Collateral

This wicked adventure is all meant for Patrick. Yet the whole world just doesn't sit in expectation. Patrick will discover how stories born from other stories.

Collateral

 

Suddenly I felt a slap on the face that brought me from unconsciousness. I saw this lady in front of me; cute and, as her eyes told me, confident. She had dark hair and blue eyes… what a combination. She was wearing a white Tank Top and a pair of jeans. She neared a bottle of water to my mouth and helped me drink from it. The water was so good and refreshing; too bad she only allowed me to take just one mouthful. When she pulled the bottle away from me, I pushed myself up to get more. She stopped me with her other hand and said…

 

-Slowly… You are too dehydrated; I’ll give you more in a couple of minutes.

 

I was so weak I couldn’t push any further. I let myself fall back and landed somewhere soft. I was shirtless and wearing a pair of pants that wasn’t mine. I looked at my body and saw the new set of scars… lacerations, stabs, dragon bites. I noticed my hands were healed and I wasn’t tied, which intrigued me to know where I was. I was on a bed inside a wooden room, and the lady was sitting on a chair next to the bed. There was a TV on a piece of furniture in front of the bed. To one side was the closet, and to the other, behind the lady, was another piece of furniture with a complete audio system on it.

 

Ignoring the room’s owner’s style, I said the two words I thought I would never say to someone…

 

-Thank you.

 

Then the lady answered…

 

-Thank my little brother. At the moment he saw you arriving on a dragon’s back, he gave you water and healed you.

 

-Where am I?

 

-Far to Miami’s south-west. One must travel a long way to get here, even on a dragon.

 

-Furia, my dragon, have you seen her?

 

-No.

 

-Who are you?

 

She gave me more water and said…

 

-Ashley Menendez. I live here with my older brother Jose, and my younger brother Tony. What happened?

 

-I don’t know how to say it.

 

-Well, you could start from the beginning. I’ll be here the whole afternoon anyway.

 

-Last thing I remember was a brown dragon that rescued me.

 

-That was just an hour ago. Is it all that you remember?

 

-I remember everything; I just wanted to thank that dragon.

 

-He’s a rider-less dragon and is outside; my brother Tony is cleaning him from your blood… among other things you stained his back with. Don’t worry, I understand… hurt hands…

 

-Who do these pants I am wearing belong to?

 

-To my big brother, the same the room. I burned yours, cleaned you and brought you here.

 

-I don’t remember any of that. But thanks…

 

-I wouldn’t expect you to, you were barely conscious. If you hadn’t been rescued when you were, you wouldn’t have made it. Now tell me how you got that hurt. And on top of all… how did you lost your dragon?

 

-I am going to start from the very beginning…

 

Ashley’s expressions flowed along with the story. Intrigue, by how everything started with a call, the investigation and its results. Amazement towards the revelations the Russian made. Horror, by the kidnapping and the torture I endured. Complete surprise when it happened that the non-rider massacre wasn’t my work. She interrupted me and said…

 

-Wait, wait… Are you saying that the non-rider raids are everything but true?

 

-Yes.

 

-What are you planning to do about this then?

 

-Reveal everything and clean mine and Furia’s name.

 

-So everything is going to be back to normal, huh?

 

Her questions began to attract my attention. It was as if she didn’t care about the story anymore. Only the non-rider campaign seemed to matter. It got into my nerves how she might be taking this conversation. Then she said it…

 

-What if I told you there is a bunch of people that is actually being benefited by the campaign; and that their satisfaction could mean to you an unimaginable amount of money?

 

This is not good; I must get out of here right now. They won’t be happy with me going around jeopardizing their interests. I reached for my energy and sharpened my nerves, while keeping a cool display of myself.

 

-Though it sounds tempting; I have already been hunted. And be it a secret organization or the actual U.S. government who’s hunting me, I am not going through that again.

 

-I see.

