"Hello Mr. Kell, my name is Rehnquist. Hawkbat Security is extremely interested in adding your expertise to our already formidable defense firm."
"Hawkbat? What the hell kind of name is that?" Rainier ejaculated.
Smiling patiently, Rehnquist replied, "We strike swiftly like a hawk with the subtlety of a bat," and upon seeing Kell's incredulous look, added hastily, "but that doesn't matter. What matters are results, and we get them. We get them by employing the best. You, Mr. Kell, are one of the best."
"I am the best," Kell interrupted.
"Yes, I'm impressed by what little of your record I'm allowed to look at. You have excellent infiltration skills, which are uncommon, but not quite rare. Your value to us, I think, will be in your curious affinity for explosives," Rehnquist explained.
"I don't have to blow up everything I see. I just like to," Kell said cheekily.
"Yes, well, you also have an excellent facility for obeying orders, with one or two…minor exceptions…" Rehnquist trailed off.
"Exceptions that brought me here," Kell said with a heavy sigh.
"Indeed. I'm sure you've dug up everything you can on us…so...do you want to become a Hawkbat?" Rehnquist asked.
"Only if I don't have to call myself a Hawkbat," Kell replied dryly.
"Fair enough, Mr. Kell. Welcome aboard," Rehnquist said, clearly relaxing.
They sealed the deal with a shake of hands and a contract, of course. Little did Kell know, but he had just made the worst mistake of his life.
"What the hell was that?" Kell thundered.
"That was a job. It's where you do what you're told to complete the mission," Rehnquist replied sweetly.
"You know I don't do that," Kell retorted.
"Yes, well, we never knew you could disobey in such a spectacular way," Rehnquist said delicately.
"You said when you hired me that you were never able to see my entire file," Kell chuckled, "So, am I fired?"
"Not quite yet," Rehnquist replied, "We've actually had bigger...catastrophes than you before. Besides, your team did complete its mission...after a fashion."
"After I killed a few of them, you mean," Kell corrected.
"Well...yes," Rehnquist said, sighing in defeat, "It would have been nice if you would have eliminated another member of your team, but that's neither here nor there."
"So the problem isn't that I killed a few teammates, it's that I didn't kill the right ones?" Kell asked incredulously.
"Correct, but even the ones I desired eliminated were still valuable resources," Rehnquist replied, "Their usefulness was merely nearing its end."
"And when my usefulness nears its end, you'll have me killed?" Kell asked.
"Not necessarily. We do fire people on occasion if we think they won't erupt into violence on the spot. Also, we have other ways of getting what we want. We have guns, after all," Rehnquist explained.
"Guns are for killing people," Kell said, plainly confused.
"Guns are for coercion," Rehnquist corrected, "I'm nowhere near altruistic, but I'd rather not have to pull the trigger."
"Why?" Kell asked, becoming more befuddled by the second.
"The dead are of little use, but the living have resources that can be exploited. The dead have resources immediately after death, but those dry up fairly quickly," Rehnquist explicated.
"I think I get it. So, you'll never kill me directly, but the possibility is open that you would send me on a suicide mission," Kell said.
"Correct. It would be up to you as an intelligent human being to tell the difference and find a way to save yourself," Rehnquist explained.
"I'm glad I have your respect," Kell said sarcastically.
It was the dead of night. Rainier Kell stalked quietly through the forest with his trusty M4, alert for danger. A light briefly crossed his peripheral vision. He swiveled toward the light reflexively before lowering his gun in amazement. Standing in front of him, wreathed in light, was an elven wizard. As Kell stared dumbfounded, the wizard seemed to be looking past him. Suddenly, the wizard extended his hand violently and a beam of energy whizzed by Kell's ear. Kell's head whipped around once he heard a sound of impact akin to an explosion. What he saw made him forget all about the elf behind him for a moment. The kobold was lying motionless.
"What the hell?" Kell shouted.
"He was about to stab you in the back," the elf said calmly.
Looking down at the unconscious kobold, Kell saw a knife lying next to its hand.
"Okay fine, but what hell is that, and what the hell are you?" Kell demanded.
