The Prospects (Short Story): Above the Stars by Daniel Halayko Read Free Book Online

back.”
    “I see him. Right by that warehouse with the peeling paint.”
    “What does he want?”
    “There’s only one way to find out. We’ll dock in a few minutes.”
    “If he wanted to kill me, he could have. You don’t have to come.”
    “I gotta see this through. Remember, disrespect a dragon and it’ll leave a path of destruction. Treat it right, you’re blessed with fortune.”
    “I don’t care about fortune. I don’t want anyone else to die.”
    Alex and Chak gave the most cursory statements possible to Max and the other police officers who met them when the tugboat pulled alongside the pier. Alex expected to get a lot of questions about witnesses reporting something huge and fearsome flying out of the ocean, but to his surprise Max didn’t ask about that.
    Alex walked so quickly he forgot he wasn’t wearing shoes anymore. His wet and tattered socks squished with each step as he went the corner where he saw Qing Long’s eyes.
    Qing Long stood motionless. He wore a new dark-blue silk suit, immaculately pressed and creased, without a spot of blood or a single rip.
    Years of dealing with metahumans on both sides of the law gave Alex the ability to keep his head when dealing with things that could destroy him in a second, but Qing Long filled him with a new kind of fear. Alex couldn’t help noticing the inhuman things about his disguise – his fluid reptilian grace, his unblinking star-like eyes, the hint of godlike strength beneath a thin frame.
    He took a deep breath. “What will it take to end this?”
    Qing Long pointed to the boat. “I want every piece of him returned.”
    “Sure, after we take pictures to document …”
    “You will not.”
    Alex raised his palms. “The pictures will be kept top-secret. The only time anyone would see them is if anything like this happens again. We’ll use that information to make the investigation easier.”
    Qing Long said nothing.
    “We want to help,” said Alex. “The poachers said they made a stop in Vancouver. We can work with the Canadian agencies to recover anything that was sold there. We can also work with the Chinese government to find everyone else involved in the operation.”
    Qing Long stared at Alex for a moment. “I want every recovered piece of him or I will find them myself.”
    Chak tipped his hat’s brim back. “Y’know, I’m real sympathetic because I lost someone I loved in this mess too. I wanted to keep anyone else from hurting like I did, and I was willing to hurt as many people as it took for that to happen.”
    Qing Long looked Chak over. “There is something ancient about you.”
    “I’ve been young for too long. I’ve been a lot of different things. A boy, a legend, a myth, a monster, a mutant. Today they call me a metahuman. I’m sure I’ll be called something different tomorrow.”
    “How can you stay in this wicked world?”
    “It’s a brutal, nasty place, but without our guidance it will never be anything else. Men like Agent O’Farrell are on our side.”
    “Man is the most vicious animal. Our wisdom is no match for their cruel ingenuity. They always find ways to kill us.”
    “They only want to understand. Each generation is a little wiser.”
    “I don’t need to know about this,” said Alex. “I have to account for the people killed at Xiao Fang Zi. The photos will support my suggestion that a criminal group attracted the attention of a powerful … what should I call you?”
    Qing Long considered this question. “The most appropriate phrase in your language is ‘celestial entity.’”
    “Fine, a benign but offended celestial entity, and that we need to apprehend anyone suspected to be involved immediately. I’ll add that sending all recovered body parts to a specific location will prevent further harm to anyone. I’ll also note the celestial entity could be cooperative in future investigations, but is otherwise best left alone. If that’s not good, tell me what to change.”
    “It’s a