Outlaws and Origins

by Eric S Kim

  “Your name’s John. What a basic name. They should have called you Sandy. I’d love to see tons of people laughing at you because your name is Sandy.”

  John waved his baseball bat at Hector and said, “You shut up.”

  “We charged you for that graffiti. That means you got your first strike. Do you wish to continue? Let’s make it to number two. Just one step closer to Alaska. Are you ready to say goodbye to your friends?”

  “I don’t care.”

  “Really? So you don’t care that you’ll be on your way to that place to join all the other teenage scumbags?”

  John had lowered the tone of his voice considerably. “I ain’t scared, man.”

  “So you won’t mind it when they put you in handcuffs and just throw you in that prison without any protection whatsoever?”

  John didn’t raise his bat any longer. “Nah, I’m good.”

  “Do you know what happens to people who first set foot in that prison?”

  “I don’t have to hear about it.”

  “First, they weed out the weak and force him into submission. You’re fully aware of this, right?”

  “…Nah, man.”

  “He’ll be the subservient one in that prison. He’ll be used and abused. They’ll make him fall to his knees and turn him into a complete wreck. He’ll wish that he went back home and apologize to Mom and Dad for being a little dipshit. Do you want to be like him?”

  John shook his head. “Hell, no.”

  “If that’s true, then take two steps back and leave this old man alone. You don’t want two more strikes added to your name. Just two more and you’re out of here.”

  John followed Hector’s command. The growing look of fright on his face had been a clear indication of Hector’s terrifying influence.

  “Good.”

  John appeared to feign his aggression from now on. “This place sucks, anyway. I’m off.”

  Hector narrowed his eyes. “Don’t pester this old man ever again. Do you hear me?”

  The teenager nodded. Hector turned around and walked away from his adversary, whose two friends tried to pull him away in hopes of keeping him home instead of hoping he would survive in Alaska. Hector was the first Blackjack to leave the scene. Lionel and Victoria had seen everything. They didn’t give compliments as Hector only enjoyed the silence. The teenage trio had left the beggar alone to avoid Hector’s cold and calculated vengeance.

  The three Blackjacks returned to their parked SUV. Lionel didn’t mention anything involving the incident. Instead, he and his two teammates left the strip mall altogether and continued their investigation in Garden Grove.

  3:15 PM

  Civilians would have their day ruined if they had planned to visit Golden Mile Golf Course as Sorivo had forced the entire area to be closed off from the public. Hammerhead Investigators were on the scene to inspect either the spot where Hilkoris had died or the apartment complex where the horse had originally been hiding in. The press had free access to the golf course, so several news vans had been parked on the green grass for a live report on television and on the internet. Sorivo had already made his departure, but that didn’t stop the reporters from yearning for an interview. They had already selected their eyewitnesses, but most of the young Blackjacks refused to say a word. Only Sabrina and Elliott were compelled to tell the truth in front of the video cameras.

  The Blackjacks had been assigned to stay in Golden Mile Park, as they had received some good news from Milton Han. Jerome had received the phone call. They were told to wait for the engineer to arrive. Preston, Jerome, Bryce, Rebecca, and Oswald had to gather at the parking lot of the golf course. They sat inside their parked vehicles and watched as Sabrina and Elliott displayed themselves on camera from a long distance. Preston couldn’t hear them, but he could tell by their hand gestures that they enjoyed their retelling of how they took down a Nevinoth Dragon. The reporters let them speak. Recording their material would be a highlight of their historical broadcasts.

  Meanwhile several photojournalists had also taken part. Most of them entered the golf course to take photographs of where Hilkoris had been defeated. One of them turned out to be Brandon Young. When he walked past the parked SUVs with the rest of the group, he turned and waved his hand. Preston, Bryce, and Rebecca waved back. The young Blackjacks had already grown familiar with Brandon’s presence. The photojournalist had visited nearly half of the areas that Squad A-X-9 had been present in. Preston had only met him twice since his first day at work, but he already felt more of a friend compared to the rest of the press.

