Bigger than you can imagine, part one
Bigger than you can imagine, part one Find Gary
-Find Gary
On 52nd Street, where the sky was taking on the shadows of dusk, Joey and Chris stood under a lamppost spreading its dim light on the sidewalk. It was five-thirty in the evening, and the place was silent except for the whisper of the passing wind.
“Aren't these guys late for their appointment?” Chris asked with a tone of hidden concern behind it, as he looked towards the road ahead of them. "You and I have been here since five o'clock and no one has arrived yet."
Joey, who was standing next to him, glanced at his watch and then replied in a reassuring voice, "Don't worry, they'll be here soon. Also, they're not late, it's us who came early." With one smooth motion, he took his phone out of his pocket and began writing a message, telling him that he would be late for dinner.
It was only two minutes later that Alex arrived, breathing a sigh of relief as he said, "Aw, you're finally here!" Glancing at Joey and Chris, he added quizzically, “Where are the rest?”
“Maybe they got scared and eventually changed their minds about the mission.” Chris responded with a tone of sarcasm.
But before he could finish speaking, Jeremiah's voice from the shadows interrupted him: "Do we look like frightened people?" With confident steps, he joined the crowd.
"Anyway, you're finally here. I thought you'd be here tomorrow or something." Chris continued, smiling slyly.
Joey, who had been silently watching the conversation, looked at Chris and said, "Stop being sarcastic."
At that moment, Rhodri joined them, asking curiously: “So what now? Where will we start?”
Alex, who was thinking intently, replied: “Well, it looks like we should first look for Gary. I heard he's near here, so we'll spread out and search. At least we should cover a large area.”
“Okay, I understand. I will look east, and you think where to look.” Joey said firmly, and then he set off towards the east alone, leaving the friends behind him exchanging determined glances.
---
Chris says: Then I'll look on Route 60 (Chris goes)
Rhodri says: Then we will part here anyway. If one of you finds something, let him inform the others
(The rest agree with him and then each one of them goes in his direction)
-------
In the crowded, tangled streets, Joey was running through the alleys, his eyes searching for any trace of Gary. Under bridges, in crowds, even in places where people don't often set foot, but to no avail. He asked passersby, but the only echoes were the echo of his tired steps.
In a moment of clarity, as the sun's rays filtered through the scattered leaves, Joey spotted a familiar person. Amy was sitting comfortably on a chair in front of the café, contemplating the world around her with deep eyes.
“Hi Amy, right… I'm Joey, how are you?” Joey said in an optimistic tone.
Amy looked up slowly, as if weighing her words before speaking them, "And you're Joey, right."
“Yes, I joined your class last month.” Joey confirmed, trying to break the ice.
“I know, you're the newcomer who's been making a fuss lately, and Chris's annoying friend. What brings you here alone?” Amy asked dryly.
“Oh, I was looking for Gary, but he doesn't seem to be there. I've looked everywhere and still haven't found it. Anyway, what are you doing here?” Joey inquired curiously.
Amy got up, looked at her watch and said hurriedly, “Nothing important, I was just enjoying a cup of tea.”
I have to go now, I have a job to do. Goodbye, we may meet another time.” Before walking away, she added in a low voice, “You will find him in the garden to the south. He is there.”
Joey paused for a moment, then realized the meaning. "What? Thank you!" He shouted as he sprinted towards the garden.
Amy, with careful steps, stopped and looked at her watch again. At a strange moment, the clock began to make a distorting sound. She tapped the clock with her finger and whispered, “Soon, I’ll be there.” In the blink of an eye, she disappeared as if time had swallowed her up.
----
Southward, where the trees danced in the breeze, Joey set out confidently, hoping to find the homeless man, Gary. As he approached the garden, as if fate was playing its game, he heard Chris's voice calling him from afar, like an echo echoing between the alleys. Joey stops, turns around slowly, and sees Chris standing there with a big smile. “Oh, there you are!” Joey says in a surprised and playful tone. I almost sent you a message via carrier pigeon!”
Chris responds curiously, raising an eyebrow: “Why?” Did you find Gary or was he playing hide and seek?”
Joey shakes his head, saying in an interesting tone, “Not yet, but I have a lead that might lead us to him.” Amy told me where he was, and here I am, following the clues like Detective Sherlock!”
“Well, where should he be now?” Chris asked urgently, pretending to be thinking.
