An Honest Living

by Ben Mariner

  I took a sip of the stale coffee tossed it in a trash can on my way to the elevator. Lisa’s decision was unexpected but now that I thought about it, I could see where she was coming from. She’d satisfied a lifelong vendetta, now she just wanted to go about her business in her own way. I could respect that. Being your own boss and whatnot. Entrepreneurial Talent. Is that a thing? It should be.

  NINETEEN

  I checked my phone.

  Still nothing.

  I scrolled back a bit through the history.

  Was twelve texts too many?

  It would be one thing if she was answering, but she wasn’t, so I felt like it made me look like a psychopath. It just wasn’t like Grace to completely ignore me like that though. I mean, sure, we haven’t known each other that long. Maybe this was like her and I just didn’t know her as well as I thought I did. It still didn’t feel right. I couldn’t imagine what I could have done to upset her. She wasn’t super happy about what happened with Bobby Two-Doors, but that also wasn’t that big of a deal.

  I looked at the time again.

  Thirty minutes to midnight. I couldn’t wait any more.

  I didn’t need to wait for Grace to respond, I just would have felt much more comfortable if she had. The Liberty Gang had given me a very cryptic meeting invite and her dad was basically at the top of the ladder so I figured maybe she could give me an idea of what I was about to walk into. Some reassurance would have been nice, but I’d have to do without it. Besides, she still had a half hour to respond. Plenty of time for her to help me out.

  I wasn’t even sure why I was so nervous about this meeting. It wasn’t like the Liberty Gang were going to go all Goodfellas on me. They were the good guys. There was just something in the back of my mind that was casting a shadow of doubt over everything. A little voice that kept telling me that things weren’t as straight forward as they seemed. I had probably been working for the Mals too long.

  I ordered a ride on my phone and left my apartment to wait on the street. It was a nice night. Not too cool, not too hot. I didn’t have to wait long before my ride pulled up. Decent sized car, but compared to me, it looked like one of those electric toy cars for kids. The driver looked at me with some skepticism as I approached the rear passenger side door. He was right to feel that way too. Took almost five minutes to maneuver myself in such a way to fit in the back seat, and my knees were still in my ears with my elbows poking the windows on both sides.

  “C...comfortable?” the driver asked. Definitely one of those questions he asks just to make sure his passengers give him a good rating, but it seemed silly right now.

  “Oh, definitely,” I lied.

  He took his foot off the brake and pulled back into the street. We hit a bump and I felt the rear fender scrape the pavement. This definitely wasn’t going to help my passenger rating.

  We rode in relative silence. He tried getting into some small talk, but neither one of us seemed comfortable with it. He kept looking in his mirrors and I got the distinct impression that he was worried I was going to stretch his car out. Yep, this was definitely going to put a dent in my passenger rating.

  The car came to a stop a few minutes later when we arrived at the address I had entered. There was a brief moment I was certain we’d have to call the fire department to use the jaws of life to cut me out of this damn car, but I managed to wiggle a foot free and the rest was easy after that...more or less. After he had used a different language to almost definitely curse at me and drove off, I made sure to pull up the app a drop him a little extra on the tip and give him five stars. He deserved it.

  I looked up and down the street. Deserted, as expected. In front of me on the opposite side of the street was a very unassuming brick and mortar building that looked like it wouldn’t hurt for some basic repair work. When I crossed the street and saw the notice in one of the windows that it had been condemned, I pulled the slip of paper out of my pocket and double checked. It was the right place. Obviously it had to be some kind of secret lair. The Liberty Gang’s combined income was well over a billion dollars. They didn’t have their meetings in a rundown building.

  I hopped up the few derelict steps and tried turning the knob. Nothing. Didn’t even budge a little. I jiggled it a bit and felt something flake off into my hand. The damn thing was rusted shut.

  Looking up and down the street again, I went back down the steps and stood on the sidewalk. I checked my phone. Still nothing from Grace. This would have been the perfect time for her to suddenly remember that she has a phone that receives text messages that people expect responses to. The time was five to midnight.

