Dragonet

Chapter Nine

Mad Mage wandered out of the Employees lounge, an unopened box of sugar cubes in his hand a cola in the other. He was pretty rich now and since rumors were the cops were closing in on a hidden lab that meant one thing. He'd better leave by the weekend. He'd keep his contacts, the good ones, leave everything else. Especially the girl chained to his bed. She'd been his ticket to this gig, oldest daughter of the buildings owner she'd fallen behind in her payments. He'd tried really nicely to get her to pay. But she just didn't respond to the beatings, not even when he branded her. The money just never arrived, only the constant begging and pleading. Finally he'd contacted Daddy and explained things. Daddy had understood, Daddy had given him a place for his lab, a cover, a place for his supplies. Daddy really understood. Of course Daddy didn't want his pretty daughter to end up kitten chow at the zoo. Daddy never suspected his newest employee was his daughters captor. Never suspected that his missing daughter, who's weekly messages always waited on his desk, was kept in his own warehouse.

Or Daddy would have called the cops.

But he'd been here two months, the bill was long paid and she was clean. Sort of. He hadn't allowed her a drop since arriving except the funny new stuff he made. The really experimental stuff. But it was time to pack up, make these last deliveries, get his stuff together and vanish again. Daddy's next message from his daughter would be in person. Her dismembered body artfully arranged on his desk, with a bomb wired to his chair. Yeah, leave no witness was Mad Mage's rule. He had just stepped off the metal stairs when a sound of shattering glass reached him. Mage was crazy mean but he wasn't stupid. Sprinting he headed for his home, and his shotgun.

Dragonet dropped to the top of a stack of crates. She'd have to be careful until she knew where the guard was. Taking him out without killing him, preferably without hurting him was primary. Still an officer of the law in her heart she regretted her thefts. She'd been here before, slipping out with tents, lanterns, fuel and food two nights before. She hadn't seen the guard, but then Mage had been busy all night playing with his toy. Feeding her his newest mixture and recording her reactions. Tonight she wasn't going to be as lucky. Dropping to the floor Dragonet headed for her destination. A stack of cans filled with 'White Gas.' She'd hadn’t gotten any cans her first attempt. Tonight it was her main priority her lanterns needed it and she wanted the light.

She'd quickly reached her destination and was cutting open the heavy plastic shroud when a voice from behind froze her in place.

"Allright you. Put yer hands up an turn around." She froze, then turned slowly. "Hands UP" Mage ordered. She turned, lifting her hands slowly while studying his weapon. A scattergun. She was unsure if it would kill her or not, but she knew it would hurt. Hurt a lot. Mage noted what was behind her. "Girl? Yeah, ugly looking but yer ah girl." He waved his free hand, "Over there." Firing into a pallet of white gas would about ruin his whole night.

Dragonet moved, eventually coming to a stop in from of a pallet of foodstuffs. Mage studied her. "You must be a blood sucker" he laughed. "Tha’s great, bet you’ll be fun. LOOSE THE CLOTHES!" Mage sucked in air as the t-shirt & shorts quickly vanished, leaving Dragonet standing wearing only two bright strips of cloth. "Wow" he hissed. "Small, but you got what I need." He reached to the back of his belt, pulling out a long knife. Reaching forward quickly he slit the cloth, watching her eyes as both strips fell to the floor. Mage stepped back, studying her form. "No hair.. skin glitters.. Scales? You a lizard?"

Scared, Dragonet shook. She thought that could take him but if he shot her in her head would she survive? At this range he couldn't miss. The idea of being reduced to a mindless thing, never able to avenge herself froze her in place. Froze her so long Mage was already on her, his lips crushing hers, his free hand reaching before she realized it. With a scream of outrage she bucked, spun and leapt for the pallets top.

