Magic World (working title): Chapter 10 part 1

Hacking, Gary reflected, is first and foremost an exercise of logic.

 Sure you hear in movies and stuff that it's all an art form, and people go on and on about how they broke such and such encryption. The truth is both much simpler and in some ways much scarier: Hacking is more about the information people leave out in the open, than cracking codes, or decryption. 

Sometimes you have to write code, sure. And that code has to do what you want it to, automate some simple task. But you would be surprised what information people leave out there in public! They send it from their phones, they send it over wi-fi, unencrypted, they leave it on their computers in a text file, heck they even post in on their freaking FACEBOOK page! And once you have a little bit of someone's information, you can get more and more. It's like one little piece can unlock more, then that piece unlocks the next and so on.

Fortunately a lot of this can be automated. So as Gary walked down the Chicago street, playing a video game on his phone, and listening to music, his backpack was collecting RFID, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Near Field Communication, and other forms of wireless information from mobile phones, credit cards, drivers licenses, key fobs, laptops, and all sorts of other wireless items and devices. The computer routine made connections, looked for commonalities of names, numbers, etc, until it had a nice little profile. 

But of course that wasn't all. It also installed a tiny, unobtrusive key logger on the device, either phone or laptop which sent a log of all keystrokes to a private email drop box each time they went to a new webpage, or sent any information over the internet.

You would think with all this information and power one would find abusing it to be all too easy. But the concept didn't even occur to Gary. It was all in purpose to The Code.

The Code was the thing Gary was working on. And indefinable spark, a bit of... something. He wasn't sure. Some kind of algorithm that would allow him to create the ultimate programmers holy grail.

Artificial Intelligence. He shivered with the thought.

But of course that didn't pay the bills. So while he was playing the game he was also infiltrating a multi-billion dollar corporate server. It was dull stuff. He used the connections around him to mask his signal, and at random intervals he would swap to another connection.

And all to get the recipe to some stupid sponge cake, that some total newb thought would work better if you filled it with whipped cream. 

His phone played the "secret discovered" music from The Legend of Zelda, his notification music. There was a new news notification on his Noozwyre app. His subroutines were ticking over fine, they didn't him to watch over them. He looked at the app.

Then stopped dead on the sidewalk. He closed his eyes, and swallowed, then opened them again without looking at his screen. Then he steeled himself, and forced himself to look at the screen and read the article. 

It wasn't long. When it was over he took off his glasses and wiped at his eyes. This wasn't the time to deal with this. He had a job to finish. 

The opening bars of the music for world 1-2 of Super Mario Bros. signaled that he had a new email. He opened it up, and saw that it was from Raul. 

The actual text of the message was quite long, but it looked like it was written in some kind of code... but something that looked like computer code... only... like nothing he had ever seen. It was too verbose, too... much.

And then he realized; It was another language. A whole other programming language, that no computer had ever been created to read. 

He checked the sender. It was Raul. Of course it was. He chuckled a little, and wiped a tear from his eye.

Magic World (working title): Chapter 9 part 18

At a gesture from Henry, Jackie went to Bernard and took the sawed-off, and gestured for the Goats-Head biker to start walking, then pulled out his phone, and started sending a text, following along behind, gun still pointed at the thug.

Henry turned back to the pink-haired girl, looking her over in a calculating way. Though there was a sense of appreciation as well, he mostly seemed impressed that such a girl could take down two much larger bikers so very quickly. He looked at the skinny guy too, but dismissed him almost immediately.

Bernard almost did too, but a little voice in the back of his mind asked why he should do so. In a nearly empty street, and with so few people involved why should anyone be beneath notice.

Walking toward them, he glanced at the skinny man, then noticed a little bit of pointy ear jutting out from his hair. An elf, he realized.

The elf turned to look at him, noticing that Bernard was noticing. His face betrayed nothing, a perfectly blank mask.

"So," Henry was saying. "Why would a cute little thing like you..." she visibly brightened at the word cute, "...want to take down a couple of crack-pipe-hitting ass-beating dip-shit meth-head mother-fuckers like these two? Not that I'm not grateful mind you. But uh... Well let's just say; my curiosity is aroused." He looked her up and down again, but more in a challenging way than a lascivious way.

