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jb3islife · 2 years

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Love is Like a Playing Card (J. Daniel Atlas) Chapter XVIII

“So,” Walter said, backing away from Merritt, “how’d I do it? Easy. You see, magicians like to control other people’s perceptions. In your heightened state of agitation, you saw the simplest cues- black tube, roof, and your mind filled in the rest. The tube you meant to go down was twenty feet to your right.” The Horsemen tensed. “Come on, sit down, sit down. There’s no point in standing there.”

The guards forced the Horsemen to the couch where Walter stood. Sutton sat down next to Lula, followed by Danny. “Anyway,” Walter continued, “once in the tube, yes, you’re right- blah, blah, blah. The strobe contained UV letters pulsing the word ‘sleep.’ That combined with the sound led you into an instant alpha pattern. You two,” he smiled, pointing to Sutton and Danny, “were actually quite cute. All cuddled into one another.” Sutton and Danny glanced at one another, blushing.

“And from then on, it really was just fun.” Walter ran over to the couch, squeezing himself between Jack and Lula. Sutton scooted herself closer to Danny, her legs practically on top of his. “And I can assure you, you don’t know what happened.”

Walter started a video which he cleverly titled “Our Trip to Macau.” Light music filled the air as embarrassingly uncomfortable photos of the Horsemen scrolled across the screen.

“That’s really creepy,” Lula said. Walter chuckled. “Really, really creepy.”

“That’s not cool,” Merritt stated as a picture of him and Walter showed on the screen.

“Yep, easy stuff, magic,” Walter announced. “I mean, if you put your mind to it.”

A picture of Walter kissing Sutton’s cheek as he pushed Danny away appeared. Sutton gasped, appalled, as the others sucked in a breath. Sutton felt Danny’s body tense at the sight. She took a cautious glance to see his jaw clenching tightly. “Alright, that’s enough,” Danny told Walter. He sucked in a breath to calm himself down, Sutton running a hand down his arm. “So-so why are we here then, besides you getting to show off how adorably clever you are?”

“Not to mention how pissed you’ve just made Atlas,” Merritt murmured. Sutton glared at him.

“Well, to start with,” Walter explained, “the man you stole from last year, turns out I invested quite a lot of money in some of his companies so a lot of what you stole was in fact mine. Good news is, it’s very easy for you to pay me back. I just need your skills.” A picture of Owen Case flashed on the screen. “Owen and I were like the Beatles, if the Beatles had been-”

“Elfin?” Sutton suggested. “Creeps?”

“Geniuses,” Walter clarified.

“Pretty sure the Beatles were geniuses,” Lula reminded Walter.

“And like them,” Walter continued, ignoring Lula’s comment, “we had a dream. Could we create actual, genuine magic?”

“And I’m guessing one of you achieved that dream, and it wasn’t you?” Merritt concluded.

“That is what he would like you to think,” Walter said, standing. Sutton moved herself to a bit more comfortable position on the couch with the gift of space. “My vision was a perfect blend of intelligence and technology, but Owen wanted it for himself so he humiliated me by exposing my private files to the board of directors. Convinced them that I am unstable.”

“Did you take a picture of him while he was sleeping?” Danny cockily questioned. Sutton snorted.

“He had me kicked out of my own company and now he goes around taking credit for a chip that’s not just a key to one computer, but every computer system on the planet,” Walter explained. “It can unencrypt anything, crack the defense firewall, manipulate markets, and spy on anyone.” The Horsemen sighed. “And now it’s being sold to the highest bidder.”

“If you’re so rich, why don’t you just buy it?” Jack questioned him.

“So he gets the money and the pleasure? No. No, no, no. Besides, why would I buy it when I can have you steal it for me?”

“Oh,” Lula gasped. The Horsemen chuckled.

“It’s being previewed tomorrow by various suitors,” Walter stated, “which include your targets. A crew led by a South African gangster.” Lula mocked him. “Yes, so how your team gets past security, that’s up to you. But once you do, you just need to inspect it and steal it.”

“That’s it?” Danny questioned.

“Yeah, come on. This is perfect for you, isn’t it? You’re magicians and thieves.”

“What makes you think we’d even consider doing this?” Jack asked Walter.

