“We need Bethyl,” Tameka conceded.
“The prime minister is probably reluctant to pay her again,” said Red. “She charges extortionate amounts for her services.”
“If he wants the kraken bitch found then he’ll pay up.”
She started to think about where she’d go if she were an international criminal/last of the kraken. Where would be a safe place?
“Kraken are sea creatures, right?” she said, thinking. “And she did keep her base of operations very close to the water. It’s only logical she’d go into hiding somewhere close to the water as well. Right?”
“Good thinking,” said Red.
“Another warehouse by the docks, maybe? There is a lot of them.”
“She could be close by right now and we’d not even know it.”
Tameka thought about Galina, swimming about in the sea. She hoped her sister didn’t get in her way. To lose her now after they’d only just been reunited wasn’t something she could cope with.
My parents were slaughtered by a red dragon.
She held her hand out as Red tried to go through the main warehouse door. She couldn’t bite her tongue any longer.
“What did you do before you became a cop?” she demanded.
He turned to her, a little concerned. “Why do you want to know?”
“I need to know whether you murdered my parents or not.”
Red seemed dumfounded. She didn’t find it cute any more.
“Well?” she shouted. “Talk to me!”
“Of course I didn’t kill your parents,” he protested. “Why would I?”
“Dragons killed my parents and every other person on board that cruise ship!”
“I don’t know anything about it.”
“Bullshit. You know everything. You had to have known this.”
“You have to trust me. I didn’t know.”
She pulled her gun out and aimed it at his chest. He didn’t even flinch.
“Did you murder my parents?” she asked him again.
20
“Tammy…”
She fired a bullet at the ceiling. Plaster dust rained down. “Tell me!”
The look he gave her was pure betrayal. It almost broke her.
What am I doing? What the fuck am I doing?
“How can you ask such a thing?” Red demanded. He was so furious now he was nearly spitting. “I thought you knew me?”
“I thought I knew you too,” said Tameka.
“You do know me. If I’d killed your parents…”
“If you’d killed my parents you never would’ve told me. I wouldn’t.”
“I didn’t kill them.”
A part of her believed him, and that he was the man she’d come to know. Another part couldn’t get past the fact he’d been spying on her for the dragons. He could lie very convincingly. How was she ever to know the truth? How could she trust anything he’d ever said to her?
But he’s Red…
“Are you going to put that gun down?” Red asked.
“I’m debating whether or not I’m going to kill you,” she admitted, realizing it was the truth. She would kill him. She was angry enough anyway.
“This isn’t you. What’s that mermaid been telling you?”
“She’s been telling me the truth. She managed to give me back some of the memories that the mermaids altered. It told me what happened to my parents. They didn’t drown. They were slaughtered by dragons.”
“I didn’t know.”
“They were slaughtered by a red dragon.”
“I did not kill your parents.”
She lowered the gun. Maybe he was telling the truth. Maybe he didn’t kill her parents, but he had to have known what the dragons did that day. It was too big an event for them not to know. It was a coordinated attack on humans.
“How many red dragons are there?” she asked him, almost praying for him to tell her there were hundreds of them. “Tell me.”
“There’s just me,” he answered, quiet.
She pointed the gun at him again. “Then you must have killed them.”
“Those bullets won’t hurt me.”
She shot him in the chest, over and over again until the cartridge was spent. He just continued to stare at her.
“You did kill them,” she stated.
“I’m not going to be able to convince you, am I?” he asked.
She shook her head. “I saw you with my own eyes.”
“I know nothing about an attack on a cruise ship. I wasn’t part of any attack on a cruise ship. I did not kill your parents. You can believe me or not believe me. You can shoot me as many times as you want. Nothing will change the truth.”
“The truth is you made me an orphan.”
“The truth is your sister is a lying, manipulative bitch just like I told you. She’s tricking you somehow, and you’re an idiot for falling for it.”
Tameka threw the gun at his face and charged at him. She hit him in the face repeatedly, weeping, wanting to hurt him. She’d trusted him. She’d worked with him and enjoyed being in his company. He’d destroyed her.
Now she was going to destroy him.
“I never want to see you again,” she stated, pulling away, not even wanting to touch him while trying to punch his face him.
“You’re fired,” he told her.
She grinned resentfully. “I’m going to get you for killing my parents. I swear it.”
“You really think you could get at me? I’m a dragon.”
“You’re not invulnerable. It wouldn’t take much effort to destroy your career with the BCPD. All I have to do is claim one tiny sexual harassment allegation and you’d be finished.”
“All I have to do is turn into a dragon and bite your head off.”
“Do it, then.”
“You do it.”
They both crossed their arms, eyes on the other. Stalemate. Neither of them moved. Tameka knew she didn’t have the upper hand here. Far from it. Red could kill her in the blink of an eye if he so wished. The fact that he didn’t, despite the fact that she was threatening to destroy his life, gave her pause.
