“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing, you’re a lot like your mother you know that?”
“Thanks, I think, unless that was supposed to be an insult.”
“No, definitely not an insult. I’m not sure if I ever told you, but I used to look up to your mother.”
“Really!? My mother. You looked up to her?”
“Yea, but I can’t go into the details.” Tyler looks past the glass doors, Vernon does the same and sees someone approaching. Tyler continues, “Ah there she is.”
A woman of average build, and height comes out of the doors. Her gray and bond hair is pulled back into a tight ponytail. She looks right at Vernon and he can feel her blue eyes almost burn a hole into him. He can tell she isn’t happy with him being there. Handing over a high priority case to a new recruit as a training exercise. He agrees with her.
She speaks in a powerful, yet feminine voice, “Tyler, is this the kid your giving me?”
“His name is Vernon Douglas, and I’m certain you won’t be disappointed in his abilities.”
“It’s not his abilities I’m concerned with. You Paladins are all the same, all strength and no brains.”
“If that was the case, you wouldn’t have needed our resources to find where the factory was.”
She gives Tyler a hard glare, which Vernon had seen Marie give him a similar kind a few times. Turning to Vernon she extend out her hand.
“Nice to meet you kid my name’s Samantha Carson, but call me Sam. I’m the Captain here at 53, and you’re about to take over a case I and my best Knight have been working for over four years. You better not screw this up.”
“I’ll try not to disappoint. I did spend a lot of time in case studies at the academy. Your name sounds familiar though.”
She sighs, “Great you really are a rookie. You probably read the Granite case, and no don’t ask me questions about it. I put everything into the files so I wouldn’t have to be asked stupid questions.”
Tyler says, “I am going to be overseeing everything Sam, so I wasn’t just going to drop him off and leave him to his own devices.”
“Well that is some good news. I at least trust your work, but you’d better keep a short leash on your pet. Like I said to him, and you over the vid call earlier. This is my case, and I didn’t call in for assistance. That damn mayor and his reelection campaign.”
“I know Sam, and I’ll remember that.”
She rolls her eyes. “Anyway, come in, and I will introduce you to the team.”
Vernon is lead into the precinct, past a few unwelcome stares. He never knew that Paladins weren’t liked by the Knights. It always seemed to him that they worked well together, but if he had to be constantly saved by someone, he could see how that might get annoying.
He walks up a set of stairs to a room filled with tiny cubicles and physical displays on desks. Everything looked worn and out of date. The front looked nice and clean, but after walking up the stairs it was old. Which was a huge difference from Dragon, another reason the Knights probably don’t like Paladins, he thinks.
There was an office room to the left of the stairs they are lead into. At the back of the room was a large display with pictures, lines, notes, and surveillance of X’cel and its victims. Each picture of a victim looked like their veins turned glowing blue, and their skin was stretched across their bones. It was hard for Vernon to look at them. He had seen a lot of photos in the case files he studied, but they must have been screened beforehand. There was nothing as bad as these photos.
He walks over to the display, and opens one of the case files displayed next to a picture of a beaten girl. She had traces of X’cel in her blood, and in her purse. The man that was brought in for her beating was her dealer. She stole some off him, and he killed her, but got a plea deal for offering information on someone higher up the chain than he was. Vernon closes the virtual file, and lets it return to the display.
“She's one of the thousand plus reasons I don’t want this fucked up.” Sam says with heat behind her words.
“I can see why, this stuff is pretty bad. What is it?”
“They call it X’cel because it accelerates everything. From what our forensics people tell me, it eats up a person’s magic to do so, staining the person. It sticks on the inside, and slowly eats away at them. It’s extremely addictive, and all it takes is one hit to get someone hooked.”
“How does it increase everything?”
“Magic, strength, speed, thought, you name it, they have it accelerated. It doesn’t last too long, maybe thirty minutes or less. Depends on if they’ve used before. The more uses, the less effective it is.”
“So it makes the users want it more, that’s horrible.”
