Outlaws and Origins

by Eric S Kim

  Edward and Dennis stared at one another in silence. They already understood their situation, and neither of them even wanted to say it. They looked up and felt even more hopeless as Loretta placed the lid back on top. A sudden clanking noise echoed all around the vase. Both Shadow Service Agents had now been shrouded in complete darkness. They could feel the entire vase moving, as if Loretta had picked it up and carried it with her.

  Dennis just had to say it. “I’m already out of ideas.”

  TWENTY-TWO

  2:06 PM

  With the news that a Nevinoth Dragon had been sighted in Garden Grove, a countywide emergency had been called by Mystic Lightning. The Blackjack Troopers had to become more vigilant than ever. Everyone from Squad A-X-9 had gathered in Garden Grove, in the parking lot of a park. It happened to be the same location where the captain had discovered a car that belonged to a Fail Faction two weeks ago. They had burned it to leave behind an absolute lack of evidence after a skirmish from within a home improvement store.

  Lionel and his teammates had parked their cars in front of a baseball field. Milton Han had joined them as he drove in his own sedan. He joined the Blackjacks as their captain informed them of how they would handle this particular state of affairs. Everyone had gathered on the sidewalk situated between the parking lot and the baseball field. Han stood in the corner as Lionel gave the news in front of his teammates.

  “Alright, listen up. I think it’s obvious that there’s a very slim chance of us finding that squirrel again. Of course, there are other Nevinoth Dragons who are still disguising in their animal form. It won’t be their original bodies, but an enhanced transformation that makes them a whole lot smaller. We should always have our tablets ready for us. Sincerity is helping us out a great deal, so we should be thankful for Mr. Han’s creation.”

  The engineer waved his hand. Only the younger Blackjacks acknowledged it.

  Lionel continued, “But Sincerity isn’t going to be the only thing that we’ll be using to track down these dragons. Mr. Han is providing us with some additional weapons. He’ll give us the full details.”

  Han stepped forward and the trunk of his parked car. “We have been working on these weapons for quite some time. Three months to construct them, and two weeks to perfect them. And I’d say that we’re confident in our success.”

  He pulled out one of the briefcases in his trunk and opened it. He showed the Blackjacks a hunting rifle with a scope and rather modern design in terms of its overall structure. He also showed them a dart that was intended for the weapon in his other hand.

  Han proudly showed them to the Blackjacks. “I like to call this the Denial Dart. It’s not an official name, but it’s gaining traction back in the factory. We use this to prevent a Nevinoth Dragon from transforming back into its giant reptilian form. This dart contains a small amount of fluid that’ll seep into its bloodstream once it takes a direct hit. The fluid will mess with the dragon’s original mechanisms from within, forcing it to stay as a mammal for an extended period of time. One dart equals one week until the fluid expires in its body.”

  Preston replied, “Just imagine what we’d do without you.”

  Han placed the dart and the rifle back in the briefcase. “But of course, just because the Nevinoth can’t be itself doesn’t mean it can’t defend itself with its alternate personality. It can be just as dangerous if it was a bear, or a lion, or a falcon, or whatever.”

  Kurt Nguyen had a simple answer. “Well, we could just fill it up with lead. It’s not that hard to figure out.”

  Han stopped him. “Wrong. Sometimes all you need is something other than bullets and grenades to stop the dragon.”

  He pulled out another briefcase from his trunk. “This one is really special. We almost failed to achieve it, but we pulled it off just in time.”

  He opened the briefcase and revealed a set of metal gauntlets with a cube-shaped container for the back of the hand. He selected one as he wore it on his right hand for the entire squad to see.

  “This is called the Devious EEL. The EEL stands for Extended Electric Lasso. This gauntlet contains a long metal wire which acts as a lasso for a wild animal. It shoots out from this container and wraps around the animal all by itself. And then, there’s the electricity. This metal wire gives will give the Nevinoth an electric shock, just like the Paralyzer Pistol. It’ll bring the animal down and weaken it. It won’t have a chance to escape if you use this thing correctly. Neat, isn’t it?”

  Oswald growled. “I want it so badly.”

  Lionel had to calm him down. “Get a hold of yourself. You’ll have one as long as you behave.”

  Oswald briefly imitated a dog’s quick panting.

  Han put the gauntlet back in the briefcase and closed it. “There are plenty of them for all of you to use. Instructions are also included. But try to be smart with the gauntlets. The wires are only about thirty feet long, so only use them when you’re at a good distance in front of your targets.”

  He handed several other briefcases to the Blackjacks, most of which already wanted to see if the Devious EELs fit on their hands.

  Lionel took one of the briefcases and set it aside. “Thanks a lot, Mr. Han. These will be very convenient for us if we have to confront one of the Nevinoth.”

  Han replied, “Just don’t think that this’ll be the end of it. There are many other devices that can be considered quite useful if they’re approved. I have already constructed several other weapons. They have gone through their testing phase and are ready to be used. If it isn’t too much trouble, I would like to hand some of them to you as gifts. You’ll be the first to own these weapons. We’ll demonstrate them in an appropriate location somewhere when you’re done with work. What do you say?”

