Dragon Gate Read online

  “Where I name animals? Sure.”

  “Want to give that a shot right now?”

  “I want to see Dana.”

  She nodded. “Of course. Can we do this first? Then the doctors can leave and you can talk to Dana.”

  “Fine.”

  “Name as many animals as you can in sixty seconds starting now.”

  “Dog, cat, raccoon, lion, tiger, bear, coyote, squirrel, elephant, seal, giraffe, antelope, deer, fox, aardvark, armadillo, leopard, rhinoceros, rabbit, pig, cow, horse, zebra, hippopotamus, monkey, wolf . . .”

  And he went on without delay for the full minute. Hell, I wasn’t sure I could have named as many in that time period.

  Sherri smiled at him. “Outstanding. Thank you. I’ll go get Dana for you.”

  “I appreciate it. Thanks, Sherri.”

  She rose, squeezed between a few of the doctors, and left the room.

  Graham faced the doctors, who talked over one another so fast that Graham held up his hands. “I’ll answer all your questions, but we’ll need to leave the room.”

  “That was one pill, and it happened that fast?” one doctor asked.

  “It’s a higher dose than we’d use on a regular patient, so it worked faster than normal, but I’ll cover all of this momentarily. If you’ll all go to the waiting area, I’ll be right with you.”

  Nobody wanted to leave, so Kelly stepped in and started guiding the first few doctors toward the door. “Waiting room. Now. Mr. Farmer deserves some time with his wife.”

  They hesitantly left the room, casting glances back at the patient as they filed out.

  As soon as they were gone, I grabbed Graham and spun him around. “What the fuck is that thing? And how did it get there?” I pointed at the curtain.

  The curtain parted and the thing stepped out, but now it looked perfectly human.

  “That thing is my uncle. Lucas, meet Jonathan Shade.”

  “Hello, Lucas,” Mr. Farmer said. He clearly recognized him.

  “Hi, Carl. How’s your head?”

  “Feels better now, thanks.”

  Lucas stood six foot four and looked like he ate trains for breakfast. No, make that brains for breakfast. I wondered how the hell he’d even fit into that cabinet.

  “You’re with DGI?” Lucas asked.

  “No.”

  “DGI hired him. He’s independent,” Graham said. “Can you explain the situation to him? I have to finish talking with the doctors.”

  “I’m going with you,” Kelly said, though she tossed me a look that told me she wanted an update as soon as possible.

  “Of course,” Graham said.

  As they left, an old woman entered the room. “Carl,” she said. “It’s so nice to see you.”

  “Dana! Come here.”

  Lucas glanced at them then nodded toward the curtain covering the sliding glass door. “Let’s take this outside.”

  “Let’s,” I said.

  “I smell a fight brewing,” Brand said.

  “We’re not going to fight,” Lucas said as he pulled the curtains aside. He opened the door and stepped into the great outdoors.

  Brand, Rayna, and I followed, leaving Carl and Dana to catch up.

  I closed the door behind us and made sure Rayna was safely between Brand and me before I faced Lucas.

  “Let me start by telling you I entered the room through the cabinet. It’s a false facing, as you may have surmised. We have a hidden hallway behind the Alzheimer’s rooms.”

  “I figured,” I said, even though I hadn’t. “So what the hell are you?”

  “He’s my uncle. He’s a good man,” Rayna said.

  “Bullshit.” I jammed a finger into Lucas’s chest. “You were eating Carl’s brain!”

  “What the fuck?” Brand said.

  “Exactly,” I said.

  “It’s not like that,” Lucas said.

  “Spill it.”

  He sighed. “I wasn’t eating his brain. I was eating the Lewy bodies that invaded his brain. They block his ability to think, and we can feed on that.”

  “That’s disgusting,” Brand said.

  “It allows our Alzheimer’s patients to communicate clearly with their families before they pass away. It gives the families closure. There are no drawbacks here.”

  “No drawbacks? Your tongue was inside that man’s brain!”

  “Removing the disease.”

  “At what cost?”

