The Negative Man: Twilight Days (Pacific Station Vigilante Book 4)

by Jeremy Croston

  “Kyle, wait.”

  If she was going to try and talk me out of this, she wasn’t going to have any luck. “What is it?”

  “Some people can’t be repaired. Stop taking it easy on him and do what must be done.”

  I never expected that advice from Becky. “Jericho’s rubbing off on you,” I joked.

  “Not Jericho—the things I’ve read about your father,” she answered.

  It wasn’t the right time to talk about John Wonderton in detail. I wondered when she had the time or the resources to even look into the man. That would have to wait for later. I gave her a kiss as I grabbed my cloak and headed out into the night. Knowing the back ways, I made it to Wonder-Tech Tower before Parker did and was waiting for him at the top when he finally got there.

  The human, sane presence most have was no longer there. Standing before me was a man who’d made a deal with the devil and was being corrupted by his power. “Kyle, you didn’t even give me a chance to send you an invitation. Not that I’m surprised, mind you.”

  “It’s over, Parker. You’ve slipped by me one too many times.”

  He cracked his knuckles, pausing for the audible pop of each one to echo over the rooftop and into the night. “Sorry Kyle, but it’s you who’s not leaving here tonight.”

  The two of us raced towards the other, both Parker and myself amped up on hate and anger. When we collided, fists flew and kicks found their mark. I was faster, but nowhere near as strong as him. I landed two jabs and a front kick to his face and sternum, but all it took was for one haymaker to connect with my jaw to put me on the ground. That did give me an advantage and I swept his legs out from under him, striking his knees with as much force as I could muster. He didn’t have the best of fighting stances and Parker fell rather easily from the move.

  I jumped to my feet and scrambled over to him. I dug my knee into his side and hammered down a few blows to his face courtesy of my forearms.

  He pushed away and rolled to the side. Spitting out a tooth and some blood, “Finally! It’s about time I get to see the ruthless side of you! The one I always knew what brooding just under the surface.”

  “Don’t act like you ever knew who I was!”

  His taunts drove me to attack again. I darted in, dodging another straight left hand before landing a massive uppercut of my own. He stumbled back, but not over. I let my emotions get too amped, as I wanted to really cause him pain. As I moved in for a front kick, I missed the signs of Parker building up for his own counter. He faked a punch and his forehead crashed into mine. It didn’t even faze him. Me, on the other hand… I couldn’t even see straight.

  “It’s time to die, Kyle.” Parker grabbed me by my cloak and lifted me off the ground. “I have to say, this little rivalry has been quite enjoyable. I’m going to miss you.”

  He brought me over to the side of the tower, the busy street below about to get an unwilling guest. “I’m not going to miss you.”

  “That’s okay,” he smirked. “Say hi to your dad for me! He was always a bit of a hero of mine.”

  “Say hi to him yourself.”

  I slipped out of his grip and pushed off his back, away. Delivering a kick between his shoulder blade, Parker dropped out of sight, off the side of Wonder-Tech. I didn’t even need to look over to see what happened. I just took a deep breath and counted my blessings.

  **Ellison Staley**

  “You called, sir?”

  Destiny entered the room just as the television reported confirmed the news. “Former PSPD detective Parker Lattimore fell from the top of Wonder-Tech just hours ago. Police are investigating this as a homicide, even though Lattimore himself was a prime suspect in the murder of Kim Krummel a few years back.”

  I muted the report, even though there was more being said. “A loss for us, but not one that stops our plan.”

  “He was becoming a loose cannon, if I can speak freely.”

  “You can,” I said. I was curious to hear what she had to say. “Enlighten me, Destiny.”

  My approval gave her confidence. “Providence only cared about himself and mayhem. He never truly understood the bigger picture. With Jericho on our side,” she went on. There was something about the way she said my son’s name that gave me pause. “We have the way and the means to see this through.”

