THERE BE DRAGONS

by Peter Hallett

  The cave was circular, with jagged edges and was on one uneven level. Metal cages stood towards the right. In the cages were the dragons. A few shared each cell. The animals snapped and shrieked. Some flapped their wings and others used their hard heads to hit the metal bars.

  “Don’t get too close to those things,” ordered Stephens. “Stay outta range of their fire.”

  The rest of the cave looked very clinical and was full of science stations. It could have been a mad scientist’s lab from a B-movie.

  One desk had test tubes, a telescope, and a dead baby dragon halfway through a dissection. Another table had holders keeping eggs upright. Tubes had been injected into the eggs. They led into some kind of a tall metallic white container. There was also a radio station and shelves covered in books. By the shelves sat rows of filing cabinets. By a destroyed desk lay a dead scientist who wore a once white lab coat.

  From behind one of the science stations a pair of hands appeared. They signaled surrender.

  All of the team trained their weapons on the person as he stood.

  He blubbered into full view and began to speak in Russian. He was wearing glasses and a white lab coat. His eyes darted to each of the team members as he hoped to get a response.

  Moore did respond. He asked a question in Russian and received an answer in the form of a finger point.

  Stephens shot the scientist, who fell onto the rocky floor of the cave.“You said kill everyone,” said Stephens to Moore.

  “I did.”

  “What did he tell you?” Stephens asked.

  “I asked about the detonation switch for the base. He told me where it was. There should be a delay of about a minute. A minute we’ll need to make use of to get our asses outta this cave. If we keep ourselves away from the other buildings in the base as we make a run for it, we should be safe.”

  “Should be?” said Teacher.

  “Okay then. Let’s blow this place,” said Stephens.

  “What about them?” asked Teacher. He pointed at the caged dragons.

  “They’ll go up with the cave,” answered Moore.

  “Are you okay to run, Cage?” Stephens asked.

  “Yeah. Don’t worry.”

  “Well, Moore?” Stephens prompted.

  “Sure.” Moore started to move where the scientist had pointed, towards the radio station, then a siren sounded.

  The dragons roared.

  The team looked about the cave. Red lights flicked on and off all around them.

  The roof of the cages slid back and the dragons took flight. They shot upwards with a crack of thunder and exited the cave through a hole directly above the cages.

  “That ain’t good,” said Teacher.

  “Flick the switch, Moore,” ordered Stephens. “We’ll deal with those dragons outside.”

  “We’ll be walking into a shit storm,” said Teacher. “They’re all riled up.”

  Moore did as ordered.

  “Good,” said Stephens. “I have a hankering for some dragon spanking.”

  The team ran from the cave back into the long corridor.

  • • • • •

  Dragon Master’s thumb was all the way into Jacobs’s wound. “I have been nice to you. I treated you well. I was hospitable. You repay me with harsh words and violence? I am not impressed.”

  Jacobs looked to the roof of the hut and cried out. He threw a few punches into the Russian’s side, but Dragon Master did not budge.

  Jacobs swung his head to the right and it cracked into Dragon Master’s jaw. He swung it to the left, another hit to the Russian’s jaw. One more swing. This time forwards. It whacked into the forehead of Dragon Master.

  Jacobs used his own thumb as a weapon. He pressed it into Dragon Master’s left eye.

  The commie pulled away and held at his face.

  Jacobs clamped his hand over his shoulder wound and tried to stop the flow of blood. “I’m not impressed with you. You fight like a girl.”

  Dragon Master shook his head and charged.

  Jacobs was hit with the heel of a boot to his chest, then a punch to the face.

  Another punch flew forward but Jacobs dodged to the side. Dragon Master’s hand hit the wall of the hut.

  Jacobs kneed the Russian in the gut. It doubled his enemy over. He used another knee to hit the face.Dragon Master’s head shot upwards from the blow, now he was stood upright again.

  Jacobs grabbed him by the neck and spun him onto the tilted bed.

  He let go of the neck and struck him with a low right hook to the stomach.