“Um, wait, I had a reason. What was it? Ah, yes! You see, back home you’re wanted criminals, but here, I control the police, the casinos, the media. I can give you a new life, out of hiding,” Walter explained. Sutton’s ears perked up. She looked at Danny who looked back at her. The other Horsemen were contemplating it as well. “And, if you don’t, I’ll have you killed.”

The Horsemen stared at Walter, challenging him. He smiled, trying his best to be charming. “You know what?” Jack spoke up as he stood. “I’m not stealing a thing for you, not unless Dylan tells me it’s okay.”

“Really? And Dylan’s where exactly?” Walter questioned.

“It doesn’t matter. Yeah, I’m with him,” Lula stated, standing beside Jack. “So you can go ahead and kill us because I’m not going to steal anything for you either.”

“Huh, strikes me that a consensus seems to be forming, Walter,” Merritt concluded, taking his place beside the other two rebels, “and we’re calling your bluff.”

The three looked back at Danny and Sutton as they sat together. Sutton glanced down at her fingers, thinking about Henley and why she left. Just as Sutton was about to say her piece, Danny spoke. “Actually, we’ll do it,” Danny stated as the others questioned him. “We’re in Macau. The oldest magic store in the world is here. We’ll get the supplies we need and, uh, we’ll do it.”

Danny stood and shook Walter’s hand, receiving a “thank you.” Walter walked off, leaving the Horsemen standing there in the empty room.

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jb3islife · 2 years

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Love is Like a Playing Card (Chapter XVII) J. Daniel Atlas

The Horsemen’s jeep pulled up to an extravagant building. “Just follow the guards,” Chase explained. “They’ll take you to my boss.” The Horsemen unloaded from the jeep. “Been fun playing this cat and mouse with you, broski,” Chase told Merritt. “Meow.” Merritt flipped him off in his own unique way. “Have fun at the Sands!”

The guards ushered the Horsemen into the building. They passed various gambling games as they walked.

“I am so, so, so sorry,” Merrritt profusely apologized.

“Yeah, you should be,” Danny told him, receiving a “Daniel!” from Sutton. “Don’t ever accuse me of betraying us again, okay?”

The Horsemen followed the guards into an elevator, Sutton standing between Jack and Danny. She looked at Danny as he stood with his hand against the wall, looking quite attractive with his jaw clenched. Jack knocked on Sutton’s hand to draw her attention to him instead.

“So are you two…” Jack drug out. Sutton bit her lip, shaking her head in response.

“Do you guys ever think that The Eye is watching this?” Lula asked the group. “You know, maybe this isn’t what they want? At like the exact right moment, they’re gonna just swoop in and we’ll be like, “Yes, thank God you’re here! Thank God! Just in the knick of time, Eye!” And we’ll just celebrate and it was all worth it in the end?” The group responded with silence. “I don’t even really think that either, so it’s cool.”

Just then, the elevator dinged, the wrong set of doors opening and drawing the Horsemen’s attention to music escaping into the elevator. They all turned to see a figure dancing on what appeared to be a balcony.

“Oh!” the figure spoke as he turned around to face the Horsemen. “Tada! So happy to be working with you!”

The Horsemen looked at each other. “Is it just me or does he look extremely familiar?” Sutton questioned the others, receiving glares from the others.

“Please come in! Come in!” the man told them. The guards drug the Horsemen out of the elevator.

“Wait, sorry,” Danny said, “how are you working with us?”

“Well, as much as a magician who pulled a rabbit from a hat,” the man explained as he put his shoes on, “is working with that rabbit, we’ll be working together, yes.” The man started toward them. “Uh, allow me to introduce myself.”

“Yeah, you’re Walter Mabry,” Jack responded. “You died a year ago.”

Sutton shook her head. “Nope, that’s not right,” she muttered to herself. Danny elbowed her. “I know him from somewhere else! I promise!” Sutton whispered.

“Yes, an idea I got from you, Mr. Wilder,” Walter responded. “As well as you, Ms. Reeves.” He gave Sutton a smile. “You fake your death and the world puts its guard down. I’m able to control quite a few companies, including my old partner, Owen’s, through a consortium of so-called anonymous shareholders.”

“And that violates how many SEC laws?” Lula questioned him.

“I believe it breaks all of them,” Walter happily confirmed for her.

Lula faked a gasp. “All of them.”

