Dragons vs. Drones (18 page)

Chapter
22

D
ree woke up to torchlight flickering and dancing in her vision. Her head was pounding.

She tried to move but found that her arms were firmly strapped to a table with leather cuffs, and though she struggled, she couldn't yank them out. Her waist was bound, as were her legs. She was tilted forward, staring at a rock wall veined with white granite, like spiderwebs. She suddenly remembered the soldier and the fist connecting with her jaw.

She instantly knew where she was. The Cave Prisons. Which meant she might as well stop struggling—no one escaped these caves. There was supposedly only one way in and one way out. She wondered if Marcus and Lourdvang would ever find her here.

She doubted it.

“You're awake,” a cool voice said.

A woman wearing fire-resistant armor stepped in front of Dree, her short golden hair tied back into a bun. She obviously didn't bother with the new fashions: she was a soldier, through and through. She looked at Dree like she was some sort of vermin.

“Why did you take me here?” Dree asked, her voice hoarse and croaking. She was very thirsty, and she wondered how long she'd been strapped to the hard, cold table.

“We have some questions,” the woman said, smiling. It was an unpleasant smile. “My name is Lieutenant Alva. I specialize in . . . getting answers.”

She let the threat hang in the air. Dree understood. She was a torturer.

Alva leaned in, taking Dree's chin in her hands. “What was that machine?”

“What machine?” Dree asked, meeting her gaze.

Alva dug her fingers into Dree's skin. “The one you were riding on.”

Dree felt blood running down her chin. The woman dug her nails in even deeper.

“It was a dragon,” she said tersely. “Not a machine.”

Alva smiled again. She had sparkling white teeth. Without warning, she slapped Dree across the face with the back of her hand. Dree gasped under the blow.

“Don't lie to me, girl,” she said. “I hate liars. They don't leave these caves.”

“Does the Prime Minister know you're torturing an innocent subject?”

“The Prime Minister lets us do what we must to protect Dracone,” she snarled.

Dree met her eyes. “Then why not go after those drones instead?”

Lieutenant Alva's expression flickered for just a moment—something like doubt.

“What was the machine?” she asked again, her voice low.

“It was a bat,” Dree said. “A really big one.”

Lieutenant Alva smirked and cracked her knuckles. Then the beating began.

“Is that it?” Marcus called to Lourdvang, who was flying beside Baby Hybrid.

They were high above a squat gray mountain to the immediate north of the city. Marcus could make out a large regiment of soldiers at its base, standing in front of a heavily fortified opening in the stone. Even from there it looked completely impassable.

“Yes,” Lourdvang replied, gliding in a circle like a vulture. “It was once used by the Nightwings—the ones who partnered with riders. They could stay close there.”

“Makes sense,” Marcus mused. “So how do we get in?”

Lourdvang was still scanning the mountain. Far below, Marcus could see the soldiers readying themselves. They had seen Lourdvang circling overhead and were already wheeling catapults and lances forward.

“The entrance the humans use was for the riders,” Lourdvang said. “The dragons used other entrances that were more accessible from the sky. We just have to find them.”

They circled the mountain for a while, searching desperately for another cave opening. Finally, Lourdvang spotted one. There was just one problem: it had been sealed.

“So they did find them,” Lourdvang said, as Marcus flew over to him.

Marcus examined the entrance. It had been sealed with concrete and brick, almost matching the dull gray color of the mountain. It was unguarded, of course, but it was probably two feet thick.

Lourdvang looked at him. “We'll just have to try and storm the entrance.”

“No. I think we should use this one.”

“I can't break through brick,” Lourdvang said. “Even fire will not—”

“Who said you had to do it?” Marcus asked, patting the hybrid lovingly. “Baby Hybrid, lock on the concrete wall up there with your missiles.”

He heard whirring beneath him as a missile emerged from the hybrid's body.

Marcus grinned. “Fire.”

Dree slammed into the hard stone floor of the cell, pain racing through her bruised body. Alva had been merciless:
pummelling her stomach and arms and face continually until Dree was just hanging there like a marionette. Dree was now a mess of bruises and cuts, but she still hadn't said a word about the hybrid. She knew Alva would use the information to set a trap for Marcus and Lourdvang. The government would want the weapon.

Dree slowly pushed herself into a crouch and huddled against the wall. The cell was barely ten feet by ten feet, with a bucket in the corner that smelled like fetid urine and worse. The bars were heavy iron, and the only light was from a torch down the hall.

So much for the Prime Minister's promises of a bright future and human rights and transparent government. It had sounded great to most Draconians, but they didn't know the truth. The government was using this hole to keep prisoners without a trial or even charges. They were torturing their own citizens.

