TEMPERANCE | jack wilder

ix. the new horseman

"The Eye, it may not lie but don't think for a moment it can't be lied to. Seeing is believing but is it the truth? People see the Horsemen as noble Robinhoods, are they? Or are they common thieves? Depends on your point of view, here's what you know. They robbed a bank in Paris from a stage in Las Vegas, they've fleeced an insurance magnet of hundreds of millions of dollars and disappeared from a roof in New York, always showering their devoted fans with money. Here's what you don't know. They left one man behind, framed, holding the bag. Me. Are you listening, Horsemen? When you emerge, and you will, I will be there, waiting, because mark my words, you will get what's coming to you. In ways, you can't expect but very much deserve because one thing I believe in is an eye for an eye."

Evelynn turned off her phone and threw it on the couch. "He's so dramatic," she groaned out as she buried her face into her hand. Jack chuckled at her from his spot next to Merritt. They recently moved to an abondoned auto-shop, of sorts. So there were old cars everywhere.

"How about instead of stalking Bradley's website, you try to learn a thing or two from me?"

"I mean, he's in jail," she continued, pretending she never heard Jack talk. "How does he have access to the Internet? I even saw a bookshelf in his room. That's insane! How does he have more freedom than we do?"

Merritt rolled his eyes, "The guy made millions, what did you expect?"

"I guess, you're right. It'd be fun to see him miserable, though."

"Okay," Jack announced. "Back to the lesson."

Evelynn got up and walked over to them. Today, was card learning day so Jack was the teacher. She stood next to Merritt as Jack started to talk. "It's all in the wrist," he explained as he threw a card. It flew perfectly from the front window to the back of the old and worn out car. "Let, the momentum of the card do the work for you."

He continued to throw each and everyone one of them amazingly, "Mm-hm." Merritt agreed, watching.

"This last one I call the Stall." He threw the card behind his back and picked it up with his other hand throwing it so that the card stopped on the trunk of the car.

Merritt whistled, "Not bad, but do you want to see a thing of beauty?"

"I do indeed," Jack responded.

"Here we go," Merritt threw his card. Instead of doing what Jack's did, it fluttered lifelessly to the ground. He turned to Jack smiling.

Jack began to nod at him, "That's good. No, no, it's good to be positive despite making zero progress in the last year. Evelynn you give it a go."

Evelynn took the card from his hand and was actually better than the last time. "You're kind of making progress," Jack sugar-coated.

Evelynn rolled her eyes at him and sighed.

"Whereas when it comes to hypnotism," he addressed Merritt. "The student has almost become the master." Evelynn snorted at his false claims.

"I like your confidence," Merritt started out. "But you might say you have the better teacher."

"You know you're right, you're right," Jack said with a strained smile while flicking his cards. "You're teacher definitely, doesn't know what he's doing."

Jack grabbed one of the cards he flicked in the air and showed it to Merritt. "By the way, was this your card yesterday?"

"In fact, it was," answered Merritt.

"That so?" Jack asked cockily taking the card and throwing it through the car, perfectly, yet again.

"You guys are salty as hell," she commented.