by Francis Tint
“And you’re still in a wheelchair?”
“It’s just a disguise, darling. You should understand that very well, especially for someone with your ability.” He secretly turned on the superpower-dampening device, revealing a blanket covering a fast-asleep child. “Now, hand him over and follow the lady. We will hold up our end of the bargain.”
Kaitlin lifted Sam up, and Julia leaned down to pick up the kid. As Julia lowered her head, Kaitlin caught a glimpse of the brunette wave that Julia was hiding under her wig. Kaitlin held tight to Sam in one hand, and with the other ripped off the wig from Julia’s head.
“I recognize you,” roared Kaitlin. “You were with those punks who crashed my unit.” Smack! Kaitlin struck her elbow at Julia. She stood up from the bench and started to run. Zach flicked out his leg, tripping her on the floor. She fell and dropped the kid with the blanket. Still on the floor, Kaitlin kicked Zach’s wheelchair away from them. As they gained distance, they got out-of-range from Zach’s device and gradually became invisible.
The rest of the group rushed to the rescue. “I can’t see them. She became invisible. Did she get away with the kid?” Tylor asked.
Zach held up the binocular, “She’s getting away, but I don’t see the kid with her. The blanket is right there, but where’s Sam?”
Corey pointed at the river, “There he is. He’s in the water.”
The fast-flowing river was carrying Sam downstream rapidly. Completely awake and totally in panic, Sam struggled to stay afloat as he was being pushed to a waterfall not far ahead.
“We need to do something quick, or we’re going to lose the child!” Rachael urged. The group ran as fast as they could, but failed to catch up with the child in distress.
“Could you do something with your powers?” Blake whispered to Corey.
“I can only summon electricity and wind. He’s flowing way too fast for the wind to counteract his movement. And sparks don’t mix well with water.”
“I brought some of the cryogenic protein, but I won’t be able to throw it far enough. If I toss it now, it will likely freeze the kid over.”
“I got an idea. Give me a vial.” With his eyes closed and his hair turning ivory, he called on a gentle wind to carry the vial. He dropped it just before the edge of the waterfall. Ice was formed and spread across the width of the river, creating a dam-like effect and slowing the waterflow.
Although safe from plummeting off a waterfall, Sam still faced an emerging freezing front that was about to engulf him in frost. Blake threw another vial in front of her to form a frozen slide. She skated across to reach Sam. Right before he’s overwhelmed by the looming ice crystals, Blake picked Sam up from the water, rescuing him from turning into a frozen sculpture.
Biting her nails, Blake stood nervously behind a door in her casual girl-next-door outfit. Maybe a call would be sufficient. Better yet, a text message. Short and sweet.
She took out her phone, continuing her internal debate. How insincere could she get? Apologizing through a text for tying him up? Be brave, she told herself. How hard could it be? Just look him in the eyes, swallow her pride, and say what needed to be said.
Plus, she still had so many questions. His powers were real. She didn’t imagine them. Where had he got them? How had his mom led him to Hermes? What had happened at Hermes?
She tidied her black hair and mustered up the courage to knock on the door. He opened the door in his signature vest and trucker boots. “Hi,” Corey greeted gently.
“Hi,” she said anxiously. “Did I… did I catch you at a bad time?”
“Not at all. Come on in.”
“Hi… um… I guess… I would like to apologize on behalf of all of us for not trusting you earlier. I’m really sorry for tying you up. We’ve returned Sam to Mrs. Welsh, all thanks to you.” She fidgeted as she expressed herself, not quite maintaining eye contact.
“My pleasure,” said Corey, looking at her intently. “Come on in.”
She hesitantly stepped in. Tension built as the clock ticked away. Maybe this was a mistake, she thought to herself. It’s all over now. Why meddle with something that’s clearly none of her business?
She nervously looked around the room, and spotted what looked like a note from security. The message read, “I let you girlfriend in. Hope you didn’t mind.” She felt her face getting warmer. This was way too embarrassing.
