A swell of turbulent gusts pelted the glass panes with heavy rain; the torrent streamed down the windows making it difficult to see in the scant light that remained. The low, ethereal growl sounded closer now. It could almost be mistaken for thunder, but Jamie knew it wasn't anything so innocent.
Shivers raced down his back as his breathing slowed, ears listening intently for the direction of the incoming threat. The piercing howl that rent the air made him wince. The doctor and nurse jumped visibly; their faces were fearful as they too peered anxiously through the streaked glass.
"Go," Jamie whispered in their direction, his eyes still scanning the many windows. "Get out of here. This room isn't safe. Everyone needs to get somewhere secure."
Dr. Waters nodded to the nurse beside him, gesturing towards the door with his chin.
"Round up the aides and get the residents into the main dining hall. Shut all the doors and windows. Lights off. Hurry!"
She nodded curtly and ran from the room, dashing down the corridor to the intercom.
"Jamie, what are you going to do? What's happening?" he asked quietly, his eyes catching sight of David's grinning devilish smile.
The man still hunched on the floor, rocking to and fro. The azure tint to his eyes seemed to be fading now; his movements were beginning to slow. Absently, his manic hand movements stopped as his arms dropped to his sides.
Keenly assessing the situation outside the facility, the grey-haired man was stock still and didn't appear to notice David's waning episode. Finally, he answered the physician's question, his eyes wide behind his glasses.
"It looks like I'm finally going to figure out what this rock can do, doctor. Whatever this is seems to be after me according to David's ranting. Hopefully, I can lure it away from here," he replied, slowly turning his face to Dr. Waters.
"What about him?"
"Yeah, what about me?" David muttered, groggily. He rubbed a hand over his bald head in confusion. "What the fuck is going on anyways?"
Jamie huffed in annoyance.
"Nice of you to join us. You're a little late to the party," he sighed. "Too bad you weren't more helpful."
David snarled defensively, crossing his arms.
"Sorry my mental health is a joke to you," he snapped, earning him an eye roll from Jamie.
"Look, you and the doctor need to get out of here right now. I've got to handle whatever is out there looking for me," he ordered firmly.
Dr. Waters quickly maneuvered the wheelchair beside the crouching tyrant. Before the physician could touch him, David made a show of regaining his seat by himself.
"I'm not that helpless, doc," he said snidely.
As the doctor began to roll the wheelchair to the hall, the man reached over and snagged Jamie's hand tightly. Before his former pet could recoil, he gave it a firm squeeze. David gazed up at Jamie and tenderly whispered to him.
"Be careful, J."
Jamie stared back and nodded.
"I'll try," he answered. "It would help if I knew what I was up against."
"I wish I had more to tell you, but I promise there isn't," David offered. "For what it's worth."
Another angry and aggressive snarl from the rainswept greyness outside.
"Hurry!" Jamie gestured towards the hall as he reached into his pocket, fingers curling around the smooth black stone.
The doctor rushed out shoving the wheelchair in front of him as Jamie's head snapped back around to the ominous sky. He pulled the stone quickly from his hip and thrust it in front of his chest.
It harkened back to his days as the Red Tyranno Ranger. Immediately, his mind and body knew exactly what to do to activate the powers inside the stone.
"Guardian Flame, Celestial Fox! Excite!" he called, gracefully gliding through the power form.
Jamie felt the familiar uprush of strength surge through him, brilliant white orbs whirled and entwined around his chest. His pulse quickened and he gasped with remembered joy as he was engulfed by obsidian colored material; it wasn't the silky fabric of his Red Ranger attire, but something of a different texture.
Silver accents laced the design along with intricate plating guarding his chest. A helmet enclosed his head, very similar to the one that David had been sketching. Also black and silver, the visor was accented with fox-like filigree protruding from the enamel.
"Wow!" Jamie breathed, looking down at himself in amazement.
This stone was even stronger than his previous coin!
Jolting him from his reverie, a crash of glass brought him back to the present. Nothing had entered yet, but the loud breathing of a beast sounded out in the darkness.
"I've got to lure whatever it is away from here."
Jamie bounded toward the opposite wall of windows, jumped into the air, and blasted the glass panes to dust with a futuristic version of his Power Blaster. He flipped out into the pouring rain, yelling back to the menacing presence.
"Catch me if you can, asshole!"
