Dragonshift

by Linton Bowers

  There were no guards going up the stairs or anywhere on the second floor we could see. I took a peek over the railing of the balcony where I thought Arnold would kill me. The house seemed much nicer without all the people. Roo grabbed my arm and pulled me down the hall giving me the stink eye every other step. She wasn’t a fan of strolling down memory lane.

  The door to the room with the bracelet was unlocked and the guards Roo saw from the window were gone. Leaving us alone in a room that looked like a trophy room for Indiana Jones. Waste high display cases lined the walls contain tablets, scrolls and ancient looking tools. Racks on the walls held rusted, bent, and damaged weapons from several eras in human history. In the center of the room sat a column four feet high with a pillow on top. The bracelet rested on the pillow like a languid cat. I took a step.

  “You didn’t really think it would be that easy, did you?”

  I spun and found a short man wearing an expensive grey pinstriped suit and a black fedora. Behind him stood several men in all black military style clothing complete with heavy belts loaded with ammo and gadgets. Both men held sub-machine guns.

  “The name is John Lassiter of Lassiter Security inc. You two trespassers are infringing upon my client’s right to not have his house broken into. I’m sorry to have to tell you, but you are so fucked.” The well-dressed man snapped his fingers and stepped out of view. Three more private soldiers took his place.

  The armed men raised their guns. Snatching the bracelet from the pillar, I spun. Bullets exploded with ear shattering booms. Roo was already moving ahead of me. She burst through the window with me jumping out after her. Something hit my left shoulder knocking me end over end. I landed on my back next to Roo who had landed as gracefully as a ballerina.

  The werekangaroo pulled me to my feet. “Run!” She shouted then turned and headed for the bushes we had hid behind. It seemed crazy to run out in the open with armed men at our backs, but I did so anyway.

  Bullets tore at the ground around me sending shards of stone flying along with dirt and grass. The stone was the only thing to puncture my skin in several places and leave a bunch of scratches on my arm and face. Reaching the bushes, Roo jumped over them and kept on running. I dove headfirst into the shrubs and rolled to my left. Projectiles punched holes in the shrub where I dove in sending leaves and branches into the air. I put my arms over my head and screamed as a volley of fire turned the bush into a cloud of kindling and mulch.

  “Come on!” Roo grabbed my arm and yanked me away from the bushes and too my feet.

  We ran with Roo almost dragging me along. The woman was much faster than me but I kept up with her help.

  “I have this,” Amy said through my glasses speakers.

  My first thought was, how the hell are these glasses still on my face? I gave voice to my second thought. “Where the hell have you been?”

  I heard a buzz above me and looked up to see the AI’s large drone with its mini cannons lowered and barrels spinning. The guns let loose with a constant thumping. The front of the house exploded with bits of building material flying up and out creating a debris cloud. Weapon’s fire from the house stopped.

  “Where have I been?” Amy asked. “I was reloading my weapons at Nick’s shop. Why? Did you forget about me, Terry? You could have called out at anytime and I would have come running, so to speak. But no, not one thought was given to poor little Amy.”

  “Where the hell did that come from?” I said with confusion thick in my voice.

  “This is not the time.” Roo stepped in front of me and pointed two fingers at her eyes waving them back and forth between us. “Focus. Do I have you? Okay, good. We have to leave and start looking for your fire breathing friend. You and that…” she pointed up at the drone. “Can have all the cyber sex you want later. Now we leave.”

  “Hey!” Both the AI and I said in unison.

  I let out a sigh thinking I sighed way too much these days. “She’s right. We need to go. Amy, thanks for the save.”

  “Do you feel the dragon?” Roo asked.

  “I do, but she feels far away.”

  “Well, well,” John Lassiter said as he stepped into view. “I done went and found myself a couple old acquaintances.” He stopped five feet from me and pulled a coin from his pocket. Then he rolled the coin across his knuckles. “Now, maybe you would be so kind as to actually die this time? I mean, it was rather rude to enter uninvited then slaughter my men.”