Corey followed her gaze and picked up the note. He casually ripped it apart and tossed away the pieces. “I’m sorry about that,” Blake said guiltily.
“No worries. You guys had good reasons to be suspicious of me.”
The fact he was so understanding only made her feel worse about not trusting him in the first place. This was way too much to bear. She blurted out, “I should go now. Sorry about everything. Thanks again.” She turned her body toward the door.
“You came all the way just to apologize?” He put his hand on her shoulder. “Is there anything else you want to talk about?”
She turned her body, and slyly slipped away from him. She headed toward a chair and took a seat. “Um… could I please get a glass of water?”
“Ok.” He returned from the kitchen with the request. “Here you go. I’m all ears. What’s bugging you?”
“Your powers,” she asked finally, “where did they come from? Were you also part of Capacify?”
“No, I was born with them.”
“What? Are there others like you?”
“The girl I’ve mentioned before. Just like you, she could detect signatures of isotopic anomalies.” The shimmering tremor around the ring and Rachael’s eyeglasses. That’s the signature. It had also given her premonitions of the disturbances caused by the anomalies. If it hadn’t been for the vision, Rachael would probably be floating in the stratosphere.
Corey’s eyes lit up as he continued to narrate the past. “We used to hang out with my mom and her dad, Dr. Po, all the time. It was a long time ago. I was barely nine. One day, she pulled a prank on me. I was drinking this cup of water, and she turned it all to ice. Her eyes would sparkle when she used her powers. They were so beautiful. They had a special glow, just like yours, but she had blue eyes.”
Blake blushed at the comment. She had always felt insecure when people complimented her hazel eyes. Corey’s story reminded Blake of the dream she’d had about the little boy and little girl, who shared her name. But there’s no way she was the little girl. There’s no way she’d known Corey from before. Her dad’s not a university professor. He’s an accountant. Her family name’s Lee.
“Did they tell you how you got your powers?”
He shook his head. “I’m not sure if they fully understood them. After I finished school, I started looking into my mom’s work. I wanted to find out what happened to her seventeen years ago. She just vanished. Someone must’ve done something to her.” Corey’s tone became harsher. Anger was buried in his stoic expressions.
Blake wanted to comfort him, but couldn’t find the words.
Corey continued, “It looks like my mom and Dr. Po were trying to formulate a chemical to replicate our powers. I don’t know if they were successful. A few years ago, I came across this patented chemical that’s exactly the same as the one they were working on. The patent now belongs to Hermes. That’s why I started working there. I tried to learn more about it, but didn't get far. I’ve told you everything I know about Capacify.”
As if on cue, a text message notification appeared on Blake’s phone. “Looks like we have a chance to find out more.”
“Thank you for letting me come over,” Rachael said, walking around Zach’s home in delight as she examined the various devices and mechanical gadgets he had invented. Ty and Julia were checking out Kaitlin’s place, and had said they would check in with her later. She couldn’t resist the opportunity to connect with a fellow tech nerd. “So this is the secret Corey and Zach’s mission operations center,” exclaimed Rachael. “So cool.”
“Zach and Corey’s mission
operations center,” he corrected. “It’s my design, my handiwork, my masterplan. Corey’s just the leg-man.”
“How did you learn to do all this?”
“Online videos mostly.”
“How does your superpower-dampening device work exactly?”
“When their powers are activated, their atomic makeup changes and they give off a different frequency. My device really just counteracts the frequency.”
“Oh… same principle as noise cancellation. That’s ingenious!”
A few knocks on the door interrupted the conversation. “I think that’s Ty and Julia,” Rachael invited them in.
“Hey, you mind closing the door?” asked Zach.
“Oh sorry,” Julia apologized. “I could’ve sworn I’ve shut it. Strange.”
“So Kaitlin’s place is a bust,” declared Tylor, “not surprisingly. I didn’t think she would actually go back to her unit and wait for us to show up.”
