by Joshua
"The shipment is scheduled for 9:15," Keen added. "With any luck, we’ll be able to grab the cargo and bail before anything crazy happens."
"What's my part in all this?" Al asked, stepping up to them. The men around him took a step away, giving him room.
"You will stop any guards, take down doors, and haul the pallets back to the boys," Xavier said, and pulled out his gun. He cocked it, and said, "Let’s go!"
Al grabbed Xavier’s arm and pulled him face to face. His eyes burned with anger. "You aren't going to kill anyone with that, are you?"
"Man, Eddy told you already," Xavier said, pulling his arm back. "These guns are just for show, unless things get bad. You understand that? If you don't want me to use this, then make sure I don't have to because if this shit goes tits up, it's them, or me. Got it?"
Al didn't say anything. He just kept his eyes fixed on Xavier's until the man turned away and waved his men up the stairs.
"Let's do this," Keen said, with a savage laugh. He cocked his pistol, buried it in the front of his pants, and climbed up the ladder leading from the sewers to the streets above.
Al pulled a large black bandana over his face until it rested at the top of his nose, and tied it in the back. Once it was snug, he grabbed the lowest rung and headed up through the manhole.
The moon lit up the hazy night’s sky with its dull, polluted glow. Al breathed in the crisp air as he climbed up onto the street. Looking around, he saw his companions were already heading towards their destination. Another food supply warehouse stood at the end of the street, lit up with security lights and surrounded by a tall fence.
Xavier and Keen were kneeling down by the fence, bolt cutters in hand. They cut a hole in the metal and directed a few guys through. Xavier looked at Al and nodded.
"You ready for this?" Xavier asked.
"Yeah, let’s just get it over with," Al replied.
"Same as before," Xavier said, patting Al on the shoulder as he ducked through the hole.
They ran up to the building and came to the door. Al raised his hand, pulling it off its tracks and tossed it away. The crumpled mass of metal skidded across the ground, making a terrible screeching sound. Two guards turned towards them and pulled their guns. Al gestured in their direction and with a flick of his fingers the men flew back and smacked against the wall of food crates behind them.
As he approached, one of the guards grabbed at his arm, wincing in pain. Al knelt down in front of the men and grabbed their guns. He tossed them away and turned back to the injured man, whose face was a portrait of fear and contempt.
"I'm sorry," Al said, looking at first guard, then the other. "To both of you."
"Fuck you," the injured guard said.
Al frowned and stood up, saying, "Please, don't move from this spot."
He lifted the first two pallets into the air and carted them out the door. He set them down next to the fence. Xavier's men used their knives to cut away the clear plastic and started hauling away the boxes within.
Al was gathering up another pallet when he heard the familiar sound of sirens in the distance. The men scrambled to grab what they could as Xavier and Keen coached them along.
"Let’s move it!" Xavier said. "This food is for our people, the more we get today, the longer the break between now and the next job.”
Al was lifting his third load when the cop cars skidded to a halt. Police officers poured out of their vehicles, guns cocked and ready.
"You know what to do," Xavier said, patting Al on the shoulder.
Al raised both arms and focused on the police cruisers. With a forward push, a ripple of translucent energy shot from his hands and slid the cars back ten feet. The tires dragged across the concrete, while the policemen jumped away just in time. Their guns came up again and Al readied himself to stop them, but there was a hiccup in his powers. The force came from his hands again, but this time it was smaller, less focused. Only a few of the men were disarmed.
Shots rang out and he saw the flash of the muzzles just in time to create a barrier. The slugs stopped a few feet in front of him and dropped to the ground and the barrier exploded forward disarming the rest of the cops. Exhausted, he fell to his knees.
Behind him came a wild scream. Al turned just enough to see Xavier cradling Keen. Blood poured from a wound in the boy’s chest in rhythmic bursts until becoming a steady stream.
"No!" Xavier said, brandishing his gun. Al raised his hand to stop the grieving friend, but he was just too exhausted to do anything.