"I am an elven wizard," the elf replied.
"Wizards don't exist," Kell said defiantly.
"And I suppose elves don't exist either? The creature behind you, which also doesn't exist, is a kobold," the elf corrected.
"An elf and a kobold. Okay," Kell said, clearly not convinced of what he was seeing.
"Beyond brief glimpses, the world remains ignorant of our world. Part of it is our efforts to conceal ourselves. Willful ignorance does the rest," the elf explained.
"This can't be happening. Magic doesn't exist. It shouldn't exist," Kell declared.
"Perhaps, but that's not for you to decide," the elf countered.
"I'll make sure it doesn't exist," Kell said angrily, raising his gun to point at the elf.
"That is unfortunate," the elf said.
As Kell's finger tightened on the trigger, the elf disappeared into a puff of smoke.
Something niggled at the back of Rainier Kell's mind as he moved stealthily through the brush. It was as if an almost-voice was speaking to him. He shook it off as he and his team closed in on the enemy compound. They all halted right before the tree line and immediately pulled out binoculars, night-vision goggles, and various other sight enhancers. A dozen people could be seen milling about, which struck Kell as odd. Intel said they were taking on a heavily guarded compound. Well, there was nothing for it. They had a job to do.
Once every entrance was covered, Kell placed charges on the front door and retreated back to the tree line. Confident he was under cover, he pressed the detonator. Nothing happened. Cursing the unreliability of modern tech, he moved forward silently to check on the charges. Suddenly, a bolt of lightning exploded amidst some of his team.
"What the hell just happened?" Kell yelled into his mic.
"We don't know. We can't see a source," came the reply.
Then another voice cut in, "Sir, we have multiple heat signatures popping up all around us."
Hauling out his M4, Kell prepared to go to work. The guards, such as they were, were dressed in flamboyant raiment and armed with pieces of wood. None of Kell's team stayed dumbfounded for long. Gunfire lit up the night. Some of the guards were taken down while others fired all manner of incomprehensible weapons at Kell's team. Kell's numbers were being ravaged, but it seemed like they still had the upper hand. The battle wore on until the four remaining guards surrendered. Kell's team quickly moved to secure them until all but Kell were clustered around the prisoners.
Without warning, all four guards raised their hands into the air and exploded into four identical balls of flame. Kell reflexively covered his head with his hands, but found that an invisible shield had been erected around him. He looked up and saw something he had been trying to block from his memory for the better part of a year.
"You!" Kell shouted angrily.
"Yes, me," replied the elven wizard.
"I guess this is a bunch of your people," Kell spat.
"In a manner of speaking. They are wizards, just like me. Well, some of them," the elven wizard added.
"But you're not affiliated with them?" Kell asked.
"Of course not. Why do you think you're still alive?" the elven wizard replied.
"All this magic shit. I feel like I'm in Harry Potter," Kell said angrily.
"Don't insult me. A bunch of children running around spouting mangled Latin..." the elven wizard said derisively.
"Whatever, I need to get out of here," Kell said as he began to gather his gear.
"Quite right. My name is Nurodel by the way. Say my name anywhere and I will hear it," Nurodel explained.
Turning around to offer a snarky retort, Kell's words died on his lips as he realized Nurodel was no longer there.
Kell sighed, "Fucking magic."
Alone in a dark alley with nothing but his Glock, Rainier Kell felt uneasy. He particularly missed his M4, but alas, this was the center of town. Besides, he was trying to keep a low profile. Just as he felt someone behind him, he heard a safety click.
"Don't move," came the voice attached to the gun.
Kell raised his hands immediately and clapped. Now assured victory, he turned around triumphantly and was met by a bullet to the chest. He had a fleeting vision of an arrogant sneer right before he hit the ground.
"I told you not to move," the voice came back mockingly.
Kell remained still on the pavement, feigning death and thanking the powers that be for body armor.
The voice sighed, "I know you're alive. Your friends were wearing body armor, too. Get up or I'll shoot you in the head."
Kell rose, "You're going to kill me anyway."
