by Lucas Flint
“Oh, and did I forget to mention they’ve got a bomb squad set up to take care of that nasty little bomb of yours in case you somehow manage to get past all of that?” said Christina. “I mean, you can still go ahead with your plan as is, but that’s kind of like walking into a lion’s den after covering yourself with meat. Sure, you can still go in, but it’s not very smart.”
“And you came all the way here to tell us that?” I said.
“Of course,” said Christina. “It’s part of my betrayal of Icon, you see. I knew that if you went there as is, you would either be killed or captured, which is exactly what Icon wants. Because I want to see Icon burn, I decided it would totally mess up their plans if you knew about their defenses ahead of time.”
“But how could Icon know about our plan?” said Gina. “We haven’t even told anyone about it yet.”
“Icon has agents everywhere, girl,” said Christina, “including more than a few in the Bright Light Hotel where you guys stayed. Trust me, when Icon wants to know something, they get to know it, no matter how carefully kept that secret is.”
I couldn’t disagree with that. Icon had managed to find out my secret identity, despite my best efforts to keep it, well, secret. Learning about our plan for the assault on their island seemed like child’s play in comparison to that. “Meaning that, if we leave now, we’d be walking into a trap.”
“Right,” said Christina. “See, you’re catching on after all. Guess you’re smarter than I thought.”
I looked up at Uncle Josh. “What do you think, uncle? Do you think she’s telling the truth?”
Uncle Josh folded his arms in front of his chest. “At this point, I think so. I’ve fought Icon for years, remember, and what she just described to me makes a lot of sense and fits in with my previous conflicts with them. Icon’s intelligence gathering operation is second only to the CIA and sometimes even surpasses it. We’d be a fool to ignore what Christina just told us because we’re not entirely sure we can trust her one hundred percent.”
“Then what should we do?” said Gina, rubbing her hands together anxiously. “Abort the mission and come up with a new plan?”
“You guys can do that if you want,” I said. “Me, I’m going to go to Icon no matter what kind of defenses they have. I can’t turn back now.”
“Actually, I think you guys should go there anyway,” said Christina, “but on one condition: You bring me with you.”
“Why?” said Uncle Josh, eying Christina suspiciously. “How could you possibly help us?”
“Because I know all of Icon’s defenses inside and out,” said Christina. “I know where their security is strongest and where it is weakest. I know the best way to circumnavigate their security without them even being aware of it. And, before you ask why, it’s for the same reason I just told you what I did: Because I want to see Icon burn.”
I still didn’t trust Christina, but I knew that Uncle Josh was ultimately in charge of this mission. He was stroking his chin now, clearly considering the pros and cons of bringing Christina along with us. I hoped he said no, but at the same time, Christina made a very strong argument for why she should be brought along. It would definitely be useful to have an ex-Icon agent on our side, especially one who was familiar with all of the ins and outs of Iconia’s security systems.
“All right,” said Uncle Josh at last. “You can come with us and help us figure out how to get past Iconia’s security systems.”
“Excellent,” said Christina, flashing a smile at Uncle Josh. “Very wise. I—”
“But,” Uncle Josh said, interrupting Christina as if she hadn’t said anything, “you have to agree to be under our watch at all times, and if you try anything … and I do mean anything … to interfere with our mission, we’ll kill you before you even know it. Got it?”
Chillingly, Christina’s smile did not even waver upon hearing that. “No problem, Joshua. I hereby promise to be on my best behavior and not cause any trouble with you guys or your very important mission. You can count on me.”
CHAPTER SIX
As per our agreement with Christina, we tied her hands together with some thick rope we found on the deck of the ship in which I fought Scourge. She didn’t protest or even say anything as Mack bound her hands with some of the tightest and most elaborate knots I’d ever seen. She tugged at them slightly, but it was a pretty half-hearted effort that only served to prove that she couldn’t break them. Even so, I was well aware of her powers and decided to keep a close eye on her in case she tried to use her energy ropes to escape.