  Victoria asked, “What exactly are they? Assault Rifles? Grenade Launchers?”

  “Far from it. They’re what I would like to call ‘one step closer to the future’. They’re a little more advanced than usual, just like the EELs. I would be proud knowing that they would be considered as a breakthrough in modern technology. It’s like science fiction, but made in reality.”

  Lionel was already intrigued. “I’m sure some of us will be delighted to have some.”

  Han smiled. “Good. Now, only a handful of them are available, so only several of you can be selected. Who would like to have some new weapons?”

  Bryce was the first to raise his hand. “Ah, what the hell? I’m willing to try them out.”

  “And I’ll be glad to have you join me. Anyone else?”

  Rebecca raised her hand as well. “I’ll try them out, too.”

  Soon enough, the rest of the younger Blackjacks expressed their interest in Milton Han’s various arrays of advanced artillery. The engineer complimented their curiosity and said, “I’ll give you a call when the time is right.”

  He stepped aside to let Lionel conclude their meeting.

  The captain declared, “Alright, everyone be careful with these new weapons. Be sure you follow the instructions in the manual. If none of us can find a Nevinoth in Orange County, then we meet back at the station at six o’clock.”

  Everyone in A-X-9 agreed before they separated and made their way toward their parked vehicles. Lionel shook Han’s hand and thanked him for the darts and the gauntlets.

  Han added, “Remember what happened here. This is what I hope is the first stage of a revolution in home defense.”

  “I can’t really object to that after what I’ve just witnessed here.”

  As soon as the engineer left, Lionel found his son demonstrating the EEL by himself beside his parked SUV. Jerome moved his hand in different directions and brought his fingers into a tightened fist.

  “It really fits.”

  Lionel nodded. “Be sure to use it only when it’s necessary.”

  Before Lionel could leave, Jerome grabbed him by the shoulder and asked, “You don’t mind it, do you?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “All these Nevin
oth…you’re not going to stop us, right?”

  Lionel understood. He remained calm as he said, “I really can’t.”

  He turned away and headed for his own automobile.

  2:14 PM

  Edward and Dennis had been stuck in the dark for quite some time. Every time the vase moved slowly in a random direction, the two young men had to press their backs against the wall to prevent an unexpected collision. Dennis tried to use his flashlight, but for some odd reason, it didn’t work. In fact, none of their own electronic devices had been functioning since their capture. The purple mist must have done some damage to their belongings.

  Dennis banged his fist against the wall. “Get us out of here right now.”

  Edward had to stop him. “Do you really think they’re going to listen to you after what just happened to us?”

  He couldn’t see his acquaintance in the dark, but he could sense where he was standing just by the location of his voice.

  Dennis groaned. “This is ridiculous. When this is over, I will have a smile on my face when these bitches are sent to Alaska. Where do you supposed they’re taking us?”

  “I heard Florencia say that they want us back at her place. We might stay in one piece if we just behave.”

  A hint of sarcasm had been added in Dennis’s voice. “Well, I’m very glad that you got to know her well.”

  “She doesn’t want to hurt us. Let’s just be grateful for that.”

  “I still have a doubt. You’re the one who broke up with her. I don’t think she’s happy to see you, especially at a time like this.”

  “That’s not true. Just because we didn’t see each other again doesn’t mean that we have a vendetta against each other.”

  Dennis already changed the subject. “Let’s say that they want to torture us. What do you supposed they’ll do? Put us in the microwave or just eat us raw?”

  “Come on, Dennis. Florencia won’t let the witches have their fun. She’s reasonable. She won’t let me down.”

  “I have to ask. Did you really have to break up with her? I mean, what does Ms. Sepulveda have that Florencia doesn’t?”

  “Let’s not get into that.”

  They suddenly heard a faint thud from the other side of the vase. Edward suspected it to be a door closing. He could also hear two muffled voices. Florencia and Loretta must have been speaking to each other at this time. Edward pressed his ear against the wall. Florencia started to say something to the other woman, but he couldn’t decipher it completely. She mentioned something about the Brea Mall and the aquarium from inside the building. She stopped, and absolute silence followed.

  The lid opened up. Light had seeped into the vase, forcing Edward and Dennis to squint their eyes from the abrupt luminosity. After their vision had been corrected, they quickly noticed Loretta’s face as she glanced down into the vase.

  Her deep and ominous tone of voice had reemerged. “They’d be better off dead.”

  Dennis could hear Florencia in the distance saying, “Don’t do it. As long as you’re in my house, you will abide by my rules.”

  Loretta replied, “As you wish. Open it up.”

  She brought her hand down into the vase. Edward and Dennis tried to step away from her fingers, but their attempts had failed. She had found Edward’s body and trapped him in her grasp. She lifted him out of the vase and into familiar territory. The interior of a living room had surrounded Edward and the two giant women. Florencia’s residence became a guaranteed answer, as he had visited this place many times before.

  Loretta stared right at Edward, a helpless victim caught in her spell. “You’re very lucky that she wants to keep you alive. I would rather tear you apart.”

