Erik glanced at the unconscious president's daughter, her body limp and unmoving, as two of his Chimaeric Demons carried her.
They had to act swiftly, since ti was a scarce commodity at that point. The anesthetic wouldn't last forever, and they needed to be well away from the airport before she regained consciousness.
Their destination was a safe house, far from prying eyes and potential interference. Erik knew that once they arrived, Erik would interrogate her.
He hoped that in her groggy state, she might be more susceptible to revealing information about her mother's whereabouts.
As they moved, Erik kept a watchful eye on their surroundings, alert for any signs of pursuit or unexpected complications. The success of their mission hinged on their ability to disappear without a trace, leaving no clues for those who would inevitably co looking for the president's daughter.
"Get her into the car," Erik said while wondering what the woman would say, or rather think, once she woke up.
Did she know where her mother was? If yes, would there be defenses?
The Chimaeric Demons lifted the unconscious woman and placed her in the back seat. Erik then climbed in beside her.
"Is the area secure?" he asked, turning to one of his clones.
"Yes, sir," the Chimaeric Demon said. "We've swept the periter, and there are no imdiate threats. The people in the airport are still unaware of our presence."
"What about the blackguards? Any news about them?" Erik asked.
"They should be in the dark as everybody else."
Erik nodded, a slight sense of relief washing over him. "Good. Let's keep it that way. We can't afford any slip-ups at this stage. We are almost there."
The car pulled away from the terminal while Erik watched as the rest of his team shapeshifted.
Their bodies contorted, their bones lted, and they reford until they were indistinguishable from the people they had just killed.
Then the Chimaeric Demons, under disguise, moved out of the landing site.
"How long until the anesthetic wears off?" Erik asked his driver, glancing at the unconscious woman beside him.
"Approximately 20 minutes, sir," the Chimaeric Demon said.
"Go faster, then. We'll need to have her secured and ready for questioning by then."
The Chimaeric Demon nodded and sped into the sky.
The journey to the safe house would not be long. The problem was that this ti they had to bring an unconscious person with them, and if they didn't pay attention, they would be found out.
For this reason, and to ensure maximum security, Erik decided to bring the woman to a safe house they had occupied in the past months.
This location was chosen for its proximity to the walls, which would allow them to send Chimaeric Demons quickly if the need arose.
Erik wanted to keep her there until the situation stabilized and they could extract the information they needed.
The safe house was equipped with all the essentials for a prolonged stay, including provisions, dical supplies, and communication equipnt.
Erik had also made sure that every precaution was taken to maintain the place hidden and prevent any potential rescue attempts.
In truth, Erik hoped this would have been a temporary arrangent. However, as he considered the state of global affairs, he realized the woman's captivity might extend far longer than anticipated.
Given how things were, she might never be released, and that weighed on his mind. However, Erik didn't like that for many reasons. Yes, it was morally wrong and all of that, but that wasn't Erik's main thought. It was the fact that she was going to beco a burden.
To keep the president's daughter prisoner would require resources and attention, but most importantly, guards.
The Chimaeric Demons would need to monitor her day and night, ensure she was fed, and provide for all her basic needs. But, of course, they would also need to prevent her escape or for her to call for help.
This would be a responsibility that could distract from other important tasks and keep the Chimaeric Demons away from other tasks.
Erik kept in mind the long-term implications of her captivity. He wondered what would happen after the war ended.
If they kept her indefinitely, it would require resources and pose risks. The longer she remained a prisoner, the more complicated the situation could beco politically and
ethically.
If they released her, she could reveal information about Erik and the Chimaeric Demons to the authorities. One of those things might be that he kidnapped her and killed her entourage. Another would be that his agents could shapeshift.
It was an open secret at that point, but there were still so uncertainties around it.
This would make the situation much worse, not just for Erik, but for everyone in the world.
If people found out about the Chimaeric Demons' ability to shapeshift, people might suspect that anyone around them could be a Chimaeric Demon in disguise.
It wasn't that people who could shapeshift didn't exist, but they weren't as powerful as Erik's clones, and hence, their ability to infiltrate the top levels of society was severely hindered.
This wasn't true for the Chimaeric Demons. They were not only powerful, but even smart. Not much was known about them by Erik's enemy-not even they were his clones-but it was clear that his army was strong and that the soldiers had a bunch of useful brain crystal powers.
Damn, all the clones had healing powers; just that made the army insanely resilient and hard to kill.
Fear and suspicion could spread quickly, leading to mistrust between friends, family mbers, and even strangers on the street.
It might cause panic in communities and make people feel unsafe in their daily lives.
The governnt and police would likely have to deal with many false reports and accusations, which would waste ti and resources.
Overall, it would create a tense and fearful atmosphere that would be hard to calm down, and
the result was going to be hate and unrest.
While Erik didn't really care about what the world did or what happened, it was going to create problems in the long run that would have been caused by him, and he didn't like that either, especially considering he might et resistance from the citizens.
Erik paused, thinking about the idea. He wasn't sure if it was the right thing to do, or better, he knew what it was-just a barbarous act that would put him in the sa place as the Blackguards—and yet he couldn't stop contemplating it.
The idea of killing the president's daughter wasn't sothing he took lightly, but he couldn't deny its practicality. It would solve many problems in one fell swoop-no loose ends, no risk of exposure, no long-term complications.
But as he considered it further, Erik felt a heaviness settle in his chest. Erik killed. That was true, but only in two situations.
His thoughts went back to when Nathaniel tried to kill him back in Frant.
But this woman's case was different.
This woman was basically just a pawn in a larger ga her mother threw her in, with the older woman being another pawn herself, in the blackguards' hands.
She was an innocent caught in the crossfire between him and the blackguards. Did she deserve to die simply because of who her parents were or because of who they served?
Yet, the pragmatic part of his mind kept circling back to the potential consequences of letting
her live.
While Erik was lost in his dilemma, ti slipped away. The twenty-minute window he had was rapidly closing, and the anesthetic's effects were wearing off.
Without Erik noticing, the president's daughter woke up.
Her eyes fluttered open and closed, and her fingers twitched, showing she was coming back to
consciousness.
Her vision cleared a little. At first, everything was blurry, but then she saw soone sitting across from her. Soon, she realized it was Erik Romano, and that she was in a car.
Fear gripped her heart again, but she could not move. The drugs that knocked her out were
still affecting her body.
She couldn't talk either, but that was the last of her thoughts. The unfamiliar surroundings made her mind race. She was trying to understand what happened and where she was. In a car,
yes, but where?
At that point, Erik noticed she had her eyes open.
"Ah... Hello, you woke up... Good."
But he realized she was unable to talk or move.
"Ah, that's even better... A clouded mind will be easier to pry open.
The woman stared at him, silently asking questions he would not answer.
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