by Nathan Howe
Burning rested in the passenger seat. “Where is this one?”
“It’s about a thirty-minute drive.”
Unlike Cynosure, that meant it was miles away. As they rode the landscape changed from the small buildings of the city to open farmland with crops passing them by, Burning had no idea what they were. Soon they would be gone. The growing season was ending.
They pulled up a dirt driveway longer than any in the city. At the end a late model car sat, rust covered the car. Not to mention the fact it could use a few trips through a car wash.
Burning exited the Hero Coalition car. “What do we know about this one?”
High-Powered walked around the front after leaving the driver’s seat. “Jackie Watson. Forty-Five. Inherited the land from her parents. Has a few farm hands that do most of the work.”
“How long has she been missing?” Burning ascended the front steps to a porch that covered the front of the house. It held a swing and a few tables. It was littered with cigarette butts.
“Workers found the place empty this morning, but according to police, they don’t see her every day. Today they had a meeting she didn’t show up for, so they checked.”
“Great. No real timeline to speak of.”
“Nope. Sorry partner.”
Inside, the house held no surprises. Deja vu. The third house with a violent struggle inside. Pictures torn from the walls, scattered on the floor broken. The sofa turned over. Tables broken, glass shattered. And the familiar markings on the walls. So far, the marks mystified Burning.
High-Powered stopped in front of the first set of markings. He rubbed his chin. “A weapon.”
“Yeah.” Burning continued past. “I’m sure once we see it we’ll feel stupid for not realizing.”
Burned exited the house and stood out back. The home was a waste of time. Nothing to be learned here that they hadn’t at the other places. High-Powered joined him. “She’s most likely already beaten and dead.”
The thought of another victim ached inside Burning. He hung his head. The whole case created a void in him. He left the big city to get away from crazies that did stuff like this. Yet it followed him here. “Yeah. Unless she was taken last night.”
The surrounding area created many avenues for whoever did this to escape unnoticed. Trees lined one side of the property and the fields with vegetation filled the rest. “I’ll search the woods,” High-Powered said.
“Okay.” Burning marched to the north and the fields while High-Powered proceeded to the woods that lay west.
Hours later they returned having found nothing. “I’m getting real sick of this,” Burning said.
“Me too.” High-Powered lead the way back to the car. “We should call up Inferno and have him send out help.”
Burning had contemplated that after the second person’s body showed up. But he wanted to solve this without help, a matter of pride. “Not yet.”
“We got nothing,” High-Powered said.
Burning walked next to the car. He stopped. Off in the distance at the edge of woods, an outline of a man stood, shimmering. “You see that?” Burning pointed in the direction squinting his eyes.
High-Powered turned. “See what?”
“I swear a person stood on the edge of the woods watching us.” Burning scanned the tree line again. This time he didn’t see the shimmering person. “Eyes must be playing tricks on me.”
“Guess so. Let’s get back to the office. Check out the satellite photos on the Coalition database.”
“If they have any. Doesn’t pass over here often.” One of the reasons Burning moved to the city, little surveillance of any kind. Let him disappear, or so he thought. That turned out to be a failure, but a good one. He liked High-Powered even with his flaws.
“I know,” High-Powered said. During the ride back, High-Powered’s phone rang a few times. The local police seeking updates and leads the duo didn’t have. As much as Burning wanted to aid them, he did this more for himself than the police. He hated people going missing, hated more that they ended up dead. For Burning, that was the ultimate attack the worst, a complete violation of a person. At least none of them had been tortured or raped that would have put him over the top.
At the office, an officer stood at the door. “Chuck,” High-Powered said. Burning had trouble remembering the name. He’d get it down soon. Chuck was a barrel-chested man, with a bushy mustache over his otherwise chiseled face. “I told you we found nothing new.”
Chuck nodded. “I know,” he said with a high-pitched voice that caught Burning off guard. “The captain is on my ass. Need to solve this. You got to find this Ardent.”
“I’m not one hundred percent it’s an Ardent,” Burning said. “Could be a group of kids.”
“Yeah. Yeah.” Chuck rolled his eyes. He didn’t believe it. His mind appeared settled to Burning. Had to be an Ardent only they do evil nasty things. “No sign it’s not either.”
“I’m just saying until I have definitive evidence I’m keeping my options open,” Burning said. The officer crinkled his nose.
“Always a good idea,” High-Powered said. “You have anything else?”
“I do. A message left at the front desk for you.” Chuck handed a sealed envelope. It only had Hero Coalition on it. Nothing else.
“Any idea who left it? It has no name.”
Chuck shrugged. “Nope. See you later.”
Burning entered the office with High-Powered right behind carrying the mystery envelope. “I got the distinct impression Chuck doesn’t like us,” he said once the door was closed.
“No, you don’t think?” High-Powered laughed. He carried the package eyeing it.
“Ha ha. Are you going to open that?”
“No. I thought I’d stare at it all day.”
Burning glared at him. High-Powered’s mood had shifted during this case. He, too, was feeling the pressure from the murdered people. Before the Wolves arrived, this had been a cushy assignment. “Okay.”
