“Andy, do as they say,” Soren pleads with me.
A second later, one of the cops presses the trigger. A blur of energy collides with him, and the bullet meant for my head whizzes by my ear.
I don’t have time to see what happened to Soren before a bolt of electricity hits me in the chest. My muscles spasm as I convulse on the spot. The taste of blood fills my mouth thanks to me biting my own tongue. Eventually, my legs give out from under me and I drop to my side, still shaking nonstop. My chains become numb, and my world returns to complete darkness.
14
Stephan
Thanks to William’s manic driving, we arrive at the scene of the robbery ten minutes after we left his house. We have fake police vehicles for situations like these. The crime happened on a road without a lot of traffic or surveillance cameras. We chose that specific route for that reason, but now it’ll only make finding the culprit more difficult.
The truck with all our weapons was knocked over onto the side of the road. It’s currently lying on its side with the trailer bent in several spots, as if it were hit by giant fists.
“What the hell!” William blurts out as he pulls over.
Headlights shine from behind—Britney’s car. She’s using her own because tonight she’s not playing cop.
“So Idols were behind this,” I mutter.
“Neo Gods?”
“Who else would be interested in weapons able to nullify Idol powers?”
There’s a group of people clustered in front of the truck. A Fringe police officer is taking the driver’s statement. He’s a level six, which means any information he gathers tonight will end up in an endless pile of cases he’ll never solve.
Law enforcement operates in a caste system, just like the rest of our society. Norms, Fringes, and Idols have their own police departments, but whenever the case involves crimes committed by Idols against Norms or Fringes, it never goes anywhere. That’s what power does to people—it corrupts their souls, it strips them of compassion. I was lucky to be born an Idol, but I’m one of the few who sees our gifts as a calling to help those born without.
We get out of the car and stride toward the officer. Britney catches up with us, walking next to me.
“Oh, look. They sent their kindergarten cop to take a statement. What does that tell you?” she asks.
“Loads,” William replies just before we’re within earshot.
The officer stops writing on his notepad and turns. “There’s nothing to see—”
I take out my fake cop ID. “I’m Officer Cooper, and this my partner, Officer Maverick.”
Britney is toning down her power, pretending to be a Fringe. The cop glances at her for a brief moment, then, dismissing her as of inconsequence, switches his attention back to William and me.
“I didn’t realize they were sending Idol officers here.” He narrows his eyes, watching us with suspicion.
His reaction tells me he’s not an ordinary Fringe cop. He’s working for someone way more powerful than he is. Shit. If the Neo Gods are behind this theft, and this guy is receiving orders from them, this changes everything. The Neo Gods preach for Idol supremacy, and until now, we never stopped to consider that they might use Fringes do their dirty work.
“And we didn’t know this was a robbery involving a Fringe,” William says, faking annoyance. “But since we already wasted our time coming here, might as well file a report. Judging by the model of the truck, it probably belongs to an Idol-owned company.”
“I didn’t get that far yet,” the cop replies, still caged.
Ignoring him, I ask the driver, “What were you transporting?”
The blood drains from the man’s face, and his eyes bulge from his skull. I feel bad for putting him in this situation, but we can’t treat him differently than a real Idol cop would.
His shoulders slump forward while he wriggles his fingers together. “I don’t know, sir. I’m just paid to drive.”
“Fine. Let’s get this over with. Tell us what happened,” William pipes up.
“I’ve already covered that,” the Fringe cop starts.
“I’d like to hear from… what’s your name?” I ask.
“Cari Montana.”
“All right, Cari. Go on.”
“I left Stonefield’s warehouse at around eight o’clock. Like I said before, the truck was already loaded when I arrived. Around ten minutes into my drive, I noticed I was being followed by someone in one of those uber-expensive SUVs.”
“You can’t know that,” the Fringe cop interrupts. “The headlights would make it impossible to tell the model of the car.”
“I got a good look at it when they stopped to steal the cargo.”
“Did you see the license plate number?” William asks.
“No, I did not.”
I glance at Britney, finding her staring intently at the driver. Her eyebrows are furrowed, and her jaw is clenched tight. When our gazes lock, she shakes her head slightly. Fuck. He’s lying. The Fringe cop must have already gotten to him.
“How did they push you off the road?” I ask.
“I’m not sure. All I heard was this awful, loud noise at the back of the truck, almost as if the trailer was being hit by a wrecking ball. Then I crashed. The only reason I’m not in pieces was my gift.”
“Which is?” the Fringe cop chimes in.
“Unbreakable bones.”
“What happened after the truck collapsed?” I ask, steering the questioning back to what matters.
“I was Tasered before I could even leave the cab. I passed out. When I came to, the thieves and the cargo were gone.”
The Fringe cop looks at us with a smug smile on his lips. “I’m afraid you wasted a trip, fellas. Nothing much to gain here.”
My nostrils flare, but that’s the only reaction this sell-out asshole will get from me.
“You’re right. Let’s go, Cooper. I’m in the mood to chew someone from dispatch.” William turns to our car.