  Milton Han had finally showed up at the park. He had arrived without an automobile of his own. He was joined by two other men who wore white lab coats above their shirt and tie. The young Blackjacks exited their vehicles right when Sabrina and Elliott had finished their interviews.

  Han introduced his associates to the Blackjacks, and vice versa. He congratulated the young crimefighters on their first victory against a Nevinoth Dragon.

  His compliment sounded genuine, which moved Preston very much. “Thanks a lot, man. We were pretty nervous about it, though. We didn’t expect these EELs to be so…well, literally electric.”

  Han laughed. “I can understand the culture shock. No one would expect this technology to be so advanced. Like I said, it’s a breakthrough. This stuff will change the way we fight crime. Mystic Lightning is about to eliminate the competition in less than a year.”

  Jerome asked, “Was it really that hard to construct these things?”

  “I’ll be honest. It took us a long time to make it work. We had our struggles. One time, we even thought the project would die off because it was considered too big of a change. But of course, we now know the conclusion.”

  Elliott smiled. “It really paid off. I love everything about them.”

  “That’s good. And I’m sure everyone has no complaints.”

  The other Blackjacks expressed their optimistic attitudes by being devoid of disparagements.

  Han stood proudly with his new friends. “So I’m sure there won’t be any objections if I told you that the darts and the EELs aren’t the only things you’ll be obtaining.”

  Jerome replied, “I already had that impression when I got the phone call.”

  “Well, then. There’s no point in delaying the fun. My associates and I have gathered at Schofield Archery Range because we want to show you your new collection.”

  The seven Blackjacks whispered amongst each other with excitement.

  Han continued, “We already have them here for you use. We just want to give you a demonstration before they’re all yours. And that’s why I wanted you to stay here.”

  Sabrina grinned. “I’d say that it’s okay when Mr. Han is in charge.”

  “We’ll be waiting for you at the archery range. It’s just a short distance from here.”

  Jerome nodded. “Yeah, we’re know where it is. We’ll be there as soon as everything’s wrapped up here.”

  Han surveyed the media coverage that transpired on the grass. “It must have been a hell of a fight.”

  Preston put his cap back on. “You should have seen it.”

  3:20 PM

  Edward could feel a tiny itch on his back. If his hands weren’t bound by manacles, he would have felt instant relief when he erased that itch with his fingernails. But he just had to think of something else to avoid the discomfort. He remained standing on the mantelpiece. The iron ball connected to his chains still couldn’t be moved from its original spot. No matter how much Dennis pulled at his chain, or how much he tried to break the manacles with his own hands, he had failed to withstand the sorcery. Edward could only feel pity when his blond-haired acquaintance spent the last hour trying to break free from his bondage.

  Edward asked, “Have you ever heard of insanity?”

  Dennis’s snarky demeanor had grown more frequent. “Oh, at least I’m trying to do something. Meanwhile, you’re choosing to be the lazy one. Who’s the real los
er in this picture?”

  Edward finally brought himself down and took a seat on the floor. Florencia and Loretta had been gone for several minutes. He had heard the front door open and close during that time. Two more voices had emerged from the hallway. The other two witches had completed the gathering in Florencia’s home. Edward still couldn’t decipher the faint voices that came from the kitchen. There would be no way for him to discover the truth.

  Dennis had finally groaned in disgust. He stopped his attempt at freeing himself from the chains and took a seat beside Edward.

  “What a mess. I thought we’d be done with this, but the witches just had to live up to their names and bring us down a few notches.”

  The itch on Edward’s back had finally dissipated. “What do you suppose the witches want to do in Brea? Kidnap the mayor or something?”

  Dennis sighed. “I doubt it. There has to be something else. Maybe they’re going to search for a savior at Brea Mall. Someone who has used a secret identity after all this time, and the witches will persuade him or her to help them fight back against the dragons.”

