Let Sleeping Dragons Lie (The Modern Dragon Chronicles Book 1)

by Ty Burson

  Roger frowned in thought, “What are they fishing?”

  John hesitated, “I honestly don’t know. My family’s a little eccentric. We might own the boat, but someone else will run it. My brother and I are heading north soon to make sure everything gets up and running smoothly. Anyway, no rush. I’ll make a call, find out some more information, and touch bases back with you later today. Think about it, will you?”

  Roger surprised himself by answering right away, “Sure, I appreciate the offer. I’ll be here until six this evening. Just let me know. You need a ride back to the hotel?”

  John smiled, “Naw, I like the rain. Trash can?”

  Roger took the cup and tossed it behind the counter as the newcomer stepped back out into the drizzle. He turned to wave, “See you soon.”

  As soon as he had cleared the marina, John walked around a corner and hid himself so he could study the lone man in his tin box, who was smiling despite the crummy weather. John pulled out an umbrella from an inside pocket of the golf jacket and popped it open. Then he dialed his brother and explained why they needed to buy a boat.

  Chapter 16

  Joy was the one to notice it first. “Look,” she pointed, “it’s that same car that was parked near Justin’s before we left.”

  She was right. It was the same car. Steve couldn’t mistake it because it was all black and expensive looking. It kind of stood out here in Crescent City, which was odd, because it looked a little familiar. “Do you think it’s following us?”

  Joy said, “I don’t care. Let’s ditch it.”

  They were trying to enjoy their summer despite the weather and weren’t far from Justin’s house, near their usual stomping grounds. This meant Joy knew exactly where to ride her bike to make a clean escape. She took the lead, pumping her pedals, and the boys were left trying their best to keep up. Joy zigzagged between parked cars and shot across the street, her rain jacket flying loose behind her like a cape. They jumped the curb and splashed into a huge puddle, ignoring what might have otherwise been a fun game. After a few cunning short cuts between fences, and a trip through Seaside Hospital’s parking lot, they slowed down near the Cultural Center restrooms on Front Street. Together, they hauled their bikes into the deserted opening of the men’s bathroom and looked around for their pursuer.

  Three heads poked out into the rain. “You see anything?” Justin asked.

  Steve kept looking, “Nope, you see anything, Joy?”

  “No, me neither. I don’t see the car…or anything else,” Joy replied.

  “Does that mean you saw it too?” Steve asked

  “Saw what?” Justin asked.

  “Something around the car—” Joy said.

  “Something in the air,” Steve interrupted.

  “Like a seagull or something?” Justin said.

  “No,” Steve answered, “more like smoke.”

  “Smoke? How could you even see smoke in this gunk?”

  “I don’t know,” Joy said, “it might have been smoke. It made me feel weird, like queasy.”

  “Me too,” Steve said, “Like I was dizzy!”

  Joy nodded, “I don’t feel it now, though.”

  Justin looked at them like they were crazy, “What are you talking about? Are you saying something else is after us? What is it?”

  “I don’t know,” Steve answered.

  Joy chimed in, “Me either, but I kind of felt like I did at the river. You know, with that wind and waterspout thing?”

  “I think you’re both nuts,” Justin said.

  Joy thought, “Maybe, but is it nuts to say I see that car again?”

  Though the rain had let up, Steve still had to squint to be sure, “Hey, look, it pulled into the parking space over there.”

  “No way,” Justin whined, “How could anyone have followed us?”

  “I don’t know, but it’s the same car,” Steve announced.

  Justin was in a near panic, “What do we do now? Huh? Seriously, guys, what do we do now?”

  “Will you chill out?!” Joy responded. “Come on, we’re not that far from the marina. Let’s go find your dad, Steve.”

  The trio cut across the park, through some trees, and then emerged onto Sunset Circle. They stayed on the road until they hit Walton and then on to the marina, keeping an eye out the whole time for the black sedan. They were so fixated on it, in fact, that they almost slammed into The Worm Hole.