She rolled her eyes and sighed, as if preparing for a task, then launched into a long story involving an IED, some old guy who made her a prosthetic leg, which Bernard had to look twice at or he would never have believed it, then coming into town, talking to an art dealer, and how she led her here, to the little halfling dancer, Pearl. When she mentioned the explosion though, Bernard took more notice.

“Bloody Hell!” he exploded suddenly. “You’re here for Raul too?”

Both the elf and the girl turned to look at him, an incredulous look on the girls face, the elf as always was inscrutable.

“Aha, so she’s not full of shit,” said Henry as if the coincidence of their meeting was entirely commonplace. “Well then, I owe you all a favor , so if we can finish the job we started, we can get things rolling on that.”

"Yeah, about that," said Bernard dubiously. "I believe you mentioned something about  High Explosives?"

Jackie grunted. He had zip-tied all the Goats-Head MC bikers. "He was kidding about that."

"Aw, come on Jackie," said Henry, sounding disappointed but smiling. "Let me have a little fun huh?"

Jackie rolled his eyes and started toward the van motioning for Bernard to follow. They opened the back and looked inside. Lying on the floor of the van was a small body, about the size of a child, but the proportions were all wrong. His hands were zip-tied, and he had a hood over his head. Jackie helped him sit up and pulled the hood off, the started on the zip-ties.

The gnome looked around dazedly, blinking in the sudden light. "Jackie?" he said to the biker. "About time... I wasn't sure I was going to make it much longer...."


*****************************************************

 Bernard stopped at that point and looked at Gary. So did everyone else.

Gary didn't seem to notice.

"Gary?"

"No I haven't found the car yet. I think someone disabled the GPS, either that or it's been stripped for p..." he slowed to a stop as he realized everyone was looking at him. He looked back confused. "What..?"

Bernard repeated himself. "I said we found a gnome in the back of the van, who says he wasn't going to make it much longer."

"It's your turn cutie," said Miranda, making Gary blush.

Davin was glad to see he wasn't the only one.

Magic World (working title): Chapter 9 part 17

When the GPS showed that he was approaching Paris Street Bernard slowed down, and looked around, spotting a gravel parking lot next to a short brick building. The only other car in the lot was a newer model silver sedan with rental plates parked alongside the building.

He parked behind it, so that the rental car would be between him and the club, then got out and jogged across the street looking for the van in question, spotting it near the back, facing away from the street. He could see the two guys  in the front seats, just as Jackie had said, so he found a place among the remaining cars and squatted down.

Henry and Jackie hadn’t started up the block just yet, but the door to the club opened, and a skinny guy in a nice looking suit came outside with one of the dancers, a petite thing with dark hair. They were standing in the street speaking in hushed voices, when there was a roar from inside, and a crash.

The two thugs in the van roused when they heard the commotion, and after a few seconds two more bikers came out of the bar, wearing leather jackets with a stylized goats skull on the back, and started walking menacingly toward the guy and the stripper.

The men in the van looked at each other, but made no move to get out, so Bernard took the opportunity to sneak closer to the van to try to flank them while they were distracted. Then the door opened again and out came a pink-haired, tattooed stripper holding what looked like a police issue tazer in each hand.

Bernard thought this book a little ridiculous, only amateurs ever tried to use two guns at once, but the two thugs in the van must've decided that this constituted enough of a threat, and got out to go help their compatriots. 

As Bernard circled around behind them he heard the stripper shout something followed by the loud grunting noises of the two men being tazed.

When he got around behind them he noted that thug number one was holding a sawed-off pump shotgun.

"Great," he thought, "So, no guns, eh Jackie?" 

The two goons seemed to be trying to keep a low profile, but they were intent on the activity in the street, the smaller dancer seemed to have driven off in the rental car, so they didn't notice Bernard sneaking up behind. 

