Super Heroes (The New Super Humans #4)

by T. M. Franklin

  “You're Chloe?” she asked, fixing her hair in the reflection of her computer screen.

  “Yes.”

  “I'm Tricia,” she said, holding out a hand with a smile. “Come on, I'll take you to Gavin.”

  Chloe trailed after her on a zigzagging path through the cubicles until they reached a glass-walled office. Gavin sat inside, speaking to an older man wearing glasses and a white lab coat, but he nodded at Chloe when he spotted her through the glass. The man in the lab coat got up to leave and met Chloe's gaze briefly as he walked through the door.

  A chill ran down her spine, but she had no idea why.

  “Chloe, come on in,” Gavin said, holding the door and drawing her attention away from the other man. “Glad you found it all right.”

  She smiled. “It wasn't hard.”

  He rounded the desk and motioned for her to sit in one of the tan chairs facing him before taking his own seat. It was strange to see him in a shirt and tie, suit jacket hanging on a hook in the corner. Chloe had only ever seen him in casual clothes and baseball caps.

  “I was happy to hear from you, but I have to say, I was also rather surprised,” he said. “It's been weeks since we spoke, and I got the impression you weren't all that interested in working at Warden.”

  Chloe was prepared for this question. “It wasn't that I wasn't interested,” she replied. “I just had a lot going on, with classes and everything, so I didn't have time to really think about it. Once I did, I realized that the career opportunities you told me about are pretty impressive, and I'd like to learn more. I figure a summer job is a good way to do that.”

  He nodded. “Sounds good. Did you bring your resume?”

  Chloe fished it out of her bag and for the next few minutes, she answered the typical questions about where she saw herself in ten years, what skills she'd bring to the job, and so on. He told her the job would pay a little more than minimum wage, and she’d get holidays off. After about twenty minutes, Gavin flashed her a smile.

  “Well, I think I've heard enough,” he said. “When can you start?”

  Chloe was taken aback a bit. “What? Oh, um . . . whenever you need me, I guess. School's out, so . . .”

  “Great!” He stood up. “Welcome to Warden Security. Let me show you around a bit, and you can start Monday morning at nine if that works for you.”

  “Sure. Great.” Chloe pulled her bag over her shoulder. “Monday's good for me.”

  “Perfect.” He led her out of the office and into the larger room. “You'll be doing the grunt work, mostly. Coffee, errands, making copies, that kind of thing. You'll report directly to me.”

  “You?” Chloe sidestepped someone's briefcase.

  He shot her a look. “Yes. Is there a problem?”

  “No,” she stammered. “It's just . . . you're the boss. And I figured you had, I don't know, people to handle the lowly grunts.”

  He laughed. “There are. But since I brought you in, I thought I'd handle you myself.” Gavin stopped at an empty cubicle in the corner with a desk, computer, telephone, and a plastic in and out box. “This is where you'll be working most of the time,” he said. “You'll check in with me when you come in, or sometimes with my assistant, Anne—She's out sick, but you'll meet her on Monday—and get a list of tasks for the day. If you get it done, we'll always have extra filing or copies to be made. I'm sure we'll keep you busy.”

  Gavin flashed her a smile and led her down the hallway. “More offices are along here. This is Purchasing, Human Resources, Accounting—” He pointed at each door in turn and stopped at an open one. “This is the copy room. You'll need a code and Anne will help you with that on Monday. Break room's over there—” He gestured to the end of the hall. “Coffee and doughnuts are free. There's a microwave and some vending machines if you're desperate.”

  He paused and Chloe tried to take it all in.

  “What about the other floors?” she asked.

  Gavin started back toward the main room. “More of the same,” he said. “This floor is where we handle our traditional clients, those who use our security systems for home or business. First and second floors are cyber security, so more offices, labs, that kind of thing. Fourth floor is executive offices and our advertising department. Basement is Research and Development.”

  “It's bigger than I expected,” she said as they neared the elevator.

  “Security is big business,” Gavin replied, pressing the down button. “We'll get you set up with HR on Monday, get you an I.D. badge and everything.”

