by Eric S Kim
Bryce kept his AUG rifle in his hands. “Alright, listen up, you little shit! You’re getting off that tree whether you like it or not.”
The squirrel didn’t respond to any of that.
Bryce stepped closer. “Come on, now. Admit it. This is your last stand. We’re going to take you down and send you to the Silver Skins. You don’t want that to happen now, do you?”
The squirrel wiggled its nose.
Bryce brought his rifle up and aimed the barrel at the little furry rodent. “If silence is the only way, then I’m gonna have to take you down myself. I’m warning you. I can be a mean one with a rifle and…you’re really just an ordinary squirrel, aren’t you?”
Sabrina brought her tablet up and used Sincerity on the squirrel. The x-ray vision proved that the mammal didn’t have four lungs after all.
Bryce cleared his throat and lowered his weapon. “I hope we didn’t take too much of your time.”
The squirrel finally ran off. It jumped off the branch and scurried on the sidewalk. The pedestrians stepped aside and let it disappear into the parking lot of the two commercial buildings. Rebecca felt fortunate that none of the pedestrians had recorded the incident on their smartphones. Posting the videos and the pictures on the internet would be the ultimate humiliation on Bryce’s part.
The young man informed the crowd, “Alright, show’s over. Everyone go back to your own business now.”
He turned around and headed back to the parked SUV in silence. Rebecca could hear Sabrina stifle her little laugh.
Once they got inside the automobile, Sabrina just had to have a big grin on her face.
“Well, that sucked.”
Bryce turned on the engine. “I can’t say that it sucked. But damn, was that embarrassing. Lesson learned. Never put my confidence on overdrive. Especially when there’s a freakin’ squirrel on a tree.”
He drove off and took a right on the next intersection.
Sabrina still didn’t stop being amused by the situation. “Hey, I’m not gonna lie. I thought it was a disguise, too. I just didn’t think you’d act like a complete dumbass over there.”
Rebecca chimed in. “Come on, just stop.”
Bryce kept his eyes on the road. “I hope I won’t repeat the same mistake.”
Rebecca patted him on the shoulder. “Hey, don’t feel so bad. It’s not like you’re bring demoted or anything.”
Bryce didn’t let the humiliation get to him. “That’s the only part that I like about this.”
“Yeah, you don’t have to worry about it. You’ll still have a chance to be the boss.”
Sabrina groaned. “Oh, so he’s got you in the crosshairs?”
“What, is something wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong. Just the fact that this guy right here thinks his ambition is going to pay off at the end. A good comedy right here.”
“You don’t think he’s got the right stuff?”
“I don’t think he’s got any stuff period.”
Bryce didn’t lambast his redheaded teammate. “Well, I respect your honesty…even if I think you’re completely wrong.”
Sabrina laughed. “You go ahead and kiss up to the company. Meanwhile, everyone else is going to have a hell of a good time overseas. Man, I don’t get how you don’t see yourself as part of the Zadith.”
Bryce shrugged his shoulders. “It’s just not my thing.”
“Whatever. Rebecca and I will kick some bigger asses out there. Am I right?”
Rebecca quickly nodded her head. “Yeah, you’re right.”
Bryce pulled over to a gas station on the next intersection. “You can always send me emails when you’re out there. I’ll read all of them. I promise.”
Rebecca’s smile had faded. Bryce sounded so persistent when discussing his commitment with Mystic Lightning. He had no positive reviews for his Zadith nomination. With everyone else in Squad A-X-9 embracing their opportunity to join Gorvex’s family, Bryce would be the sole individual who had to reject the offer. Rebecca almost slouched in her seat. She tried to suppress the vision of the future, but it always led to a potentially unhappy result.
Bryce parked the SUV beside one of the gas pumps. Sabrina left to grab a snack from the convenience store. Bryce used his debit card to purchase gas. Rebecca exited the vehicle to throw away an empty aluminum wrapper.