Then, finally, Bernard heard the sound of Henry and Jackie's motorcycles approaching. The skinny suited man and the stripper had also noticed, and the girl was squaring off, as if getting ready for a fight.

The thugs took this as their cue to make their move, and Bernard used that to make his move.

He saw thug #1 notice him in the mirror of a car, so when he tapped him on the right shoulder he wasn't surprised when the right elbow swung toward him. He grabbed thug #2 and pulled him into the path of the flying elbow, which impacted solidly sending teeth and blood flying, and thug #2 reeled away.

Thug #1 tried to swing the barrel of the shotgun around to aim at Bernard, who obstructed his forearm with his own upraised right forearm. He then simultaneously rolled that arm over the thugs, and thrust upward with the heel of his left hand, striking the elbow. It didn't break, but he did feel it as the elbow dislocated. He scooped the sawed-off into his own hands, his left on the grip, and the right on the barrel, then jabbed the butt of the gun at the side of the thugs head, just above the ear. 

The biker dropped like a stone. 

The other thug had recovered by then and faced Bernard, spitting blood on the ground which then also dribbled down his chin, and looking murderous. Bernard took the shotgun in his right hand and pointed it at the thug, who stopped short looking at it then back up at Bernard, dubiously.

"You know," said Bernard in a cheery voice, "I'm not exactly great with guns. I don't know, for example, if there's a shell in this chamber right now or not." He let his eyes go wide and crazy. "In fact, I don't even know how many shells this this gun holds, or how wide of a spread the bullets will make. I couldn't even tell you if this thing has a safety." He smiled maniacally at the biker. "Isn't it fun, not knowing?"

The thug glowered and took half a step back.

Henry and Jackie had just pulled up and were now getting off their bikes. Henry had a look on his face, like Christmas has come early.

"Whoo-whee!" He whooped loudly. Looking at the stripper he said, "Darlin' where did you come from, and are there any more at home like you?" 

She grimaced, but seemed to relax a bit, seeing now that no attack was imminent.

"Aw, aren't you cute," she said sarcastically. "Has that kind of line Ever worked for you?"

He grinned and winked at her. "Only once kitten, and then I married her. Which reminds me...." He turned to Bernard. "After THAT kind of performance I might just change my mind and let you fuck my wife after all!"

Not taking his eyes off the thug in front of him, Bernard rolled his eyes, but couldn't help smirking. Just a little.

Magic World (working title): Chapter 9 part 16

Nine minutes forty-eight seconds later the two vehicles pulled up outside the Marathon station.

"Now if that was me," Henry was saying jovially, "I would have cops so far up my ass they could have seen what I was thinking!"

"What can I say? It's a gift," said Bernard, smirking as he got out of the car.

A tall square jawed man wearing a leather jacket similar to Henrys, approach them in the parking lot.

"What's the plan boss?" asked Jackie.

Henry looked back and forth between them for a few moments. "How are you in a fight?"

"I grew up on the streets, trading punches with people fighting to survive. I'm not very good with guns, but if its a brawl you're after I can oblige you."

Henry nodded and looked at Jackie questioningly.

Jackie looked doubtful for a moment, and said slowly, "I didn't see any guns-"

"Perfect," said Henry. "Here's the plan. Jackie you and me will go over a couple blocks, then start heading for the club making a lot of noise along the way. Orco, you give us a couple minutes then head up this block here, I think its Macksville ave. when you get to Paris Avenue you should see the club on your left. We'll distract those tiny dick goat head mother fuckers, while they're getting ready for us you come up behind and knock them the fuck out."

"Then all we have to do just get the van full of highly explosive materials to a safe location."

Bernard what slightly taken aback by this statement, but before he could respond Henry slapped him on the arm and said, "Good luck Orco, see you on the other side," and gunned his bike loudly and took off.

Bernard sighed and said, "I have to stop hanging around criminals." 

He got back in his Mustang and started slowly heading up Macksville ave.

Magic World (working title): Chapter 9 part 15

Henry reached back into the saddlebag of his Harley, and pulled out a heavy duty radio about the size of a small regular cell phone. It was attached to a headset with an ear bud that looped over the back of the ear, and a round black pad that fitted to a choker-style collar, which Bernard recognized as a throat mic.