“Exactly kid.”
Tyler says, “Vernon, we are here to stop the production of it here in the city. It doesn’t have very long of a shelf life, but there are a lot of uses here in town now. It’s starting to affect crime rates in the dome, which have been low for decades, so the Mayor wanted us to handle it.”
“Fucking Mayor, I’ve been telling him about the problem for the last three years, and only now when his poll numbers start dropping does he get off his fat ass.” Sam says.
A man walks into the room, taller than Vernon, with rugged features. He wore a long light brown coat, jeans, and tennis shoes. He had hazel eyes, that looked worn, somehow.
“Hey Cap, don’t say that too loud. He’s going to be heading over here today, making an appearance.”
“Shit, Vick you know I don’t give two fucks about what that tiny dick Mayor has to say.”
“Right, all the same Cap.”
She signs, “Right, sorry. Vick Brawn, I would like to introduce you to Vernon Douglas, the Paladin assistance we are receiving. That we didn’t ask for. I take it you already know Tyler.”
“I do, and I guess the hired muscle doesn’t always look impressive.”
Tyler leans down to whisper to Vernon, “He’s talking about Adonis. He assisted on a case a few weeks ago, similar circumstances, the mayor called us in.”
Vernon nods, and gets it now. They are having help called in where they don’t want it, just to serve someone else’s goals, whether or not they were actually needed.
He whispers back, “Great, he’s just everywhere right now isn’t he?”
Sam says, “Vick, go over the details with these two won’t you. I need to get everyone else ready for tonight.”
“Sure Cap.”
Vick proceeds to go into detail with snark and sarcasm fill explanations, about the drug, and the multiple cases that they are still actively searching for the head guy. A person they believe is called The Hood. They are never identified as either male or female, and wear white robes from head-to-toe, with a black mask. The Knights haven’t got any other information on who The Hood is, or who they could be. It’s a hole they want to fill, and that will hopefully happen tonight.
The plan for tonight, thanks to information the Paladins were able to get a hold of, was to infiltrate a warehouse. It has been using five times more power than any of the other in the district. X’cel takes lots of power to manufacture, and the Knights have been requesting power usage reports for months, each turned down. One call from Tyler, and they had it in minutes. The power plants were controlled by the central government and not the local one. Which made them less inclined to hand over information to local authorities.
Vernon was going to go inside the warehouse to investigate, while the Knights are waiting outside for the go ahead. The Hood is a powerful mage, and has used his magic to get away from the Knights a few times. Another reason the Mayor called in the Paladins. The Knights have almost had The Hood three times in past cases, but each ended with Knights either in the infirmary at the edge of death, or dead.
With Vernon inside, he is not to chase or engage the suspect. He is only to be the one who lets the Knights go in and do their jobs. Vernon is trying to pay attention, but it was hard not to w
ant to say something back to Vick. He didn’t feel he should be getting all the animosity from him. He was there because he was ordered to be, and is only here to help.
“So princess,” Vick says to Vernon. “You got any questions?”
“I’ve sat here, and listened to you, very calmly. I am not a princess, and you’re a dick.”
“Hired muscle is supposed to be quiet, and follow orders. Anyone every told you that?”
“Why you piece of…”
Tyler puts his hand on Vernon’s shoulder. “Vernon.”
Vick smiles. “See, be quite and follow orders princess.”
Vernon can feel his face getting hot, and he wants to hurl an ice pillar through his chest. He breaths slowly instead. Trying to tell himself that He doesn’t even know him, and is probably just angry at the situation.
Vick turns to walk out the door to the room. “The raid on the warehouse is in a few hours. Don’t be late. You might actually keep some of my friends from being put into danger, or you might keep us from doing our job. I guess I’ll have to see.” As he walks out the room, he slams the door.
Tyler says, “Don’t let what they say effect you so much. They’re trying to get a rise out of you. You need to be above that.”
