BDP

Promises Made

Moira could hardly believe what she was hearing. Casca must really be slipping to think that a bunch of locals were any match for the Black Dragons. Regular troops could chew through his security in rather short order. Hell, even being pregnant she'd almost evaded them on several occasions. The Dragons, with their biological enhancements, would find them even less of a challenge.

Accurately interpreting Burke's look, Casca pointed to the guns, "The test subjects were not given live ammunition. They are shooting blanks, in more than one sense." He laughed; a cold superior little chuckle that made Burke want to choke him.

"Well, not all of them, or we wouldn't be having this little conversation." Moira gritted her teeth, promising herself that the loathsome excuse for a man was not going to live out the day.

"I misspoke; my apologies. There was one exception to the rule, although I don't know how you ended up pregnant. None of the other women did. Must be that Irish fecundity," Casca was still smiling, believing he had the upper hand. He had Burke back in hand, and the Black Dragons were coming to him just like clockwork. It looked like everything was going his way.

"It has gotten my ancestors into trouble upon occasion." Moira agreed, wheels spinning in her head. So, they didn't know about the abortificant. Hmmm, that was very interesting. Since she was carrying the only viable offspring of that project, and they thought the others were clinically sterile, they most likely had orders not to shoot her. Even if they decided to disobey orders, they would shoot to wound only.

The smile that crossed Burke's face was gleefully malicious as she snapped her wrists up and fired. The two guards nearest to her dropped, and her hands flexed outward to fire again. This time there was no regret as she attacked, no surge of fear, only cold predatory intent. They were all going to die.

Casca, ever the survivor, flung himself back around the corner and out of the line of fire. The remaining two guards dropped to the floor to present a smaller target, and fired their tranquilizer darts. The first guard was too nervous, too hasty, and his shot went wide. The second was made of sterner stuff. He held perfectly still as he aimed and fired, ignoring the blood and screams of his fellow warriors.

"Fuck," Moira hissed as a dart buried itself in her thigh.

Not knowing how much time she had, Burke just dropped the barrels low and started firing. The two men rolled, trying to get away from her fire, but she followed them, bullets kicking up exploded bits of tile as she tracked their movement. The one on the right wasn't fast enough. A bullet caught him high on the spine and he screamed. His partner didn't stop to check on him, rolling behind the corner, leaving the other man to his fate. Coward.

Moira meant to walk over to him and find out what he knew before he passed into shock or died, but her legs wouldn't work. She slumped against the wall, trying to brace against it so she could move forward. It was like walking through tar. With a muffled curse, Burke fired at the end of the hall. If anyone was lingering behind the corner, it should give the bastards pause.

Burke fought off the drug-induced somnolence as hard as she could, but there was only so much that will alone was able to achieve. Her clothes made soft hissing sounds as she slid down the wall. The last thing she heard was the slap of boots on tile, but it seemed to be coming from behind her. That couldn't be right, could it? Moira tried to turn back the way she had come, but was asleep before the idea could become action.

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Nottingham froze as the sound of gunfire echoed down the hall. He exchanged glances with Rook. Ian made the sign for 'proceed with caution' before continuing. There were multiple shots fired from an area that the Dragons had not yet moved into, which could only mean one thing. The escaped prisoner had just run into resistance.

The two Dragons moved steadily forward, cautious despite their curiosity. Who had been in that cell, and why? The shooting stopped; the silence sudden and almost as deafening as the sounds of gunfire in such a narrow space.

Just ahead the corridor took a turn. The lack of sound did not mean the space ahead would be abandoned. In fact, it could be set up as an ambush point. What if the shooting had stopped because the escapee had fallen afoul of a trap?

Rook looked up with a question in his eyes and signed, 'Leapfrog', asking if Nottingham wanted them to advance by turns.

Ian nodded and went first. He came around the corner low, rolling to make a harder target of himself, but there was no response. The spinning view he had of the hallway was one of blood and the dying. No one remained to shoot at him, which was fortunate, as he only had his knives at the moment. He could and would throw them to good use, but bringing a knife to a gun fight was never a good idea.

Staying low he gestured for Rook to move up while he kept his eyes on the end of the corridor. If anyone was going to take a shot from around it, he would be able to see them first and warn his brother.

Knowing there was no need for so flashy an entrance, Rook contented himself with simply hugging the wall. The dead guards brought a passing smile to his face. Once he noticed that the fallen soldiers still had their weapons the smile came back, wider than before. He moved forward to collect the pistols and froze. Before he had been focused on threat assessment, but now his attention was caught by something totally unexpected.

"Holy shit, is that who I think it is?" Rook completely forgot about maintaining silence as he looked at the very pregnant woman sprawled against the wall. Her head was down but he could see the curve of those high cheekbones, black hair up in its habitual bun.

"Moira," the whisper was hoarse with a combination of grief and hope.

Nottingham pushed past Rook and knelt at the side of his lost love. This was why he had not recognized Moira's scent. She was pregnant... and something else. The bastards had been injecting her with the same chemicals as the Black Dragons.

Almost afraid to believe the evidence of his eyes, Ian cupped Moira's cheek. His other hand smoothed over the swollen belly. Nottingham closed his eyes for a moment as the reality of the situation sank in. She was alive. It wasn't some dream or trick of the senses.

The tranquilizer dart was pulled carefully out of Burke's thigh and Nottingham lifted her gently in his arms. Rook looked at them, putting one and one together. "I know now isn't the best time to ask this but, can I be best man?"

Ian gave a surprised snort of laughter. "Moira has to say yes first."

"You got any reason to believe she won't? I don't." Rook arched a brow

"Never think you have a woman figured out my friend, especially not this one." Nottingham shook his head slightly. How could he explain that his own father had likely been behind the doctor's kidnapping?

He would not put it past Irons to have lied and told Moira that he knew where she was. Burke might very well hate him after all these months of captivity. If she did, Nottingham would deserve it for leaving her here. His lady had needed him, and he had failed her.

Ian would not let her down again. He was going to get her out of here, and God help anyone who got in his way.

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A/N: Thanks to everyone who has so patiently waited on me to stop fooling with Destiny and come back to this.