  “Or, you can move aside and let us pass,” I replied. “No more of your men have to die today.” To drive my point home the drone dropped her guns and spun them up without me asking.

  “That’s rich,” Lassiter said. He leaned back a little and turned his head slightly. “You boys catch that? No more of you have you die.” Lassiter laughed and was joined by his men.

  The private soldiers with Lassiter sounded off. Their laughter was mechanical and forced, but there was more to it. They all had the same monotone to them. Not at all like a person feigning laughter.

  “I’m going to clue you in here. As I understand it, you’re new to this world. So here it goes, son. I’m a Necromancer, you know, lord of dead things. And my men,” he raised his arms and chuckled, “hell, they’re already dead.”

  His chuckle became a full-blown laugh as his troops rushed us. The first line of troops didn’t carry weapons and had many holes dotting their torsos and limbs. Even though I was seeing a group of zombies run at me, my mind couldn’t make sense of it. If not for Roo grabbing me and pulling me along, I would have been zombie chow.

  “What the hell is wrong with you?” Roo shouted.

  “Those were zombies. Are zombies. What the hell is this?” I shouted back.

  “Didn’t you hear the man? He’s a Necro, and those are his dead playthings. Now keep going!” Roo shouted back.

  The words bounced around in my skull but refused to stick. Wasn’t it enough that the world was full of monsters that looked like normal people but could transform in an instant? Now there was magic, and the worst kind to boot. A part of me knew magic was a thing because of the bracelets and Bale, but damn.

  We rounded a corner blind because of the high hedges guarding the large corner house. Both Roo and I came to an unspoken agreement and slowed to a stop. Half a block down, a line of men in black uniforms stood holding riot shields.

  “How many zombies does this dude have?” I asked.

  “Doesn’t matter. Follow me.” Roo ran right at the line of zombies.

  “Shit!” I took off after her.

  Roo’s speed picked up, and she pulled farther ahead. Just before she reached the line of undead soldiers, her legs shifted and she leapt.

  The center of the line broke as the troops she jumped turned and gave chase. That was my opening. Pushing as hard as I could I hit the opening as the remaining zombies closed in. Hands grabbed for me but couldn’t find purchase. A baton swing from a zombie connected with my right hamstring causing me to stumble. Momentum carried me forward, and I tried regaining my feet. All I did was prolonged my fall and move a good ten feet forward. Then my chin met the asphalt road in a blood-filled impact.

  A field of golden stars filled my darkening vision. Hands grabbed me from behind and the world spun. Swinging with both arms I connected with someone. Many sets of hand pulled my arms behind me and slapped handcuffs on my wrists. I felt my legs giving out, and I fell down.

  Rough hands pulled me back up, and a hand slapped me hard enough to knock a couple teeth loose. The blow brought me back to the present and cleared away the encroaching darkness.

  “Oh good,” John Lassiters’s voice came from the open mouth of a zombie. “You’re back with us. Now you see, I was hired specifically to catch a rat.” As the words left the undead guy his mouth never closed or moved. “Lassiter Security was paid a handsome sum to capture one Terry Cole. Seems you did a good job of thoroughly pissing off one local werewolf alpha.” The zombie closed its mouth and the real man stepped into view. “See, th
e thing is, I’m not going to turn you over to Arnold. Do you know why?” John Lassiter asked as he stepped into my personal space. “Because I received a better offer, a much better offer.”

  A white panel van pulled up, and the zombies shoved me into the open side door. Kicking out with both feet I hit a zombie in the chest knocking it out of the van to land on its back. Four zombies grabbed my legs, two to a leg. As they held me, the rest of the zombies piled into the van and lay on top of me. So many crushing bodies were on me it was impossible to move and breath. Darkness came again, and this time took me.

  Chapter 15

  I left the floor becoming airborne for a second then slammed back down. Pain blossomed in my skull from the impact to the back of my noggin. Cracking one I open I realized one very important thing. I hate zombies.