  She reached into the vase with her other hand and pulled Dennis out of it. She now had the two young men, reduced to being five inches tall, out of that dark and echoey place.

  She smiled. “I feel like King Kong with two little victims.”

  Dennis sounded disgusted when he said, “I can almost see the resemblance.”

  Loretta, despite being just as beautiful as Florencia, was not amused by his remark. She brought him closer to her face and said, “Be careful, or else you’ll find out what it’s like to be in a stomach filled with hot and painful acid. You wouldn’t want your life to end in a digestive system, would you?”

  A look of fright grew on Dennis’s face.

  Florencia picked up a cube-shaped birdcage with black metal bars from the coffee table. She had already opened the entrance. Loretta placed Dennis into the cage and let him go. Edward was next. She had loosened her fingers and let him drop to the floor. Florencia closed the cage and locked it with a miniature key.

  Loretta’s keen observation of the two agents trapped in the bird cage was brief yet evident of her current mood. She had already shown off her enjoyment over their powerlessness with her words and her actions.

  She chuckled and said, “Oh, the things I can do to you.”

  Edward tightened his fists. “Don’t you dare.”

  Florencia set the birdcage back on the coffee table. “We’ll deal with these two later. Right now, we should figure out how we’re going to actually do this without being discovered. What about the other two? When are they arriving?”

  Loretta replied, “My friends will be here shortly. They have some other things to tend to.”

  Edward suspected that they had just mentioned Daisy and Meredith, the other two witches originating from San Antonio.

  Florencia set the miniature key on the mantelpiece above the fireplace. “They won’t be going anywhere. Come on, I’ll give you some coffee.”

  Loretta already started to leave the living room. “That sounds good.”

  Florencia bent over in front of the birdcage. “I’m sorry, Edward, but there are just some things that you shouldn’t be involved in.”

  Edward didn’t like the thought of being a prisoner. Nevertheless, he said, “Hey, it’s my job. Nobody can deny that.”

  Florencia sighed. “Don’t even try to leave.”

  She disappeared into the hallway. Edward and Dennis had been left alone in the living room. Edward touched one of the metal bars that acted as a barricade all around the cage. They couldn’t be far apart for the two agents to seep through, and the bars themselves would be impenetrable without a tool to use. He checked his smartphone and found it to be completely disabled. No one would suspect him and his acquaintance to be in trouble if he didn’t inform anyone of his vulnerable state.

  He took a seat in the corner to think about a solution. “So how do we get out of here? I guess we should find a loophole. You know, a weak spot that lies somewhere on this cage.”

  Dennis pulled out something from his pocket. “I’m way ahead of you.”

  He showed him a flat metal packet in his hand. He opened it up to reveal a syringe containing a dark green liquid.

  Edward quickly stood up. “I always wonder why you carry that around, and now I don’t have to.”

  Dennis checked the surface of one of the metal bars. “I’m not sure if it can be strong enough when it’s now a small amount.”

  “Let’s just give it a try.”

  “Sure, why not?”

  Both Edward and Dennis stood in front of the metal bars as Dennis pointed the syringe at one of the metal bars. He slowly pumped a small portion of the green liquid onto the surface. They waited for the metal to dissolve. The small section of the metal had begun to sizzle because of direct contact with the green liquid. A thin trail of steam had risen from it. Dennis did the same procedure to the two other bars between the one that he started on. He smeared the green liquid on the top and bottom of each bar.

  He whispered, “This might take a while.”

  Edward didn’t care. “But at least there’ll be some progress.”

  He kept his eyes on the entryway of the living room and hoped that neither of the two women would appear in his line of vision for the next thirty minutes or so.

  2:23 PM
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  Preston had become one of the passengers in Bryce’s SUV. Jerome and Rebecca had joined them since their departure from the park. He still wouldn’t forget the two new weapons that Milton Han had handed to them for free. He wore the Devious EEL on his hand and didn’t want to take it off. He felt so eager to use it against a Nevinoth in its animal form that he didn’t even want to think of the possible consequences that could come with it. Rebecca must have felt the same way. She also had the gauntlet in her hand. She pretended to reach out to a target and say the magic words. Words that she made up on the spot. She sounded like a cartoon character in an action-packed television series.

  Jerome sat in the passenger seat in front of the two Blackjacks. He was the one to use Sincerity to inspect the stray animals that they would possibly encounter. And so far, the suburban neighborhood in Garden Grove didn’t have any differences. They had found very few small animals during their journey across the city and none of them had four lungs in the x-ray vision. Finding the squirrel that both Bryce and Rebecca for the second time would be impossible. It either would have found an effective hiding spot or would have even left Garden Grove altogether and was on its way to Los Angeles by now.

  Preston still kept the EEL on his hand. “Just think. The four of us can take down a single Nevinoth with these things and we’ll be one step closer to the land of the Zadith.”

  Rebecca didn’t have any complaints. “It’s like we’re being brigaded by all this good luck.”

  Bryce, as usual, was behind the wheel. “Just be careful not to break those things. I wouldn’t want them to think that we’re being a little careless.”

  Rebecca laughed. “Come on, Bryce. You know we’re always careful when we have to be.”