This Mountain Follows Its Own Rules

The intel for this assignment was a mess and the only reason why Marksman James Pearson bothered to volunteer was the possibility that he could help recover seven missing girls. Kidnapped by sex traffickers made his blood boil. That's all he needed to know. The other intel, the witnesses' reports had to be a mistake or the people in these mountains were doing a lot of drugs. Their statements…they couldn't be possible.

"You're here," rang out from a man in uniform approaching Pearson's truck, "I'm Police Chief Hawkeye. Glad you found us easily enough."

With a handshake, Pearson responded, "Marksman James Pearson. I'm used to mountain areas like this."

"The girls are ages 10-14 and we think they are being held in a barn next to a cabin over the ridge. It's usually pretty quiet around this time of year but we've been noticing smoke from the chimney and a few trucks that no one recognizes going in and out of town this past week."

"Nothing I can't handle," Pearson stated.

"Good to hear," the police chief looked at Pearson's gear and asked, "Are you sure that's everything you need? What if they're right and there's also a..."

"I'm sure I'll be fine," Pearson cut him off, "I'm here to rescue girls from kidnappers, not to get caught up in Urban Legends."

"Ah, well I understand you being skeptical, but let me tell you something about these mountains. They're remote and hard to get around. The lack of people means the trees and wildlife are free to grow as they see fit, which allows for a bit of the mystical. I wouldn't disregard any sightings out here, even the impossible. This mountain follows its own rules."

"That's really poetic but..."

A rumble shook through the mountains and at first, it sounded like thunder. As the sound traveled, both the police chief and Marksman James Pearson could tell, it was a growl.

The police chief gave Pearson a knowing, sideways glance, "Urban Legend?"

Pearson eyed the mountain and came back to what he was comfortable with, "Wild animals don't concern me. I'm not here to hunt wildlife. I'm here to rescue your girls."

"Okay, well, Godspeed Sir. I'll be waiting to hear back from you with what needs to be done next."

Pearson headed up, into the mountain, being mindful of noises and terrain.

After two hours, the cabin was visible. He crept towards it, using the trees and foliage for cover. Two trucks were parked off to the side, hidden near the bushes and smoke billowed from the chimney. That confirmed his suspicions, kidnappers. The growl returned once more, and he struggled to name the animal. A grizzly would be the largest animal, but the tone was so deep and shook the ground. Maybe an extremely large grizzly? But Pearson knew he was reaching.

Next, another sound rang through the mountains, light and breezy. It seemed so out of place. A girl's laughter bounced down the hillside. There was a moment of relief followed by confusion. Why would she be laughing?

Pearson kept to the trees, trying to see inside the cabin with his scope. The trucks had out-of-state plates and the cabin’s curtains were drawn. Everything was still. No one was patrolling or walking around, no one was in the trucks. Pearson went to the back of the cabin and noticed that it was more than the chimney smoking. The entire back door and wall was singed. On the deck were two men with rifles lying over the edge, charred so badly, it was hard to tell they were human.

Pearson kept low and ran to the back door. He looked inside and noticed more burnt marks in the kitchen but did not see the girls. "Thank goodness," thought Pearson, "at least they weren't in the house when the fire started. They must be in the barn like the chief said."

Pearson heard a girl's laughter again and a whoosh as the sky went dark. He ran out of the kitchen to see what went by and at the edge of the roof, he thought he saw something flap like a wing to a bat, but it was too big. It was extremely big.

Pearson ducked around the house and headed to the barn. 

Six girls ran out, laughing. How could they be laughing? How were they okay? Their clothes were a bit dirty and torn and each girl had handcuffs with chains hanging from their wrist but overall, they seemed okay.

Did they escape? Why did they stay here?

They looked like they were playing and maybe waiting for someone to come get them. 

Pearson scoped the area in front of him and then sprinted to the girls. At first, they backed away and Pearson put up his arms to show them that he wasn’t there to hurt them. In a hushed voice, he told them, “I’m James Pearson. The police sent me here to get you back to your families. Are you okay? Where are the other girls? Where are the people who took you?”

The ground shook as footsteps came towards them, out of the barn they were just in.

Larger than any grizzly, it strutted with the confidence of a cat protecting her kittens. 

She stepped forward, challenging Pearson, her wings unfolding, blocking the sun and protecting the girls. She stared down Pearson, smoke collecting around her nostrils. What everyone talked about, what Pearson refused to believe in, a dragon was confronting him, daring him to make his next move. 

Pearson eyed the situation, How could he safely get the girls away from a dragon. The chains on the girls’ wrist caught his attention again. Melted on the ends. That's why the girls were running around like this. The chains were melted free from their prisons.

This dragon had no plans on harming the girls. She was here for the same reason Pearson was, to protect them.

Now, time to make her understand that. Pearson backed away, hoping he was correct and the girls would just relax with the dragon until he could figure out how to get them home.

As he stepped away, he saw the dragon start to relax, folding her wings and watching the girls. 

He made it back to the house when the noise of an engine cut through the mountain and another truck showed up in front of the girls. Pearson could see the other girl in the truck. The driver stormed out with a gun in one hand and the girl being dragged by him with his other hand. “What the fuck! Girls get back into the barn right now.”

An earth shaking roar came from the dragon while Pearson prepared to take his shot. He needed to move fast while keeping the girls safe and avoiding making their dragon even more infuriated. 

Pearson wasn’t taking any chances with those girls.

The man attempted to raise his gun towards the dragon and didn’t move it more than five inches before a bullet pierced his skull. 

The girl he was holding broke loose and sprinted behind the truck.

The man went down and the dragon’s gaze whipped to Pearson.

 He could do this. He placed his rifle on the ground slowly and searched his pocket for the handcuff key he traveled with. He treaded towards them with the key held out. “I just want to help,” he explained and showed the girls the key.

One of the tinier girls with tight dark curls and rosy cheeks who seemed so healthy for what she had been through came forward and held out her wrists. Pearson unlocked each cuff and watched with satisfaction as the chains clanked on the ground. The other girls came forward and soon, all of them were free of their chains.

The girls ran back to the dragon and cuddled close to her as they showed her their wrists. She nuzzled them with her snout as a deep purr-like rumble came from her chest.

Pearson walked over and pleaded, “I just want to help get them home.”

The dragon softened her gaze as she looked from Pearson to the girls and back to Pearson. She sighed, stood up, gave the girls one last nuzzle before she flew away.

Pearson collected all seven girls and contacted Police Chief Hawkeye for their ride.

“Did you find all three kidnappers?” Pearson asked after the chief and his officers studied the area.

“Two of them are burnt beyond recognition,” the chief commented, “Do you know how that happened?”

“I’m guessing they were being careless. They were like that when I got here,” Pearson answered.

“Hmm. So, you didn’t have a need to slay any dragons?” the chief asked.

“I told you. I was here to save the girls, not hunt wildlife, which is what I did.”