  The van was packed full of bodies standing so still they looked more like statues. For the first time since seeing a zombie I noticed the sickly pallor of their skin and what looked like lesions here and there.

  I lifted my head and looked around hoping for an opening. The zombies surrounded me leaving a small island in the sea of lifeless flesh. All I could see was the zombies and the ceiling.

  “Welcome back,” John Lassiter said through all the zombies.

  “That’s not creepy at all,” I said as I set my head back down and closed my eyes. “So, where are we going, John Lassiter of Lassiter Security, inc?”

  “That’s a fine question. Fine in deed. Well, my client has a vested interest in a certain species of Lycan. You could say she is a connoisseur. And as unfortunate as it may be, you are apparently her cup of tea. Sorry, son, but my hands are tied.”

  A zombie close to my head bent down and punched me in the face. My head bounced off the floor of the van and once more I was stargazing. Then two more blows rained down, and I was out again.

  Freezing cold water smacked me like the mighty hammer of Thor.

  My body jerked, and I fought to get my arms up but something held them in place behind me. I was seated and as the water ran out of my eyes, I could see a zombie standing over me with an empty bucket in one hand. I looked down and saw two disconcerting things. One, they bound my ankles to the legs of the chair I sat in. Two, I was naked.

  “I’m not into zombie kink,” I said while looking back up.

  “Why that is good news, because that would be a little too twisted, even for me.” John Lassiter’s voice came from the soldier in front of me.

  “So, what now? Torture?”

  “Oh no, nothing that crass. I will simply hold you until the client arrived. I do hope you enjoy your stay.” The zombie snapped its mouth shut and turned on its heels before walking out of my line of sight.

  “What? No menu for the meal later? What kind of room service do you have in this joint?” I shouted as I heard the lock to the door clicking into place.

  Being alone in the room was a good thing.

  Long minutes passed in silence and darkness. On occasion the monotony was broken by the distant sound of water droplets hitting a pool. The words, we are never alone, bounced around my head. I held onto it chanting it like a mantra, over and over. Never had I felt so alone, but my Tua needed me.

  Miranda, and the rest of my Tua in the underground base needed me to figure out how to undo the damage I caused. Dragon and Cassie needed me too. While I knew what Dragon needed, I didn’t understand how to help Cassie. Was there a way to separate her from Dragon so she could live her life without having to share her body?

  It was all too much.

  As time passed, I felt the weight of my uselessness like a yolk bearing me to the ground. No matter how hard I struggled I couldn’t get free. My struggles tore skin around my wrist and ankles. The upside was the increase in the sound of drops as blood dripped off my fingers.

  Time passed, but I don’t know if it was minutes or hours. The seat I occupied became uncomfortable, and I longed to stand. Squirming did nothing to ease the sensation. There was one way to escape the discomfort.

  Blackness surrounded me. Pulling, I called my Tua with hope in my heart they we all right.

  Tabitha, Miranda, Izzy, and Nick all appeared around me one by one. They lay motionless on the ground. I let them go, and they vanished. Cassie was there when they left. The blond woman sat with her knees pulled up to her chest and her arms wrapped around her legs. She rocked back and forth slightly and mumbled.

  I went to my Dragon-woman and knelt in front of her.

  “Cassie, are you okay?” I asked as I knelt next to her. “Cassie?”

  A whimper was the response that came from her. With a sigh, I let her go as well. Dragon had not shown up and Cassie was incoherent. I was effectively Tua-less.

  I left my dark space feeling worse than I had when I went in. Mu hope of escape was quickly dwindling. At the same time, I had to find a way. The visit with my Tua showed me they needed me more than ever.

  I pulled at my bindings and noticed a difference. They were still just as tight on my arms and legs, but around my wrists there was a lot more movement. The rope had become slick, and it took a second to realize my blood was acting like a lubricant.