 

Ashley then attempted to stand up from her chair, but my nerves took action. While generating a dagger with my right hand; lowly and with a tough tone, I said with expressed fierceness on my face…

 

-Don’t you stand!

 

Ashley slowly sat again, looking at me with widened eyes.

 

-Calm down, Patrick. If you kill me…

 

-I don’t plan to. But I swear I will if you try something stupid! You are in pro to this campaign and I am trying to tame it. It doesn’t take a brilliant person to know you’ll either kill me or keep me from succeeding. I can kill you even right now and get out clean, but I can’t afford making more enemies than which I already have, I won’t hurt you. Do you understand?

 

-Ok… ok…

 

I generated a staff with my left hand and used it to support myself while slowly getting off the bed. When I was completely standing, I motioned at her with my right hand, still holding the dagger, and said…

 

-Guide me outside… I’ll go behind you.

 

Ashley slowly stood from the chair and headed towards the door, followed by me. We walked downstairs and arrived to the main floor. The house was pretty simple and rustic; it remembered me a lot from the houses in the Bermuda Triangle. But the only thing that caught my attention was the young male teenager that turned off a TV and looked at me with frowned eyes while standing up from the sofa he was lying on.

 

-It’s ok, Tony…   -Said Ashley…

 

The boy’s stance was menacing. I told him…

 

-I mean no harm to your sister; she’s just helping me getting out. Thank you for healing me. I just want to leave.

 

The little buddy nodded at me as Ashley and I approached the main entrance. She unlocked the door and then we both went out. There were many dragons around, resting under the trees, protecting themselves from the striking afternoon sun. None of them had a collar. An idea crossed my mind, which altered me a bit.

 

-What are you doing with these dragons?

 

-They just roam and hunt in these parts, I swear. My brother manages the cattle around to keep ‘em close.

 

-Why does he want dragons around?

 

-You want to get out of here or you want to fraternize?

 

-Just find me a dragon that knows how to hang out in Miami.

 

-I don’t know them that well. I actually don’t know a thing about dragons.

 

-How about Tony?

 

-He’s an amazing rider.

 

A Rider!!!   I instantly tensed up, suddenly looking at every direction. It was a bright afternoon; if there was a hostile dragon around, I would probably see it. But the thing was that I didn’t have the strength to take a dragon in combat. And just when I thought myself in a mess, the dragon came from behind the house and neared us, having me in between Ashley and her. The dragon had a dark gray base color and black strips. This was the second two colored dragon I got to see; they were rare.

 

The dragon was showing her fangs and slowly closing in. I saw Tony walking out from behind the dragon and generated a couple of blades, one with each hand. Ashley then turned to me and said…

 

-Let’s just go back into the house, shall we? Without making a scene.

 

Outnumbered and without a way out… If I was going to go down, I was going to go down fighting.

 

I threw my blade at Ashley, but failed as she blocked it with a Vital Energy shield. Tony then threw his blades at me and I blocked them while throwing the staff at the dragon. Then my body failed to follow my mind. I turned as fast as I could to deal with Ashley’s next attack, but she was faster than me and threw a dagger at my right thigh that I was unable to block.

 

The blade went all the way through my thigh; it went in by the back and a few inches of the blade went out by the front, then the blade disappeared. I collapsed to the ground and tried to throw more blades, but those weren’t coordinated throws. Ashley and Tony blocked the ones that were actually going to hit them and quickly overwhelmed me. Ashley put a blade at my throat and said…

 

-You aren’t going anywhere until Jose sees you. See ya later…

 

Ashley swung a Vital Energy baton at my face and everything went to darkness.

 

Everything and everywhere was dark when I regained consciousness. My leg didn’t hurt; I guess they healed me to prevent me from bleeding out. Something was around my head, it might be a bag and the reason everything was dark. I tried to scream, but something didn’t allow me to open my mouth. My respiration and heartbeat began to accelerate as I tried to move my body, but my hands were tied at my back and feet as well. My hands were forced into fists, so I couldn’t generate anything. I was lying on the floor, on my side, trying to free myself. But all I managed to accomplish was to look like a crazy worm… Why is this happening to me!? Is this some kind of sick joke!? My temper began to die gradually until I found myself sobbing; hitting my head on the floor with frustration.

