Central City; the district at the center of the Big City. It was the richest, grandest, most technologically advanced city among the Valley Strip and the Ridge. It possessed the densest population housed in the tallest buildings and spoiled its residents with the latest trends and amenities. The entire district glowed as though a golden light constantly shone from above. The paved streets were always clean, and motor carriages dominated the streets over those towed by horses.
A pale, old man walked along the sidewalk beside one of the many busy streets. His sideburns connected to a thin, white beard and mustache, trimmed short and neat. A black leather rancher hat shaded his face from the harsh sun. His eyes were tired but kind. He wore a gray dress shirt only visible at the collar because of the tailored, black vest and long, black coat he wore overtop. A black leather belt tightened his black denim trousers around his hips. The shining spurs on his black, polished boots rattled with every step he took. Under his coat, a pair of silver six-shot revolvers in black holsters were clipped to his belt, one on each hip. In his veiny hand, he carried a straight, black cane with a fancily cut opal capping the top end.
The man went by many names. Some knew him as Silas Navarro. Armani Anderson called him Chester Gaines. Most people referred to him only as “Midnight,” one of the most wanted outlaws across the whole valley, yet one of the least recognized. All the other rich, elderly folks in fancy clothes or business attire walking the streets of Central City nodded to him politely or simply ignored him altogether. To them, he was just another faceless stranger they would never see again. Midnight, on the other hand, paid attention to every single one of them, watching carefully and examining every detail of their faces as they briefly passed by.
A middle-aged woman with a light-colored blouse and dress hurriedly crossed the street while carrying a large briefcase. An older man in a colorful suit and a frilly hat caught Midnight’s attention with a cocky laugh. He was surrounded by half-a-dozen cooing women with two of them under his arms as they walked. An old, sunburnt hobo lay on the corner of a busy intersection. He wasn’t begging for money, just lying on a dirty blanket and shading his eyes from the sun with his hand.
Midnight stopped, blocking the sun, and looked down at the homeless man with a neutral expression. The homeless man returned the gaze, silent, possibly waiting for Midnight to say something, but Midnight said nothing. A few seconds later, two deputies stepped up beside Midnight. The pale outlaw discreetly reached into his coat and touched the handle of one revolver, but the deputies were focused on the hobo.
“Come on, get up!” one of them shouted and roughly grabbed the homeless man’s arm, hoisting him to his feet. The deputy shoved the man against the wall, then turned him around and held the back of his shirt collar to direct him down the sidewalk while the other deputy picked up the raggedy blanket, then looked at Midnight.
“Sorry you had to see that, sir,” the deputy said. “He won’t bother you anymore.”
The deputy tipped his hat, and Midnight offered a weak smile and a shallow nod, then the deputy followed his partner up the road and disappeared into the blurry herd of people.
Midnight continued his walk and soon reached a fancy restaurant along a major street. An awning cast a wide shadow over the entrance, and the tinted windows provided the diners with suitable privacy. Once inside and seated by himself at a table in the corner, Midnight sipped ice water from a tall, fancy glass and unfolded a crisp wanted poster he had kept in one of his coat pockets. In large, bold letters the poster read:
Curtis “DAWN” Conrad
Wanted: DEAD or ALIVE
Reward: 58.5 G
The sketch of Curtis was updated using reference photos from his fight against the White Snakes, so his hair was shorter, and he still sported only a mustache instead of a full beard. Midnight pinched the corner of the poster and stared at its contents. He sighed after taking another sip of water and leaned back in his chair.
“What’re ya doin, boy?” he whispered. “Ya should’a just moved on.”
***
At the edge of Big South where it meets Big West, Curtis and Sly arrived at the statue of General Leonard Walter just in time. A distant clock with bells that echoed far and wide chimed noon and Curtis and Sly rested in the circle of grass surrounding the base of the statue. They breathed heavily. The constricting feeling from the mysterious man’s spell finally faded and after they caught their breath, they stood up, remembering that they needed to be visible to someone from Minutes ‘til Midnight who should be in the area looking for them.
“I hope they sent Mina,” Sly said. “It’s hard to make out anyone in this traffic, but she’d tower over the rest of them.”
The statue was positioned in the middle of a large pedestrian section that doubled as a median between several major roads. The area was dense with people moving every which way. In the meantime, they waited by the statue and gathered their thoughts.
“She had to be the one,” Curtis said under his breath, trying not to let anyone overhear.
“Yeah,” Sly said. He was also convinced then. “But does she have a spell? Maybe she wasn’t actually the one who killed Erin Glass.”
“The fortunes an’ Erin’s death haveto be connected. Sweeney knew what happened to Erin before we brought it up an’ was confident that the same thing would happen to him.”
“Maybe,” Sly groaned and scratched his chin. “Although, both Erin and Sweeney seemed satisfied with their fortunes, meaning they must have been pretty accurate and specific. It wouldbe hard to predict two peoples’ futures like that without a special ability.”
“There’s also the fact that Erin died immediately after her fortune came true,” Curtis added, “while Sweeney was still alive ten days after his came true.”
“So, maybe they’re two separate spells. If so, I imagine the future sight belongs to Fortuna, but then who possesses the weird skin confetti death spell?”
They both thought for a moment and had the same initial idea.
“Could it be that cat-eyed freak?” Curtis said after the pause.
“But he had another ability,” Sly countered. “That’s what we just witnessed, right? We were forced to do whatever he said. Our bodies moved on their own.”
“Hmph,” Curtis grunted. “Must be a charmin’ spell like mine er Silver Tongue’s.”
“Yeah,” Sly agreed. “A lotlike Silver Tongue’s, actually.”
While they contemplated the unsettling possibilities, Smiley appeared behind them and gently tapped on each of their shoulders. Without looking at Curtis or Sly or saying anything at all, Smiley kept walking past them. Per Trapper’s instructions, Curtis and Sly followed Smiley at a comfortable distance and kept a few people between themselves so it was less obvious that they were walking together. Even once they reached a slightly less bustling section of Big West, they remained distant from Smiley and each other until finally entering Peace Meadows where Smiley led Curtis and Sly into the forested section that made up the northern third of the park.
They then came together and maneuvered through the dense foliage to reach Minutes ‘til Midnight’s hideout. Sly hesitated upon seeing the shack shrouded by trees and bushes.
“Uh, Smiley?” he asked timidly.
“Yes?” Smiley answered and stopped and turned around to face Sly.
The men were only about ten yards away from the shack.
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but are you about to murder us in that shack?” Sly swallowed and wiped his sweaty palms on his pants. “You can be honest,” he added.
Curtis furrowed his eyebrows and looked at Sly, then at Smiley who stood absolutely still with his long, thin arms held behind him. His suit was clean unlike when they last saw him, but his toothy smile and sunken eyes were even more harrowing in this setting.
Then, Smiley slowly raised one arm, pointing at Sly with a finger gun. He smiled widely, revealing his tiny, yellow teeth and thick gums.
“If I wanted to kill you both,” he said in his usual calm, flat tone and pointed his finger gun at Curtis, “I wouldn’t need to bring you in there.”
What felt like several minutes (but was really only a few seconds) passed in silence before Sly finally, nervously laughed. Smiley also chuckled in his strange monotone way.
So creepy! Curtis thought as he, too, joined in the awkward laughter.
A minute later, Smiley turned and led Curtis and Sly the last few feet through the dense trees until they saw the shack in full view. Before they reached the front steps, the door opened and out walked Doc.
“Well, well,” he said and greeted the trio with a warm smile. “Look who it is! ‘Bout time. We almost started t’ think y’all had gone an’ gotten yerselves caught!”
Curtis and Sly grinned. Before they said hello, Mabel appeared beside Doc in the doorway and upon seeing her companions, her face glowed with immense cheer.
