Of Cinder and Bone

by Kyoko M

  “We found an intact DNA sample, the first one ever. If we examine the dragon and the research Jackson used to make her, we can bring her back. We can start a dragon sanctuary that will make the drug trade look like street peddlers. Can you imagine it? We would have the money to put the Inagawa dogs in their place and no longer worry about extortion and protection money. The Yamaguchi could reclaim its glory from the days of the dragon hunters.”

  “And you think the Americans will just forgive you for what you’ve done after this happens? You’re branded for life, Kazu. If they ever get their hands on you, you’ll never see the light of day again. You’re telling me that Baba Yaga is worth that to you?”

  “She was the most powerful dragon in history. She is to dragons what the Tyrannosaurus Rex is to dinosaurs. If we brought her back, it would change everything. The money would flow through the streets and fill every corner. You know where I came from, aniki. I’ve seen the slums, the abuse, the drugs, the perpetual poverty that no one talks about because they want the rest of the world to believe Tokyo is a metropolis. We have a chance to make what I do create a better life for our people.”

  Okegawa laid a hand on Yagami’s shoulder, his voice slightly softer. “And I want you to be a part of that, aniki. Please. You deserve better than what you have. Your father will be gone by the year’s end and Keiko has already rejected you. I want to give you a chance the way you gave me a chance all those years ago. I need you to trust me.”

  Yagami searched his friend’s gaze for a long moment. “I do trust you, Kazu. I always have and I always will.”

  He finished packing his nose and taping over it. “But you are not the oyabun. There is no guarantee that your good intentions will come to fruition. The men you work for want power for themselves. They don’t want to spread the wealth. They don’t want to preserve and study these creatures. I would be no better than them if I allowed the dragon to fall into their hands. I’m sorry, but I can’t help you any longer.”

  Yagami took off his rubber gloves and tossed them in a nearby wastebasket, heading for the door. Okegawa sighed and shook his head. “So am I.”

  Yagami almost reached the door, but then Watsuki burst through it with a .45 Smith & Wesson, aiming it at Okegawa’s head. He marched right over to him and pressed the barrel between the shateigashira’s brows, shaking with anger.

  “Call them off!” Watsuki roared.

  “What the hell?” Yagami sputtered, glancing between the two of them. “Watsuki, what’s gotten into you?”

  “Sir, your friend has the building surrounded. His men are armed. They’ve already killed two guards and they’re heading this way.”

  Yagami paled, switching his gaze to Okegawa, who sat stock still with a blank expression. “Kazu?”

  “I told you,” he said softly. “I told you I would do what was necessary.”

  Watsuki jabbed him in the forehead with the gun. “Call them off or I will blow you away.”

  “Blow me away and you all die.” He lifted his gaze. “Drop the gun. It’s your only chance at getting out of here alive.”

  Watsuki gritted his teeth, realizing he was right. “Yagami-san, please gather Minako-san and head for the nearest exit. I will secure the perimeter.”

  “Kazu, it doesn’t have to come to this,” Yagami said, ignoring him. “It won’t end here, even if you take the dragon out of our custody. You know she’ll come for you. They’ll all come for you, and you won’t be able to stop it.”

  “So be it, aniki. I made my choice. Now you must make yours.”

  Yagami shut his eyes for an instant. “I’m so disappointed in you, Kazu.”

  He nodded towards Watsuki. The big man swung the gun and hit Okegawa in the temple with the barrel, knocking him out cold. After he slumped over, Yagami removed his glasses and lab coat, his voice hard as steel. “Get Minako somewhere safe. I’ll go after Rhett.”

  “Yagami-san, the American is not worth it—”

  “The American is the only one who can save Pete. If they take her, she’ll die and all of this will have been for nothing. I still need him. Now go.”

  “Yes, sir.” Watsuki opened the door, checking both ends of the hallway, and then hurried towards the lab. Yagami followed suit and locked the door on his way out, only to bump into Jack as he ambled out of the bathroom.

  “So,” Jack said. “This just went tits up.”

  Yagami stared. “How did you—”

  “Long story. Air vent. Eavesdropped. I used my pocket translation dictionary for half of your conversation. Where are we heading?”

  “We need to move the dragon. Even if I call in the cavalry, it won’t arrive in time and the yakuza will spill as much blood as they need to get to her.”

  “Uh, how the hell do you expect we’re going to move her? She’s the size of a goddamn horse and she hates everyone here but me.”

  “Same way you’d move a nervous horse. Blindfold her and lead her.”

  “Great. Lead her where? Watsuki said they’ve got the place surrounded.”

  “There’s a tunnel that connects through the mountain at the south exit. It was used to transport the construction materials when this place was built and it’s abandoned. I doubt his men are privy to that information. Get the dragon through the tunnel to the outside and I’ll have a ride waiting for us.”