“He's in the park on the next street,” Joey answers confidently, pointing forward. We must hurry and catch him before he disappears like the genie from the bottle.” Then they headed towards the garden with enthusiastic steps.
in the meantime...
Alex stands behind one of the dumpsters, carefully watching someone in the distance. He doesn't feel the people sneaking up behind him quietly until they grab him by the shoulder forcefully. Alex screams in horror, but Jeremiah says to him in a joking tone: “Stop screaming like little princesses, Alex!”
He and Slim laugh loudly, and Alex says with fake anger while pretending to be upset, “Damn, I almost sent an invitation card for the ghosts to join us!”
“Aren’t you supposed to be looking for someone?” Jeremiah says cheerfully, patting Alex on the shoulder. Or were you two running after a butterfly?
Slim responds in a questioning tone while scratching his head: “Man, we searched every alley and street and found no trace of Gary.” So we decided to follow you, but here we found you hiding behind a dumpster like a superhero on a break!”
Alex corrects him firmly, placing his hand on his chin thoughtfully: “First of all, I wasn’t hiding, I was watching someone, but you distracted me from my task like a squirrel chasing nuts.”
Jeremiah asks: “What about Gary?” Have you forgotten that you have to search for him like us?”
Alex approaches them and whispers in a conspiratorial tone: “You should first know who I've been watching... They're two people who work for Perry's company, and they might be the key to the mystery!”
Salim was surprised: “Are you serious?” He looks in the direction Alex is pointing and adds excitedly, “Man, you're right, they're over there at the mall.” Let's go and find out what they're hiding!”
“I've been following them since the moment we parted ways,” Alex says confidently as he begins to move. “And as long as I was watching them, they were visiting some stores like bees moving between flowers.”
Jeremiah asked excitedly, “Are you sure these two guys might be robots like the ones Joey and Chris met?”
Alex answered cautiously, looking around: “I don’t know, but maybe if we keep an eye on them, we’ll find out if they hold the key to the secrets.”
-----
As the sun sets over the New York skyline, painting the sky in shades of red and orange, Joey and Chris enter the park at 6 p.m., excited to meet Gary, the city's most mysterious character. They wandered among the trees and benches, searching for him with expectant eyes and hearts beating with curiosity.
Chris, in a questioning tone, stops a man passing them, "Have you seen Gary?" The man points toward the fountain in the middle of the park, where he says he saw Gary. With quick steps and successive breaths, they head towards the fountain, taking a shortcut, and suddenly, Chris grabs Joey's shirt and says in astonishment: "Look over there, isn't that Rhodri?!"
Joey, eyes widening, confirms: "Yes, it's him, but what's he doing here? Wait, is he holding a baseball bat and waving it?"
Chris approaches Rodri and asks him curiously: "Do you practice baseball or what?"
Rhodri, with a reserved look and a confidential voice, replies: “None of your business...” Then he stops, looks around and asks: “Did you find that man or is the search still ongoing?”
Joey, excitedly, replies, "We know where he is. He's near the fountain in the middle of the park. We have to hurry before he disappears again."
Rhodri, in a decisive voice, says: “We must act now.”
They continue their journey with Rhodri, and when they reach the fountain and look around the place, they find no one. Chris, disappointed and angry, kicks the lamppost and says, "Damn, we're too late."
Joey, in a calm voice, says, "Calm down, I hear someone singing near here."
“Yes, I hear that too,” Rhodri confirmed.
They head towards the sound coming from behind the fountain, and discover a person sitting on a chair, looking at the fountain, singing with a guitar. Joey slowly approaches him, hearing him singing in a tone that carries a philosophy of life and contemplation of the simple: “I was hungry today, so I ate a few beans. They didn’t taste very delicious, but that’s okay, everyone always gets used to it.”
Joey tries to interrupt him and says, "Uhm-hmmm, sir... Ooh, sir!" But Gary keeps singing about the beans, and Joey loudly calls him, "Sir!"
Gary, shocked and surprised, says: "What the hell is going on?"
Joey, apologetically: "Sorry, Mr. Gary, it's just us. We came to ask you some questions."
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Gary, interrupting in a playful but ambiguous tone: “Aw, I get it now, you're a fan of my song, right?”
Joey, confused: “What... No, no, no, it's not like that, it's just...”
Gary, interrupting again and signing his name with Joey's hand: "H-sss... you don't have to say much."
Chris, to Rhodri: “This guy is really, really crazy.”
Joey tries to talk to Gary, but he doesn't listen to him. All he talks about are the songs he makes in the streets.
