Jagger stepped back, turned the lights off, and pressed himself against the wall next to the elevator. Eric dove back behind his chair and waited to see who was coming out. He quickly drew his daggers and held them out in front of him. He eyed the blades carefully as he waited.
The doors slowly opened and a dark figure stepped out. Its head quickly spun from side to side, “Hello? Jagger, Eric, you there?”
The lights immediately came on, revealing that the dark figure was Andrea. He pointed his gun at the doctor’s throat as Eric jumped out with his knife. Andrea didn’t even have a chance to let out a startled yelp as Jagger grabbed his collar.
Andrea looked down nervously at the gun, “Jagger...?”
“Give me a reason to pull the trigger, I’m begging you!” Jagger said in as threatening a tone as he could.
Andrea raised his hands, showing that he was unarmed, “I’m not here to fight you. As you can see, I’m all alone. Dr. Castillo doesn’t know I’m here. They plan to throw you out of the city in the morning or kill you if you try to put up a fight. I don’t think the doctor cares what happens.”
“This is unbelievable.” Jagger said in anger. “This is supposed to be the last bastion of the United States, the land of freedom! This isn’t what you’re supposed to stand for.”
“Dr. Castillo could care less about that.” Andrea replied. “He has his own security force that acts independently of the provincial government. The military doesn’t even know what he’s up to most of the time.”
“That figures.” Eric replied. “What do you think, Jagger? Do we believe him?”
“Search him.” Jagger growled.
Eric nodded and lowered his knife. He quickly padded down the white lab coat and khaki pants. After a few moments, he turned to Jagger with his hands empty, “He’s unarmed.”
Jagger’s eyes narrowed, “What do you want?”
“I want to help you get away. Dr. Castillo lost his mind. I’m willing to put up with a lot of ethically questionable behavior, but he’s subjecting her to tests that are completely inhumane and could kill her.”
“Has he hurt her?” Jagger demanded as he pushed the gun closer to Andrea’s left eye.
“Not, not yet.” The doctor replied nervously. “He’s just stressed her out… but I don’t know how long we have until it comes to that.”
“Why do you care?” Eric asked.
Andrea glared at Eric, “I took an oath against doing harm. I may be a member of the dwindling class, but I still take my oath seriously. I’m on your side here. If you don’t let me help you, Dr. Castillo will have you killed and then dissect her.”
Jagger nodded, “Good enough… but how are we going to get out of here?”
“I’ve got your weapons over here in the elevator. I’ve also got Lieutenant Rollins securing your truck. I’ll get you in to get your friend and then get you out of the city.”
“Lieutenant Rollins is in on this?” Eric asked, surprised.
“He’s U.S. Military, not Dr. Castillo’s men. Don’t worry, I know him very well. He’s with us on this one.”
Eric’s eyes narrowed, “Then why don’t we just let the military know?”
“There’s no time.” Andrea replied. “They don’t even know you’re here. By the time you got to anyone in the government, it would likely be too late. Raiya doesn’t have that much time and frankly… I can’t guarantee that they’d help us. Right now, the best thing we can do is get her away from Dr. Castillo.”
Jagger lowered his gun, “All right, let’s go.”
Eric and Andrea followed Jagger into the elevator. The guns were there waiting for them in a small brown sack off to the side. Jagger’s customized bolt gun was leaned against the wall as well. He picked up the bolt pistol and handed it to Eric, “I tuned that gun myself. You’ll like it.”
“All right.” Eric replied.
Andrea took a deep breath as he pressed the ‘CC’ button, “Here we go. This is going to get rough.”
“Yeah it is… you better not try anything, or you’re dead.”
“Got it.” Andrea replied with a nod.
The elevator slowly moved down the shaft. Jagger dropped his 1911 in his pocket and clenched the bolt gun in his hands. His eyes were completely fixed on the door, waiting for it to open.
Jagger’s feet felt the additional pressure as the elevator stopped on the bottom floor. Andrea nodded, “The command center is staffed by a skeleton crew at night. Thank a manpower shortage. Most of them aren’t armed either.”
