The streets of Wexdale were chilly with a midnight breeze. Chatter echoed over the low rooftops of the neighbourhood. The darkness of the road was cut by the headlights of lonely cars passing by. Maybe if someone te, the sound of TV could be heard from outside and maybe a colour of the set’s picture glowed on a window.

  Royd ce walked down the sidewalk side by side, eyes on the roofs and sky. Royce had a handheld camera strapped to his palm.

  ce scoffed and zipped up her jacket as far as it would go. She clutched her arms. “How much longer do we o be out here?”

  Royce lowered a sleeve to check his watch. “One and a half yet.”

  “Geez,” said ce, gring into space, “ we cut off early? I don’t think that light thing is appearing tonight.”

  Dead Head assigned Royce up to Wexdale to iigate a sighting of a strange figure of light seen around the neighbourhood. Whether it was a real thing or just rumours, Royce’s job was the same: to patrol the neighbourhood on the lookout for the mysterious cryptid. Two eyes were better than one and when Royce asked if he could bring along his girlfriend, Dead Head agreed.

  Royce offered a warm grin to ce. “Hey, we’re getting good money out here. If my math’s right, we’re getting 33 an hour doing this!”

  ce chuckled. “I guess you’re right.” She looked around. “I think your boss is going to be disappoihough. This guy isn’t showing.” She chortled. “Do you think the thing eves?”

  “I have no idea at this point,” said Royce. He rotated around to look down the road behind them. No sparkling guy flying over rooftops. He turned back forward and hung his head, chug to himself. “When you’re coworkers with a weird vampire guy and a cloud boy, your ability to disbelieve– it gets twisted, y’know?”

  Dead Head wao check to see if ce was trustworthy so Royce had t his girl down to the warehouse before they began their shift patrolling the streets. At the warehouse, ce got to look over the anization’s stru of the portal. Royce had to fill her in on what it was for.

  “Is that portal for real?” asked ce, “What’s your boss going to use it for?” She had her doubts.

  “When it’s done?” Royce thought for a moment, looking through the optic of the camera to make sure the battery was alright for awhile. He said, “I think he’s pnning some major robbery.”

  ce sidled up to Royce, smiling brightly. “Gon loads of gold, right?”

  Royce chuckled. “I think so!” He giggled. “Man, what would you rob if you could teleport anywhere?”

  “Probably a vault,” said ce, knowing how me of ahat was.

  Royce smirked. “Bugham Pace.”

  “You mean in Britain?” asked ce.

  “Yeah,” said Royce. “It’d send the queen and everything into chaos!”

  ce let out a ugh that took the night wide. She clutched Royce’s arm and the two walked down the road. Even if the light thing didn’t show, they only had a couple hours left on their shift.

  It was meeting time at the warehouse. Dead Head’s boys had to gather on the weekends being that the stru crew took the weekdays. After all, the boss couldn’t have the people building his portal getting spooked by some of the less presentable members of the gang, like Hustler Petrov. So Dead Head’s meo gather that Sunday, just as the afternoon turo the evening.

  Thrash walked past the portal when she arrived, giving the structure a look. A lot of the portal’s foundation– a frame of steel rising about severes off the ground– was done, but there was still lots of stru that o be finished before the portal was ready for use. That’s what Thrash had heard, anyway.

  Pstic meshes were erected around the parts of the floor that had fresh t, and as she passed, Thrash’s staff got stu the fence for a sed. Thrash’s footfalls couldn’t be heard over the chatter as she went to the floor space around the door to Dead Head’s office.

  The crowd was there, ready for the meeting to begin. People had brought out a couple seats, but proper chairs were a scarodity around that post of them had to sit on boxes or crates. Royce’s girlfriend was there so Thrash wasn’t the only female there, although it was mostly a curiosity to Thrash. She didn’t care that much.

  Just as the meeting got going and she took a seat on a crate in the er, Thrash looked around. Where was Haze? Usually the cloud boy was right by Dead Head’s side but Thrash guessed that the meeting was too grown-up for the young one’s input, so he was excluded.

