In the Shadow of the Tiger (The Fighter Series Book 2) Read online

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  Any movement was painful and sheer hell. Dragon told Summer where to go, and without saying anything, she'd gotten him there quick. She rung the bell on the back entrance of the clinic. When Dragon stepped in front of the camera overhead, the door buzzed open. A thin woman around fifty met them at the door with a wheelchair. Summer and the woman helped him into it.

  “That looks like it hurts.” The woman clucked after she’d scrutinized the both of them. “Smart to leave it in there.”

  Dragon grimaced as the chair rolled over several bumps in the corridor. It was unnervingly quiet here. There were no screaming kids or sick people, no restricted guidelines to follow, or code of conduct to obey. Dragon didn’t like being here. He was guilty of suspecting every one of foul play especially when he couldn't be in control. When the wheelchair came to a stop, he started to get up, but the woman delivering him put a hand on his shoulder holding him in place.

  "Don’t move. That chunk of glass could slice open an artery, and you’d bleed out before we got you to a room." She said. “You, help me get him on the bed.” She motioned Summer to help her.

  “Well if you say it like that.” Dragon said.

  Before, he had a chance to argue the nurse inserted an IV into his arm. Dragon glanced over at Summer who stood off to the side, her fingers pressed to her lips. She had paled in contrast to the dried blood staining her skin. The effects of Candies’ drugs were fading, and likely her head was thumping in her skull. Dragon pointed at a stack of Advil. Summer looked over snatching the unopened bottle off the counter before the nurse could see her. Dragon could see she was fighting through the aftereffects, and soon she'd have a clear mind. He wondered if she’d run? Either way, Dragon wanted her to stay.

  A balding man with thin-rimmed glasses came into the room. He took one look at Dragon's leg and told the nurse to get ready for surgery. Three years ago, he wouldn't have been so lucky to see a doctor so fast, and there would be a mound of paperwork awaiting his signature before a thermometer touched his face. Today, he pulled out a stack of money and sat it on his stomach. The nurse looked at the money and then the doctor. She gathered it because old habits died hard. It was still about the money

  Summer stepped back as the doctor stepped forward and added something into Dragon’s IV and stepped away. Dragon's vision of the brown haired girl blurred, and then it went dark. An hour later, he woke. His tongue and throat were dry as if he had rounds of cotton stuck to the roof of his mouth. He tried to focus but the person moving around him was a blur. He held a straw between his lips. He drank until it disappeared.

  "The doctor will be in to see you in a little while. It seems your friend had a slight concussion and passed out on the floor after we took you to surgery. We put her in a bed not far from yours."

  Dragon grinned slightly, but only he knew why. Then his thoughts quickly turned to the doctor. What were his connections to the boss he wanted to kill? Fortunately for Dragon, there were few ways to communicate. This made the window for Ray to hunt him down wider. The quicker they got out of there, the better their chances of surviving were. Once the boss found out, he'd left behind his money and lost the kids and the drugs, he'd be out to kill him for sure. Summer and the group that showed up last night were all part of a bigger puzzle. He’d waited a longtime for them all. Dragon wasn’t the only one who knew where all the pieces fit, Summer knew as well.

  Sitting up in the bed, Dragon’s plans were not to stay long. He heard the stride of the doctor long before he walked in. Heavy footfalls fell cumbersome and each step taken caused the sole of his shoe to drag. Dragon added that to the growing reasons for not liking the doctor.

  “I see you’re up. That’s good.” The doctor said. He pointed at Dragon’s bandaged leg. “The glass missed your femoral artery by a hair. You’ve got twenty-eight stitches, and you're going to be sore as hell, but you’re lucky.”

  “Yeah, lucky.” Dragon said. “Thanks, Doc.”

  “How’s Ray doing? I haven’t seen him in a while.”

  “He’s in route from Canada as we speak.” Dragon tried not to sound irritated. He had no plans of ever seeing Ray again, and he had no idea where the hell he was, but he wasn't about to tell the evil doc anything."

  “How did this happen anyway, your leg and the girl?” The doc was fishing. Curiosity maybe while keeping an eye on him probably. He was one of Ray’s best clients after all.

  “The girl got loose. I caught up with her. I was taking her back to the ship when she attacked me in the car.” Dragon pointed to his face and neck. “Flipping wild cat.” Dragon grinned playing it off.

  The doctor chuckled buying into it. “Makes it hard to concentrate when a beauty like her is around. Snuck a peek and she’s nearly perfect.”

  Dragon controlled his breathing steadying his desire to pop the balding man in the face. “Nearly.” Dragon said letting the words roll off his tongue.

  "Is she my order?" The doctor asked. He licked his lips, and there was a distinct look of excitement in his eyes.

  Dragon nodded no. “She’s spoken for.”

  “Too bad then. Anyway, take it easy for a few days and come back and see me in six weeks.” He turned and walked towards the door. “You need anything for the girl to sedate her?”

  He had to say yes. Otherwise, the doc would suspect something. “Yes, thank you.”

  “Fine, fine. I’ll have Margaret put a care packet together for you. She thinks the girl is your friend. Fancy that?”