  “Dad!” Steve yelled.

  Roger came out from the back. “Here.”

  The three of them explained what they thought they’d seen.

  Steve’s dad listened patiently, but seemed more amused than anything. “You guys sure it was the same car? Even if it was, it might not have been following you.”

  All three assured him that they were being followed and felt that, even if it was all a coincidence, they weren’t going to let Roger ignore them.

  “All right, all right,” Roger said, waving them to follow him, “come on in here and dry off. I’ll call Marty at the police station and give them a heads up to keep their eyes open for a black sedan that might be following kids. In the meantime, grab yourselves a soda and a sandwich while I throw your bikes in the back of the pickup. I’ll run you all home after you eat. You know, none of you ding-dongs should have been out riding in this mess anyway.”

  Frank pulled alongside his brother and waited for him to get in. “Come on, hurry up, you’re getting water everywhere.”

  John shook his umbrella out before shutting the door. “Man,” he lamented, “What in the world are we even doing here? This place is a pit. There’s water everywhere and it’s freaking cold outside! It’s almost July for God’s sake!” He yanked a few napkins out of the center console and dabbed at his face. “Anyway, you find out anything about what we talked about?”

  “Yeah, so there’s a boat up north that needed something or other done, but it doesn’t matter, we can get your buddy a spot to finish out the Dungeness season,” Frank answered.

  “The what?”

  “Dungeness,” Frank answered. “It’s some kind of crab or something. Doesn’t matter; it gets him out of the way.”

  “So what’s he doing now?” John asked.

  “He’s loading up those kids’ bikes.”

  “What kids? And what have you been doing all morning?”

  Frank scowled, “Wasting my time, that’s what I’ve been doing. Mammon’s been following around a bunch of brats in the rain, and I’ve been following Mammon.”

  John looked quizzically at his brother, “Why are you following around a bunch of kids?”

  “Why do you think?” Frank replied. “Mammon said to follow, so I followed. Little suckers would’ve lost me a couple of times, but it’s hard to shake a demon.”

  “What’s Mammon want with them?” John asked.

  “Please, like he’d share that with me; you know he only really talks to the old man. All we ever get is that screaming in our heads. I’m done with this, though. I’m going to call Pop tonight and see what we’re really supposed to be doing here.” Frank eyed the clock on the dashboard. “When are you meeting with that guy again?”

  John smirked, “Anytime I want. The guy is so desperate; he’d go to the moon to make a few bucks. He said he’d be there until six. Do we need to stick around and watch those kids?”

  “Naw, I don’t sense Mammon around and I’m getting hungry. Let’s go eat.”

  John wrung his soaking jacket sleeves out through an open window, “Not until I get some dry clothes on.”

  Frank cranked up the heat and pointed the air at his brother, “Be my guest.”

  Chapter 17

  Steve and Dani hunkered down under the bedspread, which was stretched taut from one end of the room to the other in a makeshift fort. They wore headphones, thick and bulky and black, but they could still hear the yelling. Dani had come bursting into Steve’s room about a half an hour before, all tears because she had been sent to her room right as the battle that w
as raging in the kitchen became a full-scale war. Steve had heard enough by now to know what his parents were fighting about: his dad going off to do some fishing—something he had never done before. His mom was more scared than angry, Steve figured, but she had always been the type to yell first and cry after.

  Steve wasn’t really sure what to think about the fight; his parents rarely disagreed on anything. In fact, even when they fought they were usually more like quiet protesters than enemy combatants—casting withering looks at each other’s backs and then rolling their eyes, or conversing in low tones behind closed doors when it got more serious than that. But Joy’s parents were known to go at it occasionally, and Steve remembered her telling him about building a blanket fort and listening to music when the fights got too vicious, so together he and Dani had built their own and found his parents’ old headphones.

  After a while, their mom came in and lifted a tent flap, “Hey, you little ones in here?”

  Dani took off her headphones and jumped up into her mother’s arms. “Why were you fighting? Where’s Daddy?”