  Dead Head took a chair by the door, overlooking the crowd with Shimmer standing by his side. The man didn’t rise from his seat as he began the meeting by expining what happeo the Northside Daggers. They weren’t much of a threat and various members of Dead Head’s gang didn’t even know they were a thing, but they were causing trouble for Dead Head and now they were gone.

  “The Northside Daggers are a problem solved,” said Petrov, standing up from his seat and rapping his chest with his e. He then drew a face of sorrow like he was imitating Melpomene. “It’s a shame that we had to resort to violence, but at least all of our men made it out okay.”

  “And you didn’t leave any evidence?” said Dead Head.

  “None,” said Petrov. He mimed a sweeping motion. “I made sure to eliminate our footsteps before we left.”

  Diew Petrov was lying about getting rid of evide if he spoke up and got Petrov in trouble, he would likely get in trouble, too, si was also his job to cover their tracks. As tempting as it was t Petrov down a notch, Dice kept quiet.

  “Very well,” said Dead Head.

  Petrov thought to sit back down but theuro Dead Head, curious look in his starry eyes. “That said, uh, there was a bit of trouble determining who was the leader of our outing.”

  “Burrzie was driving,” said Dead Head, expeg Petrov to talk right past that fact, “Therefore Burrzie was the leader. If I don’t specify, the driver is the leader.” He dragged his eyes away, overtly annoyed with Petrov. “I wasn’t expeg who the leader was to make much of a differen that situation.”

  “Clearly, I was ideal for the situation,” said Petrov. “Why! If I hadn’t intervened, some of our men might have not made it ba one piece.”

  How much of Dead Head’s time was cimed by Petrov’s self-aggrandizing? He didn’t know but against his better judgment, Dead Head beed Petrov. “So what’s your point? You should have been the leader of that hit?”

  “Actually,” said Petrov, rubbing his glove on his chest, “I was thinking I should be sed in and of this operation.”

  The room took off. Some howled eously while others just ughed. Petrov kept a square face, though, trying to hide his frustration at everyone finding his cim amusing. He wasn’t expeg so much ughter, though.

  Dead Head wasn’t having any of it. A scowl split his face. “Is this the right time to ask for a promotion?” He puttered a groan. “I have a sed in and. It’s Shimmer.”

  “Shimmer?” asked Petrov, insult peppering his voice. “He’s nothing but a bureaucratic goon!”

  Shimmer tightened his eyes. “I do important work here.”

  Petrov brushed off Shimmer’s gre. “You need someoo delegate,” he said to Dead Head, walking closer. “You have about two dozen employees and you need more managers around. Look at the KweeBlock situation! You yourself o deal with them personally. You’re overworked!”

  Dead Head groaned, defeat in his tone. “I’m going to deal with the KweeBlock situation personally because my abilities are a ter to theirs.” He softened his face with a smirk a out his arms. The lights in the pce flickered for a moment, getting curious eyes looking around the warehouse. The lights went back to normal, Dead Head dropped his hands, and he scowled. “This is not the time to vie for a promotion. Take a seat.”

  Petrov took a look around the room. A buniles from his coworkers. They really enjoyed watg him try to appeal to Dead Head and fall ft. Whatever. Petrov put on a casual grin and sat down, e resting on his p.

  Dead Head sat there. Two dozen employees? Yeah, that was the size of it. Whearted his gang he wasn’t expeg to build a team more than a dozen– not before he and Shimmer fihe portal and had access to minions of a more hellish nature.

  Burrzie, dressed in a bination of snow and baseball caps, scratched under his headwear. “Did you get that blue made? When it’s hitting the streets?”

  Shimmer found it amusing the niames that the men made for their product. He took the answer. “We’ve talked with the dottieri to see if they want to buy from us again, but they’re full for the time being. I’ve been talking with a crime family from Montréal. They might buy the ech off of us.”

