Chapter 14

Scarlett was not sure how long of a head start they had on Christian, if she was lucky they would beat Christian to the river and make it out of here alive. If she was lucky but Black Dragons did not believe in luck. Relying on something as uncertain as luck was most assuredly unwise. Hector had his orders and Ian was en route by now. Her task was now to make sure they made it across the river and keep Christian from following them. Black dragons could sense each other to a point if they concentrated enough; which was hard to do with that damn sedative mixture coursing through her bloodstream. She had fought off its effects before for a while at least. It would eventually stop her but she could hope to complete her task before then.

~How's your wound? ~ The motion at her side drew her attention from her thoughts. She had not even noticed when he came up beside her, which was unusual especially for a Black Dragon.

"Still bleeding. It'll be sealed by this time tomorrow and eventually fade to nothing. Black Dragons heal pretty fast and this is essentially a flesh wound after all. Why do you ask?" she remarked rather casually.

~The last plant you passed had blood on it. ~

"Damn it. When did you notice?"

~A little while ago. Did you do anything to treat them? ~

"I had no time to do any more than bind them. It's not good if I've left a visible trail. Not that it will make much of a difference anyway."

"What do you mean?"

"The river is an obvious choice to head for, especially in this weather. Christian will not follow across the river and I know the way well enough."

~Why wouldn't he cross the river? ~

"He will not because he cannot. It's against the rules of the game."

"What rules? And what game?" Tommy asked.

"This is only a game to Christian, merely a diversion to pass the time. The game is no good without rules; otherwise you don't know who won. We've played this game a few times already." She commented casually. She glanced around in the darkness surrounding them; searching for signs of pursuit.

"How many times have you done this?" Jinx asked.

"This will be the fourth attempt to reach the river. If I cross the river he will not follow; at least not at this time." She answered. The response was direct; there was no point in lying about the game being played around them now.

"But he'll follow later."

"Of course, this game of his never really ends. It's a continuous cycle of cat and mouse. The only things that ever change are the location and the stakes. If we do not meet again at this time, then we'll pick it up the next time our paths cross. That's the way things are. If he does catch up I'll have to pay the penalty," she finished carefully omitting what the penalty would be.

~What is the penalty? ~ Snake prompted when she did not elaborate on the subject.

The question had not been unexpected. She had no answer for it so she said nothing in response. She only shook her head and moved to walk away. He reached and caught her left wrist, wanting an answer to his question. Her response to his action was swift and instinctual; a reflex action that required no thought at all.

She tensed the second she felt the touch; her movement autonomous and instantaneous. She never noticed when she pulled the knife, much less when she had brought it to his throat. 'Instinct is difficult to quell. It screams that everyone is an enemy. Kill or be killed.'

"I'm sorry," she said softly. She looked away quickly as she removed the knife from its current position. 'The one thing I've sworn never to do, I've now done.'

Her action surprised him. He had not seen the knife until she had held it to his throat. Her reaction was pure instinct one he had never seen from her and he did not blame her for that. It bothered him that she felt threatened enough to react in this way. What really worried him was what he had seen in her eyes.

He had always been able to read her, even when she tried to hide something from him. He knew how to tell when something was bothering her, when she was angry. He knew how to find and interpret the small signals that would give him that information. This had been different because there was nothing to find or read.

Her eyes were cold, devoid to any kind of emotion at all. She did not see him. Her unreadable eyes were on him, but she was actually looking straight through him. It was as if there was a brick wall between them; as if she was not even there.

"I'm sorry." She apologized as she withdrew the knife. He caught a glimpse of the pain and sorrow in her eyes before she looked away. He was not sure if she was apologizing for the knife or the wall she had put p between them.

A moment passed before she spoke again, quietly in the stillness. Her gaze once again searching the dark shadows around them seeking any sign of movement.

"I know the penalty for my own failure; I've become very familiar with it." As she spoke, her left hand went up to touch her right shoulder gingerly. She knew the gesture was explanation enough when she noticed Snake's hands curl tightly into fists.

"That is how the game is played when only I am involved."

"What happens when you're not the only one involved?" Storm asked.

"That's when it gets complicated and Christian can get creative. So I'm not certain what will happen." She answered.

"What about the other Black Dragons? They're clearly helping you." Jinx stated.

"They can do as they please; if they wish to help that's their own choice. They have their orders not to interfere directly with the two of us in the end."

~How does the game end? ~ He asked the question even though he already suspected what the answer would be.

"The game ends when one or both of us are dead. As I said before only the location and the stakes can change. Hector and the rest can do as they please as observers, but they cannot interfere with the final outcome of the game. Ian on the other hand, can and has interfered and will do again as he wishes." She replied, calmly.