The magazine emptied one bullet at a time and Al watched as a few unlucky cops were taken down by a few lucky shots. The gunfire ended with a click that was almost inaudible over the sound of the officers screaming.
Al felt two people pull him up, but the tears in his eyes made it impossible to distinguish who it was. They lead him along, pulling him towards the manhole they had come through. Looking over, he saw Xavier doing the same with Keen's body. Xavier’s hands were wrapped up in the dead boy’s collar as he dragged him away from the police.
Gunshots rang out once again as they scooted down the hole. Xavier didn't bother pulling the cover closed. Instead, he tended to his friend as one of the other guys set the charge. Once they were all at a safe distance, they detonated it to secure their escape.
"Holy shit, that was bad," one guy said.
"I'm just glad you-know-who didn't show up,” said another.
"We’re lucky he didn't," the first replied. "Real fucking lucky."
*****
Alpha sat in his chair looking down at the blonde woman between his legs. Her red lips were wrapped around his swollen cock, and she moaned a little as she took it into her mouth. He smiled and let out his own quiet moan. His head went back against the chair when his phone started to go off. It vibrated across the end table for moment and stopped. Less than a minute later, it started up again. This time he picked it up and looked at it. "Rose" showed on the screen. His finger moved to the accept button and stopped in hesitation. He placed it down on the table, closed his eyes and laid his head back.
*****
"Fuck!" Rose said, and threw her phone. It slammed against the wall and landed on the floor. It started to ring and she jumped up, scrambling to get it. The screen was cracked but she could still read the name "Mac" across it.
"What?" she asked.
"We've got the area cordoned off and the investigation team is here," Mac said. "Warner and Reece are dead, but Cash is holding on."
"God damn it!" she said, sinking her head into her hand.
"Rose, we might have a print," he said. "The fucker touched two guns."
"Get Reedy and Vaughn there immediately," she said.
"It's already done. They should be here any moment."
*****
Reedy held up the translucent sheet and examined it until the fine finger print came into view. It was a perfect thumb that was pulled from the gun.
"We got him," Reedy said, smiling. ”I already thanked the CSI girl for this.”
Vaughn scoffed a little and patted Reedy on the shoulder. "Don't get too excited yet. This print only works if we can get a match."
"I know, but still. This is the first big break in my first case. Don't fuck this up with your naysaying," Reedy said, smiling.
"OK, OK. How about we take this to the lab, then I'll buy you some lunch, detective."
"I want something fancy," Reedy said, smiling.
"Fuck you! You'll get what I pay for!"
"Yay, donuts," Reedy said with a frown as he gathered up his notebook and paperwork.
The scant diner was loud and crowded with people. The line waiting for food orders was out the door. The busy waitresses shot from table to table, trying to earn their daily wage. Reedy and Vaughn sat in the back, far from the front door, nursing their coffee. The table was a disaster, littered with papers and photos. When their food came, the two of them scrambled to make room.
"Eh, stop being such a baby. We could be in the office sans the food, drinking old ass coffee," he said, stuffing the folders with documents.
"You completely baffle me," Reedy said, as the waitress placed a Reuben sandwich down in front of him. He looked at her and said, "Can I get a side of mayo?"
"It’s right there," she said, pointing to the small bin next to the wall. It was full of small condiment packets. He grabbed two as she placed a steaming party melt down in front of Vaughn. "Will that be all?"
"Yeah, it looks about right," Vaughn said, flashing her a smile. She didn't return it.
"So I baffle you huh?" Vaughn asked, grabbing the ketchup.
"Yeah, you have this great arrest record, but you're so unorganized. How the hell do you do it?"
"I'm just that good," Vaughn said, taking a large bite out of his sandwich. "I see you putting mayo on that thing."
"Man, close your mouth," Reedy said. “It's bad enough you got me eating this shit."
Vaughn smiled big, showing off the food in his teeth and swallowed. "I don't know. It's a memory, intuition thing I guess. There are details you don't forget, you know?"
