Outlaws and Origins

by Eric S Kim

  Jerome pointed his thumb at himself. “You forget who you’re talking to.”

  Preston sighed. “Did your dad really tell you everything about it?”

  “I hope he told me everything.”

  “At least I learned a good lesson.”

  “Yeah, here’s another one. Don’t mistake me for the captain’s bitch.”

  At that moment, the same flock of seagulls returned to the beach. They made a steady landing on the sand just as the last beachgoer made her departure. Preston noticed the lone seagull still keeping a far distance from the rest of the group. It flew high above the water and made a sharp left turn just before it moved past Sepulveda’s house. Preston’s curiosity had peaked. Something seemed strange about the seagull. As if it demonstrated a clever disguise. The Blackjack decided to keep his eyes on the bird if it appeared on the beach for the third time.

  A third young man had stepped outside and stood on the balcony. Edward had joined the two Blackjacks. He didn’t bring a drink of his own, but he still managed to spark another discussion that had nothing to do with Jerome’s father.

  “Are you two enjoying yourselves out here?”

  Jerome replied, “We’ll get back to work soon enough.”

  Preston added, “I don’t think Gordon’s going to show himself. He wouldn’t be stupid enough to try and put up a fight with us.”

  Edward finally pulled his own pistol out of its holster and checked the magazine. “Never underestimate these people. They’re not as stupid as they look.”

  He put his pistol back in its holster. “Roderick Hawkins may have brought them down, but they can pick themselves up again. They would have been wiped out years ago, but they’re still here.”

  Jerome remarked, “They’ve been persevering for so long that it makes me wonder if they’ve been taking certain substances that keeps them insane since the day they die.”

  “I can easily believe that.”

  Preston couldn’t keep his attention away from the lone seagull. Even as it flew back up in the air and above the bay, he tried not to lose it from his point of view. He was reminded of the incident in La Palma, where two dogs had transformed into dragons through the use of forbidden sorcery. With a seagull flying in a circle around the beach, Preston couldn’t tolerate a break from his current suspicion. He kept his hand near the holster of his Kel-Tec pistol.

  Sepulveda joined the others on the balcony. She asked, “See anything unusual out here?”

  Jerome was the first to give her an answer. “Everything’s still the same. No sign of Gordon Steele anywhere.”

  “Maybe he’s already forgotten about me and is still going after Hamilton. He wouldn’t be the type of person to change directions just like that, would he?”

  “So far, I’m starting to believe that.”

  Preston’s fingers drew closer to his pistol. The seagull left the beach and ascended above the water. And it headed straight for Sepulveda’s home at a quickened pace.

  And then, when the seagull began to change its appearance, Preston immediately understood the animal’s objective. The seagull grew in size. Its feathers changed into scales. Its beak had been replaced with a more reptilian nose. Its webbed feet transformed into giant claws. The seagull even grew two arms.

  Preston finally reached for his pistol. “We’re under attack!”

  The seagull was now a dragon. With red scales and sharp claws.

  Jerome, Edward, and Sepulveda realized the sudden change in their luck. The red dragon flew straight for the balcony.

  Edward grabbed Sepulveda and dragged her down with him on the floor. “Watch out!”

  The two Blackjacks didn’t have time to join them on the floor. The dragon charged at their directions and reached out with its arms. Preston had brought his pistol out for use, but he was unable to use it for the next few seconds. The dragon grabbed both him and Jerome and kept the two of them in its hands. It hoisted the young men off of the balcony and brought them up in the air.

  The dragon moved so fast that Preston’s black cap fell off and most likely landed somewhere on the balcony. He almost let go of his pistol but he made sure to tighten his grip. He and Jerome had become trapped in the dragon’s hands as the giant reptile flew away from Sepulveda’s residence and moved further inland. And the last thing he could see before he was swept away were his other teammates rushing onto the balcony and watching the dragon take him and Jerome further up north.