“Her place looks really trashed,” added Julia. “Like someone’s really out to get this girl.”
“Yes, all thanks to you punks,” a woman materialized in Zach’s place, putting the group on high alert. Tylor immediately charged at the stranger against the wall, restraining her mobility.
“How did you get in?” asked Zach.
“Oh, that was you blocking the door,” explained Julia.
“Yes, I followed you punks from my unit,” Kaitlin revealed honestly. “Because of your shenanigan by the riverfront, Hermes is after me now. Can you guys just give Sam back to me? I don’t want any more trouble.”
“Over my dead body. Seriously, what is Hermes offering you anyway?” Tylor asked.
“They threatened to kill my mom if I didn’t do their dirty work. I’m not a bad person. I just want this to be over,” Kaitlin pleaded.
“A good person does not kidnap a defenseless child,” Rachael added.
No one spoke for a moment. The group was in a deadlock. Julia pondered for a moment, then suggested, “How about we make you a counteroffer?” She walked toward the kidnapper and signaled Tylor to release her. “We will guarantee the safety of you and your mom, if you help us break into Hermes.”
“Are you out of your mind?” everyone including Kaitlin said in unison.
“You know how powerful Hermes is? How can you guarantee our safety?” Kaitlin demanded.
“You want to trust her? How do we know she won’t betray us to Hermes?” Tylor questioned.
“How do you know she’s not a double agent right now, luring Hermes here?” Rachael advised.
“There’s no way we can let Hermes know about this place. It’s our only weapon against them!” Zach protested.
“Silence!” Julia commanded. “Hermes is our common enemy. That needs to unite us. Kaitlin, do you think Hermes is really going to let you out of their radar after you deliver Sam? That’s why you need to work with us, and in return, we will guarantee your safety. It’s your only option.”
“But how are we going to guarantee their safety?” asked Rachael.
“And how are we going to break into Hermes?” asked Tylor.
“Instead of whining, boys and girls, let’s get to work,” Julia instructed with a tone of finality. “Let’s make this happen.”
“Ok,” Rachael said, “as we suspected, they have a number of filters in their security camera system, some of which could detect you even if you’re invisible. Good thing Jule’s asked me to hack into their system before. I left a backdoor open for myself to reenter the system. I’m ready to go.”
“That’s my cue, honey,” said Julia, as she donned a caramel bob-cut wig and a fake Hermes lab coat. Holding some faux documents, she walked into the building, smiling at the security guards and other associates, distracting them with her flirtatious look. She took the familiar path to the mysterious fifth floor, striding audaciously toward a male scientist ahead of her. Just as they brushed past each other, she conspicuously tripped and dropped her documents on the floor.
“Oh damn, silly me,” she said provocatively.
“Here, let me help you with them,” the scientist leaned down and helped her with the documents. She brushed her hair to release the seductive fragrance she was wearing.
“Thank you,” she shrugged charmingly. “You’re too kind.”
“Anytime for a lady like you,” the scientist winked.
She headed back toward the stairs and exited the building. She handed an access card she had just swiped from the scientist to Kaitlin. “It’s your turn, sweetie. Rachael, get ready.”
Kaitlin entered the building and switched on her invisibility power. “I’m in,” she spoke through the concealed earpiece.
“Switching the camera feed,” Rachael narrated. “You’re good to go.”
Kaitlin headed toward the fifth floor soundlessly, avoiding oncoming passersby who were oblivious of her existence. She reached the locked door and checked her surroundings. “I’m about to go in. Anyone on the other side of the door?”
“Nope, you’re good to go.”
Beep. She used the stolen access card to open the door and entered a covert hallway. She headed to Benjamin Jones’s office and turned the computer on. “It’s locked.”
“Give me one sec, bypassing computer security… there you go.”
“Yup, I got in.” Kaitlin confirmed. She plugged in a flash drive. She dragged the icons on the computer to copy everything on the Capacify program. The computer was slowly counting down the time needed to transfer all the files. She tapped impatiently on the desk.