Once we’re heading back to the city, Britney calls. William puts her on speaker.
“Motherfucker driver was lying through his teeth,” she barks.
“About which part?” I ask.
“The whole thing. I wouldn’t be surprised if he was in cahoots with whoever stole the cargo.”
“Why the hell didn’t you say so sooner? If he’s a traitor, he needs to be brought in,” I say.
“It was too fucking late, all right? We’d have to deal with that cop too, and I couldn’t risk blowing our cover.”
“That wasn’t your call to make!” I yell, frustrated. She’s not wrong, but I’m still fucking pissed that we had to let those two weasels go.
“Whoa, calm down. No one is happy about what happened, but Britney is right,” William intervenes.
Rubbing my face, I look out the window at the endless darkness. It’ll be another minute before we reach the highway and city lights.
“I know,” I say finally.
“I’m calling Gunther to give the report,” Britney says. “There’s no doubt we need to arrest that driver for questioning. If we have one traitor in our midst, there could be more.”
A heavy silence descends after Britney ends the call. It seems the period of reprieve is gone. The Neo Gods are back, and as sickening as the thought is, it’s the only good aspect of the evening. Now we can fight back.
My phone starts to ring. I don’t recognize the number, and I’m tempted to let it go to voice mail. But some mysterious force—a hunch or whatever—compels me to answer it.
“Stephan, thank fuck you picked up the phone.”
“What’s the matter, Soren? Why aren’t you calling me from your phone?”
“Because I’m in jail.”
My spine goes rigid. “Why? What have you done?”
“Cool your jets, okay? I didn’t do anything. I’m in this mess thanks to your precious pupil Andy.”
“Fuck a duck.” I pinch the bridge of my nose. “What happened?”
I curl my hands into fists. “Which precinct did they take you to?”
“The one on Second Street.”
“Fine. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
I end the call, trying my best not to crush my phone into pieces.
“Dude, did I hear right? Did Soren get arrested?”
“Yes. They’re at the precinct on Second. How fast can you get us there?”
William grins. “In this car? Faster than lightning.”
He turns the sirens on, and off we go.
15
Stephan
William, who never wastes an opportunity to try to break the sound barrier with his driving, got us downtown in no time. It’s a good thing my stomach can handle anything, because the ride was puke-inducing. I called my father on the way there since, most likely, my charms alone won’t be able to get Soren out of this mess. He needs a lawyer. I hope he had the chance to tell Andy to do the same.
William parks a block away from the precinct; it won’t fly arriving there in an illegal police vehicle. Already back to my civilian clothes, I stride into the building, projecting all the Idol power I have. This is no ordinary police station. They deal with Idol-on-Idol crime, and the cops who work here are highly trained and also high levels.
“I’m here to collect my brother, Soren Silverstone. He was arrested tonight with a friend, Andromeda Belfor.”
The woman behind the counter watches me with a bored expression, then looks over my shoulder. I follow her gaze and find my brother sitting on a bench at the end of the corridor, shoulders hunched forward and eyes on his phone.
“Your family lawyer beat you here. Your brother was released ten minutes ago.”
“What about Miss Belfor?”
“Oh, she’s still behind bars.”
“Why?”
“She refused to call or see anyone. Your lawyer tried.”
A burly man joins the receptionist behind the counter and stares at me. “Are you here for that psycho chick?”
I’m already on edge, and his comment about Andy just pushed me closer to the precipice. But I can’t lose my temper or I’ll be the one getting arrested.
“Yes. She’s a close friend of the family.”
“Good. Maybe you can talk some sense into her. She has some serious charges against her and almost got herself shot in the head.”
Fuck, Andy. What did you do?
“Can I see her?”
“You can try, but she’s refused to talk to anyone since we booked her.”
“Give me a minute. I need a word with my brother first.”
Taking deep breaths, I head toward Soren. He lifts his chin, and the first thing I see shining in his eyes is relief. Then his eyebrows furrow, and the relief morphs into a storm of bad emotions. He stands up, body as tense as a spring.
“Your student is a fucking menace.”
“I don’t have time to argue with you. I’m going to try to see her now. What did she do?”
“She walked into a viper’s nest with a fucking attitude, got high on Silver-voltage, and then unleashed Armageddon.”
Shit, shit, shit. That’s not good.
“You said she injured a few people. I need to know who and how serious.”
“Why does it matter?” He arches his eyebrows.
“Because if she hurt the offspring of someone important, there will be hell to pay.”
“So? Her father is someone important.”
“Don’t you get it, Soren? I promised Blake Belfor that Andy would be safe. If he finds out she got arrested for picking a fight with kids from school, he’ll pull her out of Paragon Academy. We can’t allow that to happen.”
“Why is it so important to get an in with the Belfors? Are you sure you don’t have ulterior motives for wanting to keep Andromeda around?”
Clenching my jaw, I count to ten in my head before I reply. Soren hit a nerve, but there’s a time and place for this kind of conversation, and a police station isn’t it.
