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The Dragon's Lady

by Elizabeth Joy and Scott Carman

360 pages; quality trade paperback (softcover); catalogue #02-0354; ISBN 1-55369-541-0; US$30.00, C$34.50, EUR25.00, £17.50

A young army officer, heading a team in search of missing CIA agents, is captured by intergalactic slave traders. Her team is is sold to a man who is much more than he seems.

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about the book      about the authors      sample excerpts or Table of Contents      catalogue info

About the Book Robyn Smith was an Army Major with a promising career when a phone call from an old colleague turned her world upside down. Robyn was chosen to lead the search party for two CIA agents missing in the New Mexico desert. Tracking the men at night, they were ambushed by intergalactic slave traders. Robyn knew her team was in trouble; she just didn't know how much. Events spiraled rapidly from bad to worse as the team was sold into slavery in a place none of them had been before. Their new owner was a tall, handsome man with a long black braid named Nyakas. Robyn immediately began negotiating the release of her team. He agreed, eventually, to send them back on the condition the she stay and be his Queen. Shocked, she consented to the arrangement and married him. She did her best to adjust to her new surroundings and gradually began to fall in love with Nyakas, but she knew he was keeping something from her. Two weeks after the wedding, he revealed his secret.

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About the Authors Scott Carman is a U.S. Air Force veteran with an eclectic writing style, often working on science fiction, romance, and horror projects simultaneously. When he's not working feverishly, he enjoys hunting and fishing. Alas, he has little time for such simple pleasures. He currently resides near Dallas, Texas. Elizabeth Joy is a U.S. Air Force wife and veteran with two children. Her diverse work experience--mechanic, stockbroker's assistant, teacher, day care director, and retail assistant manager--contributes to the depth of her characters. She stays out of trouble by homeschooling her children and writing, and when she has a rare free moment she enjoys reading and crocheting. She lives in Del Rio, Texas, and is eagerly awaiting the day when she can escape the desert. Both Scott and Elizabeth are transplanted Yankees (Scott from Pennsylvania and Elizabeth from Michigan) who hope eventually move north. They met while stationed together in North Carolina.

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Sample Excerpts or Table of Contents

"OK, guys," said Chet, "We have two people missing in action. Last contact with them was in the New Mexico desert, near Roswell, of all places. We had tracking devices on them, and they suddenly disappeared without a trace. We need to find out what happened to them and recover them if possible."
"Who is our official leader for this picnic?" asked Lilly with a thick accent.
"I'm handing the reins to Robyn. She knows more about this than I ever will; that's why I called her in."
"Do you have satellite reconnaissance yet?" asked Rachel.
Chad answered, "Not yet, Rachel, but Xenia is working on it. We should have some good stuff by the time we leave."
"And when will that be?" asked Doc, "I have to pick up a few more supplies for my medical bag."
"We're leaving at 10:00 PM tonight, or 0300 hours ZULU for you military types," answered Chet, looking at Robyn with a small grin. "See me after the meeting, Doc, and I'll help you with the supplies. Any other questions?"

There were none, so they got up to leave. Robyn took her time getting up, watching her team closely for reactions. Tomlin was the first to notice Lilly stand. She was a very noticeable woman. At six and a half feet tall, very muscular and toned, she was hard to miss. She turned heads wherever she went, and she paid very little attention to it. Today she wore black jeans and a gray turtleneck with a black denim vest, which was more clothing than Robyn had ever seen her in. Lilly normally tended to dress in more revealing clothing. Tomlin nudged Rodriguez and Ericson, who looked at her in amazement. Robyn stifled a grin, and ushered them out the door. She told them to go to the hotel and get some rest, and that she would join them later in the afternoon. Then she went back into the conference room to see Chad, Lilly and Rachel laughing, and Chet and Doc in deep conversation.