  “In case you hadn’t noticed, he’s dying. He gets breathing treatments every thirty minutes or he can’t draw enough breath to survive. He’s got two, maybe three days left. I’m helping him and his family. You think he could be talking to Dana right now without my help?”

  “But feeding on their disease?”

  “We only do that with terminal patients. That’s why we’re gearing up for the clinical trials on Didracomine. We’re covering all the costs ourselves, and Graham is going to offer some of the doctors a nice salary to help with the pilot program. Obviously we can’t be there to handle each patient ourselves, so we’re trying to isolate the chemical balance and distill it into a medication. If we can get the mixture right, those pills could save countless lives.”

  “How?”

  “If we can reverse the effects of—”

  “Yeah, yeah, but how? What’s the secret ingredient in that pill?”

  “Our saliva.”

  “That’s nasty,” Brand said.

  “So I ask again, what are you?”

  “We’re mostly human,” Lucas said. “Our ancestors went through the gates with the dragons a thousand years ago. We had to adapt to our new world.”

  “New world?” Brand asked.

  “The gates lead to an alternate dimension.”

  “Dragons?” Brand asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Real dragons?”

  “Of course.”

  “They exist?”

  “Only a handful remain.”

  “I don’t give a shit about dragons,” I said. “You can’t go around eating people’s brains. Especially when they’re still alive!”

  “They sign a release.”

  “That doesn’t make it right.”

  “You’d prefer they spend their last remaining days in a state of dementia? Unable to communicate with their families?”

  “It’s wrong.”

  “You’re having an emotional reaction,” Rayna said. “What if it was simply taking a pill? Would that be different?”

  I hesitated. “Yeah, I think I’d see it differently then.”

  Rayna nodded. “That’s what we’re trying to develop here.”

  “What do you think?” Lucas asked, looking at Brand.

  “Hey,” Brand said. “Whatever tickles your pickle.”

  I turned to Brand. “It doesn’t bother you?”

  “Nope. Like they said, it’s helping people. They’re gonna die anyway. Where’s the harm beyond it grossing you out?”

  Was it that simple? Did it bother me only because it looked so disgusting? I’d have to think about that. I glanced at Rayna and found myself wondering if she was a creature like her uncle, forked tongue and the whole nine. I couldn’t picture it. She seemed normal. Then again, Lucas seemed normal right now too.

  “I realize I caught you off guard,” Lucas said.

  I didn’t say anything. I just stared at him, thinking about the pus dripping from his lips, remembering his tongue darting into Mr. Farmer’s brain.

  Brand slapped me on the back. “Dude, you’ve seen weirder shit than that, haven’t you? Come on, man. Chinese people eat scorpions and other bugs like candy on a stick. So this guy likes to slurp up tendril things from sick people’s brains. What’s the big deal?”

  I shook my head. “It doesn’t feel right.”

  “I’m not saying I want to join them for dinner,” Brand said, “but you don’t see me eating scorpions either. I’d much rather order a pizza and some beer. But to each his or her own.” He gave Rayna a
nod as he spoke.

  Brand kept on about the whole thing, trying to get me to see that it wasn’t anything to be freaked out about, but I couldn’t shake the image of Lucas feeding. I felt a sudden shiver and started for the door.

  Rayna touched my shoulder. “Let’s give Carl and Dana a little more time.”

  I nodded but couldn’t bring myself to look at Rayna at that moment. She wasn’t quite human, and I wasn’t sure how I felt about that.

  Brand nudged Lucas. “Hey, man. You gotta tell me. What’s it taste like?”

  CHAPTER TEN

  JONATHAN SHADE

  After the doctors left the hospice, Kelly and Graham rejoined us in a vacant room. Lucas sat, tapping his foot. Rayna had been silent. Brand seemed to be dozing, but I knew it was an act.

  When Graham entered, he strode up to me, glaring. “You could have ruined my presentation.”

  “You recovered.”

  “Yes, I did. We have an important contribution to make to medical science, and I refuse to let an imbecile like you compromise that. I want you gone.”

