Chapter 6

SIX

Samantha

The tall gates of Specter Inc. rise in front of us as we approach. I'm kind of surprised. There were no markings on the road, or signs of any kind, to suggest that this little road would lead to, supposedly, a large facility filled with scientists who I'm hoping can help me. Still, I don't have a lot of options. I don't trust Evander, but he was willing to come here as a dragon, so I have to take that as a good sign.

"So, was I the only one noticing all the cameras on the drive up here?" Granger asks from the backseat.

"I didn't notice them," I admit, glancing around the trees to see if I missed something.

"Me neither," Aydan says, hands tightening the steering wheel.

"Yeah, this whole road is monitored. Whoever is at that gate, they know we're coming."

I swallow around the lump in my throat. "That's not intimidating at all."

Granger clears his throat. "So, we're sure about this?"

"Isn't it too late to reconsider?" I ask him in surprise.

"Not until we get behind those gates."

Aydan slows the car. "Pro, these people seem to be the only people we're aware of that can help Sam."

Ah, the Pro and Con game. We've played this countless times before. I guess it makes sense to do it now too.

"Con," Granger says, looking thoughtful. "If Specter Inc. is prepared for dragons, they may have ways of keeping Sam under their control. We could be walking right into a trap designed for her."

"Pro," I say, "Evander worked for them, and even after becoming a dragon, he wanted to head this way. If their own employee was comfortable putting himself in their hands, it must be a safe place."

"Con," Aydan begins. "We don't trust Evander."

I shoot him a look, even though it's true. "Pro, I'm literally in danger everywhere I go right now. Except, maybe, here."

"Pro," Granger says. "The green dragon is still out there looking for you, and you can't take him on your own, so you need a safe place to go."

There's silence in the car. We're going so slow we're practically crawling.

"Pro," I whisper. "I don't see another choice."

The car goes faster. We come to the large, black gates and stop. Aydan reaches over and takes my hand, squeezing it. "Are you sure about this?"

I'm not. "Yes."

He nods and unrolls the window. There's a little black box to speak into, but nothing else. It's weird. Like something out of a science fiction novel.

"Hello?" Aydan says.

"Name and purpose," comes from the box in a sharp, no-nonsense voice.

"Uh, well, you see–" Aydan begins.

I lean across him, cutting in. "I'm the woman who can turn into a dragon. I've been talking to someone at your base. Evander, one of your employees, was with me until recently."

There's no response, but the gates slide open. Inside, there's a security booth and another fence, this time a chain link fence. We pull forward and stop at the security booth. A man in a dark green uniform comes out and asks for our IDs. Granger and Aydan have their IDs, but I don't. Mine happens to be back at the Phoenix Institute in my room.

Luckily, the security officer says nothing about my lack of ID, probably because he'd been told to expect me. He takes theirs into the security booth and comes back a few minutes later, giving them back. "Park your car in the parking lot. Someone will be there to greet you and take you the rest of the way."

The next gate opens, and we drive into a parking lot that's fairly empty, easily finding a spot. Beyond the parking lot are sleek, white buildings spread out, with walking paths between them, big trees, and well-trimmed bushes. The evening sun spreads over all of it, giving it a warmth I'm sure the buildings don't actually have.

Aydan kills the engine, then turns to us. "Remember, the first sign of trouble, Samantha goes dragon, and we get the hell out of here. Don't let them inject you with anything or get any of us trapped in a room, and we stick together, no matter what. Got it?"

Granger pipes in from the back. "And if all else fails, I've been taking jiu-jitsu. I can handle any problems that come our way."

Aydan and I exchange a grin, and then I look back at him. "Just save those moves for them, okay? I want to keep my head attached to my body."

He laughs.

We climb out of the car as a serious-looking man comes between two of the buildings, walking rapidly on the sidewalk. When he sees us, his gaze instantly focuses on me, sweeping from my head to my toes in a way that makes me uneasy. He looks entirely uninterested in Aydan and Granger, just hurries up to meet me.