  “It’s possible. But what if they’re searching for an artifact in that place? It could be buried somewhere, and they want to uncover it and use it against us.”

  “There are so many theories that I don’t think we can narrow it down.”

  But then, Dennis rubbed his chin. “There is something. A trivial matter that ignited my curiosity.”

  Edward asked, “What is it?”

  “Florencia had visited the Brea Mall at least three times in the past four days. I checked the surveillance cameras in several sections of the building. She entered and walked out without any purchases. She had no interest in the stores, but she did keep visiting the aquarium. There must be something that’s drawing her to the water. She stayed there for an average of five minutes before she left. Maybe the witches are going to steal the fish for some darker project that we’re not aware of.”

  Edward had gathered the new information without interrupting the other agent. “The aquarium. What kind of sea creatures are there?”

  “Well, there’s all kinds of fish. There are sponges, some sea horses, and…a stingray.”

  “Only one stingray?”

  “If I remember correctly, it’s the only one in the water. No other stingrays are present.”

  “Sounds to me like the witches are interested in that stingray. Do you know where it came from?”

  Dennis shook his head. “I can’t really say. I didn’t look into it yet.”

  Edward finally tugged at his chain. “I guess we won’t find out unless the witches take us on a little trip.”

  Dennis groaned. “I am getting aggravated. I can’t stay in the living room forever. I’ll go crazy from the familiarity.”

  The echoes from the hallway had grown louder, and the sounds of footsteps had become present. Both young agents stood up when Florencia led the Witches of San Antonio into the living room. The two other witches, Daisy and Meredith, had been introduced to Florencia’s little toys on the mantelpiece. The two witches must have been slightly younger than Loretta. Both had long hair and had retained their stunning exteriors. Forgotten myths would lead people to believe that witches were hideous both inside and out. In reality, however, they had been the exact opposite. Witches were almost always gorgeous even at an old age. Their slender figures and entrancing facial features would be a simple indication of their livelihoods. The three witches in the living room would have no problem embracing their age. They had no concern of any wrinkles that formed on their skin, since their good looks still wouldn’t succumb to an expiration date.

  Loretta brought them closer to the mantelpiece. Edward grew tired of being reminded of his shrunken size. Daisy and Meredith were amused by his bad luck. They leaned forward and brought their gigantic faces closer to the two agents.

  Edward just wanted to look away, but he couldn’t. “Don’t you have something else to do? You know, doing your dirty work in this city?”

  Daisy ignored his question. “You’re so cute when you’re small. I bet we can have some good fun with you when we’re in the mood.”

  She lightly poked Edward’s stomach with her finger. The forceful push almost made him fall backwards. Luckily, he didn’t lose his balance.

  “I wouldn’t want to do that. The authorities will find out what you’ve done to me. They won’t forgive you for anything.”

  Daisy laughed. “As if we’d ever care about that.”

  Meredith reached out and pulled at Dennis’s chain with her own finger, causing him to jump forward from the motion.

  He cried out, “Are we nothing but a child’s plaything to you?”

  Meredith replied, “I’d say we’re upgrading you to a better position. An adult’s plaything, how about it?”

  Loretta stopped them from having their fun. “Alright, that’s enough. Leave them alone. They’ll need some peace and quiet…before the real fun begins.”

  Florencia had rolled her eyes at that statement.

  Daisy and Meredith turned away and faced their leader.

  Daisy asked her, “Is the plan still unchanged?”

  Loretta nodded. “We’re not going to let these two little agents ruin our mission. We’ll keep to our original schedule. Florencia, are you still with us?”

  Florencia replied, “Yes, I am.”

  “Good. Meet us at the mall at midnight. Don’t try to make any changes.”

  “Don’t worry. I won’t.”

  Before the witches could leave the living room, Loretta kept her eyes on the men on the mantelpiece.

