It wasn’t what he’d intended, but the effect was impressive. White hot bolts of electricity ricocheted through dozens of metal objects, lighting the entire space below. Ancient fluorescent tubes flickered and came to life, bathing the room in a dim glow. Be cool, Chuck. Act like you meant to do that.
Chuck watched X look up and stare at the show above him. Then things got complicated.
Chapter Thirty
Shit. These guys are good. Mickey hid behind a decrepit machine, plotting his next move. Chuck’s pillar of flame had given him a chance to survey the situation, but he didn’t like what he saw.
As far as he could tell, there were two kidnappers. The one in front of the office was doing the talking. The one hiding behind a rusted piece of machinery in the other corner was probably keeping tabs on Chuck and covering the man in the doorway. He wished he had a way to communicate that to Chuck. Wish in one hand, shit in the other…
Mickey had to admit that Chuck was doing a good job stalling. The guy was a world-class shit talker. And he got bonus points for being able to ruffle feathers. “Mr. X” was a tough nut to crack though. Mickey hoped Chuck could keep him talking long enough to get under his skin, make him sloppy, get him to make a — CRACK!
Mickey hit the deck before he even realized he was doing it. Years of experience told him to get down when you hear a gunshot, especially if you didn’t know where it came from. Ears ringing, he strained to hear any signs of injury.
“Now that you’re on the floor, would you please remove the cape and set it in front of you?” X’s statement answered Mickey’s immediate question. It must have been a warning shot. Still, Mickey didn’t breathe until he heard Chuck reply.
You’ve got some big cajones, kid. Not many folks duck a gun shot and quip about it. He knew it was time to get moving. These folks wouldn’t play around much longer.
He was plotting his move when electricity leapt across the ceiling, lighting the entire building. The perfect distraction. With the room lit, he was able to see X and his partner staring at the ceiling. Now or never.
Based on the limited recon he had done, it seemed the best plan was to get Penny, get her free, and have her help subdue the kidnappers. They’d have to get the kids’ location from these two, so they had to take them alive. She wasn’t trained for this, but three hands were better than one.
Wasting no time, he charged at X. He hoped the kidnapper would be partially blinded from staring at the bright light through night vision goggles. That, and the stealth his speed provided, should let him take the man out before he knew what hit him. As he approached, he cocked his fist, ready to cold cock X at high speed. Just before he made contact, pain shot through his foot. Before he realized what happened, he was sliding across the floor, arms flailing.
He slammed into the back wall of the office, leaving a dent in the drywall. Bouncing off, he hit the floor. Searing pain radiated through his thigh. What the fuck just happened?
Looking down, he saw a giant metal bear trap, its jaws sunk deep into the meat of his leg. His foot was bleeding too, but he couldn’t make out why. He didn’t have time to stare at it long, as X slowly approached him, a handgun pointed in his face. What’s taking him so long? He should get over here and finish me off.
Taking in more of the scene around him, he grasped why X was taking his time. The whole floor appeared to be covered in some kind of lubricant. Is that…KY Jelly? Holy shit. These motherfuckers turned the floor into a goddamn slip and slide.
He took a moment to get a good look at X. In addition to the night vision goggles, the man was wearing what appeared to be a fire fighter suit, complete with helmet. Thick rubber boots, which Mickey assumed were skid resistant, completed the ensemble. Did the goddamn fire department kidnap Chuck’s family?
Taking advantage of X’s slow pace, he looked around the rest of the room. Penny sat in a chair in the corner of the room behind a large desk, her arms bound to the chair with industrial strength cable ties. Her eye was starting to swell. He locked eyes with her, and mouthed, “I have a plan.” It may have been a lie, but her worried expression eased a bit.
“Well, this is quite the treat.” Mr. X had removed his goggles, revealing a ski mask underneath. He was staring at Mickey. “It’s not every day a bona fide hero crashes your party.” He raised his voice. “Hey, guess who it is.”
“Please tell me it’s not Aquaman,” another male voice said. “I can’t stand that guy. Tried to get me to come back to his cave one time. Real creep.”