She went to stand by Chad and said, "I guess you saw my guys."
"Yeah, I thought their eyes would pop out," said Rachel, still chuckling.
"What can I say," said Lilly, "we grow big in that part of Wales. It's like the Welsh Texas!"
They all laughed, and Chad said, "So, kid, how's Uncle Sam treating you? Have you become all that you can be yet?"
"I'm still working on that. I'm told that when you become all you can be, they make you retire, so I'm milking it. I don't expect to reach full potential until I get to full bird colonel, at least!"
"Ah, the ambitions of a young Army officer," Rachel said, wistfully, "I used to be that way. Then that bitch MP had to pick a fight. Oh, well, it was the Army's loss."
"So what's the deal?" Robyn asked.
Lilly answered. "My darling Mike was out for a romp with two other agents. I don't know what they were doing, but they ran into a bit of trouble and Mike's testosterone level got the better of him. He escaped, but the other two were captured. We tracked them almost to Area 51 before their tracking devices were evidently discovered. Mike wanted to be here to fill us in on all of the details, but he was injured during their excursion, and they haven't released him from the hospital yet."
"Oh, goody, so we have to go to Area 51? I don't like the sound of that. It's like playing poker in a cemetery at midnight on Halloween."
"Exactly," Chet confirmed as he stepped up beside her, "which is why I called you. Your poker face is a lot better than mine."
"Wow, thanks, buddy. What am I up against?"

They spent the rest of the morning and the better part of the afternoon going over strategy, intelligence, and the logistics of getting the team from Washington to Roswell. When she was satisfied that she had all the information she needed, she went back to the hotel and took a hot shower to clear her head. Then she ordered dinner for herself and the team, and called them to her room. She gave them the details they needed and they formed a game plan. There were only a few hours left before it was time to get on the plane, so after the men left, she stretched out on the bed fully clothed and dozed. Her internal alarm went off automatically well before it was time to leave, and she moved about the room, preparing.

The flight was relatively short and uneventful as the CIA Lear jet skimmed through the clouds in the night sky. They arrived near midnight local time and set out immediately for the spot where the team had last been seen. They all dressed in black and wore the appropriate face paint, camouflaged with the desert night, in case there were still people with hostile intentions in the area. They tracked their missing colleagues to the spot where they had disappeared, and as anticipated, there was no sign of them. Just ahead loomed the fence, complete with concertina wire, which enclosed the infamous Area 51.

Her ear mike crackled, and she could hear Ericson, who was ahead of the group with Chad, checking out what lay ahead. Ericson had his spotter scope, and he said, "Major, I think there's something going on beyond the fence that you should come take a look at.'
"Roger that," she answered, and moved to the front as Chad moved further ahead. Ericson handed her the spotter scope and she peered through it to the place he pointed out. It was a small building near the back of the complex. Very little of it was visible, the majority of it concealed by other buildings. But she could clearly see that a light was on, when the rest of the complex was dark. There were people moving back and forth past a window.

"Can you get a little more zoom on this thing?"
"Yes, ma'am." He took the scope and made an adjustment, then handed it back.
Suddenly her ear mike crackled, and Chad's voice informed her that they had company. She pressed her microphone to broadcast to her team and told them all to take cover. Simultaneously, they fell and lay flat on the sand. She gave the scope back to Ericson and told him to tell her what was out there. "Looks like some sort of vehicle coming out of the complex. I've never seen one like it. Switching to ultraviolet. It's not a jeep, not a Hummer, not a truck."
"Well what the hell is it, corporal?" she hissed.
"I don't know ma'am, but it's headed this way."