“Someone’s heading in your direction, Kaitlin,” Rachael warned. “Are you almost done?”
“Almost, but not quite…” She stared at the screen intently hoping that would speed up the process. Tap. Tap. Tap. “Damn, I think I can hear the footsteps.”
Rachael scrambled on her computer, trying to find something she could use to distract the intruder. “There must be something I can do,” she muttered to herself.
Clang! Clang!
Clang! Clang!
An alarm was set off. He reached in his pocket for a walkie-talkie, “Can someone look into the alarm please? And also, get the damn system fixed.” He clicked off and walked into the office. By the time he entered, the computer had already been turned off, as if it had never been disturbed.
“Do you think she got out in time?” Julia asked.
“Yes, I did,” Kaitlin replied behind them, materializing into a corporeal form.
“Don’t do that again. Let’s see what you got.”
“Nah… you need to hold up your end of the bargain first.”
“Yo buddy,” Tylor greeted, “so they’re saying the invisible woman might crash the place tonight?”
“I haven’t seen you around before,” the security guard looked up and replied. “Who the hell are you?”
“Oh, I’m new around here. Called in last minute. I guess they need all hands on deck, seriously. So, if she’s invisible, how are we supposed to see her?”
“Not by talking. Just stay alert. They’ll tell us what we need to do.”
The guard was definitely not in the mood for a little chit-chat, but that had already given them enough time to set up the distraction.
“Hey, you see that?” Tylor pointed out.
“What now?”
“There, the footprints on the rug. I bet she’s here!”
“Suspect in sight,” the guard spoke into his walkie-talkie. “South-east wing. Requesting assistance.” A hum followed the transmission, causing some strange reverberation and an uncomfortable sensation. A woman concealed under Kaitlin’s invisible blanket materialized in the area.
“Don’t just stand there like a lamp post. Follow me,” the guard commanded, “and don’t mess up.”
The woman let down the blanket, revealing her hazel eyes in a hoodie. She reached the end of the hallway and made a right.
Tylor and the guard followed her down the aisle. “You sure she turned right? It’s a dead end wit
h no exits. Just some offices.”
“I’m sure,” Tylor said. “Let’s go get her.”
They caught her hiding in an office. Tylor and the guard slowly entered the room as the woman backed herself up against the opposite wall. She pressed her lips together, breathing steadily.
“You’ve got nowhere to go, lady,” the guard taunted. “Surrender now.” Buzz… buzz… The guard anxiously looked around the room. All the lights started flickering violently.
“Woah,” Tylor exclaimed, “is she doing that?”
“She should only be able to become invisible. But you never know what these freaks can do,” the guard replied with a sense of disgust. “Stop it,” he roared, “whatever you’re doing.”
Clank! Sparks shot out from the light, setting various objects in the room on fire. The space started to get warmer. Wiping the sweat off their foreheads, Tylor and the guard slowly backed off, but not leaving the woman out of their sight.
“I think it’s going to blow anytime now. Duck!” Tylor warned.
Boom! A spark was discharged straight to the floor, hitting a ring left intentionally in the middle of the room. Intense light and flames engulfed the office.
“What the heck just happened?” asked Tylor.
“I guess she lost control of her powers.”
“There,” Rachael pointed at the screen and gestured to Kaitlin, “this is now in their security system. You are officially burned to ashes. They won’t be looking for you anymore.”
“There goes the rest of the ring,” Julia lamented.
“These are your new identities,” Zach explained as he handed them over. “Here’s a device that will keep you invisible even if they try to counteract your frequency. And this should help lower your heat signature so you won’t show up under thermal imaging.”
“Thank you very much,” Kaitlin replied graciously. “And be careful. This is dangerous business. Oh, and here, my end of the bargain.” She left the flash drive on the table and departed.
“We got what we need?” Tylor asked as he entered.
“Let me check,” Rachael narrated as she inserted the flash drive on her laptop. “Files intact. Mission accomplished.”