Chapter 39

Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, California, United States

"I can't believe you know Sherlock Holmes," Sully remarked as he, Gen and Jack strode down the busy street. The guys had taken her out on their patrols, which would fulfill her first set of hours shadowing Rogue Riders.

"I can't believe you know who Sherlock Holmes is," Jack said to the other man, slapping him playfully on the shoulder. They were dressed in their strange modern armor that was sleek and minimal but flattering in a way that medieval warrior clothes weren't for men. Jack had a small sword strapped to his side. Sully had one across his back. Gen, of course, had Bellumferrum nestled in her pocket.

"Hey," Sully said, peeling back, as if the playful slap hurt him. "I've watched the shows."

"Ha!" Jack laughed. "That makes more sense. I didn't think that you'd read the books."

"There are books with Sherlock Holmes?" Sully asked, suddenly confused.

"Yeah, by an author named Arthur Conan Doyle written in the 1800s," Jack said. "That's why I'm surprised to find out that Sherlock Holmes is real and still alive. He was from London too, you know?"

"He told me," Gen replied, recalling the long conversation that she shared with Sherlock Holmes and King Rudolf after they solved the case. "Apparently, Doyle wrote the stories about the real, immortal detective."

Surprise sprang to Jack's face. "That's fascinating."

Gen nodded, agreeing. "Anyway, I know Sherlock Holmes and King Rudolf over the fae and they helped me with my first task, but to fulfill the next two on Dwayne's list, I'm going to need a miracle."

Sully laughed, shaking his head. "The way you stood up to him was…well, stupid. It was really careless of you. That bear could have snatched you as its hostage or Night could have scorched you for defying his rider. But really, I'd just worry about the wrath that you'll get from Dwayne now. He'll probably make you do a thousand push-ups during training exercises tomorrow morning."

Jack directed them around a corner, leading the way. "I think that push-ups are the least of Gen's problems at this point. And I don't think that Emperor would have allowed her to get hurt. But watching you get in Dwayne's face was about the most entertaining thing I've seen…in well, ever."

Sully nodded. "It was better than watching Game of Thrones."

"Game of what?" Gen asked, confused.

Jack waved her off as they negotiated around a crowd of people on the sidewalk. "Let's focus on giving you the rundown on patrols and how we keep this city in check and most importantly, the criminals in their place."

Gen and the two men strode down Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles. Each step carried her further into a world so starkly different from what she knew of 15th century London. The street was alive with the growls and hisses of metal beasts, making it feel like she was walking through a dragon's den…or more appropriately, a bear's.

The towering structures, gleaming in the sunlight, reminded Gen of castles built not of stone but of light and air. The people had their eyes fixed on small glowing talismans known as phones, that seemed to be enchanted by sorcerers. The air carried a mix of scents, none of which were the comforting smoke of a hearth or the damp earth around the Thames.

The clamor of voices and machines created a cacophony unfamiliar yet strangely rhythmic. Shop fronts, with their wares displayed behind clear barriers, looked to Gen like treasure chests awaiting a curious hand. Amidst this overwhelming consort of sights and sounds, Gen felt an odd sense of belonging, like a reminder that curiosity and wonder were not bound by time.

"In this area, Jack and I have a few places to check in on," Sully began, pausing on a street corner and pointing across the road. He indicated a row of buildings on the next block and then swept his arm wide to the other side of the street. "We've got the Bun and Run Bakery, The Whiskey Gargoyle Bar, Vital Flow Blood Center, Printing Prosperity Press, Pawn of the Dead and then of course, The Getaway Garage."

"Wait, all those places around here are illegal businesses?" Gen asked in shock.

Jack shook his head. "No, they are legitimate businesses that pay taxes and help the community in some small or large way."

"They just happen to also conduct illegal business in the process," Sully added, proudly pressing his hand to his chest. "But with our help and supervision, they ride the line of good and things remain kosher in the community."

Gen scratched her head, once again, baffled by how this managing the criminal world worked. "I'm struggling to understand how what we do is good. Maybe we should just lock up all the offenders and call it a day instead of wasting our time babysitting them."

Jack gave Sully a knowing look. "We were all like that on our first day, weren't we?"

"Yeah, I was like, why are we allowing this filth to exist?" Sully said with a laugh. "Let's bomb them and be done with it. Then we can go on vacation."

Jack sighed. "But sadly, there will be no long respite for us. It's simply unrealistic to think that we can eradicate crime altogether. It's been around for centuries, and it does serve a purpose."

Gen chewed on her lip, thinking. "Sophia called it a pressure cooker and said that it was a delicate balance."

"Sophia is so wise," Sully stated, fondly. "And she's right. If we locked up all the criminals, we'd have other problems. For starters, it would be impossible and that's because crooks are smart and will figure out how to go underground. In our world and under our management, they operate inside our confines. We monitor things and ensure it stays safe and within our parameters. Also, we guarantee that the greater good gets a benefit from crime existing, rather than big, bad guys getting bigger."

"It's sort of like communism of the criminal world," Jack interpreted.

"What's communism?" Gen asked.

Both men laughed.

Sully grinned at Jack. "She's so cute with her not knowing anything about the world and stuff."

"I know things," Gen spat, defensively.

Sully patted her shoulder, mockingly. "Sure, you do, love."

She glowered at him. "Don't make me stab you."

Jack lowered his chin, giving her a playful expression. "What have we said about dealing with your problems by stabbing people in the modern world?"

Gen sighed. "Apparently, it's wrong. I really miss the medieval era sometimes."

Both men gave her commiserating expressions, nodding understandingly to her challenges with adjusting.

"Anyway, also, as we were saying, getting rid of all crime and criminals would disrupt the whole ecosystem of society," Jack continued, regaining Gen's attention. "For instance, there was this crop in Europe that was getting overly consumed by sparrows. The farmers went in and eradicated the sparrow population. They thought they'd won the fight, but then a huge infestation of worms took over, fully destroying the entire crop."

"Great example!" Sully chimed. "You see, there's a balance that we have to maintain. If we took out one low level set of criminals, we'd surely get an influx of even more dangerous ones. Instead, we've figured out how to manage the non-harmful crooks and the best part is, they all work for us, helping to keep justice in balance."

"You mean, all these businesses that you listed are actually helping society?" Gen asked, looking around at the various places that Sully indicated to.

"Yeah, but let's take a walk and we'll show you firsthand," Jack offered, starting forward across the intersection. "It's better if you see the illegal operations with your own eyes and really get a hands-on lesson in crime rings."