Page 39 of Surge of Fire

I don’t skip a beat. “What’s your name?”

“What’syourname?”

I don’t mind giving it. She’ll learn it no matter how this goes. Besides, it’s not valuable information. Right now, everything I learn about her is valuable. So I’ll give her what I need to in order to learn what I have to. This is a game, and I’m going to win it.

“Captain Evander Pierce,” I say, then wait. When she says nothing, I press on. “I didn’t catch your name.”

She seems to debate her response for a painfully long time.

“Sam.”

It suits her.“Just Sam?”

She glares. “When we get to town, we’re going our separate ways. Got it?”

“Got it,” I say. “And when we get to town, you should let me radio my base to let them know about you. They’ll take you back to our base, where you’ll be safe. Both from the other dragon and from yourself.” I don't know for sure she is in danger from the other dragon, but reading her responses, the way I've seen her scan the skies, it's a reasonable assumption.

She snorts. “Does anyone believe the shit you spew?”

“A great many people. You should see the list of ladies who have fallen for my charm.”

“Pass.”

I study her. She’s young. Although she’s not much younger than me, she feels young. This must be scary for her. Overwhelming even.

“We need to be honest with each other.”

“Who says we’re not?” she asks.

I adjust my approach. “Let’s say you are a dragon. Let’s say that you thought you were human until just recently and something triggered you, and suddenly you were able to shift into a dragon. How do you think things will go from here? Do you think your loved ones will be safe around you? Do you think you might need help and guidance from the only team in the world who have extensively studied dragons?”

She’s starting to listen. Starting to consider my words.

“Information is power. Talk to me. I’m an expert from Specter Inc. Maybe I can offer some assistance.”

Okay, so I’m not an expert-expert. I’m not one of the scientists, but I’ve been drawn to lore of the dragons from the time I learned about them through Specter Inc. I might not understand everything, but I’ve picked up enough useful bits that I think I can gain her trust until I get her back to base.

“Let’s just say,” her voice comes out soft and shaky, her eyes going wider, even though she keeps them on the road, “I was in a shaft in the mountain during a class, studying seismology,and an earthquake hit. We were all thrown about… me, the professor, the other students, and… and my best friends. Heat was coming from the ground, and I found a dragon in the center of the shaft. It spotted me. It took me. It dropped me. And then I shifted into a dragon too. It attacked. It was trying to hurt me, but I shifted back and got away.”

I’m breathing hard. Spell-bound by her story. I remind myself that I’m supposed to be giving her information now. Enough so that she believes me. Enough so that she won’t hesitate to go to the base with me, or think too much about what will happen to her once she gets there.

“Throughout history, there have been countless stories about dragons. Drawings have been found that span centuries, originating from all over the world. Our scientists asked the question: what if dragons had truly been real? From there, two hypotheses emerged, based upon the fact that no dragon bones have ever been found. One of those theories was that dragons went deep within the earth and have slumbered through the ages, only wakened by specific earthquakes below the earth’s surface. The other theory was that humans somehow had the ability to shift into dragons, and that dragons are immortal. This theory only worked if we accepted that humans would not be aware of what they were. The only question was how they could be triggered to turn into dragons. The scientists have run countless tests, but the only connection they found between the times artwork was found involving dragons was a pattern of earthquakes. They theorized that the quakes were the connection between all of this.”

“So dragons can be born or awakened?” she asks, sounding intrigued.

I nod. “That was the idea. We, of course, believed that only one of the theories could be right, but you and that dragon prove otherwise.”

She shakes her head slowly. “This is impossible. This is fantasy. Fairy tales. Not science.”

“And yet, it is,” I tell her.

Silence falls between us, and I give her a moment to think, though not too long. I need her to begin to see me as an authority on dragons. As a person she can trust and talk to. But I don’t want her to think too hard about what Specter Inc. might have done to encourage the seismic pattern that awakened the dragon, nor about what they plan to do with them.

“You should know, dragons are creatures driven by scent. If he’s scented you, you’re in danger. The only place you can truly be safe is with me.”

She gives me a funny glance. “Scent?” Then she smirks. “That must be why it hasn’t followed me. The cologne that spilled in this truck.”

Is that what that smell is?“That doesn’t mean you’ll be safe for long. I need to get somewhere I can reach my bosses and get us out of here while I still can.”

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