  Even if we had different motivations for Jericho being a part of this, I couldn’t agree more. “I’m glad you share my enthusiasm. I just hope your motives are pure.”

  “They are,” she replied, quietly.

  “Good.” I stepped away and towards the door. “Come Destiny, we have much to do and time isn’t our friend anymore.”

  She fell in line behind me. “Should I go get Jericho?”

  “That’s not necessary.” By now, he should have been out of the tower. “I gave him another task to handle and I’m sure he is doing it quite well.”

  “Then what shall you have me do?” she asked.

  “A very good question, one that will be answered once we go visit the mayor. He should be waiting for us, as we speak.”

  Chapter 23 –

  Tuesday Night; Ocean Drive

  I couldn’t believe it. Kyle had killed Lattimore in cold blood. Seeing him throw the man off the top of Wonder-Tech tower in such a callous way… that was something John or I would have done. Kyle was supposed to be better than us. He was supposed to be the one who brought the city out of the darkness that surrounded it.

  I wouldn’t have believed it myself unless it came on while I was talking to Ellison.

  At that moment, I had to get out of there. Ellison, knowing I was friends with Kyle, granted me a leave, telling me we’d speak after I got some air. I found myself in downtown Pacific Station, heading towards a place I hadn’t been in a good long time; Darla’s café.

  Darla had been murdered because of me, so you would think it would be a place I’d avoid at all costs. But it was no longer a café. When I came upon the building, it was now a fancy sandwich shop that had closed a few hours previously. That didn’t stop me from leaning up against the building and trying to figure out just what the hell was going on. Between Ellison, Whisnant, and now Kyle’s reckless actions, I half wondered if I’d been better off staying in that cabin in the middle of nowhere.

  A set of headlights lit up the area around me. I shielded my eyes and heard the clicking of car doors opening. “Jericho, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were avoiding me.”

  Two figures broke through the light; President Whisnant and his henchman, Mister Bain.

  “I’ve kind of been busy with other things.”

  “Could it be the mysterious Volkkenkrüger I’ve heard so much about since coming to this city?” he asked.

  It seemed Ellison’s reputation proceeded him. “Let’s not play coy, you saw me on television at the mayor’s party.”

  “I did.” He didn’t seem angry or even concerned. “It is most strange that after that all went down, Frank Boosman has become a very different man.”

  He had no idea about Ellison’s powers. “Volkkenkrüger can be a very persuasive man.”

  Whisnant joined me up on the sidewalk, as easy with the situation as one could get. “I’m the president of this great country, yet sometimes I feel like I’m the most sheltered man in it. What can you tell me about this mysterious Volkkenkrüger, Jericho? Part of me wants to throw that national security threat out there, but I know it wouldn’t work.”

  There was a lot to say. The thought of talking to Whisnant about Ellison gave me a headache; no, more like a migraine. “He’s just the most powerful super operating today.” I’d leave it at that.

  “More powerful than you?”

  If he only knew. “Don’t confuse blunt force for power, Mister President.” He raised an eyebrow at me. “I’m the force of nature that blows through like a hurricane when I want to, Volkkenkrüger is the precise laser that kills without hesitation.”

  “I appreciate your honesty.” He leaned up again
st the wall of the sandwich shop. “My head of security, Christopher Bain, believes consorting with you will lead to my doom. I don’t get that feeling. I feel like you’re a man conflicted, trying to read both sides of the coin without committing.”

  I held back a laugh. “You sure are very perceptive.”

  “It’s one of the reasons I got to where I am. I know who to trust and who to rely on.” I was surprised to see him pull out of a cigarette and light it up. “It’s an old habit that hits me from time to time. You know all about old habits, don’t you?”

  I wasn’t sure where he was going with this, but I had a nagging feeling I wasn’t going to like it. “I’m not sure what you mean, sir?”

  “You’ve classified yourself as a villain from the very first day you came on to the scene. Granted, knowing the way your surrogate father figure died, I can’t much blame you.”