“Don’t worry, it’s not Aquaman.” Mr. X smiled, though with no warmth or good humor. “I’ll give you a hint. Who do we know that would really hate to run on a slick surface?”
“It couldn’t be The Crimson Blur, could it? He’s retired, right?” The tone was as mocking as Mickey could imagine.
“It could, indeed. It seems he came out of retirement for us.” Mr. X stooped to get closer to Mickey, taking care to stay out of reach. “How are you, James? Or do you prefer Mickey now?”
Shock bloomed on Mickey’s face. There were very few people who knew his real name. And nobody he knew that could tie that name to his current alias. Who is this fucker? And how did he know I’d be here?
He forced himself to regain his composure. “You can call me Mickey. Don’t think we’ve met though. You are…?”
“No, we haven’t met Mickey, but I know all—“
“Taurus, watch out!” The yell cut X off mid-sentence, just as a ball of fire struck his back.
Got your name, asshole. Taurus waited for the heat to dissipate, then turned to see where it came from. While his back was turned, Mickey clawed his way toward Penny. The slick floor made for slow going. He worried he wouldn’t have time to get to her before Taurus’ attention came back to him.
He shouldn’t have worried. Chuck kept a steady barrage of fireballs coming towards Taurus. They didn’t seem to be affecting him much, but they were keeping him distracted.
Mickey slid behind the desk, next to the chair Penny was bound to. He kept his voice low. “Hold still, I’m going to cut you loose.”
“Are you crazy?” Mickey didn’t realize it was possible to scream in a whisper, but Penny had managed to do just that. “You’re stuck in a bear trap. What am I supposed to do if you cut me free?”
“Chuck seemed pretty sure you were going to beat the shit out of this guy. Can you do it? For your kids?”
Penny stared at him for a second, fire dancing in her eyes. He suspected it had nothing to do with the fireballs. “Cut me loose.”
Mickey reached in his pocket with his good hand and pulled out his multi-tool. His hand was slick with KY, and he fumbled the tool. Finally, he got a good grip and started sawing through the cable tie.
Penny pulled her hands free, rubbing her wrists. Looking at Mickey, she mouthed, “Give me the knife,” and reached out her hand. He handed her the multitool, wondering what her plan was.
Checking to be sure Taurus was still distracted, she climbed onto the heavy desk in front of her. She waited for Chuck’s next fireball. When it hit, and Taurus shrugged it off, she made her move.
Mickey couldn’t believe how fast she moved. One moment she was on the desk, the next she was on Taurus’ back, arms around his neck. She scrambled for a grip, but he twisted and shook her off. Not missing a beat, she stabbed the blade of the multitool into the meat of his thigh.
Taurus screamed and grasped at his thigh. She used the opportunity to sweep his legs, toppling him backwards. His head smacked the edge of the desk. He collapsed on the floor like a crash test dummy, unmoving. The exchange took seconds, and one kidnapper was out of the fight.
Damn. Mama bear doesn’t mess around.
“Taurus? You ok?” Concern was evident in the other kidnapper’s voice. “Taurus?”
Don’t throw another fireball, Chuck. Pay attention. Don’t barbecue your wife.
“He’s not doin’ so good, buddy.” Mickey couldn’t physically help, but he could use his bi
g mouth to move things along. “He could probably use a hand. Someone to stop the bleeding. You should get over here.”
Penny looked at him, shock giving away to disbelief. “You want him to come over here,” she whispered.
Mickey shrugged. “After what you just did to the leader, he should be easy.”
“I had surprise on my side.”
“Still do. He doesn’t know what happened. Can’t see over here. Sit back down.”
Penny skidded across the slick floor, back to her chair. She sat down and held her hands down by the sides of the chair.
Several tense seconds passed, before Mickey saw the silhouette of a helmeted head in the office’s window. The man was careful, trying to see what he was getting into before he barged in. He’s smart. Be careful with this one.
The window lit up as a ball of flame approached it, silhouetting the man before it slammed into his back. He must have seen it coming in the window’s reflection, because he curled in on himself, letting his back take the brunt of the flame. Like Taurus, he was wearing a full firefighter suit, so the fire didn’t do any real damage.
