Page 35 of Wild Fire

The next half hour seemed to be the longest period of his life. The only thing that allowed him to wait for his brothers to do their job was the knowledge that Dani was close, was alive and knew he was near. The other consolation was that he would be the one that led the unit that would destroy the slavers and put a serious dent in their operation, if not cut it down completely.

It seemed like forever before he saw the spark in the window at the lower quadrant of the lowest floor.

The four remaining dragons looked at him. “Two of you take out the boats and then the docks. Nothing is to remain. The rest of us will focus on the building, destroying everything but the ground level. We will converge outside and storm the remaining level. Look for an entrance into a basement, I want to ensure we have them and anything we can use to figure out who and what is behind this.

“And the victims?”

“Leave the transport vehicles. We’ll get them loaded in there and take them to a safe spot and have Dani call the authorities.”

“Won’t they want some kind of statement from her?”

“Probably, and they will have it once I know she is safe, and we have something to tell them that doesn’t endanger our own people.” He smiled. “Dani will know how to handle it. My mate is quite adept at giving and receiving information. She will not betray us.”

“No, brother,” said Zahran. “She is one of us in heart and spirit if not body.”

The remaining dragons galloped toward the edge of the precipice and dove off, allowing the wind currents and speed from their descent to propel them up—two banking toward the ships and the other three forming an attack vector and zeroing in on their target. Giving each other space, the dragons began breathing fire in a terrible firestorm of destruction.

Over and over, they swooped down, destroying the building, ships, and dock, level by level. The saving grace for the slavers caught in the web of fire and death was that their brains did not have the capacity to even process their danger before they ceased to function. Layer after layer of concrete, metal, and building materials were burned to a crisp as they crumbled and fell.

A few slavers were able to flee from the building but the dragon to Warrick’s left split off and rendered them ash before they could make it anywhere close to the transport vehicles. The air all around them was filled with sparks, smoke, and the smell of their enemies’ defeat. Not since their fight with the Cherufe had the Phantom Fire unleashed the level of death and destruction it had this night.

The five members of the Phantom Fire landed, shifted to their human forms, and changed into the clothing left behind by the advance guard before moving into the building and killing those slavers and cult members still alive. When they found a stairwell down to a lower level, Warrick sent three of those with him to scout below as he and Zahran continued to sweep the ground level as they moved closer and closer to the part of the building held by Falkor and the others.

Finally, they entered the room in which Dani and the others were huddled together behind the members of the rescue team who had secured the area. Dani broke free and charged him, throwing herself into his arms and kissing him with abandoned intensity.

“I thought you were dead. How did you find me?” she managed between kisses.

Fisting her hair, he tugged her head back. “You should have known not even death would keep me from your side. The link, though not as strong as it would have been if I had fully claimed you, was strong enough to lead me to you.”

“The slavers? They have something on a downstairs level. Several of the girls were there. They said it was like a combination of a medieval torture chamber and a high-tech lab.”

Falkor looked at Zahran. “Go. Salvage what you can. Make sure it is empty and then return to us. We’ll start moving the victims into transport vehicles.” His gaze moved back to Warrick and Dani. “We’ll get them moving and on the way. Any idea where we should take them?”

“The Olympic Medical System is the closest hospital and should be able to handle them,” offered Dani.

“Look,” said a woman, stepping forward, “I don’t know who you people are, and frankly, I don’t care. What I do know is that you saved us. I drive transport for that hospital, as does one of the other girls. We can get everyone back to safety and let you do whatever it is you need to do.”

“I’m Detective Danica Morris of the Seattle Police Department.” She handed the woman her card. “Call my precinct and ask to speak to someone with the task force working to bring down the Servants of the Winged Serpents.”

“Won’t you be with us?” asked one of the other victims.

“No. I have things to finish up. Let the lieutenant know I’m in good hands and will be in touch.”

Falkor and the others helped the women outside. No need for them to see anything more of the men who had rescued them than they needed to. As the mostly female victims were led out to the transport vehicles, Zahran joined them.

“The slavers were only the tip of the iceberg. What’s beneath the surface is far, far worse.”

CHAPTER 17

DANICA

She had felt his presence long before they had arrived. At first, she’d thought she was just becoming delusional—or maybe she was dying. But as the feeling increased and she could feel him sharing his strength and his reassurance with her, the small spark that had remained of her hope began to flicker more brightly. And when the tanks on the boats had begun to explode and she saw Falkor and some of the others moving victims out of harm’s way she knew that although she might not be immortal, today was not her day to die.

As soon as Falkor was close, she asked, “He lives?”

“He does and wants nothing more than to take you in his arms.” He moved swiftly to her and cut her loose, catching her before she had a chance to crumble to the ground.

“I’m fine. Help the others. There’s a lower level.”

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