  This was another instance where I had to hold in my reaction. How little did he, or anyone really, know that Ellison was Volkkenkrüger.

  He took a long puff before exhaling a thick, gray cloud. “There’s a reason you haven’t gotten back to me, Jericho. Your lust for being the bad guy is still there. I knew that going in, but I hoped giving you the reasons I did would make you see the light. What I’m trying to do, it’s not a bad thing. Without supers, the world is a much safer place.”

  He believed that, and I was sure there was a part of the population that believed him, too. “Not all of them are bad. Yeah, some, like me, have done some terrible things. Most though? Most just want to be left alone and obey the rules,” I reminded him.

  “If we take away the ability to cause harm, those who don’t want to use their powers won’t even miss ‘em.”

  I still had need of his tech, to depower Ellison if Wilson could figure things out. I needed to see Wilson and find out his status. “I’m not saying yes to this, but I’m also not going to give you a definite no. It’s your turn to prove to me that you’re a good guy, and not one of the villains like me.”

  He gave a curt nod in my direction. “I know there’s nothing I can do, or threaten you with, to get you to see things my way. I’ll play ball, Jericho, but please, do not test my patience.”

  “Or?”

  “Let’s just say you’re not the only one with a few tricks up his sleeve.”

  The president snuffed out his cigarette and got back into the vehicle he approached in. I stood there, watching as he pulled away leaving me alone again. Or so I thought.

  “You can’t trust that dude, bro.”

  “How long have you been standing there, Erin?”

  The big man took Whisnant’s place beside me. “Long enough to know that he wants you to do something not cool.” Erin leaned his head back, his eyes closed. “He might be giving you the speech about what’s best for all of us, but he’s a snake. He’s always wanted power and he has a way to grab yours.”

  “He told me about the prototype Victory was working on. He said it was part of his plan to de-power supers.”

  Erin responded with a noise that was half a cough and half a snort. “Dude, I’ll believe he has a good bone in his body when I see it. That’s a trap and we both know it.”

  Changing subjects, “Did you see our buddy Kyle killing Parker Lattimore tonight?”

  “It was all over the news,” Erin responded. “I’m just glad he’s okay.”

  “Okay? You mean he’s cool with his decision to kill someone in cold blood. Trust me, it takes a while to be okay with that.”

  “Dude, what’re you talking about?” Erin’s face scrunched up, trying to figure out why I’d say that. “Lattimore nearly tossed him over the edge. I would’ve pushed his ass over, too.”

  Something wasn’t adding up; I knew what I saw… Or did I? “He wouldn’t have done that to me, not again.”

  “You okay dude? Your face looks pretty white.”

  I shrugged it off. “Everything’s fine. Let’s just get back to the point. You don’t trust Whisnant, and for good reason. Here’s the thing, neither do I.”

  A big grin appeared under his bearded face. “Haha, I knew you wouldn’t fall for such nonsense.”

  “I am just playing along to get my hands on the technology. But Erin,” and I knew this would be a point of contention. “Don’t say anything to anyone. I’m playing this one really close.”

  “Even from our friends?”

  Until I could figure out everything on my part, especially from anyone who would tell Kyle. “I’m just trying to protect everyone. Trust me, Erin, it's better this way.”

  He looked resigned to hold on to the secret. “You know I trust you, even if you did kill me that one time.”

  “Good lord, how long are you going to hold onto that one?” I asked.

  “Ehhh, it’s one of those things that I’ll keep using whenever I feel it’s a good time,” he laughed.

  I pushed off the wall and began walking down the dark street. “Stay out of trouble. I’ll catch up with you later.”

  Erin waved and disappeared back into the shadows. I wondered if he turned into his Titan side when no one was looking. Hopefully he was comfortable with what I was technically responsible for.

  It was almost midnight when I found my way back to the apartment complex. When the door closed, I found the old couch and sank into it. It was still amazing how comfortable this thing was. I pulled out my phone and began randomly clicking websites that ranged from sports scores to blogs about legendary supers. The name Volkkenkrüger popped up more than once.