He should be killing me to stop me.
“You could stop me,” she said.
He should be doing something to stop me.
“Why aren’t you stopping me?” she asked.
He smiled warmly. “I’m never, ever going to hurt you as long as I live.”
“I’m threatening to ruin your career.”
“Like I just said…”
She turned away, torn. This wasn’t going how she’d expected. Red was supposed to admit his crimes and she was supposed to denounce him. Why did it have to be so complicated?
“Are you sure you’re the only red dragon?” she asked, begged.
“I am in this universe,” he explained. “But…but…”
“Dimensional travel is easy, you said. Another red dragon could have come over.”
“I would’ve known. The prime minister would’ve known.”
“And he tells you everything?”
“He’s my step-father. I love him like a father. He doesn’t lie to me.”
He didn’t seem too convinced. At the moment she was too confused to offer him any sort of comfort or advice. She needed to get away from Red and the BCPD for a while. She had to sort her head out.
“Do you truly, honestly believe I could do something so evil?” Red asked her. His emotions were raw and heartfelt. Tameka knew this was Red showing her his true self. “I thought, despite the lies, you knew the real me.”
“I don’t think I can trust you ever again.”
“Just go.”
Tameka nodded and was about to leave when Red cocked his head to the side. He reminded her of a dog listening to something odd. It made her want to smile, but until she learned to trust him again she couldn’t.
“What is it?” she asked.
“Magic,” he said, looking up into the rafters of the warehouse. His eyes widened in fear. �
��There’s a bomb up there, and it’s been ticking down ever since we entered.”
“I’m sure you’ll do fine. You’re a dragon.”
“It’s a magical bomb! It could kill me!”
Red grabbed her hand and they ran, exiting the door just as a loud boom exploded behind them. They were thrown into the air, landing next to the dumpster they’d hidden behind while surveying the warehouse the previous night.
Tameka sat up, her ears ringing. The warehouse was gone. It hadn’t blown up, or imploded. It had simply been scooped up out of the ground as if it never existed.
“What would have happened if we’d been in there?” she shouted.
Red looked at her, perplexed. “I’m trying not to think about it.”
She sighed and left. She didn’t look back.
Red watched her leave, knowing in his heart he would never see her again. She’d made her feelings for him perfectly clear when she’d accused him of murdering her parents. He knew he hadn’t killed them. He could tell her where he’d been for every moment of his long, long life in minute detail if he wanted. She wouldn’t believe him. She firmly believed dragons had killed her parents, and suspected he was the one who’d done the deed.
He was quite sure that he’d know if dragons had attacked a cruise ship. Besides, why would a random group of dragons go crazy like that? They’d never do such a barbaric thing. His species were beyond random acts of violence. Yet Tameka had seen his fellow dragons in her memory, attacking and killing. Had the prime minister had the event hushed up, or was it all some elaborate hoax by the mermaids?
Is the mermaid tricking her sister or not?
He wished he knew. If he knew the truth, then he might be able to salvage his relationship with Tameka. The only thing he did know with certainty was that he didn’t kill her parents. The fact that she’d even accused him made him feel utterly bereft.
He sat up, walking up to the pit that once contained the warehouse. He wondered why Galina had set a bomb off. She’d left no trace of her operation behind, so what was the point?
Maybe she knew I’d turn up again. This was to kill me.
Tameka pressed herself against the wall, needing to cry. She’d lost Red and her job for good. Even if they somehow found out he wasn’t responsible for killing her parents he’d never forgive her, and she wasn’t sure she’d want to be forgiven.
There has to be another red dragon out there. I’m going to find it.
But what do I do in the meantime?
Red gazed at his cell phone with dread. He wasn’t looking forward to giving the prime minister his next update. He’d failed in everything he’d been sent there to do. Would he be called back? He didn’t think he could cope in Ladon again, not after being a cop for so long. This was his life now, even if it was a life that had no Tameka in it.
“You took your time to report back. News of the explosion at the docks is all over the place. For a minute it was thought you were dead. Your mother was frantic.”
“I’m sorry, Prime Minister. There was a lot to sort out.”
“And?”
“Galina is into the wind. I don’t know where she is.”
“She has a plan. That woman is dangerous.”
“Something happened with Tameka…”
“Sex at last! Hmm. You don’t sound like a man who’s just had sex with the woman he loves. Did she not like it? Did you finish early?”
“Fuck! Don’t ever ask me questions like that again.”
“I love embarrassing you. I don’t get why you’re so prudish about sex. You obviously don’t get that from your mother. She adores sex. Romana and I only just finished making love in our dragon forms just two hours ago.”
“Stop it.”
“Report.”
“Tameka accused me of being part of a cover-up. She believes the dragons killed her parents. She…she thinks I killed them.”
“That’s insane. Where did she hear such a preposterous lie?”
