Darkest Day
By James Cherry
© 2012 James Cherry
All characters in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or deceased is purely coincidental.
This book is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of James Cherry.
Prologue
Doctor Ayako Masuda stared at the remains of the young dragon that had been senselessly
slaughtered by a trio of armed men. As the dragons were on the endangered
species list, the three poachers had been apprehended and taken into custody by
wildlife officials. And it was the wildlife officials who had contacted Ayako
and led her to the corpse which lay before her.
She frowned at the carcass, knowing that if the killing continued, the species was
doomed. After General Crowell’s ruthless attempt at killing all wild dragons, an
attempt that was almost successful, the population was on the verge of
extinction.
By her reckoning, there were fewer than thirty wild dragons left worldwide and
growing fewer by the day. After word of the fabulous creatures came to light,
and the general public was made aware, a black market trade for dragon body
parts seemingly sprang up overnight. Asian customers were paying huge sums of
money for dragon parts, as their long and ancient culture was deeply intertwined
with tradition and mysticism surrounding the creatures.
They used every part of the creatures, grinding the bones into meal, eating the
flesh, and making lucky charms from the skins. As dragons were considered good
luck and eating parts of the dragon thought to cure ailments, the slaughter
would continue, and she knew that she was helpless to stop it.
As the majority of the surviving dragons were located deep within the Andes
Mountains, Ayako had made several trips over the last three years in order to
study the magnificent creatures. But she decided that this would be her last
trip, as the long and arduous hikes up the mountains were taking a toll upon her
body. And the fact that the dragon population had dipped so low that finding one
was virtually impossible anymore.
Nodding to her companions, Ian and Jake, they quickly gathered up the corpse and
placed it within a plastic bag. She would study the creature in more detail once
she made it home, but they would have to hurry and put the corpse on ice, as the
unbearable heat and humidity would cause rapid decomposition.
Ian and Jake were two young graduate students that had signed on
with Ayako for this latest expedition. Both were in their mid-twenties, and both
reminded her of a former companion of hers, Marty Fellows. That brash young man
had been a pain in the ass, to say the least, but in the end he had surprisingly
matured.
Ian’s voice pulled Ayako from her reminiscences as he said, “Doc, we have quite a hike
before we can get this thing on ice, I don’t think we can make it before dark.”
Jake laughed and replied, “You scared that the dragons will come out and get you
tonight?”
Ian scowled and said, “Hell no, the dragons don’t come out to feed unless it’s a new
moon” Ian looked to Ayako for confirmation and asked, “Right doctor?”
Ayako nodded in return.
Turning to her armed escort, she ordered, “Let’s move.”
The two armed men, locals, grumbled something in Spanish and moved into position
as the group headed down the mountainside. They travelled slowly, hampered by
the weight and bulk of the dead animal, but were able to reach the edge of the
forest just as the setting sun dipped behind the horizon.
Ayako wasn’t about to stop as they were only a couple miles from their base
camp, and from ice, which was badly needed to help preserve their
find.
She urged the group on, and they trudged through the undergrowth as the area was
plunged into blackness.
Ayako barely heard the sound of wings but it was a sound she knew well. She stopped
the group hissed, “A dragon is up there, get under cover now!”
Without question, Ian and Jake dove for cover. They had been thoroughly briefed
on the dragons beforehand, and knew that to hesitate meant certain
death.
The two guards didn’t move though, and they stood looking perplexed as the three
foreigners hid from sight.
Ayako urgently signaled the guards to take cover, but the stubborn men seemed to
not comprehend their predicament. Trying another tactic, she pointed to the sky
and loudly whispered, “El Dragón.”
Both of the men’s eyes went wide and the lifted their rifles to the sky as they
scanned intently.
Ian whispered, “Doc, I thought you said that the dragons would only come out on
the new moon?”