  “Maybe it’s better to bring them along when we’re done with everything.”

  Florencia asked, “What do you mean?”

  Loretta stepped closer to the fireplace. “We don’t have to leave them here in California. Let’s bring them home. We’ll keep them safe in San Antonio.”

  She reached out and raised Edward’s chin with the tip of her finger. “We can show them how to be a little more submissive.”

  Meredith moaned with excitement. “I wouldn’t mind seeing them following our commands.”

  Edward couldn’t imagine his future with these witches. “I dread to think what you can come up with.”

  Loretta chuckled. “Being a slave in our hands can have certain advantages. You can be a very good performer for us. You’ll please all three of us. It’ll be fun.”

  Edward gave Dennis a sidelong glance.

  Loretta added, “Just think. We can make you do things that you never would’ve thought about in your lifetime. All you have to do is entertain us for the sake of your lives.”

  Dennis’s eyes widened. “Let’s not go there.”

  “In fact…I bet this could be a good time for you to obey me.”

  Edward was fuming. “That’ll be a good way for me to hate you more.”

  “Oh, don’t be afraid. Just think of it as a new territory waiting to be explored.”

  Florencia had to stop them from moving forward. “Come on, stop right there. Edward’s not into that kind of stuff. Just leave him alone.”

  Meredith turned around. “Why to have to put us in a bad mood?”

  “Because unlike you, I care about him enough to respect his wishes. Now, I think it’s time for you to leave. Go on. I’ll look after these two. Now go.”

  “As you wish.”

  The three witches walked away from the mantelpiece and left the living room. Before she could lead them out of the front door, Florencia whispered to the agents, “Don’t worry. I won’t let them take you to Texas.”

  Edward asked, “But you will bring us back to normal size, right?”

  Florencia didn’t answer. She left the living room with the witches and disappeared into the hallway.

  Dennis cursed at the witches. “Their naughty thoughts make me sick.”

  Edward sighed. “I’d be more worried about their visit to the mall.”

  3:28 PM

  The
Schofield Archery Range indeed wasn’t far from the golf course. It had been located on the eastern side of Golden Mile Park. Patches of trees surrounded it, and a small manmade hill served as the backdrop in case anyone had missed their target and their arrows had to make a safe landing. Milton Han had waited for the Blackjacks to finish their duties in the golf course. They had entered the area and parked their vehicles. When they reached the archery range, they had found Han and his two associates under a green rooftop at the front. A table had been brought out earlier on, and Han’s newest inventions now lay on top of it.

  At least one dozen items had been brought out for the Blackjacks to take with them. So far, Preston was impressed with the variety. It included rifles, grenades, and even sunglasses.

  “That’s quite a selection.”

  Han’s pride had been made clear through his voice. “It took me some time to perfect them. They’ve been proven to be a triumphant breakthrough back in Ventura. I expect a big promotion from Mr. Hamilton in the future.”

  Rebecca asked, “You don’t mind if we check them out right now, do you?”

  “Go right ahead. It’s yours to keep. Just don’t activate any of them right now. I’d like to give you a demonstration first.”

  Bryce had one more thing to say. “We better be quick. We still have a lot to do with all of these Nevinoth around.”

  “Try not to feel so stressful. We have plenty of time.”

  Sabrina laughed. “Yeah, come on, Bryce. We got some real good stuff going on here.”

  The young Blackjacks had gathered at the table on the grass. Han had reminded them that a group of Kingsnake Officers roamed around the park, so there would be less of a chance of being interrupted by the press. Preston’s interest had already peaked when he had come across the pairs of sunglasses arranged neatly on the table.

  He picked up one of them and asked, “What makes this so special?”

  Han stepped forward. “They’re not just for protection from the sun. They’re also used for picking out enemies in the dark. The sunglasses give you infrared vision. If someone tries to be invisible, use these to catch their body heat. All you have to do is press a button on the left temple.”