The Prospects (Short Story): Above the Stars by Daniel Halayko Page B

“it’s illegal. Someone smuggled this from Africa to sell to rich Asians.”
    “David definitely sold that before,” said Max. “I took it off him myself during his arrest.”
    “Does he seem like the kind to poison his clients?” asked Alex.
    “He’s the kind to sell anything to anyone.”
    “He’s the only lead we got,” said Chak. “Where can we find him?”
    “He hangs out at Xiao Fang-Zi, a seedy gambling joint in Chinatown. But he’s pretty tight-lipped.”
    Chak patted a sheathed knife at his belt. “I’ll make him talk.”
    “And I’ll make sure you do it legally,” said Alex. “Any reason we can’t go now?”
    “It’s pretty early. That joint doesn’t get going until around midnight, when all the restaurants close down.”
    Alex checked his watch. “It’s already past that.”
    “You’re still on East Coast Time,” said Max. “It’s only nine here. Still, we should get there early. The less crowded it is, the less trouble we’ll have.”
    “Get a car, detective,” said Chak. “Agent, you up for this? ‘Cause legally, as an independent superhero who’s not with a team at the moment, I can’t go around fighting bad guys without you watching me.”
    “I need to get some coffee first. Jetlag is getting to me.”
    “That won’t be a problem,” said Max. “I have to be honest, it’s exciting to work with a real superhero and a MAB agent.”
    “Don’t get too excited,” said Alex. “These guys are different than they are in the comics.”
     
     
    Alex licked the last drop from his cup’s lid. “There really is a coffee shop on every block in this city.”
    “For us natives, not having coffee everywhere is weird,” said Max. “You need a buzz when it’s always raining.”
    Chak sniffed. “How far are we from the gambling den?”
    “It’s right under that empty store in the middle of the block. What’s wrong?”
    “Call the coroners. I smell death. Lots of death.” Chak slapped the police car’s door. “Where’s the damn handle?”
    “Only opens from the outside.” Alex got out and opened the door as Max called for an ambulance.
    Chak sprinted across the street. He drew two knives as he ran past a reinforced door that dangled from its hinges.
    Alex and Max followed with their pistols drawn. Less than a minute later, Max ran back out. He dropped to his knees and vomited.
    Alex came out and put his arm around his shoulder. “It’s all right. Do what you must.”
    Max wiped his mouth. “They’re all dead in there.”
    “Chak is checking for survivors.”
    “I’ve seen lots of crime scenes, but nothing like that. Blood and guts everywhere.”
    Alex looked back. “Chak, how are you doing?”
    “That kid we’re looking for, David, he’s got a scar on his chin, right?”
    Max nodded.
    Alex yelled, “Yeah.”
    “Which side?”
    Max said, “Right.”
    “I found his face. Not sure where the rest of his head is.”
    Max trembled. “I recognized those guys. Sure, they were crooks, but whatever they did, they didn’t deserve that.”
    Before Alex answered Chak yelled, “There’s a survivor. He’s not cooperating.”
    Alex gulped. “Need me to come in?”
    “I’ll flush him out. Get ready to catch.”
    Alex turned to the door and spread his arms. He saw someone running towards him.
    They collided before Alex realized he caught a little boy.
    The boy clawed viciously at Alex. “Qing Long! Qing Long!”
    Alex pinned his arms. The boy kicked his shins.
    “Max! Help!”
    Max caught the boy from behind and said something in Chinese. The boy screamed “Qing Long!” again. Max stroked his hair and whispered softly. The boy slowly calmed down.
    Ambulance sirens echoed through the streets.
    Chak came out. His bare feet were covered in blood. “Agent, you and me gotta go somewhere dry to talk. Detective, get some people, collect all the evidence you can, interview neighbors, whatever. Agent O’Farrell will talk to you in the morning.”
    “Right.”