"Yes, but now you can face your death like a man," he said matter-of-factly, "once we're done with you, of course."
"Can I at least know the name of my executioner?" Kell asked.
"Oh, I'm not your 'executioner,'" he said with quotation fingers, "I'm just the one with the happy task of leading you to the slaughter. Name's Dave."
"Nice to meet you Dave. My name is...Nurodel," Kell said ominously.
"What a silly name. Oh well, I'm sure we'll get your real name soon enough," Dave said confidently, "Now, let's get you..."
All of a sudden it started raining fire. The first flame hit Dave in the chest, slamming him to the ground. All around him, Kell could hear men grunting in pain or screaming as they were knocked down and/or set ablaze. Just as he began to worry about police intervention, a familiar hand took his and they both disappeared on the spot.
Rainier Kell snapped back to reality only to find that his head was spinning.
"Where are we?" he asked.
"We are safe," Nurodel replied.
Kell sighed, "Cryptic bastard."
"You're welcome. I was wondering when you would call me," Nurodel mused.
Kell shrugged, "I was backed into a corner, so I took a shot in the dark."
"Or you took a leap of faith," Nurodel rejoined.
"Call it what you want, I was desperate," Kell said dismissively.
"Only when we are at our lowest do we find who we truly are. I read that on a fortune cookie once, or was it a movie? No matter, it is true," Nurodel proselytized.
"Okay, fine, I believe in magic. Doesn't mean I have to like it," Kell retorted.
"Indeed, but you must accept it, and only a fool would refuse to use it," Nurodel explained.
"Use it? I'm just a guy...with a gun," Kell said, clearly confused.
"Weapons can be enchanted; you can find allies with magical strength. You have taken the first step. You see magic, now you must live with it," Nurodel suggested.
"No," Kell said quickly, "I've gotten this far without it."
Nurodel sighed, "Once magic enters your life, it never leaves."
"Bullshit," Kell denied.
A night to sleep it off didn't help, particularly since I didn't sleep. I thought it over. And over. It flew around my brain until I was ready to scream. Magic is possible, fine, but it has no place in my life. I should have pulled the trigger on Nurodel before he disappeared instead of standing there frozen like an amazed child. I sighed. That wasn't it at all. Killing had to be for a good reason. You have to believe in it. I chuckled to myself. I think I have more faith in magic than killing. What's up with that? I looked at the clock and sighed again. I could only talk to one person about this, but it would have to wait. My dick of a boss wants to debrief me.
Rainier Kell was not happy, standing in sharp contrast to Mr. Rehnquist.
"That was a good job you did, Mr. Kell," Rehnquist complimented.
"I lost my team," Kell intoned.
"And so did they. Besides, from what I hear, you took them out almost single-handed after they had disabled the rest of your team," Rehnquist rejoined.
"I just got lucky," Kell said flatly.
"You're too modest," Rehnquist said, his voice turning more serious, "Calling out a wizard's name was a stroke of genius. Tell me, how is Nurodel?"
"Who?" Kell asked uncertainly.
"Come now. You think you're the only one aware of magic?" Rehnquist asked.
Kell simply shrugged, "I don't know what you're talking about. Maybe you need to see a shrink."
Rehnquist's expression darkened, "Not this time Mr. Kell. I've let you blow me off too many times in the past. I've been hunting this wizard for years."
"Wizard? Harry Potter isn't real, sir," Kell said with a straight face.
Rehnquist sighed, "I'm being patient with you Mr. Kell because our mutually profitable relationship over the past two years."
"The relationship where I take all the risks and you're just the money man?" Kell said scathingly.
"That's not how it is and you know it," Rehnquist said, wagging his finger at Kell, "I did my time in the field, believe me. But I guess that's all I am to you, huh? A dollar sign."
"That's right, and all I am to you is a gun to be pointed," Kell said with an edge in his voice.
Rehnquist growled low in his throat, then stared into Kell's eyes with utmost loathing. Visibly choking down his anger, he sighed and snapped his fingers. Two men immediately burst in and pointed guns at Kell's back. One stepped forward and jabbed Kell in the back with the butt of his rifle. Kell turned and made a grab for the weapon, but the man had already lifted it clear. Caught flatfooted, Kell barely had enough time to watch the butt of the rifle speed towards his temple.