“I know, but I just wasn’t expecting that. At all. I always had such a high opinion of Paladins, how they are the best of the best. To see the way they treat us, with you being the Commander, I would hate to have been here alone.”
“They do get a bit spirited at times, but there are good people here. Some had dreams of being a Paladin, but weren’t strong enough. Remember that. You’re just some snot nosed kid that is where they dreamed they wanted to be.”
“I hadn’t thought of it that way.”
“Professional appearances are always a part of the Paladin appeal. Try to live up to the image of us, that you had when you were younger.”
“Yes sir.” Vernon says softly.
With only a few hours till the raid, Tyler told him to get some equipment from the armory. The Knights wouldn’t be lending them anything, and to get his own. Then to meet him back here before they left. Vernon at least felt he wasn’t getting tossed to the wolves this time.
He entered Dragon HQ, and as he walked through the scanner his name didn’t pop up. The name that showed was Baxter Boch. It still allowed him through, and Vernon wasn’t sure what to think. Since his HaLO had been just recently turned back on, it might be a reset thing. He shrugs it off, and headed to Rhys’ office, who wasn’t there. Presley was in her office, turned away, so she couldn’t see that Vernon had just walked over. If she was back then she saw what he had to go through, and hopefully Gon was nowhere to be found.
Reluctantly, he knocks on the door. She turns her head slowly, and sees it him. Her face shows surprise, and she looks away, waving him in.
“Lieutenant, I see you made it back ok.”
“I did, you were… thorough. There were dragon eggs inside, did you know that?”
“Dragon eggs?” Vernon tries to sound surprised. “Was that what those grix were surrounding?”
“It was. I still can’t believe you took down three of them, but the bodies make it hard not to.”
“I’m here to get equipment for my case with Tyler, where’s Rhys?”
“He’s out, had something to deal with when I got back with what you did. Nothing to worry about, but I can open the armory for you.”
She gets out of her chair, and pushes past Vernon. Swiping across the reader, and opening the door. Vernon starts to look around at what he might want to bring. The gunlet worked amazingly well, it was the first time he had used the live rounds in anything. He had normally stuck to runic rounds. Thinking it was easier for him to control. The feel of the bullets firing out was something he liked.
Presley didn’t say anything while he was looking around. It was creeping Vernon out. She was so outspoken just a few hours ago. So she should have been able to call him out if he was bluffing, which he really wish he had been.
“Hey Lieutenant,” He tries to break the silence.
“What is it Rookie?”
“I was wondering if I could get a weapon crafted, for just me. Do we have a weapon guy we can order it from?”
“Kind of, and yea you can. You have to get permission first, but since I thought I was calling you out on your bullshit story, I’ll sign the requisition order for you. It will make us even, that ok?”
“Wow, yea, completely even. So I take it that doesn’t get done often?”
“No. He does make and maintain our weapons, but he rarely makes them custom. He thinks it’s beneath us to have one of his treasures, and the pedestrian weapons he makes for us should be more than enough for brutes like us.”
“Guy sounds pretty proud of himself.”
“Well that is the leader of Mech Squad for you.”
“Wait, what. Mech Squad?”
“Yea, Mark Holt. Know him?”
Vernon shakes his head, “No, but my wife works for him. She just got a civilian contract right out of college.”
“Didn’t know you were married rookie, but I guess that’s why you got the ring on.”
“Yea, it is.” Vernon smiles, thinking of Marie.
“So what do you want to have made?”
“A weapon for me, a sword to be precise. I have the materials I want him to use already.”
“Oh really? That wouldn’t have come from a cave you recently visited did it?”
Vernon’s face turns red. “I… uhh…”
Presley laughs, “You should see the look on your face rookie. I saw some things missing that should have been there, and figured that you might have wanted to keep a souvenir. We all do it, and if you want to make a weapon out of it, all the better. Just keep it quiet. Most of that stuff just gets burnt and destroyed anyway.”
“Whew, you got me. For a second there, I thought I was in deep.”