“Curtis! Sly!” Mabel shouted, an enormous smile splitting her face. Her eyes glistened as though she were about to burst into tears. She ran down the front steps, passed Smiley who slid past Doc and into the cabin, and across the clearing in front of the cabin to give each outlaw a long hug. “It’s been weeks! I started worryin’ that you two weren’t comin’ back fer me.”
“We’d never ditch you like that!” Sly exclaimed.
“I know,” Mabel sighed, holding her smile. “How’s the investigation goin’?”
“It’s had its ups an’ downs,” Curtis answered. “And unfortunately, we ain’t quite done yet, so I’m afraid that means we’ll need ya to stay here a bit longer.”
Mabel frowned. “I can still help you guys,” she moaned. “Please let me come! I promise I’ll do everythin’ you say and won’t mess anythin’ up!”
Curtis laid his arm across the girl’s shoulders and rubbed her hair with his hand.
“We appreciate it, but it’s really fer the best ya stay here,” Curtis said sympathetically. “But we ought’a be done in another day er two. We won’t leave ya out of all the action. It’s been a lot o’ back an’ forth through the city. The fewer people we have t’ keep track of, the better.”
Mabel swiped Curtis’s hand off her head and looked at the ground.
“I get it,” she mumbled, then leaned into Curtis and looked up at him with a renewed smile. “I’m really glad to see you guys, though. Are ya stayin’ long?”
Curtis looked at Sly who shrugged and replied, “At least until dark. The final part of our investigation could be tonight, so we’ll need to head out after sunset.”
Doc stood in the doorway, watching them across the clearing. He leaned on the doorframe with his arms folded, grinning at the reunited trio as they gleefully chattered about the last couple weeks’ events. Gentle footsteps behind him then drew his attention; Taking a couple steps outside and onto the short steps, he turned to see Virginia now standing in the doorway.
Doc grinned and they looked at each other silently for a moment. Virginia didn’t return the smile but met Doc’s eyes, slightly looking down at him, with a blank stare.
Doc nodded over his shoulder and said, “Sounds like Dawn and Sly aren’t stayin’ long.”
Virginia tilted her head just slightly and looked in the corner of her eyes for anyone else standing behind her. Smiley had made his way to the back of the cabin to hang up his revolver. Trapper and Mercy sat on the couches by the fireplace. Rowan was seated at the table toward the back of the cabin near Smiley.
She looked at Doc again, whose friendly grin had become more inquisitive.
“You’ve been keepin’ a close eye on Mabel a lot lately,” Virginia said quietly. “And you’ve been actin’ weird ever since she tagged along with us.”
“Weird how?” Doc asked with a raised eyebrow. “Dawn and Sly entrusted her to us, so of course I’mma keep close watch on ‘er.
“I know that look in yer eye, Henry,” Virginia said and crossed her arms. “I can tell the gears are turnin’; have been fer weeks. When were you gonna let me in on yer plan?”
Doc sighed and closed his eyes for a few seconds, then opened them and grinned at Virginia again.
“I’m just lookin’ forward to the future; that’s all,” he said calmly. “We got our advance fer bringing Curtis and Sly to the Big City, our other deals are provin’ fruitful so far, and if we’re lucky we’ll only add to our fortunes if Agents Totem and Merlot decide to use Mabel as bait.”
He stepped up and turned his torso to walk past Virginia and into the cabin, but Virginia yanked the door shut in front of him. She crossed her arms and blocked the door with her body.
She glared at him standing immediately in front of her, just a couple inches taller. And said sternly, “That wasn’t part of the plan.”
Doc inhaled deeply. There wasn’t room for the two of them to stand on the top step, so he placed his left foot one step below for balance, then raised his right arm and pressed his hand against the door above Virginia’s head. Virginia glanced at Doc’s raised arm and furrowed her brows as she adjusted her feet for a sturdier stance.
“It wasn’t part o’ the plan because we didn’t know we’d have Mabel with us,” Doc said with a shrug, speaking softly with his face inches from Virginia’s. “Now that it’s an option, it was an obvious suggestion to try an’ swindle some more cash from our informants.”
“And ya didn’t think t’ tell me first?” Virginia raised an eyebrow. “The original plan still sounds good to me, regardless o’ whatever you promised the Government.”
“See, I knew you’d disagree.”
Doc smirked at Virginia and tried to step back up on the top step, but she pushed him back down. He rolled his eyes and put his hands into his pockets with a sigh.
“And then ya did it anyway,” Virginia fumed. Her voice had more power now, but she kept her volume low. “I thought we discussed things before makin’ changes. Our plans’re dangerous enough. We still don’t have any real protection if Government decides to just come an’ take Mabel by force, er really do anythin’ else they want with us.”
“You’re not thinkin’ ‘bout what’s best fer our group.”
“I am thinkin’ about the group! You’re pushin’ things farther than necessary which is puttin’ everyone at risk.”
Doc frowned and placed his hands on his hips. Virginia took a deep breath before continuing.
“We should let Mabel go free after the Government takes Dawn, Sly, and Esprit.”
“Oh, yeah. Fer sure,” Doc said, nodding. “The Government might not even want to use Mabel. We’d definitely let her go, then. She’d be no good to us. And this would be the best place to do it. The Big City is ripe with opportunity for a slinkin’ lil’ urchin like her.”
Virginia scowled. She clenched her jaw and took an angry, shaky breath.
Doc shrugged. “What’s done is done. Sometimes a leader’s gotta do what he’s gotta do.”
“I thought we didn’t have a leader,” Virginia retorted.
Doc exhaled harshly, trying not to outright chuckle, and took another step up. “Please, Ginny. We both know you and I call the shots in our group.”
“Don’t call me that,” Virginia snapped. “I hate that nickname.”
Doc stepped up to the top step and slammed his right hand against the door again, forcing Virginia back. Doc pressed his body against her and his face hovered within a couple of inches of hers. He smirked and examined her fair face.
“Something’s obviously gotten ya fired up,” Doc growled, “but you need’a cool it.”
“Of course I’m fired up,” Virginia hissed. “Because you—”
“Nuh-uh, zip it. Don’t say another word.”
Doc leaned in even closer, and Virginia turned her face, wincing from the physical proximity and the tingly feeling from Doc’s breaths on her neck.
“I don’t care what it is, but now you’repissin’ me off. Take a lap an’ when you’re ready to air yer grievances like a grown woman, come find me.”
Doc reached beside Virginia and twisted the door handle with his left hand, pushing it open and brushing past her with an annoyed shove.
Virginia stood there for another minute, infuriated and breathing shakily. The door remained open just a crack. She closed her eyes and clenched her fists, breathing deeply and trying to relax. She opened her eyes and looked at Curtis, Sly, and Mabel standing in the clearing, still chatting and laughing together. They hadn’t seemed to notice the hushed argument, but as Virginia turned to walk inside, she met Curtis’s eyes with only a brief glance and knew that he must have seen at least part of their confrontation. Just how much he paid attention, she wasn’t sure, but she was certain that he couldn’t have overheard the topic of discussion.
***
Once inside, Curtis and Sly shared some of what they had gathered about Midnight’s connection to the Mystic Program. They didn’t explain everything, but told the group about the mysterious shipments that Inez seemed to be in charge of, repeated what Lennox Sweeney had mentioned about something called Midnight Wilter, mentioned the strange openness the former Mystic Program researchers all exhibited so far, and finished by saying that Sweeney had also received a fortune and was confident that he would share Erin Glass’s fate. They explicitly excluded any mention of the person named Immortal.
“We didn’t have long to grill him,” Sly said. “We escaped just as the authorities arrived at his townhouse.”
“That’s a shame,” Doc said. Everyone gathered on the furniture by the fireplace with a couple people sitting on the ground and leaning against the table. “And he was in totally good shape? No sign of burstin’ into dust?”
“Not that we saw,” Curtis answered. “He did say somethin’ along the lines of ‘I know my time is coming’ which reminded us of what Erin said just before she died. I half expected his body to start dissolving right then, but luckily it didn’t.”