“Now, everyone, let’s get into the Diver,” said Uncle Josh. He gestured at the sub. “I’ll go in first.”
Uncle Josh unscrewed the hatch and climbed down the ladder inside. Gina went in next, followed by Mack, leaving just Christina and me standing on the deck.
Christina glanced at me. “You go first, kid. I’ll come in after you.”
I shook my head. “No, you first.”
Christina smiled. “Afraid I’ll run off when all of you guys are in the sub?”
“I’m more afraid I’ll have to catch you again and break your legs instead of your arms this time,” I responded. “I doubt that would be very fun for you.”
Christina just shrugged in response to that, but climbed down the hatch next anyway, where Mack met her at the bottom and helped her down, due to the fact that her bound hands made it hard for her to climb very well. Then I went in last and closed the hatch behind me, screwing it shut once I was inside.
Then I climbed down the rest of the ladder and, upon reaching the bottom, looked around at my new surroundings to get my bearings.
The Diver was not as narrow as I thought, though it was basically shaped like a long hallway extending for a good amount in either direction. The walls were made of a thick metal and the air down here was cold and somewhat damp, though I could feel the temperature rising, perhaps in response to the activation of the Diver’s engines, even though I couldn’t hear them at the moment.
“All right, Christina,” said Mack. “You’re going into the back until we reach Iconia, okay?”
“Sounds fine by me,” said Christina. “Will it be just me and you or—?”
“Actually, I’m going to keep an eye on you,” said Gina, folding her arms across her chest. “Just some girl time between the two of us.”
Christina grimaced. “Ugh. I never liked girl time when I was a girl and I still don’t like it now.”
“Don’t care,” said Gina. “Come with me.”
Gina grabbed Christina’s arms and pulled her along behind her with surprising roughness. Mack and I just stood there together, watching as the two women passed through the door to the back and closed it shut behind them.
“Gina can be pretty mean sometimes, can’t she?” I said, glancing at Mack.
“She’s just jealous,” said Mack, shaking his head. “Probably doesn’t want Christina flirting with me. Not that I blame her, because I don’t like it when guys flirt with Gina, either.”
“Yeah, same here,” I said. “I’d rather Christina keep calling me a brat than flirt with me. Not that she’s ugly or anything, but I’m not really into psychotic girls.”
“Wise man,” said Mack, nodding. “I dated a crazy girl once and it was an experience I’ll never quite forget. Gina is the sanest woman I’ve dated, even though she can be kind of crazy sometimes.”
“I noticed,” I said. “Anyway, where’s Uncle Josh?”
“Probably in the cockpit up front preparing the sub,” said Mack. “You should go check. I’m going to double-check the hatch to make sure it’s sealed, as well as check the rest of the sub for any potential problems before we head out.”
I nodded and walked up to the front of the sub, which was behind a door. Opening the door, I found Uncle Josh sitting in the cockpit, just as Mack said he would be, with a dazzling variety of buttons, switches, and screens that looked like something straight out of a science fiction spaceship to me. Uncle Jos
h, on the other hand, did not seem to be even remotely confused by the control board, because he was flipping switches, pressing buttons, and adjusting dials as if he did this sort of thing every day.
“Are we ready to take off, uncle?” I said as I closed the door behind me.
Uncle Josh glanced over his shoulder at me. “Oh, hi, Jack. Yes, I’d say we’re just about ready to go. It will be just a few more minutes, I think.”
“Have you piloted a submarine before?” I said, coming to a stop beside Uncle Josh and staring at the control panel. “It looks so complicated.”
“Yes, I’ve piloted submarines before,” said Uncle Josh. “And airplanes and trains and race cars and pretty much every other kind of vehicle you can name. Working as a spy for Pinnacle means there’s never a dull moment.”
“Wow,” I said. “You really have lived a pretty exciting life, huh?”
“To say the least,” said Uncle Josh. He sighed. “Sometimes, though, I wish I could live a lifestyle closer to your dad’s. Don’t tell him I said this, but I think he made the wiser choice in marrying your mom and starting a family, even if that means he’s never going to see even half the stuff I’ve seen on my travels around the world.”