“What about the surveillance cameras?” Eric asked. “We were told that Castillo has eyes all over the base! How are we going to keep him from seeing us coming?”
“The power to keep this whole place is absolutely immense.” Andrea replied. “Despite what you’ve been told, it’s unsustainable… thus, to prolong our energy, a lot of key systems are shut down at night. It’s not public knowledge, but cameras inside the base are among them.”
“They just leave the place undefended?”
“What would we need to defend it from? The entire city is completely fortified from nomad or canban, and dragons can’t get in here. There really is no point.”
“Be ready all the same.” Jagger replied.
Andrea nodded, “Right… by the way, how come I don’t get a gun?”
Jagger turned to face him, “Get us out of here alive and I’ll give you one.”
“Fair enough.”
The door opened before he could say anything else. Jagger ducked down and crept out of the elevator. The lights everywhere were turned down low, likely to reserve power as Andrea had said. He pressed himself against the wall and slowly moved down the catwalk.
Clank… Clank… Clank…
Jagger ducked into a crevice in the wall at the sound of footsteps. He focused his ears to try to figure out where the sound had come from.
Clank… clank… clank…
It seemed to be coming from the other direction, heading towards them. Jagger held his breath, waiting as the sound got louder.
Clank… clank… clank…
A small light illuminated the catwalk to Jagger’s left. If he moved even a little, the soldier would see him. He waited quietly as the footsteps on the metal catwalk became louder. A foot appeared next to the crevice, followed by a second one.
A soldier appeared next to Jagger, oblivious to his presence. Jagger jumped out behind him and pointed the bolt gun at his head, “One false move and not even that helmet will protect you. Drop the gun and I’ll let you live.”
The soldier immediately did as he was told and raised his hands. Eric came out from the elevator and picked up the assault rifle, “Nice piece!”
“Take your helmet off.” Jagger demanded.
The soldier again obeyed his command. As soon as the helmet was out of the way, Jagger could see who he was dealing with. It was the kid they’d seen at the gate.
Jagger froze. The look on the young boy’s face was one of complete terror. His eyes were welled up so badly that he could clearly burst into tears at any moment.
“Jagger, we can’t kill him… he’s just a kid.”
“I know…”
The boy looked fearfully at Jagger, “Please let me go…”
“We can’t do that either…” Andrea replied. “If we let him go, he’ll warn the others.”
“I won’t!” The boy insisted. “I swear I won’t.”
“We can’t take that chance.” Jagger replied as he pushed a button on the side of his bolt gun.
“No, don’t kill me! Please! Ah…!”
Jagger fired a single blast from his rifle. It struck the boy in the chest, illuminating him in electricity for a moment before disappearing.
The boy fell silent. His eyes closed and he quickly collapsed. Andrea caught the young guard before he hit the ground, “You son of… was it really necessary to kill him?”
“He’s not dead.” Jagger replied, pointing to the boy’s chest. “Look.”
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Andrea quickly checked his pulse and looked back up at Jagger, “How?”
“I adjusted my gun so that the bolt was on the lowest setting… No matter who it is, I don’t want any more people to die needlessly.”
“I’m sorry.” Andrea replied.
With the guard out of the way, the group moved forward. They had to move slowly and carefully mind their footing. The catwalks were designed to make noise to let someone know if there was an intruder.
Jagger was becoming frustrated. He had to fight the urge to just take off running, knowing that there might be other guards nearby. It was tough, his mind was almost completely focused on a single task; save his partner.
The door which read ‘Science Division’ was a mere few hundred feet away, but it felt like considerably more than that. Jagger took a few more steps and looked down at the keypad, “Andrea, tell me you have the passcode…”
“Of course.” He replied as he stood next to Jagger and quickly punched it in. “This is where I work, after all.”
Andrea’s hands gleamed in the low lighting from sweat. His breathing was erratic and his hands were shaking so bad that he hit the wrong key. He stopped, took a deep breath and tried again.