  SIX

  5:07 PM

  The entire world seemed to move in a frenetic fashion. Preston, despite a lack of fear of heights, couldn’t bring himself to be amazed by the view. The ground below began to shrink as the dragon continued its descent toward the heavens. The wind blew across his face and hair. The wings above him flapped loudly without coming to a standstill. On the other side, Jerome hung on to one of the dragon’s thumb and didn’t make an attempt to push the fingers away. Preston would have used his pistol to shoot at the dragon’s leg, but he didn’t. It wouldn’t have been a smart decision to have the dragon let go of him while flying high in the air.

  Preston had to yell at his teammate. “What does it want with us?!”

  Jerome yelled back. “I don’t know, but at least Sepulveda is safe!”

  “What the hell do we do now?!”

  Jerome didn’t have an answer for that. And neither did Preston. This would be the second time that he was trapped in a dragon’s hand, and he felt just as distressed now as he did in his previous situation.

  The dragon flew toward an area completely devoid of suburban houses. A vast landscape filled with trees and bushes on top of small brown hills. No trace of human civilization for at least five or six miles away. Preston looked back to see the city of Laguna Beach growing smaller every second.

  “I think it’s going to eat us!”

  Jerome banged his fist onto the dragon’s thumb. “Damn it! My earpiece is in my pocket! We can’t call backup!”

  Preston suddenly caught a glimpse of someone standing on a hilltop. He pointed at it and yelled, “Do you see him?!”

  Jerome didn’t speak. He just waited until the dragon landed on the hill and gave the stranger only a short time to climb up his body and sit on its back. Preston could recognize the man who began to ride the dragon. It was Gordon Steele. The dragon flapped its wings and flew once more. Its hold on Preston and Jerome did not change. The two Blackjacks still wouldn’t have the ability to escape from its tight clutches.

  Preston didn’t let go of his pistol just yet. “Jerome, I hope you got some good ideas!”

  Jerome struggled to keep his beret on his head. “I think I do!”

  He held on to the dragon’s thumb and finger. “Shoot at the arm!”

  “What?!”

  “Shoot at the arm in front of me!”

  Preston began to feel a little confused. “But won’t that mean it’ll drop you to your death?!”

  “Just do as I say!”

  With little time to evaluate the possible consequences, Preston chose to avoid his reluctance. He aimed his pistol at the dragon’s left arm and pulled the trigger twice. The dragon roared. It began to open its fingers and give Jerome a chance to plummet to the earth. But the Blackjack didn’t fall. He held on to two giant fingers and climbed up the arm. The dragon looked down to see him struggling to make his ascent. It growled at him.

  From above, Gordon shouted, “Don’t let him win!”

  With only a few seconds before reverting to being completely helpless, Jerome pulled out the same LVA Paralyzer that Victoria had given him. He pointed the dart gun straight at the dragon’s arm and opened fire five times. As soon as the vie darts punctured through the scales, the dragon roared again. It started to twitch violently in the air. The Paralyzer could even shock a giant reptile, and Preston didn’t want to stop appreciating this work of art from Mystic Lightning.

  The dragon stopped flapping its wings. It spun in a circle as it made an abrupt descent toward the hills below.
Preston could feel the dragon’s fingers loosening all around him. Refusing to fall, the young Blackjack grabbed onto one of the fingers just as they opened up.

  Jerome called out to him, “Climb up! We’re about to crash!”

  Preston did the best he could. It was a quick decision. He couldn’t be afraid. His hands almost slipped on the scales, causing a sudden shockwave through his body, a fear that almost overwhelmed him. But he held his breath. He rejected his anxiety. He was fully able to scramble towards the top. The dragon’s constant jolting brought on by the dart didn’t cease. It had no other option but to give in to an unconscious state before it could even touch the hilltops.

  Both Preston and Jerome made it up to the top of the arms. The dragon almost touched the trees from below. And with a flat hill in front of it, it would most likely make its unsteady landing in just a few seconds.

  Jerome cried out, “Jump on its back!”

  Preston did the same thing that Jerome would do. Both teammates had such a limited time to escape from their demise. They reached the top of the dragon’s back and waited for the collision. Gordon Steele turned around to see his victims refusing to submit to his personal intention.

