The Brothers Locke, page 2
Echo mumbled to his brother under his breath, “Don’t do it, Mouth.”
Mouth waved his brother off. In his mind, he was the best negotiator of the three. He was, as a matter of fact, the mouth of the group. They had done a job and were not going to be paid what they should for such a momentous prize. What harm would there be in asking for proper compensation?
“I’m just thinking that what we’ve done for you, in particular, what it is we have stolen for you is worth a bit more than what you’re offering. I mean, we’re both professionals here right?”
Von Strauss sighed, “You looked in the box, didn’t you?”
“Yes, but that’s not important. What is important is that—”
“Did I not tell you to not look in the box, boy?”
For a moment, Mouth was silent. A swell of doubt pulled at his stomach and he glanced over at his brothers. Both Echo and Sharp shook their heads, hoping their brother would back down. Instead, Mouth took two steps towards Von Strauss.
“Listen, we’re not just some chumps that you can fool into stealing a goldmine and pay us in breadcrumbs. We are The Locke Brothers! Master thieves! There was no one else you could find who could have pulled off what we did. Who were you going to get, huh? The Crimson Corsairs? That’s a laugh. Juniper, that troll? No way. Or how about that furry guy, huh? No! None of them can do what we did and escape. We know what this is worth and we want to be paid appropriately.”
Von Strauss scoffed and scratched at the side of his face before speaking again. “Are you finished?” he asked.
“No! And another thing, if you think we’re scared of you, big guy, you’ve got another thing coming. There’s nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing you can do that will intimidate us!”
With a wave of his hand, Von Strauss signaled for all six of the men in robes to aim their weapons at the brothers. Although Mouth wasn’t an expert in weapons, he knew that these were heavy duty assault rifles capable of shredding him to pieces in a matter of seconds.
Mouth sighed in defeat, “Except for that.”
***
Icagoro was the second largest metropolis in the West. Unlike Avidity, it was not full of technological wonders and vibrant video screens playing commercials and entertainment at all times of the day. This was a city of poverty and desolation. Buildings were crumbling, the streets were littered with trash, and the sewage system had been in a state of disrepair for decades. Sadly, those were the least of the city’s problems.
In the industrial area of Icagoro were many abandoned warehouses, and in the basement of a former cup manufacturing building, a young girl was hard at work at her keyboard. Her eyes darted back and forth between three monitors that illuminated her face in a light-blue tint. Behind her was a giant of a man, nearly seven feet tall and as thick as a bull.
“Are you done yet?” the large man grunted.
“If this was simple, you’d be doing it. But since it isn’t, I’m doing it. Now if you want it finished sooner than later, you’ll stop asking me every five seconds if it’s done, if that’s okay with you, Bando,” the girl replied.
Displeased with the response he got, Bando attempted to reinforce his authority by putting his enormous hand on the desk with a grunt. Without missing a beat, the girl grabbed his thumb and twisted it, crippling Bando to his knees in extreme pain.
“I said, wait.”
Nearly in tears, Bando nodded in agreement. The girl let go of his thumb and went back to her work. A few more minutes passed before she was finished. She took a sip of water, tied her hair back into a ponytail, which exposed the shaved sides of her skull, and removed a clear memory cube from her workstation. She tucked it safely into her pocket left.
“If you’re done crying over there, feel free to join me. We’re leaving in five,” the girl said to Bando as she left the room.
“Yes, Dana. I’ll be ready,” Bando answered.
***
“Well, do I need to say it, Mouth?” Echo asked his brother. “I mean, really, do I need to say it?”
“Go ahead and get it off your chest, Echo,” said Mouth.
“This is entirely your fault.”
“That was about as original as the last time you said it to me.”
“The fact that I have to keep saying it is even more reason for me to keep saying it. You don’t seem to listen.”
“That’s your trait, brother, not mine. Besides, wouldn’t the fact that I don’t listen mean you shouldn’t waste your breath in saying it over and over and over…”
“This is what I’m talking about,” Echo protested.