“You see, you all want an audience,” Walter explained. “Need one, desperately. It’s quite sad, really. Hence my ability to nab you. I, on the other hand, want the opposite of that. I just want to be, and I am, 100% off the grid. You know why?”

“Yeah, because the grid is for actual human beings,” Danny responded.

Walter chuckled. “No, because in a world of total surveillance, the only true freedom lies in not being seen. You can’t control the grid from within the grid. Follow me.” Walter walked off, but the Horsemen stayed in place. “Follow me.” The guards pushed the Horsemen toward Walter.

“You pulled a hat out of a rabbit,” Walter said to Lula. “That was very colorful.”

“Almost eight and a half years ago,” Lula reminded him. “So no need to bring that up.”

“We can’t all be held accountable for adolescent personas, can we, Magicolio?” Walter asked Danny.

“Magicoli- That-That was fifteen years ago,” Danny said, looking down. Sutton raised an eyebrow as the others took glances at Danny.

“Don’t get me wrong, I love magic,” Walter stated. “Like you and many others who I suppose weren’t getting any sex in high school, I, uh, I dabbled with it. But, huh, unlike you, I was able to transition upward to actual magic.” Walter gestured toward the corner of the room. “Science, you may have heard it called. So, would you like to know, my friends, just how I got you here?”

“Mhm, we know how you did it,” Merritt responded.

“No, you don’t.”

“Yeah, you stole our files for the show, “Jack stated as Walter tried to stop him.

“Then obviously hypnotized us,” Sutton added.

Merritt continued, “The strobe was a combo of binaural beats as well as-”

“I said stop!” Walter shouted, placing his hands on Merritt’s face. “You may not be having fun, but I am!”

The Horsemen each grimaced at the man. “You have an unusual way of showing it,” Merritt told Walter.

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jb3islife · 2 years

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Love is Like a Playing Card (J. Daniel Atlas) Chapter XVI

“Wait, what are you saying?” Danny questioned Merritt. “How is this possible?”

An eerie laugh sounded, drawing the Horsemen’s attention to the person. “I believe in your particular parlance, the word is “magic,”” the voice responded as the person spun around in their chair.

The jaws of every Horseman dropped. “That guy looks exactly like you!” Lula told Merritt who stood frozen. “He looks exactly like you. Are you seeing this right now?”

Sutton pulled on Merritt’s sleeve. “Is that your…?”

Merritt responded with a nod. “Chase.”

Chase smiled. “Must confess- it’s like what I heard about meeting the Rolling Stones. They’re a lot shorter in person.”

“Remember I told you about the guy who screwed me out of everything?” Merritt asked the Horsemen. “This is my twin brother, Chase.” Chase faked his flattery.

“Wait, did you do this?” Danny asked, stepping toward Chase. Men from all over the restaurant stood, shouting at Danny. Some grabbed onto the other Horsemen. Sutton pulled on Danny’s hand to stop him from moving any further.

Chase laughed. “As you can see, my boss doesn’t mess around.”

“I do not understand what is going on right now,” Lula stated, “at all.”

“Okay, let me break it down for you,” Chase replied. “You jumped off a rooftop in New York and you landed in Macau, AKA the Vegas of China, and, presto chango- don’t you just love it? The “greatest” magicians in the world are the object of someone else’s magic trick. Isn’t that poetic?” The Horsemen glanced at one another. “No? You know what- I’m not gonna let you guys yuck my yum. Shoo shoo, or moo shu. Whatever.”

The men holding the Horsemen shoved them out of the restaurant. “Oh, and you know what they say- what happens in Macau…” Chase’s voice trailed off.

The Horsemen were thrown into large black jeeps and driven down the streets of Macau.

“Are you okay?” Danny asked Sutton as the two sat beside each other, bumping into one another as the jeep drove on.

Sutton gave him a light smile. “I’m fine, Danny. I can take care of myself.”

Danny huffed. “I know. I’m just-”

“Frustrated?” Sutton smirked. Danny nodded. Sutton looked down. “I’m nervous,” Sutton muttered.

“Hey,” Danny whispered, picking up her chin, “don’t be nervous. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

Sutton bit her lip. “I know you won’t.” She stared up at Danny in awe, seeing the man she had fallen in love with again for the first time in a long time.

“How can you two be so adorable at a time like this?” Merritt complained, drawing the attention of Jack and Lula.

“Are you gonna kiss?” Lula cooed.

