by Meg Ripley
“Maybe we shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth. If he says he’s here to help, and he’s the only chance we have at a friend, then I don’t think it would be wise to turn him away. Did he have a plan?”
Lane shook her head. “I don’t think so. He was rather vague, and he seemed more interested in convincing me he was a shifter than anything else.”
“I see.” Edi was silent for a moment. “I suppose we should spread the word to make sure no one kills him before he can get us out of here. Liam over there has already taken out a couple of soldiers, and Dr. Blake won’t even take him out of his chamber anymore.”
“Do you think it’s wise?” Lane questioned. “I mean, what if he can’t save us after all? That’s going to be very disappointing for everyone.”
“True enough, but hope is a powerful thing. Sometimes people can achieve things they wouldn’t have otherwise simply because they believe they can. We won’t make any grand announcement. It just needs to be a whisper passed among us. We can do that.”
“Right. Okay.” Lane nodded, forcing herself to acknowledge Edi’s good sense. “There’s one other thing that bothers me, though.”
“Yes?”
“He’s a polar bear, and I’m a dragon, but...”
“Go on, dear.”
The words were hard to push out of her throat, even though they’d been lurking in the back of her mind ever since Dr. Cunningham had shown up. “I think I’m fated to him. No one has ever made me feel like that. I get this unbelievable urge to let my dragon out, and yet I want to remain human so that I can interact with him. I want to be near him, even though it drives me crazy. All the signs are there, but how can I possibly be attracted to a bear of all creatures?”
“And why not?” Edi questioned as she wrapped a comforting arm around Lane’s shoulders. “We always think of our mates as being just like ourselves and the rest of our flight. I admit it’s convenient when things work out that way, but we don’t get to tell the universe what we want. So he’s a polar bear. If he makes you feel things, then that’s all that really matters.”
“You really think so? I was afraid you’d be disappointed in me.” The older woman had talked to Lane numerous times about settling down and finding the right person, and though recent events had shoved those ideas temporarily aside, they weren’t avoidable forever.
Edi gave a soft chuckle, the noise vibrating through her chest. “Disappointed in you? My dear, you’re one of the strongest women I know. Even when you were a child, you never let anyone boss you around. Your sense of determination has often been one of your strongest qualities, and it’s always been a comfort to me to know that you can get through anything the world throws at you. I can’t be anything but happy as long as I know your heart’s happy.”
Lane hugged the old woman, suddenly feeling sleep drag her eyelids downward. “I needed that.”
The very next morning, the two of them set about the task they’d assigned themselves. Lane whispered to Brandy, and Edi had a long conversation with Amy in the opposite corner of the chamber later that day. Without even speaking, they’d decided that it would be too much if all the dragons were seen conferring with one another. When the guards took their lunch break, Lane managed to whisper across the hall to Liam.
“This would be a lot easier if we could all just shift and speak telepathically,” she grumbled to Edi later on that night.
“I wonder if the scientists know that,” the old woman mused. “Hopefully, we won’t be around long enough to see them tackle that subject.”
Through their various states of dragon and human, word spread among the flight. Lane didn’t know if it was her own optimism making her see things, but she could swear she saw a new sense of confidence and expectation in her own people. Their eyes were brighter and they ate with more appetite than she’d seen in a while. They cooperated with guards when they were taken off to see Dr. Cunningham, and they always returned with more energy than they’d left with.
There was a chance in the soldiers and the scientific team, as well. More food and fresher water were offered on a regular basis. The goons weren’t as rough and rude as they handled their test subjects. It was obvious to Lane that Dr. Blake was still administering his experimental drugs, since every now and then she’d hear moans of pain and catch the scent of blood. It wasn’t an ideal situation, by any means, but even the smallest improvement felt like a big change.
Unfortunately, it seemed the other change was that Dr. Cunningham was rarely seen in the cavern. Lane caught a glimpse of him here and there as he conferred with the other scientists about the dragons in the other chambers, but he stayed well away from her.