She looked around. Their position couldn't have been much worse. There was no place to hide and very little cover. The cacti scattered around wouldn't stop bullets long if it came to that. She could see the vehicle now, and it was closing fast. Quickly she got the team together and moved to hide behind a relatively large clump of vegetation, hoping whomever it was driving that thing would pass right by. As she watched the vehicle closed on their position. She pulled her nine-millimeter side arm and quietly chambered a round. The others followed her lead. Beside her, Ericson pulled his sniper rifle off his back and aimed at the approaching vehicle. Her hand moved down to the left cargo pocket of her pants and she felt the extra clips that were tucked in there. As the vehicle approached, she undid the button for easy access in case she needed it. It looked as if it might go past, but suddenly it changed course slightly and stopped about thirty feet from their position. The only way she could think of to describe it was a pick-up truck the size of a Sherman tank. Whatever it was, it didn't have any wheels. It seemed to hover two to three feet over the ground, but sand underneath it was undisturbed. It made very little sound and seemed to be made of a flat black metal. A figure appeared from behind the enclosed area and ordered them to come out. She motioned to the others for silence, hoping whoever was out there would think they had been mistaken and look elsewhere. The order came again. Ericson looked at her, and she looked back at him and nodded. He aimed carefully, squeezed the trigger, and the round exploded from the end of the barrel. The figure fell, but five more popped up and returned fire. Robyn aimed at one and shot, and the others did the same. The five went down and there was silence. As she shifted slightly to look around, she heard the sound of the safety lever of a large rifle being clicked off. She froze, knowing the only large rifle in their group was Ericson's, and his safety was already off.

Don't even think about moving," a strange voice said from behind them. There were steps as someone moved around to stand in front of her. The barrel of a large rifle was trained on the group. Whoever it was, he wasn't alone. She could hear other people moving into position to surround them.

"Put your weapons on the ground," said the voice. It was very deep and the accent was thick, rather like a Slavic language, but not one she could place. She put down her weapon, and the others followed suit. "Now put your hands up." As they did, she could hear her team being placed in handcuffs, and it was only a matter of seconds before she wore them herself.

They were ushered into the strange vehicle, which then returned to the building she'd seen earlier. Their handcuffs were removed and they were placed in a cell where they sat for almost an hour before a strange looking man came in. He was very big, nearly eight feet tall. He had very pale skin, crystal blue eyes, and short white hair. He was wearing what appeared to be a blue silk tunic that was belted around his waist, black leather pants, and black leather ankle boots. He had several tattoos on his neck, face, and hands, and there was no reason to believe that those weren't the only ones that he had. He approached the cell, and Robyn's heart pounded. "Who is the leader of this group?"

She rose to her feet. "I am."
"A woman? Amusing. Please come with me." He opened the door, let her out, and locked it again. He took her to a small room with cinderblock walls. There were two plastic chairs, and he beckoned her to sit in one. She sat, taking a deep breath and willing herself into calmness.
"What is your name?"
"Robyn Smith."
"What are you doing here, Robyn Smith?" The accent was very thick, and she listened closely, as much to understand what he said as try to place the accent.
"I'm looking for some friends. They disappeared in this area."
"Why did you come at night?"
"It's when we arrived. We wanted to start right away."
"And you needed this to find them?" He walked to a corner and picked up Ericson's rifle.
"We considered doing a little hunting while we were out. I hear the jackrabbits in this area are particularly good this time of year."

He pulled the other chair closer to her and sat down, leaning forward until he was nose to nose with her. "Don't play games with me, little girl. You have no idea what you’ve gotten yourself into."
"Really? Why don't you tell me?"
He leaned back, a menacing smile on his face, and crossed his arms across his broad chest. "Who are your companions?"
"Friends of mine. They were helping me look for my other friends who disappeared."

He nodded, got up, picked up the rifle, and left the room. She watched in amazement, then got up and tried the handle. It was locked, as she knew it would be, and she looked quickly around the room. There was a very small window at the top of the wall opposite the door, near the ceiling. It was too high for her to get to, even with the chairs, and too small for her to get through even if she could. There was nothing else in the room. Sitting back down, she tried to think of a way to get everyone safely out. She didn't have to wait long. The man came back in and shut the door behind him.
"You will come with me, Robyn Smith."
"Look, I don't know what you have planned, but my friends don't need to be involved. Why don't you let them go and I'll do whatever needs to be done?"