High-Powered walked over to the secure area of the office. Each Hero Coalition office or building had a room set up to contain most biological, chemical, and regular explosions. It wasn’t perfect, but it provided a sense of security. High-Powered placed the envelope in position and left, sealing the room closed.
They watched on a monitor as the advanced robotics scanned and then opened the envelope.
“Guess it’s safe,” Burning said. “Fastest scan I’ve seen in a while.”
“Thank God.” High-Powered walked the door. “Imagine the grief we would have got if the thing exploded and shook the building.”
“I would have blamed Chuck. He delivered it.”
“That’s cruel. It would give him yet another reason to dislike us.”
“I’m sure he doesn’t need any more.”
They walked into the room and read the single piece of paper.
I see you. You are next. My last test. You have one day, be afraid.
Burning’s skin tingled, his heart raced, and his hands went numb. This frightened him. He read it a few times, turning the paper over, looking for anything else. Nothing. “That’s ominous,” he said. The missing people had worried him, but this threat frightened him.
“Just a little.” High-Powered left the room. “We’ll send it down to Azure City. They can go over it with a fine-toothed comb.”
“Won’t be fast enough.” A day didn’t give them much time to figure out what was going on. The whole test stuff confused Burning. And he was the last one. Didn’t sit well with him at all. “We have to nip this in the bud as soon as possible.”
“Agreed.” High-Powered made a call and set up a delivery for a speedster to arrive to pick it up. Azure City was a drive, but luckily the Hero Coalition had a few people who ran fast, they’d be here in twenty minutes.
Burning sat at his desk. So far all he’d brought in to personalize it was a plant. He didn’t plan on anymore. “Think this is related to the missing people and deaths?”
/> High-Powered nodded. “Don’t you?”
It would be one hell of a coincidence if it weren’t. Too close to it all especially with the mention of a test. The only thing that troubled Burning was the lack of any notes found at the houses of the others. “I do. Figure the murders were the first test. We are the end. Only leans to prove Chuck right. Ardent,” Burning said.
“Not one hundred percent. But yeah more than likely.” High-Powered looked at the clock. “Let’s go out.”
As they stepped out, a blur of blue streaked to a stop in front of the building. A tall, thin Ardent with dark skin that was barely visible in his deep blue uniform covered in pads stood in front of them. His uniform had a pattern that looked vaguely familiar to Burning, but he couldn’t place it.
“Slingshot,” the Ardent said. “Got the package?”
He spoke so fast it was hard to understand. A lot of speedsters did that.
High-Powered handed it to him. “Thanks.”
Slingshot saluted. “You’re welcome.” Then he was gone. A blue streak across the street, not many speedsters ran that fast.
High-Powered pivoted back into the building. “I have to tell the police about the note and what it said.”
“Good luck with that. I’m going to go on a walk and see if I can find something.”
“You sure that’s safe?”
“Note said tomorrow. Figure tonight is safe as long as I’m in by midnight.”
“You better be, or you’ll be a pumpkin or something.”
“Or something.” Burning walked toward his place. They hadn’t heard anything about this most recent girl. That troubled him. The previous two had been missing for two days before their bodies turned up. Though they didn’t have a good time line of her going missing. From her home, it could have been this morning or several days ago.
Burning rounded the block to his place. Hanging from the three-story building was a body red with blood. People stood in the street staring at it. A person spotted Burning and ran to him. “You have to do something.”
“We will.” Burning responded, then flipped open his communication device.
“High-Powered.”
“Hey. Found the missing woman.” Burning lowered his voice so those around him wouldn’t hear. “Hanging from my apartment building.”
“Christ. Sending a message.”
It was a message all right. It said I know where you live. “Yeah. I’m not safe at home.”
Not good. Burning had been careful. Doing his best not to be seen entering or leaving the building. That was something he was vigilant about. Even going to the extreme of not leaving in costume. Wearing street clothes over it so no one would realize he was George who worked at the coffee shop.
Sirens sounded from the station, it only took a minute for them to arrive. Amaranthine didn’t have a large force. A situation like this, nearly the full department showed up. If Burning had been a criminal, this would have been a good time for mischief. Four squad cars arrived first, High-Powered shortly after on foot. He whistled as he looked up. “Damn.”
“Yeah. I had hoped to save her.”
“Me too.”
The officers cleared the area and set up police tape. The captain, Victor, walked over with Chuck. Both couldn’t take their eyes off the body. “This mean anything to you two?”
High-Powered glanced at Burning. “Nothing more than to you,” Burning said. “But this along with the message sent sure does. Worried about tomorrow.”
Chuck grinned. “At least this will be over.”
“Careful what you wish for,” Victor said. “If these two lose, we could be in trouble.”
The captain was right. A person able to kill three people and had the fortitude to taunt members of the Hero Coalition was someone you didn’t want in control of the city. Someone like that would be even worse than Quintin, who they drove out not that long ago.
“He won’t,” High-Powered said. “You’re stuck with us.”
