He has no idea what he’s in for…, Chuck thought.
“I understand your anger, Penny,” Albie said, his calm demeanor unchanged. “I have no intention of hurting your kid. But you have to understand, this has to happen. Chuck isn’t a hero. He’s just a dad in a cape. The world needs Mr. Wonder to be a force for good. Not some bumbling idiot who can’t control his powers. Once your husband hands over the cape, you’ll get your daughter back, and you guys can go back to your nice, peaceful life.”
“Or,” Penny said, moving toward him, “I can just break your neck, take her back, and we can leave.”
Albie raised his gun slightly, stopping just short of aiming it at her. “That doesn’t seem likely.” He turned toward Chuck. “You’re not going to let your wife cause a peaceful situation to get out of control, are you Chuck?”
Chuck smiled. “’Let my wife?’ You’re single, aren’t you?” The cape still occupied one hand. He eased the other into his pocket. “You must be, if you think it’s possible to dictate what a woman does.”
Penny continued her slow approach toward Albie. Anger radiated from her face. “Black belt or no black belt, I’m kicking your misogynistic ass.”
Albie raised the gun again, pointing it directly at her head. “Stop.”
“You’re not going to shoot a mother in front of her kids,” she said. “You may be a creep, and have no clue about women, but you’re not a psychopath.”
CRACK. Chuck’s breath caught. Riley and Pax screamed. Penny threw her arms over her head, but she stayed on her feet. She lowered her hands and started towards him again. “See, you’re trying to act tough, but you couldn’t bring yourself to actually shoot me.”
Chuck dug his hand through his pocket. He fished out his keys and held them behind his back.
“Put your gun down.” Chuck’s head whipped toward the voice. The woman kidnapper had a rifle trained on Albie. What the hell?
Albie turned his head toward her, confusion rippling across his face. “Andromeda?”
“Set the gun down and let Riley go.” Andromeda’s voice was firm, determined.
“You do remember who’s paying you? Right?”
“I know that what you’re paying isn’t worth hurting these people.”
Albie shook his head. “Is this your way of asking for more money? If so, can we talk about this later?”
“Not a negotiation. Gun down, now.”
“Taurus? I could use some help here. Get your team under control.” Sweat popped on Albie’s brow as he realized Taurus was back on the ground. “Orion?”
“They’re not going to be able to help you. Gun. Down. Now.”
During the conversation, Penny had continued her approach. She was nearly on top of Albie.
Wait for it, Chuck thought. Steady.
Penny crouched, reaching toward Riley. Riley responded by reaching for her hands.
Now!
Chuck whipped the keys from his pocket. In one smooth motion he brought them around, charged them with all the remaining energy he had, and hurled them at Albie’s chest.
“Oooofff!” Albie doubled over as all of the air was forced from his lungs. He released his hold on Riley. Penny pulled her away as the man toppled to the ground.
Chapter Thirty-Six
36
Andromeda finished binding Albie’s hands and sat down beside him. Taurus and Orion lay behind them, bound at the wrists and ankles.
“I don’t know whether to thank you for helping, or have you arrested for whatever role you played in this,” Chuck said. He extended his hand. “Before I call the police, we should at least chat. We haven’t officially met. I’m Chuck.”
She wore her weariness on her face. She accepted his hand and shook it. “Fair enough. Call me Annie.”
“Thank you,” Penny said. She held Riley and Pax against her chest.
Annie smiled. Rather than brighten her face, it made her seem sadder. “You’re welcome. You have great kids.”
“Thanks,” Chuck said. He looked her in the eye. “Is that why you did it? Not that I’m looking a gift horse in the mouth. I’m grateful no matter why. But I’m curious about what made you turn on your team like that.”
Annie paused. “Your kids were a big part of it, I think. Honestly, I’m not sure why I did it. It wasn’t exactly planned. But when I saw him holding Riley like that…”
“Thanks, Miss Annie,” Riley said, peeking out from her mother’s chest.
Annie’s smile lit up her face. “You’re welcome, Riles.”
Annie may not have been sure why she had turned on her team, but Chuck was pretty sure Riley had a big role in it. “Did you two get to know each other the last couple of days?”
“Yeah, I think we’re buddies.” Annie looked energized talking about Riley. “Isn’t that right, Princess Riley?”
Riley giggled. “We’re like peanut butter and jelly.”
Penny smiled and looked at Chuck. He realized that, despite having no super powers and almost no physical strength, the real hero of the day was a three-year-old.