She crawled over to the bars and looked down the tunnel. It was lined with cells like hers, and she thought she saw some dark shadows lurking behind the bars. If they were humans, they had been held captive far too long.

“What did you do?” a quiet female voice asked.

Dree jerked. “Who's there?”

“Your new neighbor,” the voice said sadly. “They treated you even worse than usual. What did you do?”

“Nothing,” Dree said bitterly. “I tried to help fight the drones.”

The woman laughed. “Then I understand.”

“What do you mean?”

“I've only been here for a week. It feels like a year. I was a community leader. I spoke out about the fact that the government still hadn't sent troops to find the machines. They even started landing in the city—setting up a base on the outskirts. Our soldiers still didn't attack, even when the drones were parked right within striking distance.”

“Why?” Dree asked, astounded that the drones even left themselves open to attack.

“That was my question. Meanwhile, the dragon hunters are still working.”

Dree tried to make sense of what she was hearing. “But the drones are destroying the city.”

“Parts of it, yes,” the voice said. “My neighborhood included. When I spoke up and tried to get the word to the people, they snatched me in the night. I woke up here.”

Dree leaned back again, her mind racing. Francis was beloved by everyone—he'd turned the city around and done everything he could to expand it. Why would he possibly allow it to be destroyed now? Why would he not attack the drones if they had landed?

“I don't understand it either,” the woman said. “But I don't think it's our problem anymore.”

“Maybe,” Dree whispered, thinking of Marcus and Lourdvang. “But I still—”

She was cut off by a massive boom that shook the entire mountain and raced down the tunnels like a thunderbolt. Dree immediately jumped to her feet, grabbing onto the bars
for support. Were the drones attacking?

And then a deafening roar followed the explosion—one she knew very well.

Lourdvang.

Soldiers rushed past her cell, and a few moments later, they came running back down the tunnel again, looking panicked. There were fewer than before. Suddenly the tunnel lit up with fire, and she heard loud, stomping feet rushing down the cavern.

“Dree!” Marcus called.

“Here!” she called out. “I'm down here.”

Lourdvang appeared in front of the cell, hunched down in the tunnel. His eyes flashed dangerously when he saw her, and then he tore the bars from the wall.

“Who?” he growled.

“Never mind,” Dree said. “Let's go.”

Marcus was right behind Lourdvang, riding Baby Hybrid. He had the machine guns trained down the tunnel. Dree leapt up onto Lourdvang's back and looked at the cell next to her. An older woman was huddled against the bars, watching in amazement.

“You sure you didn't do anything?” she asked, smiling.

“Stand back,” Dree ordered.

The woman did as she was told, and Lourdvang ripped her cell bars off as well. She stepped out, moving gingerly. “Thank you, dear,” she said. “I'm Ellie, by the way.”

“Hop on, Ellie,” Marcus said, and she climbed up on the hybrid. “Let's go.”

They hurried back through the cavern again, which veered up toward a jagged hole that had been blown into the side of the mountain. Baby Hybrid flew right through the opening and into the sky, and Ellie squealed with delight and fear, hugging Marcus.

Dree and Lourdvang leapt into the air after them.

“Do you want to come with us?” Marcus asked Ellie, glancing back.

“Set me down somewhere if you can,” she said. “I need to find my family.”

He nodded and found a place on the outskirts of the city to drop her off.

Ellie waved to Dree and jumped off. “Go get those drones,” she said to Marcus, meeting his eyes. “No one else is.”

As Ellie disappeared into the city, Marcus rejoined Dree and Lourdvang in the clouds. He saw soldiers pouring out of the cave prisons, but they were much too late. Marcus grinned as he flew beside Lourdvang, and then the smile immediately slipped from his face when he saw the bruises and cuts lining Dree's body.

“What did they do—”

“It's nothing,” she said, turning away. “We need to get back to see Erdath.”

“Why?”

She turned to the city.

“Because I'm not so sure that humans are the real target of the drones. There's a reason the palace is still standing. I think they are coming for the dragons next.”

Chapter
23

M
arcus and Dree stood before Erdath once again,
Lourdvang and Baby Hybrid close behind them. Dree finished relaying what Ellie had told her and outlined her suspicions that the Prime Minister and his government might not be completely innocent in the conflict. If they weren't attacking the drones, they might very well be allied with them.

“If this is true, why destroy so much of the city?” Erdath asked.

“The drones destroyed the poor districts,” Dree explained. “The outside towns and villages. They never touched the downtown core or the palace. The new Dracone is completely intact.”

Marcus looked at her, still reeling from the information. He'd been so sure that the drones were sent by his
government to wipe out everything in Dracone. The news that the Prime Minister and his cabinet might have a connection was tough to believe. But the facts were there: If the drones were landing in the city and the soldiers weren't even bothering to attack them, something nefarious was going on.