Doc and the rest of Minutes ‘til Midnight took in the information. Virginia stood in the corner, leaning against the wall near the dormant fireplace with her arms crossed.
“And then,” Curtis continued. “We ran into who we think must be the person who read their fortunes. She was called Fortuna. There was someone else with ‘er, too, whom we think has a spell that makes you obey his commands, like Silver Tongue used to. Whether er not Fortuna’s spell is future sight, turning people to dust, er somehow both are related, we aren’t sure.”
“Very intriguing,” Smiley said with a wide grin while wringing his hands together.
“Wait. Fortuna?” Trapper asked from the floor. “I think I’ve seen her a couple times around Big West.”
“I’ve definitely passed her little stand one er twice,” Virginia added. “I hadn’t thought much about it honestly.”
“How ‘bout that?” Doc said, winking at Virginia. He then looked at Curtis and Sly again and said, “I bet our group could handle huntin’ her down while you two finish yer investigations into the former directors.”
“Just watch out for the tall dude with her,” Sly warned. “He seems like no joke.”
“Noted,” Doc replied with a nod. “But before discussin’ any o’ that, we got some of our own intel ‘bout Midnight to share with ya.”
Curtis leaned forward on the couch he, Sly, and Mabel shared. “Please do.”
“Well,” Doc groaned, scratching the back of his head. “It ain’t too much. We still haven’t been able to squeeze out the details of Midnight’s spell from our informants.”
“Who are these informants, exactly?” Sly inquired.
Doc paused and looked at Sly, then said, “They’re trustworthy. We know they have sources inside the Government, but Midnight’s a well-guarded secret that only the real important folk git to know about, so info’s scarce.”
Sly nodded and folded his legs, then Doc continued.
“Anyway, we do know that Midnight’s spell apparently isn’t that powerful in the traditional sense. He ain’t out there controllin’ things with his mind or blowin’ anythin’ up, but it is the source of his incredible ability to evade the Government, hence why they ain’t caught ‘im yet despite apparently knowin’ so much about ‘im. Our informants also said that his spell ain’t the only thing the Government’s after. The secrets he holds are even more valuable. And—” Doc pointed a finger at Curtis. “That’s also why they want you so bad.
“They don’t give a damn ‘bout yer spell, but the fact that you’re connected to Midnight makes you valuable, too. I bet they know you were with him fer a few years, so to them you must know a -hell-of-a-lot about whatever it is they want. Likewise, our informants warned us that if we ain’t careful, the Government might turn their sights to ourgroup. Luckily, besides Virginia, most of us never had much of a relationship with Midnight, so we ain’t worth much. Not yet anyway. Regardless, we don’t wanna take too much risk, so we’ll be relocatin’ to another hideout. We’re plannin’ to leave tonight.”
“Makes sense,” Sly said.
“Do ya think we should relocate, too?” Curtis asked. “We’ve been sticking our necks out quite a bit lately. I’ve had a feelin’ they’ll catch on to us soon.”
“Wouldn’t be a bad idea,” Doc said. “We should be able to set you up somewhere new after we move. We’ll happily take Mabel with us if ya need more time, but, if y’all want ‘er…”
Curtis and Sy glanced at each other briefly, then Curtis said, “It’d be best if she stayed here. Just a little longer.” He looked at Mabel when he added the last part.
Mabel’s eyebrows slanted upward and she smiled, disappointed but understanding.
“We’re goin’ after the other retired director Inez told us about,” Curtis continued. “Taylor Howell. He lives in a mansion near the Ranger Academy. Lots o’ security and no obvious way in, but we saw ‘im sneak out the other night, so we think that could be our window.”
“The problem is,” Sly jumped in, “we’ve only seen him go out once. He didn’t go last night and when he does, we expect he’ll be very cautious. It’ll he hard to sneak up on him.”
“Take Virginia with ya,” Doc suggested.
Virginia stood straight and uncrossed her arms while staring uncertainly at the back of Doc’s head.
“She’s great at scoutin’ and catchin’ people off guard with ‘er spell,” Doc said.
Curtis and Sly silently considered the option, then Curtis said, “You sure? We don’t wanna drag anyone else down with us if we git caught.”
Doc shrugged, then looked over his shoulder at Virginia. She inhaled slowly and looked at Curtis and Sly, then at Mabel.
“What’cha think?” Doc asked and Virginia glared at him again.
“Her Spyware spell would be pretty useful,” Sly mumbled, rubbing his chin.
Curtis nodded in agreement.
Virginia stared at Doc for a few more seconds, then exhaled.
“Sure,” she said. “I can pin Howell down before you guys move in.”
Doc grinned and turned his attention back to Curtis and Sly. “And she knows where our new base is, so she can bring y’all there when you’re done.”
Curtis and Sly talked with Mabel more while preparing for their mission. Sunset was approaching quicker than they realized and they didn’t want to miss seeing Howell exit his mansion. They also filled in Virginia on more details about the rangers patrolling around Howell’s plot and where he went the first time they saw him sneak out.
“What’re those?” Mabel asked upon seeing the costumes Curtis and Sly brought in bags.
Virginia peered into the packs and stifled a laugh with her hand. “Are those disguises?” she chuckled. “Ya can’t be serious.”
“You don’t git it,” Curtis defended. “I thought it was dumb at first, too. I don’t know if y’all’ve been to Big North much lately, but there are wanted posters everywhere. It’d be impossible fer anyone to not recognize me er Sly.”
“No, I know,” Virginia said, taking breaths to calm herself down. “It’s smart, really, but it’s gettin’ dark out. By the time we git there, yer hats’ shadows’ll be plenty to disguise you. These things’ll only make you stand out.”
Virginia placed the leather packs with her own bags she had packed for the move.
Sly crossed his arms. “They worked the past couple nights,” he pouted.
A couple hours later, it was time to go. It would take about an hour to walk from the cabin in Peace Meadows to Howell’s mansion which was slightly on the east side of Big North.
Before departing, Virginia approached Doc who sat alone at the table near the cabin’s mini kitchen. Curtis, Sly, and Mabel were outside saying goodbye and the rest of Minutes ‘til Midnight noisily played a game of cards on the sofas. She yanked a chair out from under the table and sat down forcefully. Doc looked up from the newspaper he was reading and grinned.
After a moment, Virginia said “I talked to Rowan about keepin’ an eye on Mabel while I’m gone. But don’t worry; I didn’t spill yer little scheme to her yet.”
Doc raised an eyebrow and glanced at the rest of the team on the other side of the cabin.
“I’m not sure if you think sendin’ me with Dawn and Sly will help yer plan at all,” she said quietly, leaning over the table. “But it certainly won’t help to change my mind about it.”
Doc put down the newspaper, then opened his mouth to speak, but Virginia cut him off.
“If you do anything to that girl while I’m gone, there’s gonna be real hell to pay.”
Doc pressed his hands on the table and stood from his chair, leaning over the tabletop and matching Virginia’s quiet intimidation.
“I gave them another chance to take ‘er away and they still declined,” Doc asserted. “Whatever happens to Mabel now ain’t entirely my fault.”
“You wanna put ‘er in harm’s way fer what’ll amount to pocket change. The Government doesn’t care about her. Usin’ her as a decoy would be a throwaway tactic, a last-ditch effort if they can’t manage to catch two guys who we’ve practically presented to them on a platter. They won’t care what happens to ‘er in the ensuing conflict.”
“So? Why should they? Why should we?”
“Because she’s innocent in all this!” Virginia turned to see the rest of their group still distracted with their card game. She had begun to lose control of her volume and took a few breaths to regain composure. “Mabel has nothin’ to do with Midnight and nothin’ to do with the Government. She’s just a sad little girl tryna do somethin’ better with ‘er life than beg to survive one more day. Lester Langley already took away ‘er real family and we’re ‘bout to git rid of the last two people she loves. The least we can do is keep ‘er away from the fire.”