"Now that's some very serious hardware," he said.

Henry nodded , holding it out to him, and as Bernard took it he said, "A lot of our newer brothers are veterans of Iraq, Iran, or Afghanistan. They occasionally bring back some toys and goodies we can use, in our eternal fight against the forces of 'Law'" he said, air quoting hugely, "and the enemies of Freedom."

He kick started the motorcycle. "C'mon," he said. "I'll give you a ride back over to your car."

Bernard started. "I, uh..." he hesitated. "I'm um..."

The truth was that Bernard, who could drive anything with four wheels and get it to dance, was not at all at home on a motorcycle. Something about leaning into turns just made him a little queasy. He preferred his vehicles to stay upright.

"I can walk back, if that's okay. I'll just cut back the way we came-"

"Through the house?" Henry's eyes narrowed. "With My Wife?" He somehow managed to emphasize each word.

Bernard blinked and swallowed, then nodding, reluctantly got on the back of the bike. He was very grateful about 60 seconds later when they arrived back in front of the shop, and he got off a little dizzily, and got in his Mustang.

Henry pulled up beside him and motioned to the radio, holding up first four, then one, then four fingers. Bernard nodded, and Henry acknowledged, then drove off. Bernard started the car and followed, then set the radio to frequency 414.

"I'm here," he said.

"Good. I got Jackie on the radio right now. Jackie, tell Mr Orco Bernard, and me what's going on."

A deep male voice, clear and calm, with what Bernard recognized as military radio discipline and careful diction spoke. "No problem boss. Okay, we've got a pair of Goat's Head MC members inside Club Koyote right now. Our van is in the parking lot and it looks like they have at least two guys inside counting. I'm circling back right now before they see me. I can meet you at the Marathon station on the corner of US 40 and Sumner."

Bernard was already putting that into the GPS on his phone when Henry said, "Okay Jackie, we'll be there in about 15 minutes, how many broth-"

Bernard cut in. "If you follow me I can get you there in ten."

There was a stunned silence on the radio for a moment, and out in front of him Henry glanced over his shoulder. "Okay orco, you're in the lead. Impress me," he said semi sarcastically.

Bernard smirked as Henry pulled his bike over slightly to let him by, and continued to talk logistics with Jackie.

One of the best kept secrets of the cop world was the existance of the patrol car GPS map. No cop in existance would EVER admit to it's existance...

...Unless you had something on them. And Bernard had something on a cop in Baltimore, about a thirteen year old prostitute. It wasn't really as bad as it sounded, but embarassing enough to get the "CopMap" app and a log in that looked like a police dispatch. The app was totally the secret to better police deployment in cities all over the country, and even small town police departments had it now.

Including THPD. He could see six patrol cars, none of which were anywhere near their current route. He sped up to about 80 mph, with a bemused biker following behind.

Magic World (working title): Chapter 9 part 14

"Flicker tells me your name is Bernard, is that right?" asked Henry, pronouncing it Ber-NARD.

His mannerism and style were large and flamboyant, loud and brash, like someone high on cocaine, or meth, but Henry didn't show any of the telltale signs. His face was road worn, wrinkled leathery and brown, but that seemed like the result of too many miles on the road, than rampant drug use. He seemed more like a hyperactive, but charismatic child.

With a violent streak.

"That'll work, and then may I ca-"

The biker whirled on him so suddenly Bernard didn't even realize till their faces were only inches apart, and he was saying in a slightly hushed and menacing voice, "Now why do you gotta do that? I mean I know your name is pronounced BER-nerd, Flicker told me," he said. "What's the matter, ain't you got no self-respect? Ain't you a real man, hm?"

Bernard very slowly and carefully, without taking his eyes off the man, took half a step back before saying, "It's true I normally correct people on the proper pronunciation of my name. Take it as a mark of respect that I chose not to correct you."

