The Scrutator

Josie stood over the body, adrenaline coursing through her veins. 

He’s just a kid, she thought as she bent down to check for a pulse. Satisfied the boy was still breathing, she took a step back and wiped the sweat from her forehead, trying to process what had just happened. 

She had been assigned that morning to patrol a neighborhood nicknamed “the castle”. A three-square-mile block of perfectly manicured homes and businesses, it had earned the nickname because of the fortress-like walls that surrounded most of its wealthy inhabitants. The same people who seemed to run every aspect of the government. 

The daily patrols that Josie's precinct provided the castle were mainly for show, an afternoon drive more than a real search for anyone breaking the law. The area had been declared a gun-free zone, and while no one believed the wealthy inhabitants and their entourages didn’t carry guns, the patrolling officers were only allowed to carry tasers. 

Josie’s captain usually assigned the patrols on a rotating basis, 

“That way it’s fair,” he had said, referring to the fact that the assignment was more like a day off than actual police work. Occasionally, some spoiled trust-fund teens would forget about the laws and get in a fight. The police would break it up, sometimes making an arrest and the neighborhood would have some new gossip for a few weeks, but there were never any real consequences. Mommy and Daddy would run to their lawyers and the case would get dropped on a technicality or dismissed altogether.

This entitlement was one of the very things Josie had wanted to change when she joined the force, but the bureaucracy of the city meant she had been unable to do any real good. 

This particular day had started ordinarily enough, Josie and her partner had handed out a few speeding tickets and watched as two groups of teens circled each other waiting for their patrol car to coast out of view before getting into anything physical. 

They had been on their way back to the station when they heard a loud popping sound and screams coming from a nearby alleyway. Her partner had radioed dispatch as she made a U-turn to investigate, but when they pulled into the alley, it had been empty. Josie had just radioed back to dispatch, telling them it was a false alarm when two more pops followed by flashes of white light had hurtled toward them from behind an old trash heap. Her partner had been hit and fallen immediately, but the light aimed at her had hit the radio headset on her chest, destroying it and knocking her to the ground, but leaving her otherwise unharmed. Josie had given chase through 5 blocks of alleys and fences dodging more blasts of white light until she had cornered the shooter in an abandoned warehouse. After a brief standoff, Josie had managed to get behind the shooter and stun him with her taser. 

She shook her head at the memory and turned to the wall behind her where a white burn, from whatever the boy had been shooting, marked the wall. Josie marveled, it was only inches from where her head had been moments earlier. She reached out and touched it, a charcoal-like substance rubbed off on her fingers, but there was no bullet hole. 

“What did you shoot at me?” she asked as she bent down once more over the limp body. 

The boy's right hand was empty, but in his left was a small stick, no more than 8 inches long. 

“What’s this?” Josie asked, as she pulled the stick from the boy's hand.

“You alright,” a voice from behind caused her to jump. In one quick motion, she had turned, slipping the stick into her pocket, and raised her taser to the intruder. 

“Wow, don’t shoot, it’s me,” came the familiar voice of her partner, his hands raised in the air.

“Sorry, Ron,” Josie said, lowering the weapon. 

“You alright,” Ron repeated, walking over to Josie as he radioed in their position. 

“Yeah, I think so,” replied Josie. “What about you, you're the one who was shot?”

“Tased, I think,” said Ron, as he turned his head to one side and then the other, the bones in his neck popping in an oddly satisfying kind of way.

“Did you find the weapon?” he asked as he pulled out a pair of handcuffs and began to secure the boy. 

“No,” Josie said, her mind still focused on the small wooden stick. 

The boy was awake now and Josie read him his rights while Ron pulled him to his feet. The boy's dark blue eyes never left Josie, she thought they looked scared, but then who wouldn’t be scared when they were being arrested, she thought. 

A few minutes later the familiar siren of a police car echoed down the abandoned alley and Ron guided the boy out of the building. 

“Everyone ok?” asked their sergeant as he stepped out of the patrol car. Josie motioned to Ron as she grabbed the boy and led him to the back of the squad car. Ron began to explain what had happened as Josie leaned the boy against the car. 

“One more check,” she said, pretending to search his pockets again. 

Josie looked over the top of the car, making sure the other two couldn’t hear her. 

“What’s this?” she asked in a whisper, holding up the small stick. The boy's eyes widened as the base of the stick began to glow. Josie shoved it back into her pocket. 

“It’s a wand isn’t it!” she whispered, excitedly. The boy shook his head as if trying to convince her she was wrong, his eyes darting around fearfully, looking for anyone who may have heard.

“Sorry,” she whispered, lowering her voice again.

“Why did you shoot at us,” she asked, checking Ron and the sergeant once more.

“Not here,” came the low whispered reply. 

“Josie opened her mouth, about to ask another question when the sergeant walked around the back of the car.

“Let’s get him back to the station, Josie,” he said. 

