Chapter 6: Psychological Mutiny

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Egad’s Castle

Vhaldaria…

Foxtail-1 touched down on the landing pad, Chaos and Mick powering the ship down. The landing pad then retracted back into it’s hangar, the turf-covered roof sliding back into place.

It was as they departed the ship, Egad was greeted by a guard. “Master Egad, there are guests in the foyer. They say they are here to see Mick Daniels. We have taken all necessary security precautions.”

“That’s strange.” Mick said. “I wasn’t expecting anyone.”

“Did they say who they were?” Egad asked.

“Agents from the Galactic United Nations, here on behalf of Space Patrol Delta and the Coalition of Galactic Governments.” The guard answered.

Mick sighed, irritated. “This must be another psych evaluation, due to the aftermath of what happened on the Azure Flux nine months ago. I thought they were going to cut back on that crap!”

“Oh, well. When you have worked in the government and law enforcement…” Egad said.

“I’m just getting tired of them popping up at random, and at the worst possible times!” Mick griped, getting out an electronic vapor cigarette from his pocket as they walked back into the hallway that led back to the castle. “Honesty, I’m starting to get tempted to give them a piece of my mind! In the form of a blurred fist! Do you mind if I vape? It’s odor-free.”

“First of all, I don’t mind if you vape. Second, if you do send your fist at any of them, they’ll definitely think something is wrong, and the pop-up visits will only get worse.” Egad cautioned, then grinned. “But there is a less violent and more direct way to get back at them, if you want.”

Mick noticed the gleam in Egad’s eye. He usually got that look when he came up with a great over-the-top idea or breakthrough. Mick blew out a cloud of vapor away from everyone after taking a drag on the electric cigarette. “Okay, Uncle Egad. What did you have in mind?”

Egad’s Castle...

Foyer…

Agent Alona Rouge, a vixen bat, Junior Agent Miles “Propeller-Head” Edmond, a Two-tailed Kitsune Fox, and Agent Sidney “Shadow” Devlin, a black Hedgehog with blue and red highlights in his quills, waited in the foyer, a few butlers serving them some tea as they sat on a couch.

Shadow turned down the tea, taking a drink from a flask on his hip. “So, you say that Mick just got back from a trip with his godfather? May I ask where they went off to on such short notice?”

“Sorry, Agent Shadow. That’s my business, and my business only to be blunt.” A voice said from around a hallway.

Stepping out around the corner was Mick, holding an electric vape cigarette in his hand. With him was Xen, Egad, and a few members of the coven, consisting of Galen, Tommy, Zhal, and Amon. The coven members were dressed in their slave outfits, though that didn’t seem to bother the agents. They were more than old enough to get it. Miles, after all, just turned 18, Rouge was 27, and Shadow… Well, including the time he spent in stasis, he was 74, though Shadow appeared more like he was 32.

Shadow stood up from the couch with Miles and Rouge. “That kind of attitude is not going to help along your evaluation.” Shadow said flatly as he screwed the cap back onto his flask.

“Apologies. I must be a little cranky from FTL lag.” Mick said after taking a drag on his electric vape. “Anyways, I wanted to do something a little different for today’s checkup if you don’t mind.”

Rouge raised an eyebrow. “Such as?”

“How does a nice fun drive in the country sound?” Mick asked with a warm grin.

The agents looked at each other, then shrugged. “Why not?” Shadow said. “Let’s get over to your fancy Audi, so we can go-”

“Oh, we’re not taking the Audi out.” Mick said, his grin changing to a mischievous smile that sent shivers down the agents’ spines, while also setting off Shadow’s ‘This-guy-is-going-to-pull-a-fast-one-on-us-and-I-don’t-think-I’ll-like-it’ sense.

Shadow raised an eyebrow. “If we’re not driving in the Audi, what are we driving in?”

“Simple.” Mick said, his wicked smile unchanged. “We’re taking the other car.”

Shadow did not like the way Mick said that sentence. He would soon find out that he would not like the ride in this “other car” either.

Kestrel Highway – Route 343

Mount Asterioth – 45 Kilometers from Egad’s Castle…

Mick tore down Mount Asterioth on the downhill in the El Nino, whipping the rear of the car around the hairpins at speeds ranging from sixty-five to eighty miles per hour! Rouge was having a tough time keeping her nerves under control, struggling to focus as she went through her list of questions on her tablet. To Mick’s disappointment, he had not made any of them scream in terror… Yet.

“Okay, so you’re not hearing any voices, or seeing people that are not there?” Rouge asked.

“Nope.” Mick said as he changed into a higher gear, revving the engine up.