“You might be, but nothing to worry about now. Go and finish this case of yours, Rhys and I will talk with you later.”
“I’m in trouble?”
“Don’t think so, but I won’t know till Rhys gets back. Like I said, don’t worry about it. So, what you going to take with you?”
“I guess the same that I brought to the cave, I guess. It served me pretty well in the cave.”
“Can’t take live rounds into the city. You’ll have to use the runic gunlet, and you won’t be able to take the .44.”
“Oh, well, that sucks.”
“Sorry.”
“That’s ok. Then folding blade it is, if there’s another one.”
“Nope, you broke the only one we had. We can get another, but it will take a few days.”
“Oh. Ok, then gunlet.”
“Yea, we have one.”
9
Vernon gets a message from Tyler once he gets to the station, to meet him at the warehouse they are about to infiltrate. He thought it was weird, since he was supposed to be there. Vernon just shrugs, and goes on his way.
The warehouse district was devoid of people. Robots did most of the work, moving merchandise from storage to the incoming trucks. Those would then drive themselves to the stores. Robots didn’t need much light, so any warehouse lit up would be suspicious. The roadways were well lit, making sure to keep away any would be thieves.
There were no obviously lit warehouses. Vernon didn’t really think it would be that simple, but he could always hope. The directions that were given in the message were in the middle of the area. Traffic was light, which caused Vernon to take notice. He wasn’t sure if it was because of something the Knights did, or if it was a sign that the drug dealers base was actually there.
Vick is waiting outside of warehouse, carefully looking around at every passing truck and car. He glances over to Vernon and immediately looks away, passing him off as no threat. Vernon rolls his eyes, and walks over to him.
“Hey Vick, where’s Tyler and Sam?”
“Hey princess the
y’re inside, waiting on you. You’re the girl of the hour.”
“Thanks. Bite me.” Vernon says, and walks past.
“Ooo, feisty.”
Vernon ignores him, seeing that over thirty Knights are waiting inside next to Sam and Tyler. The warehouse was filled with boxes all the way to the ceiling. All of the robots within were turned off, which must have been the Knights doing, Vernon thought. Sam was going through the operation with everyone, explaining what team prepares entry into what doors.
She catches a glimpse of Vernon. “Perfect, the guest of honor finally decided to show.”
“I’m here early to what I was told.”
Sam looks at Tyler, who smiles and shrugs. “You always do this, you dick.”
Tyler says, “Sorry Sam, I couldn’t get him mixed up with the Mayor and the game just yet. He is still fresh out of the Academy you know.”
“You could have at least told me.”
Everyone’s eyes had shifted off of Vernon to Sam and Tyler’s exchange. Tyler had already taken notice, but Sam hadn’t.
“This is just like the discussion we always have, you have to trust me, and tell me things. This is why we didn’t work. This pisses me off.”
There is a collective ‘ooo’ in the crowd of Knights, followed by a few remarks. That’s right let that Paladin have it boss, That ‘is’ right, you should give it to the Paladin, get a room you two, and a few others. Sam’s face never flushed, and never showed anger. She just let them have at her for a few moments.
“Alright that’s enough out of all ‘o you. Paladin Vernon, thank you for arriving. So let’s begin with your duties. You will breach the warehouse that we suspect is holding all of the X’cel in the area. After confirmation, you will then pull out, and allow the Knights entry by handing it back over to us.”
“I can do that. So, how do I get in?”
Tyler says, “I can help out with that, but we’ll talk right before you go in. There is an entrance to the side that is controlled by the security system, and doesn’t have any physical keyholes. We can enter there with what I got for you.”
Sam shares out an overlay to the group, showing a blueprint of the warehouse, and it floats above her head. She reaches out in front of her, and manipulates her overlay, which is mirrored on the one she’s sharing.
Cypher Theorem Series Box Set: Books 1-3, The Zero Class, Shadow Moon, Dragon Fire: A Science Fiction Fantasy Page 44
