Red

Ten minutes later, Red and FIST, including the ass kisser Agent Meyers, descended in a pair of large glass elevators that dropped through the core of the Wreckies HQ. FIST was the only team allowed to carry ESH based weapons, and each was armed with M7 MEARS. The flashing lights of the floors and the flicker of light from elevators flying by didn’t help with Red’s stomach, which was already starting to twist considering the task before him.

After stopping on the bottom floor, they exited the elevator. In front of them was a large circular metal door, like a bank vault, guarded by a team in dark black military style uniforms. Standing in front of the large vault door, Karen inserted a small metal disc into a slot which caused a siren to go off. Metal pistons inside the door opened with a harsh clank that echoed through the room. The door swiveled open.

The dark interior of the Locker was immediately illuminated by grim fluorescent lights that cast a nauseous green glow on the deadly devices stored within. The Locker was the home for every dangerous piece of technology ever recovered. Some things were used for research or special situations while others were simply too dangerous to destroy, lest they trigger an explosion that can be measured by numbers of atomic bombs. Red followed Karen passing countless rows of boxes stored high on shelves until they made it to a red metal cage near the back of the vault.

Inside were two ornate wooden boxes with brass hinges on their sides almost as tall as Red. After unlocking the cage, she pulled one out and set it on a free shelf. Carved in delicate letters across the front of the box were the words ‘Magier-Morder’. Translated into English it meant wizard killer. After unclasping the two catches on the front, she opened the case. Inside was a large, ornately decorated black metal rifle with a dark red wooden stock. Its beauty almost hid the fact that this rifle was meant for one deadly purpose, to kill whatever it was aimed at, including a wizard and any shielding they could create. In the lower corner of the case were six slots, four of which were filled with thick stubby bullets that pulsed blood red.

“I’ve heard of this weapon,” Red said, picking one of the bullets up to examine it. “What happened to the other two bullets?”

“That’s a story for another time. Now it’s a bitch to aim and heavy too, but it will get the job done. No matter what, do not load it until you are ready to fire it, because the trigger is sensitive and there’s no safety. The range is about a hundred yards top, but close is better.”

“And how exactly do you load it?” He looked closely at the gun. “I don’t see a bolt or even a chamber to expel the cartridges.”

“It’s like an elephant gun, or shotgun, one bullet at a time.” She picked the large rifle up which was no small feat given her small stature. She flipped a switch causing the barrel to swing downward free of the wooden stock and exposing the back end of the barrel. She picked up a round and slid it in the back of the barrel before locking it back in place. “Easy,” she said, before she cracked it back open and removed the round before handing it to Red.

“Remember, whatever you hit with this, and whatever is behind it or near it for that matter, isn’t going to live, so make sure you have a clean shot.”

Evan

Evan and Kae had ordered Chinese for dinner. White cardboard takeout boxes lay strewn about the coffee table in the living room. Zarg, positioned strategically under the coffee table, pointed his nose to Evan’s. Chinese food meant stay close and be alert. He wasn’t especially fond of Chinese food, some dishes even he wouldn’t eat, but it meant the humans would be using chopsticks and more dropped food. With their mom not home, they both opted for forks. Evan was almost sure he could sense Zarg’s disappointment and made the mistake of looking down at him. Zarg stared back with large watery eyes demanding a stir-fried chicken sacrifice. When Evan broke free from the Zarg’s powerful stare, he noticed Kae wore blush and eye liner. He should have known. “So…are you going to see Kyle or is he coming here?”

Her chewing motion slowed for the briefest of moments verifying his suspicions. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“All I am saying is, with everything going on, don’t you think it’s better if we are both here, just in case?” Evan shoved a piece of chicken dripping in chili oil in his mouth.

Kae put her fork down. “You’re scared of being here by yourself, aren’t you?”

“No.” His phone became suddenly more interesting as he tried to avoid her gaze. “Well they were attacked at that club. Don’t you think it’s smarter to stay home? Besides, Mom said you weren’t supposed to see Kyle anyway.”

“Oh, it’s going to be like that is it?” Kae flicked at her phone in disgust.

Zarg, having decided the dinner had gone on long enough, started nudging Evan to start delivering tasty morsels to his snout. What was odd was that it felt like Zarg was getting extra impatient. His parents would never feed him while they were eating and would raise quite a fuss if anyone was caught doing so. Besides, they always slipped him food when they got to the kitchen unobserved. Right as Evan decided to have mercy on him, he noticed that Zarg had unfolded himself from his spot and went to the front room.

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Was it all their forced time together? Or the fact that they truly had to rely on each other right now? Either way, he didn’t want to fight with Kae. “Fine, go see Kyle. I won’t tell Mom. But—”

Zarg let out a deep guttural growl. A chill went up Evan’s spine. “What was that?” Evan froze, trying to hear what Zarg had heard.

“It was Zarg,” Kae responded, as she took another bite of noodles.

“I know it was Zarg, but why is he growling?”

“I don’t know, he probably saw a cat or something. Go look if it’s bothering you.” She was trying to hide the suspicion in her voice. But he knew her too well.