Henry nodded, and looked at Bernard as if re-evaluating him, but also with a touch of pride in his eyes. "Good answer," he said. "Doesn't matter anyway though. Ber-nerd, Ber-NARD," he shook his head. "Too pretentious for a small-town, redneck, hillbilly like me. I was just gonna call you Orco anyway. C'mon, lemme introduce you to the wife and kids. Now Red Devil tradition, which is based on Mongolian nomadic culture, dictates that I must offer you my wife to lie with for a night. But we are not Mongols, and I would take it as a sign of respect..." he looked meaningfully at the orc when saying this, "...if you would not accept this kind offer, even IF I embellish or insist, which I am obligated to do."

They were crossing the shady, well manicured back yard of the house which was on the opposite side of the block from the shop, walking toward a white two story house with blue trim, which was surrounded by - Bernard had to look twice, and squint just to be sure - a white picket fence. 

He said somewhat distractedly, "I assure you, sharing women with another man is not something I would do by choice. You have nothing to fear from me in that regard, Mr... um... President."

"Yeah you can call me that. I suppose you're wondering about the uh... " he twirled his finger around indicating their surroundings, and Bernard nodded . "Well for a guy like me, you get to be a certain age and start thinking about your future. And a life of riding around, hurting people, killing, and drugs might sound like a lot of fun, you want your kids to know what the other side is like, even if its just for contrast."

"So this isn't the life you want?"

Henry hedged a bit, tilting his head back and forth in a 50/50 gesture. "It has its good things and bad things. Not getting harassed by the cops is good for one, but I would rather face down all the crack junkies in all of Indiana than go to another PTA meeting. Those people are crazier than the craziest meth heads I ever met, and that includes myself."

Bernard nodded, not really understanding.

Henry led them into the back door of the house, into the kitchen, which was small and simple, and decorated like any other small mid-western kitchen, complete with the little clock on the wall with the cat whose eyes move in time with the tail. It creeped Bernard out a little bit. 

Then two small children came into the room. The younger one, the girl of about eight, with her blonde hair in pigtails, and wearing a pink and yellow sun dress, screamed, "DADDY'S HOME," and leaped into her father's arms, while the boy, about twelve with dark hair down below the level of his eyes, wearing blue jeans and an Alice in Chains T-Shirt, just rolled his eyes.

Then he caught sight of Bernard and said defensively, "Who the fuck is this?"

Bernard raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Well they've certainly inherited your social graces."

Henry, holding his daughter, looked at Bernard with raised eyebrows and said, "Fuckin' A right. Bernerd, this is Edward and Gracie, kids, this is BER-nerd. He's a little touchy about his name, so get it right."

"No problem Ber-NARD," said Edward sarcastically, as Gracie just hid her face shyly against her father. Bernard just rolled his eyes as Edward turned to his father and said. "Oh, and I was coming out to tell you, Jackie just stopped by, but he looked like he was in a hurry. He said they're down at the coyote, and you would know what that meant."

"Fuckin' shit-birds," said Henry, putting Gracie down. He looked at Bernard. "Hey, I know you got some stuff going on around here, but uh... would you mind giving us a hand with something. It is a driving thing, and..."

"You said the magic words mate, not a problem. You scratch my back..."

"Ooo, is somebody talking about back scratching?" 

A gorgeous redheaded woman entered the kitchen, wearing nothing but a skirt, and a smile. Bernard had to make a conscious effort to make sure his eyes remained elevated, but he noted that Edward rolled his eyes, and he and Gracie left the kitchen. 

"Margie, this is Bernard. Orco, this is my wife Margie, who apparently doesn't have any clean shirts or bras today."

"Charmed," said Bernard smiling pleasantly and politely at her. 

She smiled and licked her lips. "Very interesting accent Bernard. I assume that Henry has made the standard offer? It's not often I get to entertain Orcs..." she looked him up and down, her eyes lingering on him uncomfortably.

Henry glanced meaningfully at him, and Bernard said, "Uh, oh, yes ma'am. However I won't be in town very long, so I'm afraid it will have to wait for another time."

She bit her lip as she looked at him, then turned to give Henry a long deep slow kiss on the mouth. "Come home safe sweetie." 