“In retrospect, there are a lot of practical things I wish I had asked Mickey before going out on a real mission.” Chuck wasn’t comfortable leaving the three men bound and gagged in the abandoned warehouse, but he didn’t really see an alternative. He snapped a sleeping Pax into his car seat and closed the van’s door. “I wish I knew what the protocol was for this kind of thing.”
“Don’t worry. This is right,” Annie said. “We’ll call in an anonymous tip to the cops once we’re far enough away. They’ll show up, find these guys with a bunch of illegal weapons, and they won’t ask too many questions. They’re used to dealing with these kinds of things.”
Penny shook her head. “I’m sorry if this is blunt, but you seem like a nice, normal person. How on earth did you get caught up with these guys?”
Annie chewed her bottom lip. “I, uh.” She paused, looking out the van’s dirty back seat window. “My family…” She sighed. “My family is complicated.”
Chuck smiled, hoping to put her at ease. “Everyone’s is, in their own way.”
She looked him in the eye, her expression making him feel like he should have kept his mouth shut.
“Mine’s a little different. Let’s just say my parents kept some stuff from me. And when I figured it out I spun a little out of control. That led me to this crew, which got me here.”
Chuck debated pushing her further, but decided to let it rest. She owed them an explanation, but it didn’t have to be now. “Fair enough. So why did you turn against them to help us?”
“Like I said, I’m not entirely sure. Those guys were like family to me. Or at least I thought they were. Then I met your family.” She paused, considering her words. “I guess Penny and the kids gave me a new definition of ‘family’.”
“Really?” Penny’s sarcasm was in full effect. “You weren’t kidding then…you do have a messed-up family.”
“Yep. A big ol’ basket of dysfunction,” Annie said, loosening up a little. “Seriously though, the way Riley and Penny talked about you, Chuck, made me realize what I was missing with my family. Then, seeing you charge in there today, with no thought other than to get them to safety, I was floored. I mean, what kind of dad keeps a cape with super powers, just to make the world better? If that’s what I’m fighting against, I really need to rethink my job.”
Chuck shook his head. “I wish it was that noble. Mostly I took the cape because I was bored.”
Annie’s laugh startled him. It came from deep in her belly and filled the van, ricochetting off the windows. For a moment, Chuck didn’t know if she was amused or unhinged. Riley joined her, laughing with her whole body. Riley’s laugh escalated Annie to a dog-whistle laugh, the kind of laugh where no audible sound escapes. They went back and forth, each feeding off the other’s laughter. Pax joined in, having no idea what the joke was, but wanting to be a part of it. Chuck and Penny exchanged confused glances and waited for the merriment t
o die down.
Finally, Annie began to compose herself and let out a half moan, half chuckle. “Glad to know I gave up everything I’ve worked for in my adult life, the only people I considered friends, and a substantial paycheck, all because I believed in a man who was only doing what he was doing because he was bored.”
Chuck had no idea how to respond. He started the van. “Yeah, sorry about that. Is there somewhere we can drop you off?”
Epilogue
Chuck eased his foot off the brake pedal, coasted a few feet, and stopped again. He checked his rear-view mirror to be sure the giant red pickup behind him was going to stop in time. Satisfied, he turned his attention back to the radio.
“John from Arlington, you’re on.”
“Thanks Allen. Long time listener, first time caller.”
“Glad to have you, John. What’s on your mind.”
“Well, Allen, I just can’t believe anyone buys into the charade anymore. I mean, who really believes that a gang of bank robbers set themselves on fire to avoid capture? Really? That’s the story they want to sell us?”
“I’m just as shocked as you are, John.”
“I mean, just come out and admit it: there are people walking among us that have super powers. It wouldn’t be that hard. Am I right?”
“Partially, John. But remember, the government benefits from keeping you in the dark here. They don’t want you asking questions. Just keep paying taxes. Watch your reality TV. And don’t think too much. The folks in power can only stay in power if you’re pacified. They don’t want to do anything that might get people riled up.”
“But why would that get us riled up, Allen? If anything, wouldn’t most people be happy knowing we have super heroes watching over us?”
“Maybe. But there’s a flip side too. You have to think that not everyone who has these powers uses them for good. And knowing that could lead people to panic. Panic is hard to control, even when you’re pumping chemicals into the water supply. Thanks, John. Peter from South Riding, you’re on.”