“Don’t be so downhearted about it,” Edi whispered one night. “If you know what the relationship is between the two of you, then it’s quite likely he does as well. His position here is risky enough. No reason to make it any more complicated.”
Lane only hoped she was right.
A week later, Dr. Cunningham appeared outside her chamber with a man on either side of him. One of them was tall and broad, with styled hair and dark blue eyes that made him look like he should be on a television soap opera. The other man had dark hair and green eyes, his figure too well-muscled to belong to a scientist. Lane narrowed her eyes as she looked at them. All three wore lab coats to denote their positions as doctors, but she instantly knew the one with green eyes was absolutely not a human.
“Subject 438, I need you to come with me,” Dr. Cunningham said quietly. He hadn’t even brought any soldiers with him.
Lane knew that was her, and she knew by now that she could trust Dr. Cunningham, but she sensed a change in the air that made nervous energy crackle around her stomach. Something was happening.
The four of them made their way toward the cavern entrance, but Dr. Blake stepped out of his lab and stopped them. “What’s this, Cunningham? I wasn’t informed!”
Dr. Cunningham lifted an eyebrow. “You didn’t get the memo? My associates have been brought in to evaluate the experiment and decide if the government is going to continue funding this experiment.”
“I most certainly did not!” Blake spluttered. “I suggest you get that thing back in her cage and come to my office. I’m going to get this sorted out once and for all. I send all my reports up the chain and there’s no reason for anyone to come all the way down here just to make sure I do my job!”
“With all due respect, we’ve got work to do.” Cunningham resumed his walk toward the exit.
Blake wasn’t taking no for an answer. “Let me remind you that I’m the commanding officer of this base! You have no right to waltz around here like you’re in charge!”
Cunningham sighed. “Gentlemen, if you’d like to take the test subject to the lab I’ll be with you momentarily. I can personally guarantee your safety now that I’ve achieved complete control over this creature.”
His words pissed her off in a way she could hardly put into words, but it wasn’t as though Lane had a chance to do so anyway. The two big men swept her on down the tunnel as Dr. Cunningham remained behind to deal with Blake.
“We don’t have a lot of time,” said the dark-haired man when they reached the mobile lab Cunningham used, “so I hope you don’t have a lot of questions.
“I have one I’d like to start with,” Lane asserted. She didn’t know these men, but she could only assume they were on her side if Cunningham was. “You’re one of us, aren’t you?”
He nodded and put out his hand. “Garrison Stokes.”
She took it, pleasantly surprised at the thrill of dragon energy that shot through her body when she did so. It was the same feeling she got when she was around anyone else in her flight, a sense of family and ancient remembrance, like visiting a long-lost cousin. It instantly made her feel better about everything. “But how?” she stammered. “I… I thought we were the only ones…”
“Like I said, very little time for questions. If all goes as planned, we can talk about it all later.
Right now, you need to understand the plan.”
Lane nodded. “I’m listening.”
“Dr. Drake Sheridan,” said the other man, shaking her hand as well. “Just a boring old bear. I’m afraid we have even less time than we’d originally estimated now that Dr. Blake is throwing a fit. He doesn’t strike me as the kind of man who’s just going to step aside and let us do whatever we want, unfortunately.” He turned from her and began fiddling with the various test tubes on a nearby table.
“Ash has already been working on building you and your people back up,” Garrison began explaining.
It took Lane a moment to understand who he was talking about, but she soon understood that was Dr. Cunningham’s first name. “Yes. I swear I see a difference.”
“As you should,” Drake offered. “Antioxidants, anti-inflammatories, vitamins, and saline are much healthier than whatever shit this is.” He frowned at a test tube full of brown liquid.
“Unfortunately,” Garrison added, “Dr. Blake has been continuing his experimentation, so not everyone has been able to recover. That’s why we’re here.”