Jack rolled his eyes. “Don’t be stupid. Danny hasn’t proven himself yet.”

Danny glared at Jack. “How do you even-”

“It’s all about blindspots,” Chase interrupted, Sutton silently thanking the creep. “When you’re staring straight at something and not see it. Why? Blindspots. We learned that together, didn’t we, bro?” Chase questioned Merritt. Merritt rolled his eyes. ”Did he tell you that we were partners once? No, I didn’t think so. The Mini-McKinneys.” Merritt sucked in his lower lip, ready to burst. “Chasey and Mer-Bear, gonna make ya scare-bear. Ma-Ma-Magic McKinneys.”

Merritt huffed, covering his face. “Cool,” Lula responded to Chase’s story.

“And then one day,” Chase continued, “we were twelve, and, uh, Virginia von welsheim had a very nice party down the street. I had a little tum-tum, couldn’t go. Mer-Bear did it on his own and got a taste of the solo thing, and, uh, kicked me to the curb.”

“Oh, God,” Jack sighed.

“Chase, you win!” Merritt yelled. “I concede. Just tell me how you did it.”

“Delivery guy came to your door, hmm, about a month ago,” Chase explained. “A little ‘za.”

“‘Za?’” Danny questioned.

“Pizza,” Sutton responded for Merritt.

“So what he did, my little womb-mate, is he, uh, downloaded all your private information.” Everyone glared at Merritt. “And my employer had all he needed.”

“Thanks,” Danny told him. Sutton hit him. “How did you know how to find him?” Danny asked Chase.

“That’s a very good question, Atlas,” Chase responded, pretending to lock his lips and throw out the key.

“Okay,” Danny responded, giving Merritt another glare.

Merritt sighed, guilt filling him. Sutton patted his leg in comfort. “It’s not your fault,” Sutton reminded Merritt.

“What?” Lula and Jack yelled.

“Sutton, don’t be ridiculous,” Danny told her.

Sutton glared at the others. “Oh, don’t act like you boys have never been hypnotized by me.” Jack and Danny looked at one another. “And should I explain what I made you each do?” They gave her pleading eyes. “Jack, you had to…”

“Don’t say it,” Jack muttered.

“...sing “I’m burnin’ up, burnin’ up, for you, baby” every time someone said, “I’m hot” for an entire week,” Sutton smirked. Jack slapped a palm to his face as Danny and Lula chuckled.

Merritt laughed. “This explains so much.”

“And you,” Sutton turned to Danny, a smile playing on her lips.

“You wouldn’t,” Danny challenged her.

Sutton raised an eyebrow. “You’re right. Better keep it PG.”

The others groaned. “This is so unfair!” Jack whined.

Sutton chuckled. “Maybe one day when we’re not in such a… compromising position.”

“Just give us a hint!” Lula pleaded. “Was it for your benefit? Danny’s?” Her eyes darted between the two. Danny’s blushed deepened even more. Sutton bit her lip. “Sutton, you naughty girl! Taking advantage of young Daniel like that!”

“God, now I need to know!” Merritt begged.

Jack grimaced disgustedly. “I think I’m going to be sick.”

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jb3islife · 2 years

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Love is Like a Playing Card (J. Daniel Atlas) Chapter XIV

Sutton and Merritt quickly changed their outfits upon arriving backstage.

“Hey!” Lula waved as the mentalists appeared.

“Nice work, lady,” Merritt told her as he flipped his fedora on his head. Lula thanked him. The three walked up to the stage to wait.

Jack let out a sigh. “I’m actually nervous. I’m not even going on stage.”

“Me too,” Sutton smiled at him, reminding him he wasn’t alone. The two stretched their hands out to one another in front of Lula, giving the other a small squeeze in comfort.

“You know, I’ve heard that if you’re nervous, it can be really helpful to picture each other naked,” Lula told him. Sutton and Merritt stifled their laughs as Danny walked up between them.

“It’s actually ‘picture the audience naked,” Danny reminded her.

“No, this is new. This is a new science,” Lula told Jack. “So, I don’t know, do you wanna- we should try it.”

“Not the right mood,” Jack explained, looking off to the stage.

“I guess that leaves you and me, old buddy,” Merritt told Danny.

“What?” Danny asked. “Oh, to picture each other- No. No, thank you.”

