The Dragon's Secret Queen

by Jasmine Wylder

  Greg grumbled a bit but there was a pause and then Big Joe’s voice was on the other end. Zuri handed the phone over to Chaz who explained the plan. As soon as her phone was back in her bag she got on the motorcycle and the two zipped off to the north.

  It was a long drive and it gave Zuri’s imagination free reign. She imagined them getting there too late, or not being able to find Ava in the mess of the port traffic. Each scenario rolled through her mind and the bike dipped and zipped over pavement, past trees, cliffs, past the ocean and toward Laughton.

  She and Chaz would be the first to arrive, which could be a good or a bad thing. She wondered if the rest of Magus was driving as fast as they were now. She wanted to ask Chaz but the wind was too strong and she didn’t want to take his mind off the road.

  When they pulled up to the docks, Chaz shut the motor down and Zuri got off.

  “We should wait for some backup,” Chaz said, turning to look behind him as if they might even now be pulling in.

  Zuri looked too before she turned back to look at the activity on the pier.

  “There are plenty of people around, we’ll be fine. Maybe we should just take a look around, get an idea of where they might be.” Zuri felt an immediate need to find Ava. What if Kevin hadn’t heard right or what if the time had been moved up? She looked off at some of the large boats pulled into dock, another already leaving.

  She turned to Chaz, willing him to investigate with her.

  “Just a quick look around. If they see us then we might jeopardize the whole thing. We have no idea how many men could be here protecting their cargo.” Chaz looked again behind him.

  As soon as she saw his eyes she began toward the pier. They passed a couple coming off of a large yacht, something that made her feel foolishly safe and worried at the same time. Her first instinct, that Laughton was too populated for the Ukrainian mobsters to use for the women, itched at the back of her mind again. If there was no sign of the girls and women here, then they were really out of luck. There were ports all along the coast and the girls could be kept anywhere.

  Zuri looked around her as she walked. The pier was a working breathing thing. There were no restaurants nearby to cater to tourists since no cruise liners came in and this was a working port. There was a crane set up toward the end of the dock and Zuri had a feeling that if the girls were here somewhere they would be down at the far end by the crane.

  “Be careful,” Chaz whispered at her back. But Zuri felt no need to be careful. She hurried off in the direction of the crane with Chaz close by her side. There were warehouses and storage cellars at this end. Shipping containers were stacked, and crates full of goods stood towering around them.

  “I don’t see any Ukrainian’s Chaz, this can’t be the right place.” Zuri walked carelessly into one of the warehouses. She peered around corners and listened for signs of life. “We’re not going to find them, Ava will be lost forever,” she turned to Chaz just in time to see three men come up behind him. Chaz immediately went into action but it was too late.

  Zuri tried to scream but a firm hand was placed over her mouth and she was lifted off her feet. She watched one of the men pull out a large syringe and stick it straight into Chaz’s arm, releasing the entire amount into his body.

  Chaz’s eyes went to Zuri. She kicked her feet wildly but the firm arms around her wouldn’t let go. Chaz crumpled on the spot.

  “Enough tranquilizer to put down a rhino,” one of the men said. He stepped into the light and Zuri saw the man who had captured Ava.

  “It was nice of your friend let us know you were coming.” The man smiled at her, showing off his yellowing teeth. “It’s amazing what love can do.”

  Zuri looked to man next to the mobster and froze. Kevin was staring anxiously at her.

  “I’m sorry. I had to get Sandy, this was the only way.” He looked down at Chaz then back at Zuri. “I’m so sorry.”

  “Enough of that,” the man with yellow teeth turned to Kevin and struck him over the head with the butt of a gun.

  Zuri kicked out again, using all her force and might to try and break the bond her captor had over her.

  “Don’t worry sweetheart, we have another one just for you.” The man with the glinting eyes and yellow teeth pulled out a second, smaller syringe. Zuri tried to scream, to fight, but the needle was in her arm. She willed her body not to accept the drug, but even as she pleaded with herself she felt her muscles shutting down. She kicked out one more time and the rest of the syringe, still half full, fell to the floor.