"I guess," Reedy said.
"You will," Vaughn said, and reached into his pocket. He pulled out his cellphone and looked at it. "Finish your food, we got a match."
Chapter Eighteen.
Al threw all of his things onto the floor and screamed out in frustration. His cot toppled over and he kicked it across the room. At the height of his anger, the room started to quiver. The pipes running along the ceiling moaned and creaked and a large crack appeared in the concrete wall. As he started to lose control, he dropped to his knees and began to cry.
He sat there sobbing as Ivy raced through the doorway. She got down and comforted him by placing her arms over his shoulders. Her head went down, and she held him close saying, "It'll be ok."
She said it a few more times before he finally replied.
"No, it won't. Keen’s dead, and it's my fault."
"No, no, no, it's not," she said, swaying with him. He leaned in closer and wrapped his arms around her waist.
"You don't understand," he said, looking up at her. "I should have protected him. I should have protected those other men too."
"The police?" she asked, wiping away his tears. "They are the ones who shot Keen. You did what you could to protect everyone. You did your best."
"People are dying," he said. "People keep dying. I shouldn't do this anymore. These powers…"
"Shhh, no more of that," she said. "You have these powers for a reason. You are doing something great by helping us. This food you are stealing is helping us eat. Next, you'll steal medicine to keep us healthy. We are your people now, OK? You are our hero. My hero."
"A lot of good he's done us," said Xavier from the door. He face, red and puffy from crying, was nothing but scorn. "Eddy wants to see you. He said now!"
*****
Eddy sat atop his dais, his eyes pointed towards the blaring television screen. His face was sullen as he watched the news. The broadcaster walked across the scene with blurred flashing blue and red lights cutting through the darkness behind her. The headline read, "Where was Alpha Male?" As Al and Ivy walked in, he jumped up and rushed towards them.
"Are you OK? Is he OK?" he asked.
"He's fine," she replied. "He's just shaken up, is all."
"Yes, I'm fine," Al said.
"Too bad Keen can't say the same," Xavier said.
"Hey! Cut that shit," Eddy said, pointing at Xavier. "I’m broken up about Keen too, but it's not Al's fault, OK? We all go into this knowing the risks. This is a fucking war, us versus them."
"What risks are you taking Eddy?" Xavier said.
Eddy’s face went red, but he didn't speak for a moment. When the words came, they were slow and deliberate. "I'm going to forgive that, because I know you're hurting. Now get the fuck outta my face. Don't come back until you calm down."
Xavier’s fists clenched, but he didn't speak. Instead, he turned and walked out with everyone’s eyes following him. Eddy’s gaze didn't move until Xavier was well out of sight. His mood shifted from aggravation to sorrow once his eyes landed on Al.
"Don't listen to him," Eddy said, beckoning him forward with a wave of his hand. "What happened was no one’s fault. There will always be casualties when you go to war."
"I'm not sure I want to be at war anymore," Al said, sitting on the edge of the dais. "It doesn't feel right anymore. Before I could justify it because I was helping people, but now people are dying."
"Did I ever explain to you why we are at war?" Eddy asked, scooting off his chair. He pulled himself down and sat next to Al. "We are at war because those people forgot us." He pointed up, drawing Al’s attention towards the ceiling.
"They let our homes be destroyed and let us fall through the cracks. The man who set these events in motion, is the same man whose name you can't hear without going into a rage. That's why I was happy when you came to us. We share something, because I can't hear his name without getting upset either. My mother and father; Ivy's mother and brother, died in the same accident. We are homeless now, scrounging for food while he's up there being worshiped like a god. Is that fair?"
Al looked to the ground for a moment before speaking. "No," he said in a whisper.
"No, it's not," Eddy said, placing his arm around Al. "Please help us."
Al looked up at Ivy, who stared back at him. She wasn't a teenager, but she wasn't quite an adult. Her hungry eyes feasted on his gaze and the words came so easy. "OK."