  With that realization I twisted my wrists like crazy and pulling against my restrains. Freedom didn’t come, but I kept going. When the muscles in my arms cramped up, I kept going. When the pain from the ropes tearing at my skin became unbearable, I kept going. Then came the spark of hope, my left hand came out of the bindings just a little. It wasn’t much, but it was more than I had a moment ago.

  The door banged open flooding the room with light from behind me. I stopped all movement of my arms and hoped the blood went unnoticed. A man in Lassiter Security black set a small table down and put a plate of food on it. He slid the table, so it was almost against my chair.

  “I do have to apologize for not freeing you enough to feed yourself,” Lassiter said through the dead man. “So I have placed this table here and you should have no problems bending forward and eating from it in what I like to call, Doggy style. Enjoy.”

  Watching as the zombie walked out I twisted around in the chair. It was the first good look at my cell and It turned out to be an old office with probably way more mold on the walls than was healthy. The door shut, and I was alone in the dark once more.

  The smell of meatloaf hit my nose and my belly reacted with a growl worthy of an alpha werewolf. It looked like meatloaf and my nose was confirming my guess. I thought why not, but first things first.

  It only took a couple minutes for my left hand to slip free. The rope fell from my right hand. Sliding the table forward so I wouldn’t knock it over I then bent forward and untied my legs. The first thing I did with my freedom was stand and stretch. My ass was killing me from sitting there so long. Doing the sensible thing, I scooped up the paper plate and scarfed down the food. It wasn’t half bad. More important was the strength provided from the sustenance. John Lassiter’s hospitality would help fuel my escape.

  I knew from the sound when the guard left that he locked the door. If it was as old as this place, though, it wouldn’t be a problem.

  My fingers closed around the doorknob and turned it slowly. It moved slightly and stopped. No surprise there. Quiet and slow was the plan I wanted to go with, but didn’t seem workable. Plan B it was then.

  Slamming my shoulder into the door caused it to explode off the hinges and slam into the far wall. Following the door out I dashed to the right picking a direction at random. A zombie waited in my path. Unfortunately for him, he was alone. Not that he cared. Jumping up, I wrapped my arm around his head and ran along the wall using the guy to hold myself up and as a pivot point. I landed spinning the zombie’s head around and destroying its spinal cord. The dead man hit the floor, and I kept going.

  At the end of the hallway was a door, so I slowed listening for trouble. Just silence. With my Tua down I was weakened, but my senses were almost as sharp as Miranda’s. So the lack of sound meant there was nothing beyond the door making any
noise. The knob turned easily enough, but I waited and listened before pushing the door open. Still nothing. Being careful in case the hinges needed oiling, I eased the door open.

  The room beyond was too dark to see anything. As I didn’t know the layout, I kept going. I knew there was at least one enemy behind me. I hoped that snapping his neck would put a stop to the zombie, but I didn’t really know anything for sure. With great caution I closed the door sealing out the light.

  I took one step then the lights came on with a loud click. The sudden eruption of light blinded me. My arms came up to shield myself. After a second my eyes adjusted, and I lowered my arms to a horrific sight.

  The room turned out to be a warehouse with unmoving dead men shoulder to shoulder filling up the space. There had to be thousands of zombies as unmoving as marble statues.

  As one, their mouths fell open. “You are a resourceful man,” Lassiter said in hi def stereo. “I’m really starting to like you, Terry, truly I am. The problem is, if I let you stroll on out of here, my reputation would take a hit. In this line of business, a man’s rep is all he has. You understand, I’m sure.”

  “Yeah, I get it,” I replied. As I spoke my mind rushed through every escape scenario I could think of.

  “Here is what I’m willing to offer, since you’ve grown on me. Walk back to your cell without a fight and you can stay there without being tied back up. Even though you hurt one of my men, I’ll let it slide as long as you cooperate. What’s it going to be, Terry?”

  “Hmm… You have to know I’m not going anywhere willingly,” I replied. As long as Lassiter was talking and none of his men were moving I had more time to think.

  “I figured that would be the case.”