrows were raised immediately with the way his voice was so compelling in his command. It felt like an absolute authority when he spoke of Delta Team 6. I knew that they were the real deal for some reason.

Everything went fast after that. A military humvee arrived and took us in. One of the men assisted me by injecting me with a drug that helped me doze off immediately. According to our mentor, we would arrive in the location of Damian in less than 4 hours. I was kind of groggy throughout the travel. But I was assured that it was meant to help me conserve my energy. Aiden assisted me throughout it all, which was surprisingly compliant of him. It was an almost impossible task for him to help another person at times.

I only had glimpses of our travel. One was when I was assisted in getting on the plane since it was not practical to carry me by a stretcher. The aircraft we used was more of a private jet than a military one.

But the drug was too potent. I asked myself if it was a good idea to trust them shutting me down that way at the back of my head. However, Aiden didn’t put up a fight and went along with it. He was a lot more skeptical than I was. And I trust that part of him. If he trusted those men, then so will I.

Then the pain subsided after a couple of hours. Every once in a while, I would wake up, and the outside of the plane was dark. I noticed that the aircraft that we rode on was quite luxurious. My head would tilt over to the side and observe. Based on the aura around me, only Aiden’s and Mr. Horikoshi’s aura were familiar. The other men were probably folks from the military.

And based on how calm their auras were, they were probably dozing off.

I saw a man on the other aisle who looked very familiar to me at the corner of my eye. I thought he was some sort of celebrity because of how handsome he looked. It made me keep looking back because I was unsure who it really was. But I was very optimistic that I had never met the man. The aura could attest for itself.

It was then I realized that I was turning into some sort of oversize psychic dog. I read somewhere that those animals sniff the butt of the other dogs to better ready their biological data. They would know how old the canine was. Or where it has been. If I recall correctly, even the dog’s illnesses will be exposed via the scent. It was their biological resume.

Every scent was unique, just how every aura was unique to me. But I was not sure if all the Mentals were capable of it. If they were, then that meant I could do far more than that. Or maybe even go further than reading their aura. Perhaps I could even re-write it given a chance to study it further. The possibilities for my powers were endless in terms of practicality.

I was not a power-hungry individual. All I wanted was just to protect all of my loved ones. But if I could do that, would getting so much power be justified?

Hey. How’s the headache? A telepathic thought rushed into my head. I immediately knew it was Aiden. I’m surprised you still have ahead after that. It’s a waster either way since you don’t use it that much.

Any idea when we’ll land? My butt is kinda aching right now. I replied in my head. It was true, though. They just placed me on one of the exquisite armchairs like some kind of ragged doll. Since we were inside some luxury private plane, it felt better than it should’ve. I have really kept track of time with all the time I was asleep.

I could take care of that if you’d like. Then there was a pause. And I usually didn’t like those awkward pauses. It was kind of vile but also fun. I’m actually aching to have more fun than the last time between you and me.

Stop it! My blood quickly rushed to my cheeks. I knew he snickered because he got a reaction from me. I don’t like it when I’m being teased that way.

Before I could speak another word, a psychic push brushed my legs. It was near my groin area. My body almost squirmed in delight. I immediately knew Aiden was doing that. But it was all just to tease me. I almost whimpered because I haven’t given much attention to my junk in recent days. With all the chaos that was going on around me, pleasure was the last thing on my mind.

I thought we were not really friends. And everything you were supposed to do is out of your professionalism to attain your goal. I groaned in my thoughts. Aiden’s psychic push on my leg got firmer. My dick was already stirring up to its full length inside my pants. My hand already wandered to adjust it accordingly. Thankfully, there was no one directly insight in witnessing the molestation that was happening. This is not being professional at all!

This is still a legitimate need, Kieran. Don’t deny it. Even in my head, his voice was very haughty. The devil would have been proud of the way he was luring me out of my shell. Aiden was very attractive. Though my loyalty lies with Damian, he was right. It was still a need. I also need a release from all the stress that had built up. You also want it. It doesn’t really take a psychic to figure out what you really want to do with Damian once you see him.

Stop…messing with me. I gasped physically. The push was already massaging my throbbing cock. It wasn’t a real hand, but it felt just as good as one. I imagined a lot of uses for my powers, but this one was not on the top of my list. It was quite an unexpected turn. Aiden. Please.

My heart almost jumped when Aiden literally appeared beside me and quietly sat on the armchair across mine. I was so focused on stopping myself from reaching my climax that I barely felt his physical movements. It was swift and silent. Just like a deadly assassin.