The creature bellowed angrily, and Jamie could hear it's labored panting as he dashed through the rain towards a safer place to battle. Not daring to look behind just yet, he frantically searched for an area with less risk to other life. Another howl blasted his back, making him grit his teeth in pain.
Jamie was still amazed at the boost the power gave not only his body but his mind. Though analyzing a multitude of details and scenarios, he was still able to take on more while keeping everything straight. His vision, his hearing, his senses overall felt finely tuned. He didn't need to see the creature yet to know that it was at least the size of a rhinoceros.
"Come on, try to keep up!" he taunted, finding the perfect site to face this mysterious beast.
Legs pumping faster, Jamie darted through the muddy field, feeling the ground quake as the creature caught up with him. The thick sludge clung to his black boots, slowing him up as he maintained enough grace to not slip. Now it was time to see what monstrosity was chasing him down.
Before he could whip around to face the beast, an odd chill brushed his neck; danger was imminent! Quickly, Jamie planted his feet and hooked to the right, just as a large shape landed where he had just been standing. He fell into a ready stance as he got his first good look at what David was ranting about.
Well, he was right about one thing. The creature was definitely the size and weight of a rhino. But that was where the resemblance stopped. What was standing there, snarling with exposed fangs was something else entirely.
Thick, matted grey fur covered the muscular animal, it's ears perked forward picking up Jamie's pounding heart. Large sharp teeth were displayed in its foam crusted muzzle and the eyes were the same eerie blue that David's had been. A thick leather collar encircled its thick neck.
"Shit! That's a big dog!" Jamie managed to stutter before the thing was charging him again.
It lunged at him and missed; the Celestial Fox Ranger bounded backward, the heavy paws narrowly missing him. The canine whipped its head toward the sky and howled deafeningly. Blue eyes blazed and locked on the black and silver fox standing temptingly before them. A thick pink tongue lapped the muddy muzzle; the creature crouched for another lunge.
"Easy, boy," Jamie tried. "Nice dog."
Obviously, that wasn't going to work. The animal roared and leaped forward, its teeth snapping at the fox's neck. Jamie executed a backflip, kicking the beast under the snout and knocking its head back. It yelped in surprise before noting Jamie darting further into the landscape.
Growling, it gave pursuit, paws squelching in the morass of the field. The little fox was not going to get away that easily! Not after daring to strike in such a manner. The hound could smell its prey, hear its thundering heart. Soon, the creature's blood would saturate the canine's muzzle.
Jamie purposely led the beast to the tree line, knowing it would have difficulty maneuvering the thick trunks under the best of circumstances. The Fox Ranger was about to make it even more impossible. Almost there!
The large oak loomed into view through the rain. Perfect! He ran as hard as he could to put as much distance as possible between himself and the bloodthirsty hound. Hopefully, this trick would prove to be a deterrent.
Reaching the trunk, Jamie leapt into the air, kicking off the tree as he twisted around to face the pursuing beast. The hound's head followed the fox's flight into the air, blue eyes blazing. The movement made the targets an easy shot for the Fox Ranger.
Yanking the small stars from his arm guard, he hurled the Shuriken stars directly into the dog's eyes. They ripped through the sites like jelly, the thick bloody slime coating the beast's fur. Giving a sharp scream of agony, it skidded to a stop, falling into an untidy roll.
Whining frantically, the paws rubbed at its injured eyes, confused at being unable to see and in so much pain. Jamie swiftly climbed into a tree to observe what would happen next. His finely tuned hearing barely caught a word whispered through the downpour.
"Redi."
The hound still rolled and pawed at his face, the blood flowing thicker now.
"Redi!" the voice commanded.
Jamie looked around nervously, not entirely sure if he was hearing a voice or not. He hadn't heard it just with his physical ears, something inside also picked it up. A strangled cry brought his attention back to the beast, which was now standing and swaying in pain. Slowly, the hound began to fade into nothingness, the ground and trees beyond it becoming more visible as it receded.
As it did so, the sky gradually lightened, the rain began to merely sprinkle.
Panting, Jamie jumped down from the tree limb he had been perched on. He looked around carefully, before powering down from his Ranger form.
"What.. in.. the.. hell was that," he groaned.