  Steve got up as well and began to disassemble the cloth fort, fetching the one edge from beneath the bed, the other from the mostly closed lip of his dresser drawer. His mother’s eyes were puffy, but she was smiling. “Now listen,” she said to the pair of distressed children. “Your dad went over to one of his friend’s to get some cold weather gear. We weren’t fighting because we were mad at each other. I love your dad very much, and he loves me too. It’s only because things are tight; money is a problem right now. Your dad has a chance to do some fishing up north. He won’t be gone long, but it could help us out a lot.”

  Dani voiced what they all felt, “I don’t want him to go!”

  Her mother stroked her head, “No honey, I don’t want him to go either. But he won’t leave until tomorrow morning, so you’ll see him tonight after he gets back.”

  Steve’s dad came back very late, but everyone was still up waiting, even Dani, whose head kept drifting down and snapping up. He came in with a large green duffle bag about half stuffed with various kinds of gear. He set it down, then went to pour himself a cup of coffee before plopping down in the beat-up recliner across from the couch where everyone else was sitting. Steve thought he looked tired, and maybe a little worried.

  Roger announced wearily “Okay, I’m home. You two need to get to sleep. I’ll tuck you in.” When Dani didn’t move, he set his cup down and lifted her off to bed. “Come on Steve, you too.”

  Steve’s mother had insisted earlier that the kids have their PJs on, so all Steve had to do was flip back his covers and wait on his dad to finish with Dani. Steve fidgeted, kicking his feet like window wipers beneath the covers until his dad finally came in, he perked up, “Dad, do you have to go?”

  Roger sat down on the edge of the bed and ruffled Steve’s hair. “Listen Steve, if I could come up with another way that I could live with, I would. But it’ll be all right, I promise.”

  “Dad, what about the dragon? And what about, you know, all that other stuff?” Steve asked.

  “That’s part of the reason why I’m so late,” he explained. “I drove out and fed it tonight, so it should be fine until I get back. And, I stopped by your Granny’s.”

  “What’d she say?”

  “She’s worried, about me and about you. She thinks you should go up and stay with her for a little while, just to be safe.”

  “I don’t want to,” Steve insisted. “What about Dani and Mom?”

  “I’ll talk to your mom, but I think she’ll agree that both you and Dani can go on up to your grandmother’s for a while,” Roger explained.

  “And leave Mom all alone?”

  “She can drive up on the weekends until I get back, and who knows? You might have a good time.”

  Steve thought about spending a couple of weeks alone with his sister and felt a little nauseous. And what about his friends? The possibility of not seeing Justin and Joy for the rest of the summer was awful. Still, he knew his dad was doing the best he could. With disappointment written all over his face, Steve lied, “It’s okay, Dad. We’ll be fine.”

  The look must have registered with his father. “Maybe Justin and Joy could visit you while you’re up there. It’d be up to Granny. You’d have to ask her.”

  Frank smiled at the waitress and pointed to his empty coffee mug. “Old bag should be in a grave, not serving coffee,” he complained to his brother. Then he rubbed the sleepiness from his eyes. “Might as well stay up, as uncomfortable as my bed is. You get any sleep?”

  “Yup, like a baby. Hey, be thankful this hole in the world even has a place open at this hour,” John countered. “Besides, I like breakfast at midnight.”

  “You would. Where did you find that shirt?” Frank asked.

  “Why, what’s wrong with it?” John asked.

  Frank reached over and pinched the fabric between his fingers, “It’s flannel, and it’s got some guy fishing all over it. It looks like ugly, backwoods pajamas.”

  John frowned, “Have you looked around lately? We’re in Northern California, home of flannel. I’m trying to fit in.”

  “It’s covered in jumping salmon, somehow I don’t think that’s incognito. But, anyway, drink up, I want to get back to the hotel and call Pop…let him know what’s going on.”

  John crunched on some ice, “Why back at the hotel? Why not call him now, or in the car?”