  I pointed at Lucas. “Your uncle is quite the oddball. Are you like him? Do you feed on brains like a starved zombie?”

  “We need this room for a patient in about twenty minutes. I’m done answering questions for you, and I don’t want you to protect us. Your partner can stay, but you need to get the hell out of here.”

  “We’re a package deal,” Kelly said. “You send Jonathan away, Brand and I leave too. That happens, and you’re dead inside of twenty-four hours.”

  “That whole being dead thing might stop you from making those contributions to medical science,” I said.

  Graham nodded. “Perhaps that would be best.”

  “You don’t mean that,” Rayna said.

  “Stay out of this.”

  “It’s my life too.”

  Lucas rose from his chair. “Do I have any say in the matter? I am family, after all.”

  “You’re the reason we’re in this mess,” Graham said.

  “Guilty,” Lucas said. “But you didn’t raise any objections.”

  “I didn’t see that we had a choice.”

  “We always have choices.” Lucas turned toward me. “Are you here simply to protect Graham and Rayna, or do your services extend to me and the rest of my family as well?”

  “We were hired to take care of Graham and Rayna.”

  “I see. Was this something Stephen set up?”

  “Yes.”

  “If some of my children agree to stay at Graham’s, can you at least see to their safety while they’re there?”

  I hesitated. I’m not proud of that hesitation, but after a moment, I said, “If I’m still on the job, sure, as long as you know where our priorities lie. We don’t have the manpower to do this the way I’d like.”

  “You’re still on the job,” Lucas said. “Graham might be impulsive, but he’s not a complete dumbshit. He does value his life.”

  “I don’t like him,” Graham said pointing at me.

  Kelly laughed. “I don’t think he’s particularly fond of you either, but that’s not a requirement for protective duty.”

  “He can guard Rayna when she’s alone. I don’t want him around me. Is that clear?”

  “I thought we already had something like that arranged,” I said.

  “You don’t understand,” Graham said. “I don’t want you around me at all. That means that when Rayna and I are together, you stay behind. Kelly and Brand will look out for us in those situations. You’re too likely to mess everything up like you nearly did this morning.”

  “I saw movement so I checked it out. If I hadn’t done it, Kelly or Brand would have.”

  “They didn’t even notice,” Graham said.

  “Bullshit,” Brand said. “We all noticed. Jonathan was closest, so we let him investigate. He is the private investigator, after all.”

  “That’s right,” Kelly said. “I didn’t hear the door open, but I did see the curtains move. Since Jonathan took the initiative, I didn’t bother.”

  “Whatever,” Graham said. “I need to go to The Steam Room. Kelly, you can accompany me. Shade, you take Rayna home. Lucas, if your kids want to come over, that’s fine. Your entire family is always welcome.”

  “Thanks. I’ll send the kids over tonight. If I know Thomas, he’ll want to save me for last, but if he can’t get to you or Rayna, he may come for my wife and kids sooner. Before you go, how did the doctors react?”

  “We have three who will definitely sign on. I suspect a few more will come around when it sinks in that we’re providing a state-of-the-art research facility and a hefty salary. Two passed because they don’t have time. Most are going to get back to me next week. I think we’re set.”

  They kept talking but I stopped paying attention. Instead, I thought about all these not-quite people being around. That primal prejudice was tinged with a note of fear, but I tried to keep it buried. I didn’t want to be that guy.

  Still, I wondered if I should pick up a football helmet to wear when I slept. I didn’t want anyone trying to eat my brains.

  KELLY CHAN

  “Your friend has issues,” Graham told me as we rode in his limo. We were on our way to The Steam Room, the fitness center he and Rayna ran.

  “Jonathan has a lifetime subscription,” I said, “but he’s the best man I’ve ever known.”

  “Why are you with him?”

  “Say what you will about him, but he saved my life and helped me become the person I am today. I don’t care if you like him. Just know this: Rayna will be safe with him.”

  “He would sacrifice his life for her?”

