Love in the Age of Dragons: a Novel by Fatima Henson

Author:Fatima Henson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: SparkPress

CHAPTER 24

Richard walked so close to Ayanna that she could hear his controlled breathing. He kept his body a few inches in front of hers as they moved quietly through the city streets. The only sounds came from the scratching noises that echoed from a department store with broken windows and burnt walls. The fact that they were not alone sent a tingling sensation up the back of Ayanna’s neck.

The swift and agile movement of Richard’s team surprised her. No one had ever accompanied her on her trips to the surface, and the team’s presence made her feel both safe and nervous at the same time. Like most days of her life, Ayanna realized that others were counting on her. This time, she had volunteered to point out the exact location of the dam. The realization started to wash over her and her heart beat faster. But taking Richard to the dam would be relatively easy compared to what would follow. How had Ayanna come all this way without a sensible plan for getting the digitalis?

Think, Ayanna commanded herself.

Richard paused suddenly. His surprise movement focused her attention. The team approached the open land, leaving the confines of the skyscrapers. Ayanna glanced at Richard, whose face wore a frown.

“Wha—?”

Richard brought his finger to his lips. Ayanna closed her mouth with a slight pop. Her breath rang loud in her ears. What did he see that she didn’t? A dragon? She waited for Richard to move. After a few seconds, he motioned ahead. Whatever it was seemed to have moved on, and the team stopped in front of two massive blocks covered with a canvas tarp. Gomez and Ramirez approached the wide figures and pulled back the canvas sheet to reveal two military jeeps.

“Grace, ride with me,” said Richard.

Ayanna felt relieved. She hadn’t realized the Protectorate had hidden vehicles nearby. But then again, there was no reason for anyone to have told her.

She squeezed into the back of Richard’s jeep. Richard took the wheel, and Officer Gomez sat beside him, while Lieutenant Ramirez rode in the back with her. The other men climbed into the second jeep, and they continued to the riverfront.

Richard sped over the open road. Only a few cars sat abandoned in the streets. The jeep’s tires rolling over gravel mixed with the roar of the engine, drowning out most of the night’s sounds. Ayanna could not see beyond the first two hundred feet in front of the jeep, but she knew the dragons flew high above them. The night was their time.

Richard brought the jeep to a bumpy halt and turned off the engine a half mile before the riverbank. The second jeep did the same. The men got out with their weapons drawn, and Richard stood beside her again before Ayanna realized he had moved.

“If we get separated for any reason, I want you to take a jeep and return to the Scion building. Do you understand?” Richard said.

“I understand,” Ayanna said.

The group approached the bridge overlooking the Savannah.

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