  The comment section on the one site was full of farfetched sightings and stories. One random entry even claimed Volkkenkrüger was an alien. As crazy as that sounded, it probably was less crazy than the truth.

  A message popped up on my screen, interrupting my deep dive into the world of blogging. It was from Wilson: I figured out the schematics. You got time to talk?

  I knew going to Wilson was the right thing to do. Tell me when and where and I’ll be there.

  Chapter 24 –

  Wednesday Night; Dr. Emily Robbins’ Office

  I was very much against this, but Wilson said Emily had to be here. There were no lights on in the front, but that didn’t stop me from knocking on the door. It was eight and I had laid low all day just to find out what Wilson had been able to come up with. Depending on his changes, my plans to finally end everything would be able to move forward.

  Wilson was practically hopping when he answered the door, letting me in. “Jericho, you won’t even believe how we were able to augment those schematics!”

  He led me into the back and into one of the conference rooms in the business side of the office. When I walked in, Emily was standing, and there was a giant screen hanging behind her. “You’ve been up to a lot lately, haven’t you?” she asked very coyly.

  “All on orders,” I assured her. “That’s not why we are here though, is it?”

  Her eyebrow lifted. “Hmmm, don’t think this conversation is over. How’s the hand?” she inquired after my blow off.

  “Like it was the one I was born with.” I wiggled the fingers a few times. “The few opportunities I’ve had to use it, it’s been better than good.”

  “I didn’t agree to attach that so you could use it often.”

  I actually felt bad. There was something about Emily that I couldn’t put my finger on, but I didn’t want to disappoint her, now or ever. “I do my best not to, when I can.”

  Wilson, not even paying attention to our conversation, jumped in between us. “Everything’s set. Jericho, did I tell you how excited I am about this?”

  “Maybe a few times.”

  He clicked a button on a remote and the lights in the conference room dimmed. Another press of the button and a presentation popped up on the screen behind us. “Let’s get to it then, shall we?”

  Both Emily and I knew there’d be no more chances to talk until Wilson was able to go over everything. Giving up, I took a seat in the first row. Hell, it felt like I was in
class again. Emily took a seat beside me and put on her glasses.

  “It was clear to me right away what this design was meant to do, once I put all the pieces together,” Wilson started. A picture of a lot of people lying on the ground, looking dead or helpless popped up. “Someone’s out to eliminate supers as we know them. So, this begs the question, why did you ask me if I could tinker with the elements to make it focus on a singular target?”

  “Well,” I started.

  Emily finished my thought. “There’s apparently one super out there worth putting down.”

  It was hard to hear it said like that, especially since the sentiment revolved around Ellison. “That’s exactly it,” Wilson concluded. “If there’s a super out there who is that dangerous that even you think is worthy of such a fate, that begs one last question: Who are we to say no to completing the design?”

  “You figured it out?” I asked.

  “We figured it out,” they said together.

  The next panel he clicked to brought everything together. “By engaging a governor on the energy siphon, the reaction created would be small enough to target just a single person or object. It can’t just be any old governor, mind you, it needs to be this specific one,” Wilson explained.

  “This is where I came in.” Emily motioned for Wilson to click again, which he did. A picture of an object appeared on the screen. It looked sort of like a Rubik’s cube in the pattern, but it was a dull gray with a few probes and hoses coming off of it.

  “Did you build that, Emily?”

  A cocky smirk told me everything. “A pair of skilled hands was required to make sure all the pieces and parts fit according to Wilson’s direction. Who better than me?”

  Wilson zipped open a pocket on his jacket. He carefully reached in and pulled out a small metal box, maybe no bigger than a ring box. “Inside this is the governor. It requires extreme caution when handling and only the most scientific of minds will be able to install it properly. It’s been a while, Jericho, but you were on of the most brilliant innovators of your time. Think you can handle it?”