"OK, what?" Eddy asked.
"I'll help you," he said turning towards Eddy.
"Good," Eddy said, getting up. "We've got something going on tonight that I'm going to need your help with. Get some food, and some sleep and we'll discuss it later."
*****
"Where were you?" Rose asked, her voice calm as she stared at the paperwork in front of her.
"My phone—" Alpha Male said.
"I don't care," she said putting her hand up to stop him. She reached into the top drawer of her desk and pulled out something. She tossed it too him and it landed in his hands. He stared down at it. "That's your new phone, complete with GPS tracker. If you're going to do this, I need to know where you are at all times. I've been going over this all night, trying to figure out what I'd say to you. I came up with a colorful metaphor about a gun that only shoots some of the time, but it doesn't matter now. Good men died last night, and if you aren't useful, I don't need you. This city doesn't need you, OK?"
"Yeah, OK," he said, and stood up. With the knuckles of each hand flat on the desk, he looked at her dead in the eyes and said, "But know this, if I choose to go on without your blessing, there isn't anything you can do to stop me. I play ball because it's the right thing to do."
She watched as he walked out. In her hand, she clutched the small device, her finger hovering over the button. As the door latched, she exhaled and relaxed.
"God damn it," she said, slumping over her desk.
A few seconds later, Mac opened the door and peeked in. She gave him permission to enter with an annoyed gesture.
"You OK?" he asked.
"Of course," she said, looking up. "I don't get paid enough to not be."
"You shouldn't talk to him like that. He might be the only one who can stop this freak. God knows our men can't."
"I know, I know, but what the fuck am I supposed to do?" she said, her hand covering her forehead. "Someone has to reign him in."
"Well, I've got some good news," he said, forcing a jolly smile. "They got a match on the supervillain’s fingerprint."
Her face lit up. "Well, let’s talk to Vaughn and Reedy."
*****
"Robert Macy, huh?" Reedy asked looking over the paperwork. "Does that sound like a supervillain’s name?"
"What did you expect,
Dick Dickson?" Rose asked.
Reedy turned to see his boss standing a few feet away from his desk.
"Exactly!" he said. "Something comic book like, I guess."
"This isn't a comic book," she said, looking over his shoulder. "Well, you have a name, and an old address. Good work guys. You've cracked the case!" Her hands went down on their shoulders.
"Thanks," Reedy said. Vaughn shook his head.
"She's being funny because we haven't done anything yet," he said.
"Exactly," she said. "Now get out there and show him what being a detective is all about."
"Yes, Ma’am," Vaughn said, with a flat voice. They both got up and grabbed their coats.
"Chief seems a little extra…" Reedy said.
"Yeah," Vaughn replied, hitting the elevator button. "Losing those men last night, it's tough on everyone. She takes it personally of course. Shit’s so crazy these days, I just don't see how's she's holding it together."
"Maybe she's not," Reedy said stepping into the elevator.
They rode down to the south side of town and found the building they were looking for. It was a dilapidated brick five story apartment complex in the middle of the warehouse district. They got out, and stood in front of the building.
"You think anyone still lives here?" Reedy asked, eyeing the mess in front of them. It was a dirty building with boarded up windows, and spray paint tags covering every inch of the front wall.
"I hope not," Vaughn said, popping the clasp on his gun holster. "If they do, it's not much of a life."
"Tell me about it. This place has been abandoned for a while. Let’s just get this over with," Reedy said.
They stepped into the building through the metal door in the front. Its hinges squealed, and the door itself dragged the concrete as it opened. The air in the building was stale, and had the faint odor of smoke.
"You hear that?" Reedy asked, listening to a faint sound of someone talking.
"Yeah, it's coming from upstairs," Vaughn said.
They crept up the stairs, guns ready. Each step made the echoing voices louder. They reached the top landing and came face to face with a group of black men shooting dice. The game stopped as everyone stared at one another. Both Vaughn and Reedy lowered their weapons.