Keep him pinned down, Chuck. I need a minute. Mickey turned to Penny and whispered, “Help me get out of this thing.”
Penny cocked her head to the side, clearly wondering how she was supposed to help.
“All you need to do is press down on these two springs. Then we can double-team this guy.”
Penny looked at the window, undoubtedly checking to see if the second kidnapper was still occupied. She must have been satisfied, because she turned back, and eased off the chair towards Mickey.
Mickey pointed to spots on either side of the trap. “Ok, just push down here and here, hard. That should loosen the trap enough for me to get free.”
“Won’t that make the bleeding worse?”
“Nothing too bad. Remember, I’m tougher than the average bear. Pun intended. C’mon, let’s go. We’re short on time.”
Penny knelt beside Mickey and planted her hands on the springs. The vast quantities of lubricant around her were going to make this tricky. She shifted her weight directly on top of the trap and pushed down, starting a battle between the springs and her knees’ grip on the floor. The springs inched down, but her knees slid in the KY a little quicker. Mickey wasn’t sure which would win.
Just when it seemed Penny’s knees would go out from under her, the springs gave way and the jaws snapped open. Mickey stifled a scream as Penny’s full weight landed on his injured thigh. She spent several moments slipping around, trying to get herself off of him, before finally managing to slide onto the floor.
Mickey assessed his injuries. His foot hurt like a sonofabitch, but he could move it. He bent his knee and had to fight blacking out. Fuuuuuuck.
The busted arm, injured leg, bum foot, and lube-covered floor made standing up out of the question. The image of Bambi on ice popped into his head, though in his head Bambi only had three legs and was bleeding like a stuck pig. Laying here ain’t gonna work. Think, dummy.
Penny acted before he had a chance to think. While he pondered his next move, she patted down Taurus’ unconscious body, pulling out some kind of grenade.
“Toss that here. Gently.” She thought for a moment, tossed it over, and resumed her search. Mickey struggled to make out the grenade’s writing in the dim light. “Flash Bang”. He smiled.
Penny turned to him, also smiling, holding what appeared to be a Taser.
“Ever used one of those before?”
“Yeah, my dad taught me. Made me carry one around through college.”
Mickey grinned. “Then I have a plan.”
Chapter Thirty-One
The fireballs were working. They weren’t causing any damage. But they were keeping the second kidnapper busy and away from Penny and Mickey. Chuck knew his reserves of heat were getting low. It was time to make a move. He also knew he’d have to be quick about it. Every second he wasn’t creating a distraction was a second Penny was in danger.
“Didn’t catch your name, pal,” he shouted after a burst of flame. As soon as the light faded he started sneaking toward the stairs. “How rude of Taurus to not introduce us. It is Taurus, right? Man, he’s going to be pissed when he wakes up and figures out that you blew his code name. I mean, ‘X’ wasn’t going to hold up forever, and I’m sure Taurus isn’t on his birth certificate or anything. But it gives us a lead to follow up on, once we get rid of the both of you.”
Reaching the top of the steps, he let another small fireball fly, hoping the guy wouldn’t realize it was coming from a slightly different angle. After it extinguished he crept down the stairs. “No answer? Man, I thought Taurus was rude. At least he spoke when spoken to. I’ll just call you Stupid Lackey if you won’t give me your name.”
Three loud POPs echoed through the factory. Chuck ducked out of instinct, hearing the pings of bullets ricocheting just above his head. So much for moving without him noticing. Time for plan B.
He sprinted down the remaining stairs. When he hit the bottom, he unleashed a column of flame at Stupid Lackey.
Chuck didn’t pause to admire his work. He tore across the room, dodging debris and machinery. Penny slid through the door, facing Stupid Lackey, and he thought how unlucky this guy was going to be. His breath caught when he watched her fire a Taser, the electrodes lodging in the man’s fire coat. Stupid Lackey reached up and pulled out the electrodes, without being slowed at all. Uh oh.