Burning appreciated the confidence from his partner. But part of him wondered if he believed it. “We’ll do our best,” Burning said. “We don’t want whoever did this to go free, Ardent or not.”
“Agreed,” Victor said. “You let me know if you need anything.”
Chuck frowned. Burning tried to ignore it. “Will do,” Burning said.
“Let’s get this lady down. She deserves respect,” Victor said.
“Let’s,” Burning said. They went to the roof of the building. They had to wait for the building superintendent to bring the key. Burning and High-Powered offered to break the door open, but the captain vetoed. Whoever put the body up there had tied her off to different parts of the roof, allowing for several people to pull on the ropes to bring her up.
Hours later they delivered Miss Watson to the county morgue. With no family, Burning wasn’t sure what would happen to the body. He hoped she got the proper arrangements, if not, he’d find a way to do it for her.
With his home violated, and unsure if it was safe until the showdown with the person behind this, Burning decided to crash at the Hero Coalition office. They had a cot in there.
“You sure you want to stay here?” High-Powered asked. “You can stay at my place.”
They spent enough time together as it was already. The thought of spending the night was too much.
“No thanks.”
High-Powered tilted his head. “I don’t bite.”
“I’m fine.”
It was late, nearly midnight. Burning wanted to get rest. Before any attack. The note rattled him even more after the body on his home. Twice now people found his home. This problem required fixing. Burning had no problems like this at all in Cynosure, something about a small town. He must stand out. Whatever it was, he wanted to figure it out so to stop it. Otherwise, he’d have to leave, and he had no desire to.
The next morning, he woke stiff. The cot was firmer than concrete. He’d have been more comfortable in a chair. Next, he’d do that instead. High-Powered walked in at six sharp. He carried two cups from the coffee shop. “Thirsty?”
Burning nodded. “Thanks.”
High-Powered reached out, and Burning snatched the cup.
“Careful it’s hot.”
Burning downed it in one gulp. “If you say so.”
“Sometimes I forget heat doesn’t bother you.”
“I’m sure heat can get me. Just haven’t found the temperature yet.”
“Hope you never do.”
“Me too. So, when or where do you think this test will be?”
“I wish I knew.” Both stood staring out the lone window the office provided watching the sun rise.
High-Powered sipped his coffee.
A minute or so later High-Powered comm’s device activated. He turned on the speaker, “Go ahead, boss.”
Inferno’s voice sounded from the speaker, “The paper was almost completely clean. No foreign materials. Only a lone fingerprint.”
“Seriously?” Burning said.
“Yes Burning. The experts said it appears to be deliberate.”
Sounded about right to him. “Who did it belong to?” Burning asked.
“Real name unknown, but codename Dark Son. Powers unknown. We’ll send last known photo, but it’s five years old.”
“Thanks, boss,” High-Powered said. Then deactivated the device. “Not much to go on.”
A photo printed out from their printer. High-Powered picked it up and took the picture in before handing it over to Burning.
It was just his face. Nothing jumped out to Burning. An average-looking guy with pale skin. In the photo, he had dark brown eyes, black hair and wore a headband with a martial arts logo that Burning didn’t recognize.
“He might know martial arts,” High-Powered said.
“Might. Otherwise, this could be anyone.”
High-Powered nodded. “Hit the streets?” he asked.
“Might as well.”
Together they left. With no plan, they
walked north from city hall, it was less populated in that direction. If the attack was to be a surprise, Burning hoped for it to occur in a place with fewer people. On the edge of town after an hour of walking, the morning had shifted from twilight to day. Burning relaxed, but still kept a firm grip on the hilt of his katana.
High-Powered stopped. “You see that?” He pointed to a lone figure in the street, carrying a long metal staff.
Dark Son.
“Yeah. And a staff. That made the marks. How did I not realize that?” Burning had seen a few members of the Coalition use staffs, but never in tight spaces like the people’s houses. But still, should have figured it out.
“You’re right. Man, that’s bad.”
“Told you it would be something obvious.”
High-Powered activated his Ardent ability. The air shimmered around him, drawing energy as he walked. He glowed slightly. Burning burst into flames, his sword ready for anything. They closed the gap between. They stopped twenty paces away. It was then that Burning realized Dark Son wasn’t alone. Off to the side about fifty feet back stood a lone woman.
“Who’s that?” High-Powered asked.
“You’re kidding, right?” Burning recognized her immediately. It sent chills down his spine. They stood no chance today. Even if they somehow managed to beat Dark Son, she’d destroy them in seconds. She wore the familiar uniform of Ashes’ inner circle. She was a high-ranking member from Diablo Island. “Elixir.”
“We’re screwed.” High-Powered took a step back. Now truly terrified.
Dark Son laughed. “Don’t be scared. I’ll end you quickly.”
“It’s not I’m scared of you,” High-Powered said with as much courage as he could muster. Still, his eyes lingered on Elixir.
She made both Burning and High-Powered feel powerless.
“You should be.” Dark Son wore an armored uniform with pads on his shins, shoulders and elbows, dark maroon. He shimmered in front of them. Then mostly disappeared.