by Eric S Kim
The three Blackjacks had to scan the area around them while still in their vehicle. Rebecca and Oswald used a brand new app on their computer tablets, provided by Milton Han from the NESF Station. It was simply called Sincerity, and it gave the user a chance to “see” through a shape-shifting Nevinoth via X-ray vision. It covered the entire screen on their tablets.
When Bryce stopped at a red light, Rebecca noticed a small flock of pigeons sitting on a telephone pole. She held up her tablet and activated Sincerity. The pigeons appeared on the screen like a camera. A whitish-blue hue coated the original colors. With the use of x-ray vision, the pigeons’ skeletons and a few specific organs had been shown. So far, none of the pigeons had a total of four lungs hidden from within. Four lungs would have been a clear indication of a Nevinoth Dragon transformed into an ordinary animal.
Bryce asked, “Any luck?”
Rebecca put her tablet down on her lap. “Nothing.”
The traffic light turned green and the three Blackjacks continued on without any progress. A minivan had appeared on the passenger side of the SUV. Rebecca almost jumped when Oswald began barking like a dog. She turned to see that a big bulldog had peeked its head out of the minivan’s open window. Oswald barked at it before he even used his own tablet to check and see if the dog had been worthy of recognition. He quickly put the tablet aside and let out an ear-piercing howl. Rebecca had to cover her ears with her hands for a moment. The bulldog did nothing while the driver of the minivan, with a look of absolute fright, slowed his automobile down. Oswald returned to normal in his seat. The minivan turned right on an intersection and was never seen again.
Rebecca asked her teammate, “Anything?”
Oswald growled. “That dog can be dangerous and we don’t even know it.”
“So it’s not a dragon?”
“Nah.”
Rebecca, though aggravated by his actions, had already accepted his unpredictable nature. The investigation on the street didn’t change. There were no important discoveries as of yet. Even if she remained cautious of her environment, Rebecca hoped that she and every Blackjack in Southern California would end this day on a high note instead of being forced into a scenario that challenged their routines.
She had to say something about it. “It’s happening so fast.”
Bryce could easily hear her. “What do you mean?”
“It started two weeks ago, and now everything’s changing. All this stuff that’s been happening…it’s just too much.”
“I don’t blame you. I’m pissed off as well.”
“It’s like we’re being given everything just for the hell of it. I bet it has something to do with the captain.”
“Come on. Don’t bring him into this again.”
“Well, think about it. The Nevinoth Dragons have to be here for a good reason. I bet it’s because of all those weapons that we stole from Green Brigalvic.”
Bryce kept his eyes on the road. “You’re not wrong.”
“You believe me?”
“I never said I didn’t.”
“What do you think is gonna happen next?”
“I don’t know. But we’ll have to be prepared for it.”
Rebecca felt a little more uneasy than before. “You think it’s gonna happen, don’t you? He’s gonna do a really bad thing out here.”
“Lionel wouldn’t be the type that’d go against his principles. We’ve worked with him for a long time. He’s never given in to any kind of temptation that we know about. I doubt he’ll even try with all these Nevinoth around.”
“You really think so?”
“I better be right, or else I’ll just give up and move to Antarctica.”
“Is there room for me in your new car?”
Oswald immediately brought his head between the headrests. “I’m still here, you know. What am I, an earthworm?”
Bryce narrowed his eyes. “Yeah, we can see you from here.”
“Oh, good.”
Oswald pushed himself back in his seat. Rebecca looked out the window. So far, there were no other animals on the street since the pigeons on the telephone pole.
12:49 PM
Arnold Murdock thanked Milton Han for the inclusion of brand new weapons. Lionel Tyler had spent the last few minutes discussing matters with the engineer when the Blackjack Commissioner had arrived without notice. The man entered the lounge and complimented Han for his most recent work.
“They’re all that we could ever hope for.”
Han smiled. “Thank you. I’ve put my heart and soul into these things, and I’m glad that it’s being paid off the right way.”
