The Deadman

Temper shouldn’t rule your emotions. That’s one thing he had learned well in the past. A lesson that he had forgotten after going through strange times.

He was in a hotel room with his binoculars. Observing two blocks away from the potential suspect that might lead him to the person he was after. It had been two days since he had lost his temper. He had not returned home. He had been observing the person who he suspected to be connected to the dealings of the Rubio Ferric.

He was being careful. He didn’t want to rush it. Robert knew that unlike last time there was no telling how many goons they’d call to kill him if they knew. He thought of disguising himself. But it was useless since they seemed to be tight-knitted.

They were a criminal group. It was not easy to infiltrate them especially when they had just one of their branches pruned because of him. His actions led them to be very careful. If he had been discreet. Robert thought he’d be able to approach them.

He had kept notes of whatever they were doing. Followed their schedule. Made a checklist of what they were doing from morning to evening. One thing about their schedule was that they always transport something around one o’clock in this semi-truck. They drive this semi-truck to one of the warehouses outside of the city.

This warehouse that they were guarding was full of people guarding it. It was a tell-tale sign. But Robert didn’t want to rush in guns blazing. He had to learn from his mistakes. He had to take it slow.

So he called Agent Wilson after his stake out. It was after meeting with Lucia, getting information from her, that he went to Agent Wilson to do this stakeout.

Robert didn’t know where he got his information. But he knew that he had met with an unfortunate meeting with the demon. He had recommended to Robert to take a rest and get his mind cleared. Robert insisted on working, if anything it would distract his mind from the fact that he had encountered a demon who found them comedic.

Robert called him. His phone rang before Agent Wilson picked it up.

“I think that this is their place. They are using a warehouse outside of the city, not far from Hanzek actually.”

“Got an address?”

“I do. It’s in the ninth district. It’s near this stone bridge that had a billboard.”

“Oh, I know that. I’m going to call some of the troops. Where are you right now?”

“Currently watching them.”

“Okay. Watch them. Follow them if you must. But this time let’s do it discreetly, Oswald.”

“You don’t have to tell me that.”

Robert ended the call. He pocketed his flip phone. Went to where his food was and started eating while watching the suspicious men loading crates and boxes in their vans and semi-truck. They were always wearing thick gloves and clothing. One of them through the binoculars was shivering. Then it came to Robert that they were cold.

After half an hour of waiting. Robert saw the black sedans positioning themselves in the parking lot of the hotel he was staying in. The rest were not far from the place, ready to bust the place.

Agent Wilson came in while muttering about his raincoat.

“Damn rain. Are you really okay? No offense, but I don’t want someone who’s mentally unhealthy at the moment to participate.”

“Don’t have a choice right now. Besides, I’m doing better than ever.”

“That so?”

The look on his face said it all. He didn’t believe that he was fine after a demon talk. He carried a case with him. He placed the case on the bed.

Inside the case was a bolt-action rifle with a suppressor.

“You want me to do fire support?”

“I do. You do better than fighting the supernatural. And it’s not everyday that CASE has folks like you who have skills.”

Taking the sniper rifle with him. He positioned himself on the balcony, adjusting his scope, taking in the wind, and the distance.

“You’re used to this. What did you do in service?”

“26th. Mostly scouting. Lance Corporal.”

“Short service, so how come you ended through a lot of things?”

“I spent two years in serve. Two years working for criminals and that.”

“So you joined while seventeen?”

“Yeah. I don’t have any formal education to begin with. Was a good shot because my guardian was a redneck who took me to hunt boars with a rifle and a bow.”

“One hell of a childhood. Ever thought that you’d be in a place like this?”

“Not at all.”

Robert sat still while waiting for orders. The entry point of Wilson’s team was the right wing of the center. They were preparing breaching charges on the wall while the guys on the front were going to stop the entrance.

“Anyone going to infiltrate the back? Can’t exactly see from this position.”

“Just watch their backs.”

“Good. I hope you aren’t expecting me to shoot easily here.”

“But you can, right?”

Robert didn’t reply. Agent Wilson coordinated with his team. After everyone was in position. The front team quickly positioned themselves in front of the building. Telling everyone in the front to get down and surrender.

They quickly formed a shield wall made from ballistic shields while the rest of the team in full SWAT gear pointed their rifles on them. Agent Wilson hoped that they’d see sense.

But they were not going to back down. The moment the opponent fired. Hell broke loose. Wilson’s team butchered them with their rifle. Untrained thugs versus a group of well-trained police force was enough to guess where this was going.

On the second floor of the building. The thugs were trying to shoot them. Robert adjusted his sight, and fired a first shot. Seeing the first shot land, Robert took that as a marker, adjusted his shit sight, and shot the guy who tried to run inside.