Erdath looked out over the assembled dragons, rising to his full height. “They have killed many dragons already,” he said thoughtfully. “More and more every day. Some say the Outliers have almost been purged from these mountains. Once they are done with them, they may turn to us.” He looked at Dree. “What would you have us do?”

Dree met his eyes, her body still throbbing with pain. She was covered in so many bruises that it hurt to move. But she was angry—angrier than she had ever been in her life. If the government of Dracone had a part in this, then she wanted revenge. Now.

“Nothing yet,” she said, trying to keep calm. Her hands were clenching at her sides, the fire threatening to erupt. “Marcus and I are still going to try and get the Egg. If it works, Baby Hybrid might be able to wipe out the drones herself. But if we fail, then the dragons have to be ready. You must gather your kind together—all of them—and be ready to fight. If the dragons from your clan and nearby ones join together, you may have a chance.”

Erdath shook his head. “We are not friendly with dragons of other clans. We have never fought together.”

“Well, now would be a good time to start,” Marcus said.

Erdath may have been stubborn, but he understood
what needed to be done. “Very well. I will send envoys. But I do not have much faith in their success. Regardless, our clan will be ready. Good luck in your quest.”

Marcus and Dree nodded and started for the side cavern to rest and plan for the night's attack. Dree wanted to leave immediately, but she knew they would never make it into the palace without the cover of darkness. The city was almost certainly on high alert after their attack on the prison, and they both knew it wasn't going to be easy to get to the palace regardless.

Marcus and Dree dropped onto the ground while Lourdvang nestled in the corner, curling into a ball. Baby Hybrid parked itself in the middle of the room and powered down.

“This should be fun tonight,” Marcus said, sighing.

“Yeah,” she replied, lying back and wincing. “Ow.”

“They really took it to you,” Marcus said, looking over her bruised arms. “Were they asking about the hybrid?”

“Yeah. She seemed keener on the hitting part, though.”

“Want me to get you some snow or something?”

She laughed, feeling her ribs ache. “That's all right. Some sleep would be nice.”

“Well, you can have a few hours of that,” he said. “That's it, I'm afraid. We should probably get close before sundown and then go in on foot.”

“Agreed,” Dree said. “But first, sleep.”

“First sleep,” he said, lying down beside her. “We were worried about you.”

“I was stupid,” she said. “Landing in the city.”

Marcus paused, looking at her. “I saw your house.”

“You mean the pile of rubble that was my house,” she corrected.

“Yeah. I'm . . . so sorry.”

Dree turned and looked at him, hearing the guilt in his voice.

“Listen,” she said, “this isn't your fault. The more I learn, the more I realize that there are lots of other people to blame. You came to find your dad. You meant no harm. And if the Prime Minister is involved in all of this, the drones would have gotten here one way or the other. Okay?”

“Okay,” Marcus said, surprised. “Thanks.”

Dree smiled. “Sometimes we just need to let go.”

She closed her eyes again, but she took his hand and squeezed it.

“You seem different,” he said.

“More bruised, you mean?” she asked softly.

“More wise.”

Dree glanced at him. “Maybe. But also more angry. Now get some sleep.”

She closed her eyes again and dozed off, and Marcus watched her for a moment. He lay back, staring up at the stalactites that loomed threateningly over his head. He kept his hand in hers, appreciating the warmth. He fell asleep wondering about George Brimley and where he fit into all this.

Marcus and Dree sat together on Baby Hybrid, his hands wrapped around her waist once more. Dree had her pack, containing a welding torch and small fuel tank to power it, wrapped over her shoulders. She had come up with the plan a few hours earlier: She had once seen sewer and water systems running into the side of the palace, protected by iron grates that stopped anyone from following them. But with her torch, she might just be able to weaken the steel enough to open the grates and get inside. It was risky, but it was the only way.

Lourdvang was watching in disapproval—Dree had told him he couldn't come. It would be quieter on the hybrid and less dangerous if it needed to come to their rescue. And if dragons were the real target of the drones, then Lourdvang didn't need to be sitting out in the open waiting for them.

“I still think it would be better to have me nearby—” he grumbled.

“They are right,” Erdath cut in, standing beside him on the ledge. “It's better this way.”

Lourdvang glared at Erdath but didn't argue.

Erdath turned to Dree. “If you get the Egg, you will know what to do. I will prepare our forces here. Either way, we should be ready for battle in a few days.”

Dree nodded. “Thank you. Lourdvang—stop looking at me like that.”

“No,” Lourdvang said, pouting. “This is too dangerous.”

“It's all too dangerous,” Dree replied sadly. “We have no choice.”