Murdock pulled a cigarette out of its pack and brought it between his lips. Lionel grew familiar with the Commissioner’s habits and chose to ignore it.
Murdock lit the cigarette. “So what brought you here in Orange County, anyway?”
Han replied, “Well, I planned to attend a convention right here in Anaheim. But then, your teammates brought me here and now I’m in the mood to help you all out. I’ve been given the go-ahead by Mr. Hamilton to give this squad some fresh new weapons. When everything’s been resolved, I’ll be on my way back to Ventura.”
“You know Lionel and his squad will be visiting the factory there pretty soon.”
“Ah, yes. He mentioned it a few minutes ago. I’m eagerly awaiting it as well.”
Lionel nodded. “Everyone on my team is feeling the same.”
Han stayed standing as he took a sip from his bottle of iced tea offered by the Blackjack captain. “I’ll even show you the weapons that we used up in Sequoia National Park. It was a tough battle, but we won it in the end.”
“How many Nevinoth Dragons did you wipe out?”
“I can’t give you the exact number, but my best estimate is that over a few dozen had lost their lives. Everything was made a little easier by my own designs. As a matter of fact, I’ve got a few of them lurking around back at headquarters. Perhaps I’ll teach you and your teammates how to use them properly especially at a time like this.”
“We’ll have to wait for approval.”
Murdock intervened. “I’m sure Mr. Hamilton and I already have an understanding. Tell me, Mr. Han, are these weapons very sophisticated?”
Han replied, “No, not at all. Even the rookies could handle it very well. The Mystic Knights were able to bring all of those Nevinoth down in just under an hour. You should have seen it. They couldn’t even transform into their true selves. We forced them to stay as ordinary animals. That’s how we defeated them with only a few difficulties.”
Lionel couldn’t delay his question any longer. “Mr. Han, what kind of animals did they shift into?”
“It’s a pretty big variety. There were bears, wolves, lions, horses, and falcons. And I think there was even a buffalo somewhere.”
“The wolves…did any of them have a blue crystal on their chest?”
Han shook his head. “None at all. I don’t think any of them had been selected for service a long time ago.”
Despite feeling relieved of the good news, Lionel remained calm and tried to explain why he deserved an answer. “I heard of one dragon that had a blue crystal. That’s why I asked.”
“Well, sorry. We didn’t find a trace.”
Lionel turned his head to catch Murdock giving him a silent warning through the use of his solemn stare. Lionel didn’t say anything else.
Han checked the time on his smartphone. “Well, I should be off. I’m going to bring those weapons that I’ve mentioned.”
Lionel replied, “Hector will act as your bodyguard when you get back to headquarters.”
“If you’re trying to spoil me with more gifts, then please don’t bring it to a halt. I’m enjoying it.”
Lionel called Hector Conroy with his earpiece to inform him of his temporary duty. Han thanked the captain and the commissioner for their hospitality. He exited the lounge, leaving the other two men alone.
Murdock put out his cigarette. He step
ped a closer toward Lionel and said, “You’re straying from the path.”
Lionel understood. “I couldn’t resist. I just needed to know.”
“You still miss him, don’t you?”
“Of course, I do. You really thought I wanted to leave him?”
Murdock kept his voice in a low volume. “Just forget it. I don’t even think he’s anywhere near this state. None of the Nevinoth had any crystals on their chests, meaning none of them are Tannitari. I don’t think you’ll find him here.”
Lionel followed his example and brought his own voice to a whisper. “As long as he’s far away, then we won’t have any problems.”
“Suppose he’s here right now, and it is your job to take him out. Do you think you’re up to it?”
“I don’t think that’ll ever happen.”
Murdock narrowed his eyes. “You can’t always be right.”
“…And that’s what scares me.”
