Dizchord (Light Novel Adaptation) by C. S. Johnson

Author:C. S. Johnson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: christian fantasy, christian science fiction, superheroes, atlanta, music, dizchord, cs johnson, c s johnson, c. s. johnson
Publisher: C. S. Johnson
Published: 2023-12-31T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER THREE

*♪*

back to the present ...

“Thanks for the help. Sorry we were a little late.”

I half-smile at the resigned tone of Ben’s voice. In the past ten years, it’s only gotten more surly and more deep—likely thanks to all the cigarettes he liked to smoke, courtesy of chronic stress—but time had not dulled Ben’s pride in the least. If anything, he was a walking, one-man institution of Atlanta’s police department, and he earned his distinction.

Remembering this, I lean back a little and cross my arms, hiding my face from him as much as I can. It’s almost strange to see him in his same old uniform; I can’t help but wonder if he’s gotten passed over for another promotion recently.

“You were almost too late,” I say, daring to poke the beast a little.

“Well, that’s Atlanta traffic for you.” He nonchalantly lights a cigarette as he turns off his body camera. His eyes flicker to mine, and I nod in acknowledgement.

Ben doesn’t know it’s me under my mask, and he would be appalled if he did; but he and I have run into each other before on a few of my missions, and right away, he’d seemed to sense we were on the same side.

Mostly, anyway—at least enough that we could work together.

And Ben, despite being the same old straight-as-an-arrow, stick-in-the-mud cop I’d always known, chose to work with me, even though it’s against the books.

I knew he would—for the sake of the victims, if nothing else.

“Any of these kids look familiar?” I ask, already knowing the answer.

Ben shakes his head curtly. “No. I’d guess they’re all illegals, most likely. Border Patrol weak and that’s when all these kids get assigned ‘guardians’ disguised as real, regular people.”

“Most trafficking clients are disguised like that,” I agree, watching as an EMT looks over the boy I’d comforted earlier. I hear him asking about his mom, and I think of my own mother in that moment.

Mom doesn’t know where I am, and if she did, she would have a heart attack by now.

There’s a loud grumbling noise behind us, and I watch as one of the thugs I’d beaten up earlier is put into handcuffs and led away.

I narrow my eyes; Bernard Marcello must’ve managed to get away.

He’s escaped.

I bite down on the inside of my cheek in a flash of frustration; after a moment, I let my anger go. I lightly mention Marcello’s involvement to Ben; he makes his own grumbling noises and agrees to make note of it, but without physical evidence he can turn in, we both know there’s nothing he can really do.

If nothing else, I’ll find Marcello again at some point.

God willing, I would anyway; Marcello needs to get off the streets, just like the rest of the traffickers.

“I’m glad you found them,” Ben continues, taking another long inhale from his cigarette. “We’ve got new protocols on the force.”

“New protocols?” I frown, recalling how Dad had always hated those, too.

“Technically, we’re not supposed to investigate without reasonable cause, but that’s been redefined thanks to Her Ladyship.

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