"Hello, I'm Dr. Tiro, and you must be–?" He offers his long bony hand, and I reluctantly offer mine in return. His hands are cold and clammy, but I wait an appropriate second before tearing my hand away from his.

"Samantha."

"Samantha," he repeats, waiting, as if for my last name. I don't give it to him.

When I say nothing else, he pushes his glasses up his long nose, and for the first time, eyes Granger and Aydan. "Are these gentlemen your ride or–?"

Aydan interrupts before he can finish. "Anywhere she goes we go."

The man's dark eyes flash with something I can't quite identify, but then he gives a sharp nod. "Of course, of course, right this way."

Turning on his heel, he begins to lead us through the buildings. Aydan, Granger, and I exchange a look and follow more slowly after. I'm not sure what they're thinking, but I'm trying to decide if I'm getting evil corporation vibes from this place because it's an evil corporation or because I'm just nervous.

As we walk, we see other people that look like scientists. Most of them are wearing lab coats, and they, like our guide, have lanyards around their necks with identification cards. Probably security passes to work the doors. The people we walk by give us funny looks, but none of them appear particularly threatening or evil.

We make it across the campus and break free from the buildings.

"Whoa," I say.

Aydan and Granger stop beside me, and Granger says, "Whoa is right."

There's one long sidewalk that leads to a tiny, solitary building. Beyond that, the fence that surrounds this place has stopped. What's left behind is a cliff that overlooks the ocean. The view is honestly incredible. Hadn't Evander told me about the view here?

My gut tightens and I feel that terrible emptiness inside of me. It's not as painful now that Granger and Aydan are close to me, but when I even have a second to breathe, it's all I can focus on. If Evander is dead, I feel like the sensation will never go away, and I have no idea how I'll live with it.

"You okay?" Aydan asks me softly.

I nod.

He reaches up and wipes a tear from my face I hadn't even known had fallen. He's studying me, looking worried. I know he wants me to tell him what's bothering me, but he won't like me talking about Evander, so I just don't say anything.

Dr. Tiro pauses on the sidewalk. "It's this way."

I avoid Aydan and Granger's concerned glances and follow after the scientist until he leads me to the tiny building. There's only one door with no handle. The only way I even know there's a door in the side of the white, sleek metal structure is because of the light outline of it. Dr. Tiro waves the card on his neck in front of the door, and it beeps and opens. I look inside, confused.

"It's an elevator," he explains.

Okay. Weird, but alright.

We all load inside, and Dr. Tiro clicks 4 on the elevator. I note that it has level 1 through level 10. Ten underground levels? What the hell is this place? The doors shut and we go down until the door opens again, and we see a massive laboratory.

We all step inside and… stare. It's obviously a lab designed for large animals, with huge cages in the back, and a bunch of testing equipment in the main part of the room. But to our surprise, Dr. Benjamin Williams, Doctor Hannah Abigail, Doctor Dean Griffin, and Doctor Henry Duncan are in the center of the room.

"How did they get all the way from the Phoenix Institute to here before us?" I ask in shock.

Our guide says, "They arrived just a couple of hours ago by chopper."

The scientists come closer to us, looking excited but hesitant. Dr. Abigail, the woman I respect most in the world, and my wildlife teacher. Dr. Duncan, the very man that led us into that cavern that awakened the green dragon. Dr. Williams, the head of the Phoenix Institute. And Doctor Griffin, Aydan's fire science teacher. It's… bizarre to see them here.

Doctor Abigail clasps her hands together. "Samantha? You're the dragon?"

I don't know what to say. Specter Inc. already knows. I already told them, but it feels like a weird thing to admit out loud. Maybe even a dangerous thing. But denying it would only waste time right now.

"Yes."

She smiles in triumph, the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes and mouth becoming more prominent. "So, my theory that the dragons could be awakened in humans was correct."

Is that why they had students at the institute? As human test subjects? I push the thought away but promise myself to ask about it again later.