1:18 PM
Edward had spent the last few minutes studying the files on Dennis’s computer tablet. He acted as the passenger in Dennis’s automobile with the city of Brea as their only destination. The details surrounding the witches and their intentions were basic. A repeat of Edward’s own research. But a new discovery counted as a small difference between both investigations. Dennis had acquired the name and photograph of the woman that would be assisting the three witches. Edward already remembered her.
Florencia Sanchez. She was the one woman he had grown attached to before he ultimately left her for Sepulveda. He looked down at her driver’s license photo shown onscreen. He had almost forgotten just how beautiful she was. She had preserved her gorgeous features at the age of forty-one. Even if her appearance on her driver’s license didn’t exactly match the one that she had been known for, Edward could already sense the memories returning. Not a single one of them turned out to be a negative result.
Dennis’s question snapped him back to the real world. “You know her, don’t you?”
Edward closed Florencia’s photo on the tablet. “We used to love each other back then.”
“You don’t have to tell me the rest. Sepulveda is a clear signal for that.”
Edward put the tablet aside. “Were you able to get an audio recording of any of their previous conversations?”
“I couldn’t. I wouldn’t identify her voice if you played it to me. I’ll have to rely on your nostalgia to back me up.”
“Does she still work at the bank?”
“Going straight for the personal questions. How quaint.”
“Does she or no?”
“Yes, she’s still the branch manager.”
“So she’s moved on with me. I’m proud of her. She’s still successful after all.”
“She won’t be anymore.”
Edward’s optimism quickly faded as he remembered why her picture had been featured in Dennis’s tablet.
“Does she live in the same address?”
“Nothing’s changed.”
“When we get to her place, make sure that you don’t give away too much when we meet her. We’ll bring her in and ask a few questions. You know, play it cool before we tell her the bad news.”
“I wouldn’t sympathize with a traitor if I were you.”
Edward dealt with a new dilemma that clashed with an older variation. Seeing Florencia once again wouldn’t match the bliss that blossomed from their first encounter. He even started to find himself in the type of denial that didn’t lead to the valid criticism of it. He didn’t want to believe that she would do something like this.
Dennis already sensed it. “Come on. You’re better than this. We’re from Mystic Lightning. This is what we do. Don’t forget that.”
It took some time for Edward to calm himself. “Alright. Here’s what we do. We stay in the neighborhood and follow her when she leaves the house. She might lead us to the witches if we stay far behind her.”
“Now that’s much better.”
Dennis took a left turn and entered one of the city’s suburban neighborhoods. After navigating several more different directions on the street, he finally parked his car beside the curb. He didn’t turn off the engine, and he didn’t have to.
He whispered, “It starts a lot earlier than I thought.”
Edward watched as Florencia Sanchez exited her two-story house. It was a far distance between her and Dennis’s sedan. Edward wished his partner had parked just a little closer. So far, Florencia didn’t change the last time he had seen her. She was still tall and slender, the type that would always lure Edward in. She had kept her dark brown hair as a long and smooth texture. She currently wore a gray sleeveless blouse and a long black skirt that reached the top of her black boots. Her face couldn’t be viewed from a long distance, which made Edward want to draw ever so closer. But he immediately stopped himself from giving in to his trance. He still remembered Sepulveda and evaded any unnecessary judgements that could have risen from his head.
Florencia stepped inside her sedan that was parked on the driveway. Edward whispered to Dennis, “Nice and slow.”
Dennis didn’t have to ask for clarification. He waited for Florencia to leave the neighborhood altogether. As soon as she was about to make a right turn on a different street, Dennis stepped on the gas pedal and followed their suspect while keeping a good distance between both vehicles.
1:25 PM
Rebecca slouched in her seat as she started to lose interest in using Sincerity for the entire day. Every animal she and her two teammates had come across turned out to be authentic with no chance of them giving off an uncertain verdict. Bryce had driven her and Oswald in a suburban neighborhood in Garden Grove. The panoramic view didn’t change in terms of animal behavior. Their investigation equaled a complete lack of action. Rebecca stifled a yawn with her hand. She didn’t expect this emergency situation to be so tedious.
