by F. L. Jordan
Calm down my little morning grouch, Zach patted the beast’s back gently as he stepped out towards the building. There may be a concealment spell. Here, go take a picture. He handed the lizard his phone and Copper took it, taking flight once more. Zach waited, stretching his hand out when he heard the soft swish of wind against Copper’s wings. The phone dropped into his hand and he held it up for his eyes to see.
Nothing, Copper snorted, a few sparks shooting from his nostrils. He really was not a morning creature, especially when the sun itself was still asleep.
“Hmm,” Zach said aloud. “Then I guess it’s safe to go inside.” Copper guided him into the building through the large roll up door that was wide open. He stood for a moment, allowing the energy of the place to settle around him. There had definitely been magic here, the floor was gently vibrating with its residual power.
“Someone tipped them off,” Zach spoke as he bent down, retrieving a small bit of dried vegetation from between his shoes. He ran his thumb over the curled vine, Black Fennel, “and they’re mocking us.”
Great, so that just confirms our suspicion, Copper said as they left. There’s a leak in the PD.
Looks like it, Zach tucked the herb into his pocket and turned to go. He’d hoped that this mission would be the easiest part of his day. He walked out of the storage yard to the main street where his cab was waiting for him. As he climbed in he gave the cabbie the address for the station and settled in. It was long before he needed to be there, but he wanted to blow off some steam in the gym.
Zach leaned back against Copper’s warmth, his mind was running through names of possible leaks. There was an endless list of scorned officers within the district, but very few who would be lacking enough morals to interfere with a shipment of grave soil. Copper suddenly jerked, skittering from Zach’s shoulders into the back window of the cab.
What is it? Zach wasn’t accustomed to his dragon reacting with such surprise.
Lock, Copper responded as he watched the woman toss a bag into the trunk of a black Lincoln.
What? Why would she be here? What’s she doing? Zach added a new name to his list.
Getting into a car, looks like a guy driving, Copper stretched his head to see. They’re heading this way.
Get out of the window, Zach instructed him. You’re too identifiable.
Copper obeyed, ducking down just as the Lincoln sped past them. Zach listened to it intently. It was a manual, and the driver was talented. Shifting quickly without catching a single gear. It sounded like a V6.
“Look at this crazy fucker!” the cabbie shouted as they came to a stop. “Idiot just blew a red light! I hope he gets a hefty fine for that.”
What street are we on, Copper, Zach was going to pull the picture from the cameras the second he got to the office.
5th and McKenney, Copper stated. It was a black Lincoln MKZ.
That’s not a car you find in this area often, Zach thought. Wonder what she’s up to.
When the cab arrived at the station Zach paid the driver and quickly climbed the steps. He swiped his key card and headed straight for his office.
“You’re here early today,” Officer Laws spoke through a yawn. “Something fun must be happening.”
“I wouldn’t know,” Zach stopped mid step to turn and address him, “Hey, do me a favor and put your fucking trash can where it belongs when you leave.”
“Oh shit,” Laws sounded genuinely regretful. “Sorry man.”
Zach turned and continued without another word. He had a curiosity that needed answering. He stepped into his office, firmly closing the door. As he sat down, Copper leapt from his shoulders onto the desk, turning on the computer with his tail. Each computer within the police department’s network required a fingerprint to access; Zach placed his right forefinger over the scanner and waited for the beep. Copper navigated the device with ease once past the login screen. To their dismay, the street cameras hadn’t sent the image to the database yet.
“I need to hit something,” Zach logged out of the computer and stood.
That’s a healthy way to deal with stress, Copper was only half joking. Evan as a youth, Zach always seemed to manage daily life better when he could work out. He leapt onto Zach’s shoulder as the man walked out the door, providing him with basic directions until they arrived at the locker room. Zach changed into athletic wear and clipped his phone into the armband he’d nearly worn out from use.