Gary, to Joey: “Boy, do you like songs?”
Joey: "Yes, why ask?"
Gary, in a philosophical and mysterious tone: “The reason is obvious, boy, because I'm the biggest superstar singer here in New York, and I have a question for you: Did you like the last song I wrote?”
Joey, Lake: "You mean the song about beans? Yeah, yeah, it was good, almost good."
Gary, with a smile: “You have less good taste in this world that doesn't appreciate true art, aren't you right?” He starts playing the guitar again.
As Gary plays the guitar, Joey interrupts firmly and says, "Uncle Gary, we heard you broke into one of Perry's facilities. We came here to find out what you saw back there inside these guys' company or what you know about them."
Chris, urgently: “Please, say something useful, please.”
Gary, having stopped playing the guitar, looks at them with eyes twinkling with slyness and says, “I think you're all starting to feel the strangeness of this world we live in, too, aren't you... now that it's become somewhat normal for me. So, what do you want?” Would you know, children?
Chris, repeating his question: "What we said earlier, we heard that you broke into one of Perry's facilities. What did you see there?"
Gary, in a secretive tone: “Why do you ask that?”
Joey, seriously: “Because a month ago, we were attacked by one of their employees, and guess what, it was a robot that wanted to kill Old Jerry, but we eventually stopped him.”
Gary, mused: "Aw, those guys... yeah, yeah, I've heard of them. They've been around for three years and they've been making a lot of noise lately."
Rhodri, curious: “So, are they really robots?”
Gary, in an emphatic tone: “Yes, indeed, they are, but they are still just beginners here in New York. You may not know this, but this world is much bigger than you can imagine, and also there are people besides us that we do not know, they are already everywhere, but you You don't know, but most of us don't know, haha." Gary laughs alone, laughing.
Joey, Lake: “What do you mean the world is bigger than we imagine?”
Gary, with a deep look: “Little boy, if you had the choice to discover all the unknown secrets that exist throughout the world, or to remain here in this ignorance, what would you choose?”
Joey thinks for a moment and then says firmly, "If it means I won't be ignorant of the things going on around us, then yes! I will do it no matter what the cost!"
Gary, laughing out loud, says, "What's your name, kid?"
Joey, confidently: “My name is John Morales.”
Gary, he laughs again, and then he looks at him and says, "You look a lot like him, you know that?" Then he takes a little notebook out of his pocket and gives it to Joey and says, "This will help you figure out the unknown, John, but don't get yourself into trouble over there." Then he goes and leaves them confused.
Chris, mused: “At least we've confirmed that this company is hiding very suspicious things, and also what's inside that notebook he gave you, Joey?”
Joey, looking at the notebook that looks very old, then opens it and says, “This notebook contains a map of New York and some states near New York, but there is something strange about this map.”
Rhodri, curious: “What do you mean?”
Joey, examining the pages of the notebook: “It shows areas and markings that are not here on the original map of New York.”
Chris, excitedly: “What do these circles pointing to the Statue of Liberty mean?”
“There are seven other signs that point to different areas,” Rhodri mused.
Joey, excitedly: "Looks like we should check it out, or what?"
Chris, looking at the marks: “Look carefully, it's a long way from us.”
Joey interrupts: “Look here, this sign is very close to us. Look at it, we might need to get on the bus and get off at the last stop. Why don’t we go?”
“There, where the signs lead,” Rhodri said excitedly, pointing to the distant horizon.
Chris added confidently, “I told the rest of us that we found Gary, so don't worry, they'll stop looking.”
Joey, in an optimistic tone, continued, “Then they'll stop looking. Let's find out what these signs mean.”
in the meantime
Alex, Jeremiah, and Slim followed the employees at a cautious pace, moving between the alleys like ghosts stalking their prey. The two employees were not ordinary; They had a sixth sense that alerted them to the slightest movement, which forced the three to maintain a safe distance.
“Where are they headed?” Slim asked in a low voice, doubt beginning to creep into his heart. “We followed them for more than twenty minutes without seeing any suspicious behavior.”
Alex replied in a firm tone, “Maybe if you stop talking for a moment, we might be able to find out where they are going.”
Suddenly, Jeremiah stopped, staring at the horizon, “Damn… I think I know where they’re going.”
"To where?" Alex asked, getting curious.
“To the Purple Dragon Gang’s area. These people are among the most dangerous in New York. Trust me, you don’t want to mess with them.”