 

Suddenly I heard a blurred voice, like coming from another room. It was a male, strong voice... and it was pretty joyful.

 

-Menendez brothers! Gather up! Look at what I brought!

 

The next voice was a male one too, but not as strong as the first one. Probably Tony’s…

 

-Wow! That’s a shitload of money, Jose! Is that the payment for the target you went hunting?

 

-Nope, that is yet to come. The greedy b*****d wanted to escape while carrying this on his back. I put a blade right in the back of his head and snatched this bag from the body.

 

Then Ashley’s voice appeared… which triggered a burst of rage in my mind.

 

-Looks like we all had an interesting day.

 

I won’t leave this place until I f*****g kill you!! You f*****g b***h!! And your stupid brother Tony too!!! And the other one if he dares move a finger against me!!

 

-What made yours interesting, sis?

 

-Come.

 

The footsteps began to be heard, and gradually became stronger. A door was opened and then Jose said…

 

-Ah… you guys kidnaped someone, that’s interesting. I wonder who might be…

 

Then I felt my head being uncovered. My eyes were struck by the light and I couldn’t identify this new person, but his words and emotions were crystal clear.

 

-Who the f… Oh S**t!!... (Jose turned to Ashley, who was beside him, and yelled at her; almost braking into panic) Did you just kidnap Patrick Darst!? Did you just kidnap Patr…

 

-Yes, I did! Just as you wanted…

 

-I said that I wanted to MEET him!! No one asked you to f*****g kidnap him!

 

-What else could I do? Wait for him to leave and stop the non-rider raid?

 

-I told you that’s what I wanted to meet him for! To know what was he going to do about that! If he gave you his answer, why the f**k did you kidnap him!?

 

-What? You weren’t going to…

 

-Force him? Convince him? Of course not!!

 

-But he’s going against our plans!!

 

-The CLIENT’s plans! Not ours! Our plans were to obtain an answer from Patrick Darst! Not making him our enemy! Do you have any idea of the people that backs him up? The whole L&SDO!? The f*****g Pope!? He is the one person in the world we can’t afford to have as an enemy and you f*****g kidnap him!? Listen to what you are going to do… You’ll take the vehicle and (Ashley tried to say something) Shut up! Take Tony and drive away, I don’t care how far and I don’t care for how long…

 

-What are you…

 

-Shut the f**k up and listen!! Leave your cellphones here, so you are completely untraceable, even for me. Was Shady involved?

 

-Yes.

 

-Then take her away too… and along with some cash. Take the bag I just brought.

 

Ashley was still shocked when she nodded and walked away while calling for Tony. Meanwhile, I eventually got so intrigued by the discussion that I had calmed down pretty much by the time it ended. Then Jose proceeded to rip off the tape on my mouth and stayed crouched.

 

-What do you want from me?     -I said looking straight into Jose’s eyes.

 

-I have to apologize for my brothers. Look… I’ll wait for them to leave, and then I’ll free you, alright? We’ll talk… man to man, rider to rider… we may even have a beer… what do you think?

 

-Water… bring me some water.

 

-Alright.

 

Jose then stood up and went away for a minute. He then came back with a bottle of water and crouched again. He shook the water and signaled the cap while saying…

 

-Look, no punctures, and the cap hasn’t been opened. It’s pure.

 

Jose opened the bottle and slowly poured the water in my mouth. In a couple of minutes, the bottle was empty and he went away one more time to check if his brothers were gone. When he came back, he carried a t-shirt and said…

 

-Alright, it’s time.

 

Jose then generated a blade and cut the rope on my feet first, and then he slowly cut the one tying my hands. He helped me stand up while saying…

 

-I can bet my dragon you have a lot of questions about this; is it a winning bet?

