Chapter 3 Escorting a prisoner

I climbed out of the vehicle and walked towards the large imposing building. Dragon poked her head out of the sling and looked up into my face and I smiled, "the warmer will keep them warm if you want to ride on my shoulder."

Her gravid state had come as a surprise. Like only a few creatures she was technically both male and female. Although sex did not really come into it, she became pregnant after she reached a certain age. First was her gravid state and then she laid three to five eggs, (this time it was only three). She kept the eggs warm and seventy to eighty days later the young hatched. They bonded to a sentient person shortly after hatching.

Dragon slipped out of the sling and swiftly moved up onto my shoulder as I touched my badge to the door plate. I walked into the large lobby and across to the man relaxing behind the counter. I nodded to him, "I am marshal Morpheus. I am here to escort a prisoner."

The man sighed and turned to touch an intercom button, "the marshal is here warden."

He pointed to a corner that opened to reveal a lift, "leave the pet."

I smiled as I turned to the lift, "Dragon is not a pet. She is a deterrent."

When I stepped out several floors above the lobby it was to two prison officers and a tall civilian. I started across the wide hallway and the tall man turned to hold out his hand. I glanced at it as Dragon hissed a warning that had the hand pulled back quickly. I shrugged, "Dragon has eggs and is a little suspicious."

All three looked at Dragon as I looked around, "where is my prisoner?"

The warden cleared his throat, "I thought we might talk first and give you pertinent information."

I smiled, "he is a killer and never to be trusted. His followers will try anything to free him so everyone around us is not to be trusted. I may look young warden but I know what I am doing."

He looked at Dragon, "really?"

I laughed as I reached up to caress her face, "let her bite one of your men and you will see why she is not a pet."

They looked at each other and the warden shook his head before turning to one of the men, "have Edwards brought up."

I waited and a few minutes later a large man was pulled out and pushed down the hall. He kicked out at one of the guards and growled as the guard snapped a club down into his leg. When they reached me Edwards lunged towards me and then began screaming in pain.

I looked at him on the floor and knelt to pull the tiny dart from his neck, "the pain becomes worst each time you are stung. I am marshal Morpheus, you will call me marshal. You will do what I tell you, when I tell you."

He struck out with both hands still in restraints. I brushed it aside and struck into the side of his neck. I stood as he screamed again and nodded to the warden, "the release?"

He was looking at me as if I was some strange creature and nodded to a guard who was grinning as he held out a comp screen. I took it and signed for Edwards before handing it back and looking down, "get up."

He growled and struggled before coming to his feet. He jerked when Dragon leaped and came down on his shoulder, "GET IT OFF!"

I slapped him, "Dragon is trained. If you attack or make any aggressive move she will bite you. One of two things will happen, either you will be locked into stasis or you will die. Now shut up and move."

I took his arm and turned him to the lift as the guards moved out of the way. We were starting across the lobby when he shifted and started a move to strike me. I slipped back and Dragon bit his neck. I caught him when he began to fall and she hissed as she swarmed up onto my shoulder. I sighed, "okay go ahead."

She rubbed her head against mine as I crouched. She slipped down my chest and back into the sling as I slung Edwards over my shoulder. The guard that had been watching was wide eyed as I stood and started for the doors. I opened the back door of my vehicle and dumped Edwards in the back before turning the pressor field on. I walked around and got in before lifting and turning the vehicle.

I did not drive straight to the starport, I headed away. I made a large circle before turning to head back towards the port. I slipped into the city traffic instead of flying above it. When I turned off at the transportation lot it was sudden. I got out and moved back to shut the pressor field off before pulling Edwards out. I reset the vehicle controls and yanked him up and over my shoulder.

I was walking through the port building when they struck. I do not know how they got weapons past the door scanner but four men were suddenly standing in front of me with drawn pistols. I guess they thought I would just do what they said. I did not even stop walking as my hand came up and my weapon fired. Two men fell back and the other two panicked and tried to duck away for cover.