"But that's not all, right? There's more you have to tell us," Dr. Duncan says, studying me. His voice is low, perfectly fitting the man who looks like a blond-haired dwarf, down to his long beard and stout figure.

I take a second to answer. "That's correct. A green dragon appeared to have been slumbering under the surface of the cavern. An earthquake awakened him."

Dr. Griffin snorts, drawing his large frame up taller. "Well, which was it, lady? Do humans shift into dragons or are there just sleeping dragons under the earth?"

"Both," I say.

Instantly, a gut feeling hits me. I don't like Dr. Griffin. Something about him before made me think he was just relaxed and fun, but I also remember him mocking Dr. Duncan. This guy… he's not a nice guy. He's just good at pretending to be one.

Dr. Williams runs a hand over his bald head, looking lost. "None of our theories involved both ways being correct. This changes so many things." Shoving his glasses up his nose, he reaches for me, grabbing my wrist. "We need to get the tests started immediately."

Aydan pulls his hand off of me. "Don't fucking put your hands on her."

Tension suddenly sings between us and the scientists, crackling in the air like lightning. I eye each of them for a minute, trying to decide what intentions they have for me. Can I trust them? I thought I could at least trust Dr. Abigail and Dr. Duncan, but I don't really know for sure. Dr. Duncan was fighting with the head of the Phoenix Institute about something being dangerous. Maybe he suspected something like this would happen? But, even if he did, he seemed to be in the camp to protect people, so who knows who I can trust?

"I'm a person," I tell them slowly. "Not a science experiment."

Dr. Williams glares. "But surely you understand the many benefits you offer as the first dragon test subject."

"Smooth," Dr. Abigail says, shooting him a dirty look before giving me a gentler one. "You're absolutely a person and not a science experiment. Dr. Williams simply has all the tact of a cat in heat. Sam, you're never going to have to do anything you don't want to do here. You can come and go as you please. You are not just a test subject to us. However, with your permission, there are certain tests we'd like to conduct, both for scientific purposes and for the well-being of the world."

Dr. Duncan cuts in with ease, his tone gruff, but his words kind. "We've been made aware that the green dragon is capable of tracking you. What I'm not sure you're aware of is that more and more dragons are awakening around the world. We're trying to secure them, of course, but there's a good chance they're all going to be drawn to you, and any other female dragons, although so far you seem to be the only one. We need to find a way to protect you, to hide you, before things get too out-of-hand."

Dr. Griffin smirks, and his eyes run over me. "Although we've also been made aware that you've found one way to hide yourself from the male dragons. Let me be the first to volunteer to help you in that regard."

Aydan's faster than my eye can follow, punching the older man square in the face. The man may have been tall and fit, early forties at most, with his hair seemingly out of place being all gray, but he goes down like a much older man. And once he hits the floor, he doesn't get up.

Dr. Abigail toes him with her boot. "I can't say the asshole didn't have it coming."

"Agreed," Dr. Duncan says. "If Aydan hadn't punched him, I would have. The girl could be his fucking daughter."

Their support actually eases a little of the tension inside of me.

Aydan rubs his hand and says, "Okay, then, just to be clear, anyone hurts her, and they have to deal with Granger and I."

"And an angry dragon that could likely kill all of us," Dr. Abigail says, rolling her eyes before looking at me. "Men, am I right?"

I'm so surprised I laugh, but I guess she's right. If these scientists are going to fear anything, it's going to be me, not my guys.

Dr. Abigail smiles. "Before we do anything else, let's show you what we've been working on."

She heads to one area of the room where there's a huge screen covering the wall. Her fingers are flying as they move across the keyboard on a table near the screen. A second later, a map of the world pulls up. There are several dots spread out, but I notice a green one near the Phoenix Institute.

"Currently, we're using satellites to track the dragons that have awakened. It's not a perfect solution. They disappear quite frequently, but it's the best we've got."