Copper guided his human out of the locker room and into the gym. Everything in this room had its place, and nothing had been left out, so Copper left Zach to his own devices. He never went too far away, but he also knew that once Zach started throwing punches, it was better to be at a safe distance. The little dragon flew up to the ceiling, perching on one of the exposed metal beams. They were the only ones there. Copper felt comfortable enough to take a nap, dozing off as Zach began assaulting the punching bag in a steady rhythm.
Zach hadn’t heard anyone approach him. How could he? His headphones were blaring bass loaded cheat music from the early 2000’s. He only knew someone was there because he caught the scent of strawberries.
“What do you want?” Zach ripped out a headphone, confused about why Copper had let someone come this close to him.
“Just to tell you you’re hitting the bag wrong,” Natalie’s voice held a tone of smugness to it that instantly flared his temper.
“Excuse me?” he ripped out the other earbud and took a step towards her, “I've been hitting a bag for twenty-two years, I think I know what I’m doing.”
“Oh, no doubt,” to his surprise she’d come closer to him, “and I bet you’ve had sore wrists for twenty-two years as well. Let me show you.”
He felt her cool fingers on his wrist and instantly jerked away. Zach hated when people touched him without his permission. “How about you mind your own business? Go bug someone else before you piss me off.”
“You don’t scare me, Hail,” she maintained an even tone, letting him know that her words were backed by resolve, “in fact, based on what I’ve seen of your form, I could wipe the floor with you.”
“You know what,” he unclipped his phone and took off his gloves, tossing them to the floor angrily, “let’s put that to the test.”
“Ladies first,” he heard her step aside.
“What the hell are you doing?” Officer Wren hissed from his left. “I told you to leave him alone!”
“Oh please,” Natalie’s voice was loud and confident, he could tell that she was looking at him as she spoke. “I doubt Officer Hail could harm a fly.”
“No,” he growled at her as he strode towards the sparring pen in the center of the gym, “but I’ll happily squash a rat.”
“What did you just call me?” Good, his taunt had hit its mark and now she was just as angry as him.
“You heard me,” Zach called over his shoulder as he climbed into the sparring pen. He heard her join him, her shoes gritting against the textured floor. “Meter maid.”
“Taunting is so childish, Hail,” he wasn’t sure what she was doing, it sounded like she was taking something off. After a few seconds of rustling and something heavy dropping to the ground she called out, “Ready when you are, Blind Boy.”
Zach usually didn’t swing first, but he was driven by his temper and confident about her location. His fist made contact with the soft flesh of her stomach and she grunted. He’d expected her to hit her knees, not grab his wrist and twist his arm behind his back. He spun out of the hold quickly, sweeping her feet out from under her. To his complete surprise, she rolled with it, falling back onto the ground and delivering a hard blow to his chest with both of her heels. He’d never had anyone knock the wind out of him before. It scared him.
Copper! He called out to his dragon.
“Need a little help from your eyes?” Natalie stood over him, a hint of amusement in her voice. “I thought you knew what you were doing.”
I’m here, Zach, he heard the creature’s claws
scraping against the metal pole that held the pen’s ropes. What’s going on? Why are you two fighting?
Just give me directions, Zach launched himself upwards, wrapping his arms around her waist and twisting to bring her down.
“You fight like my ex!” Natalie elbowed him in the ribs as he struggled to pin her down. “Dirty and cheap!”
“Sounds like a fun night,” Zach grunted as her knee made contact with his side. The woman was wiry and flexible. He was having a lot of trouble holding onto her. Zach shifted his position so that he was straddling her. He outweighed her, there was no way she’d get out of this.
He was wrong. Natalie twisted her hands away from his grasp, grabbing his ears. She slammed her head into his chest and he shoved her shoulders back down, jumping to his feet. Natalie came up at him, hard and fast.
Move! Copper’s warning came with little room to actually act. Zach managed to dodge her fist, but he’d moved into the perfect position for her to knock him off balance. Before he understood what was happening, Zach found himself pinned face down, his arms and legs fully immobilized.