“Together?” Evan said, a little unsure.

“Fine.” Kae shot up rather quickly to Evan’s surprise and they ventured into the front room, side by side. Zarg, nose tucked between closed curtains, stared out the front windows. Evan opened them and saw nothing but the gas repair crew finishing up their work under the glow of the streetlight. “See?” Kae threw a hand casually towards the window. “It’s just the construction workers, scaredy cat.” Kae headed back into the living room leaving Evan alone with Zarg.

“Come on Zarg. Want a piece of chicken?” Evan said, trying to calm his nerves by rubbing Zarg’s neck while the dog continued to stare out the front window. After Zarg refused to change his gaze, Evan gave his collar a tug, which was ignored. Evan tried a more soothing tone, hoping to calm him, “it’s okay, they’re just working on the gas line. You saw them earlier today, remember?”

Zarg didn’t budge, but instead let out a deep snarl. Evan again looked outside, and he realized that Zarg wasn’t actually looking at the workers, but to just to the left of them at a particular tree. Evan stepped around the corner to flip the front porch light on and as soon as he did, Zarg ripped off several angry barks. Evan jumped back to look through the window to see what Zarg was barking at but there was nothing there. He started to wag his tail and then went back into the living room. Probably because that is where the food was, Evan tried to reason with himself.

“What was that about?” Kae said, as she gave Zarg a noodle from her box. He licked it several times, trying to like it before it fell out of her hand onto the ground. He gave it another hopeful lick before giving up and looking at Kae with sad eyes hoping she could do better.

Evan snagged a piece of chicken from his box. “Ha, he doesn’t approve of your veganistic ways, but he still loves you. Zarg, here you go, this is what you want.” Zarg immediately left the noodle on the ground and took the chunk of chicken from Evan, leaving to devour his prey in the kitchen.

“So, what was he barking at?” Kae said, picking up the forgotten noodle.

“Not sure, when I turned the light on, he must have seen something that he scared off, but I didn’t see it.”

“Well then, how did you know he scared something off?”

“I don’t know, I guess because he was barking.”

“Probably those gas workers, they probably made a weird noise.”

“I don’t think so, he barked when I hit the lights, so he saw something close to the house.”

“Okay so he saw a cat then, probably nothing to—”

Angry barks ripped loose from the kitchen shaking Evan to the core.

“He sees it again,” Evan said, fear starting to make his body tingle. They both flew into the kitchen to find Zarg perched on his back legs leaning on the windowsill by the breakfast table, barking furiously at something on the side of the house. Evan looked down when he realized he had grabbed Kae’s wrist without realizing it. He quickly let go.

“Did you see that?” Evan was petrified.

“See what? It’s probably a cat.”

“It’s not a cat.”

Kae flipped the light on in the mud room that separated the kitchen from the door to the backyard.

“Wait, what are you doing?” Evan was now verging on panic. Before he could protest further, she opened the back door and Zarg bolted out to the backyard.

Kae folded her arms. “There he can chase off the big, bad, evil putty tat.”

“It wasn’t a cat,” Evan said, trying to calm his nerves. They both stood silent for a moment expecting to see a cat dart across the fence line, or a series of protest barks or even a loud hiss, but there was nothing but a long uncomfortable silence that seemed to stretch on.

“Well?” Evan said, looking at his sister expectantly. “Now what?”

“He’s probably taking a dump, chill, he’s a dog, he barks.”

“No, he’s looking for something.”

“What are you talking about? What, are you like the dog whisperer now or something? Why are you so afraid of him being in the backyard now?

“Okay.” Evan knew she was scared, and he was going to prove it. “Then go out there and get him, but don’t turn the lights on, if it’s just a cat.”

“Oh my god, grow up,” Kae said, as she walked out the back door but turned the light on as she did.

“Yeah, I thought so,” Evan said, following her out.

“Zarg,” she called out, stepping into the backyard.

“Zarg,” Evan also called out, but all they heard was an eerie silence. They took a few tentative steps towards the dark side of the backyard where Zarg had disappeared when the silence was broken by the ring of Kae’s cellphone. It was back on the coffee table in the living room.

“Hold on, I bet it’s Mom and Dad.” She turned to go back inside. “Find Zarg, will ya?”

“Wait, where are you going?” Evan complained, trying not to reveal how scared he was.

“Just to get my phone, I will be right back.” By now Kae had disappeared from Evan’s view inside the house.

Evan took a deep breath. Kae was right, he decided. This was his backyard and Zarg was his dog and just because his parents weren’t home, there was no reason to be afraid. He took a defiant step towards the now even more mysterious blacked out part of the yard, and then another, like it was a strange new mysterious world that he just so happened to have lived in his entire life.

“Zarg!” he yelled out a little louder and with more confidence as he took another step. After an impossible few seconds, he heard the faint sound of something stepping in the grass. “Zarg?” He felt a shiver run up his back with no sign of his dog in the darkness. He heard a series of footsteps in the grass followed by Zarg growling and then a loud bark.

“Zarg!” Evan yelled again. But there was nothing but silence.

Then a hand grabbed Evan's shoulder. He screamed.