  “He will protect her,” I said. I didn’t want to tell him that Jonathan wouldn’t sacrifice himself for her. That wouldn’t do her any good. If he died, whoever killed him would then kill Rayna. To protect someone, you have to be alive. You’d think that would be common sense and obvious to everyone, but people rarely seem to see things like that clearly.

  The driver pulled into a shopping center and dropped us off at the front entrance to The Steam Room. I got out of the car and scanned the people in sight for any danger. My eyes swept the rooftops and the parking lot. All clear. I escorted Graham to the door.

  Posters of men with flexed muscles and glistening bodies plastered the windows. The posters of the women were less muscled, but definitely the athletic type with the sultry eyes that Jonathan always went for. The slogans read, No Pain, Still Gain, and Let Off a Little Steam.

  I pointed at them. “Cute.”

  “They’re also true,” Graham said.

  I entered the center before him and saw no threats. I allowed him to follow me inside.

  “Shall I take you to your office?”

  “I’m safe in here.”

  The temperature hovered in the nineties. The inside was huge with various body-sculpting machines arranged in rows. Over each workout station, a misty steam drizzled down on the people exercising.

  I gave Graham a grin. “Take a shower while you work out?”

  “Not exactly. We have a particular blend of chemicals in the steam. All harmless, I assure you. In any case, the chemicals ease the lactic acid, so people don’t hurt from the workout and they don’t pay the price a few days later. They can work out as often as they like. We do limit people to an hour a day, though. You should try it.”

  “I don’t feel pain.”

  “You’re also in incredible physical condition.”

  “Always.”

  We moved through the heated room toward his office.

  “Why so hot?” I asked.

  “Helps people sweat out toxins.”

  I looked at the people as we passed. They all worked hard. They all looked almost euphoric. I was probably the only person in the building who would welcome a bit of pain. I figured there were no masochists present. I hadn’t felt any physical pain since I was eight years old. You wouldn’t think you’d miss it, but pain reminds you that you’r
e alive.

  When we entered Graham’s office, I felt like we’d stepped into a blast furnace.

  “Your heating bill must be enormous,” I said, thinking Jonathan would have had a great joke about it. Well, the old Jonathan would have. The new Jonathan probably wouldn’t make a comment unless I prodded him.

  “I like it hot. Where I come from, the temperature rarely dips below ninety.”

  “So you chose to live in Colorado?”

  He shrugged. “I didn’t choose. My parents and Lucas made that decision. I simply never left.” He sat at his desk and turned on his computer. “I’ll be awhile. If you want to look around, feel free. I’d appreciate it if you remained on the ground floor once you’ve cleared the building completely, though. The Upper Echelon is for private workouts. I don’t mind you checking it, but those customers pay extra for privacy.”

  I glanced around the room. There were no windows and only the one door. “I’ll keep you in sight, so unless you’re going upstairs or I sense danger from up there, I couldn’t care less about whatever goes on in the Upper Echelon. I’ll give it a quick check but that’s all.”

  “Thank you.”

  I cruised through the building, upper and lower levels. The upstairs was vacant at the moment. Once I’d verified things were safe, I took a position next to Graham’s door. Waiting was easy. I simply stood and watched the people working to tone their bodies.

  The heat and humidity didn’t bother me. Evidently it didn’t bother anyone else either. I suppose that particular blend of chemicals worked wonders on people. Would it be as effective on someone new to working out? I scanned the crowd and didn’t see anyone who looked to be out of shape.

  Perhaps the Upper Echelon was for new people who were flabby and too embarrassed to be seen in the presence of these hardbodies. That could explain the privacy. I didn’t think anyone here would object to an overweight person trying to improve him- or herself, but a few of the women I train would be self-conscious and intimidated by this place.

  Some of the women were genetically predisposed to be heavy, but some put on weight because they didn’t want their husbands to find them attractive. It helped them insulate themselves to the violence and cruelty. I taught them to fight back and to respect themselves. The changes made life worth living. Helping them gave me a positive purpose.