Doc closed his eyes and slowly sat in his chair. When he opened his eyes again, Virginia still scowled at him, undeterred. He sighed and tapped his pointer finger on the table.
“I knew yer loyalty to the group was waning,” he said calmly. “I didn’t wanna believe it.”
“What?” Virginia whispered.
“If you think that the others’re on your side in this, you’re sorely naïve,” Doc chuckled. “The rest of us are dedicated to our mission. It don’t matter who’s watchin’ Mabel. Even Rowan, the one least invested in Midnight, would still turn on Mabel if it contributed to our goal.”
Doc stood again, gently this time, picked up his newspaper, and spoke slowly.
“You are all alone,” he said, drawing out each word.
Before Virginia could say another word, Doc walked away and joined the others on the couches. Virginia breathed heavily and clenched her fists, then stood and collected her hat, belt, and revolver and joined Curtis and Sly outside.
Upon seeing Virginia, Curtis and Sly hugged Mabel goodbye.
“You two better not git yerselves into more trouble,” Mabel teased.
“They’ll be all right,” Virginia said as she stepped into the clearing. “I’ll take yer spot as the responsible one fer this trip.”
Mabel giggled and thanked Virginia, then watched the trio fade into the darkening forest. Another pair of eyes watched them hike through the woods. The Shadow Mamba, Demura Aiko, slinked through the treetops as quiet and smooth as a serpent, always keeping the trio in his sight.
***
The sun had set before Curtis, Sly, and Virginia reached the hill overlooking the mansion.
“I hope we ain’t late,” Curtis said as the three of them peered at the illuminated plot.
Virginia examined the walls and the layout of the yards. She scanned the dozens of doors and windows around the mansion, seeing a few vague figures throughout the building, but she had no idea what Howell looked like. She blinked twice and the quiet click and whir of a camera shutter signaled the snapshot of her vision being saved forever to her memory.
“Looks like we’re good,” Sly said. “The rangers’ shift change hasn’t happened yet. Assuming that’s his usual window, we still have time.”
“Let’s hurry,” Curtis directed and rushed down the hill.
The trio crouched in the darkness of the tree line and watched the back gate like before. They couldn’t see over the wall now, but Curtis and Sly expected the shift change to occur at any minute. However, a few minutes soon turned into an hour and Curtis and Sly began to worry that Howell wouldn’t sneak out tonight, either, which reinforced their suspicion that the first night had been a trap. But what was the Government planning after it failed? Surely, they would send rangers or deputies out to search the vicinity if they knew Curtis and Sly were watching nearby.
Virginia sat beside them quietly. Her arguments with Doc replayed in her mind repeatedly. She couldn’t help to think of various things she could have said to twist the disputes in her favor. She didn’t want to believe that everyone in the group would completely agree with Doc’s plan for Mabel, but she also knew that none of them had been too concerned about the morality of their actions up to that point. Aside from pointlessly killing people, nothing was off the table if it pushed them closer to finding Midnight.
She thought about telling Curtis and Sly about Doc’s plan, just spitting it out and facing her own punishment right there if it meant saving Mabel, but kept her lips sealed.
Get ahold of yerself, Virginia, she thought. Would it really be worth ruining everythin’ you and the team have worked toward just to save one little girl.
Curtis and Sly were whispering something to each other, but Virginia didn’t listen. She stared blankly at the plot’s eastern wall.
I barely know her, Virginia contemplated. Maybe Doc’s right after all. It ain’t worse than what we’ve done before. Besides, whatever Taylor Howell can tell us ‘bout the Mystic Program and Midnight could be extremely useful and there’s no way these two would continue this mission if they knew Mabel was in danger.
“Virginia,” Sly whispered. “Hey, Virginia!”
Virginia snapped out of her trance and looked suddenly at Sly.
“Sorry, what?” she whispered back.
“The shift change should’ve happened by now. A couple nights ago, Howell snuck out when all the rangers patrolling the perimeter gathered at the front gate. Two of them stayed while the rest left, and Howell snuck out the rear gate when none of them were watching.”
“I see,” Virginia sighed.
“If he hasn’t come out yet,” Curtis said quietly, “I doubt he’ll come at all tonight. It’s prolly best if we head back and try again tomorrow. If that don’t work, I don’t know what the next step’ll be, but we can work that out with the others.”
Virginia looked again at the plot’s walls. “We could wait a little longer,” she whispered. “You said most of the rangers would leave through the front gate, right? So, we should be able to see some of ‘em come ‘round that corner.”
She pointed to the southeast corner of the wall.
“I wasn’t payin’ attention to that side, so maybe I missed ‘em if they already left.”
“No, you’re right,” Sly said. “I’ve been glancing that way, too, but haven’t seen any of the rangers leave. I agree; let’s stay a bit longer.”
Curtis nodded and continued watching both sides of the plot with the others.
Sure enough, no more than a half-hour later, Sly spotted some of the rangers coming around the southeast corner. Virginia and Curtis watched the rear gate closely and spotted an older man dressed in all black exiting from the back of the plot.
“That’s him!” Sly whispered with excitement.
“Let’s move,” Curtis said.
As they secretly trailed Howell, unbeknownst to any of them, the Shadow Mamba stalked them through the city streets. Just like the first night, Curtis and Sly kept their distance and Virginia followed their lead. They tracked Howell down back alleys and side streets to various destinations including a local tea shop and a bar in the college town that was filled to the brim with Ranger Academy frat and sorority kids. Also, like the first night, Howell didn’t purchase anything from the shops he visited, and he didn’t enter any restaurants or recreational businesses.
The trio were patient and quietly tailed him until he turned around to make a beeline back to his mansion. On his way, he stopped at a popular sweets shop but didn’t do more than window shop. The store was closed at that late hour and after he had his fill of eye candy, he turned the corner and walked down a narrow alley leading behind the sweets shop and toward his mansion again. He walked hurriedly.
When Howell was well within the alley, stranded in the shaded hall between main streets, Curtis stepped around the far corner ahead of Howell and stood with his hands on his hips, fingering his revolvers. Howell slowed, suspicious of the silhouette ahead of him. He couldn’t see the figure’s face or make out many details in the darkness. Sweat accumulated on his forehead as his stomach began to churn. Howell peered over his shoulder, planning to turn back to the main road, but he spotted another silhouette now standing at the side he entered from. He stopped walking and looked frantically between the two exits.
With a nervous gulp, Howell sighed and spoke stutteringly.
“I- I don’t want any trouble,” he said.
His voice echoed up the alley’s brick walls. He stepped t one side and stood near the wall, doing his best to keep an eye on both assailants who slowly walked toward him.
“Ya want c- cash?” Howell spat. “Er how ‘bout my scarf? It’s a nice one, I promise. H- here… take ‘em.”
Howell undid his scarf from around his neck and tossed it toward Curtis, then rolled a small coin purse along the ground toward Sly.
“I’m just an old man,” Howell begged. “Please don’t hurt me.”
He took deep breaths to calm his nerves and stood ready for a confrontation, but before Curtis or Sly got close, Howell was grabbed from behind. Howell yelped as two fair arms protruded from the brick wall he pressed his back against. One arm wrapped around his torso and held him against the wall while the other went under his arm, pinning him in an awkward pose, and one hand covered his mouth so he couldn’t scream again.
His efforts to calm himself down were completely abandoned and replaced by true terror at the horrible sight he witnessed. The arms held him firmly against the wall as Curtis and Sly stood in front of him. The retired director looked at the men’s faces in the darkness and began to recognize them as the outlaws from the news; the ones giving the Government so much trouble lately. He didn’t entirely calm down, but he steadied his breaths and prepared for whatever might come next. This was no robbery, he realized.