Bryce waited for the gas to fill up the entire tank in the SUV. He folded his arms across his chest and waited for the pump to finish.
“I hope we do get that free gas card in a few days. Prices here in California are a complete joke.”
Rebecca replied, “Yeah, I’d want a card like that for the rest of my life.”
“What about the maid service? I didn’t think it was a good prize after our little stunt up north. But now that I think about it, it’d be nice to have my apartment cleaned up by someone else for the next few years.”
“I’d want that, too.”
Bryce gave her a little smile. “Yeah, but what about your place?”
Rebecca chuckled at his little joke.
Bryce finished with the fuel nozzle and put it back where it belonged. Rebecca didn’t get back into the SUV just yet. She asked her teammate, “You are going to miss us a lot when we…if we win the nominations, right?”
Bryce replied, “Hey, of course. I’d never want to forget about all of you guys. We made a really good team here, and I’d hate to see it go.”
Those words comforted Rebecca from the inside.
Bryce stepped closer and asked, “Are you having second thoughts or something?”
“What makes you think that?”
“You just asked me a personal question, and that just spiked my curiosity. That’s a classic cause and effect right there.”
Rebecca tried to smile, but failed. “Well, it’s kind of complicated.”
“We can at least try to make a little easier if you were honest with me. Just tell me what you’re feeling.”
Rebecca straightened up and finally admitted, “I just don’t like the thought of you staying here in Orange County.”
“Why is that?”
“Well, everyone’s gonna join the Zadith and we’re just going to leave you behind. It doesn’t feel right. I mean, it’d be kinda lonely without you around. We stayed together as we’re out there fighting and protecting all these people. We always trusted each other, and we never gave up on each other. If I’m really going to be a Zadith, then life’s gonna feel very incomplete when I leave.”
Rebecca realized what she said and quickly corrected herself. “I mean, when we leave.”
She almost panicked at her mistake, but she managed to keep herself under control. She waited for Bryce to respond.
He didn’t mention her error when he said, “I get what you’re saying. I’d feel the same way if one of us just decided to leave right now and forget everything about us. It would break my heart if it happened in real life.”
He took off his baseball cap for a moment. “The thing is, though, I really can’t change anything about it. I mean, it does suck that not everyone is going to have the same opinion. But I already accepted the change. If you guys win the nominations, then I’ll be missing you. That doesn’t mean that I’m going to spend the rest of my life crying about it. It’ll feel pretty empty without you guys around. Later on, I’ll accept it and move on with my life. Because that’s how it’s supposed to be. I can’t control these things. It just happens. Life can be full of shit at times, but there’s also some good things in it.”
“So you really are going to miss us?”
“Of course. Why would I not?”
“I wish I had your confidence right now.”
“Trust me. Things will get better in about a year from now.”
“Will you remember to send us an email when we’re out there?”
“I wouldn’t want to think less of it.”
Rebecca smiled. “I’m already imagining you sitting at Mr. Hamilton’s desk and giving order
s to your employees.”
A slightly devious tone emerged from Bryce’s voice. “I bet I’d do a damn good job of it.”
It was refreshing for Rebecca to hear.
Meanwhile, Sabrina had returned with a bottle of citrus soda and a small bag of chocolate-covered cashews.
“So what’d I miss?”
Rebecca turned away. “Nothing. Just some minor stuff.”
Bryce put his cap back on and went back into the driver’s seat. The three Blackjacks left the gas station and continued their search for dragons in disguise.
TWENTY-SEVEN
4:55 PM
Nothing interesting happened in Garden Grove after the pursuit of the white horse in Fountain Valley. Preston and Jerome had tried to search for a Nevinoth Dragon in the suburban neighborhoods, but the only animals that they had spotted were genuine and had normal lungs in Sincerity. Preston slowly tapped his fingers on his knee. He sat in the passenger side trying to keep his eyes open. He stifled a few yawns for the last thirty minutes. Every time he expected to find anything that resembled either a dragon or its animal form, a disappointing result always flourished at the end.