“...and over and over again.”
“Let’s not fight,” Sharp signed.
“No, Sharp. He’s always getting on my case about this kind of stuff.”
Echo didn’t take kindly to the blame being shifted to him. “Really? Are you trying to change the topic right now? No! We’re talking about you and your… mouth, Mouth! Why didn’t you just give them the stupid box? We would be counting our money right now instead of sitting in some dingy tent.”
Mouth paused before responding. “Well, I can’t argue with you there.” He looked through the small slit in the tent the let him see outside. “Black Harvester Forest is certainly not on my list of vacation spots.”
Von Strauss and his men had taken the Locke Brothers deep within Black Harvester Forest, a place that was well known to be teeming with vicious animals. It was also supposedly haunted. Far from any city, it was a darker part of the West, comprised of extremely tall evergreen trees that let as little light in as possible. Few parts of the Dea were in total darkness, and this was one of them.
Outside the tent, Mouth could see some of the robed men cooking in a pot over an open fire while others cleaned their weapons. Von Strauss was nowhere to be seen, but the brothers knew he hadn’t gone far. What they planned on doing with them was a mystery. Even though they were only thirteen-years-old, the Locke Brothers didn’t put it past men like this to do unspeakable harm to them. It was the price they paid for running in the circles they did: that of thieves, criminals, and convicts.
“So how are we going to get out of here?” Echo asked.
“I’m working on it,” Mouth answered.
It was impossible for them to run out and try to overtake these grown adult men. They were outnumbered and outsized. The only advantage that the brothers had would be to outwit them. Sharp was doing his own assessment of their surroundings, using his enhanced vision. He could see outlines of what was beyond the tent. He never really understood how his abilities worked, but he could make his eyes focus only on the bend of light from the outside. His ability allowed him to make out where the vehicles, men, and other structures were beyond their prison.
Despite all he could see, nothing would help them escape. The tent they were in was nestled against a giant boulder. The only entrance or exit was through the front, a route that would get them caught.
Von Strauss suddenly walked through the tent opening. The tall man smirked as he took a seat in a chair, lit a cigar, and crossed his legs. The Locke Brothers sat on the ground and looked up at him, defiance on all of their faces.
“We should start again, yes?” Von Strauss began. “You wished to… negotiate a new deal, if I understand correctly?”
“Perhaps,” Echo answered.
“I see.” Von Strauss puffed on his cigar, blowing a cloud of smoke towards Echo. “The three of you did quite well, I must say. Better than expected. But my employer, well, he doesn’t take too kindly to being jerked around, so I don’t take too kindly to being jerked around. We agreed on a price…”
“But that price isn’t fair,” Mouth interrupted.
“...and we agreed you would not look into the box!” Von Strauss ended, raising his voice to show his authority.
To this, the brothers had no response. Von Strauss again smirked. His ego was growing by the second. He uncrossed his legs and leaned forward, staring the brothers down with as much intimidation as he could muster.
“The question now isn’t whether or not we’re going to renegotiate your deal, but whether or not you’re allowed to live.”
“Oh stop it,” Mouth said. “We’re kids! You can’t kill us and saying you’re thinking about it isn’t going to scare us. So, just let us go and we’ll take what we originally agreed upon.”
Sucking in air through his teeth, Von Strauss did his best to feign regret at what he was going to say next. “If it were only that simple. Let me assure you, little boy, you aren’t getting paid anything, you aren’t going to remain fearless for long, and if you’re thinking for a minute that I wouldn’t kill thirteen-year-old boys, you aren’t that bright.”
The brothers looked at each other and, for the first time, their expressions showed true fear. Von Strauss was not known to bluff and if he intended on killing them, he was going to do so. Mouth was about to protest, but Sharp gave him a signal not to.
Von Strauss whistled and two of his robed associates entered the tent. Their weapons were at the ready and with a nod from their boss, they aimed the business end of their rifles at the triplets.