“Okay, so any nightmares? Night terrors, flashbacks, that sort of thing?”

“No, not that I can recall.”

“Any thoughts of suicide or homicide?”

“Hell no!”

“Okay, then. What about-” Rouge had to pause and grab hold of the scram handle above the door, struggling to keep planted in her seat, even though she was buckled in as Mick slid the El Nino through another hairpin. Miles and Shadow had to hold onto the back of the front seats as they planted their feet against the floorboards so they weren’t thrashed about in the back in their seat belts. Mick didn’t slide around in his seat at all, since the driver had a full racing bucket seat with hip and shoulder supports, as well as a four-point harness seat belt strapping him in.

Rouge let out an irritated sigh after Mick straightened out from the hairpin. “Commander Daniels, is it really necessary to drive so fast?”

Mick gave her no more than a passing glance as he continued to drive at his swift pace. “More often than you would think. Why? Do you not like my driving, Agent Rouge?”

Rouge gave a nervous giggle, trying to hide her irritation. “No. I mean, I enjoy a spirited ride as much as the next girl, but-”

She was cut off by a honking horn from behind the El Nino. Mick glanced in his rearview to see a Ferrari F-40 Type H T-Top, a limited edition re-release of the original F-40 refitted to use Hydrogen-2 Fuel pull up from behind them. It drove along, up right next to the El Nino. Mick noticed that the F-40 had the driver’s seat on the right, unlike the El Nino, which placed the driver on the left side. Meaning that Mick was able to get a full eye-full of the driver behind the wheel: A stunning, slender gray and white she-wolf, dressed in a fancy feminine pants suit with a silk scarf around her neck, wearing ruby lens sunglasses. She waved to Mick with a smile, as if taunting him.

Mick just grinned back. The she-wolf wanted to have a race. Perfect timing!

“Who’s that?” Rouge asked.

She did not like the answer, nor did she like Mick’s response, as the young Cornerian Fox pressed a button on the car’s transporter computer touchscreen, putting the El Nino into Super-Sport mode.

“That’s the next girl.” Mick said, gripping the flappy-paddle shift lever with one hand, downshifting, and flooring the gas.

Rouge, Miles, and Shadow had no choice but to hold on as the gloves came off. Mick revved the engine to it’s red line of 9,000 rpm, using the El Nino’s full acceleration capability as he began the Mountain Touge Duel with the F-40 and it’s driver.

The F-40 pulled ahead, trying to block Mick from passing. Mick just let out a joyous laugh, keeping an eye out for a passing opportunity. He found one after a light curve that led into another hairpin.

The F-40 then cut the corner, going across a gravel-paved part that was reserved for law enforcement, going off the asphalt and coming back onto the road ahead of the El Nino.

Mick laughed again as he floored the accelerator, shifting into a higher gear once the tachometer reached the red line, bouncing the needle off the limiter. The El Nino pulled up next to the F-40, both cars taking up the entire length of the two-lane road.

Rouge noticed a slow-moving farm vehicle up ahead, carrying bales of hay. Mick noticed it as well, but didn’t slow down. After all, the tractor was in the Ferrari’s lane, so he didn’t need to slow down.

Rouge began to babble and stutter as the farm vehicle quickly closed it’s distance!

“WATCH OUT!!” Shadow yelled. The Ferrari driver noticed at the last second, veering out of the way and spun into a flat, level gravel trap! Rouge covered her eyes as they zoomed past the tractor, letting out a scream as they sped by at over one-hundred twenty miles per hour! Once they were past the tractor, Rouge opened her eyes, seeing the Ferrari recover from the spin in the rearview, getting back on the road. They had cheated death, not to mention a nasty crash.

“Mick, stop! Stop it!” Rouge snapped, holding onto the passenger scram handle that extended from the dashboard. “I… I know what you’re doing, here!”

Mick gave her a wide, innocent smile. “Really? What is that, dear?”

Rouge took a deep breath, trying to reign in her nerves. “You’re just trying to show off your… Your…”

“Engine?” Mick asked.

“Your Ego!” Miles finished for Rouge. “You’re just trying to show off how big of dick you can be!”

The Ferrari beeped it’s horn a few times as it pulled back up next to Mick, the she-wolf smiling with confidence.

Mick sighed, not slowing his pace in the slightest. “Here we are, having a nice fun drive in the countryside, and you have to spoil it by bringing in psychology…”

“We’re not here for a pleasure cruise, Commander Daniels!” Shadow snapped. “We’re here for your bi-monthly psychological evaluation!”

“Well, let’s just try to look past that for now, shall we Shadow?” Micks said, up-shifting on a straight.