  Jack narrowed his eyes at him. “And what happens to me after that?”

  “Move now. Questions later.”

  “God, I hate you.” Both men ran down the hallway to the elevator. Yagami made a brief call to organize their ride as they stopped in the lab to grab the cure. Jack capped the three vials, wrapped them in a small towel for insulation, and stuffed them in his coat pocket.

  “You armed?” Jack asked as they eased their way over to the door.

  “Do I look like I am?”

  Jack rolled his eyes. “Can you fight?”

  “I’m marginally able to hold my own, yes.”

  “Well, unless you can pull a couple bulletproof vests out of your ass, then we’re at a serious disadvantage. If they’re in the elevator already, we’re screwed. The stairs don’t go down to that floor. It’s the only way to Pete.”

  Yagami poked his head out of the door, checking the hallway. “We have maybe four or five minutes before they reach us. Use your brain, Rhett. Improvise.”

  Jack sighed and hurried over to the chemical supplies freezer. “Guess it’s a good thing I have a Googling problem.”

  “What?”

  “You’re telling me you never Googled how to make homemade bombs out of common household chemicals?”

  “No.”

  Jack snorted, handing him a few bottles. “Live a little, man. Get me some flasks, will ya?”

  Yagami gathered seven flasks and watched as Jack began removing the caps from different containers and pouring various liquids into them. He read the labels and caught onto what the scientist was getting at; nitric acid, sulfuric acid, triflic acid. Last, he took a couple of long-necked flasks and filled them with pure alcohol, and then ripped off a strip of his lab coat to make wicks for crude Molotov cocktails.

  “Gimme your lighter,” Jack ordered.

  “I’d rather you didn’t burn my R&D facility to the ground while we escape.”

  Jack shot him a glare. “Do you want to chastise me or do you want to survive?”

  Yagami fumed, but handed him the lighter nonetheless. “That’s what I thought. Now make two more of these and let’s haul our asses to the elevator.”

  They gathered the homemade grenades into a plastic bin and checked the hallway one last time, finding it was still clear. Jack tucked the bin beneath his arm, wincing as he felt the wound twinge sharply, and hustled towards the elevator. When they got to it, the overhead light was already clicking down.

  “Shit,” Jack growled. “Looks like we’re going to find out what we’re made of.
Aim high.”

  He grabbed the nearest flask and flattened himself against the wall adjacent to the doors. Yagami did the same and they stood perfectly still, their breath shallow, as the numbers clicked to their level.

  The elevator dinged.

  The doors swooshed open.

  Silence.

  Jack met Yagami’s gaze and mouthed, “On three.”

  Yagami nodded. Jack counted, and then they both whipped around the entrance, arms cocked back to throw the flasks.

  “Wait!” Kamala cried, grabbing Fujioka’s shoulder. “It’s them!”

  Fujioka lowered her assault rifle. Silence fell again.

  “Holy shit,” Jack said, lowering his arm. “Kam?”

  “Jack!” She threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck. He didn’t move. He couldn’t. It was her. She’d come to rescue him. They’d both come to rescue him.

  “You stupid, useless, infuriating, stubborn pagal,” she whispered into his neck. “I’m so glad you’re alright.”

  Jack clumsily put the acid flask into the bin, lowered it, and enveloped her in his arms, closing his eyes as the scent of daffodil perfume washed over him, as did the warmth from her body. She was here. Here.

  “Glad you’re okay too,” he murmured into her dark hair. “Sorry I tried to throw acid in your face.”

  A weak laugh vibrated between the two of them. He tilted his head and kissed her cheek, then lowered her to the floor. She offered him a watery smile. “How’s your arm?”

  “I’m still on painkillers. Doesn’t hurt unless I try to carry something.”

  “Good. Are the stitches intact?”

  “Not exactly. There was an, ah, altercation a little while ago.”

  “Did you wrap it?”

  He rolled his eyes. “Yes ma’am.”

  “Good boy.”

  “You should talk,” Jack said, lifting her bandaged hand. “What’s this all about?”

  She tried not to wince. “A long story for another time.” Kamala then faced Yagami.

  “How did you two—”

  Kamala laid him out with a right cross. He hit the floor on his back, clutching his mouth. The small scientist stood over him, her voice boiling over with fury. “That is for Detective Stubbs. And believe me, you deserve worse, you spineless, lying scumbag.”

  She straightened her jacket and turned her back on him, facing Jack, who was beaming. “What?”

  “I was hoping you’d do that. Atta girl.”

  “Never you mind. We have to get out of here. They’re right on our heels.”

  “Agreed,” Fujioka said, one hand shouldering the M16, the other holding the doors open. “We got here through the rear entrance, and just barely beat them to the elevator. If they get wise to us, it’ll be a hell of a fight on the way out.”

  “You don’t know the half of it,” Jack sighed. “We’re taking Pete out of here.”