 

-Who are you?

 

-Let’s go to the living room, it’s fresher there…

 

While we headed towards the so called living room, I put on the shirt. Jose made a quick stop in the kitchen and handed me another bottle of water. He began to prepare himself a drink while saying…

 

-My name is Jose Ricardo Menendez. My sister and I are Guns for Hire. Tony preferred to go to school and just happens to live here. I train him anyway, so he never gets to be a victim.

 

-Let’s talk about what you wanted to talk with me.

 

He finished preparing his drink and we headed to the living room. Jose was a tall man, pretty fit and strong. He was wearing black Jeans and a grey shirt, a pair of black military boots, a bandana around his neck and a dark blue hoody with white dragon wings delineated on the back. His dark hair fell to his neck and he had a fully grown beard. Plus, he had one curious characteristic… one of his eyes was blue, and the other one was green.

 

Each of us sat on a corner of the couch.

 

-The thing is, Rider Patrick Darst, that…

 

I interrupted him and, with rage, but without raising my voice I said…

 

-Just call me Patrick; I am tired of the f*****g praising. You know why I am here? (Jose kept silent, just looking at me with attention.) Because the police wanted ME to take care of the issue… there was a whole organization up to the challenge and they had to hand it to ME because I born in their world, I was traceable, under their grasp, they wanted someone to blame in the case everything went to hell. (I laughed ironically and had a drink from the bottle of water. My tone began to raise gradually as I got more and more enraged) and it did! Because it happens that everything was a plan from this guy who lost his dragon in the Battle of the Bermuda Triangle, and now he seeks revenge from ME because he thinks I am the responsible for it! Just for being the f*****g first Rider! (I sighed to calm down, and then I said…) just call me Patrick… I am not even a rider right now.

 

Jose almost choked with his drink and coughed, then he exclaimed…

 

-Furia is dead?

 

-No, but she is not with me. She abandoned me… See, when I was…

 

Then I told him a quick version of the events from the day I “disappeared” and missed the reunion with the White House representatives to the moment Ashley defeated me with Tony and Shady.

 

-S**t, I wish I was the one to welcome you. Since when are you here?

 

I looked outside and it was dark. Then I answered…

 

-I think it was today’s noon that I arrived here… if I only passed the evening unconscious…

 

-You’ve been having it rough big time. I hope you find that f****r. I would offer you some help, but that guy is completely out of my reaches. Although, I can let you stay until you are completely recovered, and also I can get you back to Miami.

 

-Thanks… Now tell me about what you wanted to tell me.

 

-Well, if you so badly want to know… The client I mentioned is a Drug Lord; he was interested in the non-rider raids because of dragon’s good influence to the environment. The fear that guy generated is making people to desperately look for their dragon eggs, which will, in a few months, increase the dragon population too quickly for the already existing farms to handle. He wanted to know what you were going to do about this because if you’d let it continue after a little negotiation, he would make a dragon sanctuary near his material, so it gets better and better. But now that I know you are going to stop it, there is no need to include you any further. Eventually everyone will find their dragons sooner or later, but why waste an opportunity like this one to accelerate the process?

 

-You said it like your client already knew it wasn’t me the one behind the raids… And won’t it be dangerous for you having me around knowing about your business and your client’s?

 

Jose laughed lightly and said…

 

-Don’t worry Patrick; it’s all a piece of cake…

 

-Piece of cake?

 

-Yup… Let me first fix us something to eat.

 

Jose stood up, took the empty bottle and headed to the kitchen… leaving me alone in the living room, admiring a cabinet that was filled with trophies from shooting and fighting competitions. Meanwhile, I thought…

 

Is he being genuinely friendly or is it just a second face? Either way, it is true how he cares for his brothers. If I am such a threat for them, then it won’t matter how many faces he makes up. If he knows what’s good for him and his brothers, he’ll mean no harm to me.