There was a smug on his face as he sat back and opened his legs before me. I saw his prominent bulge that was aching as if there were no other people in the plan. To my side, I finally saw a timer that said 1940 hours. It was kind of weird because before I got knocked out by the drug, they said that it might take at least four hours of travel time.

But then, it could have been a buffer time between traveling from the middle of the city and into a hangar. That would have meant going around some of the checkpoint areas. Since we were also escorted by the military, it should still not be much of a difficulty at that point. Yet thinking about the battlefield, the traffic around the city must have been awful since there were many buildings damaged during the fight.

Do you wanna try if we could fit in the lavatory? Aiden teased further. My cock would almost pop off from the tension. We could be quick if you want to.

“Boys, turn it down.” A rough voice came from the other end of the aisle. Our mentor probably felt the tension in the air from the psychic energy Aiden was projecting on my groin. “You two could do…that somewhere else. And you could be at least more civilized to our patron over there for letting us use his private jet.”

As I stared back at the person before me, he had his straight face on. It was a bit eerie because I never liked it whenever someone would look at me that way. I felt like all my actions were being judged in the open. And some of them were pretty questionable to survive.

“Tell me.” Aiden began. The lust in his eyes was entirely snuffed out. “What would you do once you see Damian?”

“I’ll help him escape.” I quipped.

“And then?” He asked.

“I’ll give him the life he deserves. Damian is not really a Mental. So, I don’t think there is a reason for him to stay hidden. It’s just a stupid rule. And it’s a rule that shouldn’t have existed in the first place.” I explained further to Aiden. But based on his facial reaction or lack thereof, I doubt if he was convinced in the slightest bit. “Yeah, sure. His father may be high-ranking military personnel. He shouldn’t really be a target.”

“That’s not really an answer.” He said.

“It’s all the answer I need to keep me going!” I shot back at him. “It’s more than enough for me!”

“And if he doesn’t want to go with you?” Aiden argued. My eyes almost went wide because I had never thought of that. “It’s been three years, Kieran. A lot could change in that kind of time. You were not even sure he was still alive all this time!”

“You didn’t have to state it that way.” I muttered. But I knew it was painfully true.

“I’m just preparing you for the worst.” Aiden replied with a cold voice. “We don’t know where his allegiance lies. That’s the reality. And you were denying that all these years.”

“Trust me. If it comes to that, I can convince Damian!” I pressed back. And I believed every word of what I said. I had to. I judeniedThere’s no way Damian could want the life he has right now.”

“No. Don’t be stupid. That’s just your emotion talking out loud.” Aiden rebutted sharply. “You’re supposed to be one of the strongest Mentals out there. Your IQ should have been sky-high. I actually didn’t imagine you being this stupid.”

“Shut up!” I snapped.

“I really should have known better. You never looked ahead. All this time!” He kept coming back with more statements that were painfully true. At the back of my mind, there was already an urge to snap his neck. All it would take was a swipe of my finger, and it would be over. But with an Eraser nearby, he could stop me quickly despite all the psychic strength I could muster. “You were stuck in the past. And the sooner you see this, the more you’ll be prepared with what’s to come.”

“Boys. Tone it down.” Mr. Horikoshi’s voice boomed louder than usual. The man who seemed to be a celebrity was observing us from afar. I was pretty sure he head the whole conversation at that point. “Last warning. Stop acting like teenagers. The situation we are in right now does not allow you to do so. Deal with it.”

That was more than enough to stop us.

“If you have nothing else to say, just leave.” I broke the ice after a couple of minutes. At that point, I already had to stop myself. My hands were shaking. All my psychic energy was restrained, but the plane may crash and kill all of us if I let it out. “I don’t want to end up fighting you. Please.”

Our conversation went from sexually charged to emotionally charge all in one go. That pretty much summed up my relationship with Aiden. It was a chaotic ride. If Mr. Horikoshi didn’t stop us, I might have ended up having sex again inside the plane. At that point, I wish that had happened instead.

An hour later, we landed in a shady hangar base. It looked old and abandoned, but when the gate of one of the aircraft hangars opened, the place looked modern and with the latest tech. A small team was also waiting for us inside. Our mentor took charge, and Dela Team Six was quickly briefed. It didn’t even take five minutes before we were on the road again to God knows where.

Inside the humvee were the three of us, plus one of the Delta Team Six members who took the wheel. It was awkward because I had no choice but to sit with Aiden at the back. However, we were asked not to gear up like the rest of the soldiers. Based on the plan, they would storm the place at a different point.