“Hey, look- I mean, I admit, from the neck up, there are issues, but from the neck down, The David,” Merritt responded with a straight face. Sutton snorted a laugh. Danny gave her a look.

Lula grabbed Sutton’s shoulders. “I think what Sutton means to say is, she and Danny don’t need to leave things to the imagination. They are a much better pair for this experimental activity,” she winked.

Danny and Sutton looked at Lula in shock, then at each other. Thankfully, the announcer’s voice came over the speakers to inhibit their responses.

“Good morning, Octa-lites,” Merritt whispered into his headset. Owen’s voice repeated it to the audience. The audience cheered. “Now I’ve made the claim that Octa Eight was pure magic, but the truth is, that’s just one of those things I say. When, in fact, I mean something else. What else do I mean? Well, here to fill you in on some of my fabulous lies and hypocrisy, and to perform some of the most dazzling feats of magic you have ever seen, they are the world’s greatest magicians here to expose me for the fraud I truly am. Ladies and gentlemen, here are the Horsemen!”

“Showtime,” Jack whispered to Sutton as the two stepped back.

The two held hands as they watched their fellow Horsemen leap out into yet another performance without them, both sighing heavily. They heard the audience erupt into cheers.

“I better get going, Sut,” Jack told her. Sutton nodded as Jack kissed her cheek and left.

“Hello, New York!” Danny’s announcer-voice projected. “Thank you so much!”

“Hey, it’s great to be back!” Merritt told the audience.

“Have you met our newest Horseman?” Danny asked. “Lula!” Sutton winced as Danny introduced the world to Lula in the same place Henley once stood. “It feels good, right?” Danny asked Lula.

“Yeah, it’s pretty good,” Lula confirmed. “Pretty good.”

“Thank you, thank you. Uh, okay. We wanna talk to you about your privacy. Now, what does your privacy mean to you?” Danny questioned the audience.

“‘Cause apparently to Owen Case, it means absolutely nothing,” Merritt explained.

“No, actually it means less than absolutely nothing,” Lula clarified. “You see, he’s mocked your privacy. He’s scorned it.”

“Right, and we’re not just talking about the things you’ve already agreed to,” Danny explained further, “when you signed, uh, probably without reading, um, the terms and conditions of Octa’s one through seven.”

“Dylan,” Jack’s voice came over Sutton’s earpiece, “the FBI is here.”

“Oh, uh, don’t worry about it,” Danny told him. “Go to plan C4.” Sutton shook it off. She wasn’t part of that plan.

“Before we start the show, we had Owen agree to a few terms and conditions of our own,” Lula explained to the audience. “So, everything that he had once considered-”

Lula’s microphone started to crack and the sound of a speaker backfiring rang through the stage. Now, Sutton became worried.

“Yeah, everything, uh, that he once considered private,” Danny explained, trying to save the show, “is now-”

Danny’s microphone was lost now too. Sutton felt her heart begin to race. Another crack and backfire sounded, then a strange, creepy voice began to speak to the audience.

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jb3islife · 2 years

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Love is Like a Playing Card (J. Daniel Atlas) Chapter VII

Danny jumped a bit, startled by the door’s sudden closure.

“Welcome, Daniel Atlas,” a voice which sounded animatronic boomed around him.

“Who am I speaking to?” Danny asked the voice as he walked to the center of the dark room. “I asked to see the face behind all of this.” Out of habit, he sat his phone down on the ledge of what appeared to be a bowl. Looking inside, he saw his reflection a number of times in broken pieces of glass. It was almost poetic, if he was being sentimental.

“You’ve asked many questions and registered many complaints,” the voice responded. “You can be rest assured that we’ve heard you.”

“Have you?” Danny replied, his anger starting to take over. “Because I don’t-”

“Trust?” the voice questioned. “Your leader? Your fellow Horsemen? Perhaps even us?”

Danny shook his head, knowing fully well what they were trying to do to him. “I don’t like that we’ve been living in hiding for a year. I don’t like that every message we get from Dylan is, ‘Wait! Be patient. The Eye has a plan.’”

“Wait!” the voice mocked him and Danny let out an annoyed chuckle. “Be patient. The Eye has a plan.”

“This is games,” Danny complained, “and it’s not working for me.” He turned for the door.