Caught unaware Mage staggered back, his trigger finger convulsed, his weapon roared and pellets slamming into the concrete floor just meters from his own feet. "That's it. Live or dead I'm gonna have you lizard" he yelled, swinging his weapon up. "Then I'm gonna cook yah and EAT YAH!" He fired again, catching Dragonet in the back. Lead pellets shattered her spine, she fell, landing hard, unable to move her legs. "That's better" Mage laughed, crawling up to her position then flipping her on her back. Dragonet hardly saw him, the pain was fire in her mind.

A fire that cooled rapidly. Mage had just dropped his pants when she felt her toes tingle. 'Even nerves' she realized. As Mage started to kneel she snapped her right foot up, catching him in the groin. Mage's eyes nearly popped out of his skull at the pain. He dropped to his knees, trying to bring the blade in his right hand up but the last thing he experienced was Dragonet's clawed hand ripping the blade, and his hand, off his arm. Then nothing but darkness.

Bright blue and red lights flashed on the buildings walls. Officers in police blue stood ready, weapons of all kinds covered the doors but there were just too many windows for their number to watch. "What have we got" Lieutenant Mary Williams asked as she pulled to a stop.

"A Meth lab" a young officer answered, pointing to a burning shed beside the warehouse. "And some kind of flying thing. We got a call. Weapons fire. Showed up just as it stepped onto the roof. Sgt. Martin got a shot off at it and it dropped something. Must have been a bomb because when it hit the ground..." He lifted his hands, spreading them.

"Fine" Mary snapped, popping open her door. She'd been on her way home from a dinner date so stepping out of the car her long brown legs reflected the burning shed's light. "Fire department on the way?"

The young officer brought his eyes up from those impossibly long black legs, "Yes mam, ETA's two minutes."

"Good, lets go in." She leaned into her car, getting her gun from its storage place. When she stood her companions white face was a pale shade of pink. She walked past him, only then letting herself smile. It was nice to know that at thirty plus French-Negro blood insured she still had it, though she'd never tell that boy. He was way too young for her taste. Walking quickly, her black satin party dress fluttering around her like a living thing until she reached the Shift Sergeant's car. "Ready to go in?" she asked.

"Mam" the older man answered, absently reaching into his cars trunk to hand her a bullet proof vest. He was too busy to notice her clothing, too busy making sure the youngsters on his shift didn't make that one mistake that killed them. "Paterson" he barked.

"Right here sir."

The Sergeant turned to talk to his trooper, only then noting Mary's clothing. "You stay with the Lieutenant, she'll keep you alive."

"Yes Sir."

"And do what she says. Understand?"

"Yes sir."

"Lieutenant?"

"Yeah Sarge" Mary responded, busy with a strap.

"I like that new uniform."

She looked up, flashed a grin. "Special Occasions only. Don't expect me to waste it on just anyone."

"Yes Mam. When your ready."

She picked her weapon up from the trunk lid, "After you Sarge."

Forty minutes later she was letting the greenie haul her vest back to the car. It had been hot, heavy, chafing... and she'd heard her dress tear at least twice. She'd be sewing it back together tomorrow, if it was salvageable. They'd found Mad Mage lying in the middle of a corridor between lines of crates. He was resting in a lake of his own blood, hardly a drop remained in him. A lab tech had arrived and was busy photographing the scene while they waited for Detective Williams and his gear. The fire department was going over what was left of the shed and an ambulance had hauled off what was left of the girl. She hadn't been touched by Mage’s killer but two months with almost nothing to eat had left her nearly skin and bones. They were waiting on the buildings owner.

"Here comes the fire inspector" someone warned her. She turned to greet the man, noticing that he was carrying a twisted metal shape. "Found your bomb officer" he reported, holding it up. "From the looks of those cans over there its from that stack. Carried gas, lantern gas. Can probably sparked on impact. That be all it'd take."

Arnott took the twisted metal. "Why would anyone steal gas" she asked.

"Donno" the man admitted. "If its that white gas I use it in my camping lanterns. Not much other use for it, stuffs scary under pressure."

She handed the metal back to the fireman. "Thanks. Lanterns." Shaking her head she walked off to study the trailer. At least their Meth lab had been found. That was a plus.