The boy was loaded into the car and Josie watched as they drove off, the boys eyes still fixed on her through the window as they pulled away. 

Josie followed Ron back to their car and they drove back to the station in silence. 

Josie spent the rest of the evening trying to write her incident report. She knew she had been shot at, but she couldn’t say it had been from a wand, she would be the laughingstock of the station. She already had a less-than-perfect reputation, an orphan from a crime-infested housing district, her record had been sealed only because she was too young to charge with anything that would stick. She had worked her way from parking enforcement to beat-cop and now had her eyes set on becoming a detective, intent on making some kind of difference in the world that had abandoned her. 

 Josie settled on “weapon,” avoiding the words “wand” and “magic”, but not calling it a taser either. 

She was the last of the day shift officers to leave that night, filing her report and heading out through the main entrance.

“Night J,” she said waving at the officer manning the night desk as she left.

J looked up and smiled, before waving her over. 

“Check this out,” he said, holding up an all-points bulletin with a familiar-looking picture. 

“APB for your kid,” he said, turning it back over and reading the description. 

“Wanted in connection with the killing of 3 police officers, Oliver is a 17 year old boy, considered armed and very dangerous. Do not approach, contact government law enforcement immediately.” 

Josie frowned.

“Murder, really?” she asked, more to herself than to J.

She stuck her hand in her pocket and felt the stick.  

“J, can you do me a favor,” she asked, forcing the biggest smile she could. 

“Can I talk with the kid?”

“Tonight?” J asked, a worried look crossing his face. 

Josie just smiled back.  

“You know we’re not supposed to do that,” he said in a defensive tone. 

“You don’t want those government police goons to take credit for another one of our takedowns do you?” she asked, her eyes locked with his. 

J looked around at the empty office before leaning closer to Josie.

“If anyone asks, you snuck in there without my knowledge,” he said. 

“You're the best!’ Josie replied as she ran off toward the holding cells. 

Oliver was still awake when Josie opened the holding cell door. Straight-faced, sitting on a mattress pushed against the back wall, his eyes followed her across the room when she entered. 

“You’re in a lot of trouble,” she began, meeting his eyes. They didn’t flinch, but stared back at her, the blueness of them unnerved her.

“Murder,” she said, the boy's eyes widened.

“The government police are going to take you away unless you tell me what happened.”

He turned his head as if in despair.

“You can’t help me,” he said, his tone was dry, he sounded resigned to his fate.

“Why didn’t you kill my partner and me?” She asked, “I don’t think you’re a murderer,” she added. 

“I shot you didn’t I?” The boy asked, still staring at the floor, the steady rise and fall of his chest the only movement he made.

“Yeah,” said Josie standing, “but that was a stunning spell, wasn’t it, you didn’t want to kill anyone?”

The boy’s head rose at the word “spell”, but he didn’t say anything. 

Josie pulled the small stick from her pocket and watched as the base of it began to glow in her hand. Oliver stared, his expression unchanged. 

“It’s a wand, isn’t it? She asked. 

His eyes flicked between the wand and her face. 

“Are you one of them?” he asked, ignoring her question.

“Them?” she repeated her eyebrows rising. 

Through the open door she heard J’s voice and then footsteps coming down the corridor.  

Josie hurried to the door, closing and locking it. 

“Tell me how it works,” she said, turning back to Oliver.

A moment later, the handle rattled, as someone tried to open the door.

“It’s locked!” came a voice from the other side. 

“Force it open,” said a second voice. 

There were loud thumps and the door to the cell shook. 

“I can help you,” Josie said, striding across the room. 

A terrified look consumed the boy's face but still, he said nothing. 

“Tell me!” hissed Josie. At that moment someone outside the door said a word she couldn’t understand, and there was a bright flash followed by a loud bang. Splinters exploded everywhere and the door flew open. Three men in expensive suits walked in. Josie watched as the first one through the door put something long and pointed under his coat. 

“Who are you?” Josie asked, hoping the fear in her voice didn’t show.

“Government Police,” answered the second man, “Sorry about the mess, thought the boy may have overpowered you.” 

“This boy is not dangerous,” replied Josie. 

The three men just smiled at her. 

“We’ll take this from here,” said the second. 

Josie looked back at the boy, she could see fear in his eyes as he cowered on the bed. 

“Do you have the transfer paperwork,” she asked, trying to buy herself more time. 

The first man looked at her and then back to the second who reached into his jacket and pulled out a wrinkled piece of paper.

“You’ll find everything is in order,” he said, handing it to Josie.  

She skimmed the document, landing on the name of the boy, who was called “Ollie” in this document, and finally the signatures of not only the commissioner but the governor as well.

Josie looked back at the boy, a memory flashed through her mind. A young girl sitting on a bed much like this at a Juvenile detention center.   

The first man was speaking again, “Any issues?” He asked.

“You got the governor's signature,” she said, handing the document back to the second man, “we only brought him in a few hours ago.”