“Her mermaid sister used magic to gift her the memories of what happened that day. She remembers dragons attacking. She remembers a red dragon killing her mother and father. How can she think I’d do such a thing?”
“This is a fabrication. Dragons do not go around randomly attacking people.”
“I know that. I just thought…”
“You though that maybe it was the truth and that I was covering it up? No. The attack never happened. I can assure you of that.”
“But she saw it.”
“Hmm. Maybe your father was here. He’s a red dragon.”
“Why would he just come here, attack a cruise ship, and then leave again? It makes no sense.”
“You’re right. This bears investigation. Are you sure she saw what she saw?”
“She tried to kill me. She’s very sure. She’s not working for the BCPD any more. In fact, I don’t think I’ll ever see her again.”
“That’s most unfortunate. She still needs watching.”
“Why? We know she’s made contact with the mermaid. What aren’t you telling me? Tell me the truth, Father. Now.”
“You only call me Father when you’re angry. It hurts me.”
“Just tell me. I have a right to know.”
“You get this righteous anger from your mother.”
“Tell me!”
“Fine. I suppose it’s time.”
Red listened to his step-father’s confession, taking in every extraordinary detail. Everything seemed to make sense now, every odd thing he’d seen. It made him see Tameka in a whole new light.
“She has no idea? Nobody does?”
“The only person who knows is the two of us, Redley.”
“Mother would roast you alive if she knew you were keeping such a huge secret.”
“We all have pasts, your mother especially.”
“You do know this news is apocalyptic? If Tameka knew she’d freak out.”
“She has a right to know. I do know that.”
“I was just about to say that. She should know.”
“But…”
“But the truth is too much. Maybe even for her. She’s not ready. She’s only just been introduced to this crazy world.”
“Perhaps later you could tell her.”
“She’s not speaking to me right now. Perhaps it’s for the best.”
“Things haven’t reached critical levels yet. But when they do…”
“I’ll tell her everything; and hope she forgives me.”
“But tell her you love her first, just to get it out of the way.”
“You’re my handler, not my love guru. Stay out of it.”
“Your mother and I want you to be happy.”
“Mind your own business.”
He hung up, his mind on Tameka.
If only she knew…
21
“What have you been up to today, Sister?” Asha asked.
They were meeting at the old pier, an abandoned part of the marina. It was a little rickety and on its way to falling into the sea but it was a perfect place to meet in seclusion. The last thing they needed was someone taking a photo of a mermaid and splashing it all over the tabloids. It was getting into winter now, though. It was cold out here, even in California. Sometimes she wished she could take Asha home so they could chat over a nice cup of tea.
It had been three months since she’d last talked to Red. It felt like a lifetime. She longed to phone him and hear his voice, even if it was just to shout at him. He’d been such a huge part of her life.
I’m still not sure what to believe about him. I know a red dragon killed my parents, but it wasn’t Red. Right?
She’d investigated for a month before finding that her every avenue was blocked by the police and, she suspected, the dragon Prime Minister. In the end she gave up. The whole endeavor was futile if she wasn’t ever going to get anywhere. One day she’d return to her investigation when the dragons were complacent, but for now she’d returned to something she never thought
she’d go back to again.
“I’ve been filming an episode of Blue City Detectives,” said Tameka. “I’d forgotten how long it takes to set up a single camera shot. The tedium!”
“I thought you were joking when you said you wanted to get back into television,” said Asha. She was eating a raw fish, biting into it like a bear with a salmon. It was a little gross. “You said it made you miserable and that it was unsatisfying.”
“I only played a corpse.”
It had been the most humiliating role of her life. Her agent had seemed confident she could get her a prime gig. In the end she’d ended up playing a woman who’d died of auto-erotic asphyxiation. How embarrassing.
Still, I play a pretty mean corpse if I do say so myself.
“I am only glad you did not return to the real police department,” said Asha. “I do not want you anywhere near that dragon.”
“I’m never working with that duplicitous shit ever again,” Tameka said, feeling less angry than she did with Red. The anger and betrayal was still there, though tempered a little with time. “Though I could pop in just to punch him.”
And just look at his face to see if he’s as hot as I remember.
“Good,” said Asha, her tone cold. “Dragons are not to be trusted.”
Tameka sighed. “Yes, you keep saying that. I heard you the first time.”
“I have to keep saying it. They scare me, especially after…”
“What have they done now?”
Asha turned away. Tameka put her hand on her sister’s shoulder, hoping she’d open up. The mermaid wasn’t nearly as robotic and emotionless as she’d once been, but she was still struggling. The thought of being found out worried both of them greatly. Asha was certain her father would send her to be brainwashed again, to purge any emotions that had already gotten through.
What must it be like to actually struggle with simple emotions?
Asha turned back to her. “One of our colonies was decimated. It was the dragons.”
“Shit.”
Sirens and Scales Page 334