Jagger narrowed his eyes as he watched, “Hey you okay?”
“I’ve never done this before.” Andrea said. “I’m a medic, not a commando. My job is to help heal the people who do this. God, my heart is racing and I don’t even know if it’s from fear or excitement.”
“Just relax. You’re doing fine.”
Andrea nodded as he wiped his forehead and tried one more time, “O…okay… go ahead in.”
Jagger kicked open the door and rushed in. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw several guards lying on the floor. They weren’t bleeding and didn’t appear to be injured, so he assumed they were unconscious.
The room they were standing in looked as though it had one time been a glass enclosure. The frame was intact, but glass was scattered all over the floor. Whatever had happened to those soldiers, had completely shattered the enclosure.
Jagger took a few steps into the next area, carefully stepping over the bodies. He stopped when he saw the huge mess, “What the?”
Tables had been overturned, medical equipment was strewn about the floor, and even more shards of shattered glass littered the entire room. Still, there were no signs that anyone had been shot, stabbed, or maimed in any way.
Raiya was standing on the other side of the room with her back turned. She was now wearing a gray uniform that looked like it was a military field outfit at some point. Her fists were clenched at her side and she was looking down at something. She looked like a dark statue, completely frozen in place.
Jagger lowered his gun and took a few steps closer. Raiya obscured the scene going on behind her, but it became clearer as he moved. Crouched behind her on the floor was Dr. Castillo. He had a look of immense terror on his face.
Jagger slowly crept closer, “Raiya?”
“You’re late.” She replied.
“No shit… do I even want to know how you managed to take out all these guards?”
Raiya smiled, “I told you I could take care of myself.”
“I never doubted you. What are you doing with him?” Jagger asked, pointing at Dr. Castillo.
Raiya glared at the old man cowering on the floor, “Tell him what you were planning on doing to me!”
“Raiya, please…” Dr. Castillo pleaded.
“Tell him!”
“Raiya, you don’t understand. You’re a valuable speci…”
“I will rip out your throat if you call me a specimen one more time!”
Dr. Castillo fell silent as she clenched her teeth, “He was going to try to breed me!”
She turned and glared at Jagger, “Do you believe that? He wanted to try something called invitro fertilization with both human and dragon DNA. Just to see if it was possible.”
Jagger looked down at Dr. Castillo with a death glare, “What?”
Raiya turned and followed his gaze, “Did you think I’d let you violate me that easily? What gives you the right…?”
Jagger frowned at him in disgust, “You… humanity may remember how you cured the Dragon’s Bane… but the truth is that you are one sick fuck!”
“It was a scientific experiment!” Dr. Castillo shot back. “It was for the betterment of the human race!”
“No, it’s rape.” Jagger replied. “It’s disgusting and it’s wrong. –Raiya, whatever you want to do to him, go for it. Just make it quick.”
………………….
Raiya looked down and glared at the man. She was ready to stab him with her claws, but seeing the pathetic look of cowardice on his face gave her pause, “It does me no good to kill you. Like it or not, you have done some good.”
She knelt next to him, extended her right index finger, and jabbed it into his cheek, just below his left eye. The doctor cried out in pain as blood trickled out of the wound. He pressed his hand against it as he looked back up at Raiya.
She stood up and turned away, “The next time you decide to violate someone’s life… look at that scar and hope I never find out about it.”
Raiya exhaled as she turned back to Jagger, “I’m ready now.”
“Good, let’s get out of here.” Jagger replied.
The city streets were brightly lit as the group made its way to the exit. Jagger moved carefully, trying to avoid the bright lights.
He quickly looked over at Andrea as they ran, “Were those all of Castillo’s guards?”
Suddenly a deafening sound that resembled the shrill cry of a raven filled their ears. Someone had set off an alarm.
“That answer your question?” Andrea asked.
The thuds of loud footsteps quickly replaced the alarm as the loudest sound present. Several soldiers scrambled to scene as spotlights came on to search the area. One swept quickly towards the group.