“Tell me who she hurt, Soren,” I say through clenched teeth.
“No one important. She almost skewered Reggie Baldacci, but I prevented that.”
“Damn it. He can still press charges.” I run a hand through my hair.
“Don’t worry about him. I can get the jackass to cooperate. You go take care of your pupil. Come see me later in the dorms. It’s unlikely I’ll get any sleep tonight.”
“Thanks, Soren.” I make a motion to give him a hug but change my mind at the last second. Things are still strenuous between us.
When I return to the reception desk, she tells me Andy agreed to talk to me. A different cop comes to escort me to where they keep their prisoners. Half the cells are taken, but here, no one shares one. It would be too risky. The bars are also made of a material strong enough to keep most Idols contained. Lightning glass is the only substance capable of completely neutralizing an Idol’s power, but it’s rare and very expensive.
The earlier theft tonight comes to the forefront of my mind, adding extra fuel to the fire churning in the pit of my stomach. That was a huge blow to our operations.
Andy is in the last cell in the corridor, sitting on the bench with her back against the wall and hugging her knees. She doesn’t move a muscle when the guard unlocks the door or when I enter.
“I’ll give you five minutes. Holler if she tries anything,” he warns before walking away.
“How are you?” I ask.
She snorts. “What do you think, Mr. Pain In My Ass? I guess I’m not teacher’s pet material after all.”
I sit down at the end of the bench and look at her. “Soren told me you took Silver-voltage at the party.”
“Soren knows nothing. I didn’t take any drug. It was shoved up my nose.”
“You expect me to believe someone snuck up on you and drugged you against your will?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying. And don’t sound so shocked. I’m not perfect. Sometimes I mess up. I was distracted and didn’t sense the asshole behind me.”
“Was that reason to raze the place to the ground?”
“No. Sexual harassment was.”
“What?” My voice rises to a shrill.
“Oh, Soren didn’t tell you? One of Reggie’s friends grabbed my boob. I reacted. It was pure instinct.”
I’m going to fucking kill the bastard. The thought comes to my head unbidden and unrestrained. Rubbing my face, I look away.
“Son of a bitch.”
“And then it was all downhill from there. The drug made it hard to control my chains, and honestly, I wanted them to destroy everything. Those assholes invited me to their stupid party to humiliate me. They thought I was less because I can’t see.” She laughs without humor. “Well, I showed them.”
In that moment, Andy reveals how vulnerable she is, and how easily people can hurt her. My chest feels tight, making it harder to breathe. I want to pull her into a hug, but I know she won’t allow that.
“Andy, I’m sorry they were horrible like that. They’re vermin, and you shouldn’t listen to anything they say. They’re wrong.”
“I know they’re wrong!” She throws her legs to the side of the bench. “Some days are harder than others to let insults slide, to be unaffected by them. I’m human after all.”
Like an idiot, I slide closer to her and try to take her hand. She pulls away as if the physical contact burned her somehow.
“Why didn’t you want to call anyone or speak to our lawyer?”
“I don’t want my parents to know about what happened. You can’t tell them. Please.”
I don’t want that either, but I can’t agree with her right away or she might suspect I have a secret agenda.
“They need to know, Andy. You do need a lawyer to get out of this mess and pay for damages. If your father interferes, the police will just give you a slap on the wrist and warn you to no
t do that again.”
“How convenient. Our justice system is so fucked up. It doesn’t matter though. If my parents find out, I can say goodbye to Paragon Academy. The students are awful, but I like the teachers, and the fact that I’m not locked away in a cold mausoleum.”
“Your parents’ house looks nothing like a mausoleum.”
She turns to me suddenly, staring so intensely that I can almost forget she can’t see me. “Cut the crap, Stephan. Are you going to help me or not?”
“Fine. I’ll keep your secret. With one condition.”
She seems to tense, but the gesture is fleeting.
“Of course there had to be one,” she mutters. “Spill it already.”
“I’ll lie if you let me train you.”
“What?” she squeaks.
“You caused so much damage because you lost control of your powers. Drug or no drug, you can’t let that happen again.”
She clenches her jaw shut, her nostrils flaring. “Fine. You’ve got a deal.”
16
Andromeda
Good on his word, Stephan got me out of jail. Well, his lawyer did. I didn’t need to use my father’s influence, but the Silverstone name carries as much weight as mine. The most important thing is that my parents are none the wiser about my misadventures on Saturday night. Dad is on a business trip, and I barely traded a word with Mom this morning on my way to school.
When I cross the gates of the prestigious institution, the few students hanging out in the courtyard all stop talking at once, and sight or not, I know they’re all staring at me. Shit. I should have known my little power display at the party would become gossip fodder. And some of my mother’s friends have kids enrolled here. Damn it. Sooner or later, what I did will reach her ears, and then I’m doomed. I have to find a way to get out of my parents’ house. If I live in the dorms, it’ll be much harder for them to yank me out of school.
Reckless Times: A Paranormal Romance (Paragon Society Book 1) Page 8