 

Jose arrived, handed me a plate served with mashed potatoes and fried cheese, sat on the couch and said, stabbing his own food with his fork…

 

-Alright, where was I…

 

-The cake…

 

-The cake, yes… Question: ¿Why scheduling a meeting with the White House right when you were going to start a civil war? You don’t schedule something you already know will miss. It doesn’t make sense. And if it was in order to make a decoy, in which case it would have been a good idea, you don’t make your name public afterwards! And in the case you just wanted to declare a civil war… and spit in the U.S. government’s face at the same time, you would have first recruited some people, not just two idiots. You either lost your head or had a Death Wish… both of them as unlikely as the other one.

 

-And what about the questionable information you just revealed to me about you and your client?

 

-¡Piece of cake too! Nor my client or I mean a crap to the L&SDO as long as we don’t hurt dragons. Plus, the U.S. government wouldn’t let the L&SDO take action because it’s not within their jurisdiction. If the government let the L&SDO take action against the drug lords, the L&SDO would succeed. The L&SDO has no boundaries; there was this guy who killed an innocent dragon in answer to the non-rider raids and an L&SDO member executed him publicly. There was this other crazy fan that was a rider and started killing non-riders and the L&SDO killed him too. The L&SDO knows no middle points because that’s how they operate, search and destroy, like in the old days before you and Furia appeared…

 

-Don’t even mention it.

 

-If the L&SDO comes and solves a problem that no one in the U.S. government knows how to deal with, no one would take the government seriously anymore, because it would be awfully shadowed by the L&SDO. If that happens, the system would lose power and slowly the L&SDO would take over the United States. And that would apply to any topic the U.S. deals with.

 

-The system works, then.

 

Jose laughed, then exclaimed…

 

-Yeah right it works! For us corrupts and powerful criminals it does! (He laughed more).

 

I lowered my head and looked at what was left of my food. Then Jose stopped laughing and said…

 

-It’s a funny world we live in, huh? You look like you awfully need a good sleep.

 

-Not yet… Are you subscribed to The Daily Dragon Rider?

 

The Daily Dragon Rider was a newspaper directed by Francesco Silvestro’s son, Alessio Silvestro, where all the news related to dragons was published.

 

-I have a web subscription. Why?

 

-I have to catch up with the actual events.

 

-Alright, wait here.

 

Jose then walked away and came back with a laptop. He put it on the table in front of the sofa, and then he said…

 

-Search as you like until the battery dies, I am going to turn off the power plant.

 

Jose went outside and suddenly the house went shut, except from the light the laptop’s screen produced. When Jose came inside, he was holding a candle. He put the candle on the table and inserted the password to enter his account. Jose then said…

 

-And there you go. You can sleep on the couch when you are done; need a blanket?

 

-No, thanks…

 

-Alright… call out if you need anything.

 

I nodded and saw him walking away in the dark; then I went to the date search section of the page and went back two months ago. I read the headlines of the articles before advancing to the next day.

 

Rider Patrick Darst disappears along with his dragon Furia; missing the reunion with the White House… the scores for the races, David Bowman and his dragon Icy are the winners of this season… The non-rider raids start… My name is given away; just as I suspected… confusion and chaos… More and more rider-less dragons appear in the sanctuaries… the L&SDO is controlling the situation… The L&SDO makes itself responsible for my actions and has started the investigation that will lead to my… Apprehension… Just like in the old days, isn’t it, Francesco? Simple Math, Francesco… it is simple math. You know I am not the responsible one; I am counting on you… you and the others… Well, what else…scroll, scroll… and today… it’s been weeks since the last non-rider raid… there is no track from Patrick Darst nor from Furia, but the L&SDO won’t stop the efforts until finally find them.

 

I shut down the laptop, blew the candle off, and laid on the sofa to finally sleep. Slowly I felt my mind drifting away while my consciousness gradually died.