  Dragon Master doubled over once more. Jacobs met his face with an upper cut as it fell.

  The Russian was jolted backwards and bounced onto the rusted metal.

  “My turn to be hospitable?” Jacobs turned the dial to full.

  Electricity blasted into the Russian’s body.

  He tried to pull himself from the bed but he had no luck. His arms and legs flapped around. His body bent. His mouth foamed red. He screamed as smoke began to rise from him. His black camo uniform burst into flames. Fire embraced his skin. The blaze raced into his lungs and his scream was burned.

  Silence, but the crackle of flesh.

  “That’s for Lynch,” said Jacobs.

  The fire spread from the body and the hut caught alight.

  The door opened.

  Jacobs turned and saw Diaz enter with his rifle readied.

  “Jacobs?”

  “What’s left of me, anyway.”

  “What are you doing here?” asked Diaz.

  “Electrocuting a Russian to death. And you?”

  “Well … I was just murdering some … never mind, let’s go!”

  “Good idea.”

  Jacobs went to Buttons’s dead body and picked up his M-16.

  “They got Buttons?” Diaz said.

  “Afraid so,” said Jacobs.

  “Can you still fire that rifle? Your hand don’t look too good.”

  “All of me doesn’t look too good,” said Jacobs.

  “True.”

  “Yeah, I can still shoot.”

  They heard the thunder.

  “Ah, shit,” said Jacobs.

  “You know what that means then?”

  “Yep. Dragons.” Jacobs laughed.

  “You sure you’re okay?”

  “I think that’s the first time I’ve ever cursed.”

  “Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone.”

  “Okay, let’s get out of here,” Jacobs said.

  • • • • •

  They exited the hut and saw Jackson charging forward firing his M-60 into the sky. His muzzle flashes lit the base like a strobe. His movements resembled a film missing every other frame.

  They saw an explosion in the air, a ball of flames.

  A section of a fiery dead dragon landed on the path near Jacobs and Diaz. They jumped the carcass. Flames licked their feet.

  They landed and joined Jackson. They all shot at the dragons in the sky.

  It was hard to see the animals in the night and most shots went wide of their targets. Because of his thumb-less hand, Jacobs had trouble holding his rifle steady.

  A fireball blasted towards them.

  They dove from the flames and hit the ground.

  Jackson rolled a flat, stretched-out roll a few times before he took a knee and fired again.

  Diaz started to get up.

  A dragon dove from the dark.

  It struck the private in his chest with its hard head. Diaz flew into the air and crashed through one of the blazing hut’s walls.

  That dragon landed. It was Little One. It turned to Jackson. Its neck contracted.

  Jacobs fired and the shots hit its legs. It fell over and its wings flapped rapidly.

  One of the wings struck Jacobs. He was taken off his feet. He was flipped into a backwards somersault and landed hard on his chest.

  Little One, still on the ground, shot its fire at Jackson.

  Jackson turned to s
ee the fireball race towards him. He ducked low and the flames rushed over the top of him. They hit one of the guard towers.

  Jackson’s back had caught on fire. He rolled on it to put out the blaze. Smoke rose from under him.

  Flames from the spat fire cooked the bamboo legs of the guard tower. The tall structure began to fall. It toppled towards Jackson and Jacobs.

  Jackson rolled again, picked his M-60 up as he did, and held it into his chest.

  Jacobs looked up from the dirt and saw the blazing tower head towards him. He got up, held his rifle tight, and ran.

  The tower fell at him, the flames elongating and reaching into the night as it raced downwards.

  It crashed down. Dust flew up in a cloud.

  Jackson was just a few feet from the tower, but safe.

  The top end of the structure had crushed Little One. The dragon screamed, blood curdled, a feverish sound.

  Jacobs ran from the fire-covered tower and the little dragon exploded. The blast tossed the lieutenant into the air and he crashed down to the ground. His body bent and screwed in awkward ways. His rifle fell from him.