  “Move her to the container with the others,” the man said. She was awake just long enough to watch the man spit on Chaz’s inert body.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Zuri felt a throbbing pain split through her head and down across the base of her skull. It was dark and she felt groggy.

  As she painfully opened her eyes a flood of memory came crashing down on her.

  She blinked a few times. There were air holes punched into the metal that surrounded her and it gave off just enough light for her to see the shapes around her. Women. Girls.

  Zuri sat up, trying to brush off the fog that saturated her mind.

  “Ava?” Zuri said into the container.

  There was a slow movement and Zuri crawled toward it. She looked at the other women and girls as she went.

  Ava sat slumped against the metal walls of the container. She was dirty, drugged, and she didn’t seem to recognize Zuri.

  “Ava, Ava, it’s me Zuri.” Zuri shook the girl by the shoulders but Ava’s head just lolled, her eyes flickering.

  Zuri felt the weight of the air in the space. It was putrid and stale. She put both her hands to her forehead trying to aid her mind into thinking clearly. She looked around at the other women again.

  “Zuri.” The voice came from her right and Zuri moved to see who the speaker was.

  “Sandy,” Zuri crawled over to the other woman. Sandy had a black eye and the same drowsy look that the other women had, but she was at least able to speak which was more than Ava could do. “How long have you been here?”

  “Days…I don’t really know.” Sandy grimaced and tried to prop herself up further against the wall.

  Zuri brushed her fingertips over the other woman’s eye.

  “I got a little belligerent,” Sandy raised her eyebrows and smiled. “I kicked one of those shits in the nuts.”

  “Kevin,” Zuri began but stopped when she saw the look in Sandy’s eyes.

  “He’s ok?” Sandy looked awake for a moment.

  Zuri thought of telling her. Considered putting Kevin over the coals. He’d given her and Chaz to the wolves. But he’d done it for Sandy and Zuri didn’t have the heart to hurt the woman next to her any more than she was already. He loved Sandy and Sandy must love him, Zuri could see it in her eyes. How long? How had she not known?

  “He’s fine. Those men, did they say anything to you? Have you heard anything? Have they done anything to you?” Zuri asked moving closer and resting her body against a small sliver of metal wall.

  “We’re being shipped into the sex slave market in Moscow.” Sandy coughed a deep phlegmy hack. Zuri waited for the coughing fit to pass. She wanted to soothe Sandy but she didn’t have the energy. “The men are real shits, a few of them have tested the merchandise.” Sandy’s face went void of all emotion.

  “The young ones?” Zuri looked at the girls. Sandy was in her twenties and one of the oldest in the container. Zuri assumed that a few of the girls were as young as fourteen.

  “No, they are worth more when they are fully intact.” Sandy gave a disgusted laughed then started hacking again.

  Zuri looked at the walls that surrounded them. The air holes would make it possible for them to be heard, but she didn’t even know where on the pier she was. They could be too far away for the sound to carry.

  “We need to do something,” Zuri whispered to herself. She thought of Chaz and the look on his face just before he went under. Was he alive
and well right now? Zuri felt panic overtake her. Her eyes filled and her face flushed. What if she never got to see Chaz again, if they shipped her off and she never got to know if he’d made it out all right?

  Zuri inhaled through her mouth as her jaw shook with emotion. She had to focus. They had to get out of there before they ended up on a ship heading for Moscow.

  “We have to make a plan. We need to get out of here.” Zuri looked at Sandy. The other woman’s glazed eyes flitted to Zuri, then drooped.

  Zuri had to think of something and fast. It was obvious that none of the other women in the container were going to be much help. Zuri looked around at the drawn faces, the sloppy drop of eyes and drugged limbs.

  She laid down on the floor and gave herself over to a moment of hopelessness. It was an impossible situation.