“Listen,” Curtis said to Howell quietly and calmly. “We don’t wanna hurt ya. We just have a few questions.”
“Don’t try to run or make any noise,” Sly added. “Otherwise, we’ll be forced to subdue you and take you somewhere more secure for questioning.”
Howell nodded quickly, then Curtis looked at the wall behind him where a pair of green eyes stuck out from the wall. Virginia’s spell still creeped Curtis out. He nodded and Virginia removed her hand from Howell’s mouth.
“Okay, first thing’s first,” Curtis began.
A familiar throwing star suddenly appeared, sticking out of the wall a few inches from Howell’s face. The retired director gasped, and Virginia quickly silenced him.
Curtis looked at the star and furrowed his eyebrows. “Huh?” he groaned.
“Watch out!” Sly shouted just before the alley was consumed in a pluming purple cloud. Curtis and Sly stepped back from the wall and looked around frantically, covering their mouths and noses and coughing from the sudden burst of dyed smoke. Virginia closed her eyes and retracted them back into the wall. They burned from the smoke. She kept her arms exposed to maintain her hold on Howell. Howell’s eyes also burned. He squinted, tears streaming down his cheeks, and glanced around the alley. Purple was all he saw.
“Great,” Sly moaned. “Not this guy again.”
Curtis was then struck by a ferocious jab to his left side. He flung himself around and through a blind punch but saw no sign of the Shadow Mamba in the dense haze. Then, the shining blade of the Shadow Mamba’s ninjatō cut through the smoke and sliced Curtis’s right arm. Sly saw the ranger’s silhouette and lunged to lock him in a grapple, but the Shadow Mamba quickly retreated into the lingering purple cloak.
I can barely see, Sly thought. The smoke’s blocking the moon and streetlights. It’s too dark!
“Sly!” Curtis called through the thick cloud, pressing one hand over the cut on his arm. “We need’a keep an eye on Howell!”
The Shadow Mamba appeared again and pummeled Sly’s back with two lightning-fast kicks, then slashed through Sly’s dark dress shirt with his ninjatō. Sly’s cry of pain warned Curtis who spotted the ninja’s vague form and rolled out of the way just in time to dodge the throwing stars the Shadow Mamba threw right after attacking Sly. As he recovered from the roll, Curtis withdrew his revolver and held them at the ready with his fingers on the triggers.
“Don’t shoot!” Sly shouted. “That’ll only draw more attention to us like last time. We’re in the part of town with the most rangers in the immediate vicinity.
Curtis stood and held his revolvers close. Sly’s back pressed against his.
“He is right,” they heard the Shadow Mamba’s grizzly, dramatic voice echo through the smoke. It was just as cringy as during their first encounter with the ninja ranger.
Curtis and Sly took shallow breaths, coughing after each exhale, and squinted their eyes while trying to watch for any sign of movement. Curtis caught a glimpse of skulking shadow and raised his hands just in time to block another double-kick using his revolvers. The Shadow Mamba then leapt through the air and landed only a couple yards away from Curtis and Sly, but they could still barely see him through the persisting fog.
He’s improved his smoke bomb’s duration since last time, Curtis thought.
They saw the Shadow Mamba’s blurry silhouette as he stood straight with one arm raised, pointing two fingers up in front of his face.
“We meet again, outlaws,” the Shadow Mamba said in his Ridge accent.
“This didn’t end well fer ya last time,” Curtis threatened.
“Yeah!” Sly shouted. “Just get out of here, Shadow Mama!”
The Shadow Mamba growled and snapped back, “It is Shadow Mamba!” before disappearing completely behind his misty purple veil.
Curtis and Sly pressed into each other’s backs and stood ready for another flurry of blows, but only heard the Shadow Mamba’s echoed laughter.
“You are fools for even thinkingof entering the Big City,” the Shadow Mamba said. His voice boomed throughout the series of surrounding alleys.
Sly smirked and looked up in the smoke. “You must’ve gotten promoted, Demura! How’s the Big City treating you over Rich River?”
“That does not matter now,” the Shadow Mamba replied seriously. “But I must say, I am glad to have the opportunity for a rematch. This time, there is no one else around to save you!”
The Shadow Mamba dropped from above, landing with his feet on Curtis’s shoulders. Sly immediately turned around and thrust his entire body forward with a powerful punch but the Shadow Mamba leaned back, causing Curtis to fall into Sly’s blow. As Curtis gasped for breath, the Shadow Mamba leapt off Curtis’s shoulders with a backflip and kicked him into Sly. The two outlaws stumbled away, Sly catching Curtis as he still tried to regain his wind.
Howell watched the shrouded fight and tried to speak, but Virginia’s hand gripped his mouth tightly. He strained his jaw and opened his mouth just enough to bite down on Virginia’s fingers while scratching at her other arm. She recoiled, releasing Howell, and pulled her arms into the wall.
The Shadow Mamba landed elegantly and stepped toward Howell.
“Do not worry,” the Shadow Mamba said. “I am on your side.”
“I know who you are,” Howell replied.
“You must go quickly! Can you run?”
“Yes,” Howell answered and made a break for the far end of the alley through the smoke.
Curtis recovered as best he good while taking deep breaths of smoke and coughing violently from each deep breath. The smoke seemed to finally be fading, though, and he and Sly could see Howell dashing away from the scene.
“Dawn, go after Howell,” Sly said and looked at the Shadow Mamba who soon disappeared into the hazy shadows.
Curtis coughed and looked at Sly with squinted eyes. “You sure?” he asked. “This Shadow Mamba guy’s tough. Even together, he gave us trouble in Rich River.”
“I know, but he can only focus on one of us if we split up. So, go!”
“I do not think so!” the Shadow Mamba yelled and reappeared from the shadows.
The smoke had almost completely dissipated. A slight shuffle in the darkness to Sly’s right drew his attention and Sly twisted around with another punch. The Shadow Mamba caught the punch, but the force of the blow pushed the ranger back with the soles of his soft fabric shoes skidding on the dusty cobblestones.
Curtis moved in the opposite direction to chase after Howell, but the Shadow Mamba swung his arm out and released three more throwing stars which whizzed through the air, curved around Curtis’s body, and pierced the ground in front of Curtis. Curtis stuttered to a stop, then the ranger yanked a thin cord from a coil attached to his belt. He twisted Sly’s wrist, then leapt back and forth, zigzagging and weaving all around him in a shadowy tornado. The cord tangled around Sly and in only a few seconds, Sly was completely immobilized.
Curtis had no time to worry about Sly and ran past the throwing stars, but the Shadow Mamba quickly cut him off with an impressive high jump and backflip over Curtis’s head. As soon as he landed, he berated Curtis with a whirlwind of punches and kicks.
Meanwhile, Howell ran down the alley and reached the end where he came out to a main road. He looked left and right, then sprinted across the street and down another thin side road. He kept his eyes forward, moving impressively quickly for an elderly man. Ahead of him, a large crate sat on the side of the road and as he got closer, half a leg extended from the crate. Howell noticed just in time to hop over the leg, then rolled over his shoulder and quickly recovered to a defensive stance with his feet wide apart and his fists raised.
Virginia’s head then popped out of the top of the crate. Howell stared at the strange sight, observing that Virginia seemed to phase through the object.
“I didn’t think a geezer like you could dive like that!” Virginia exclaimed in shock.
Howell smirked and eyed Virginia closely. “I ain’t so easily fumbled despite my age,” he teased. “Not even by a fancy spell like yers.”
Virginia grinned and retracted her limbs back into the crate.
Howell tensed up and prepared for another surprise attack. From a shuttered window one story up, Virginia dove, but Howell gracefully side-stepped out of the way. Virginia flipped and landed on her feet, then immediately reached out to grab Howell again. Howell spun around and slapped Virginia’s hand away, then spun once more and dropped himself low to sweep at Virginia’s feet, tripping her. Before she slammed into the ground, Virginia phased her upper body through the cobblestones and swung her legs, kicking Howell in the chest.