“I’m getting rid of every bit of nastiness, both out of this lab and the one in the cave,” Drake said, making a disgusted face at several more beakers and tubes. “It’s easy enough to do it here where Ash has been working, but it’ll be a little more difficult to get into Blake’s lab.”
“What can I do to help?” Lane offered.
At least this was a question they didn’t seem to mind, and Garrison was quick to answer. “We mostly need you for communication at the moment. In order for this to be a success, we need to have all the dragons behind us.”
“Not a problem,” she assured him. “I’ve already told them that Dr. Cunningham is on our side, and I think they’ve been very receptive to it.”
“Good. As soon as we get the rest of our team down here, we’re going to come in fast. The doors on those chambers will blow. The soldiers will be taken out. My biggest concern is that I don’t want any of your flight to be fighting against the wrong people.”
“We know these people well at this point. They’ve been keeping us here for a long time, and I think we can handle targeting the right ones.” Now excitement joined the hope sizzling inside her.
“We’re not asking you to do that,” Garrison corrected. “We’re just trying to get you healthy enough to escape for the time being.”
Since he was a fellow dragon, Lane was already thinking of him as a brother. She reached out and laid her hand on his arm. “But you should be asking us to do that, or at least let us. What we’ve been through is horrid. I have no doubt that some of us will be grateful just to get away, but I have no doubt it’d be therapeutic to help take these bastards out.”
Garrison hesitated for only a moment before he nodded. “All right. I’m not going to turn down having as many people as possible on our side. There will be a boat docked on the nearest shore when this all goes down. That’s where everyone needs to be heading when they’re done.”
“Understood.”
“Good. Now with what time we have left, I need you to tell me everything you know about this place. The more information we have, the better chance we’ve got of pulling this off.”
Lane immediately began speaking, telling them everything she could think of about the structure of the cavern, the lay of the land above, and the schedules of the scientists and soldiers. It felt like a dream. She’d been reluctant to put her faith in Dr. Cunningham, but maybe it was all going to work out after all.
The next day, though, that no longer seemed like the case. Dr. Blake strode confidently up and down the center passage of the cavern, examining the occupants of the chambers and dictating notes to one of his groveling assistants. “Just look at them, Hopkins. That Cunningham asshole thought he could swoop in here and take over my entire project with his whining about humane treatment and health. These things are weapons! I don’t give a shit if they live or die, as long as they get me my next promotion!” He laughed loudly, a sound that filled the chambers.
“Yes, sir,” Hopkins replied nervously.
“The first thing we’re going to do now that Dr. Humane Society is gone is get these dragons back on the same regimen I originally wanted for them. There’s no reason to pamper them so much when all I really care about is how the drugs are affecting them. Once we can nail down the right formula, we can start worrying about how it affects their health.”
“But sir, Cunningham mentioned he had some of them completely tamed. I looked through his research files, and he didn’t make any note of how he’d done it. I don’t know if it was the drugs or just some special bond he had with them. How do we plan on proceeding with that part of the process?” Beads of sweat stood out on Hopkins’ forehead, despite the cool air.
Lane turned toward the wall to hide her smile. No doubt, Hopkins and the other assistants and soldiers had gotten used to the seeming domestication of the dragons, and none of them were interested in having to worry about whether or not they’d literally get their heads bitten off.
“Again, that’s something that can wait until later,” Blake retorted impatiently. “Let’s not waste any more time. Let’s start with this one, Cunningham’s little pet. I think she could use a good dose of DH709, don’t you?”
“Yes, sir. Right away, sir.” Hopkins gestured for the soldiers to retrieve Lane from her cage.
She went with them willingly. It disturbed her that Cunningham and the others were gone, and Blake’s confidence in regaining control of the facility couldn’t be a good sign. Had they been killed? Or had Blake just been able to pull some strings with the Pentagon to have them ousted? Either way, she knew the drugs Cunningham had worked so hard to develop were long gone.
