Black Market Merchant

"What do you have in mind?" Lisa asked.

"I watched your fight earlier. You have rather decent skills and with some time I think you will become an excellent Match Fighter." Xander said standing up out of his seat. "I want to offer you a job. Working for me as a Match Fighter and I’ll pay you well. I can pair you with opponents that will be easy wins, guaranteed."

Lisa flashed a smile. "A lucrative offer. Yet, I must decline. It's nothing personal, but I have a policy where I work for no one. Tried it before, and it didn't work out to well in the end."

"That's a shame." Xander said with a look of disappointment. "In that case, I would watch your step around here. Without any friends on your side it could spell trouble."

Lisa cocked her head to one side. "Was that an attempt to threaten me?" Lisa asked inquisitively.

"Oh, not at all." Xander said shaking his head. "Consider it a friendly tip." He then cleared his throat. "Now for the real reason you are here. Please refrain from looking at other costumers’ business. If word got out that we would allow someone to spy in the 'market', it would harm our reputation. Do you understand?"

"Perfectly." Lisa said with a nod. "I have no intention of disturbing things around here. In fact, I might consider making some purchases myself in the near future."

"That's good to hear. Well now that's out of the way, you are free to go." Xander said and then he gave a nod to the guard that brought her here. "Please escort her back."

"Yes boss." The security guard replied.

Then Lisa and the guard turned to leave. As they walked away through the glassed-in security zone, Lisa could feel his gaze following her every move. Her suspicions about his character were now being solidified and he might be dangerous after all.

After they had gotten out of hearing range, Xander called over one of the supervisors surveying the monitors. "Place that woman on the Caution List. She might be a problem."

"Understood." The supervisor answered lifting up a rodlike handheld device. Then he pulled it apart into two handheld parts connected by a thin metal frame, which was no thinner than measuring tape. As he did this, a holo-projected screen suddenly appeared between the two handheld parts. The man did exactly as he was told. Selecting Lisa's image from the security footage, he listed her as a Cautionary Personnel.

"Queen, huh?" Xander mumbled to himself while sitting back into his chair. "I have my suspicion that you're more than what meets the eye."

…

Sadie didn't take all that long to pack her things. Growing up her parents were Minimalists types. They prided themselves by living a lifestyle with as few personal possessions as possible and never squandering their money with trivial objects. The habits of her parents rubbed off on her and she didn't mind it at all. By the time she was done packing, Sadie could fit all her clothing into one rolling suitcase and a large box containing her work materials.

She was just leaving her old room, located in the apartments behind the Warehouse Arena, when someone unexpectedly came up to her. It was her next-door neighbor, Nicky. Sadie rolled her eyes and turned to face her. Nicky had been constantly messing with her ever since she was transferred here. Nicky had been stationed here two years longer than Sadie had been. Also, Nicky had become one of the best Managers since her début, further adding to Nicky’s haughty attitude.

"Hey there Sadie." Nicky said with a smirk. "I hear you finally got a Fighter to manage. Congratulations." Then she paused and tapped her bright pink lips as if in thought. Then she gave a mocking laugh. "Oh wait, your assignment is going to be off base. It's almost as if you’re getting kicked out of here. Ha-ha!"

"Well, I got to start somewhere." Sadie mumbled, but Nicky heard her.

"You're a few years late to be getting started, silly. The rest of us competent Managers all got someone to handle right way. By the way, I looked up your school records and you barely managed to pass the course. Scoring the lowest score possible to graduate." Nicky said before breaking out into another fit of laughter.

Sadie shook her head and brushed past Nicky while lugging her things. However, Nicky wasn't done yet.

Turning around to watch Sadie head for the end of the building, she continued taunting. "I bet your Fighter will see how bad you really are at your job and leave. Make sure to recommend me, ok?"

Feeling upset, Sadie couldn't help retorting. "She will do no such thing. In fact, I know she can beat anyone you manage!"

Sadie then tried to leave and round the corner of the residential build. Yet her clumsiness struck again! The front edge of the box she was carrying caught the corner of the building and nearly was knocked out of her hands. Stumbling backwards awkwardly, she fumbled around trying to keep from dropping the box.

Nicky busted out laughing again. "Watch your step!"

Sadie, once under control of the box, hurried away completely flustered. A tear formed in her eye, but she brushed it away.

"I'll show you that I can do my job right. Just you wait!" Sadie said resolutely to herself and hurried off to find Lisa.

…

Hanna and the rest of her neighborhood friends were excitedly heading down the streets towards the gangsters’ compound. Derrick was leading the way, while the rest we're following close behind chatting.

"So, if this 'wall' is real, what exactly are we going to do to get over it?" Rachel asked.

"It is real!" Derrick called back.

"We are just going to find a way to peek inside." Hanna replied ignoring Derricks remark.

"That's it?" Rachel said frowning. “Just a peek?”

"Yep." Hanna said giving a nod. "What, did you think we were going to try and get in? Even if we could then what?"

"I don't know." Rachel said giving a shrug. "This was all your idea."

"Awe, I wanted to get in there and spy on them." Chase complained.

"Well we sort of are, dummy." Jillian said indignantly while tossing her curly blond hair over her shoulder. "Like Hanna told us, we're are going to see what they are up to. If they are up to no good, which they are, then we need to tell our parents."

"Exactly!" Tilly pipped in. She was like a second shadow for Jillian. Everywhere Jillian went, whatever she did, even what she thought, was copied by Tilly.

"I got this Tilly." Jillian said proudly holding up a hand.

"Oh, sorry." Tilly said taking a step back.

"I wonder what kinds of stuff they got inside?" Sorra said thoughtfully.

"I bet the area is full of cool weapons or maybe even some military robots!" Fred said excitedly from the back of the group.