“You feel it is you who should be leading the Horsemen, not Dylan.” Danny froze, his body slowly turning around. “If that is what you desire, stay the course. Trust that your unique talents and remarkable mind will not go unrecognized.” Danny couldn’t help but smirk to himself.

“We have a new mission for the Horsemen. Dylan has a plan and will gather you together soon.” The lights dimmed around Danny, the only visible light coming from his phone. “Now leave.”

Sutton left the tunnel, the hood of her sweatshirt wrapped tightly around her face, hiding Sutton’s delicate features from the rest of the world. Aimlessly, she began walking around New York City. The sun was just coming up when she took a seat on a bench.There she sat, alone with the one thing that scared Sutton the most- her own thoughts. What was she going to do? How could she even pretend to look at Danny like she knew nothing? Hell, she didn’t even understand why Danny would ever go behind her back to seek out The Eye.

The vibration from her phone knocked Sutton out of her trance. She wiped her eyes, unaware that tears had fallen down her face. “Hello?” Sutton sniffed.

“Bonjour, mon amour!” Henley’s voice cooed through the phone. Sutton smiled, happy to hear her cousin’s voice for the first time in days.

“Henley!” Sutton laughed through her pain. “It’s so good to hear your voice.”

“It’s so good to hear yours too, ma beauté.” The way Henley could speak French words almost made Sutton fall in love. “Tell me- what’s wrong?”

Sutton scrunched her eyebrows and looked around her, unsure of how Henley knew something was off. “What are you talking about? Nothing’s wrong.”

“Then why did I get a frantic phone call from Jack?” Henley questioned. Sutton sighed, placing a hand on her face.

“Damn it,” Sutton whispered. “I totally forgot we were supposed to go for a run before dawn.”

“Mhm,” Henley responded, wanting more.

“It’s just been a crazy morning, Hen.” Sutton forced out a laugh.

“You’re not going to tell me, are you?” Henley insightfully guessed.

“It’s not that I don’t want to,” Sutton explained, “It’s just that I’m really confused.”

“It’s Danny, isn’t it?”

Sutton sighed. “Yes, but-”

“Say no more. I’m coming back.”

“What? No, Hen!” Sutton fought back. “That’s crazy. You can’t come home every time I have a problem.”

“Like hell I can’t!” Henley responded. “What did he do, Sutton? Did he cheat on you? I swear to all that is good in this world, if he did, I will cut off hi-”

“Please don’t finish that sentence,” Sutton begged her. Sighing, she said, “No, he didn’t cheat on me.”

Henley sighed. “Sutton, what happened?”

“Like I said, it’s just really confusing right now. I need to talk to Danny.”

“Okay, but if you need me-” Sutton pulled her phone away from her ear as it began to vibrate. Seeing it was Danny, she ignored it. “Got it?” Henley’s voice rang out.

“Yeah,” Sutton smiled. “You’re always there for me. Thanks, Hen.” Sutton sighed. “So, how’s Paris? Prettier than when we robbed the bank?”

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jb3islife · 2 years

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Love is Like a Playing Card (J. Daniel Atlas) Chapter XI

“Hi,” Danny replied sarcastically. Jack and Merritt gaped. Sutton stared at the woman, biting her lip. Danny glanced at Sutton as she leaned against the railing beside him.

“You met Lulu?” Dylan asked knowingly.

“I’ve met her,” Danny replied, fiddling with his gloves. “What is she doing here?”

“I’m the new Horseman!” Lulu told the group. Sutton’s breath caught in her throat as panic surged throughout her body. Danny placed a hand on her lower back in comfort, just as he always did, as Lulu cheered for herself. “Nobody? No excitement? Jack?” Jack glared at her.

“Dylan,” Merritt started as he turned toward the stairs, “tell me what’s going on here.” The group followed, Sutton brushing off Danny’s touch.

“Well, Lulu’s been on the underground scene for the last decade, and I think she has some real talent. I’d like to try her on stage to balance out the duo,” Dylan explained.

“What?” Jack gasped. “No, are you serious, man? After Henley left, you said I could get back on stage again, not someone who just showed up.” Sutton didn’t say a word about his comment.

“And I told you,” Dylan responded, slapping a hand to Jack’s shoulder, “I’d think about it, and I have, and I really need you behind the scenes with me for just a little while longer.”

“Dylan, come on,” Jack groaned. “I’ve been behind the scenes my whole life.”