I frowned. “Why would you say that?”
Uncle Josh stopped messing with the control board for a second and looked at me. “Traveling the world and fighting bad guys is fun and all, but it does get tiring after a while. I never stay in one place for too long, always on the move to the next city or state or even country. Don’t even get me started on all of the times I’ve risked my life. I’ve nearly died or been killed more times than I can count.”
“My dad’s work is pretty risky sometimes, too,” I said. “He’s got a lot of stories of getting injured or almost killed on the construction site.”
“That’s different, though,” said Uncle Josh. “Construction companies take great pains to make sure their workers don’t get hurt and they can be sued to oblivion if they don’t. My job pretty much means that ‘safety’ is an illusion.” He sighed. “Not that a hard hat would be very useful against guys shooting at you, I guess.”
“Well, you’re still doing good work,” I said. “If this mission goes well, Grandfather will be back in Rumsfeld with the rest of us.”
Uncle Josh nodded. “True, but I doubt I’ll get much time to spend with y’all. Once this mission is over, my boss will want me to jump into the next mission right away. Knowing him, it will probably be even more dangerous than this one.”
I wondered what kind of mission could be even more dangerous than blowing up Iconia, but decided not to ask, because Uncle Josh would just say it was classified, assuming he even knew what it was himself yet.
“But whatever,” said Uncle Josh, shaking his head. He resumed playing with the control panel. “I’ve made my choice and your dad has made his. The best we can do is just play the cards we’ve been dealt and try to live our lives the best we can. No point in obsessing over the past. That’s what I always say.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” I said. “But you know you can come by the house and talk to us anytime you want, you know? Our door is always open to you, no matter how long you’ve been away.”
Uncle Josh smiled slightly when I said that. “I know, Jack, but thanks for the reminder anyway. Family is the most important. Never forget that.”
I nodded. “Don’t worry, Uncle, I won’t.”
Just as I said that, the entire submarine suddenly started vibrating and Uncle Josh grinned like a hyena. “Engine is a go! Tell Gina and Mack to strap in, because we’re about to head out and I want to make sure none of us get hurt on our way to Iconia.”
I nodded again and ran out of the cockpit, but I stopped briefly and looked over my shoulder at Uncle Josh one last time before I left. His attention was focused on the switches and buttons before him, seemingly unaware of everything else. Despite the smile on his face, I could tell that he was still a little sad about what we just talked about.
I wished I could help him, but there wasn’t really anything I could do to help. Uncle Josh could still get married, I guess, but I wondered if he was too old to have children. Maybe that was why he cared about me so much, because I was the son he didn’t have.
CHAPTER SEVEN
The next several hours were among the most boring of my entire life. According to Uncle Josh, the Diver could move very quickly through the water and, with Iconia’s coordinates entered into the sub’s computers, it would not be very long before we arrived. I had thought ‘not very long before we arrived’ meant something like maybe a couple of hours, but given how many hours passed as we sped through the water, I figured he meant something more like six hours or so.
It didn’t help that I was starting to get claustrophobic. The Diver was surprisingly smooth for a submarine, but at the same time, it would still shake every now and then whenever we ran into a current or if the engines increased their power. Every time it shook, my stomach lurched, but I never threw up even once. I had never ridden on a submarine before, so this was the first time I’d felt a lot of these sensations and they made me feel really sick. I just hoped that I would be able to hold my lunch down until we got to Iconia, because I didn’t want to think of how nasty the Diver would smell if I threw up in this enclosed space.
I didn’t spend the entire time by myself, however. I spent a lot of time with Mack and Gina, while occasionally wandering toward the cockpit to hang out with Uncle Josh and find out the progress of our journey. Unfortunately, even that did little to alleviate my symptoms, because Mack and Gina rotated regularly in regards to guard duty with Christina, apparently because they still did not trust her enough to leave her alone for any meaningful period of time. I didn’t blame them. Though Christina had so far been a good little prisoner who hadn’t even tried to break her ropes, I was still convinced that Christina was just lying to us and that she had some deeper, ulterior motive for joining us. What that motive was, I couldn’t say, but I doubted it was anything as noble as defeating Icon.