But they didn’t lead her on down the passage toward either one of the labs. A soldier gleefully twisted her arms behind her back, causing her knees to crumple underneath her as Hopkins stabbed her in the arm. He wasn’t very good with a needle, and she felt it tear through her blood vessels. Lane gasped in shock as she felt that old, familiar burn. Her eyes widened and she turned to her chamber, hoping to communicate somehow to her fellow dragons to let them know they weren’t out of the woods yet.
Her body writhed uncontrollably in the grip of the soldier. “Should I put her back, boss?”
“No, not yet. Let’s see what happens. This is my latest formula, one that even Cunningham didn’t know about. With a little bit of luck, I’ll be calling General Thompson within the week to tell him we’re on the right track.” Dr. Blake grinned as he watched Lane flail in pain.
Her lungs stopped working as her back twisted. She was shifting, but it had to be the most painful transition she’d ever been through. Her wings felt like razors as they burst from her back, knocking one of the soldiers aside in a shower of blood. Each of her scales were like blunt spears being stabbed through her skin. Loud cracks sounded from her spine as it stretched and twisted to accommodate her other body. Blood darkened the crimson of her scales as she lashed out with her newly clawed hands, reaching for the doctor.
He backed away. “Finally! A complete transition on this one! I think we can call this a success!”
But his workers didn’t seem nearly as excited about it as he was. The soldiers could no longer keep a hold of her as her tail and wings thrashed through the air, and Hopkins had pressed himself against the farthest wall.
“Stop being babies and sedate her, you idiots,” Blake barked.
“I didn’t bring it,” Hopkins murmured, cowering behind his clipboard.
“You what?” Blake’s face paled as he turned to the dragon who squirmed and twisted on the floor.
Lane’s instincts were taking over just as her body was. All the logic and reasoning of her human side was gone. She knew only who the enemy was, and it was her job to tear him apart. “I know what you’ve done to my people,” she rasped. “You deserve a punishment that’s ten times worse.”
Blake turned on his heels an
d ran.
Lane didn’t quite have control of her body. She dragged herself across the floor, her back legs refusing to work and her wings flapping uselessly. Every cell buzzed and vibrated, alive but not listening. Her mouth watered as she craved her revenge, and she was determined to get it.
Thunder rolled through the cavern. Lane paused in her efforts, feeling dirt and rocks rain down on her from above. This was it! She knew it in her gut. Whatever had happened to Cunningham and the others, they’d come back, just as they said they would.
She turned for her chamber. “You’ve got to get out,” she growled. But she knew from experience that even dragons weren’t strong enough to get those bars open. How was this going to work into Garrison’s plan? How were they possibly going to get out of there? Gunfire raged near the entrance, and what soldiers were left in the cavern streamed toward it.
The back entrance, however, the one the soldiers had deemed too small to worry over, suddenly became flooded with animals. To her amazement, a wolf came trotting casually into the passageway, a pack of explosives on his back. He was joined by a large red fox who was equally burdened. The wolf paused only long enough to shift, his neck cracking as he took on the figure of a man.
“ I need my damn hands!” The former wolf whipped off his pack and began setting charges near the base of the bars.
The fox, too, had changed into a human, although he slightly retained some of the coloring in his hair. “Stand back,” he said to the women in the chamber as he assisted the wolf.
A familiar polar bear followed them, a dark grizzly at his side. As Lane watched the great white creature, she no longer knew if her inability to move was because of the drug Blake had injected her with or because of her close proximity to Ash, each of them in their animal forms. The pull was strong, but they had more important matters to take care of.
Whatever was happening outside, it must not have been going well for the soldiers. They came surging back into the cavern for shelter just as the first charge exploded. It rocked the cavern and filled the air with dust. As it cleared, Lane saw Brandy emerge through the broken bars. She’d shifted and let out a roar as she flew through the tunnel. Amy and Edi came after her, somewhat more slowly, but not any less resolute. Lane could feel them in her minds now, a refreshing sensation that she hadn’t experienced in ages.