Chuck laughed to himself. In the few weeks he’d been listening to Allen Rose’s show, he’d picked up on some of its tropes.
Rose pandered to conspiracy theorists of all sorts. The “aliens at Area 51” crowd. The “vaccines are a government mind control project” crew. And the “super heroes are real” contingent. Whether Rose really believed the theories he supported on his show didn’t matter. His listeners did. Chuck got the sense that the group of people who believed in super powers was bigger than he’d guessed from Albie’s website.
Rose’s syndicated show reached millions of listeners every day, nationwide, making it one of the highest-rated radio shows in the country. And one of its most persistent topics was whether super powers existed, and whether the government was exploiting those powers to suppress the general public.
Chuck wished he and Mickey had spent more time talking about the mechanics of how heroes worked in the real world. They’d spent their brief time squabbling and trying to get Chuck’s powers under control, with little time left over for what to do once he wrangled them. He still hoped to have the chance.
In the weeks since the kidnapping, Mickey’s injuries had mostly healed. His arm, leg, and foot were almost fully recovered. The electrical burns were coming along well. In fact, the doctors weren’t quite sure why he hadn’t regained consciousness, but were cautiously optimistic that he would. Chuck and Penny had taken many shifts sitting by his side, reading to him, keeping him up-to-date with Riley’s latest adventures, and telling him to just wake the hell up.
He pulled into the driveway, threw the van into park, and bounded toward the door. Flinging it open, he yelled, “Guys, I’m home.”
Squealing and thumping filled his ears as Riley sprinted down the hall. She leapt into his arms and squeezed. He returned the squeeze, and nuzzled his face into her neck. BLLLLLLRRRRRRRPPPPP.
Riley went limp, consumed by giggles caused by the wet raspberry on her neck. Her giggles wound down, but her smile remained. “Daddy, that tickles.”
“What?” Chuck said, feigning shock. “I had no idea.”
“Silly daddy.” Chuck sat her down and she scampered away.
“Very silly daddy,” Penny said, walking down the hall. She grabbed Chuck’s cheeks in both hands and planted a kiss on him. “How was your day, honey?”
“Better now that I’m home. How about you?”
“About the same. Annie brought Thai. It’s getting cold, so wash up and head in.”
When he got to the dining room, Annie, Penny, and the kids were already eating. “Thanks for bringing dinner again, Annie. You don’t have to keep doing this.”
“I helped kidnap your family, Chuck. I think I owe you at least a few dinners.”
“True, but you also helped me get them back. Let’s call it even at this point. How’d the interview go?”
“Sounds like she killed it,” Penny said, scooping pad Thai onto Chuck’s plate. “Am I right?”
Annie nodded. “I think so. Fingers crossed, I think I’ll get an offer tomorrow. It’ll be weird to have a real job, but I’m kind of excited for it. Thanks for setting it up.”
“Happy to help,” Chuck said. “We’d be lucky to have you on board. From what I can tell, you’re a woman of many talents. Plus, it’ll let me keep an eye on you. Make sure you don’t go hatching any new schemes.”
“Daddy, is a scheme a kind of bird?” Riley’s ability to connect facts never ceased to amaze him.
“No sweetie,” he said. “It’s just another word for plan. I don’t know why you ‘hatch’ them.”
“What’s Annie going to plan? Are we going to have another sleepover with her? Can we? Please?”
Chuck shot Annie a dirty look. “Maybe someday, Riles. For now, she has lots to do.”
Annie looked at him, confused. “I do? What do I have to do? I’m still unemployed.”
Chuck smiled. “Oh, there’s lots of stuff. We need to figure out your costume. You need a new name. There’s a lot of tactical stuff you need to teach me. You need to train me on all the stuff you know I should be able to do, but can’t yet. And we need to get your stuff moved into the basement.”
Everyone stared at Chuck. Annie broke the silence. “Wait. Are you saying you’ve made up your mind? You’re going to keep the cape? And you want me on board?”
“I have, I am, and I do.”
About the Author
Sean Stansell is a father, geek, and pop culture aficionado. Though he has no super powers (yet…), he has read about them for more than 30 years, and seen just about every movie involving them. If he did have a super power, it would be mind control. Or super speed. Or The Force. He’s terrible at deciding what super power he’d want.
You can send him feedback, power suggestions, or crazy Star Wars theories at [email protected].
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A Dad in a Cape (Mr Wonder Book 1) Page 20