But I did learn some things about Mack and Gina during our trip. Mack had apparently been in the US military for a decade before being honorably discharged, after which he became the superhero known as Bulldozer and worked in the greater Chicago area.
“Greater Chicago area?” I said, sitting next to Mack on the bench in the middle of the sub. Mack had just returned from his shift guarding Christina and Gina had already gone inside the makeshift cell to do her shift. “Don’t you just mean Chicago?”
“Nah, man,” said Mack, shaking his head. “I wasn’t the only superhero of Chicago. The city’s got about five, at least it did back when I was working there. At its height, Chicago actually had twenty, though their financial problems over the last decade or so means they can’t afford as many as they used to.”
“Interesting,” I said. “I thought that each city had just one superhero.”
“Smaller cities and towns, like Rumsfeld, do,” said Mack, “but bigger ones like Chicago, New York, and San Francisco have way more. It’s a scale thing. One superhero might be enough to defend a city the size of Rumsfeld, but there’s no way one superhero could defend all of New York City by himself. Even Baron Glory, back when he was still alive, worked alongside other supers to keep NYC safe.”
I nodded. “Makes sense. It sure would be helpful to have more superheroes to work with, I think. Easier to tackle crime that way.”
“Definitely,” said Mack. “But there’s something to be said about being on your own. Means you don’t have to work alongside other people who may or may not be competent.”
I grinned. “I take it you haven’t had a whole lot of good experiences working with other superheroes?”
Mack sighed and rubbed his forehead. “Don’t even get me started on the idiots I worked with in Chicago. There’s a reason that city is circling the drain, and it isn’t just because of its financial woes. Glad I got out of that city and started working for Pinnacle. Pin
nacle does more meaningful work.”
“Like what?” I said. “I think superhero work is pretty meaningful.”
It was Mack’s turn to smile now. “Come on, kid. You know I can’t tell you what Pinnacle does. Your uncle may be a member of the organization, but that doesn’t mean I can just go and blab all of our deepest, darkest secrets to you. Just know that Pinnacle has averted several would-be catastrophes the likes of which you can’t even comprehend and leave it at that.”
As usual, I found it frustrating that no one in Pinnacle would actually tell me what the organization does. “I see. Can you at least tell me who your boss is? Unless that’s top secret, too.”
“Nah, I can tell you that, man,” said Mack. “The boss is Ephraim Jordan. He founded Pinnacle a long time ago and is one of the smartest men I know. He’s not a super like you or me, but he knows more about the Superpower drug than just about anything I know. He’s even more knowledgeable about the drug’s side effects than the scientist who injected me with the stuff in the first place back in Chicago.”
“Wonder why that is,” I said.
“Not sure,” said Mack with a shrug. “I think he might have been a Superpower scientist before founding Pinnacle, but I know he was a mechanical engineer. And his knowledge of engineering is even more important for this miss—”
Mack suddenly closed his mouth, as if he had almost said something he wasn’t allowed to say.
“What were you about to say, Mack?” I said. “How does Ephraim’s knowledge of engineering help us?”
“Uh, I wasn’t about to say that,” said Mack in a very unconvincing voice. “I was going to say that his knowledge has, er, really helped me personally on some of the missions I’ve been on. He’s a great leader and really helpful. Great guy.”
My suspicions were once again aroused. I was beginning to think that there was more to this mission than just what I had been told. There was the way Mack and Uncle Josh acted back at the hotel and now there was this slip up on Mack’s part. They were clearly hiding something from me, though what, I couldn’t be sure. All I knew for sure was that they had not been entirely upfront with me about the true purpose of the mission. Maybe it wasn’t any of my business, but if I was going to be helping these guys destroy Iconia, then I felt like I had the right to know what else they were planning to do when they got there.