  The dragon touched the earth and slid across the dirt and grass. Its entire body experienced a forceful vibration. Preston and Jerome swung from left to right in their seats as the dragon caused an incredible amount of dust to arise from its direct contact. Its forward movement grew slower and less aggressive. The two Blackjacks didn’t let go of the dragon even as it finally made a full stop. Everything was silent again.

  Preston and Jerome jumped off of the dragon’s back. Gordon jumped in the opposite direction. The dragon’s nostrils flared up, giving the impression that it didn’t die and instead lost consciousness altogether. Preston quickly observed the brand new scenery around him. He discovered even more brown hills surrounding him. The Pacific Ocean had become an infinitesimal zone, mostly an afterthought on the horizon.

  Jerome reloaded his Paralyzer pistol and turned a knob on the side, presumably to lower the voltage for a human target. “Show yourself, Mr. Steele! You can’t run from us!”

  Preston quickly brought his own pistol up at eye-level. The unconscious dragon now lacked a rider. Gordon Steele had vanished from view.

  Jerome ran toward the other side of the dragon. Preston followed him from behind. But the two of them didn’t go very far. Gordon had brought himself out of hiding and stood tall with unspoiled pride. He wielded a shotgun in his hands without fear.

  “Don’t make me kill you the easy way.”

  The dragon growled as it demonstrated a slight movement with both of its arms. It would soon regain its consciousness from the electric shock that brought it down.

  Gordon kept his shotgun aimed at Jerome. “Put your weapons on the ground.”

  Jerome had no other option but to follow his command. He crouched down and placed the Paralyzer and his dual pistols safely on the dirt. Gordon ordered Preston to do the same with his own gun. Preston replicated Jerome’s previous actions and set his Kel-Tec down on the ground. Both Blackjacks had raised their hands to signal their complete lack of defense.

  Gordon kept his eyes on Jerome. “Don’t make this harder than it should be.”

  Jerome stood still. “You know, this isn’t going to end well for you. Everyone will know where we are. You and your dragon will be completely surrounded by some damn good reinforcements. They’ll wipe you out in ten seconds when they get here.”

  “Well, it’s a good thing that I’ve found a healthy alternative. I’m starting to forget about Hamilton already.”

  Jerome asked, “Why us? Why’d you have to take us away? It’s not our fault that your friend is dead.”

  “But it is Lionel’s fault for intervening.”

  Even with its eyes closed, the dragon began to lift its head up slightly.

  Preston ignored the dragon for a moment. “A classic hostage situation we’ve got here. The thing is, everything about it is just plain dumb.”

  Gordon didn’t budge. “When did I ever say that this would be a hostage situation?”

  The dragon’s claws had sunk deep into the dirt. Its growling had grown louder.

  Gordon took one step closer. “Klimkru hasn’t eaten all day. I’d say that this would be the perfect time for him to fill his belly. I would have given you the chance to say goodbye to your father, but I’m not the touchy-feely type.”

  Jerome replied, “Yeah, you’re not the smart type, either.”

  Preston cleared his throat. “Uh, why am I here?”

  He pointed at Jerome. “I mean, compared to him, I’m just an innocent bystander.

  “This is just a good way to punish your father for belonging in that corporate shithole in the first place. But don’t worry. It won’t be a total loss. I’ll mail him your skeletal remains in a few days.”

  Preston could have been offended, but he decided against it. “Alright, lesson learned. I’m gonna have fun putting a bullet in your head.”

  Klimkru the dragon could almost open his eyes as he lifted his head up from the dirt.

  Gordon pointed his shotgun at something behind Jerome. “Give me that. You won’t be needing it anymore.”

  Jerome already seemed to have understood. The EMR, kept in a holster behind his back, had to be taken from him in order for him to be deemed fully defenseless.

  But Jerome didn’t move. “So this is it? We’re just going to be fed to your friend all because we’re the offspring of people you hate?”