He smiled and led her out of the room. They went back outside, and he put her in the back of another vehicle, very similar to the one she'd seen earlier, but fully enclosed. She got in and discovered that it was their version of a deuce and a half truck. She sat on the bench and noticed that her team was already there. The vehicle began to move. 'Well, so much for that attempt,' she thought.

Chet slid over to sit beside her. "Robyn, what did he say?"
"Nothing. He asked me who I was and what I was doing, then I tried to get him to let you guys go, and you see where we are."

They traveled in silence for a short time when suddenly a bright blue light appeared at the front of the truck, piercing the ceiling and moving back, as if they were driving through a curtain. As it passed over Robyn she felt dizzy and hot, and then the light passed out of the truck altogether. The noises from the outside of the vehicle had changed abruptly. The wind suddenly stopped blowing, crickets immediately ceased chirping, and it sounded as if they had entered a busy interstate. They all looked at each other nervously. The journey continued, and soon they stopped. The back of the vehicle opened and it was daylight. They were ushered out, taken into a large building, and placed in a room. There were other people who looked as if they'd been there several days.

They sat down on the dirt floor and talked quietly, trying to figure out where they were, why they were there, and what to do next. It was less than an hour, as far as Robyn could tell, when they were collected and taken to another room. They were checked for injuries and told to wash their face paint off, then fitted with shackles and chained together. The shackles were lined with thick leather on the inside, and when Robyn touched the outside of the metal ring around her ankle to adjust it, a shock traveled quickly up her arm. She cried out in pain and surprise. A nearby guard, who looked like he was part human, part ogre, and part ape, said, "Don't touch!"
Rachel, who was standing beside her, leaned over and said, "He must be a rocket scientist."

They were led onto a platform, and Robyn realized with a shock that they were about to be sold as slaves. Looking at her companions, she could see they had made the same realization. The crowd in front of them was very strange, and Robyn felt as if she had stepped off the face of the earth and landed in a bad science fiction movie. There were creatures that she had never even dreamed about, and they all spoke in some strange language. The auctioneer appeared to be the same race as the men who captured them. As she willed herself to wake up from this nightmare, a tall, dark man in black cut through the crowded slave trading area, and by-standers parted like the Red Sea. He wore black leather and a long hooded cloak, and he was the most gorgeous man Robyn had ever seen. As he moved through the crowd, Robyn heard a few people murmur 'Nyakas' in hushed tones of respect and awe. His companion was average height and well muscled, but he had tribal tattoos on his face and neck. His head was shaved except for a brown topknot, which was braided and still reached to his waist.

Nyakas stood beside his companion, his cloak blowing gently in the breeze, and intently surveyed the next group of humans for sale. The men seemed well built, always a good sign for manual labor. The women were attractive and well toned, and would make good servants and maids. When he saw the last of the females, he looked in amazement. 'She's beautiful,' he thought, and automatically began bidding. His companion looked at him with a bit of confusion when he heard his first bid. The dwarf-like man who had controlled the bidding previously stood up angrily and looked at his competition. Nyakas bid again before the dwarf could counter. The dwarf was furious, ranting in a strange language. He walked past Nyakas and left the arena. Nyakas, eyes were still locked on the woman with gorgeous blonde wavy hair and eyes as beautiful as the sky. Then, without warning his father was behind him.

"Quite a price to pay for just some humans, don't you think, Nyakas?"
"Father," Nyakas replied, "I had no idea you were here."
"Of course you did, my son. I'm always here on the third day of each new moon."
"Yes, yes, of course, I've just had a lot on my mind lately."
"Please, son, come to see me next week. There is something we need to discuss."
Nyakas replied, "Of course, Father. I'll see you soon." His father walked away, and Nyakas turned his companion with a confused look on his face. "Gravity, how much did I pay?"
Nonchalantly, Gravity replied, "One million gold." His eyes widened with a half smile at the look of shock on Nyakas’ face and he said, "I tried to tell you."
Nyakas chuckled. "I guess we should go get our prize."
"Yes, my lord," Gravity replied.