“Well, any bright ideas now, Mouth?” Echo asked his brother.
Before Von Strauss gave the signal there was an eruption from outside. Forgetting about the brothers, the two robed men rushed to see what had happened. Von Strauss remained in the tent but kept his eyes on the opening. From here he was able to see both of his associates knocked through the air after a flash of light. He turned to Mouth and curled his lip.
“Don’t look at me! I didn’t do it,” Mouth protested.
“It doesn’t matter. You’re not going to get out of this.” Von Strauss drew a small pistol from his coat and pointed it at the brothers.
A hand grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back. Von Strauss dropped the gun and tried his best to look back at his assailant. All he could see was the end of a nose.
“You don’t want to do that,” she said.
“It appears you have me at a disadvantage in more ways than one, Ms. …”
“I’m not giving you my name, moron. I will tell you that you can either leave here or get your arm broken. Your choice.”
Von Strauss looked back at the triplets, who wore wide smiles on their faces. He frowned at them before throwing out one final threat.
“You will see me again, brothers. Don’t think that you won’t. And as for you…”
The girl wasn’t prepared for his next move. Von Strauss stomped on her foot and pushed his weight backward, forcing her to release his arm. The two squared off and now Von Strauss got a look at his attacker. He balled his hands into fists and narrowed his eyes, readying himself for a fight.
“Dana,” he muttered. “I’ve heard about you, my dear. We’re quite a long way from Icagoro, aren’t we?”
“Are you going to fight or are you going to talk?” she said.
“I think I’ll leave.”
Von Strauss opened up his coat and three orbs dropped from his inside pocket. Immediately they burst open, releasing a gray-blue gas. Dana backed away as Von Strauss exited the tent, leaving her and the triplets to be poisoned.
Dana grabbed Sharp’s hand and told him to do the same with his brothers. She drew a blade from her belt and sliced the side of the tent several times. Together, the four of them leaped towards the opening and ripped through the fabric. Once outside, she searched the area for Von Strauss, but he had long since disappeared.
“He got away. I hate it when they get away,” Dana said to no one in particular.
Mouth saw his opportunity. “Well, that’s bad and all. Tragic really. But I guess it’s time for us to be going now. Thanks for everything and I love your hair, by the way. See ya.”
The brothers tried to back away from Dana, but the look on her face told them it was best to stay where they were. She took a few steps towards them and snatched away their backpack. There was nothing inside.
“He’s got it?” she asked.
“Yeah, he does,” answered Mouth.
“Well that complicates things. Okay, you’re coming with us.”
“Us? Wait a minute. We aren’t going anywhere with you. We don’t even know who you are or why you did what you just did.”
“You’re telling me you’re not grateful, boys?”
“It’s not that. We’re kind of a solo act… A solo act of triplets. Whatever. We’re The–”
“The Locke Brothers, yes. I know all about you boys.”
Mouth smiled, his ego stroked from their apparent fame. Sharp and Echo weren’t as pleased. Sharp began to sign something to his brothers thinking Dana wouldn’t understand. Unfortunately for him, she did.
“Oh, he doesn’t believe me,” she said to Echo and Mouth. “Let’s see. There’s you, the one who can barely see but can hear almost anything, even radio signals. By the way, here ya go.” She knelt down and picked up Echo’s glasses from the debris near the tent and tossed them to Mouth who gave them to his brother.
“And then you. Sharp, is it? You can see every weapon I have on me, the temperature of the flames over there, and the hair on a worm being swallowed by a bird six miles that way.”
“Well, the worm is a bit of an exaggeration,” Sharp signed with a grin.
“And of course, the Great Rusher of Fools, Mouth. Hard of hearing and just as hard-headed. You’ve never used your full voice in a shout because it would shatter the bark on every tree around us.”
“I have done that once,” Mouth snapped at her angrily. “It’s nothing I want to do ever again.”