  She could hear the blood pulsing through her ears and she was tempted just to close hers eyes and pray she would never wake up again. But Zuri thought of Ava. She thought of the other young girls. This would be the end of their lives. She imagined Ava being sold off to some old man. Her precious life thrown away. She would never go to college, never use that beautiful brain of hers.

  Zuri opened her eyes wide. There was a very light thudding that Zuri could feel and hear from her position on the floor. They were near the crane. They had to be.

  There would be the regular port officials walking by, overseeing work, and if the crane was active there would be other workers around too. Someone would have to hear them if only Zuri could get their attention.

  With great effort she pushed herself up. She looked around at the group. If she could get even half of them to make noise maybe, just maybe, someone would hear them.

  “Hey,” she spoke into the container. “We need to make noise. We need to get ourselves heard.” She crawled to a group against the far wall. She shook girls, and women. She started lifting their fists and pounded them against the metal wall. She moved from woman to woman doing the same thing. Some were so drugged they didn’t even wake up when Zuri shook them. But she didn’t stop. She continued until there was a soft thudding of fists on the wall.

  Zuri gathered all her strength. She pushed herself to her feet and pounded heavily on the walls. A thick drum sound began and a few of the women seemed to stir to life.

  “Help,” Zuri yelled at the top of her lungs. “Help us. Fire, there’s a fire…” she yelled the words. Many years ago she’d heard that if she was being attacked to yell fire. She was told that people responded to a cry of fire when they wouldn’t necessarily step in to call the police for a cry of help.

  “Fire,” she shrieked. She slammed her fists into the walls and began stomping her feet. “Fire, help…” She continued her cry, pounding her fists until she felt her skin grow raw and break under the pressure. She pummeled the walls and floor, pushed her body to move faster to hit harder. She screamed the words over and over again, not stopping to listen for signs of the outside.

  There was a clanging on the outside of the container. Zuri didn’t stop. She imagined the Ukrainians coming in and shutting her up. She threw herself at the walls. Screamed even louder.

  A light swam through the opening and finally Zuri turned. She looked at the opening and saw a uniformed man there.

  “Dear god,” the man said as he looked around at the container full of women and girls.

  “Help us,” Zuri said, “please help get us out of here.” Someone had heard them and someone had come. Zuri wanted to cry but she knew she had to keep her wits about her.

  The man called out and another uniformed man came into view.

  Zuri bent and grabbed for Ava, she pulled the girl to her feet, but Ava’s legs wouldn’t hold. She dragged Ava under the armpits out into the air.

  “What the hell?” the other man said as he walked in and began grabbing girls and carrying them out into the open. “What the hell is going on here?”

  “You need backup, call for backup,” Zuri’s voice rasped out and she wasn’t sure they heard.

  The men each carried two more girls out and Zuri tried to speak again but her voice choked. Her eyes began adjusting to the sun that was beginning to set. She looked at Ava and slapped at her face.

  “You need to get up, you have to get out of here.” Zuri patted the girl’s face. Ava drifted awake then promptly closed her eyes again. Zuri pushed herself back up and forced herself back into the container. Sandy crawled out as Zuri grabbed for another young girl. She dragged her up and the girl walked tipsily out into into the fresh air, leaning heavily on Zuri for support.

  “Hey,” the voice came from behind Zuri. She turned and saw three of the Ukrainian’s running toward them.

  “Get your gun out,” Zuri screamed at the men next to her. “Get your gun out now, those men are wolf shifters.” She yelled at them but she could already feel it was too late. One of the men reached for his gun but the Ukrainians had already transformed.

  With a snarl they barreled into the two uniformed men, fangs out, claws ready. Zuri screamed as she watched both men being mauled by the huge beasts.

  Tears streaked down Zuri’s face. She looked in horror at the blood that pooled beneath the men, the blood that stained the mouths of the wolves. A look of abject terror transfixed the closest man’s face. The other man didn’t even have a face anymore.

  “Help,” Zuri screamed. The man with the yellow teeth didn’t transform, he watched the action in his human form, expressing no emotion at the sight of the dead men in front of him. “Help,” Zuri screamed again as she looked into the glazed eyes of the man.