“I feel like going to the beach. The weather is perfect today. We should just get out of here and go to Bolsa Chica.”
Bryce was slightly apathetic in front of the steering wheel. “You know that’s not gonna happen.”
He kept the SUV in a slow and steady pace in the neighborhood. “Let’s just assume that we do find a dragon that’s wearing a disguise. It’ll be a lot more fun than being at the beach. We get to kick its ass before Sorivo does something even worse.”
“You’re just saying that to make me feel better.”
“Well, what else can I do? I’m not a fan of wasting gas money, so what’s the harm in coming up with happy thoughts?”
Rebecca almost laughed. “You’re right, though. We better find something out here, or I’m going to lose it.”
Oswald whispered in her ear, “That’s right. Join me on the other side. It’s a hell of a ride.”
“No, thanks.”
The three of them still didn’t leave the neighborhood, as they only finished their trek halfway. Rebecca peered out the open window to check for small rodents and other stray animals possibly roaming around the city. A young man who had a dog on a leash walked right past the SUV. Rebecca used her tablet to check for any unusual structures from within the canine. It took only a few seconds for her to find the right answer. She quickly disregarded the dog.
She felt like giving up. She just wanted to put her tablet away for the rest of the trip. The front lawn of a two-story house kept her from losing complete interest. A squirrel stood on one of the branches of a small tree. It gazed at the slow-moving SUV while standing still on its two legs. Rebecca had caught sight of it and, despite the limited motivation, decided to use Sincerity once again. She held up her tablet and zoomed in on the squirrel. She scanned the rodent for a mere two seconds before something in its body made Rebecca widen her eyes.
She said to Bryce, “Stop the car.”
She could hear him stepping on the brake pedal. She brought the tablet closer to her face. The x-ray vision revealed an abnormal anatomy. The squirrel had four small lungs inside its body. That was all
she needed to see.
“We got one!”
The squirrel made a swift dive off of the tree and landed on the grass. It used its four legs to flee on the sidewalk, away from the SUV.
Bryce drove straight toward it. “Hang on tight! We’ll get him!”
He started the acceleration. Rebecca could hear the tires screeching from below before the entire vehicle excelled in its forward motion. Breaking the speed limit in the neighborhood would be the least of their problems.
Rebecca put her tablet aside and readied her assault rifle, an FN FS2000 that was ripe for the action. The squirrel’s agility didn’t dissipate too quickly. It ran past two young girls on the sidewalk and made a sharp turn toward an open garage. The squirrel would disappear into a two-story house if the Blackjacks didn’t react in time.
Rebecca and Oswald jumped out of the SUV and ran straight for the open garage. The last thing she could hear from Bryce was him giving Lionel a call to inform him of their discovery. From inside the empty garage, a middle-aged couple had to step aside to avoid being run over by the two Blackjacks who ran straight into the house.
Rebecca still had enough time to follow the squirrel as it sped across the living room and the kitchen. She kept her weapon clutched firmly in her hands as she mustered up all of her stamina for the hot pursuit. She made a swift turn into the kitchen as the squirrel jumped out the open patio door. A teenage boy had to step out of the way for the squirrel to even make its landing.
Rebecca made it into the backyard. The squirrel ran past the swimming pool and climbed up the concrete fence surrounding the entire backyard. It disappeared into the neighbor’s yard. Rebecca climbed up the fence as quickly as she could. She jumped and landed on the other side. The elderly couple on the patio were just as shocked by the Blackjack’s sudden appearance.
The old man yelled, “We’re being invaded!”
Both husband and wife fled into their home in a panic. Rebecca, knowing full well that she couldn’t calm them down in time, tried to detect where the squirrel had run off to. She looked around in every direction. It took only a fraction of a second for it to leave her line of vision after scurrying off into the kitchen. She could even hear its small scratchy footsteps fading out.