  I sighed and leaned against the newel post at the base of the steps. Now, I’m a big guy, and I can do some damage when I need to, and even sometimes when I don’t mean to. But last time I checked, leaning casually against a concrete pillar wasn’t enough to break it, even for me. Despite that, it gave under my weight and I just about messed myself. Luckily no one was around to see it happen.

  Once I got control of myself again, I spun around to look at what I’d done. The newel post looked unphased except for the fact that it was tilted back a bit. Not only that, but the front door to the building was now ajar. I’d accidentally tripped the hidden mechanism. I mean...I totally knew that you had to push the newel post back and definitely did so on purpose because I was prepared for that.

  I climbed the steps again and pushed my way inside, closing the door behind me. I could just hear the newel post moving back into place on the other side of the door. The inside of the building wasn’t much to speak of, but that’s because it was pitch black. I couldn’t see an inch in front of my face. I took a tentative step forward and ran into something solid. With a bit of blind feeling about, I realized I was in a much smaller space than I had anticipated. Couldn’t have been more than a few feet between any wall. Just big enough for me to fit in.

  The floor shifted under me and I felt myself moving downward. An elevator. Should have known. Still, some lights would have been nice. The ride didn’t last long, and the door slid open in front of me to reveal a long, well-lit corridor of gleaming chrome. I had to squint to keep from burning my retinas out.

  At the opposite end of the corridor was a set of double doors with the Liberty Gang’s seal pressed into them. I could hear the faint sounds of voices on the other side, so I made my way down the corridor. When I got closer, I realized that one of the doors was cracked open just a bit. I was about to reach for the handle when I heard something that made me draw up short.

  “What kind of stupid name is Wrecking Ball anyway?” a voice asked and there was a smattering of chuckles in agreement.

  “Grace came up with it,” a voice answered. I recognized it as Wayne Grey immediately. Or Nocturno, in this case.

  “Well it’s stupid,” the first voice reiterated.

  “I think it’s quite suitable,” a new, female voice entered the fray. “Grace is a brilliant woman and we should commend her for her contributions.”

  There was an exasperated sigh.

  “Yes, yes,” the first voice agreed testily. “Women are the goddesses of the earth and superior whatever and blah blah blah. Doesn’t mean they can’t have a stupid idea now and then.”

  “He’s late,” another voice said, trying to get the conversation back on track.

  Someone scoffed. “If we’re going to go to the trouble of setting this up, the least he could do is be on time.”

  “The Hotness, can you go check and see if he’s outside. Maybe he can’t figure out how to get in.”

  “He is pretty dumb,” someone agreed.

  Crap.

  I reached for the door handle just as it swung open. The Hotness jumped when she realized I was on the other side.

  “Hey,” I said, trying to act casual. “Sorry I’m late. Traffic.”

  “Come in,” she answered with what was may be the world’s biggest eye roll.

  I could see why Lisa disliked her so much. Not only were th
eir powers polar opposites, but she was kind of a pain in the ass.

  The chamber beyond the door was something else. Cavernous gold dome ceiling with a crystal chandelier that wouldn’t fit in my apartment hanging from it. Marble pillars every ten feet or so of highly polished mahogany walls. Gold veined white marble floors with a mirror quality sheen. An ornately carved wooden table wrapped almost completely around the room and each of the members of the Liberty Gang sat behind it. Behind each of them was a marble statue of themselves in some kind of action pose that perfectly encapsulate their essence.

  All super low key.

  I walked out into the middle of the room so that they were all surrounding me. Nocturno was in front of me. Going around the table clockwise from him was Lady Freedom, Mr. Unbelievable, Awesome Man, an open chair that The Hotness was returning to, Glamora, and The Blur. On Nocturno’s right was an empty seat in front of a statue of Magnificent Man that was sure to be replaced at some point. Wait. Could that some point be right now? Was that what this was about? There was no way. I’d been a Bennie for like two seconds. I couldn’t already be at the top of the ladder. Maybe Grace had greased the wheels a bit. I couldn’t help but picture my own statue there. I looked good in marble.

