Jesse James and the Dragon's Egg

Smoke and Fountain Drinks

"I'm telling you, he's got kids locked in some kind of secret dungeon under that barn. It's the only thing that makes sense!" Brad said.

Talk of the morning's events dominated the trip back home. Pushing their bikes and chasing Bear, they'd tripped over each other's recounting of their individual tales of glory. Their imaginations had ignited, and Jesse's recounting of the encounter with Fisher King would be the stuff of legends for years to come.

They drew wild conclusions about the man's cryptic words and bizarre behaviors, but Jesse made no mention of thundering giants. He kept all of those descriptions to himself. He believed that there were some things that just couldn't be believed, even by your friends.

"No, he doesn't," Lamar replied, throwing Brad a comically skeptical look.

"Oh, really? Well, what about Brennan O'Reilly? Or Parker and Greer?"

"Parker and Greer moved to Atlanta."

"How do you know?"

"Uh, because I lived next door to them, and I helped them pack their room."

"Well, what about old Wilt?"

"I don't know. What about him?"

"Gone for years! And nobody's heard from him!"

"Brad, he's an old homeless dude. Not really the guy anybody hears from."

"Man, I gotta say," John's voice took a grave tone. "I heard my mom say that Kenley Carter hasn't been home in like a week."

The Bradfordville Corner. An outpost of pavement and fluorescent lighting surrounded by sheer wilderness. Gas station, convenience store, and diner, it is a hub of commerce for the area and a regular hangout for the boys on hot summer mornings like this.

"Dude, are you ever going to get a new lock?" Brad watched Jesse struggle with a rusty old chain and bike lock.

"Yeah," Jesse took the heel of his shoe to the lock. "Mom said I could get a new one for Christmas."

"You need a hand?"

"Nah. I got it."

"Alright. Well, we're all going in."

~

Bear lay on the cool concrete just under the shade of the little convenience store's awning. He panted and watched a bright red pickup truck pull in beside Jesse. Jesse, continuing to struggle with the bike and the lock, moved sideways from the path of the vehicle.

The lock yielded an uninspiring crunch as the bolt snapped into place and Jesse stood. He turned and came face to stomach with a massive African-American man. He immediately recognized him as the school custodian the kids know only as Mr. Jib.

The largest human being Jesse had ever seen, Mr. Jib was larger by two than Jesse thought possible for a human being. Out of the corner of his eye, Jesse saw Mr. Rajic sitting in the truck. Rajic was another custodian at Jesse's school and Jib's constant companion. Mr. Rajic was not as big as his friend, but, arms littered with tattoos, he was no less imposing. Both men reeked of danger.

The man, Mr. Jib, stared at the boy, chewing an unlit cigar.

Then, in a single moment of terrifying, spectacular brilliance, he did the most unexpected thing. Standing there in the sun on that hot summer morning, the frightening beast of a man they called Jib broke into a positively radiant smile. His brilliant white teeth stood in startling contrast to the man's rich brown skin. But the most unexpected thing of all, the most startling thing, was the smoke.