  “Sounds good.”

  “Dress comfortably,” he said. “You might be hauling cables and hefting boxes. Sturdy shoes and jeans are fine.”

  “Okay.”

  The elevator doors opened and Gavin held out a hand to keep them from closing. “Any questions?”

  Chloe shook her head. “None that I can think of.”

  He smiled. “Well, you have my number if you come up with any. If not, I'll see you Monday morning.”

  “Okay, thank you.” Chloe shook his hand before stepping into the elevator. “See you Monday.”

  Gavin stepped back, and Chloe spotted a woman across the room behind him, striding past the cubicles. She got a quick impression of silver hair swept into a neat chignon and a trim, black suit before the doors slid shut.

  She frowned at her reflection in the elevator doors, uncertain why the woman had caught her attention. She didn't seem familiar, did she?

  Chloe shook her head, dismissing the thought, as she emerged once again into the lobby and nodded at the security guard before heading out the glass doors.

  She got the job. It had been such a whirlwind interview, that it didn't really hit her until she emerged into the fresh air and sunshine.

  She got the job.

  Not only would she be able to make rent over the summer, she'd be working closely with Gavin James. Chloe smiled as she went nimbly down the steps and turned toward home.

  She'd be keeping a close eye on him. If Gavin was hiding something, Chloe was going to figure it out.

  Gavin stood at the window looking out over the front of the Warden Security building and watched Chloe head down the sidewalk in the direction of home. He still wasn't sure exactly what led Chloe to call him after all this time. If it was just the need for a summer job, that was one thing. He had no doubt she was a hard worker, and he'd be able to keep an eye on her, which was an added bonus.

  But if it was something else . . .

  His cell phone rang and he lifted it to his ear, still watching her walk away.

  “Yes?”

  “How did it go?”

  He frowned, wishing he'd checked the caller I.D. before answering. “Fine. She starts on Monday.”

  There was a heavy sigh on the other end of the line. “Are you sure you know what you're doing?”

  “Well, someone had to do something,” he said gruffly, knowing it was a dig.

  The dig hit its mark. “Screw you. We're all on the same team here, in case you've forgotten.”

  He reached up and rubbed his eyes, suddenly tired. “I know. Sorry.”

  “It's okay.” A weighted pause. “She's getting too close.”

  “I know.”

  “So what are you going to do about it?”

  He shook his head, even though nobody could see it. “I'm not sure.”

  “Well, you better figure it out. They're getting antsy upstairs.”

  Reflexively, he shot a glance at the ceiling. “They're always antsy.”

  “You know what I mean. If you don't get this under control, it could be taken out of your hands.”

  “I know.”

  “The board—”

  “I know!” he snapped. “I'll take care of it.”

  The phone was silent for a long moment, and he had to look at the screen to make sure they were still connected.

  Finally, another sigh. “You know where I am if you need me.”

  Despite his irritation, Gavin smiled. “I kn
ow. Thanks.”

  The line went dead and Gavin slid the phone back into his pocket. He touched a button on his desk and the view out the window was obscured by a projected image of a snow-covered park, probably somewhere in Norway or something. He watched the flakes fall, almost shivering at the scene. He touched the button again and the view changed to a sunny day at the beach. Much better.

  Collapsing into his chair, Gavin swiped a hand across his mouth, thinking. Chloe Blake could prove to be a problem. He would have to steer her in the right direction or things could get complicated.

  To Gavin, complicated almost always meant bad.

  And sometimes, it was even worse.

  Friday night, Chloe and her friends met for pizza under the guise of celebrating her new job. She still had to be convinced to socialize, wanting to spend all her time searching for Ethan in whatever way she could.

  But she also understood that life went on. And Ethan wouldn't want her to be as desperate and pathetic as she had been lately.

  “To Chloe!” Beck said, lifting his plastic cup of soda. “And to her telling us what she's really up to working for Gavin James.”