  I looked around the room. Every single one of them appeared to be awkwardly wondering if I had overheard what they were saying.

  “Welcome to the Liberty Hall, Mr. Raskin,” Nocturno greeted me.

  “Thanks for the invite,” I said to him. “Sorry I’m late.”

  “It is nothing,” Lady Freedom said magnanimously. “We are pleased you are here.”

  Lady Freedom, or Dana Queen, was a super-strong, highly intelligent woman who could dismantle any member of the Liberty Gang or Coalition of Evil without even breaking a sweat. She was, by far, the most powerful person in the room, yet she was still playing second fiddle to Nocturno. If you asked her, she’d say that she did not want the responsibility as her true tribe was that of all women and heading the Liberty Gang would only detract from that focus. But that was only because of her exceptionally humble and forgiving nature. The real reason was because Nocturno was a rich white man, and even though Lady Freedom could snap him in half with one hand, she couldn’t punch through the glass ceiling.

  “Agreed,” Mr. Unbelievable chimed in. “Of course, we forgive your tardiness.”

  Mauricio Ignali, Mr. Unbelievable, was a massive chunk of chiseled Italian stone who seemed to always have an ethereal glow about him and a calm breeze blowing through his luscious blond locks. I was never able to figure out what his powers actually were, but people seemed to love the steamy romance novels that had him bare chested on the cover.

  “We asked you to meet with us tonight because we have a special task for you,” Glamora explained.

  Betsy Raddik was one of my favorite Bennies. She could take on the appearance of anyone she encountered. The practical application in a fight wasn’t great, but you can’t deny how handy it is when you need to sneak in somewhere. And how cool would it be to suddenly look like any celebrity you wish. Wouldn’t have to wait for a table at any fancy restaurants, that’s for sure.

  “Why are we speaking in turn?” The Blur cut in, “Seems silly.”

  “The purpose of this meeting is twofold,” Nocturno explained, “First of all, this is your official welcome into the ranks of the Liberty Gang.”

  They all pounded once on the table and did a little salute kind of a thing. Had to have been some kind of secret signal or something, which I assumed meant something along the lines of welcome to the team. I couldn’t help but notice the fact that neither Awesome Man nor The Hotness joined in. Now that I thought about it, neither of them had spoken since I arrived. If you didn’t count my short exchange with her at the door.

  “Second,” Nocturno continued. “Now that we have had a successful test run of your suit in a combat situation, you need an official Liberty Gang sanctioned mission to establish yourself.”

  “Think of it as a coming out party,” Glamora explained in simpler terms. “A kind of debutante’s ball, but with slightly more punching and kicking.”

  “Oh, okay” I said, a little deflated. “Definitely on board. Just tell me what to do and where to do it.”

  “Very well,” Nocturno said, giving me an encouraging look. “Details of your assignment will be sent to your apartment for your review. A support team has already been selected for you. We will be monitoring your progress. Have a good night, Mr. Raskin.”

  I looked at the others, but they had already lost interest in proceedings. As I left, I felt someone’s gaze burning into me, almost literally. I glanced over to The Hotness, but she and Awesome Man were talking to each other in hushed tones. Maybe I had imagined it.

  I was back up the corridor and on the street before I even realized what was happening. I was torn on how to feel, but a lot of that had to do with the fact that I had wildly misinterpreted the reason for this meeting, and gotten my hopes way up for no reason. After that, it just felt like a step backwards. I shook off the thought. This was actually a huge step forward. I’d spent years trying to get to this point with the Coalition. I probably wouldn’t be here without Grace, but so what if there was some light nepotism involved. The ends justify the means in this guy’s book.

  My phone vibrated and I fished it out of my pocket. It was a text from Grace.