Virginia then pulled her legs underground with the rest of her body. A moment later, her hand reappeared from the ground and grabbed hold of Howell’s ankle. The retired director stumbled back and leaned on a nearby barrel, gripping the edges of the barrel’s top and hoisting his feet into the air. Virginia held tight and ejected herself from the ground but let go when Howell rolled backward and stood on top of the barrel. He lunged at Virginia with a flying kick. Virginia raised her arms and was thrust back. Howell was swift and dropped low once more.
The nimble old man swept a second time at Virginia’s feet. This time, Virginia hopped to avoid the strike, but Howell continued the circular sweeping motion and instead caught the handle of an empty bucket near the barrel and used his foot to pass the bucket to his hand. Howell stood just as Virginia’s feet touched the ground again and he swung the bucket wildly. Virginia juked around the attacks and extended her arms to catch the bucket which Howell immediately released then jabbed his palm into Virginia’s sternum, knocking the wind out of her.
What’s with this guy? Virginia thought in the brief pause between attacks. How’s a feeble old man movin’ like that?
Stunned, Virginia held up the bucket to block the incoming punches that Howell followed up with at an incredible pace. She was forced backward by the onslaught and backed herself against a wall underneath an awning of overlapping corrugated metal sheets amateurly nailed together. Howell broke the rhythm of his punches and leapt upward to kick one of the metal bars supporting the awning, causing the awning to drop down on one side. He jumped again and grabbed the awning and slammed it down, breaking the other support and crashing the whole structure down onto Virginia.
Virginia phased through the metal sheets and tossed the bucket at Howell who deflected the bucket with his knee and kicked the bucket high into the air. Virginia found herself in between Howell’s arms after the awning fell to the ground. She grabbed at his arms and gripped them tightly, then yanked the old man in and butted the top of her head into his nose. The bucket came falling back down and landed on top of Virginia’s head with a painful CLANG. She released her grip on Howell who stumbled backward and leaned back against the barrel. Virginia tumbled back onto a pile of old boxes and potato sacks.
Howell sniffled and rubbed his bloodied nose, then wheezed with breathy laughter.
“You use yer spell quite effectively in a fight, miss!” the retired director exclaimed.
Virginia rolled over and hoisted herself to her hands and knees. She breathed heavily and said, “Are you a ninja, too, er somethin’?”
“Ha! Not quite,” Howell scoffed. “I do take tai chi classes twice a week, though. The wife and I used to go together, but ever since she got sick, she just can’t move er stretch like she used to. I started taking double classes to make sure I remain capable enough fer the two of us.”
Virginia groaned and stood on her feet once again, fists raised and ready for another round. Howell grinned and wiped his nose again, then mirrored Virginia’s stance.
Meanwhile, Curtis and Sly’s struggle against the Shadow Mamba continued. The air was clear at last. While Curtis defended against an onslaught of punches and kicks, Sly rolled on the ground, trying to break the cord wrapped around his entire body. He put all his strength into flexing his arms and legs and it seemed to be just enough as the cord strained and began to tear. Finally, Sly burst free and scrambled to his feet just as the Shadow Mamba disappeared once again into the shadows.
“Sly,” Curtis said, pressing his back up again Sly again. “Taylor’s gettin’ away. We need’a try to separate again.”
“I think I saw Virginia go after him,” Sly replied. “She should be able to slow him down at least. He’s just an old man.”
“Good. Then we can keep workin’ together. I don’t think the Shadow Mamba’ll let us go unless we defeat ‘im again.”
“You’re right about that. Are you picking up on the pattern?” Sly asked quietly.
“Yeah, it’s just like when I fought Slasher. The second time, he used the same routine as the first. This guy’s no different.”
Sly looked around the dark alley and yelled, “Come on, Shadow Mama! We’re ready!”
“For the last time, it is Shadow Mamba!”
The Shadow Mamba howled as he leaped from a small balcony high above the outlaws’ heads. Sly instinctively raised his arms and blocked a couple kicks. He reacted quickly and grabbed one of the Shadow Mamba’s ankles, but the Shadow Mamba was quicker and twisted his body around to grapple Sly in a choke hold using his legs.
Sly threw himself downward, still gripping the Shadow Mamba’s ankle, and slammed the ranger into the ground. The Shadow Mamba bashed his head into Sly’s face and rolled backward, breaking his ankle free from Sly’s grasp, and sprang up to attack Curtis. He jabbed the backs of Curtis’s knees, tripping the outlaw, then pushed him to the ground. In one smooth movement, the Shadow Mamba withdrew his ninjatō from the short scabbard resting horizontally just above his tail bone and brought the blade down with two hands to stab right between Curtis’s eyes.
Curtis rolled out of the way at the last second and scrambled to his feet. He and Sly now stood on either side of the Shadow Mamba who stood straight in the same stance as before and closed his eyes to focus. His left hand pointed two fingers straight up in front of his face while his right arm crossed his chest horizontally and he held the ninjatō backward in his right hand.
The outlaws charged at the ranger from both sides, but before they could attack, the Shadow Mamba jumped straight up and grabbed onto a thin windowsill straight above him. He leapt and swung off various ledges and pipes and quickly ascended three stories before landing softly on a metal fire escape directly above Curtis and Sly. He breathed steadily, then opened his eyes and looked down at the outlaws.
“I am growing tired of this frivolous fighting,” said the Shadow Mamba. “I will see to it that you are both finished off and arrested right here and now!”
The Shadow Mamba lunged from the fire escape in a swan dive, then somersaulted in the air and flared out his arms at the same time releasing several throwing stars which Curtis and Sly noticed too late to dodge.
They raised their arms to block the stars as best they could and moaned from the piercing pain as three or four stars each stabbed their arms. That was the least of their concerns, though, once the Shadow Mamba landed as gently as a feather on the ground and immediately slashed at Sly with his ninjatō.
“That’s it, Sly!” Curtis shouted from behind the Shadow Mamba. “Distract him fer me!”
The Shadow Mamba glanced over his shoulder while he continued to berate Sly and saw that Curtis appeared to be keeping his distance.
What is he up to now? the Shadow Mamba wondered.
Noticing Sly’s confused expression, he thought about the possible strategies that Curtis and Sly could employ and prepared himself to counter any of them.
Sly defended himself well against the Shadow Mamba’s slashes and punches but was unable to turn the tables and go on offense for any of his own strikes.
“Now, Sly!” Curtis shouted, still several yards away behind the Shadow Mamba.
The Shadow Mamba examined Sly’s face and saw another confused expression.
I remember, the Shadow Mamba thought. They pulled the same trick in Rich River, as well. Their roles were reversed, but I recognize this tactic. Dawn wants me to believe that Sly will do something, but in reality, Dawn will run up from behind to strike!
The Shadow Mamba swiftly turned around and swung his ninjatō at Curtis who was close behind him now, swinging his arms down for an overhead slam. Instead of slicing through Curtis’s arms, however, the blade cut into a large sac of flour Curtis had retrieved from a pile by the sweets shop.
Flour exploded from the torn sac and covered the Shadow Mamba in a thin white layer of powder, forcing him to close his eyes. Curtis then wrapped the empty sac around the Shadow Mamba’s wrist and yanked his arms down, disarming the ranger. The ninjatō clattered to the ground and the Shadow Mamba used his free hand to reach for his black revolver, but Sly kicked his hand and grabbed both his wrists, then pinned the ninja ranger on the ground face-down. Sly pulled the Shadow Mamba’s arms while Curtis retrieved the shackles from the ranger’s belt and locked his wrists behind his back. Sly then pulled more of the cord from the coil on the Shadow Mamba’s belt and Curtis stuffed the empty flour sac into the ranger’s mouth.
“And in you go!” Sly groaned as he hoisted the squirming ranger up and tossed him into a nearby barrel face first.