"What's that dot?" I ask, pointing to the green dot. Hoping against hope that it might be Evander.

"It's the green dragon," she says, crushing my hope with just a few simple words.

"What about the gray dragon?"

She's back to typing on the screen, pulling up a short clip of Evander and the green dragon fighting, obviously taken by a jet, before the image fades. "That's our last image of him. We haven't been able to track him by satellite since their fight. Our best guess is that he died. It's fascinating though…"

Her words fade away. They haven't been able to track him since? They think he died? I should've stayed to help fight beside him. I should've never left him behind.

A hand squeezes my shoulder, and I swing my head toward Granger. He gives a small smile. "They don't know for sure, okay? Hold onto hope. You're really good at that."

I nod, struggling to draw in a breath. Dr. Abigail stops talking, and everyone is staring at me. The weight of their eyes are heavy. I have a strange desire to escape the room and all the people in it.

"Did you know the gray dragon?" Dr. Abigail asks softly.

"Yes," is all I can manage, but my fingers go to my necklace, tugging on it nervously. "The gray dragon is Evander."

"Shit," Dr. Duncan says, his gaze meeting Dr. Abigail's.

"We didn't… we hadn't imagined that," Dr. Abigail manages, looking completely lost.

And they must have known him well, because both of them seem more upset than I would have expected. Whatever job he did here, it must have been important.

"Well," Dr. Abigail says, drawing her shoulders back. "Captain Evander is strong and capable. We're going to hold out hope that he survived."

"He did," I tell them, lifting my chin. He has to have.

"Okay then." Dr. Duncan clears his throat. "Well, as she was saying, we're tracking the dragons by satellite, but we need a better method. Most of them were making a beeline for you, but several times they seemed to get lost and just start flying around in circles, or heading off in completely different directions. We assumed that was when your, uh, scent, was properly covered."

After a second of silence, Dr. Abigail jumps back in. "But we need to figure out a better way of tracking them. Both for your safety and for the safety of humanity. Some of these dragons have been creating quite a bit of destruction in their wake and any attacks made on them have been futile."

My mind starts working, and my fingers slide down the necklace Dr. Abigail gave me. Suddenly, a thought occurs to me. "Could we use the Laser Chipper and tag the dragons? Isn't it the best way to track animals based on current methods?"

Dr. Abigail and Dr. Duncan exchange a look, and then he says, "Well, fuck me and call me a donkey."

I glance at Dr. Abigail in confusion.

She smiles. "He means, it's a good idea. If we can tag them, we can keep track of them."

My phone rings, startling me. I pull my phone out of my pocket, hoping against hope that Evander is somewhere and calling me to let me know he's safe. Except, my caller ID pops up with Dahlia's number. I try not to be disappointed as I turn away from the group and answer.

"Hello?"

"You're still alive!" she says, sounding relieved.

"You too," I tell her, pacing away from the doctors and walking between lab tables. "Where are you? Still under the school?"

"Yeah, but I'm getting out of here." She sounds frustrated. Determined.

"To where? That green dragon is still there, and he's dangerous."

"Fuck, he is?"

"Yeah."

She curses again. "Some of the professors left by helicopter, so I was assuming the damn dragon was gone."

"I don't know how close he is to the institute, but I know he's around there."

She lets out an audible breath. "Well, the second it's clear I'm leaving. I just don't know where to go. There are reports of dragons all over. Is any place safe?"

My mind starts working. "I'm at a place called Specter Inc. It's the company that owns the Phoenix Institute. Most of their buildings are underground, and they're tracking the dragons, so this might be a safe place to go. It's located in SeatFront Landing, outside of OceanView. Near the water."

There's silence for a minute. "You know what? When the coast is clear I think I'll head there."

Relief flows through me. "That would be amazing." I'll have to clear her with security, but it should be easy enough.

"Be safe," she tells me.

"You too."

She ends the call. I put my phone away and turn to the others. Everyone is watching me.

I force a smile. "Now what?"