  She shook her head as everyone clinked cups, and scanned the area just to make sure they weren't going to be overheard. They sat in a big booth in the back of the crowded pizza place, and she could tell no one was paying any attention to them. An old juke box blasted 70s and 80s music and everyone was holding their own shouted conversations.

  “I'm not up to anything.” Chloe leaned forward over the table to address them and they all leaned in to hear. “I just have a feeling there's more to Gavin James than meets the eye, and I figured I needed a summer job anyway. So, you know, two birds. One stone.” She shrugged, and sitting back, took a bite of her pizza.

  “Well, I still think you're asking for trouble,” Miranda said. “I don't like it.”

  “Noted.”

  “Seriously, Chlo.” She tossed her crust on her plate and wiped her hands. “If Gavin has something to do with all of this, how do you know he doesn't, you know, have some nefarious purpose?”

  Chloe arched a brow and made no effort to hide her smirk. “Nefarious purpose? Seriously?”

  She huffed. “You know what I mean.”

  “I have to say, I think she's right,” Maia said. “I mean, what do you know about this guy? And how do you know he's involved in any way?”

  “I don't,” Chloe replied after a sip of her soda. “I don't know. But my gut tells me there's more to all of this than we're seeing. Haven't we all learned by now that there's no such thing as coincidence? At least not where this group is concerned?”

  And there was no response to that, because they all knew she was right. Sure, it could all be a fluke—they just happened to rent the house where the chest just happened to be in the attic. Maia just happened to show up at the career fair while Chloe was talking to Gavin. Eve just happened to say she was friends with Gavin, who then denied it.

  But seriously, what were the chances?

  Chloe didn't believe in flukes anymore.

  They changed the subject and talked about normal things—final grades, plans for the summer, a new movie coming out that weekend—and finished their pizza. Chloe played along and smiled, trying to pretend like she wasn't thinking about Ethan.

  She felt him. That was something she hadn't told the others yet. The visions and nightmares continued, but more and more they bled into her waking hours. It was like he was standing somewhere right out of her line of sight . . . like she could turn around at any moment and he'd be behind her, wearing a teasing grin before he leaned in to kiss her.

  It made her ache.

  “Chlo?” Miranda was looking at her expectantly and she realized they were waiting for her to get out of the booth so they could leave.

  “Oh, sorry,” she mumbled, getting up and tugging on her jacket.

  “You okay?” she asked quietly, concern creasing her brow.

  “Yeah. Yeah, sure, I'm fine.”

  They headed out into the twilight, arguing about whether they should get ice cream or coffee on the way home. Chloe forced herself to be present in the moment—to focus on her friends and surroundings. They were all worried about her, and she needed to act normal—be normal—for them, if not for herself.

  Wren let out a squeal and Chloe looked up to find Beck playfully tugging her back by their joined hands after apparently nudging her into the bushes. She pushed him back and he leaned in and kissed her cheek, Tru making gagging noises beside them. Miranda and Dylan also walked hand-in-hand just ahead of Chloe to the right, holding a quiet conversation she couldn't make out.

  “Nauseating, isn't it?” Maia asked.

  Chloe turned to her with a smile. “It's nice. I like to see them happy,” she said, trying to be a good friend. Then, she shrugged. “But yeah. Totally nauseating.”

  They laughed and Maia linked arms with Chloe as they fell back a little. “Seriously, though. Are you okay?”

  Chloe sighed. She almost replied reflexively, saying she was fine, but then opted for the truth. “I'm as okay as I can be, I think.”

  Maia squeezed her arm. “Well, I guess that's all we can hope for, right?”

  “Yeah. I guess so.” She sighed. “I just feel like we're in this limbo, you know? That there's something coming, but I have no idea what it is, or what we can do about it.” Chloe shook her head. “My visions aren't any help, and I just don't know . . . I'm frustrated, I guess.”

  “It's understandable,” Maia replied as they passed under a street light, her face briefly visible before becoming shadowed. “For what it's worth, we're all here for you. However we can be.”

  Chloe was surprised to find herself swallowing tears. “It means a lot, actually. I don't know how I'd deal with all of this without you guys.”

