Page 44 of The Lost Empress

“Oh, and right now, you need to eat up,” Liv said as the waitress brought over two towering trays of food. “Remember that as magicians our powers are fueled by calories. So don’t hold back. You’re going to need your strength for whatever comes next. Eat like calories are your best friend, because in our case, they are.”

As the burgers arrived at their table, Gen couldn’t help but marvel at the artistry and skill that had gone into their creation. The Juicy Lucy was a thing of beauty, its golden-brown exterior glistening with a sheen of grease and its center bulging with the promise of molten cheese. The Counter burger, meanwhile, was a towering edifice of flavor, each layer a testament to the creativity and ingenuity of the cooks who had crafted it.

As Gen took her first bite of the Juicy Lucy, she felt as though she had been transported to a realm of pure, unadulterated bliss. The flavor was unlike anything she had ever experienced—a perfect balance of savory meat, tangy cheese and smoky char. The juices ran down her chin as she savored each and every bite, the warmth and richness of the burger filling her with a sense of contentment and joy.

Liv too, seemed lost in a world of flavor. Her eyes closed in rapture as she bit into the Counter burger. “Oh, wow! That’s good,” she marveled, shaking her head and wiping her mouth. “The crunch of the lettuce, the sweetness of the tomatoes and the tang of the pickles all combine to create a symphony of taste that dances on my tongue and lingers for so very long.”

As they sat there, surrounded by the strange and wondrous sights and sounds of The Counter Custom Burgers, Gen couldn’t help but feel a sense of gratitude for this moment. In a world so different from the one she grew up in, filled with marvels and wonders beyond her wildest imaginings, she had found a small slice of happiness in the form of a simple, perfect burger. It definitely wouldn’t be her last. She had a lot of goals in her new life and one of them was to try every last burger on The Counter’s menu.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

CALL TO DUTY

Warehouse District, 1600 Olympic Boulevard, Suite 126, Los Angeles, California, United States

Gen was all too aware that all eyes were on her, all studiously watching her, waiting for her to address them. Before her, standing on the floor of an open warehouse, were one hundred of the most skilled and honorable police officers that the City of Los Angeles had. These were men and women who had apparently performed so high on the moral aptitude test, according to Mortimer, that they were terminated from their positions.

That’s what the leader of the brownies deduced anyway, after reviewing the results of the tests. Based on their scores, some police officers were terminated, some moved to unnecessary patrols and the others were now running the city. It was the good, medium and bad cops respectively.

Sucking in a breath, Gen glanced at Liv, who was giving her an encouraging nod, urging her to take the stage and address the audience she’d put together for her. The money had been an attractive offer for these officers. And they’d all been terminated with little cause under the reign of a new Chief of Police and Commissioner.

But Gen thought that the reason that they’d agreed to attend this meeting was because Liv Beaufont asked them to. The woman had a reputation with everyone in Los Angeles, from waitresses at restaurants, to the good cops all over the city. If Liv asked someone to do something, if they were good and true, then they did it. If they weren’t, then they probably did it because they were afraid of getting a bloody nose if they didn’t.

As Gen took the stage, trying to remember what she wanted to say to these people, her mind blanked. Suddenly panic overwhelmed Gen and she worried that she was about to mess this all up. She and the others had worked so hard to raise the funds. Liv had helped to recruit the officers. There was something wrong in the city and she needed to fix it, but she couldn’t do that unless she knew what was going on. And she couldn’t find that unless she got her words together.

Just state the facts, Emperor said in her head, cutting through the doubt and worried thoughts.

Right, Gen replied, his few words already settling down her racing mind.

You don’t know what’s happening, he continued. But you know enough to recognize that you need to investigate. You need them to help you. Just empower them. They will listen to you.

Thank you, Gen said, grateful for the short but helpful words of advice. She cleared her throat and looked out at the crowd. All the men and women, wearing civilian clothes, but with the faces of warriors gave her their full attention.

“My name is Gen Beaufont,” she began in a clear, loud voice. “But if you’re here, then you know that already and you know that we are operating in secret. You all have, I believe, been terminated for suspicious reasons. As a new Rogue Rider, I’m new to this city but I know enough about this world to realize that something isn’t right in Los Angeles. Something is going on. Something that someone doesn’t want the noble and good police officers to mess up for them.”

Gen took a moment to catch her breath. All eyes were fully on her. All the faces slack with concern, but also full of unwavering respect.

“I don’t know exactly what is going on,” she continued. “I do know though, that I’m not allowed to do anything in my role as Rogue Rider, managing the criminal world. I know that crime is out of control in this city. I know that you all, the top rated morally abiding officers of the police force, were terminated. I know that the other patrols have been moved to areas where they aren’t necessary. And I know there’s a large area of downtown that has no police presence. What I want to know is why? I want to know what is going on. But I’m only one person, and like I said, I’m very new to this city…”

Gen caught Liv’s eyes. She wanted to say that she was new to this world, but she also didn’t want anyone to know that. Gen didn’t want advantages for being unknowing of this world. And she didn’t want anyone taking advantage of her for that reason either. When Liv gave her another encouraging nod, she continued.

“I need your help to figure out what is going on,” Gen went on. “Maybe it’s nothing and just budget cuts like the city is saying. But I won’t rest unless I know for sure and something tells me that you won’t either.”

There was an excited murmuring from around the crowd.

Gen nodded. “I’m sorry that you’ve been terminated, but I will pay your salaries, at least until we get your jobs back. But in exchange, I want you out in the city, undercover, using your knowledge of this city to figure out what is happening. Use all your leads. Ask around. Find out what’s going on behind the scenes. And when something doesn’t seem right, look into the reason and find out why. Can you all do that?”

There was another murmuring around the warehouse, this time even more adamant than before.

Gen smiled. Held her head up high. Nodded. “Then go out and do what you do best: investigate. Let’s figure out how to make this city safe again.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

JACK’S POETIC JUSTICE

Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, California, United States

“That dude really doesn’t like you,” Sully said to Gen after reviewing the list of books she had to read again, offering to give her help on any of the moral philosophies she needed to know. “I can’t believe that Dwayne expects you to read all of these books and pass an exam on them. What did you do to him?”

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