Ayako whispered back, “I have never seen them come out on any night other than
the night of a new moon. I don’t know why this one is stalking us now.” Her
thoughts turned to the young dragon they were carrying and she said, “Maybe it
is trying to retrieve its young.”
Jake glanced down at the bag containing the corpse, and his face paled as he
comprehended what Ayako had just said. As he quickly scooted away from the bag,
he said, “Maybe we should leave it . . .” He looked up, his eyes suddenly
growing wide in alarm, and he shouted, “Look out!”
Ayako looked up and saw a dark shape falling through the trees. The dragon
smashed through the upper boughs, scattering leaves and breaking limbs in its
reckless dive. Its legs were stretched forward and its talons were fully
extended and reaching out.
Reaching for her, she realized.
Ayako dove to the side just before the dragon impacted upon the ground. She
quickly rolled away, jumped to her feet, and turned to run, but wasn’t quick
enough. A lance of pain ripped through her body as giant jaws, laced with sharp
teeth, latched tightly upon her left arm and shoulder.
She felt the dagger-like projections sink deep within her flesh and she screamed in
agony. In a terror filled panic, she flailed her arms, smacking the creature’s
head with all her strength in a futile effort to make it let go.
A single report of a gunshot rang out, and the dragon whipped it tail around,
knocking the two guards to the ground with tremendous force. Ayako watched the
guards, hoping that they would stand back up and fire again, but the men lay
motionless and unresponsive.
She turned her head to look for Ian and Jake, and saw their fleeing forms as they
sped away in utter terror. Her heart dropped for she knew that she was now alone
and in the clutches of a dragon.
And there was no escape.
Suddenly the dragon picked her up, and shook its massive head from side to side, whipping
and tossing Ayako around as if she were a rag doll caught in the mouth of a
puppy. The rapid acceleration, abrupt stop and swift deceleration of the shaking
was too much for her body, and she felt her vision begin to grow dim.
She silently prayed that she would pass out before the dragon began to eat
her.
***
Darkest Day will be available by December 2012
By James Cherry
© 2012 James Cherry
All characters in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or deceased is purely coincidental.
This book is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of James Cherry.
Prologue
Doctor Ayako Masuda stared at the remains of the young dragon that had been senselessly
slaughtered by a trio of armed men. As the dragons were on the endangered
species list, the three poachers had been apprehended and taken into custody by
wildlife officials. And it was the wildlife officials who had contacted Ayako
and led her to the corpse which lay before her.
She frowned at the carcass, knowing that if the killing continued, the species was
doomed. After General Crowell’s ruthless attempt at killing all wild dragons, an
attempt that was almost successful, the population was on the verge of
extinction.
By her reckoning, there were fewer than thirty wild dragons left worldwide and
growing fewer by the day. After word of the fabulous creatures came to light,
and the general public was made aware, a black market trade for dragon body
parts seemingly sprang up overnight. Asian customers were paying huge sums of
money for dragon parts, as their long and ancient culture was deeply intertwined
with tradition and mysticism surrounding the creatures.
They used every part of the creatures, grinding the bones into meal, eating the
flesh, and making lucky charms from the skins. As dragons were considered good
luck and eating parts of the dragon thought to cure ailments, the slaughter
would continue, and she knew that she was helpless to stop it.
As the majority of the surviving dragons were located deep within the Andes
Mountains, Ayako had made several trips over the last three years in order to
study the magnificent creatures. But she decided that this would be her last
trip, as the long and arduous hikes up the mountains were taking a toll upon her
body. And the fact that the dragon population had dipped so low that finding one
was virtually impossible anymore.
Nodding to her companions, Ian and Jake, they quickly gathered up the corpse and
placed it within a plastic bag. She would study the creature in more detail once
she made it home, but they would have to hurry and put the corpse on ice, as the
unbearable heat and humidity would cause rapid decomposition.