  Gordon kept glancing at the dragon and back to the two Blackjacks. “It’s pretty simple if you think about it.”

  Preston remarked, “But maybe Kangaroo doesn’t like the taste of human flesh. Have you ever thought about that for a second?”

  “His name is Klimkru.”

  Jerome slowly put his hands down. “You know, this isn’t going to be good for you in the end.”

  Gordon grunted. “You should thank Gorvex for that.”

  “If anything, you should have picked up the pace a little. You know, do everything at warp speed.”

  Warp speed. As soon as he heard the last two words, Preston sharpened his focus on Jerome’s actions. Those two simple words had become code words in the Blackjack Department. Preston shot a sideway glance at his teammate, who pulled the EMR out of its holster and held it in his hands for the Failure to gaze at. Then, he looked down at his Kel-Tec pistol. It would be close enough for him to grab with only a couple of seconds to spare.

  Gordon still kept his shotgun pointed at the sniper. “Alright, give it here.”

  Jerome kept holding his EMR. “I don’t think I’d be happy to see this being used by someone like you.”

  Gordon finally lowered his shotgun. “Just give it here.”

  Without saying a word, Preston rechecked the short distance between him and his pistol. He needed to get this right only once. He slowly inhaled through his nostrils and waited for Jerome to act first.

  Gordon now had only one hand on the shotgun. “Come on. Give it here.”

  Jerome raised his EMR higher. “Okay, here it is.”

  An immediate reaction was all it took to start the Blackjack technique. Jerome threw his EMR right at Gordon’s face. Gordon didn’t have time to react, which had become a fortunate delay. The EMR struck his face, which forced him to step back in pain. This was the perfect time for Preston to reach down and grab his pistol. He landed on his side and aimed for Gordon’s shotgun. He pulled the trigger three times. One of the bullets hit the shotgun and caused a spark. The shotgun flew out of Gordon’s hand and landed a few feet behind him.

  Jerome had spent his time grabbing his own weapons when his teammate attacked before him. He wielded his dual pistols and made sure that Gordon remained unarmed.

  “Do not attempt to even try!”

  Both Preston and Jerome regained their control of the situation. Gordon overlooked the pain on his face. He didn’t show an expression close
ly related to a surprise. Instead, he appeared annoyed at what had transpired between him and his victims. The role reversal had ended.

  Both Blackjacks kept their weapons aimed at the Failure. Jerome ordered him to move back a few steps. It was Gordon’s turn to do what he was told. He moved back far enough for Jerome to grab his EMR off the ground and put it back in its scabbard. In the meantime, the unconscious dragon now had his eyes fully opened. Only a short time would pass before Klimkru would become fully awake.

  Jerome had brought out his earpiece from his pocket and placed it right on his ear. But he didn’t activate it yet. He kept a close watch on Gordon as he continued to point his dual pistols at the Failure’s chest.

  “Back away as much as possible.”

  This time, Gordon didn’t obey. “What’s the point? I won’t be the one who’s going to devour you. Klimkru is still alive.”

  Klimkru stood on its two legs again. He stretched his wings wide open, completing his valiant posture.

  Gordon restated his threat against the Blackjacks. “I bet you really regret not saying goodbye to your dads before you’re gone.”

  Jerome took a few steps back. Preston did the same. Klimkru had his eyes on the two young men. He crept forward like a snake ready for its attack.

  Jerome had to ask, “How are you controlling him? I don’t see any gemstones on you.”

  Gordon replied, “Sorry. I have no control over this.”

  He turned around, and just as Klimkru crouched down, the Failure climbed on the giant reptile’s back. He didn’t have his shotgun, but he did have a hungry dragon to tend to.

  Preston didn’t stop walking backwards. “Jerome, I have an idea. Why don’t we just get the hell out of here?!”

  Jerome had no objections. “Good thinking.”

  Both Blackjacks turned around and made a dash for the bottom of the hill. Preston didn’t look back. Instead, he could hear Klimkru’s wings growing louder. He ran down the hillside alongside Jerome, who was the only one who saw what lay behind him.