Page 4 of Burn Dragon Burn
“Okay, I give. I’ve been singin’ the same song for a while now. I’ll be seeing Max on this trip. Maybe it’s time we bring in some Big Cats, or even a couple of Wolves. What do you think?”
“You know my thoughts. Paranormal bad guys have been around waaay longer than anyone but us realizes and they are only getting worse. The more, the merrier. Director Whatever-His-Name-Is said hiring was at your discretion, so discretion away big brother.”
“First of all, you know is name all too well. He’s tattooed it on your ass with the tip of his expensive shoes. And, I’m gonna to sit down with Max and Marrok, the Alpha from Florida. It’s long past time and I need to get over my own BS. I have the freakiest feeling shit’s about to hit the fan.”
“Abe’s been telling you that for almost five years now. He keeps having weird visions and even crazier dreams. I’m glad to hear you finally listenin’.”
“I know, I’m an asshole.”
“And a pain in the ass, a rigid SOB, and a damn fine leader.” Rafe threw in the compliment to ease his brother’s mounting tensions. There was no one in God’s green earth that was harder on himself than Gil, and yes, it’d saved their asses more times than Rafe could count, but it was time for the old boy to loosen the reins.
“Thanks, Sparky,” Gill snickered, using the nickname Rafe’d had since he was a teenager.
“Burn down one barn and ya’ never get to live it down.”
Laughing out loud, Gil teased, “That’s how it goes. Now, get to work, dammit.”
“Aye, aye, Captain Asshole.”
Chuckling as he laid the phone on the desk and went back to ogling the picture on his laptop, Rafe couldn’t shake the feeling that the woman on the screen was so much more than she seemed. No doubt, she was the looker. Out of focus, covered in an oversized jacket, pulling keys from her pocket as she looked down, Detective…what’s her name had some killer curves.
Shuffling through the papers in his file, he ran his finger down the page, answering aloud, “Donatella Hale.”
Eyes back to the screen, his eyes narrowed trying to see more than was there. “Well, hello, Donatella. See ya’ soon.”
“Would you like coffee,tea, or soda?” The flight attendant smiled. “Or maybe something stronger?”
“Just water, thank you,” he answered, wondering if there would ever be an airplane seat that fit his six-foot-ten frame. Even in first class, he felt squished, squashed, and stuffed into the tiny compartment.
Would’ve been better to fly myself, but Gil would’ve busted a vessel.
Taking the cold bottle of water and tiny cup the attendant handed him, Rafe thought about how much money they wasted trying to ‘act human’. He understood it in the beginning. The ‘powers that be’ had to be slowly introduced to the idea of Shifters in general, and the Dragons’ enhanced abilities specifically.
Shifting his butt one more time and stretching out his legs as far as he could, Rafe reclined his seat and closed his eyes, remembering the first time the five of them had met with the Director. Fresh home from Desert Storm, each part of Delta Force – at least for that specific conflict - were called into the Director of Defense’s office very late in the evening.
Sitting in a large conference room staring at one while using the mindspeak of their kind, every Dragon had an idea why theywere there. Abe, the oldest and roughest of them all was sure they would have to fight their way out. Ben, the techie of the group, and by far the calmest of them all, was sure it was another form of recognition for their exemplary service then came Oz – their munitions expert.
Known as Oscar Tomas to his momma, andonlyhis momma, had been blowing things up since he could walk and talk. More times than Rafe could count, the man he’d known as OZ for two hundred years had made bombs out of everything – to and including a pair of lady’s knickers and cow patties.
“You sure you don’t know what’s goin’ on, Chief?” Abe grumbled to Gil. “Ever since we broke out on our own you’ve been a step and a half ahead of everything.”
And he was right. Over three hundred years ago, a strange evil swept through the world. Shifters of all kinds disappeared in the blink of an eye. There was no rhyme nor reason. One moment they would be there, the next simply gone.
Males, females, children, old, young – it didn’t matter, and the Dragons seemed to be the hardest hit. All the Berserkers – a special sect of Guardsmen who’d been blessed by The Morrigan with a Warrior form unlike anything they’d ever seen – disappeared without a trace. They were the only breed of Shifter to completely vanish.
How does something…anything, take out those fightin’ mo fos?
Gil and Rafe had disagreed with the Elders decision to wait for the dust to settle before searching for the Berserkers. It was their belief that the sooner they got to the bottom of the disappearances, the better off Dragon kin would be. However, the Council of Elders would not be swayed, and within a week the five Brethren had separated from their Clan and for the most part, Dragon Kin all together.
“Thanks for that Abe.” Gil nodded. “But this time I’m as in the dark as you are. The MPs showed up to get me the same as they did the rest of you.”
“Could they know what we are?”Oz asked, chewing his gum with such vehemence that the cut of his jawline was sharp and defined.
“No way,” Ben chimed in. “If they did, we’d be downstairs in lockup with silver shackles and twenty-five-thousand volt bars all around. We’re the shit of their nightmares, remember?”
“I’ll be there worse fuckin’ nightmare if they piss me off any more than they already have,” Abe growled.
“Let’s hear what they have to say before we pull scales and start the place on fire,” Gil instructed. “We’ve been in the military in one form or another all over the world for four hundred and some years. If they’d wanted to get rid of us, they would’ve.”