  "Yes, imagine that." Dragon said thinking silently, You scum sucking wicked weasel of a man. Surprised who had survived the Shift and who hadn’t, made Dragon believe God had nothing to do with the Shift more now than ever.

  “Got to go.” He paused looking back at Dragon but then he paused at the door. “Do you think I could outbid whoever has already bought her?” He asked with a watery smile.

  Dragon felt a surge of repulsion. Child slavery was Ray's purpose for taking those kid's. Doctor Death, though Dragon had never had reason to meet the rat, lacked nothing in the dough department. It was obvious he'd played this game on many occasions. He needed to get Summer out of there before the doctor got his fat doughboy fingers on her.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  Summer could have gone to Axel, but she feared his protective manner might disable her freedom to roam. Her aunt and uncle had tried restricting her activities to their oversized mansion without success. Since witnessing her parent's death and surviving the Shift, she was far from being an ordinary teenage girl, and sitting still wasn't part of her daily routine if anyone even were to have one. Life had been good for her when the Shift happened. Within a day, her adolescence ripped from her, swept away by violence. She'd witnessed her parent's deaths, and sadly those images stuck in her mind. Summer’s only cure was to help those in trouble and try to persuade those in trouble to change. Now, she tried to remember her parent’s voices, their gestures and most of all their faces. Nights were daunting, but the sunshine always brought new hope. The days of shopping with her mom or running with friends under the warm California sun were long gone leaving behind only a handful of faces she'd gotten to know. Rod iron gates and a brick wall framing in the oversized mansion wasn't her idea of making life better. The world she lost was on the other side of the walls, and she was more than willing to fight for a new one. A better world was ripe for the building.

  Summer had never been an ordinary teenager, and she didn't feel sixteen now. Caught between sadness and anger, Summer felt she was different, almost like she didn't fit. She could have easily been a cheerleader in high school with just her looks. While those girls were worried about hair and makeup, Summer was eyeing cool cars and sports that made her heart speed up. Then she began testing herself, going a little faster, climbing a little higher and seeking out those edge-walking extremes. This no fear attitude became a part of her. Now she was an adrenaline seeker taking everything she did to the next level. Fearlessness pushe
d her to extremes. She loved speed, danger and the fear of fear itself.

  After her parent’s death Summer had no choice but to live with her aunt, Karen, and Brad. Her aunt was nothing like her sister, Dominique who was carefree and often spirited. Shortly after the Shift, Karen gave birth to her and Brad’s first child. The Shift, as well as, Summer invaded private shared by new parents. The plan included the baby, not the Shift and Summer. Brad was gone most of the time, and Karen preferred it that way. When Uncle Brad lectured her, she rebelled by hot-wiring cars, picking locks and becoming familiar with guns. When he forbid her to leave the house, Summer focused on advancing her escape skills. The last night he appeared in her room, she advanced her street skills by tenfold showing Brad what she’d learned. Luckily Karen had sedated herself to sleep and heard nothing. Knowledge was power, and there was little she didn't soak in. Now there was Dragon. Memories crossing over into her subconscious made her question what was memory and what was vision.

  She turned her head toward the window to see the sun rising in the sky. A slight ache thumped in her head, but not as bad as it had yesterday. The minute she left Dragon on the street, she decided not to go back. From dreams hidden within her since she could remember, she’d seen the man with the Dragon tattoo.

  The effects of the drugs were almost gone, and a new hunger started to form. Summer needed her strength back as well as a clear mind. The door opened then shut. The sound of unsuccessful quiet footfalls told her to play asleep and that pervert Doc would turn and go away. Nevertheless, the smell of disinfectant and medicine oozed from his pores. She needed to leave with Dragon, this she knew. Suddenly his breath was on the nape of her neck. His fingers touched her hair stroking it as though she were a kitten. She held her breath ready to move. Maybe he’d go away. He ran his fingers under the covers and onto her back. His touch was cold and clammy.

  When he reached around to the front of her, his fingers probed her skin. She screamed leaping up and out the hospital bed landing on the opposite side. She’d peeled off the sheets midair and now stood with them wrapped around her tightly. She stood with her hair wound around her face, her eyes wide with hatred.

  “You fucking pervert.” She cried out.

  “Shhhh…Shhhh. I was just checking in on you.” He said softly moving his hand up and down in front of himself trying to calm her.

  “Checking on me, my ass. You were feeling me out.” She yelled at the top of her lungs. She glared at him repulsed.

  Creepy nurse, who’d let them in yesterday, trotted through the door in a lame gate. She halted just inside the room and looked at the Doctor.

  “Doctor Shaffer. Is everything okay in here?” She asked.

  “Yes, yes Margaret. I was just...” The Doctor stuttered.

  “Feeling me out. He lifted my gown last night.” Summer yelled out. “Then he just tried to cop another feel.”

  "Bill, I told you no more." The thin woman said.

  “I know Margaret. I know.” The doctor lowered his head his bald spot glowing in Summer’s direction. Summer slipped past both of them. Margaret patted the round man on the back much like a mother would a baby.