“Which is a crime, might I add,” Lula piped up. “Have you seen that man’s face?” Jack gave her a look.

“As much as I appreciate the addition of some femininity to the group, over and above what Sutton and Ass-las provide,” Merritt insulted as each gave him a look, “I think the real issue is, we’ve been in this-”

“Yeah, the issue is that we have been rehearsing for months for something we don’t even know what it is,” Danny interjected.

“And you’re going to keep working until-”

“Until we work as a single organism. I know, I’ve heard you say that,” Danny responded cockily. Sutton smirked, biting her lip. She had missed Danny’s cocky remarks. “The thing is, when you say that, I think what you’re referring to is us.” He gestured toward his fellow Horsemen. “You know, not you.”

“Listen,” Dylan responded, obviously annoyed. “I’m getting my orders directly from The Eye. Okay? Then I give them to you. Now if you don’t like that, you’re welcome to go.”

“No, I’m not going anywhere,” Danny reassured everyone. “But I’m-I’m taking care of myself.” Sutton put a hand to her chest, feeling her heart ache. She knew Danny’s words were only said out of anger and annoyance. However, they still hurt.

“Guys, can I just weigh in here, really quickly?” Lula asked. Sutton rolled her eyes, shaking her head. “Cause I think I see what’s going on here. You guys are this amazing, tight-knit family unit and I’m a new person-”

“No, no, no,” Merritt told her. “We are anything but a family.”

At Merritt’s words, Sutton’s head began to spin. Everyone was complaining about “me, me, me” and not even caring that they were still a “we.” She rubbed her temples, trying to block out Lula’s stupid story. Finally, she had enough. “Shut up!” Sutton erupted. “All of you! You’re all acting like idiots!” The group fell silent.

Sutton looked around at the others, her chest heaving in anger. “Each of you is acting like you are the one and only solution to this mess we’re in,” Sutton told them. “We need each other to get through this, and you all know that.” The men looked at each other, nodding in agreement. Lula snorted a laugh.

“And you,” Sutton pointed at Lula. “You need to stop acting like an entitled bitch.” Lula gasped. Merritt and Jack let out a chuckle as Danny smirked admirently. “You do not get to come in here and act like my cousin was nothing to this team. You do not get to come in here and think you are going to take my spot, or Jack’s spot. Because, let me tell you, when we come back from the dead, it’s going to be ten times better than one of your “faking death” acts.” Lula stared at Sutton, mouth agape. Sutton heaved a heavy sigh, holding onto the table for support. She wasn’t sure where her anger had come from, but Sutton felt her body tell her it needed to be done.

“Damn, Sutton,” Jack spoke after a minute.

Merritt clapped slowly. “Couldn’t have said it better myself, beautiful.” He took Sutton’s hand in his, giving it a kiss.

Danny was still slightly in shock. “I can’t believe those words came from your body.”

“You’ve made your point,” Dylan told Sutton, nodding. “Lula?”

Lula looked at Sutton. “I-I’m sorry,” she said. “I guess I never thought about how you would feel with me joining the Horsemen.”

Sutton nodded. “I might do 75% of the feeling for this team, but you’re all required to pitch in 5% each,” Sutton joke, cracking a smile.

Lula smirked. “You got a deal, Reeves.” She stretched her hand toward Sutton, who shook it. “Much respect for showing dominance in a very clearly male-dominated group. You scared the shit out of me!”

“That was the point,” Sutton smiled, mentally patting herself on the back.

“So, does this mean we’re actually going to do something?” Merritt asked, bringing everyone back to the sole-purpose of the meeting.

“Yes,” Dylan told them. Everyone looked at each other. Danny gave Sutton a slight smile which she returned. “You’ve all heard of OCTA and their playboy CEO Owen Case. His partner Walter Mabry died about a year ago. You wanna know what all of this has been leading to?”

“Yeah,” Lula said, grabbing something off the floor.

“OCTA’s hosting a launch of the next-gen cell phone,” Dylan explained as Lula rolled out a blank blueprint. “Once these phones hit the streets, he’ll siphon the user’s information to the black market. Meaning, OCTA’s selling privacy to up their profit. So, The Eye’s decided to expose him for it. Our mission is to high-jack the show. Rehearsals over, guys. This is what we’ve been waiting for. Now it’s time to get to work.”

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