Knowing that someone was firing from afar. The rest of the thugs inside didn’t come out and instead held their position. It was loud enough to be heard from afar.

The team on the sides breached the wall and started infiltrating the place with the noise as their cover.

“What about the warehouse?”

“Already infiltrated. I’m not so sloppy as to let them get away.”

“I should have called and made it easier for myself.”

“You should have,” Wilson said. “I did say that you have our support. Then again, if my men came in unprepared. They’d die because of that mutt from hell. Maybe four of them can kill it, but they aren’t used to  the suppressing effect that you got used to.”

Robert groaned. He pulled on the bolt handle, set the chamber in, took aim, and fired another shot. He could guess that he wasn’t the only one taking aim from afar.

Thirty minutes after the operation. When the building was cleared. The whole team arrested thirty-six of the occupants. Killed eight and injured eleven of them.

“That’s textbook operation right there,” Robert set aside the rifle and folded his arms. “So what’s the next move?”

“The information that you got from the Witch Lucia had proved to be worth the price.”

“It is. At least the information they give isn’t as harsh as them using us to get them to repay their favors. Next time, you deal with them.”

Wilson had heard from Robert the details. It made Wilson understand how awful it was to make deals with the Playfer Witches. The Rosaritas itself is allied with CASE.

“Never going to happen. I don’t want to meet a devil or that creature called Lesnik, thank you very much.”

“Tsk, you really do love that kind of world.”

“Besides, I don’t think being involved in that side of the world is worth doing it. I mean you folks learned only the basics after drinking a potion of enlightenment to force your abilities to rise.”

Robert could recall being forced to drink a potion. It was because of this potion that they were able to learn a lot during the months. Allowing them to learn the elemental basics, sealing and binding to their arsenal. The potion doesn’t work twice and the things one would learn is through their own talents.

“The last batch, they called all of you. Honestly, I don’t know if you people are just lucky or just unfortunate. You get to learn this much at the end of an era.”

“End of era. You guys keep saying that. It’s honestly depressing now.”

“Because it will happen. Two years from now the scales will be shifted. They like to say that this happened because of technology. They’re right. Do you know why magic is dying?”

“Because of technology?”

“Nope. It’s because of accessibility.”

Robert squatted on the ground, accepted the cigarette from Wilson. He took a drag of his cigarette.

“I guess it makes sense. Even Simone had to go through that ritual to advance his learnings.”

“Learning magic is the same as learning a skill. It’ll take time and effort to do it. You are learning words of power and languages to learn them in the first place. Those who know them are extremely powerful.”

Robert thought of Sir Hawke. He was a powerful Mage who could summon the aspect of the flaming sword of Michael to burn the medium used by Marbas. It was through this that he was able to endure the words of Marbas and even dispel the anomaly.

They were enhanced supernaturally and it made Robert understand why Agents like them are always on the move.

“In a way isn’t this beneficial to the world?”

“It is. I wouldn't deny that. This world is far better off without magic, but magic itself is useful. If anything it will become more secretive and as years pass it will be nothing more than a myth. A legend that people would desire.” 

There's just a select few who have mastered the craft. Most people who know they do exist don't bother and if they do they can maybe transmute, fix some rudimentary basic objects with it or use it to defend themselves.

Learning the craft takes skill and patience. And without a potion of enlightenment, there were only a few who would truly persist to learn the craft. It was like learning a language or a skill. It’d take time and effort and some simply don’t have that time.

Not to mention that the real materials to learn the magic were not accessible to the common people. You’d have to be as unlucky as them to learn this side of the world.

“At least I get to know it before it becomes something that is hidden and doesn’t exist to the normal people.”

“Well, I’m sure that you’d still be encountering them even if the era where it reigns ends. You are a CASE agent after all.”

Robert didn’t say anything. He looked down, looked at the team, and then turned to Wilson.

“Who’s the next target after this?”

“We’ll find soon enough. My guys said that they found the ringleader. They’ll be escorting them out now.”

Robert used the binoculars. He saw Wilson’s team dragging the ringleader. Before they could place the ringleader into the armored van. He saw vividly how the ringleader’s jaw was torn to the left by an invisible shot that came somewhere around east.

“Sniper! All of you get down! Sniper team, do you have a location!?”

“Negative! Negative! We’re the only ones left! Someone took out team one and three! I repeat someone took—”

They heard a gunshot behind the radio. Wilson tried to connect but there was no response. Robert looked around the area. He used all his senses at once, scanned the rooftops and found someone glowing red not far from him.

He didn’t think, took aim, and fired at the gunman aiming at him.