But when Jerome had entered yet another suburban neighborhood, something had finally caught both Blackjacks’ attention. A civilian had run out of his house and threw a suitcase into the open trunk of his parked car. He ran back into his house in a swift manner, leaving the front door wide open. Preston could sense an alarmed individual who desired nothing more than a hasty exit from his home. He had viewed this before just a short while ago.
Jerome parked his SUV beside the civilian’s sedan and waited for the middle-aged civilian to run back out of his house. This time, he had carried a duffel bag and threw it into the trunk.
Jerome rolled down his window and stopped the civilian. “How are you going, sir?”
The civilian closed the trunk. “Don’t block my car! I’m getting the hell out of here!”
“Why? What’s the matter? Is something bad happening here?”
“You must be drunk. Of course, something bad is happening here!”
Jerome stayed calm. “Please explain.”
“I can’t! I have to go!”
“Please tell us why you’re leaving your home.”
“Because of all of these wild animals! The Nevinoth! They’re going to raise some hell and I can’t stand for it. First, we had Fail Factions. And now, we have dragons who speak English! Fuck this shit! I’m getting out of here. You can keep your Nevinoth. I’m going and I won’t come back!”
“But where would you go? Oregon? Nevada? They’re not really doing well right now.”
“No, I’m moving to Sacramento. It’s going to be a lot quieter when I get there. At least that city won’t be a battlefield.”
“That’s too bad.”
“What? Are you going to stop me?”
Jerome shook his head. “I can’t do that. Blackjacks aren’t allowed to keep you from moving to another city.”
“Well, thank God for that.”
Preston tried to keep a sharp focus on their discussion, but something on the other side of the street made him even more curious than the civilian’s decision. A dog, more specifically a white-furred Maltese, was scratching at the front door of a one-story house standing right across the street from the frightened civilian’s own home. The dog didn’t stop scratching at the door. It appeared as if it tried to call to its master.
Preston tapped Jerome’s shoulder and pointed at the Maltese. “Do you think it’s serious?”
Jerome had already noticed the Maltese. “Is it a Nevinoth?”
Preston used Sincerity on his complete tablet, and it revealed no breakthroughs in its x-ray visions. “It’s normal.”
He could hear the dog whining loudly as it tried to remind its master of its presence on the front porch. Jerome already brought his SUV away from the civilian’s sedan and parked it on the curb in front of the other house. They brought out their assault rifles and exited their vehicle. The dog was still whining in front of the door. It didn’t even mind it when the two Blackjacks had stepped forward. Jerome tried to calm it down by crouching down and patting it on the head. It had no effect on the dog as it couldn’t stop scratching the vertical surface with its claws.
Jerome knocked on the door. “Is anyone in there?”
Five seconds of silence led to a complete lack of a human response. Jerome knocked again, but the door still didn’t open after briefly waiting on the front porch. Preston had to push the dog away from the door. Jerome checked the doorknob and found it to be locked. He pulled a small pen-like object from his pocket and activated a green laser. He pointed it at the keyhole.
The Automatic Unlock Laser (or the AUL for short) had been given by Mystic Lightning just one week ago. It main purpose was to unlock various deadbolt locks in a civilian community. The green laser would be inserted into a keyhole and, with the use of sophisticated mechanisms, would open the door in just a few seconds. Preston heard five faint clicks from the keyhole, which ensured that the lock had been opened by the laser. Jerome turned off the laser and opened the door. The dog ran into the house as quickly as possible.
Jerome whispered to Preston, “Careful. The owner must have had a heart attack or something.”
The two Blackjacks entered the house. So far, the interior appeared to be tidy and untouched by possible intruders. The carpeted floor lacked blood stains, and the furniture didn’t include any scratches or dents.
Jerome called out, “Is anyone in here?”