The Shadow Mamba’s feet barely stuck out the top of the barrel, but to be certain of his detainment, Sly slammed the barrel’s lid on top.
Curtis and Sly took deep breaths for a few seconds, then looked around to make sure no one had been watching the fight to intervene after the Shadow Mamba’s defeat.
“I think Virginia went that way,” Sly huffed and pointed west down the alley.
The outlaws gathered their breaths and rushed to catch up with Virginia and Howell.
***
Virginia and Howell faced each other, standing no more than six feet apart with raised hands and wide stances.
“We both know I can outrun ya,” Virginia stated. “There’s no point in runnin’. You’ll have to knock me out before ya can escape. Plus, Dawn and Sly’ll catch up soon, so it’ll be easiest if ya just give up.”
Howell chuckled, then said, “Give up? Darlin’, this is the most alive I’ve felt in years.”
He drew his arms close to his chest and entered a balanced pose with his arms down and his hands pressed flat against the air near his hips. Virginia watched cautiously as he breathed in slowly and raised his hands up to shoulder-height, then lowered his hands again as he exhaled.
“What is this?” Virginia asked hesitantly.
After repeating the motion two more times, Howell turned to his right and widened his stance with his right foot behind and his arms extended to either side.
“A simple form I learned at the first classes my wife and I ever attended together,” Howell answered and entered the pose known as ‘Grasp the Sparrow’s Tail.’
He brought his hands together in front of him and leaned back, then stepped backward with his left foot and performed the same movement mirrored on his left side before spreading his arms once more, entering another pose called ‘Parting the Wild Horse’s Mane.” His movements were slow, methodical, and meditative.
Virginia seized the opportunity when Howell extended his right arm out again and grabbed at his wrist, but in the blink of an eye, Howell twisted Virginia’s arm and pulled her close, then leaned his weight to one side and swung the woman over his shoulders and onto the ground with a hefty THUD. The wind was knocked out of Virginia again and saliva splattered from her open mouth. A second later, Howell jabbed the back of Virginia’s neck and struck a precise nerve to knock her out cold with one jab.
Howell released Virginia’s arm which fell limply to the ground. He stood straight and pressed his hands down in front of his chest and stomach with a deep exhale.
Ridiculous, Taylor, Howell thought while staring down at Virginia lying unconscious on the side of the narrow road. Ya can’t be doin’ this kind o’ thing no more.
“Virginia!” Curtis cried from the main street.
Howell looked up briefly and saw Curtis running toward him. He slowly backed away, then turned and ran down the road while Curtis stopped and knelt by Virginia, holding her head in his hands and inspecting her body for injury.
How gentlemanly, Howell thought as he ran. More concerned fer the woman’s health than ‘bout catchin’ me. Can’t say I’m disappointed. I’d rather not find out why they’re after me.
Howell turned down an avenue leading to a more direct route to his mansion but immediately slammed into Sly’s large body when he turned the corner. Sly grasped his arms firmly and twisted them behind his back like he had done with the Shadow Mamba. He pushed Howell forward and walked him back to the side street where Curtis had already propped Virginia up against the pile of boxes and bags
“I dunno what ya did to ‘er,” he said when Howell returned, “but doesn’t look like she’s too badly hurt.”
Sly met Curtis’s eyes and nodded, then pushed Howell into another short alley way. Just like they had done with Inez, Curtis and Sly both blocked the only exit from the dead-end so Howell couldn’t slip away easily. But given that he had beaten Virginia in a fight, neither outlaw let his guard down for even a second.
Curtis sighed and looked at Howell. “Now, where were we?”
“What d’ya want from me?” Howell asked sternly. All fear from the initial encounter with Curtis and Sly had been expelled.
“Like I said, we just have some questions,” Curtis explained. “Specifically, we wanna know a bit more ‘bout this Mystic Program you used to work on.”
Howell frowned and scowled at the outlaws. “How d’ya even know ‘bout that?”
“You aren’t the first Government employee we’ve talked to,” Sly replied.
“Does the name Erin Glass ring a bell?” Curtis inquired.
“Oh, tragic,” Howell whimpered. “Real tragic what happened to ‘er.”
“And I assume ya know exactly how she died,” Curtis said. “Tell us, has yer fortune come true yet?”
Howell huffed. “I ain’t never got no fortune.”
“Oh.,” Curtis said. “Really?”
“Lennox Sweeney told us that some of the retired directors were encouraged by their superiors to exit the program,” Sly said. “We figured you all had your fortunes read as part of that process. Erin died soon after hers came true and Lennox seems pretty confident that he’ll meet the same fate, though his fortune came true a while ago. Was that not the Government’s way of getting rid of you so you couldn’t leak information?”
“I wouldn’t put it past the Government t’ do that,” Howell said. “The fortunes weren’t a requirement, though. Not fer me, at least. Perhaps the Government trusts me more,” he shrugged.
“Whatever,” Curtis hissed. “Doesn’t matter. As long as you’re cooperative like Erin and Lennox, we’ll let ya go. So, tell us how Midnight was involved in the Mystic Program. And what did a person called ‘Immortal’ have to do with it?”
Howell grinned widely and snickered wheezingly. “Ah, yes. I should’ve known!” He clasped his hands together and shook them like he was rolling a die. “I know who ya are. I also know the Government’s still hot on yer trail. It’s real risky fer ya to be in the Big City, don’tcha think? Especially here in Big North where—”
“Yeah, yeah,” Curtis interrupted. “Just give us the info we want.”
Howell snickered again. “I’ve heard yer reputation. You boys don’t like killin’ people unnecessarily. Why should I tell y’all anythin’? I ain’t afraid.”
Curtis and Sly looked at each other out of the corner of their eyes. Curtis sighed and stepped forward with his arms spread just a bit in a vulnerable gesture.
“You’re right,” he said.
Sly furrowed his brows but stayed silent while Curtis spoke.
“We prolly can’t make ya say anythin’,” Curtis continued, “but I’ll tell ya, that woman ya managed to knock out has friends who aren’t so opposed to brutal methods. They ain’t above doin’ harm to the elderly if it gits ‘em what they want.”
“Hmph, okay,” Howell responded. “But I doubt she’ll wake up soon. And if I’m out o’ the house much longer, my servants’ll notice I’m missin’ and my private security’ll come lookin’, so y’all better hurry this up.”
“When Erin and Lennox answered our questions,” Sly broke in, “they both said they didn’t care about the Government or keeping its secrets.”
“They both knew they were close to death anyway,” Howell stated. “That’s why they weren’t afraid.”
“Are you afraid?” Curtis asked?
“Hell naw!” Howell exclaimed. “The Government wouldn’t dare do nothin’ to me. Sure, I was high up in the food chain er whatever, but more importantly, people know me ‘round these parts! They know my face. If I suddenly went away, the public would know something’s up.”
Howell turned around and faced the dead-end wall, then raised his fists in the air and shouted, “Do ya hear me, Everett? Ya can’t do shit!” His voice echoed high above the alley and into the warm, open air.
“Quiet down!” Curtis yelled.
Howell chuckled and faced the outlaws again.
“Tell ya what,” he said. “Since ya went through the trouble of gettin’ me alone, and because yer friend entertained me fer a bit—miss Virginia, was it?—I’ll oblige y’all with a tidbit o’ knowledge. But just know that I’m only tellin’ y’all because as soon as ya let me go, I’ll be callin’ in the tip that you’re here in the Big City.”
Howell grinned and widened his eyes, staring directly at Curtis.
“Let me say,” he stated, “I’m a little surprised you’re askin’ me about Midnight considerin’ you’re supposed to be the one with all the knowledge. That’s why the Government wants ya, anyway. Very interestin’ clue right there.”
He kept his arms crossed but waved one hand around as he spoke.