Both the El Nino and Ferrari continued to barrel down the road, jockeying for the lead. A few miles down, Rouge and Mick noticed a group of athletic cyclists slowly climbing up the hill. No doubt part of some kind of marathon, though it only made her heart shoot up into her throat.

Mick and the she-wolf looked at each other, as if daring each other to keep going.

Mick then waved a hand courteously to the she-wolf. “Ladies first.” He said with a cocky grin.

The She-wolf up-shifted the Ferrari, taking the lead as they sped past the cyclists, blaring their horns on purpose! Rouge saw the cyclists fall over, tumbling onto one another like a row of dominoes!

Rouge shot Mick an angry glare. She had put up with enough! “Mick, I want you to stop this car!” She demanded.

“Really?” Mick asked tauntingly.

Rouge finally blew her top. “Stop this car at once!” She shouted, shaking her fist.

Mick looked at her with a smile of glee that that threatened to wrap around his head.

“Did she stutter, sir?!” Shadow snapped.

Mick then ripped back the handbrake without warning, sending the El Nino into a slide, stopping the car as it slid into a scenic viewpoint with uncanny precision.

Mick unbuckled his harness, then leaned over at Rouge, chuckling, popping open the arm rest and retrieving a bottle of refrigerated fancy synthehol chardonnay from a cooler. “As you can see, I have no problem with female authority.” Mick motioned down to the cooler, revealing four wine glasses.

Rouge sighed. “Mick Daniels, you’re incorrigible… Just what am I going to do with you?”

“For now, let’s just sit back, relax, and have a toast to your evaluation.” Mick gave Rouge a quick peck on the lips, causing Rouge to blush a bashful red, Miles’s eyes to widen to dinner plates, and Shadow’s quills to stand on end with territorial irritation at the nerve of the Cornerian Fox. “...A very thorough evaluation.”

Mick then popped the cork off the bottle, and poured everyone a glass.

Emerald Citadel Hotel

Crescent Moon Sands Resort – Tie-Rods Ocean Port – 125 Kilometers from Mount Asterioth

Two Hours, Forty-Five Minutes Later…

Sheila Brightstone temporarily parked her Ferrari F-40 Type H T-top, handing the keys to the valet driver, stepping out of the sports car. She stretched her limbs, a slight breeze fluttering past her body, invigorating her after the long, but fun drive back to the resort. She was looking forward to indulging herself in the amenities.

She checked the schedule on her smartphone. She had a deep-tissue massage scheduled in one hour, followed by a relaxing soak in the jaccuzi. Sheila smiled warmly, but deep inside she was in a dark yet ecstatic mood. She now had a solid description of one of the targets, the young fox unaware that Shiela had snapped a photo of him with her fancy computerized Foster-Grant cyber-sunglasses. Sheila took a moment to look over the image after she had transferred it to her phone. She then walked into the hotel lobby, dialing a number in her contacts simply listed as “Mr. Big.”

The phone rang a few times, then someone picked up. “Ah, Shiela Brightstone.” The voice on the other end crooned. “Good to hear from you. I assume you are at the Emerald Citadel?”

“That I am, Cailus Foxmoore.” Shiela whispered seductively. “I happened to run into one of the targets of interest along the way to the hotel. I’m sending you an image right now…”

Shiela sent the picture via super-text. A few moments later, her phone beeped with a notification that Cailus had received the image.

“Is this your brother? I must say, he looks awfully young and cute for his age…” Sheila crooned.

Cailus sighed, sounding slightly disappointed, yet slightly entertained at the same time. “Sadly, that’s not Ryan. That’s his godson, Mick Daniels.”

“Ah, the retired SPD officer and former Mercenary pilot.” Sheila began to bounce around ideas in her devious brain. “So, I guess if I follow Mr. Daniels around closely enough…”

“...He will eventually lead you to Ryan.” Cailus finished. “Which will then lead you to Gareth, so you can find out what happened to him. You’re correct as usual, Sheila. Keep me informed. Just don’t go making any big moves yet, my dear.”

“Oh, why?” Sheila asked softly with a classic pout.

“Because if my brother gets suspicious of you, he will start digging around for information. Which will no doubt lead him to find out that I’m not only alive, but that I’m onto him. Ryan doesn’t know that you know that I am alive. Let’s not squander that information.”

“Okay.” Sheila purred. “I’ll just try to monitor them from a distance, and try to get close to them if an opportunity presents itself. If it does, I’ll do some digging of my own. I’ll be careful, don’t worry.”

“Good.” Cailus crooned over the phone. “As I said, keep me informed if anything happens. We’ll be in touch.”