  Frank huffed, “Reception’s spotty, and I really don’t want everyone in this backwards town to know our business.” When John’s Grand Slam breakfast arrived a few minutes later, all Frank could do was glare at his younger brother.

  John ignored it, asking between bites, “So why didn’t you follow him? The dragon had to be down that muddy turnoff.”

  “Keep it down!” Frank swept his eyes across the diner, but no one seemed to have overheard. He leaned in and spoke low, “Because I can’t kill the dragon. I don’t even know what one looks like, much less how to kill one. I was supposed to follow the guy; not mess with the dragon directly.” Frank took a final swig of his cold coffee, “Ugh, this stuff is nasty. Anyway, I don’t think even Mammon’s strong enough to kill it, yet.”

  “I still don’t get it, not completely. What are we trying to accomplish here?” John asked with a mouth full of bacon.

  “Look, all I know is what Pop told me: we’re supposed to get rid of your new buddy, the dragon’s owner, or whatever he is,” Frank answered. “Unfortunately, the old man says he’s kind of protected, so we can’t, you know, really get rid of him.”

  John put on his glasses and hunched his shoulders up, his head and mouth quirked sideways, “Yo, you want maybe we fit him with concrete shoes, make him swim with the fishes?”

  “Not funny.”

  “Hey, you’re the one talking about getting rid of people. I was minding my own business back in my dorm room when Pop called,” John replied, peeling the glasses off his face in irritation. “Anyway, so we get dragon dude to leave town. How does that help us?”

  “If you finish stuffing your face, then we can maybe get some answers from the old man.”

  “You are one cranky dude in the middle of the night, you know that? I’ll be done in a minute. Besides you wanted some more coffee.” John waved over the waitress, “Hey,” he yelled across the nearly empty restaurant, “what kind of pie do you have?”

  Frank slapped the table in exasperation.

  “What? I’ll get it to go.”

  Chapter 18

  Granny was crazy awesome, Steve decided, not crazy. When his mom drove Steve and Dani up to his grandmother’s the next day, Granny was already putting the finishing touches on a giant military tent in her front yard. Steve didn’t know how old it was, or whether it would stop the rain from coming in, but it didn’t matter—they were going to camp in the front yard, and that was flat-out cool.

  “Steve, run over to the shed and you’ll see a step ladder on the left. Bring it here so I can tie the
tarp up between these trees,” she instructed when he got out of the truck. “Dani, follow after him and fetch me a bright orange electrical cord.”

  After the kids ran off, Granny ambled on over to Jeanie, who was admiring the ancient tent, “My God, Mom, now they’ll never want to leave. How long did this take you?”

  “Been at it since early this morning. I knew them kids weren’t going to be too happy about staying up here with their Granny. But enough about that. How are you doing?”

  “Oh, about as well as you might expect. Roger and I got up early this morning and I dropped him off at the bus terminal. He’ll be in later today and said he’d call this evening once he knew when he was heading out to sea,” Jeanie stated, mechanically, like reciting a grocery list. She shook herself a bit and looked at her mother-in-law with a forced smiled.

  “Darned stubborn kid,” Granny said, “I told him I could help you out. But you know how he is, never asks and wouldn’t take any handouts.” Granny paused to give Jeanie a hearty hug, “You hang in there. He’ll be fine, and so will the kids. I’ll watch them like a hawk.”

  “I know you will, Mom. I wish I could stay and help out, but I need to get back to work. You’ve got my cell and work number if anything comes up. I’ll let you know what Roger finds out.” She brought her hands together in front of her mouth and called out, “Hurry up kids, I’ve got to go and I want a goodbye kiss!”

  Steve carried the bulky, unwieldy stepladder over one shoulder and was fumbling with it as he tried to make his way back. “Come on, Dani,” he yelled back over his shoulder.

  Dani came out running with a rusty piece of metal. “Hey, Mom, look what I found! What is it?” Dani held out the rusted hunk of metal by its worn wooden handle.