The animal appeared to be truly gone, only the blood and gore left in the mud as evidence of their skirmish. He had a bad feeling that he'd only gotten lucky this time. The hound had underestimated his ability. That was not a mistake that would happen again.
Jamie sprinted back in the direction of the nursing facility, worried for all the terrified residents and staff. He felt he had lured the hound far enough away that no one witnessed the nightmarish creature stalking him. Now that he was unmorphed, he felt his usual anxiousness creeping back in; as the Fox Ranger, he had felt more in command and competent than he usually did.
What he wouldn't give to be able to always feel as confident and capable!
Mindful of the sharp debris, Jamie pulled himself back into the destroyed sunroom. He just caught a face peeking through the door as he landed on the tile.
"Jamie, are you alright?" It was Dr. Waters.
Straightening his glasses, Jamie approached the physician as he opened the door wider.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Is everyone here ok?" he asked, worriedly.
The doctor nodded with relief that the fragile seeming Jamie was in one piece. He felt the poor man had already been through enough. And it was about to get even harder for his new patient.
"Physically, yes. There were a few that managed to peek through the blinds and see the new amazing Ranger luring away the big bad wolf. I think if they hadn't seen you, Jamie, it would have been much worse for them."
So, he had been observed after all. Great. He really didn't want news of another Ranger getting around. Jamie didn't want the pressure; the hound was going to show up again sooner or later. He didn't want any other warlords hunting him down.
Besides this canine, the grey-haired man was going to have to personally deal with his own tyrant.
"Good, that's good," Jamie nodded. "You see why I need him now, Dr. Waters? I didn't kill that thing. It will be back."
The doctor put his hand over his face.
"Jamie, I can't stress enough how much I did not recommend this," he started. "Have you thought about what this could do to you? Mentally and physically?"
Jamie sighed and squeezed his eyes tightly.
"Yes, I have. There is no other choice. He can't stay here and if you call the authorities, I'll never be able to get the information out of him. He may not be able to access it now because I believe he told me the truth earlier," he replied firmly. "Red's intuition, doc."
"I still don't like it. But you're still agreeing to the terms then?"
Jamie nodded and spread his arms.
"I'll do what I have to do. I told you how to find me. If it makes you feel better, I'll allow it."
"Nothing about this will make me feel better, Jamie. But I guess this plan of yours is what its going to be," the man answered.
A couple hours later, an aide approached Jamie where he sat at the nurse's station, arms crossed nervously over his chest.
"All set," she murmured.
The nurse behind the counter handed Jamie a printout and a package containing bottles of medication.
"You be careful with that man, Jamie. I can't believe you have to do this," she whispered, giving the nervous man a tight hug.
"I promise I'll be careful. No one knows better than I do the games he plays," he answered softly.
Dr. Waters stood from his chair on the other side of the station and approached the pair.
"I'll be out tomorrow morning then, Jamie. Before I come here," he advised, before leaning in closer. "David's chart has been taken apart and as far anyone here knows all his information was bullshit anyways. No one's going to be concerned that he's disappeared. But, if Drakkon, happens to make an appearance…"
"None of this ever happened," Jamie nodded his understanding.
"What about when this is over, Jamie? What will you do with David, then?" the nurse asked.
"Then we can call the police?" the doctor answered hopefully. "I don't want to know if David has an 'accident' out there, understand?"
"I understand," Jamie said somberly.
Fuck, what was he going to do with the batshit crazy tyrant when this was done?
He felt a tug on the hem of his button up and glancing over, nearly jumped out of his skin to see David in his wheelchair next to him.
"I'm ready to go, roomie," he commented cheekily.
Jamie leaned down close to his face.
"Listen carefully, asshole. I'm taking you to the one goddamn place I ever felt safe and happy. You're invading me, yet again. I swear to God if you try anything, you'll get the Hansel and Gretel experience. Without the breadcrumbs. Got it?" he hissed into the tyrant's ear. "Or I'll end up with a fancy new scarecrow! I'll take a page out of your book!"
David pulled a wounded look.
"Aren't we getting off on the wrong foot, darling?" he faux whimpered.
"We got off on the wrong foot roughly 20 years ago," Jamie fired back.
Taking the satchel of belongings from the aide, he threw it over his shoulder and began to wheel David towards the exit.
"Let's see if I can manage to get you up there without dumping you a few times, shall we?" Jamie quipped.
"Don't you dare."