They went to the holding area to meet the new help. Gravity studied them all, looking each of them deeply as if searching their souls. He briefly examined each of them, feeling their arms and shoulders for muscle and checking them over for any injuries that had not already been caught. Robyn observed, feeling very much like a newly acquired farm animal. Gravity looked at Nyakas and nodded, and Nyakas nodded back. As their servants escorted the new prisoners, Nyakas' father watched in silence.

A young man came to stand behind him. "Odd, isn't it, Father," the voice said.
"Yes, quite," Malitor replied, "I want you to keep a close eye on your brother for me."

The man stood behind his father, his handsome face broadening into a demonic smile underneath his neatly trimmed bleach blond hair. His tunic was white and immaculate, with buttons that looked like alligator teeth, and his loose black pants were held up with an elaborate gold belt. His neck and fingers were adorned with gold as well. His eyes were dark blue and mysterious, glittering in anticipation of what he had in store for his brother.

Robyn and her friends were led from the holding area to an archway. Gravity appeared to go into a trance and made some motions with his hands. The archway began to glow, and then crackle as if charged with electricity. Nyakas watched, his demeanor as if he was waiting for a bus. Without a word, he took Robyn's elbow and began walking to the archway. She resisted, and he pulled her along, her friends trailing behind, still shackled. They passed through the archway and they found themselves in a forest. The shackles had disappeared but were quickly replaced by rope. They were loaded into a wagon, and bumped through the forest for what seemed like hours, until a large castle appeared as they crested a hill. They passed through the castle wall gate, and Nyakas called to the guard at the portcullis.
"Creedan! Get some of the others and make our new guests at home!"
"Yes, my lord. Shall we accommodate them with the last ones?"
"Yes, that will do."

They were taken out of the wagon and led into a dungeon, where they were placed in a dark cell. The door clanged shut and the guards left. Robyn went to the far corner and sat down on the floor. Drawing her knees to her chest, she placed her arms on her knees and her face in her hands. She rubbed her temples with her fingertips, trying to make sense of it all. When she looked up, Tomlin, Rodriguez, and Ericson had taken their places around her.
Rodriguez spoke first. "Now what, Major?"
She dropped her hands and looked at him. "I don't know, Rod. I'm trying to figure that out."

They moved a few feet away, giving her space and time to think. She glanced around at the others and noticed Lilly sitting alone. Getting up, she walked over and sat down beside her, again drawing her knees up to her chest. "Are you all-right, Lilly?"
"No, not really," Lilly answered slowly, "Not at all, really."
She placed her hand on Lilly's and squeezed her fingers lightly. It scared her that Lilly was afraid. Nothing ever seemed to frighten Lilly.
"There's something you don't know, Robyn, and I hadn't intended to tell anyone right now."
"What's that?"
"I'm pregnant."
Robyn stared in disbelief. "You're what? Oh, no, Lilly, please, tell me you're kidding."
"I'm afraid not. I only just found out myself. I thought all of this would be cut and dried and we'd be home in a day or two. I haven't even told Mike yet."

Robyn's eyes filled with tears and she placed her forehead on her knees and took a deep breath. This was all just too much. First the mission went badly, and then they were sold, now this. Just when she thought she'd hit bottom, Tomlin whispered to her that they had more company. Gravity was striding to the bars of their cell, and she stood to meet him. He looked at her appraisingly, assessing this woman. "I'm sure you are wondering where you are."
"Yes, among other things."
"You are in the kingdom of King Nyakas. He is the man who bought all of you today. I am Gravity, his first knight and General of his army. You will remain here in the dungeon for a time, and then you will be given work assignments. When you see King Nyakas, you will bow to him. If you do not, you will die. If you try to escape, you will die. If you disobey, you will die. There is no way you can get back to your former life. It is in another dimension. If you cooperate and work well, you will be treated well. If you do not, you will die." He turned on his heel and walked away.

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Catalogue Information

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