  Sorry. I was out on assignment. Couldn’t reply. How’d it go!?

  Oh, now she replies.

  I backed out of my messages and went to the rideshare app to order a car. Couldn’t help but chuckle when the same guy accepted the fare.

  Passenger rating is going to tank tonight.

  So be it.

  TWENTY

  There was a strong sense of déjà vu in my current situation. I was once again standing outside of the Maxima City Bank and Trust waiting for a new job to begin. My support team, which consisted of a couple of low level lackeys and a half decent earth talent by the name of DiggerNought, was already in place. I looked up and scanned the skies. The Liberty Gang said they’d be watching, but I didn’t see any kind of tech. Honestly, I was hoping to see Grace up there zipping around, but she was absent as well.

  Just like last time, I was stuck waiting for other people to show up. This time it was the Mals…Cacklers. That’s what the Bennies called them. Had to remember that if I was going to do the good guy thing. We got a tip that Dr. Cannibal was going to hit the bank so it was my job to step in and put a stop to him. If I could successfully do that, I’d officially be both a member of The Liberty Gang, and a full-fledged named Talent that people could talk about. That was still a surreal thought, but I decided to just accept my circumstances and roll with the punches.

  But something was wrong.

  The clock outside the bank read ten minutes after midnight. Dr. Cannibal and his goons were supposed to show up at midnight on the dot. Were they late to their own damn heist?

  “Everyone check in,” I said into the comms. “Any sign of movement?”

  It’s hard to describe the sinking feeling you get in your stomach when you ask a question and expect a reply only to receive static feedback. I could have written it off as a malfunction, but that didn’t seem quite right to me. There was something in the back of my mind telling me that the white noise coming through had nothing to do with a malfunction but was by design. Whether that was some kind of signal blocker Dr. Cannibal might have been using, or something more sinister, I wasn’t sure. The truly chilling part is that there could be something more sinister than a guy with razor sharp teeth who calls himself Dr. Cannibal.

  I reduced gravity a bit and jumped over to the bank’s roof. They had already fixed the glass ceiling where Grace had broken through the first time we encountered each other. I peeked through the glass dome to see if anything was going on inside, and, not surprisingly, found the place deserted. I did another quick scan of the skies and my surroundings. Not even the slightest hint of movement.

 
What the hell was going on?

  Rather than go bursting through the ceiling like I really super wanted to do because it would have been a cool entrance, I walked over to the edge of the roof and hopped down to street level. The front door to the bank was slightly ajar. Damn. Was it me? Was I the late one? Had I totally misread the information that I was given and showed up at the wrong time? That would be classic me, honestly, but I knew that wasn’t the case. I can be a little dumb sometimes, but I’m not that dumb.

  I crept up the steps and poked my head inside. Nothing. No alarms. No sound of movement. No talking. It was as if they left for the day and just forgot to shut the door. I slipped inside and closed the door behind me. Only a few security lights were on inside so it was difficult to see clearly, but I had been inside enough in my life to know where I was going. I didn’t have to go far before I nearly tripped over something that definitely shouldn’t have been there. Tucked off into the shadows was the unconscious form of one of the Liberty Gang lackeys that was part of my support crew.

  “What the hell?” I said aloud, pulling my phone out and turning on the flashlight.

  His arm was definitely broken and the giant lump on his head meant someone had knocked him out cold. He got into a fight and didn’t report it? Maybe someone snuck up on him. Or then again, maybe he did report it and my malfunctioning comms didn’t allow me to hear it. I left him where he was and moved deeper into the building.

  When I got into the main room of the bank, it was a disaster area. Broken stones, splintered wood, bodies of my support crew scattered about. The place looked like a major battle had taken place and I hadn’t heard a peep. How could this have happened? Even if I had arrived late, someone should have been around to deal with the fallout of the scuffle. Cops or someone. If it was really just broken comms, there’s no way I could have not heard a fight like this. Even from the next roof over. So how could this happen?

  It couldn’t. That’s how.