They never made it as I shot one and then the other. As the port building alarms began I juggled Edwards and reloaded my weapon. Dragon swarmed out angrily and moved up onto him to hiss at everyone that came near. I holstered my weapon to display my badge before continuing towards the gate I needed. I hissed at Dragon and dropped Edwards beside the gate leading to the shuttle.

Her small jump as she left Edward seemed to slow as I turned at just the hint of sound. My weapon was coming up as a man stepped out with a rifle already against his shoulder. He never got the chance to fire as I squeezed the trigger and his head snapped back. His fall backwards was in slow motion as Dragon finally dropped onto my shoulder.

I glanced at her as she rose up to mantle and hiss angrily. I shook my head and removed the sling with her eggs and set it in a seat nearby, "nest."

She rubbed my face and dropped down to the seat and crawled into the sling. I sat beside her and leaned back as port officers descended to pull the body away. They kept looking at me as I relaxed but they did not come closer. It was several hours before a clerk arrived at the boarding gate. Edwards groaned and she looked at him before looking away.

When he turned his head towards me I shrugged, "I warned you. Next time she might just kill you."

He glanced around and licked his lips, "where is it?"

I smiled, "around."

By the way he kept flexing I knew he was testing his restraints. I sighed and stood as the gate opened. I turned to put the sling on and then stepped towards Edwards. His leg cocked and my hand flicked a tiny dart out. He started screaming and everyone that was headed towards the gate stopped and backed up. I waited and then yanked him up and pulled the dart from his neck, "you just keep asking for it."

He snarled as I shoved him through the gate. In the shuttle I strapped him in and touched a slim needle to his arm. He sucked in a breath as he froze and his eyes looked at me. I nodded, "one move on the way up and you will be screaming for a very long time."

He swallowed and nodded and I faced ahead. The ride up was bumpy and from the few looks I knew I had several more followers on the shuttle. When we reached the ship I waited for all the other passengers before standing. I waited and he stood up but I saw him shift his weight for a kick. As his foot snapped out I stepped aside and brought another small dart down into his leg.

His scream went on for a long time before it stopped. I kicked his feet, "get up!"

He glared but I only looked back. Dragon had come out while he screamed and had moved to a seat back. As he struggled to his feet she leaped and swarmed up onto his shoulder with an angry hiss. He jerked, "GET IT OFF!"

I slapped him, "you have already pissed her off. Keep yelling and I will be delivery your body."

He glared and started to turn his head before freezing as her teeth touched his neck. I watched as he finally straightened and gestured down the isle, "move."

I walked beside him and gestured the shuttle crew and the ship's purser back as we came to the hatch into the ship. Instead of going to my suite I guided him through the ship as a man tried to follow stealthily. I pushed Edwards across and into a jump room. I guided him to the back and pushed him down in a seat. I sat beside him and again he felt the touch of a needle against his arm.

Dragon hopped to my shoulder and rubbed my cheek before crawling into my lap. It was not long before the room began filling as the ship started moving. The jump came suddenly and Edwards started to move, first to pull his arm away and then to strike. His scream made everyone try to move away and went on and on. I shifted Dragon and put her into the sling with the eggs before standing.

I knelt to pull the needle out before standing again, "you know each time you do that it damages you."

He glared and I shrugged, "suit yourself."

I stepped back, "get up."

He rolled and came to his feet before turning to look at me, "you will slip sometime."

I gestured and led him out and through the ship. After I closed the door to my suite I pushed him towards the bed. When we reached it his body went tense and then his eyes widened. I pushed and he fell onto the bed. I moved him around before pulling the colored pin out of his arm, "sweet dreams."

I went to the couch and sat before pulling the sling off and setting it beside me. The first attack came that night. Edwards had awaken and tried to just lie still until I came closer. I was meditating and he finally sat up and swung his feet off the bed. I turned my head and gestured to the table, "eat."

His eyes narrowed but I had just gone back to meditating. The slight sound at the door had me moving before it even started opening. My weapon fired and the first man's head snapped back. My second shot took a woman in the throat as my other hand absently flicked towards a charging Edwards. As he crashed to the floor screaming I shot another tall ugly woman with a pulse rifle.