He struggled to free his legs from hers, writhing beneath her as she leaned down and whispered in his ear, “Loose the giant fucking chip on your shoulder, Hail. You need to learn how to let others help you before you end up dead.”
Her words fueled his rage. She said he fought dirty, so why not live up to it, GET HER OFF OF ME!
Copper won’t always be there to protect you, Zach, her use of dragon tongue pissed him off more. That was his thing, he was the dragon whisperer. He didn't think anyone would ever be able to take that from him.
She released him and he scrambled to his feet, ready to charge her. He heard Copper’s nails skitter on the rough mat in front of him. The beast protectively clicked his flint at her. Why didn’t he just blast the woman?
The rope to Zach's left vibrated, “Where are you going?”
“Fight’s over, tough guy,” she called to him from below the pen. He could hear her putting her clothing items back on. “You lost. Better luck next time. This was fun.”
How? How had she been able to pin him? He'd never lost a sparring match.
You lost because you were too busy being mad to focus on the fight, he panted as her voice rang out in his mind, her footfalls told him she was leaving. Oh and you should be hitting the bag with your index knuckle, not your ring finger.
“That was insane,” he heard Officer Wren whisper loudly as they walked through the door. Great. Amber was the biggest gossip in the station. By the end of the shift everyone would know that he'd not only lost a sparring match, but to the newbie no less!
Zach stood there for a moment, dazed and confused until his dragon's voice entered his head, You ok?
Where were you? Zach asked the dragon as he climbed from the pen. Why did you let her fucking touch me, Copper?
I was... in the rafters, the little dragon’s tone was shameful.
You were sleeping. Just like the last time I needed you, Zach found his phone and gloves, striding off towards the locker room. He was fully aware of the fact that his dragon wasn’t following him. He didn’t care. In that moment, he honestly didn't give a shit if the beast came home with him that night. He was pissed. Nothing was going right today.
Copper didn’t speak to Zach for the rest of the shift. His human knew he felt guilty about that day. It was cruel of him to bring it up in such a way. The little dragon spent the day milling about the office, investigating the other officers and even snatching a few sandwiches. He didn’t eat them, just took them to annoy people and get Zach in trouble. When the shift ended he waited patiently by the front door. He had no interest in helping Zach navigate the station that he’d spent the day trashing. Zach was bombarded with a slew of complaints when he stepped out of his office. He ignored all of them and headed for the front door, snapping his fingers as he walked. To Copper’s displeasure, the man managed to avoid every single obstacle in his path.
Zach placed one hand on the door to the station, pausing briefly before pushing it open, I’m sorry, Copper.
The dragon wasn’t happy with his human in the least, but he accepted the apology, hopping onto Zach’s shoulders as they left the station.
Zach wanted to drown his frustration in a few beers and a cheap whore. He wanted to meet Steffani and get the latest hallucinogen the Black Magic Market was cranking out. He wanted to trade places with his sister. He wanted to be doing anything other than giving the taxi driver directions to Invision Health.
As the vehicle began to move, Zach leaned his head back against the headrest and fingered the dried herb in his pocket. He'd asked Betty to pull the security camera footage from the red light and had her run the plates. The driver was a doctor that worked at Saint LuRen. Due to his temper-induced lack of a dragon, Zach hadn’t been able to run the name and find out the man's affiliation to Officer Lock.
Officer Natalie R. Lock, freshly thirty years old, and former lieutenant at the 2nd Precinct. The woman had been recommended by her superiors, peers, and staff for the captain's position, yet didn't receive the promotion. Zach thought about the information in her file. How the hell had Corvis beaten her out? Zach knew for a fact that the man wasn't nearly as skilled in hand to hand as her, and he had a feeling Ms. Lock would push his own record in marksmanship. He knew she possessed the skills necessary to command a team. She'd shown that already. Hell, Burns had been in the gym working his lardo ass off every night since she'd chewed him out.
Officer Lock was impressive to say the least. As the day had droned on, Zach had found himself hoping she was innocent. But why the transfer? Why was she in the slums at such an ungodly hour? What was her connection to the doctor? What had she been tossing into the car? It was too suspicious.
