Dragonfury 01 - Fury of Fire

do.
    He lifted his boots from his desk and, ignoring the squeak of his new armchair, pushed to his feet. His footfalls echoed on the concrete floor, shattering the quiet as he rounded the edge of the table and headed for the door.
    Turning into the corridor, he mind-spoke to his XO. “Lothair…status?”
    “Five in the chamber. We’re good to go,” he said, the soft beep of computers in the background. “ETA?”
    “Five minutes. Lock it down.”
    Anticipation carrying him forward, Ivar strode toward the airtight vault. Apartment, though, was probably a better description for the chamber. With enough space for nine, the place was decked out with the best of everything: soft beds, three roomy bathrooms, and a fully stocked gourmet kitchen connected to a plush living area. Yup, only the best for his lab rats. He figured it was only fair. No sense making them suffer the indignity of squalor along with the agony of a slow death.
    Or not.
    Who knew? It might take his worker bees just minutes—not the hypothesized days—to die.
    The smell of fresh paint in the air, Ivar rounded the last corner. Seven strides later, he hung a right, rolling into the vault’s control room. One shoulder propped against the far wall, Lothair stood next to the observation window, his gaze trained on the humans locked on the other side.
    Without glancing away from the test subjects, he shook his head. “They think they’re going home. A decontamination area, I said…before we take them to the surface.”
    “You’re a good liar.” Throwing his XO an amused look, he headed toward the high-tech computer system.
    “Better than you.”
    No shit. Lothair could charm the hooves off a goat if he wanted to. Ivar grinned, setting his journals on the granite countertop surrounding the touch-screen control panel. As he scanned the screen, he went to work, running the usual tests.
    All of the levels in the vault read as normal. Airlock sealed tight…check. Temperature a balmy seventy-five degrees and closed-circuit ventilation system operational…double check. Cameras on and microphones rolling…triple check.
    All right. Take one of “Experiment Super Virus” was good to go.
    With quick fingers, Ivar punched his personal security code into the digital keypad. The rotation of robotics hissed and a glossy black panel slid open in the wall to his left. Opening his hand, he stared at the tube resting in his palm. He breathed deeply, savoring the moment before relinquishing his baby. With a whispered “God speed,” he set the viral beast inside the robotic hand and watched it retreat into the wall.
    The control panel lit up, waiting for his final thumbs-up.
    Pushing away from his perch, Lothair moved to stand shoulder to shoulder with him. Ivar met his XO’s gaze and tipped his chin. His friend nodded, reached out, and tapped the green button, setting the process in motion.
    Computers geared up, the whirl of mechanics soft accompaniment as the plunger depressed, releasing the virus into the apartment.
    Nothing to do now but wait.
    “Got a gift for you.” Digging into his leathers, Lothair pulled a piece of paper from his back pocket and handed it over.
    “Christmas comes early?”
    “Today’s a big day. Figured I’d check item number two off your wish list.”
    Clean edges and crispy paper crinkled as he unfolded his gift. He saw the female’s picture first and…hell. Wasn’t she pretty? Myst Munroe, female of the kick-ass energy. A beautiful little blonde with violet eyes and a mouth meant for sucking. Yum. He loved the fair-haired ones. Especially if all that fairness extended south, to the neat triangle between their thighs.
    He read the list below her DMV address. A nurse practitioner. Huh. Figured. Bastian always went for the clean, preppy ones. No Gothed-out females with spike collars and fishnets for that male.
    “Where is she?” Ivar shifted his hold on the paper and traced the female’s face with his fingertip.
    “Denzeil’s running down all the angles. So far, there’s no trace of her.”
    “Bastian’s keeping a tight leash on her.”
    “Looks like it. But from all accounts, she’s strong-willed. He won’t be able to contain her forever.” A gleam in his dark eyes, Lothair smiled, and not in a pleasant way. Ivar almost felt sorry for the female. His XO relished a challenge and, when the male went after something, he did so with single-minded focus. It wouldn’t be long before Bastian’s high-powered female