I waited and walked to look out into the hall before turning to walk to Edwards. I knelt and pulled the tiny dart out before standing and stepping back, "get up."

He cursed and snarled and I showed him another dart. He rolled to his feet as a ship's crew member stepped into the doorway. Edwards started to move and froze before falling, I smiled and glanced down at Dragon by his knee. She was leaning off the couch and hissed before moving back. I nodded to the crewman, "let the purser and captain know what happen."

I moved forward and lifted Edwards before carrying him to the bed. I dumped him on the bed and went to start cleaning up. When he came out of stasis he turned his head to glare, "when you slip I am going to rip that flying bat thing apart."

I smiled and rubbed Dragon's head, she was curled up in my lap and purring. Edwards sat up and started to move off the bed. Her head snapped around and she glared as she hissed. He stopped moving and looked at me. I rubbed her back before looking at him, "go use the facilities and wash."

He nodded and stood with his eyes on Dragon. I let him leave before pushing her towards the sling, "I will find something for you to eat."

She hissed softly and crawled into the sling as I went to the food dispenser. When Edwards came out I knew he had something he thought was a weapon. I gestured to the bed and he ignored it. I shook my head and my hand flicked out. He screamed and kept on screaming as I stood and walked to him. I knelt and ignored the tiny dart in his arm as I started searching.

I found the broken piece of metal and pulled the dart out as I stood and stepped back, "stand up."

Edwards growled and lurched to his feet, one foot snapping out. I side stepped, bringing my hand up under his foot and he started screaming again as he hit the floor. This time I just waited for the chemical to wear off. When he finally relaxed and glared at me I shrugged, "I warned you."

This time when he stood and I pushed him towards the bed he went. I pulled the tiny dart out as he stiffened and collapsed onto the bed, I also removed the colored needle. A week later the ship reached Neon, that was where the second attack came. I was moving Edwards towards the shuttle airlock when a man stepped out in front of us.

I had made sure we were going to be on the last shuttle down. I pushed Edwards forward and to one side as I drew my weapon. The man was trying to bring a weapon up that had been hidden behind his leg. He did not make it as I killed him with a shot to the head. I turned and fired back down the hall behind us. It should have been clear but two men were coming out of rooms on each side of the hallway.

They both fell, one with a hole in his chest and the other with his head half gone. I absently side stepped and my empty hand snapped out. Edwards flew back into the wall as I turned to look at him coldly, "one more time and you are dead."

He wiped blood from his broken nose and growled as he slowly stood, "maybe."

I snorted and pushed him into the shuttle and then down the isle and into the first seat. I sat beside him and he froze as the needle touched his arm. I smiled as I relaxed beside him, "this one kills."

When we landed Edwards was sweating as I stepped back for him to stand. Dragon had come out of her sling and was on his shoulder as he slowly stood. This time I used the back way through the port. I stepped out the port attendants door and glanced around before I hailed a hire vehicle. Edwards was tense the whole ride but a needle touching his arm kept him from moving.

I tossed the credit chit to the driver when we reached the large stone gateway. I moved out and Edwards hesitated before following. This was where I played an ace, I took his elbow and touched a button on a small box inside my shirt. For an area of ten feet around us everything became foggy. He jerked and then stopped moving as he felt Dragons teeth at his neck.

I pulled him along through the gateway and touched my badge to a thick metal door. It opened and I pushed him inside before following. I knew this was where he would get desperate and touched his wrist with a colored needle. Dragon leaped to my shoulder as Edwards slumped to the floor. I turned the box off and looked across the room at the two guards behind the thick armored glass.

I shrugged and put Dragon in her sling before squatting and lifting Edwards to my shoulder. I walked to the only other door in the room and one of the guards opened it. I moved to the waiting men and knelt to drop Edwards onto the floor before standing and pulling out my comp screen. I held it out to the only civilian in the room.

The warden shook his head, "you cost me a case of bourbon marshal."