He sighed and reached out to Copper, What does Officer Lock look like?
To his surprise, the still cross creature answered him, She's got dark curly hair, fair skin with freckles over her nose, and a curvy but well toned figure.
What color are her eyes? Zach had been right to think his vision of her had been wrong. He'd pictured a stocky, butch woman with little curb appeal. From what he'd felt of her during their match, she had plenty to find appealing.
Green, Copper knew Zach would find her attractive. She was the exact type of woman he'd desired before attending the academy. Before Daniel.
Chapter 6
“Now, Mr. Hail,” Dr. Tory’s voice was surprisingly calming, "please understand that this first meeting will not provide miracles. Mental health is a journey."
"I'm not that delusional," Zach scoffed.
Copper snapped at him, Be nice!
"That's good," Dr. Tory shifted in his chair, the stiff leather groaning under the weight change. "Many expect to feel brand new after their first consultation. Now, here's what I would like to do today. I'd like to learn about the issues you're struggling with in daily life, as well as the event that caused your blindness."
Zach sat forward, running a shaky hand through his hair. It was too long, he needed to get it cut. He sighed and began talking about his current health concerns. It was easier than talking about the past.
"I've noticed that I deal with stress or anxiety in unhealthy or life threatening ways," admitting it aloud to a complete stranger was hard. He found himself stammering and sighing unnecessarily as he tried to talk, "I... get drunk, I'll indulge in... risky... sexual practices, I've even started to take drugs when I've felt completely overwhelmed."
"You said your sister was hospitalized yesterday," the doc was phishing. "How did you deal with that?"
"I... called my dealer," Zach admitted, he felt like he was sitting in the principal’s office in grade school, "but, Copper may have interfered with that."
"Your dragon seems to care for you a lot, Mr. Hail," the doctor smiled at Copper, who nodded slightly as he wrapped his tail protectively around Zach's neck. Copper was getting good vibes from this guy.
"He's been with me si
nce I was three," Zach reached up and scratched Copper's head. "He's been my eyes for nearly three years."
"Good to know you have at least one healthy, long lasting relationship," Zach could hear the man tapping away on his tablet. “Tell me more about how he helps you.”
“He keeps me from running into things,” Zach laughed a little, feeling more at ease now that the conversation was about his companion, “let's me know when people are close to me, reads documents for me, lends a listening ear when I need to vent. He’s basically my lifeline.”
"Do you have any human relationships that you would consider equivalent?" Dr. Tory locked eyes with Copper, scratching a note on a nearby pad of paper and holding it up as he spoke to Zach, ‘Do you think Zach is a danger to others?’ Copper shook his head slightly. The doctor nodded and started writing a new note.
Zach, unaware of their conversation, sighed and answered, "No, I... I pushed everyone away."
"Don't feel too bad about that," the doctor maintained his calming tone, "there are few who wouldn't, given your situation. That doesn't mean it's healthy, but it's not unusual. Tell me a bit about your past."
Dr. Tory held up the new note, ‘Help him make a friend this week.’ Copper nodded once, he already had someone in mind.
Zach ran his hand through his hair again, tugging on it nervously this time. His left knee had begun to bounce as well. He wasn't sure when that action had started, but as soon as he noticed it, Zach willed the appendage to be still.
Start with the academy, Zach, Copper's voice mimicked the doctor's. The little shit was definitely taking notes. Zach wouldn’t be surprised if the reptile ended up utilizing many of the man’s techniques at home.
"I guess I should start at the point where everything in my life really began changing," Zach desperately didn't want to do this, but he took a deep breath and let it spill out. "I started dating a guy during my time at the police academy. I’m attracted to both men and women, and though I’ve always known it, I had never really been with a man before him. We started out as friends, then one night he asked me if I’d be interested in more. I initially just wanted to keep our friendship, but he ... convinced me to give it a try, and I fell for him, pretty hard."