“I would come at the city from the north,” Erdath said. “The tall mountains there block the horizon. You will have to cross the Gully, and you can even use it to get close to the city without being seen by man or drone. That is the path I would take.”

“The Gully?” Marcus asked.

Dree smiled. “You'll know it when you see it. Baby Hybrid, fly.”

The hybrid shot upward, and Dree waved down at Lourdvang, feeling guilty. She didn't want to leave him here, but it was much safer for him to stay. She knew he felt like she was replacing him with the hybrid, but she was just more willing to risk the hybrid than her little brother. She hoped he understood that.

“I wish we had some weapons,” Dree mused.

Marcus glanced at her. “Do you know how to use a sword?”

She snorted. “I made them for three years. Do you?”

“Only in video games.” He noticed Dree's confused look. “Never mind.”

They flew north over the mountains, the setting sun glowing on the western horizon, cresting the peaks with gold. It was a calm night, and the few clouds that dotted the sky seemed to hang there like orange blossoms. Bird calls filled the air.

“It's a beautiful land,” Marcus commented.

“It is,” Dree agreed. “My people forgot about that. They just saw resources to be stolen.”

“They aren't alone in that,” Marcus replied, thinking of his home.

They flew for about fifteen minutes when Marcus suddenly looked down and gasped. Dree had said he would know the Gully when he saw it, and she was definitely right.

It was a canyon, but it was more spectacular than anything he had ever seen. Jack had taken him to the Grand Canyon when he was younger, and he had stared out in absolute wonder. The Gully made the Grand Canyon look like a crack in the sidewalk. It was at least ten times larger, stretching many miles across and probably five miles deep, splitting the mountain range in two. A river ran far below, looking tiny in the distance. The canyon walls were steep and jagged and pockmarked with endless nooks and ledges, like a honeycomb. It was a staggering thing to behold, and Marcus just stared at it, speechless.

“I told you,” Dree said. “I remember when Lourdvang first took me here.”

“It's so . . . big.”

She laughed. “Yeah. That river down there is huge, if you can believe it.”

“I can't,” Marcus said. “Let's check it out—”

He stopped as something caught his eye. There, approaching rapidly from the city, were two Trackers, followed by a white Destroyer. They were speeding toward them in an arrow point. “Uh-oh.”

Dree saw them immediately. “Baby Hybrid . . . dive!”

The hybrid instantly dove into the canyon, falling beneath the surface and streaking down the mile-high walls toward the river. The sand-hued rock sped past in a blur, and Dree and Marcus held on tightly as they plummeted downward.

“Baby Hybrid, straighten out,” Dree ordered, leveling them off.

Marcus looked up and saw the three drones drop into the canyon overhead.

“We still have company.”

“Go!” Dree ordered, and Baby Hybrid leapt forward, racing through the canyon.

The drones weren't taking any chances this time. They opened fire.

Marcus shouted in terror as bullets erupted into the river and shoreline behind them, the sound echoing through the canyon. Baby Hybrid shot forward at full speed, right over the turbulent river that crashed against the rocks in massive white-water swells that were at least ten feet high. Baby Hybrid weaved around one, avoiding the violent wave.

Marcus looked back and saw the drones falling behind—the hybrid was faster.

“I think we're losing them—”

The words were barely out of his mouth when two more Trackers dropped into the canyon in front of them, moving fast. They opened fire, and the river erupted with twin streams of machine gun fire that raced toward Baby Hybrid.

“Hold on!” Dree screamed. “Baby Hybrid . . . barrel roll!”

The hybrid launched into a desperate spin, climbing at the same time. The wings had to adjust just slightly to create the needed torque, but it was even more jarring than Lourdvang's barrel roll. Marcus barely held on, his fingers slipping against one another.

“Fire!” Dree shouted.

Baby Hybrid opened fire, scattering the drones and blowing part of the sheer canyon wall to rubble. They kept climbing for the surface, but the drones turned quickly, joining the other three. Marcus wondered how there could be more of them. He realized that the portal must have remained open—which meant there could be an endless number of drones arriving in Dracone if they didn't close it soon.

All five drones were firing now, and Dree had Baby Hybrid dancing across the sky, spinning and diving and twisting to avoid the constant barrage. They were just starting to pull away again when they saw two more drones approaching from the city.

“We're in trouble,” Dree said.

Baby Hybrid veered left, avoiding another machine gun barrage, and just as the five drones were closing in, Marcus heard a terrible noise rise up from beneath them. Dree and Marcus both peered over the edge of the hybrid, and Dree's eyes widened.

“It can't be,” she whispered.

There, streaming out of the canyon walls, were at least thirty golden dragons, glimmering in the dying
light.