Rainier Kell woke with the obligatory post-head trauma headache. Not only that, but he was handcuffed to a chair. After a brief but furious brainstorm to figure out which movie he was in, Kell gave up and opened his eyes.
"Oh, you're awake," a blurry image said.
Then Kell felt a fist connect with his jaw. Black crept into the edge of his vision, but he fought it off. After testing his jaw, Kell was confident enough to speak.
"God damn it," he said simply.
"Say it!" the man shouted at him.
As Kell's eyes came into focus, he realized the man beating him was the same one who delivered the initial rifle butt to the temple.
"Say what, jackass?" Kell retorted.
This time, rather than a fist, Kell received an open-hand slap.
"That was surprising," Kell remarked, "I haven't felt that sensation since my mother died."
Incensed, the man pulled a gun and pressed it to Kell's temple.
"Say the wizard's name!"
"Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore," Kell said with a smirk.
As the man thumbed back the hammer on the gun, Rehnquist's voice came from the intercom, "That's enough for now. He'll call on the wizard when he feels like it, not before.
Kell grinned and said, "Nurodel."
A whirl of flame suddenly appeared in the room accompanied by a sigh. A stream of flame shot out from it, catching Rainier Kell's tormenter square in the chest and throwing him against the wall.
"What have you gotten yourself into this time?" Nurodel asked patiently.
"My boss wants to meet you. A Mr. Rehnquist," Kell answered.
Nurodel's expression darkened, "He's in the building?"
"I think so," Kell replied, "I heard his voice from the intercom."
"And I can hear you through the microphones. Hello, Nurodel," Rehnquist said cryptically over the intercom.
"Good evening," Nurodel acknowledged, "What is it you wanted to speak to me about?"
"Same thing as last time," Rehnquist replied.
"This is quite annoying," Nurodel said, snapping his fingers.
Suddenly Rehnquist was in the room. His eyes widened in recognition as Nurodel magically slammed him against the wall.
"I told you, worm, I'm not doing anything for you. The dragons are not to be trifled with, and I wouldn't even if I could," Nurodel said angrily.
"I just need to know where they are, honest," Rehnquist said hastily.
"You would bring their wrath upon you and all associated with you; even me for telling you," Nurodel explained.
A gunshot rang out, and Nurodel sagged to the floor. Breathing heavily, Rehnquist's flunky kept the smoking gun trained on Kell.
"Should I kill him, sir?" he asked.
Brushing himself off rather sanctimoniously, Rehnquist replied, "No, we have what we want. Mr. Kell, I hope we can continue our mutually profitable relationship. After all, you've done me a great service today. You're the only one I know of that can call Nurodel...that's still alive."
Confident the situation was under control, Rehnquist's goon gave Rehnquist the gun and left the room.
"You know I quit, right?" Rainier Kell asked sarcastically.
"Wrong. I have one last job for you. A simple theft," Rehnquist explained.
Kell eyed him warily, "What from whom?"
"A greatsword from a nasty half-dragon named Mandrake," Rehnquist answered.
Kell fought to keep the flicker of recognition from his face. Steeling his expression, he grated out, "Fine, but after this, we're done, period."
"Oh, of course," Rehnquist replied flippantly, "but you will keep in touch, won't you?"
Suddenly Kell's arm snapped up and delivered a vicious jab to Rehnquist's jaw.
After uttering a fleeting expletive, Rehnquist turned his smoldering eyes to Kell, "You enjoy trying my patience, don't you?"
"I could 'keep in touch' with you again. Would that answer your question?" Kell replied.
"A gunshot to your head would answer many questions," Rehnquist said cryptically.
"So would a greatsword to my head," Kell pointed out.
Kell parted after exchanging meaningful looks with Rehnquist. The corner of his mouth quirked up as a plan formed in his mind. One life would come to an end and another would begin. Kell still nursed a strong dislike for magic and those associated with it, but somehow he had learned to live with it.