Chapter 19 #2
Before anyone could even think of darting me, I opened my mouth and breathed right in Ed’s helmeted face. I then banked my swoop and flapped to rise again, just in time, as something singed past my wing.
“Argh. Argh,” Ed screamed, batting at his face.
Kaitlyn started out saying, “You’re fine. The flames will die out,” only to be interrupted by Nelson. “Holy fuck, his face shield is melting.”
Which led to really intense screaming for a few seconds until my fire destroyed Ed’s jaw. He crumpled to the floor.
One down. Five more to go.
Two of whom suddenly chose to flee. Kaitlyn and Nelson bolted through the apartment door so fast they forgot to shut it. Now I could have basked in my victory at having chased them off, but… Pip was coming and I didn’t want them hurting her.
Besides, now I knew their suits couldn’t stop my flame. Silly humans, thinking they could counter dragon’s breath. They’d been fooled by the weakness of my first attempt. But I’d grown stronger since then. Strong enough to handle my enemies.
I flapped my way to the open door and exited, too quickly and rashly as it turned out. But luck was on my side as the fired dart narrowly missed me.
Nelson was waiting for me in the stairwell. He aimed and fired again.
I simply breathed.
The dart melted but Nelson threw himself down the stairs to avoid the flames now licking the walls and treads of the stairwell.
The warmth felt nice as I floated down. I could hear shouting as my enemies panicked, a noise that abruptly ceased as Travis yelled, “Shut up you morons, unless you want it to barbeque you.”
Mmm. Barbeque. Roasted meat dripping with fat and juices. Would Pip be angry if I toasted one for a snack? Most likely. Humans could be weird about dragons eating their kind.
Knowing they lay in wait, I gripped a pipe running along the ceiling rather than dropping to the floor.
Pft. Pft. Two darts went flying past harmlessly.
“Where is it?” A whisper that might as well have been a shout.
“We need some real light,” Kaitlyn grumbled. “These flashlights are useless.”
Not really. It let me track their locations. However, she did have a point. Their beams didn’t extend far enough to dispel the shadows cloaking me.
“Maybe it went back upstairs,” said a new voice. One of the two who’d remained below.
“You wanna go check?” A sarcastic reply from Travis.
“We can’t stand around here all day,” huffed Kaitlyn. “Benny, go and see if it’s still in the stairwell.”
“Like fuck,” Benny exclaimed in a nasally tone. “I heard what it did to Ed. You lied. These suits aren’t fireproof.”
“They are, but only to a certain degree,” Kaitlyn murmured.
“I didn’t sign on to get roasted,” Benny exclaimed. “Catch the fucker yourself.”
“You signed a contract,” Kaitlyn stated.
“Sue me, then. I’d love to tell the world what you and Malone are up to,” snapped Benny.
“Given this new development, let me message Malone and see what he wants us to do. Keep an eye out for the dragon. I should only be a moment.”
I heard steps as Kaitlyn moved away, leaving the males, one of which was shaking hard enough his flashlight wobbled.
My next target.
I launched myself and opened my mouth wide, huffing flame before even actually seeing the enemy. My aim proved true, mostly. I missed the head but my fire hit the tall male in the chest.
And burned.
He ran screaming through the open door into the blizzard.
Two down. Four to go.
“There he is!” Nelson shouted and fired. Luckily for me, his shaking hands ruined his shot and the missile missed.
I didn’t.
Nelson didn’t even have time to scream. His flaming body hit the floor and crackled nicely, filling the space with heat and light.
Light enough for Travis to aim in my direction with a steadier hand.
I channeled Neo from that movie Matrix I’d recently watched with Pip, bending my body so that the dart flew past. When I stood upright again, I noticed Travis clicking his empty weapon.
“Please don’t hurt me,” he pled, dropping it to the floor.
Begging for mercy when he wouldn’t have shown me any?
He obviously didn’t know anything about dragons.
He joined his burning pyre of a friend.
And that left only one male—or would have if he’d not fled the barn into the storm. Would he return? Given his cowardice, I thought not.
But what of the female who’d gone to contact her superior? Would she return or had she finally fled as well?
In case she proved too stupid to grasp the futility of her endeavor, I waited in the barn, which grew warmer by the moment as the barbequing bodies spread their crackling heat.
Flames licked the wooden stalls and walls.
A river of it rippled along the ceiling.
So pretty. All those dancing red, orange, and yellow flames with thick bands of blue rimmed in white in the center.
Perched amidst my fiery art, my patience paid off. Kaitlyn, sans helmet, peeked inside.
I opened my mouth, a ball of fire forming and she quickly exclaimed, “We have Philippa Smith in custody.”
The claim made me pause. They’d captured my Pip? Utterly unacceptable. A dragon’s servants were sacrosanct.
“You would dare accost one of my retinue?” I lifted my chin and narrowed my gaze. “You will release her at once.”
My demand, for some reason, eased the tension in Kaitlyn’s body. “I’m afraid that’s not possible. However, perhaps we could do a trade. You agree to come with me and in exchange, we’ll let her go.”
Did she take me for a fool? I could hear the lie. Would have probably smelled it if she didn’t wear a tin suit.