The men exchanged glances before the first man spoke again.

“Dangerous criminal, the governor wanted to make sure he doesn't escape again.”

Again, Josie thought as she walked back to the boy. 

“I’m almost done, just need to wrap up our paperwork and you can have him.” She said.

More glances between the three.

“You have one minute,” the first man said.

Josie sat down next to the boy. 

“Do you mind waiting outside?” she asked, looking back up at the three men. 

The first man surveyed the room, then, seeming satisfied with what he saw, he nodded to the others and they exited, standing in a semicircle outside the broken doorway. 

Josie turned to the boy.

“Ollie,” she whispered, “This is your last chance for me to help you,”

“Give me the wand,” he whispered, raising his hand slightly. 

“You know I can’t do that,” she replied, “just tell me how it works.” 

The boy looked at the men and then back at Josie.

“Times up,” said the first man from the doorway.

“That wasn’t enough….” started Josie, but before she could continue Ollie had pulled her back to him. 

“Point and say the word ‘somnum‘,” he whispered. 

The first man grabbed his arm. 

“You have to mean it,” Ollie added just before the third man had his other arm and he was spun away from Josie. 

The first man watched as the other two handcuffed Ollie. 

“Your office will have our report tomorrow afternoon,” he said. 

Josie clenched the wand in her pocket, the dialogue in her head racing.

Suppose it doesn't work, she thought. Or worse, it kills them all?

Time was running out, the men had Ollie on his feet.

It’s now or never, she thought, but Ollie was in the way.

“One more thing,” she said. 

The two men shoved Ollie into the hallway and stopped, turning their heads to Josie. 

“Just wanted to know if you have any openings in your department?” She asked 

“Sorry, no openings at the moment,” said the first man curtly.

“We don’t accept your kind anyway,” added the second, his eyes moving up and down her body. 

“We’re just too different,” added the third, speaking for the first time with an evil-looking grin.

Josie returned the smile through clenched teeth, her right hand gripping the wand in her pocket.

The three men turned to the door and Josie pulled out the wand.

“Somnum,” she whispered, nothing happened. 

She looked at the wand, it was glowing blue now and brighter than before. 

She stretched out her arm. 

“Somnum!” she yelled. Two things happened in quick succession. 

A bright blue silent light shot from the tip of the wand, engulfing the 3 men in a cloud of blue smoke, a half second later they had fallen into a pile on the ground.

Josie dropped the wand. 

What have I done, she thought, raising her hands to cover her gaping mouth.  

Ollie poked his head from behind the door frame, having jumped out of the way when he heard her yell. 

Gingerly he stepped over the men as he came back into the holding cell, a smile stretched across his face. 

“Amazing,” he said with a grin. “Was that your first time?”

“They're not…” Josie trailed off surveying the bodies on the floor. 

Ollie rummaged through the jacket pockets of the first man and pulled out another wand, thicker than the one Josie had used, and a few inches longer.

“Dead?” finished Ollie, holding the wand up to the light. 

“No, just sleeping, should be out for an hour or so.”

“Who are you?” asked Josie looking back at Ollie. 

Ollie poked his head out the door and checked both sides of the hallway before answering. 

“I’m a scrutator,” he said as if the word meant anything to Josie. 

“A what?” She replied. 

“It’s like a scout or investigator,” he said, going through the pockets of the other men now. 

Josie was still confused.

“But who do you work for?” she asked.

Ollie paused for a second before answering. 

“Hard to explain,” he said, “kind of like the resistance.”

Jose was filled with questions, “Who are you resisting?” she asked, leaning in, the longing she had hoped the police job would fulfill stirring in her gut again.

“People who use their power to hurt instead of help, I guess” replied Ollie.

“Can I join?” Asked Josie, the excitement of the magic she had used and the hope of making a real difference building inside her.

“Our leaders don’t accept just anyone,” he said, eyeing the clock on the wall. 

“I’m not just anyone,” said Josie, “you saw me use the wand, I bet not everyone can do that.” 

Ollie looked at her for a few seconds. 

“Having someone in the police could help a lot,” She added.

“Ok,” he finally said. “I’ll tell them about you and if they think you’d be helpful they’ll be in contact.”

 “Now,” he continued, “I need to leave.”

“You can’t leave me like this,” Josie said, “they’ll know it was me.”

“True,” Ollie said, tapping the end of his wand to his lips a few times.

“I got it,” he said. 

“I’ll put you to sleep, then when you all wake up they’ll just think I got the jump on them.”

“What about the wand,” Josie asked, picking it up off the floor where she had dropped it.

“You should keep that,” Ollie said. 

“Anywhere you can hide it, in case they search you?”

Josie thought for a moment. 

“Yes,” she said and ran from the room. 

She hid the wand in the women's locker room before returning to the holding cell. 

“Ready?” asked Ollie. 

“I guess,” said Josie. 

The last thing she saw was a blue flash and then a fitful, dreamless sleep.