  “Well, it's a good thing you won't have to fi—” Maia broke off at the sound of angry voices ahead of them.

  Beck stood, stiff-backed and legs braced apart, Wren holding tightly to one hand while the other glowed with white light. Tru stood next to him, but slightly behind, as if he was protecting her from something.

  Or someone.

  “Get out of here and leave us alone,” Beck snarled, and Chloe knew without seeing, who he was talking to.

  “What's going on?” Maia asked, but Chloe had already moved forward, her stomach churning wildly as she rushed toward Beck.

  “If you'd just listen—” a woman’s voice replied. It sounded different than the last time Chloe'd heard it, but still recognizable.

  Your little boyfriend is mine. You can't keep him from me.

  “We don't want to hear anything you have to say!” Beck's hand glowed brighter, and Chloe was afraid he was going to hurt someone. She touched Tru's shoulder as she passed her and grabbed Beck's elbow.”

  “Calm down,” she said quietly, still not looking at the woman who stood before him. “Beck, your hand. You need to calm down. She can't hurt us now.”

  After a moment, Beck looked her in the eye and took a deep breath, dropping his gaze to the ground. The glowing dissipated and Wren shot Chloe a grateful look.

  Chloe turned, shoulders squared, to face Gina Talbot. The woman looked tired and wan, dressed in an ill-fitting sweater and jeans, but as Chloe braced herself to face this woman who tried to kill them all, she was shocked at what she saw when she met her gaze.

  Her eyes. Her eyes were different. Instead of swirling with darkness and malice, they were brown—just brown—bloodshot and weary. She blinked at Chloe.

  “I'm not going to hurt you,” she said.

  “You can't hurt us,” Chloe corrected, twisting the knife a little. “Not anymore. You have no power.”

  Gina's head dropped forward, and Chloe thought she might have heard a quiet sob.

  “What do you want?” Chloe asked.

  “I want to help you.”

  Beck snorted behind her. “You have nothing we need.”

  Chloe couldn't disagree, but s
till, she was curious. “Help us how?”

  Beck all but vibrated behind her. “You can't seriously—”

  “I can help you find Ethan,” Gina said, standing straighter, and suddenly, Chloe couldn't breathe.

  Rage ripped through Beck at Gina's words. He couldn't believe she was here, and if he'd been thinking straight, he would have just called the police as soon as he saw her. Held her captive until they came to take her back to jail.

  But he wasn't thinking straight. Anger made him reckless, and Beck stepped out from behind Chloe, his hand glowing again.

  “What do you know about Ethan?” Everything in him yearned to grab her, shake her . . . make her feel the pain she'd inflicted on him his whole life, inflicted on Tru. His fingers tingled and he could feel the power racing through him, ready to burst forth when he called upon it.

  “Beck,” Wren whispered, squeezing his other hand. “Don't.”

  And that was enough to bring him back to himself. Wren could do that, more than anyone else, really. With a deep inhale, he turned his focus from Gina to his own heartbeat, willing it to slow, taking control of his gift, rather than the other way around.

  It was something he still struggled with, especially when it came to Gina.

  Only when he'd calmed down did he realize that Chloe was trembling, her shaking fingers clutching the edge of her jacket as she too tried to maintain control. She did a better job of faking it than he did.

  “Start talking,” he said gruffly.

  Gina nodded and cleared her throat, addressing Chloe, as if knowing she would be the weakest link when it came to Ethan.

  “I can still feel It,” she said. “The—what was inside me.” Her eyes darted to Beck and he hardened his expression, unwilling to let her know how her words affected him. Behind him, he could hear Tru gasp quietly.

  Chloe stiffened at the words. “How?”

  Gina shrugged. “I don't know. When It left me . . . well, I felt it go, and I was alone. So alone.” She got choked up again, and Beck ground his teeth in annoyance. Wren squeezed his hand and he said nothing.

  “But I realized I can still feel it,” she said, a hint of excitement lighting up her eyes. “I think—I know I can lead you to it.”