  He walked to her swiftly and grabbed her by her shirt collar. He swung her to ground, to her knees and pulled out a gun.

  He cocked the gun and aimed it at her head, “I should have done this a long time ago.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chaz felt the blackness take over him but he didn’t give into it all the way. The hot blood that ran through his veins denied the tranquilizer its full affect. He could hear men around him. He could feel his body being moved.

  He willed his body to work again. He tested out his toes and soon his fingertips.

  Words were being said nearby but he couldn’t understand them. At first he thought the confusion was in his head. It took him a moment to realize they were speaking in Ukrainian.

  How long before the effect of the drug would wear off? His mind went back to that moment when he watched Zuri being taken from him. Was she even alive now?

  The minutes ticked away and Chaz focused all his energy on moving his body.

  Soon there were new sounds, different voices. He made a fist then released his hand. There was an order and a few shouts. Chaz knew he didn’t have time to let the drug wear off, he needed to move. Now.

  He rolled over onto his back, his eyes opened wide. A face came into view over him. The man said something in Ukrainian and held out his hand to someone Chaz couldn’t see. A gun landed in the man’s palm. Chaz watched the man take aim.

  Chaz pulled all his energy together. He felt his blood pulsing hot within him. With a flash of rage he lifted his foot and kicked the man hard. Chaz lifted and rolled himself up to standing, grabbing for the man’s throat, the gun clattered to the floor.

  There were other shouts and Chaz pulled the man close to him just in time to use the gunman’s body as a shield. He pushed the body away from him, then shifted into full bear mode.

  A bullet skimmed across his bear body but Chaz didn’t stop moving. He surged forward just as the men were beginning to shift themselves. He released his claws and felt them cut deep into their gray flesh. He threw the carcass of one body at the next man.

  Transforming back to his human form in seconds he retrieved the gun and shot the other wolf between the eyes. The smell of blood lifted to his nose.

  Chaz jogged out of the warehouse. He moved stealthily along the walls, waiting for more signs of danger.

  He had no idea where they had taken Zuri or where the men were keeping the gi
rls.

  Chaz paused at edge of a new building. He needed backup.

  The Magus men were just pulling in as Chaz came back out to where he’d parked his bike.

  “Where is Zuri, you said she was with you?” Big Joe got off his bike. He jogged with Chaz back toward the pier.

  “They took her, they knew we were coming. They tranquilized me and I have no idea where she’s being held.” Chaz felt a frenzy of panic squeeze in his gut.

  “Hey,” Big Joe looked to Chaz, “we will find her.”

  They ran back to warehouse, looking in containers, bins, rooms that had been sealed off and no longer used. They went out on the docks and asked questions, started searching into the mass of storage containers, shipping containers, and crates that were stacked everywhere.

  Chaz lifted his nose. He sniffed the air. The sea air was confusing his senses. He felt like he might smell Zuri but he wasn’t sure.

  Big Joe popped open the top of a large wooden crate and peered in.

  Then they heard it. Zuri’s scream.

  Chaz didn’t wait. He followed the sound, running as fast as he could. There was another scream and he changed directions, sprinting through containers to find his way through.

  When he came out to a hidden row of shipping containers he saw her.

  One of the mobsters held a gun pointed to her head.

  Chaz felt the moments pulsing away. He shifted to his bear body, the muscles in every part of him moving faster than he’d ever moved before. He didn’t give himself a moment to slow down or hold back. He trundled straight into the man holding the gun, pulling his body and ripping into him before he even had a chance to look his attacker in the face.

  Big Joe shifted to a huge threatening grizzly and the other Magus were on the way. The two other mobsters were already in wolf form. Chaz lashed out savagely at one while he heard Big Joe rip into the other.

  More mobsters rounded on them but Magus was in full form.

  Chaz slashed at wolves coming in every direction, lifting bodies over his head and throwing them a full twenty feet away. He worked through each beast that foolishly tried to challenge him.