  Another dragon landed on Jackson’s chest. Its claws stuck into his skin. They dug into the flesh The M-60 was pressed against his body. He tried to push the weapon from himself so he could make use of it, but the dragon was too heavy.

  Jacobs had gotten to his feet and he fired at the animal. It staggered back off of Jackson.

  “Aim for the neck!” shouted Jackson.

  Jacobs did and he hit the target. The creature exploded and chunks flew in all directions. Its legs, oozing gore. They stayed standing for a few moments, before them and their gooeyness fell on Jackson.

  Thunder came.

  One Eye dove at Jacobs. Its teeth sunk into his arm.

  The dragon’s neck was bent as its trajectory took its body past Jacobs.

  There was a sudden pull from the strange position the dragon found itself in, as it overshot its target with its lower body. They both tumbled to the ground. It and Jacobs rolled in a mix of beast and man.

  • • • • •

  Stephens ran from the bunker.

  As soon as he was in the night air, a dragon jumped from the roof of the concrete box and grabbed him. The beast’s claws dug into his shoulders and he was lifted from the ground. His rifle fell and clattered by the feet of Cage.

  Cage dropped his M-16 and took ahold of the Stephens’s legs. He tried to keep the animal from gaining any more height; he dropped his weight low and bent his legs, but it didn’t work. His legs were soon forced straight and the heavy mass of Cage was also picked up from the ground.

  Teacher dropped his shotgun and grabbed onto Cage. The private was also lifted upwards.

  Moore jumped to grab Teacher but he just missed by a mere few inches. He took aim with his CAR-15 but couldn’t get a clean line of fire.

  The dragon flapped its wings furiously but now had trouble with altitude gain. It managed to raise in short jolted bursts though. The thunder and shrieks pierced the group of three’s eardrums.

  Another dragon dove at the string of bodies.

  Its head struck Teacher and he lost his grip. He flew from the chain of soldiers and his back hit the hard concrete of the bunker’s exterior wall.

  Stephens felt himself, the dragon, and Cage move higher into the air. He strained and raised his lower body, and Cage, so his knees touched his chest. He removed an arrow from the quiver. His eyes narrowed and he moaned in pain. He stabbed the arrow into the torso of the animal. Blood sprayed and the dragon cried out.

  It released its grip. Stephens and Cage fell.

  They landed on top of each other, Stephens’s knees crushing Cage.

  Cage bawled out a curse. “Shit!”

  Moore ran to them and started to help them to their feet.

  Teacher held at his back and was almost stood upright again as the dragon that had butted him dove once more.

  Stephens saw the creature before Teacher did. He yelled, “Teacher, move!”

  Teacher looked up from his feet and saw the dragon zoom at him. He jumped and the animal rammed the concrete wall. It left a smear of blood as its body slid down to the ground.

  Teacher picked his shotgun up and ran from the dragon, which now thrashed around wildly, its wings kicking up a cloud of dirt.

  Stephens unslung the bow, placed an arrow in, took aim, and fired. The arrow struck the dragon in the head but pinged off. It did not faze the creature. It screamed at him.

  Moore fired on full automatic at the dragon as Stephens threw the bow to the ground. He ran and picked up his CAR-15 and Cage’s M-16. He threw the corporal his rifle.

  Now all four were men firing at the dragon. It wasn’t long before someone’s shot struck its neck and it exploded.

  They heard a dragon land behind them.

  They turned and saw it was the animal that had picked them up moments ago. The arrow was still stuck in its body.

  Teacher shot first and it was the perfect blast. The dragon exploded. They shielded their eyes.

  “Yippee-Ki-Yay!” Teacher shouted.

  “Run!” screamed Moore. “The bunker will blow soon!”

  They all ran down the center of the base. They could see the barracks that were burning from the oil drum, the hut that was ablaze, and the fallen guard tower engulfed by fire.

  “No!”

  They turned to see a dragon had picked up Cage. He was being carried back towards the bunker.

  “You guys keep running!” said Stephens.

  They did as ordered.

  Stephens ran after the beast that clutched Cage. He opened fire with his CAR-15 when he felt it was safe to shoot.