  Summer flew through Dragon’s door and bellowed out, “I’m getting the fuck out of here.”

  Dragon sat up swinging his body over the side of the bed. “Hand me my clothes then.” He said. “You leaving like that?” He asked.

  Summer looked down at the hospital gown and sheet wadded up in her hands. “Yes. I’ve worn a lot less on the beach.”

  “Well then,” He said motioning her to get his clothes. She helped him into his ripped and blood-soaked pants. The gown exposing sections of her body as the material slid over tanned skin. She glanced up to make sure Dragon was looking away, and he had.

  “You screamed?” He asked as she hurriedly bent down to put on his boot.

  “Creepy Doctor was feeling me up.” She said.

  He chuckled, “I’ll kill him.”

  She grunted in anger.

  “Do you want me to take you somewhere?” She asked.

  “I’m in a bit of a dilemma.” Dragon began to say. "Seems the good Doctor was going to bid on you. His wife Margaret thinks you were brought here to be his pet. He’ll be calling on my boss any minute. He’ll tell him I took you. In return for all of that, he’ll be hunting us both down and killing me. So you see my options are somewhat limited.”

  “You?”

  “Me what?” Dragon countered.

  “You were going to sell me to that perv?" Summer spat out. "His pet!"

  “No. I did not intend stopping here until someone flipped the car shoving a piece of glass in my leg.” Dragon replied trying to stand to his feet.

  Summer paused confused but still enraged. “Let’s just go!”

  “Where are we going?” Dragon replied. “I think there were some houses for rent on the south side.”

  She helped him to his feet. “I should leave your sorry ass here.” She hurried.

  “You cuss like a sailor.” He said leaning on her as they stepped through the door and out into the corridor.

  “So what.” She replied through gritted teeth.

  “Well Summer,” he said, slipping a gun into her hand, “I hope you know how to shoot.”

  Summer turned looking back. The pistol was heavy in her hand. “What is this? A flipping 45 magnum?”

  “You know your guns.” He mumbled.

  Dragon held a pistol in his free hand. The weight of his body leaning into her was slowing her down. Behind them, Margaret, the doc, and an oversized man barreled towards them down the hallway.

  “The door will be locked.” Dragon said calmly. “It keeps people out as well as in.”

  “Then unlock it.” She said raising the pistol and aiming it in the opposite direction, but the motley crew behind them started to shoot. Gunfire exploded between the walls in the empty corridor, not from Summer’s gun. The warning shots blasted the ceiling above spraying debris. The big man broke into a run as Dragon sent four shots into the dead bolt of the door shattering the lock and splintering the wood.

  The big man stopped running raised his gun and fired. The bullet lodged near Dragon's head into the door. Summer spun around the weapon in her hand level with the man's heart. She pressed the trigger, and the gun recoiled into the palm of her hand. The first bullet didn't even stun burly man, but the second took his feet out from under him. A spray of blood decorated the plain whitewalls of the clinic. Summer sucked in a deep breath of surprise.

  The Doc was running. His buttery body moving as quickly as his legs would carry him. Margaret dipped into one of the rooms yelling hysterically.

  “Come back here,” Doc yelled. “She’s mine.”

  “No sale today Doc,” Dragon yelled out as Summer kicked the door open. Outside the sun was shining. The car she'd stolen was gone.

  “Asshole.” She said looking back at what she viewed as a pathetic excuse of a man now slowing to catch his breath.

  “She keeps her car over there.” Dragon said pointing with the gun.

  Summer looked at the enclosed building with a big bay door.

  “Can’t wait to see what the old bag drives?” She said. He was already pulling on her shoulder attempting to keep from falling over.

  “You’d be surprised. Get me to the car.” He said as a bullet whizzed by her head.

  “Stop talking.” Summer demanded. “I got this.”

  “I feel a lot safer now,” Dragon muttered.

  Summer stopped mid-stride as another bullet sliced past them.

  “Asshole is a horrible shot.”

  “Are you done complaining?” She asked.

  Another bullet bounced off the pavement grazing Dragon in the shoulder. He started to fall backward, but Summer caught him.

  “Son of a ……..” He yelled as she pulled him toward the building.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  “Why did you say what you said the other night?”

  “Say what?�
�� Eric said.

  “Ringo?” Riley said.

  “I didn’t mean to.”

  “Yes, you did. It was your first thought. Not, wow. Look, there is a rare Siberian Tiger.” Riley asked him. “And you don’t want to talk about it?”

  “I can’t.” He answered. Riley looked at Eric. His wounds were beginning to fade, and little scars were taking their place.

  The past week had been quiet. Riley was missing Megan and Lynn, Nick, Lilly, and Ben. The streamlined desert skies and its sunsets lay at the back of her mind. Not that California’s lacked beauty, it wasn’t home to her. They sat on the bench just outside the gate where the tiger had stood. It was the first day in December, and the sun was warm. Eric sat with his arm strewn across the bench where he could playfully tug on her hair. She looked at the Queen Mary. It felt like a typical day.