"What happens when someone interferes with this game?" Tommy asked.

She was silent for a moment, considering her answer. 'There's nothing wrong with divulging this information. Christian's GAMEhas little to do with the Black Dragons; therefore knowledge of this twisted form of entertainment is not threatening. As the situation currently stands it will be more helpful than it could possibly harm.'

"When one interferes with the game, something will change. It's either delayed to continue elsewhere or what is at stake changes. That's how it is."

"What is at stake?" Jinx asked.

"Life and death. It is always life or death in the game." She answered, casually.

~Whose? Yours or ours? ~

"Both, but not necessarily at the same time. The simple truth is that you are now involved in the game. The game changed the second you set foot here, and now you are a part of it. Christian has marked you as a threat because Ian trusts you enough to come here. Trust is not a simple thing especially to a Black Dragon, neither are threats. There is only one way to deal with a threat, so you really should not have come." She finished quietly. Her tone was hollow and her dark blue eyes were filled with sorrow and pain.

~Why not? ~

"I have never merely walked with death. I move among it, it is my purpose. It's a part of me that I cannot change and has touched me in ways no one else may ever know or understand. Black Dragons do not belong with other people, not even me. No, especially not me. It simply does not work. When people come in contact with me, I know what happens to them. What happened to Danny." She responded.

"Your friend Danny was murdered by Bruno Dante. How is that your fault?" Storm questioned.

"You weren't there at the hearing. Dante knew Danny had a witness that he refused to give up, so he made Danny choose: my life or his own. Vaughn, one of the Bulls saw the entire thing, he told the entire story. Danny made the wrong choice."

~He obviously didn't think so.~

My knowing why will not change anything. All I know is that eventually I'll have to tell his son the real reason why his father died. There's not much time left. If you're going to make it out of here; we need to keep moving." she said quietly.

The river flowed swiftly in front of them; swollen beyond its banks as Jean had said. Shana leaned against one of the trees; meticulously and methodically checking her weapons. Her gaze turned back the way they had come instead of towards the river. Even with the sedatives in her body, she still had her will and that was the only thing keeping her on her feet right now.

'It's getting harder to focus on anything. Just a little longer, damn it. A little longer and this will be ended once and for all. At least the rain has stopped.' she thought, sighing as she discarded her long black coat on a nearby branch. It could become a hindrance in close quarters if it came to that.

"This is as far as I go. You're on your own from here," she said simply. Her hands moved expertly on her gun, the same small revolver that had killed Dante.

~What are you saying? ~

"The truth is that I never intended to go any further than this point; even if I did there's nothing I can do about it now. I'm surprised that I even made it this far on my own power, especially with the sedative mixture in my system."

~That's what was in the syringe? ~

"I suspected it, but I wasn't sure until the effects started to make themselves known. I'm familiar enough with it and my own limits. I know O will not make it across the river at this point; not with the water moving with such force." She stated calmly. Her sapphire blue eyes watching the churning dark waters of the raging river.

~No. You're coming. ~ The gestures were swift, almost angry; the kind that would not accept any argument even from her.

"I'm barely managing to stand on my feet. I've got tremors in my hands and at least half of my body feels numb. This was made to stop us and I'm barely more than dead weight now."

~Either we all leave or we all stay. ~

She is not surprised by that response. He was digging his heels in and refusing to budge from his position, it was not the first time and neither would it be the last. She had a lot of experience with things of this nature; she had argued with some of the most stubborn people she had ever known. Unfortunately they were on a deadline and there was no time to argue about anything.

"Don't waste any more time. Christian knew I wouldn't make it very far. Get out of here and leave him satisfied with me. It is a mistake for you to remain here; one he will not hesitate to take advantage of again. I don't want to see you-" she paused for a moment,

"I don't want to see any of you die. Not because of me and not in Christian's sadistic game. I have to finish this now before it goes any further. He's right about one thing: It's me or you. I'd much rather it is me."

~That's not going to happen. No one is staying here for any reason. ~ He wouldn't back down any more than she would; she knew that for a fact. He is not the type to desert a friend either.

"There's a rule we have, myself especially: Don't get close to outsiders because someone always gets hurt in the end. Never cross the line; or this is what happens. I took a risk and let myself get too close again. I crossed the line without actually realizing it. Even knowing full well the consequences, I let myself get attached. The foolish mistake I had made let me know that I had stayed too long." she said softly.

"How very, very correct. Although it seems you are not the only one who has stayed too long." Christian interrupted as he stepped into sight. He watched Phoenix shift uncomfortably, her dark Caribbean blue eyes starting to shift into teal.

Tbc

A/N: That's it for this chapter, hope you like it. Please let me know.