“This is not a negotiation,” my firm reply.
“Actually, it is.” She paused. “You really can talk.”
“You don’t say.” I’d been working on my sarcasm.
“I mean, I knew you would be able to, but you’re the first dragon I’ve managed to converse with.”
For some reason, the statement brought to mind the thing she’d said at the trailer. “Oh, did you not speak with the one in South America?”
“No. Perhaps if we had, the mission might have ended differently.”
The finality of her tone led me to blurt, “You killed the dragon.”
“Not on purpose. We found it not long after it hatched, but it panicked when we tried to catch it and ran off a cliff. Without wings… Well, it fell like a rock and must have sunk like one since we dragged the river but never recovered its body.”
Not knowing this dragon didn’t lessen my sorrow to hear of its death. “Why are you trying to capture us?”
“To study,” she quickly replied. “We don’t want to hurt you. On the contrary. We’re dedicated to learning everything about you so that we can properly introduce you to the world and have you accepted.”
Did she really think I wouldn’t hear the lie? “And you thought that attacking me and taking my servant prisoner would convey that?”
“We didn’t realize you’d be so coherent so quick. We thought we’d have to wait until you matured more before you could grasp our intent. While we do have some knowledge of your kind, it’s not complete. It’s why you should come with me, that you might teach us.”
“Come with you?” I would have curled my lip in disdain if I had one. “I won’t be your prisoner.”
“More like honored guest.” Kaitlyn spread her hands.
“You should see what Leo’s been preparing.
He had a special habitat designed for you.
You’ll love it. It’s big. Bigger than this barn.
With aerial perches and a pond that will be filled with fish for you to hunt.
Hammocks for napping. Even a hunting area that will be kept stocked with animals. ”
“Sounds like a luxurious prison,” my dryly delivered retort.
“Oh, no. It’s meant to be a safe place to protect you from those who would see the dragons eradicated again.”
More lies. I couldn’t have said where my certainty came from only I knew she didn’t speak the whole truth. “Where is Pip?”
“Leo has her. She won’t come to harm so long as you cooperate.”
“So you claim. How do I know you speak the truth? This could be a ploy.”
Kaitlyn bit her lower lip. “You want proof.”
“I only have your word and I’m afraid that isn’t enough.”
“Hold on a second,” she muttered, fumbling with her phone. She turned away from me and talked in a low tone. With the crackling fire, I only got bits and pieces.
“…wants proof you have Ms. Smith… we tried that and failed…Okay. Will do.”
Kaitlyn ended her call and faced me. “Malone is going to video call me so you can see Ms. Smith.” She no sooner finished telling me this than her phone rang. She tapped the screen and turned it to face me.
There was my Pip. Bound to a chair, looking very, very angry.
“Abaddon are you okay?” my Pip exclaimed upon seeing me.
“I am fine. Have those miscreants harmed you?”
“Not really, but they’ve taken me prisoner.” Pip grimaced.
A male face interjected itself, filling the screen. “As you can see, we have Ms. Smith in our custody. Should you wish her to remain unharmed, you will surrender yourself immediately.” This Malone person seemed to think he could dictate to me.
Apparently, he’d yet to grasp dragons obeyed no one.
“Don’t do it,” Pip yelled. “Fly away. Far away. Don’t let these fuckers get their hands on you.”
“Shut up!” The camera view might have jostled to show the floor, but I heard the slap as Malone dared to hit my Pip.
Before I could control my emotions, I hollered, “Don’t hurt her!”
A snarling Malone’s face once more took over the screen. “If you want the woman unharmed, then you will immediately turn yourself in. Do you understand?”
“Yes.” I understood very well. I ducked my head. “I’ll be along shortly.”
“Good. Don’t keep me waiting.”
The video call ended.
“Well, that was productive.” Kaitlyn had regained some of her composure and cockiness. “Glad to see you making the right choice.” She tucked the phone away and waved at the open door. “If you’ll come with me. The truck is just outside.”
“You really didn’t do your due diligence on dragons,” I stated, staring at her intently. “We do not surrender, nor do we negotiate.”
“But you just said—”
“I said I’d be seeing Malone soon. I never claimed I’d be going as your prisoner.”
“I don’t see as you have a choice. You don’t know where Malone has Ms. Smith, not to mention the barn is on fire and the storm is in full swing outside. You need me.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. Because for one, while I don’t enjoy it, I can handle the cold, and second, this fire can’t harm me.” How ridiculous to even think something spewed from my body would.
“If you kill me, you’ll never find Ms. Smith.” A panicked attempt to sway me.
“Do you really think I can’t locate someone bound to me or that I would stand idly by while you abuse someone important to me?”
“I’m not the one who did it.” Kaitlyn began backing away.
“You are aligned with my adversaries, therefore you are my enemy.”
Kaitlyn whirled, thinking she could run.
She couldn’t.
My flames engulfed her and without the helmet, she never had that few extra seconds as it melted to scream.
Good, because I’d heard enough from her.
A glance outside showed the storm in full swing. Gross. It would be so nice to stay in the burning barn, but I couldn’t because Pip needed me.
I’m coming Pip. And those who stood in my way would perish.