The Fount of Dragon Fire

Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Ash's hands tightened into fists, his knuckles turning white, as his nails bit sharp half-moons into the palm of his hand. The pain wasn't even a footnote in the back of his mind. He was incapable of focusing on anything else except the muffled, strangled screams Camry was trying to make as Thad painted icy water onto her skin, causing deep, blistering burns.

Even just hearing it through the speaker of Blaire's laptop, peaking at the scene through the small crack she had made in the door to record the event, was enough to make Ash blind with rage that turned his vision red and made his finger twitch. He had never been so regretful and so grateful that he didn't have a gun on him. He would have shot the computer screen, even knowing that it wouldn't help. Then, he would have gone hunting for Thad so he could shoot him, too.

The president had assured Ash that Camry wouldn't be harmed. And, like a fool, he had actually believed the dirty politician.

The door closed and the video ended. The player went to a blank, black screen, but Ash could still see the former image burned into his eyes.

"Well, there you go." Blaire said simply, as though that covered everything.

"And you just left her there?!" Ash snapped angrily.

"What do you want from me?" Blaire glared at him, arms crossed. "We're lucky I was able to sneak into their squad at all. You expect me to be able to carry out body bags with people wiggling inside and not get stopped?"

Ash knew that there was nothing she could have done, but that thought belonged to a rational part of his brain that had been fully overloaded by the sight of Camry's pain and the sound of her screams. He didn't want to hear reason, he wanted to hurt something and blame someone. And, since Thad wasn't immediately available, he just lashed out.

"Besides, she's being held legally-"

"That is not legal!"

"Don't raise your voice at me!" Blaire yelled back at him. If he wanted to pick a fight, she would be more than happy to oblige him.

"Hey, hey, hey. Friends." Harcourt stood from where he had been sitting in the back of their shared room at the old firehouse. He had been too far from the screen to see the video - he was still trying to find his daughter her birthday gifts - but he had heard enough.

"Don't you get me started either." Blaire glared at him.

"I'm not trying to get anyone started. I'm trying to calm you both down." Harcourt put his hands on their shoulders. "Take it from someone older and wiser than yourselves, this kind of anger is only self-destructive. You won't get anything accomplished by just blindly striking out in rage. Believe me, I know. That kind of thinking cost me a marriage."

Blaire rolled her eyes, but Ash tried to listen. He took in a breath through his teeth, struggling to get his anger under control. It was a hard fought battle. He didn't think he was winning it either. He just kept hearing Camry's screams in his ears.

"That's the spirit." Harcourt praised, grinning at Ash. "Acting emotionally won't fix anything. It will only make things worse."

He was right. Ash had to think this through. Shooting the computer or fighting with Blaire wasn't going to stop Camry from being tortured for Thad's 'experiments'.

"She's in custody, and I don't see Thad giving her up anytime soon. And, legally, since she's in government custody and considered a danger to society, no one is likely to help her."

Locked away. Hurting. Begging him silently for help.

"Sometimes, you just have to look at a situation objectively and ask yourself, 'Can I make this sacrifice to do the right thing?' You know what I mean, Ash?"