“I’ve proven my point. We know who you are. We know what you’ve done. We know what Von Strauss is up to and what he paid you to get. However, I think we have a better deal for you than he did.”
Echo replied, “Considering he was about to kill us, that’s not saying much.”
“Trust me; you’ll want in on this. Now come along, we have to get going.”
The brothers looked around at the team Dana had with her. It was a strange collection of people including a giant and a pair of teenagers who were collecting pieces of debris from the ground.
“And just who are you, if I may ask? We’re not going anywhere with you until we at least know that,” said Mouth.
“We’re Solas.” A gruff voice came from behind the triplets.
The Locke Brothers turned to see a stout tank of a man with dark skin, a flattop haircut, and one of Von Strauss’ cigars gripped between his teeth as he lit it. Taking one deep puff of smoke, he twirled the cigar between his fat fingers and smiled at the astonished young faces before him.
“Before you ask, I’m Bulk Brown and right now, we’re the only thing that’s going to keep you and a whole mess of other people alive. Y’all have started something here, that’s for sure. So for now, say ‘thank you for saving our worthless butts,’ get whatever you need to get from this rubble, and get in the jeep. We’ve got work to do.”
***
The door on the office read, “Director of Operations,” but that title did little to inform anyone of what Sim Sam actually did for The Miscellany. Filled to the brim with antiques, knick-knacks, and just general clutter, the office looked more like a storage shed than a place of work. In the middle of all this was the portly Sim Sam, tinkering away at a gadget with a magnifying glass and tweezers.
“You asked to see me?”
Perry, the security guard who first gave chase to the Locke Brothers, stood beside a large stack of papers and folders while he waited for Sim Sam to notice him.
“Have a seat,” Sim Sam said while still keeping his attention on the gadget.
Perry waited for a few minutes, trying his best to not speak out of turn. Sim Sam seemed content to continue working and ignoring Perry. Several awkward moments passed and Perry began to squirm in the chair. Whenever Perry was uncomfortable, he would unknowingly start to whistle. It only took a few notes for him to start to unnerve Sim Sam.
“Don’t do that,” Sim Sam said sternly.
Deprived of his whistle, Perry started to survey the office and all the collectables gathered there. There was quite possibly every trinket or gadget imaginable here: clocks, batteries, microphones, gears, boxes, wires, open books, closed books, dusty books, drills, screwdrivers, circuit boards, and so on. In a place as posh as the rest of the building was, this hoarder's heaven and its owner were drastically out of place.
“Now, I know you’re looking around at all this stuff in here and thinking to yourself, ‘This man is a junk-collecting slob.’ Am I right?”
Perry didn’t know how to respond, so he simply didn’t. Sim Sam cracked a smile and started laughing. Seeing him laugh made Perry respond in kind. The tension that was first in the room had disappeared and Perry started to get comfortable in the chair. He raised his hand to his face to cover his teeth while he continued to laugh.
What he hadn’t noticed while doing this was that Sim Sam was no longer laughing and had stopped tinkering with his gadget. His beady black eyes were aimed directly at Perry. Once he realized this, Perry’s laughter immediately stopped.
“You see right there, son. That shows you’ve got some sense in your head. Now, I called you in here because the boss said he wanted me to handle your little situation from today instead of doing it himself.”
This was of some relief to Perry.
“The Miscellany must be a very busy man. I’m happy to answer any questions you have,” he said.
Sim Sam laughed. “You’re happy you don’t have to see him, that’s what your behind is happy about, no doubt. But to be honest with you, I’m not all that concerned with that. The boy who took that box is going to have much more to worry about than whatever you have to say about him. We’ve got cameras everywhere, so we’ll find him. What I want to talk to you about is something simple. You can handle simple, can’t you?”
“Simple is my middle name.”
“No doubt.”
Perry instantly regretted his choice of words. However, it was done, and it wasn’t as if Sim Sam had any respect for him to begin with. At this point, he just wanted to know what the man wanted with him so he could get out of this cluttered office and go home for the day.