But for me, Aiden and Mr. Horikoshi, we were dressed in a three-piece suit, and he just said that they would explain later. Yet, it probably took half of the travel time before I got to break the ice.

“How did you know where the Ark of the Covenant is?” I asked out of the blue. It was the unanswered question before they knocked me out. Our mentor was supposed to explain, but he never did. “I thought it was just a lead, not an actual location.”

“The Arc of the Covenant is a secret military base underneath one of the buildings in the downtown part of the city. The businesses occupying its are still legitimate tenants and act as the perfect cover for what was going on in the labs.” The man finally expounded. “It’s just a codename for the lab. There were rumors about illegal experiments going on in there, but there were no shreds of evidence. This operation will be done in secret because my superior never had the go signal.”

“And how do we come into play? Why are we dressed like this?” It was Aiden’s turn to ask. His question was spot on, as usual. “I don’t mind battling against shoulders in style, but safety comes first. It’s more practical for situations like these.”

“There is actually a fundraiser going on. It was an organization that occupied one of the floors. The building boasts of a huge hall for such events.” Our mentor explained further. “You two will be my adopted sons. No one would think that you’re working with the military. I already had one of my team hacked into the database and change our names and information. You can go unwind. But keep yourselves vigilant.”

“What if hell breaks loose?” I raised.

“My team already brought an extra set of gear.” He stated. “It’s not really legal, but I will entrust you with…lethal weapons that you could use should it be needed.”

Before I could say another word, our humvee stopped in front of a limousine. We silently switched cars before we drove off to our target location. There was an eerie feeling on that way. Everything was too convenient. The battle drums inside my head wouldn’t slow down.

Was it anxiety from an unknown attack? Or maybe it was just excited because there’s a big chance I might see Jaden again? I was no longer sure.

It didn’t take five minutes for us to arrive at the location. The building was pretty massive, and the area was spacious. I imagine just one tall building, but it was more of a complex. Three towering buildings were connected by bridges that served as the first five main floors.

There were also many people inside, and they were all dressed for the night. I stepped out and acted as rich and snotty as I could. Our mentor whispered that we were studying overseas in exclusive private schools. We were there because by the time we were 18, we would be inheriting a share of the company that partakes in similar fundraising events.

The guards were pretty aloof as we passed by. Even a typical, unpowered teenager could get in and out quickly. There was barely any lethal protection around, and blindspots were all over the place. Delta Team Six should be able to get in unnoticed.

“We’re in a temporary truce for tonight.” Aiden whispered softly to my ear. “I’ll be a clingy little brother if you want.”

I didn’t respond audibly but nodded instead. The other boy just dragged me to the dessert section of the table. We took a plate of sweets and tried to tone it down as our mentor instructed. Delta Team Six will probably search the place in and out secretly while we watch out for interesting people in the crowd. We will slip out of the party if they find something and follow the team.

That was the plan in a nutshell. And I kind of approved of it. It reduced the risk of being caught in a middle of a fight. Both Aiden and Mr. Horikoshi knew I was still reeling back from the previous battle. If I was forced to fight strong opponents, they might catch me off guard, which would have been the end of the operation. Our mentor mentioned before that it was a warrantless search, and there would be a lot of legal repercussions if our operation was caught in the act.

“Well, this is quite unexpected.” A woman’s voice came from behind. It was a familiar one. And I knew it was the voice from the vision. The similarity was just too uncanny. “You two cute boys are starting to love parties, huh?”

It was none other than Dr. Anna Festus. “Likewise, Dr. Festus.”

“Are you still looking for your childhood sweetheart, Mr. Klein? Oh, I’m sorry. Your name for tonight is Mr. Ricafort. Better keep your secret identity.” Her brows were raised as if I was her plaything. Then she turned to one of the enormous doors that welcomed other guests. “Perhaps that’s the boy you were looking for. Quite the dashing young man, isn’t he?”

My heart skipped a few beats as I turned around.

A young boy appeared at the end of the hall. His expression was nonchalant and blank. As if he just woke up from a deep sleep. And based on what he was wearing, he was dressed for the occasion like us. The boy was wearing a three-piece suit wherein it was full black from top to bottom. His black shoes were polished brightly, too.

I was probably a few years older if I could guess his age. Even his stature was small for a kid. But the face was familiar. It was all too familiar. Almost bitterly familiar.

That was the trigger. And it was a trigger I never saw coming.

Nothing really changed since the last time I saw him. The same dark hair. The same gray eyes. The same rosy cheeks. And the same handsome face that I have always been secretly attracted to. That was just impossible.

“It can’t be.” I croaked. It dawned on me. “Damian?”