Penny scrambled, struggling to get traction on the slick floor, as Stupid Lackey leaned toward her. Chuck continued his sprint, though he knew he’d never reach them before he could hurt her.
Through the door, he saw Mickey sitting up against the wall. He pointed straight at Chuck and then covered his eyes, holding up something in his other hand. What the hell does this crazy old bastard have up his sleeve? Chuck watched him pull a pin out of the object and toss it towards Penny and Lackey.
Panic ripped through Chuck as he watched the grenade skip towards his wife. Did he just tell me to cover my eyes so I wouldn’t see Penny get blown to pieces? That sick fu—no, he wouldn’t do that, he likes Penny. Cover your eyes, dummy. Chuck threw his hands over his eyes as a deafening BANG echoed through the room. A high-pitched whine filled his ears. He lowered his hands and saw Penny clutching her eyes. Stupid Lackey had his head cocked at an angle, and one hand pressed to his ear, but seemed otherwise unaffected.
He seized the glimmer of a chance, unleashing a lightning bolt directly at the man’s back. Just before it hit him it seemed to bounce, like a cue ball caroming off its target. Instead of slamming into the man, it reflected, hitting the metal window sill behind him.
What? How? Chuck shook his head.
Stupid Lackey turned toward him. Is that bastard smiling at me? “I see you’ve met Mr. Zappy. Cool toy, isn’t it Chuck? It’s an electromagnetic deflector. Electricity bounces off of it. Kind of like a force field. Your fireballs won’t burn me, and your lightning can’t touch me. You can’t hurt me. But I can hurt you, Chuck. And I can hurt your wife. With a phone call I can hurt your kids. So how about you quit fucking around and give me the goddamn cape?”
Penny writhed on the floor, hands over her eyes. Mickey crawled towards her, slipping along the way. It’s all you, Chuck. Get closer. He started closing the distance.
He knew this guy would destroy him in hand-to-hand combat. The trick would be getting close enough to make contact, without getting his face bashed in.
Stupid Lackey raised his gun, pointing it at Chuck’s face. “Don’t do it.” He swiveled the gun toward Penny. “Wouldn’t want anyone to get hurt.”
Penny blinked several times, but didn’t balk when she noticed the gun pointed at her. “He’s not going to shoot me,” she said. “If you don’t kick his ass, I will.”
Chuck kept his pace. With only a few strides left, Stupid Lackey locked eyes with him, but kept the gun trained on Penny. Chuck leapt at him, arms outstretched.
A gunshot broke Chu
ck’s concentration. Time slowed. Senses blurred.
The sizzle of lightning leaving his fingers, pouring out in one concentrated burst. A dull thud when he slammed into Lackey. A scream. Penny curled into a ball, hands over her head.
“Penny!” His words were slow, drawn out, like a turntable on the wrong speed.
A moan. Twisting beneath him, Stupid Lackey trying to get free.
“I’m ok.”
A cough. A jolt of pain as something hard struck his head.
Stupid Lackey shoved him to the floor as he stood, gun pointed at his head. “Nice try. Now, give me the goddamn cape.”
“MICKEY!” Penny scrambled toward the old man. In the confusion, Chuck had lost track of him. He focused his blurry eyes and looked for the old man.
Sweet Jesus, what have I done? Mickey lay face down on the slick floor. Vicious red burns spidered across the side of his face, disappearing below his collar. Wisps of smoke drifted up from his singed hair. His chest rose and fell with ragged, irregular breaths.
“See, Chuck? You don’t have what it takes to be a hero. You don’t deserve these powers. You’re a danger to yourself and your loved ones. Give me the cape. Go back to your nice, normal life.”
Chuck ignored Stupid Lackey’s commentary, instead forcing his uncooperative limbs to carry him towards Mickey.
Penny reached him first, and leaned down with her ear over Mickey’s mouth. “He’s breathing, but just barely. We need to get him to a hospital.”
Chuck’s head cleared. Time snapped back to full speed. He knelt next to Mickey and assessed the damage. “Should we roll him over? In case we need to do CPR?”
A Dad in a Cape (Mr Wonder Book 1) Page 17