Ian and Jake were two young graduate students that had signed on
with Ayako for this latest expedition. Both were in their mid-twenties, and both
reminded her of a former companion of hers, Marty Fellows. That brash young man
had been a pain in the ass, to say the least, but in the end he had surprisingly
matured.
Ian’s voice pulled Ayako from her reminiscences as he said, “Doc, we have quite a hike
before we can get this thing on ice, I don’t think we can make it before dark.”
Jake laughed and replied, “You scared that the dragons will come out and get you
tonight?”
Ian scowled and said, “Hell no, the dragons don’t come out to feed unless it’s a new
moon” Ian looked to Ayako for confirmation and asked, “Right doctor?”
Ayako nodded in return.
Turning to her armed escort, she ordered, “Let’s move.”
The two armed men, locals, grumbled something in Spanish and moved into position
as the group headed down the mountainside. They travelled slowly, hampered by
the weight and bulk of the dead animal, but were able to reach the edge of the
forest just as the setting sun dipped behind the horizon.
Ayako wasn’t about to stop as they were only a couple miles from their base
camp, and from ice, which was badly needed to help preserve their
find.
She urged the group on, and they trudged through the undergrowth as the area was
plunged into blackness.
Ayako barely heard the sound of wings but it was a sound she knew well. She stopped
the group hissed, “A dragon is up there, get under cover now!”
Without question, Ian and Jake dove for cover. They had been thoroughly briefed
on the dragons beforehand, and knew that to hesitate meant certain
death.
The two guards didn’t move though, and they stood looking perplexed as the three
foreigners hid from sight.
Ayako urgently signaled the guards to take cover, but the stubborn men seemed to
not comprehend their predicament. Trying another tactic, she pointed to the sky
and loudly whispered, “El Dragón.”
Both of the men’s eyes went wide and the lifted their rifles to the sky as they
scanned intently.
Ian whispered, “Doc, I thought you said that the dragons would only come out on
the new moon?”
Ayako whispered back, “I have never seen them come out on any night other than
the night of a new moon. I don’t know why this one is stalking us now.” Her
thoughts turned to the young dragon they were carrying and she said, “Maybe it
is trying to retrieve its young.”
Jake glanced down at the bag containing the corpse, and his face paled as he
comprehended what Ayako had just said. As he quickly scooted away from the bag,
he said, “Maybe we should leave it . . .” He looked up, his eyes suddenly
growing wide in alarm, and he shouted, “Look out!”
Ayako looked up and saw a dark shape falling through the trees. The dragon
smashed through the upper boughs, scattering leaves and breaking limbs in its
reckless dive. Its legs were stretched forward and its talons were fully
extended and reaching out.
Reaching for her, she realized.
Ayako dove to the side just before the dragon impacted upon the ground. She
quickly rolled away, jumped to her feet, and turned to run, but wasn’t quick
enough. A lance of pain ripped through her body as giant jaws, laced with sharp
teeth, latched tightly upon her left arm and shoulder.
She felt the dagger-like projections sink deep within her flesh and she screamed in
agony. In a terror filled panic, she flailed her arms, smacking the creature’s
head with all her strength in a futile effort to make it let go.
A single report of a gunshot rang out, and the dragon whipped it tail around,
knocking the two guards to the ground with tremendous force. Ayako watched the
guards, hoping that they would stand back up and fire again, but the men lay
motionless and unresponsive.
She turned her head to look for Ian and Jake, and saw their fleeing forms as they
sped away in utter terror. Her heart dropped for she knew that she was now alone
and in the clutches of a dragon.
And there was no escape.
Suddenly the dragon picked her up, and shook its massive head from side to side, whipping
and tossing Ayako around as if she were a rag doll caught in the mouth of a
puppy. The rapid acceleration, abrupt stop and swift deceleration of the shaking
was too much for her body, and she felt her vision begin to grow dim.
She silently prayed that she would pass out before the dragon began to eat
her.
***
Darkest Day will be available by December 2012