  “Why is that a problem?” Kamala asked.

  Jack beckoned her as he stepped inside the elevator. “You’ll see.”

  He poked his head out a moment later and scowled at Yagami, who sat on the floor nursing his face and blinking the stars out of his eyes. “Come on, shitbird. We haven’t got all day.”

  ~*~

  “Jack,” Kamala whispered hoarsely, pressing her hand to the glass as she stared in wonder at her dragon. Pete sidled up to the air holes cut into the glass and inhaled cautiously. Once more, humming filled the air. “She’s… she’s…”

  “Yeah,” he said, smiling warmly. “I know.”

  “How is this possible? Our calculations weren’t even close.”

  “We’ll discuss that when we’re safe. We’re gonna lead her out of here.” He shed the lab coat and ripped a long, wide strip from it, motioning for them to stand back. Yagami opened the door with the keypad and Jack slipped inside.

  “Hey, girl,” he said, standing still as she gave him another sniff from head to toe. “We’ve got to move you. Think you can handle that without freaking out on me again?”

  “She freaked out on you?” Kamala demanded.

  “No big deal,” Jack said, petting the dragon’s long neck. “I handled it. It was very impressive and manly. You’d have been proud.”

  Kamala palmed her face and muttered things to herself in Hindi.

  “We didn’t have enough time to find better fitting restraints,” Yagami said. “You’ll have to be the alpha in this situation. If she asserts herself, there’s no way to control her.”

  “I grew up on a farm,” Jack said, unraveling the cloth from around his palm. “I know how to herd an unstable animal.” He held the dragon’s head level with his own. “You’re in danger. I have to get you out of here to keep you safe. Follow my lead, alright?”

  The dragon blinked slowly. Jack held his breath and started to wrap the cloth over her head. She hissed at first, wriggling in his grip.

  “Hey,” he said sharply. “Stay still.”

  The dragon let out a rolling growl, her long claws clicking on the concrete as she kneaded her feet nervously. She sat back on her haunches with a snort and Jack kept going, covering her eyes. He tied a knot at the base of her jaw and took the lead chain around her neck. He nodded to Yagami, who punched in an entirely new code this time.

  The entire glass panel shuddered and then slowly retracted into the left wall. Everyone took a step back as Jack led the dragon onto the floor. She shook herself rather hard and scales floated loose like snowflakes around them. Kamala nibbled her bottom lip and then reached out a hand, feeling the warmth from Pete’s scaly body for the first time in days. The dragon tilted its head towards her and flicked out her tongue, her nostrils flaring.

  “Everything’s going to be alright, mera doost,” she whispered, smiling. “We’ll get you home.”

  The dragon leaned into her hand and then straightened up, facing forward.

  “Do you have the key to her restraints?” Jack asked.

  Yagami eyed him. “Yes. Why?”

  “What do you mean ‘why’? She needs to be free enough to run if the situation calls for it.”

  “She’s still erratic. Letting her loose would be the same as using this woman’s M16 on ourselves.”

  “Well then, worst case scenario is Pete avenges us by snacking on some of the goons after she’s done with us.”

  “It’s suicide and you have no right to demand—”

  Fujioka lowered the barrel of her M16 until it was level with his right eye. “Give him the key or I’ll give that brilliant mind of yours a few more dimples.”

  Yagami clenched his jaw. Then he reached into his pocket and held out the single long key on a ring. Jack swiped it and set about undoing the dragon’s chains while Fujioka moved her gun away.

  “The elevator is the only access point from the upper floors, but even if we shut them down, they can climb down the elevator shaft and pry the doors open,” Yagami said, walking briskly to the front of the group. “The maintenance tunnels are on the southern wing.”

  He glanced at Fujioka. “Were you followed?”

  “I took some of them out, but I’m sure there were others. That’s not the problem. The Inagawa-kai are here.”

  Yagami paled. “How on earth—?”

  “Your buddy Okegawa’s got a mole, apparently. They’re gonna light this place up. I assume your people know to evacuate without the fire alarm?”

  “Yes. Watsuki is my head of security. He issued the order not long ago.”

  “Good, then there should be minimal collateral damage. I’ll stay up front with you since you know the way. Dr. Anjali, you and Jack keep the dragon between you and watch your six. They’ll likely try to ambush us or split us up to make it easier to secure the dragon.”

  Kamala nodded and checked the chambers of her pistol. Fujioka pulled the backup revolver from her ankle and handed it to Jack.

/>   Yagami cleared his throat. “Doesn’t it make more sense to give me the gun, seeing as your hands are full?”

  “You kidnapped me and stole my dragon. It’s either acid bombs or nothing, and you’re damned lucky to be getting those to begin with.”

  He heaved a sigh and tucked the plastic container beneath his arm. “What about the authorities? I am certain my people would have called them after the two guards were shot.”