  Cage still had ahold of his M-16 and he fired it one handed upwards at the animal. Some shots struck and the dragon began a dramatic winding fall. Cage lost his rifle with the sudden twist and it crashed to the ground before Stephens’s feet.

  Stephens dodged the weapon and continued to run.

  Cage and the dragon fell in a turn and tumble of meat. They dropped onto the wall around the hole to the well. Some of the stones broke away. Then both of them fell into the hole.

  Stephens ran up to the well and looked down to see them smash off the sides until they splashed into the water.

  The dragon flapped its wings and snapped its mouth, its shrieks echoing off the walls. Cage covered himself the best he could with the use of his arms. He turned his face from the animal, but it wasn’t long until the dragon’s teeth found flesh.

  They sank into Cage’s neck and blood gushed.

  Cage’s body was tugged this way and that in the small confined space. He hit off all the walls. His limbs seemed to go in strange directions independent of each other.

  The dragon stopped thrashing and dug his teeth deeper into him.

  “K … k … kill … m … me!” spluttered out of Cage.

  Stephens removed his last frag from his webbing. He pulled the pin and dropped it down the well. He turned and ran.

  The explosion happened behind him. A ball of red and yellow flames shot out the hole of the well into the sky. It wrapped around a dragon that flew overhead. The dragon blew too and some of its body landed to the side of Stephens.

  Stephens saw Moore and Teacher on a bamboo bridge. They were both firing into the sky at a group of dragons.

  He joined their fire as he ran to their position. His shots managed to hit one of the animals and it fell on the bridge. The bridge bounced up and down from the impact and the bamboo and joining ropes squeaked.

  The dragon quickly stood and spat fire at Moore and Teacher.

  Moore ducked and the fire shot overhead. Teacher dove to the right, the fire flew by.

  Teacher had jumped straight into the cage. The door shut from his impact on one of the bamboo-barred walls. Then the cage fell from the bridge into the water.

  The fireball set the bridge alight and Moore was now trapped on it. Fire to one side and a dragon to the other.

>   Stephens was at the side the fire raged at and he fired over Moore’s head at the dragon.

  The bullets hit the creature’s neck. It exploded.

  The bridge blew and Moore was flung into the water.

  Bamboo hurtled down at Stephens. He jumped from it and was quickly back to his feet. He saw Moore swim from the water to the side he was at. He helped the agent out. “Where’s Teacher?” asked Stephens.

  They both looked to the river and saw a dragon sat on top of the bamboo cage, which was turned on its side and held under water. They could see Teacher’s hands trying to push the cage door open. He couldn’t move the weight of the dragon.

  Bang.

  The bunker blew.

  The sound of the explosion was ear-shattering. Chunks of concrete got flung into the sky and a mushroom cloud of red, yellow, and black swooshed forth. It set the tops of the surrounding trees alight and illuminated the sky. It also took some nearby flying dragons in its fire and mini explosions popped. Flesh and blood showered down.

  The ground shook and rocks fell from the cliff. They rumbled down into the base. One fell on the burning barracks and the building crumbled. One massive, jagged, wrecking-ball boulder reached Stephens and Moore.

  Stephens pushed Moore aside just in time but the boulder struck Stephens on his side and threw him off his feet. He shot through the top of the flames of the fallen bridge and splashed down into the water.

  He came back to the surface and gasped for air. He saw the massive rock continue to roll past his eye line. He swam and pulled himself back onto dry land. He ran on unsteady feet to Moore. He helped the agent up.

  “We’ve gotta go! The rest of the buildings will start to blow!” shouted Moore.

  “First, Teacher!” said Stephens.

  They ran back to the water’s edge.

  The dragon still stood on the cage. They couldn’t see any hands from inside.

  Moore was the only one with a weapon. He fired at the animal’s legs. The bullets cut them up and it fell into the river. Its frantic and panicked wings directed its flailing body towards them.

  Moore threw his rifle to the ground. “I’m out!”

  Stephens looked around for a weapon.