Slim felt anxiety rising inside him, “Then why are they heading to that area?”
“I think they have a building there that belongs to their company, which they took over not long ago.” Alex explained, trying to put together the pieces of the puzzle.
“Are they here to check on some office work?” Slim asked, beginning to feel that things were not as they seemed.
“We should get closer to them.” Alex said, leading the way.
As shadows crept across the city streets, the three boys, Alex, Jeremiah, and Slim, continued their cautious steps towards the Purple Dragon Gang's stronghold. The two employees were walking confidently towards one of the buildings bearing the Perry Company logo, located in the heart of the gang's territory. With each step, the boys moved forward cautiously, following them silently, until they reached the building.
The boys found themselves in front of a tightly closed door, standing as a silent guard preventing them from entering. Jeremiah, with a scrutinizing look, asked if someone had a pin.
Slim, hesitantly, took a hairpin out of his pocket.
With unexpected skill, Jeremiah used the pin to open the door, much to the astonishment of his companions. “I learned this from one of my relatives,” he said with a slight smile.
Inside the building, it was quiet, which aroused suspicion in their hearts. “Shouldn't a big company like this have a security system or employees?” Slim asked in a trembling voice. Alex answered in a low voice, “I told you before, this building was recently taken over, so don’t expect much security here.”
As they walked through the seemingly empty hallways, Alex heard a suspicious sound coming from the direction of the GM's office. With heavy steps, they approached the room where the lights were off. Alex slowly opened the door, and their gazes crept inside, where they found nothing but a working computer in the middle of the dark room.
“I can't believe it, look at this!” Alex said in an excited voice as he approached the computer. “These are records of Perry's company purchasing from the Purple Dragon Gang.”
“What exactly are they buying?” Slim asked in a low voice, trying to understand what was going on.
The evidence in front of them indicated that someone had preceded them here, and was examining the company's records and financial transactions. At that moment, the pieces of the puzzle began to form in their minds, and they realized that they were about to uncover something big.
In the blink of an eye, a shadow slipped from the corner of the room and disappeared behind the door, leaving everyone in a state of amazement. Jeremiah, with sweat beginning to drip from his forehead, said in a shaky voice: “So, the person who was checking the company’s records was just here and left, right?”
Alex replied, trying to understand the situation: “Yes, it seems that he was here and left the computer running, which makes the task easier for us.” From his pocket, Alex took out a flash drive and plugged it into the computer, quickly going through the records and transmitting only the vital information.
Jeremiah, who was watching the room warily, heard footsteps approaching. Quickly, he headed towards the door and closed it quietly, whispering to Alex: “Have you finished downloading the data?” Looks like someone is approaching.”
“Only a few left…” Alex replied, watching the loading bar on the screen show 97%.
Meanwhile, the two people who were talking outside the room arrived, and one of them said: “The agreement we made with the stores we visited before has been made.” The other added: “An agreement has also been made with the Purple Dragon Gang, and the goods will be shipped tonight.”
After opening the door and finding no one, someone said: “I will put this in the report and hand it over to the vice president of the company later.” Then he closed the door and the other went to the window and closed it as well, and their features turned into a cold, menacing expression.
“It's time to get out now, we're no longer on the street and there's no one around.” Someone said in a frozen voice. From inside the closet where the boys were hiding, they listened to his words. “Do you think we didn't notice you following us from the beginning? “We were just trying to lure you here and trap you.”
“Come out, and we will solve this peacefully.” The other man said as he walked towards the closet with a cold face.
When he opened the locker, the three quickly rushed over, moving away from the man who was staring at them. “So, you finally got the courage to show up.” The man said, pointing to himself. “My name is Luther, and this friend of mine is called Hudson. I want to know why you broke into our company. Do you intend to steal something from here?
Alex responds, tension taking over his features. He says in a hesitant voice: “Um... we entered here by mistake, sir.” They back away very slowly towards the door, hoping for a chance to escape. “So, will you let us leave, please?”
Luther, standing still and looking at them with suspicious eyes, replies, “Well, if you came in here by mistake, why is my computer working on its own?” Did he work alone too?” He approaches them with measured steps and adds: “You can go. You are children.
after all.” The three look surprised and relieved, but Luther resumes his speech in a more serious tone: “But before you go, give me the flash drive you have.”