  “We produce a lot,” said Burrzie, “There ’t be that many people around to buy the stuff– not in big batches like we want. Say this Montréal group buys this batch; who after that?”

  There wasn’t going to be an after that. Or at least, Dead Head wasn’t expeg there to be. All he needed was enough moo finish the portal. Or was that enough? He might have had to ask Shimmer ter. Through the portal there were tless demons waiting for his and– unpaid bour– but was that all there was to it? Surely he would still need some money after the fact to keep the lights on at the very least.

  Those were thoughts for ter. He said to Burrzie, “By then the dottieri will be ready to make another deal.”

  Shimmer adjusted his gsses. “But... the portal deserves the attention. Whatever ut together by selling product, the portal’s potential is infinitely greater.”

  “Have you decided what yoing to do with it?” asked Thrash.

  Dead Head had to keep his men intrigued with stories about amazis, but he didn’t want to be found out by reckless lies. He didn’t give anything definite. “I’m still thinking the Ameriational Reserve.”

  Shimmer noticed that Dead Head was struggling to find aig cover story, so he interjected: “I’ve been looking into stories about teleportation to give us a better idea of what it could be used for. And how to use it safely.” He cleared his throat. “But... it is hard to know if something is fact or fi. So muformation out there is folklore.”

  “How to use it safely?” asked Dice. “You don’t know?”

  “Nht now,” answered Dead Head, without really thinking about how that would nd for his men.

  The room stirred, and some of them seemed ed or bewildered. Royce spoke up. “Do you think it’s a good idea to use the thing if you don’t know what it does?”

  The words might have been clumsy but the other men caught what Royce was asking. Dead Head was quick to calm his men. “I’m not expeg for the first try to go well.”

  But that didn’t work. His men got even more anxious. They shouted s at their boss with some rising from their seats in e. Thrash eyed Dead Head from her seat, w if the guy she signed on for was a fool.

  Shimmer knew what Dead Head was trying to expin, even if the words were inaccurate. He stepped forward and spoke aloud. “What Dead Head means is we will take this step-by-step with lots of precaution. We are not going to throw ao the portal without testing it safely.”

  Dead Head pointed a finger up at his sed. “That’s right. This will be a long process.” He had to stop himself again. “I mean, not quite long. We’re not going to try to rob the Vati the very first day.”

  The room settled. Voices quieted and guys like Burrzie and Dice settled ba their seats.

  “At the very least,” said Thrash, menag smile curving on her , “we could put other people through the portal and dispose of them that way. Get rid of someohout leaving a body.”

  A few of them chuckled.

  Dead Head rubbed his . “I don’t think we’ll be doing that, but I’ll sider it.”

  He had to pretend, ultimately, that this was something he was thinking about– like there was ongoing specution. It helped sell the lie.

  “ging the subject,” said Dead Head, looking up at Bruno, “what happened with those deals with, uh, those Downsview people?”

  Bruno cleared his throat and leaned upward in his chair. “It went down. No problems.”

  Dead Head hung his gaze on Bruno for a couple seds, but then broke away. He thought, who else had business with him? There was Royce, possibly the you member of Dead Head’s crew if not for Haze. Dead Head shot his eye at Royce. “Did you find anything at Wexdale?”

  “Uhhh...” Royce took a hand up to his mouth. He didn’t think the boss would like the answer. “N-nothing. We walked the streets until two o’clod we didn’t see a figure of light.”

  “Did you look suspicious?” asked Dead Head.

  Royce huffed and smiled. “Nah, man. With the video camera, people just thought we was a couple kids looking for footage to get on the news.”

  ce giggled. “Whe there, we met this old dy at a park who told us all about the light person. They’re really excited about it.”

  Dead Head looked off, then nodded. “Alright.”

  “Is this about that light person?” asked Thrash, leaning up and shooting a scowl at Dead Head. “Are you ghost-hunting now?”

  Dead Head never liked how desding Thrash could be but he blew it off. He said, “I was worried–” N word– “I was w if there was something to that rumour about a light person around the Wexdale area.”