The only sound in the house was the Maltese dog whimpering in the hallway.
Preston already realized it. “I think it found its owner.”
He and Jerome took a peek inside the hallway. On the far end, the dog lay flat on its stomach and had its loudest whimpers echo across the narrow corridor. It had its eyes on a partially open door on the left. The two Blackjacks stepped forward with caution.
Jerome tried to get a response one last time. “Is anyone in there?”
The sound of another human voice remained nonexistent. Preston crouched down and immediately saw a tear forming in the dog’s eye. It hinted a death in the family. Jerome leaned forward and brought his head into the bedroom.
He lowered his weapon. “Oh, man.”
There was genuine heartbreak in his voice.
Preston stood up. “Was it a heart attack?”
Jerome turned away. “It’s a lot worse.”
Preston looked inside the bedroom. He officially did not have any use for his weapon.
A man in his fifties or sixties had hanged himself in the corner of his bedroom. He used his own belt for permanent asphyxiation. He must have been dead since noon. Jerome walked away in the hallway. Preston followed him. He used his earpiece to notify the hospital that a suicide victim had been discovered. A body bag was required from the ambulance. When he ended the call, he found Jerome in the living room, seated on the sofa. He had taken off his beret and had sunk his head down like a dejected gentleman.
Preston detected a personal loss. “Did you know the guy?”
Jerome didn’t look up. “It’s Mr. Brubaker…one of my teachers from high school.”
The dog in the hallway still didn’t stop mourning the loss of its owner.
5:02 PM
Lionel still had other things to tend to at Mystic Lightning Headquarters, but for now, he had enough free time to watch a special report on television. A flat-screen TV had been hung in the corner of the lounge, which was located on the third floor of the building. Lionel stayed standing as he, along with two other employees, followed the news story. The reporter had confirmed that another Nevinoth Dragon had been exposed in the city of Anaheim. Three members from Squad A-X-9 had dealt with the dragon, which had taken on the form of a bighorn sheep, with their new artillery. Cliff, Kurt, and Nick had taken down the mammal with their Devious EELs and gave Sorivo another free victim to take care of. All of it took place near the Anaheim Conventi
on Center. The news channel showed footage of the dead Nevinoth Dragon that crashed into a small section of the street.
Footage of an attempted interview with the three Blackjacks began was presented on the screen. And the newscaster did stress the word ‘attempted’. The reporter live on the scene tried to ask a few questions to Cliff, Kurt, and Nick on the sidewalk. But the three men were busy arguing over who found the Nevinoth first. Kurt was increasingly fuming at his two teammates. His voice experienced a slow crescendo before it culminated as a loud and aggressive vocal engine that used some colorful choice of words.
“I’m dealing with two dickheads here! Fuck off!”
The news reporter didn’t even bother to chime in. He just cut the broadcast short and brought the newsroom back onscreen. Lionel almost laughed when his teammate didn’t even bother with the news crew in Anaheim. When the other two employees walked away from the TV screen, Lionel decided to watch the rest of the news story.
But a voice from behind him led him away from the screen. He turned around to see who said his full name. He assumed that the young man standing in front of him was the exact individual who had found the Forizan Ring in Quebec.
“Todd Park?”
The Shadow Service Agent replied, “Yes, I am.”
Todd Park was a nineteen-year-old Korean man. He currently wore a black coat above his black shirt and purple necktie. His haircut seemed reminiscent of the type associated with popular pop stars from his home country. He was a clean, skinny, and almost sophisticated gentleman after all.
The young man brought out his hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Tyler.”
Lionel took his hand and shook it. “Same to you.”
Todd gave a little smile. “I always wanted to meet you.”
He said it with a calmness that almost indicated a more reserved behavior, an introverted style caught in a frequent routine.
Lionel appreciated the harmless conduct. “Well, I’m still free for some time. Why don’t we have a drink together?”
Todd gave a little nod. “That’ll be good.”