Henry nodded, and she left the room, heading toward the basement.

"I really wish you hadn't said that," said Henry, grabbing a set of keys from a keyholder on the wall, and heading toward the inside door of the attached garage.

Bernard, who had been trying to let her down easy, said, confused, "Why not?"

Henry got on the back of his motorcycle and said, "Because she might just take you up on it if you're ever here again. C'mon I'll drive you back to your car."

Magic World (working title): Chapter 9 part 13

The speedometer was topping out at about 215 miles per hour, except during those times when the app on his phone and his radar detector indicated there was a state patrol car nearby, which happened three times. The first time he had to slow down, as the trap was quite well hidden, and even he wouldn't have spotted it if someone on his social media GPS app hadn't already spotted it.

Thank goodness for technology. His radar detector caught the other two, and the second one looked like he was going to give chase until Bernard put his foot down. He never saw the cop after that.

He reached the outskirts of Terre Haute, and checked his GPS. Flicker had sent him the address of the Red Devils MC clubhouse which, fortunately for him, was on the east side of the city. 

It turned out to be a fairly upscale Autobody garage. The mechanics were wearing overalls. 

Everything looked very... clean. He hadn't had to deal with a lot of different motorcycle clubs in his time, but this seemed fairly unusual. He stopped one of the mechanics and asked where he could find Henry Dillon, and was directed to a small office at the back of the garage.

It was dark in the office, though the evening sunset rays cast enough light that he could see a man, apparently asleep, with his feet up on the desk. He was wearing blue jeans with leather chaps and white t shirt, and his leather jacket was hanging from a peg behind him, with the symbol of the Red Devils, and a legend bearing his name and the word "President." His face was covered by a newspaper, yet when Bernards shoes squeak on the floor outside the door a sawed off shotgun suddenly materialized in his hand, pointed straight at Barnard.

He hesitated for a moment, then said "I'm the driver that Flicker was introducing." 

"Uh-huh," said the sarcastic gravelly voice, as he sat up. His face was haggard and his hair short and grey. More like a biker should look. "And just how do I know that?"

Bernard tried not to look directly at him, as he said what Flicker told him to say. "He said I should tell you, you look like a twat."

Henry pushed back from the desk and stood up quickly, pointing his double barrelled shotgun directly into Bernards face and pulling back each of the hammers. "What did you just call me?"

Bernard remained silent and took a half step back, as Henry walked around the desk. "You had better gahdamn answer me right the fuck now. What. The fuck. Did. You. Call me?"

"Actually it was Flicker wh-"

"I DO NOT GIVE A MIGHTY FLYING FUCK WHO SAID IT FIRST," he shouted. In a far calmer voice you repeated, "What. The fuck. Did you just call me again sunshine?" His eyes we're looking crazy, and wide.

Bernard sighed deeply, and grimmaced. Then he in enunciated did clearly, and said, "Twat." He closed eyes and breathed hard for a moment.

Henry just stood there for a moment staring then started sputtering between his lips, a loud and genuine laugh. "Oh you are good. Most people are caving in on their hands and knees and asking for mercy before they have to say it again." Tears of laughter were streaming down his face now. "Hey Tonio," he shouted past Bernard, slinging the shotgun over his shoulder. "How long was that?"

One of the mechanics, without bothering to stop working his vehicle said. "About 15 seconds give or take. Pretty sure that's a record."

Henry laughed and slapped Bernard on the shoulder. "Hear that? You're gonna be a legend around here!" 

Bernard smiled tentatively, but couldn't take his eyes off the loaded shotgun. Henry followed his gaze.

"Oh, don't worry about this thing, its just loaded with rubber rounds. They hurt like a bitch," he said confidentially like someone who knew, "but they dont kill you, I unless they hit you in just the wrong place. I ain't never killed nobody with one of these... yet. But that hasn't stopped me from trying." he dropped it carelessly on the desk, and motion for Bernard to follow him out the back door, picking up his leather jacket along the way. "Alright orco, lets walk and talk and you can meet the rest of the family."

*********************************Chapter 9 part 14