“Never mind that. I’m only sharin’ info with ya because I have some old contacts that’ll like to hear you’re in town, so you’ll be arrested soon enough anyway. Here’s what I’ll tell ya.”
He stopped pacing and leaned against the alley’s dead end and grinned at the outlaws, arms still crossed.
“Midnight’s part in everythin’ isn’t as simple as one, two, three. He served a couple roles in the Mystic Program alone, plus some other stuff here and there elsewhere, but none o’ that was my business. If y’all’ve really spoken with Erin Glass and Lennox Sweeney, I take it y’already know what spell bindings are.”
Curtis and Sly nodded silently.
“Midnight was our point o’ contact fer acquirin’ the necessary materials to create bindings,” Howell explained.
“So, Midnight wasn’t the one producing Midnight Wilter?” Sly asked.
Howell raised his eyebrows and said, “Damn, so you’ve heard about that, too?” He shrugged. “I doubt it, er maybe I know and just won’t tell ya. Maybe that’s why it’s named that.”
“I doubt it, too,” Curtis said. “My guess is it was actually this ‘Immortal’ fella who produced Midnight Wilter. That would line up more with what Sweeney told us. Am I close?”
“Ah, I was wonderin’ how ya knew ‘bout Immortal, too,” Howell replied. “So, it was Sweeney who spilled those beans. Well, I ain’t gonna confirm er deny nothin’. Besides, Sweeney’s an idiot who believed every lil’ thang the Government told ‘im, which of course was only partially the truth. They did that to everyone, includin’ me, but I had close relations to some o’ my superiors, so they always slipped me the real info on the side. Immortal’s dead now, anyway; has been fer a while, so it don’t matter regardless. Ain’t none of us learned how Midnight Wilter was produced. Our mystics had to make do with scraps leftover from old strains and use thinner doses of bindings which had a lower success rate, but a higher distribution ratio.
“I was never the numbers guy, but I guess the Government considered that to be more efficient in the long run. Who knows? Maybe by now they’ve cracked the code and are pumpin’ out bindings left an’ right. If that’s the case, you outlaws are in fer a world o’ hurt come the next few generations of rangers.”
“What the hell does thatmean?” Sly asked.
Howell adjusted his crossed arms and turned his face away from Curtis and Sly, huffing.
“I ain’t sayin’!” Howell barked. “Y’all got enough outta me already.”
“Just tell us this,” Curtis chimed in. “Was Immortal involved in any experiments about transferrin’ spells between people?”
Howell rolled his eyes and glared at Curtis, then said, “I’ll tell ya it didn’t lead anywhere, so there’s nothin’ to tell. But like I said, who knows? Maybe they figured it all out after I left.”
A minute of silence passed before Howell took a few steps toward the outlaws, saying, “You know, y’all got quite some balls, I’ll give ya that. They might’ve made ya too cocky in the end, though. If you’d asked me fer advice, I’d have told ya to stop snoopin’ around so much ‘cause you’re bound to find somethin’ ya don’t like.”
Howell stared into Curtis’s eyes through the darkness. The only light in the alley was from distant windows high above and the full moon shining down silvery beams upon the interrogation.
“Hmph, well,” Curtis chuckled. “Like ya said, you only promised to tell us one thing, and ya already did that, so I’ll pretend I didn’t hear anythin’ that came after.”
Howell smirked and gritted his teeth, finding Curtis’s reply frustratingly amusing.
“You said it yourself,” Sly said. “It’s too late for us anyway, assuming you uphold your promise of telling everyone you still know in the Government that we were here tonight. I assume Sweeney will have done so, too, but we’re still here snooping around.”
“I never liked you, Sly,” Howell growled. “Always did sloppy work. May I go now? Any minute I’m sure my security’ll be combin’ the streets, and it won’t take long fer ‘em to narrow down where I’d be.”
“Yeah, we’ll let ya go,” Curtis said “Ya called our bluff already, so no point in tryna scare ya into keepin’ quite ‘bout all this, but that doesn’t mean we’ll make it so easy fer you to rat on us.”
Sly stepped forward and Curtis followed just a pace behind him.
Howell took a defensive stance and raised his open fists. “I warn ya, I’ll do to y’all what I did to yer friend!”
“Yeah, yeah,” Sly groaned.
Curtis moved quickly around to Howell’s right side and reached out his hand. When Howell reacted and attempted to block Curtis, Sly moved in from the opposite direction. Howell spun quickly but met Sly’s powerful fist which came quicker than he could have expected. A single blow to the nose is all it took, and Howell was out cold.
“I’ll never not be impressed by that, Sly,” Curtis complimented.
“Thanks,” Sly said with a wide smile. “I really hope that didn’t kill the geezer outright. I kinda forgot to hold back.”
He knelt quickly and felt for Howell’s pulse which, thankfully, was noticeably present.
“Okay!” Sly cheered with a thumbs up.
Curtis sighed, then turned around and looked around the alley, listening for signs of anyone else nearby.
“Leave Howell there,” Curtis said to Sly. “If his security’s as tight as he claims, it won’t be long before they find him. Let’s git out of here as fast as we can.”
“Roger that,” Sly obeyed and knelt by Virginia. He grabbed her arm and shook her gently, then lightly slapped her cheek. She still didn’t wake up.
“Dang, Howell must’ve beaten her real good,” he said and hoisted the woman over his shoulders.
Curtis looked at Sly concerned.
“Don’t worry,” Sly said. “I got her.”
Curtis sighed again, then nodded once.
Curtis and Sly strategically wandered through the back roads and alleys of Big North, but before making it more than a few blocks, Sly suddenly stopped.
“Wait,” he said, concentrating hard.
Curtis halted, waiting for Sly to elaborate.
“Doc said they were switching hideouts,” Sly explained. “Probably tonight. Virginia was supposed to take us to the new spot when we finished, but…”
Curtis exhaled sharply. “Damn,” he grunted. “Guess we better head to the apartment, then. It’ll take a while now that we’re positioned all the way across the city, though.”
“I’ll get us there on the fastest route I can think of,” Sly replied.
Curtis followed Sly farther into the alley and around a bend, but Sly stopped again and froze. Curtis looked ahead and noticed a man standing at the other end of the alley. The front of the man’s body was cast in shadow and the streetlamps along the adjacent street backlit him, making it even harder to make out his features. From his silhouette, Curtis and Sly made out a cattleman hat and poncho. They also saw that the man was holding one arm out to them, the silver gleam in his hand being the only hint at the true danger.
“Evenin’, gentlemen,” the ranger in front of them said.
The ranger was calm, and his greeting lacked any sarcasm or intimidation, almost as though he were genuinely wishing the outlaws well. Curtis and Sly stood still, jointly thinking of a cover story should the ranger question them, but he spoke again before they had the chance, and they knew they wouldn’t dodge this roadblock without a fight.
“I’m hopin’ you’ll explain to me what you’ve done with Taylor Howell,” the ranger said.
It was no use playing dumb. Curtis and Sly remained mute and motionless.
“Don’t be shy,” the ranger urged.
Curtis and Sly shifted their weight uneasily. Curtis’s boot slid just slightly against the dirty cobblestones.
“Wouldn’t run,” the ranger said. “We ain’t off on the wrong foot just yet. Seems you don’t know who I am, so allow me to introduce myself.”
The ranger took a dozen paces toward the outlaws, his gun still trained on them, though in the shadow of the alley they couldn’t tell just who he was aiming at. As he moved closer, however, his clothing and face became clearer in the darkness
Oh, shit, Sly thought, stomach sinking.
Curtis didn’t recognize the man, but something about him was different. The feeling that filled his throat and chest wasn’t unlike what he felt in the encounter with the cat-eyed man, but this was a much gentler decline into fear. Curtis could tell by this guy’s demeanor and the presence he commanded that he was no ordinary ranger.
“My name’s Frank Stewart,” the ranger said. “Professionally called Cobra. I’m a doyen.”