  “gest nuisances have been supernatural things,” said Shimmer. “Keeping tabs on all things unreal around the city is a precaution.”

  “Yes,” said Dead Head. “In fact, over the week, most of you will be doing re of sorts. I want to know what the dottieri are doing, yeah, but–” He rolled his neck– “Shimmer’s got word of some... creature seen in the abandoned subways.”

  Dead Head had weird pns for his men the uping week but his crew would put up with it. The money was good. The meeting itself went on for a few minutes longer with Dead Head and Shimmer cheg in on what each member had been up to the st week, but it was mostly uful. Deals were made. Cashflow came in. Uful stuff.

  After the meeting when everyo up to go home, Dead Head returo his office. Shimmer followed him, almost knowing that Dead Head wao speak. As Shimmer ehe room, the two exged a knowing look between them.

  “Not bad,” said Shimmer, taking a sed to look through a cra the door before shutting it. No one was around, so he spoke freely. “I don’t think anyone is suspicious.”

  “Tell me,” said Dead Head, sitting down in his chair, “these demons– are they going to be dangerous?”

  Shimmer stood up straight. “I wouldn’t have suggested them if they weren’t.”

  “How am I supposed to trol them?” asked Dead Head.

  Shimmer paused. He hadn’t thought about that detail yet. He said, “There’s a device we’ll create ohe portal is close to finished. It... allows you to trol them.”

  “How?” asked Dead Head. “Is it like a troller for a RC car?”

  “It’s...” Shimmer trailed off, cog an excuse. “It’s like a whistle. It trols the minions through sounds.”

  Dead Head stared for a moment like he was suspicious, but then he rexed. “Okay.”

  Shimmer rexed, too. It seemed like Dead Head had bought the lie. Shimmer would have to improvise ter, though.

  Getting up to pace around his room, Dead Head asked Shimmer, “Do you think I should keep the drug trade going once I get the portal finished?”

  Shimmer scratched the back of his neck. “For a least a little while. With your demoniions, you’ll fier avenues for ine.”

  Dead Head stared out the window. His men were leaving the building, shuffling out the doors. “I’m not sure what I’ll do with–” He knocked his head at their dire– “these people wheime es.”

  Shimmer cracked a subtle smirk. “You could always... get rid of them.”

  Dead Head stared for a prolonged moment. Then: “Maybe.”

  He went back to the desk and made sure the drawers was closed. Actually, he went around the room and made sure everything was in order– straightening out stacks of books and closed all boxes. Shimmer remained by the door.

  “I’m going to wait until everyone’s gone and then close up,” said Dead Head.

  “Alright,” said Shimmer. “I’ll be leaving then.”

  “Goodbye,” said Dead Head.

  Shimmer went out the door. Mostly everyone was gone, but then there was Thrash. She was leaning by a beam, almost looking like she was waiting for Shimmer.

  “If you ask me,” said Thrash, knowing nobody had, “I don’t think this portal is going to work.”

  Shimmer didn’t have to give a siter, but he indulged the bratty subordieasing. “What do you know about it?”

  “The portal?” said Thrash, her voice pitg high with innoce, “Nothing, but I know enough about the strahings in our world to know there’s never been a teleportation device.” Thrash smirked and rolled up her hands. “Hope this thing doesn’t blow you all up when you turn it on.”

  Shimmer said nothing. He’d let her think that the project was some sort of misguided experiment. She wouldn’t put too muergy into resisting or questioning it then.

  Thrash and Shimmer parted ways with Thrash walking out the side door and Shimmer out the front. Before he left, Shimmer looked bad gazed at Dead Head through the office window. A trol device for the demons? What a mockery. No human could trol the fiends that would emit from the portal.

  Shimmer cursed himself, though. Now he would have to produce a device that resembled what he imagined up in the office back there. Dead Head was starting to ask questions. Was he suspicious of Shimmer? He might have been.

  But Shimmer just had to keep the lie going for a little while longer.