Battle Bond: An Urban Fantasy Dragon Series (Death Before Dragons #2) - Lindsay Buroker Page 0,67
but only because I don’t drink it.”
“Did he drink it?” Willard sounded fascinated by this development. Maybe some secret girlie part of her heart wanted to attend a dragon–half-elf wedding.
“How should I know?” I grimaced as the video she’d promised popped up on my phone. I was used to death and gore and violence, but that didn’t mean I enjoyed watching footage of it. “Are you officially putting me on assignment to get this dragon?”
“Yeah. The military is prepared to send in jets to attack it from the air, but we need someone who can see it to pin it with a locator device.”
“Oh, that’ll be easy. I’ll just tag him like he’s a bear.”
“I was told without much subtlety that this is the least preferred method of dealing with him. They would prefer you simply get rid of him.”
“Even easier.”
“When your dragon sobers up, maybe you can try that chute-opening-ass-swatting suggestion I made.”
“If only. Zav went back to his world. I’m not sure when he’ll be back.”
Willard swore. That spoke volumes about her belief that I could handle this without Zav. Maybe she’d assumed from the beginning that he would be there to help—though I wasn’t sure why she would. Unless she knew more than I did, which was usually the case.
She took a deep breath. “We need to convince Dobsaurin to leave, one way or another. I’ve been authorized to double your combat bonus if you can kill him. Regular combat bonus if you can pin him with a transmitter that he can’t remove.”
I rubbed my head. How was I supposed to do that? A dragon wasn’t a wolf. I couldn’t staple something to his ear that he wouldn’t be able to remove—or incinerate. Dragons didn’t even have external ears.
“I’m having something prepared now. Something very durable. You can pick it up at the office this afternoon. If you’re successful, there’s a team at McChord ready to take off after him.”
I lowered my head, staring bleakly out at the gray sky and the darker gray water of Lake Union. Dealing with the dark elves seemed like a simple affair compared to this new assignment. I’d have to kill Dob. Or somehow convince him to leave. There was no way a dragon wouldn’t be able to remove a transmitter tag, even if I had a weapon that could pierce his hide to pin him with it. Chopper was the only thing I knew of that could make a dent. A tiny dent.
“You have the option to say no,” Willard added quietly.
I hadn’t spoken for a long minute.
“You’re not sworn to follow orders anymore,” she added.
“Yeah, but if I don’t do it, who will?”
“Nobody as good as you.”
“That’s what I was afraid of. I’ll be there soon.”
As I hung up, Mary leaned out of her office. “Val? I’m sorry my last appointment ran a little late. Will you come in?”
“I have to go.” I waved my phone before pocketing it. “Work.”
“You can’t take a few minutes to talk?” She raised her eyebrows. “You look tired.”
“Because I slept for two hours last night. I am tired.”
“I won’t nag you. I’m certain you already know that the best thing you can do for your health is get at least eight hours of sleep in a dark, quiet environment.”
“Trust me. I would love to do that.”
“Do you turn your phone off at night or at least keep it in another room?”
“No. When a friend calls and says her food truck is on fire, I want to be there for her.”
“It is difficult when your job requires you to be available around the clock. I know. I work with firemen and police officers. Will you make time to come in next week?”
“Yes. I figure everything will either be resolved by then or I’ll be dead.”
Mary smiled, but it faltered. Maybe my expression told her I wasn’t joking. I wished I were. The conversation I’d had with my mother returned to my mind, and even though I hadn’t decided anything yet, the idea of dying before I’d had a chance to speak with my daughter bothered me. A lot.
“Mary? My mom told me that my ex-husband and my daughter will be going on a family trip to Idaho in a few weeks. They invited her to join them, and she suggested I come along. I haven’t spoken to Thad or Amber in years, and they didn’t invite me, but… would it be weird if I showed up there? Just to say hi?”