Chapter 3
"So what you're telling me is you know Christian Blair?" General Hawk asked.
"That's exactly what I'm saying. He's mentally unstable; delusional, homicidal, and I can go on. He believes himself to actually be a fire breathing dragon. He's also a genius, one of the smartest people in the world, possibly. The sad thing is that he's as smart as he is insane." Scarlett said.
"I have a friend in New York that has known Blair a little longer than I; he's willing to give me some insight to this whole thing."
"Then I'll send you to talk with him, Snake Eyes and Jinx will accompany you." Hawk said.
"No," she responded quickly.
"He will not talk to me if there's others present. It has to be only me; if he has reason to believe that there is anyone else present, he won't say a word. He's a little on the paranoid side."
"And if he doesn't know they're present?"
"It won't work. The person he works for; has people that do nothing but know the movements of everyone in the area, and he supervises those people." She paused, before asking;
"Has anything come up on the Black Dragons?"
"Not a single thing; why?"
"I can get you in? All I need is a computer with a microphone."
About five minutes later, Scarlett took a seat at a computer; Mainframe and General Hawk stood behind her. She flipped on the microphone to her left and started working the keyboard.
"I don't know how you're going to find anything on the Black Dragons by using a microphone. There's nothing there." Mainframe said.
"It's there; you just need to look in the right place." She said as she typed a few more keys and then stopped.
The computer screen flashed to black and the image of a dragon outlined in silver appeared. The background faded to a dark red, but the outline and detail of silver and the black Dragon remained.
"How the hell did you do that?" Mainframe asked.
Hawk just watched.
Suddenly the words appeared on the screen in bright yellow: You have entered a restricted area. Please give your clearance now. This link will be terminated in 5 minutes.
Scarlett picked up the microphone and spoke very clearly.
"Scarlett, 2nd of rank, 10th level clearance, Security code Phoenix alpha seven- dragon gamma five."
Once again the words in bright yellow appeared: Positive vocal recognition, security code accepted, welcomes Phoenix.
"Even if you had found this place, you wouldn't have been able to get in, not without finding some way to bypass the security which will have taken more than the five minutes. The only people with the ability to access this information are the people responsible for the Black Dragons and the Dragons themselves."
"Which are you?" Hawk asked.
"I was a Dragon once. I thought Blair was unstable from the start, but I couldn't bring that kind of accusation with out reliable evidence. We were used; most of us forgave or forgot, but Blair turned bitter and vengeful. We were all sworn to secrecy on everything that happened then."
"Then why open the files like you just did?" Hawk asked, intrigued.
"I'll go to New York and I might make it to where I'm going. Through I can't be sure of making it back."
"What do you mean?" Mainframe asked.
"Blair's demands. He's going to look for me, if he doesn't find me, I'm sure he'll follow through on his threat. I believe he knows that I'll go to New York. He'll probably try to head me off there."
"All the more reason for someone to accompany you."
"It's all the more reason for me to go alone. Blair will kill them or use them against me; it's a death sentence."
"Snake Eyes is the best we have."
"I know; that's why he shouldn't be anywhere near me for this. He may be the best of what you've seen here, of what you were allowed to see. But you've never seen a Black Dragon fight. If he goes he will be killed. I know that I stand a chance of survival; that I might be able to beat Blair, but not all of them and certainly not, while having to watch out for anyone. I have to go alone, if I don't; they will come here. Make no mistake, they will kill you all."
"So there's no choice is there. You have to go and you have to go alone."
"It's the only way that I can save everyone."
"What's going on?" Jinx said as she poked her head in Scarlett's room.
"Nothing," Scarlett answered.
"Nothing? The room is bare and you're packing like there's no tomorrow."
"If you're going to comment, you could give me a hand." Scarlett said.
"Sure," Jinx answered, picking up a green duffel bag. She noticed the onyx Dragon pinned to the bag;
"Are you even going to say goodbye?"
"I don't know, I don't think there's time. And I'm leaving for everyone's safety. I have to go to protect all of you."
"Protect us from what?"
"I can't afford to tell you, and you'd try to stop me."
"Well, are you going to say goodbye?' she asked.
"I won't make any promises. Just trust me when I say, it's better if you don't know."
She left later that same night; without a word to anyone. She felt it in the air; whatever happened now would be up to fate. She looked to the silent stars and a gentle breeze blew from the west; coaxing her to her task.
"I don't know what's going to happen." She whispered to the night wind.
"But no matter whatever happens, I trust you'll watch over them for me."
"I know you won't let me down, Danny."