Page 4 of Wild Fire

Dani began to move through the deserted warehouse—at least that’s what the infrared readings showed—by herself, gun drawn. It never hurt to be careful. She began a methodical sweep of the building, going through each doorway, her SIG with its attached tactical light/laser held in two hands, sweeping the room and behind the door before retreating, closing the door, and moving on.

She advanced slowly up a set of stairs to an observation and communications/electronic room. After ensuring it, too, was clear, she looked at the read-outs on the various computer screens. One screen seemed to have eyes on each of the rooms as well as outside. Donning evidence gloves, Dani used the keyboard’s directional arrows to scan the various rooms. She recognized all the ones on this main floor and the one that lay at the bottom of the ramp. But as she scanned, she noticed a doorway she couldn’t remember on the blueprints of the building or from their first sweep.

Noting its location, she exited the control room, locking the door behind her and then headed across the warehouse and down the ramp. Turning on her taclight, she made her way to the doorway that had seemed to elude their notice. Carefully, she opened it and quietly stepped onto a small landing on the other side of the doorway.

“Seattle Police Department. Is there anyone here?”

She knew at this point she should probably call for backup. That was standard procedure. She’d known more than one cop to die in the line of duty because he or she ignored that very basic rule. But she also knew her team had to be exhausted, and she would be damned if she called in the Bureau boys and let them take credit for finding the room and whatever it might contain.

She listened intently and could hear some muffled movement and faint rattling of chains. Dear god, there were more victims trapped down here. She hit her comm unit. “This is Detective Morris. I need backup at the scene. I believe we may have more victims.” No response. “I repeat; this is Detective Morris I need backup at the warehouse, lower level, northwest corner. Have discovered a lower level we missed.” No response.

Just as she turned to head back out to get to the main level where her comm unit would work, she heard the scraping of chains and a muffled moan. Someone was in trouble. What if the moments she delayed in getting to them to call for backup cost whoever was down there their life?

Deciding on a compromise, Dani stepped through the doorway to re-enter the level the team had swept before. She spoke into her comm unit, “This is Detective Morris. Requesting backup lower level, northwest corner. Sounds of someone in distress. Heading down to a previously unsearched level to assess the condition of possible additional victims.”

Returning to the doorway, she called, “Seattle Police Department. I am armed and I have backup coming. Please move to the center of the room, lie down on the floor, hands and arms stretched out before you. If challenged in any way, I will fire.”

No one answered, and she didn’t expect anyone to comply, but still, it needed to be said. She made her way down the stairs, glad the steps were concrete and not made so that anyone could reach through them to trip her up. Dani took each step carefully, sweeping the staircase and the surrounding area with her tactical light.

What the hell had this place been? She had to be substantially below sea level.

Unlike the cavernous but dry warehouse above, this place was dark, wet, and ominous. A kind of haunting sound came from up ahead. She rounded a stack of metal cages and then stopped short—her meager light directed at the sound. Her eyes widened in surprise and for a moment she forgot to breathe. Closing her eyes, she shook her head, and then re-opened them. The noise stopped, but the unbelievable vision remained. Dani found herself staring into the darkest eyes of any creature she’d ever seen.

Creature being the correct term.

Staring back at her, massive chains of iron pinning it to the floor and a band of iron wrapped around its muzzle, was a dragon. A real-life scaled and winged, mother-effing dragon.

“Holy shit,” Dani uttered, her voice echoing in the chamber.

Slowly, painfully, the dragon lifted its head. “Help me,” it whispered—the voice emerging from the dragon’s mouth was that of a man.

Dani turned her back on the creature and swept the room again.

“We are alone,” it said, the voice laced with pain.

She spun around to face it. “Are you sure?”

“Very. Release me.” This time there was less plea and more command.

Dani didn’t care. Last time she checked, she didn’t answer to dragons. She moved to its side to take in the sheer enormity of the beast. An honest-to-god dragon. Well now, what the hell was she supposed to do? Although it wasn’t precisely the motto of the Seattle Police Department, weren’t all cops supposed to serve and protect? How the hell was she supposed to do that with a dragon?

“If they find me, they will kill me. Let me go, and I will leave you and this place in peace.”

“And if I don’t?”

The thing made a sound that was eerily reminiscent of a chuckle. “Not much of a threat, am I, when I’m trussed up like a Thanksgiving turkey?”

She cocked her head sideways. “You know Thanksgiving?”

“Not exactly the most pressing point. Do you have backup?”

“I called for it.”

It grinned. She would swear the damn thing grinned. “Not what I asked, but I suppose it is an answer, nevertheless.”

“Let me be honest. I’m not really sure what to do in this situation. I’ve read the police manual, and I am pretty damn sure there are no sections or provisions covering dragons. On the other hand, I’m also pretty damn sure if I tell people that you’re here, bad things will happen to you.”

“You are correct.”

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