Alex looks at him and is unable to speak due to his extreme tension. He thinks to himself: “There is no solution, then...” Jeremiah interrupts him, preventing him from handing over the flash drive, and Alex replies: “If we do not hand it over to him, he will not let us get out of here, and you know this.” “
Alex approaches Luther with the flash drive in his hand, and when he approaches him, he extends his hand to give him the flash drive. But in a quick and shocking moment, Slim throws his backpack in Luther’s face and shouts at Alex while he is extremely frightened: “Let’s get out of here quickly, you fools!” The three quickly run from the room, Jeremiah locks the door on them as they walk away from the room, quickly running towards the exit door.
Inside the room, Luther says to Hudson in a firm voice: “You have to get the flash drive back from them.” He pauses for a second, then adds in a thoughtful tone: “So, there's a fourth rat with them.” Hudson runs towards the door that the boys closed, stands in front of it, then punches the door hard twice quickly, causing it to shatter easily, and then quickly takes off after them.
On the other hand, the boys hear the sound of the door breaking and Selim says to Jeremiah: “Aren’t you finished opening it?” Jeremiah replies: “I can't concentrate when I'm stressed…” Alex interrupts: “Let's leave the door now and let's find another way out quickly!” Before Hudson reaches them, they run away from the door, and Hudson looks at them with glowing eyes as he runs after them frighteningly.
Upstairs, Luther heads to an office and orders in a confident voice: “Turn on the search lens.” He inspects the office with sharp eyes, then smiles contentedly and says: “I found you, so get out now quickly before I take you out myself...” A few seconds pass until the hidden person appears wearing a mask that covers his entire face.
The hidden person looks at him calmly, his face covered by a mask, without saying a word. Luther continues in a firm tone: “Then no response, right? Then I have to arrest you and then interrogate you.” At breakneck speed, the masked person tries to escape, and he is indeed incredibly fast, but Luther had no difficulty in pursuing him. They rush into a heated battle, where Luther launches quick and lightning strikes at the masked person, but...
With the ingenuity of mythology, the masked man manipulates the fate of blows, slipping between them like an uncontrollable shadow. Luther, in his overwhelming rage, rains down a barrage of massive punches on the space that turns the offices into rubble. With each blow faster than the previous one, the masked man was able to dodge it in the blink of an eye. Luther's last punch, fast as lightning, smashed through the wall, leaving a cloud of dust behind. He pulls his hand from the wall.
“Your resilience is admirable, but you will never outperform me,” he comments in a tone of admiration mixed with challenge.
Outside, Hudson brutally stalks the boys, their screams echoing through the halls with terror. They scramble toward the second floor, and Hudson pursues them relentlessly. They run in panic, until they rush into the room where Luther and the masked man are standing. Jeremiah closes the door behind them, and they find themselves face to face with Luther and the stranger.
With bitter sarcasm, Luther says: “Welcome, unexpected guests. Who will be the bold one who visits us?” In a moment of inattention, the masked man swoops down with his sharp dagger, scratching Luther's face, revealing a complex robotic mechanism underneath. “That was a stupid move,” Luther shouts, holding his bruised face, threatening in a voice bursting with anger. “Now, I will have no mercy on any of you, all three of you together.”
The boys freeze in place, paralyzed with fear. Luther, with exhaustion appearing on the masked person’s features, clenched his fist and was about to attack: “It is time to end this farce.” He rushes towards them at breakneck speed, ready to smash the head, but Alex bravely intervenes, pushing himself and the mask away from the final blow. Alex feels severe pain squeezing his head, and when he looks up, he finds the masked man without a mask, and he frowns in shock. The masked person is just a girl, not just any girl, it's Amy!
Now, as the story continues, the tension and excitement mount:
In what seems like the last moment, Hudson rushes into the room, smashing through the wall with tremendous force, his eyes shining blood red in the billowing smoke. “It seems that death is our destiny tonight,” Slim muttered in a voice tinged with despair. “These people are really crazy.”
Luther walked towards them at a steady pace, and said with a cold, almost frozen smile: “After everything you have witnessed, death is your inevitable end.” Jeremiah responds in a resigned tone: “If death is my fate here, then I hope the end will be quick with a laser gun.” Hudson answered in a dry voice: “Unfortunately, we do not have such weapons. Only purifiers have a monopoly on this type of technology.”
Slim is surprised to hear Hudson's voice for the first time, while Jeremiah comments bitterly: “What's the difference? We will die anyway.” “You're right, you're all going to die here and now,” Luther asserts confidently.
To be continued in the next chapter