"I think it will look something like the Vikings book I found last month." Henry said. "They got to have all kinds of animal bones and torches everywhere. The leaders are all covered in fur outfits and got women on leashes."

"Ew! What kind of lewd book was that? There's no way that that's happening in our town." Clair said making a disgusted face. "Come on Henry, you are smart, don't make up something so silly."

"It's just my hypothesis…" Henry said giving a shrug.

"If anything, the gangsters probably look just like the ones we see in town. They hardly dress any better than us." Clair continued.

Then Malik spoke up. "My dad works on a transport barge and he has told me that he's delivered some really bazar and fancy cargo to the gangsters."

"Ooh, like what? Tell us!" Chase said jumping alongside Malik. Everyone else listened in curiously as they walked on.

"Well, stuff like rare foods, electronics and solar panels." Malik replied in a hushed tone, as if to keep this all a secret from eavesdroppers.

"Solar panels?" Hanna wondered aloud. "What could they need those for?" Then a thought struck her. "What if the gangsters have electricity!"

"There's no way." Bill, the biggest of the children, scoffed. He rarely spoke, but whenever he did the others paid attention. It was just the feeling he put out that caused him to receive natural respect.

"Why not?" Hanna questioned.

"If they had electricity, then people in town would see the lights at night." Bill replied.

"Maybe that's why they have this big wall then?" Derrick suggested turning around and stopping in the middle of the road to face them. Then pointing up ahead he grinned. "There it is! The Mad Dogs wall. Told you it was real."

Sure enough, there indeed was a five-meter-tall wall erected at the end of the road. Its rusting metal sides, peeling paint, and sharp edges appeared quite threatening. The children stopped and hesitated, unsure where to go from here.

It was Hanna that took the initiative and stepped towards the imposing structure. "Come on guys. It's just a wall."

The group started to follow her, but Clair was feeling very unsure about going onward. "What if we get seen snooping around the wall? The gangsters might try to catch us. Who knows what they might do to us!" Clair said sounding nervous. The other girls, besides Hanan, nodded in silent agreement.

"Relax, that's where we come in." Sorra said patting his chest. "We will keep a look out for anyone that might be a gang member."

"But what if we do get caught?" Jillian asked.

"Well, I guess we run?" Sorra said scratching at his scraggly black hair.

"It won't come to that though." Malik said. "We will be careful."

"If you say so." Jillian replied.

The group of children reached the base of the wall. Looking either way they couldn't see the end of it or where a hole might be.

"Let's go to the right." Hanna suggested.

The others didn't disagree, and they quietly headed along the wall. As they went along it, they scanned the wall for any hole big enough to look through. Unfortunately, even though the wall had gaps in it they were unable to see anything inside. The wall appeared to have multiple welded layers or be compacted together somehow. They continued, following the walls edge without much success. There were sometimes that the buildings outside the wall were really close and they had to squeeze between them, making their journey not at all pleasant. After a while they started to get agitated.

"This is boring." Chase complained.

"Ya, we can't find any openings. I guess we better go back. Right guys?" Clair said taking a step away to show she wanted to leave.

"We barely checked anything so far." Hanna said continuing to move further down the wall. "Let's keep looking."

Derrick looked up towards the mountain to check the time. "Well the sun is still pretty high up. We have time to keep looking, I guess."

"Fine." Clair sighed giving into their persistence.

After ten more minutes of walking behind a strip mall they arrived at another road leading towards the wall. Here they found a gate guarded by the gangsters. Seeing them the children stopped and immediately hid.

"Crap! The gangsters are here! We need to leave." Clair said grabbing Chase and Rachel's arms to pull them away.

"Clair it's fine!" Hanna called out softly. "They aren't coming after us. Look, they are just sitting around the entrance."

"But what if they suspect us?" Clair said still holding onto Rachel. Chase however had already wriggled free of her grasp.

"They won't." Hanna said confidently. "Let's just go up the road and cross over to check that side."

Henry chimed in. "I agree. They don't look like they are really worried about others being near the wall. Look." He said while pointing at two regularly dressed men leaning up against the wall casually talking.

"Well that settles it. We keep going." Hanna replied turning to cross the road.

The rest followed her lead, though Clair grudgingly followed only to not be left alone. As they continued to crossover, they all were keeping a close eye on the gangsters. Nothing happened and invigorated by their success, they restarted searching again for a hole. Yet only moments later they found the wall to be as boring as before.

"Nothing here either." Chase said with a moan. He went to kick at a sheet of metal leaning against the wall.

"Bong! Crash!"

The sudden clattering noise made everyone jump. Everyone fervently glanced around expecting people to come rushing to investigate, but no one ended up coming.

"Chase be careful! You trying to get us caught?!" Clair chided angrily.

Ignoring her, Chase pointed at the wall. "Look there's a hole behind here!"

"Really? Let me see." Hanna said brushing him aside.

Sure enough, there was a hole a meter high and half a meter wide. It was just large enough that they all could crawl through. The hole went out towards the left and Hanna could see a leafy bush growing on the other side.

"Follow me. We can spy through here!" Hanna said dropping to her knees and started crawling into the hole.

"Hanna, come back!" Clair called out, but it was too late. Chase and Derrick were following right behind her.

The others waited anxiously outside the hole. The remaining boys kept a lookout, while the girls peeked in at the three crawling inside. The three soon disappeared into the bush and out of sight. Moments later, Derrick reappeared grinning.

"Quick, you all got to see this! It's amazing!" Derrick said motioning for them all to hurry. "There's room for all of us." His face was so full of excitement that everyone couldn't help their curiosity and went into the hole.

Moments later all of them were in the leafy bush. What they saw shocked them all. They never knew such a place existed in their own town.