Jagger pushed Raiya over to the side to try to get her out of view, but it was too late. The group was quickly engulfed in a hot, white light.
“There they are!” Shouted a voice out of the nearby shadows.
“Get down!” Andrea shouted.
Raiya dropped down next to Jagger and hid behind a piece of rubble. He handed her the assault rifle they’d taken off the guard and clenched his own rifle, “Hold on, this is going to be bad.”
Loud gunshots emanated from the direction the voice came from. Jagger waited until the shooting paused and raised his bolt gun. The electric blasts flew from the barrel and struck the nearby building, causing a small amount of debris to fall.
It was all the distraction they needed. Jagger nodded, “All right, come on. Let’s get out of here.”
Andrea beckoned towards the entrance, “Quick this way!”
“Eric, go!” Jagger shouted. “I’ll follow behind you!”
Eric nodded and took off running, “See you guys outside! Don’t get yourselves killed.”
Jagger then turned to Raiya, intent on giving her similar instructions. Raiya looked at him and shook her head, “No way, partner. We’re in this together, remember? We’ll run together.”
Jagger tried to protest, “Raiya…”
“No, not this time. Come on!”
“Stubborn… fine!”
Jagger and Raiya jumped up together. Jagger aimed the bolt gun behind him and fired several shots as the U.S. soldiers finally recovered and resumed fire. This time, the falling debris didn’t seem to bother them. They were intent on stopping the friends from escaping.
Raiya turned her gun back and squeezed the trigger. A full spray of bullets left the rifle as she continued to run. The soldiers dropped to the ground to avoid getting hit.
Raiya smiled confidently, “See, I told you I could…”
Her voice was cut off by a clanking sound. Jagger turned to see a soldier take aim at him and open fire.
Raiya cried out in panic, “Jagger!”
There was
no way he could react in time. If the bullet hit its mark, he was dead. As the gun went off, Jagger’s view of it was obscured by a greenish blur. Raiya stepped into the soldier’s line of sight, blocking him from hitting his mark.
“Look out…!” Jagger shouted.
A sharp snap cut through the air. Dark red liquid sprayed from Raiya’s hip as she jerked backwards and to her left. She was knocked back off her feet, “Ah… shit... that kills… Jagger… I need help!”
Jagger stopped dead in his tracks and grabbed her by the arm, “Come on, Raiya…”
“Come… on… Raiya…” She repeated in a barely audible voice.
Raiya’s breathing became labored. Jagger had never been shot before, but he had been bitten and knew what penetrating pain felt like. It would quickly spread throughout her body, making it hard for her to move. They didn’t have much time. Her eyes fluttered and she quickly became lethargic. Within moments, her legs collapsed and she lost consciousness.
“Raiya?” Jagger yelled. “Hang on, I got you!”
He picked her up and continued running as gunfire went off all around them. They were getting closer to the gate, but it still felt like there was miles between them.
Jagger closed his eyes. He knew that if he was going to get hit, it would be then and there. He braced himself for the pain of a bullet. There was no doubt he was about to get hit when a voice called out to him, “Jagger come on!”
A momentary sense of relief poured over Jagger as he arrived at the gate. He was unharmed and not a single bullet had come close, “All right, let’s go!”
Andrea looked over as Jagger carried Raiya in his arms. “What happened to her?”
Jagger beckoned with his chin to her bleeding hip, “She jumped in front of a bullet… she saved me.”
On the other side of the lot, the gates were wide open. Lt. Rollins stood on the other side with Jagger’s jeep, “Come on, come on, move it!”
Andrea nodded, “Let’s get going before we all get shot. Don’t worry, I’ll see what I can do.”
Jagger passed by Rollins and nodded, “Thanks!”
He quickly adjusted the back seat to give Raiya a little more space, and laid her down. The back of the jeep wasn’t very big, so he had to carefully bend her legs. He had to be careful as each time her legs moved, blood poured from the wound.
Drakin: The Story of Raiya Page 15