by JC Bybee
“Of course, please come in. Charlene could you get us something to drink?” Mr. Holander seemed genuinely interested in helping, which also upped Ace’s estimation of him as a person.
Not all Regs are morons.
In the living room Ace and Emily took the couch while Mr. Holander took one of the overstuffed recliners. They were joined my Mrs. Holander who was carrying a tray with glasses full of water. Ace was grateful for the ice in her glass. Thanks to Hellfire the mid-August heat was still in full effect.
“I don’t know if there’s much I can tell you. I only heard about what happened,” Mr. Holander began.
“That’s alright, we are actually looking into anyone who knew the Anti involved. But before we begin, by law, I must tell you that I am a consultant working for the E.E.D and I am an upper-tier, Mental Class,” Emily said. She handed her newly printed credentials to Mr. Holander who looked them over carefully before handing them back.
“Very well, I have nothing to hide so you have my permission to use your powers as you feel necessary during our interview,” Mr. Holander said. He was still totally relaxed, though his wife looked tense. She was clearly a normal and not comfortable with the casual talk of using powers in her home.
Most normals would be uncomfortable.
“Thank you for your cooperation,” Emily said. “Now the Anti involved called himself Technosis, but before he was known as Jim Parker, a Registered technomancer.”
“No way, that was Jim?” Mr. Holander looked dumbfounded.
“So you knew him?” Emily asked.
“Yeah, Jim and I were golfing buddies. Most weekends and whenever we could both get time off we’d try to get a round in,” he explained. “I haven’t seen him in, man, over a year. Do you know what happened to him?”
“How familiar are you with the Homo Superior Organization, Mr. Holander?” Emily asked.
He sat back in his chair, a look of horror on his face. “Are you telling me what the Time’s printed was true?”
Hell.
“At this time we have only found two people directly involved with the HSO here in New Davenport. We have absolutely nothing that points to them having a large presence here, nor do we feel that the Exceptionals community as a whole is in danger,” Ace replied. That was the NDPD and the E.E.D’s official statement on the issue. Torment had let her know just before they’d left the precinct.
Mr. Holander looked at her, recognition blooming across his face. “The Fifth? The Fifth is in my home?”
Mrs. Holander turned a little paler at her husband’s question. Ace gave a reluctant nod of agreement. “That is correct. I am Ace, the only member of the Fifth Generation.”
With a smile Mr. Holander stood and offered his hand. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Ace.”
That’s a refreshing change.
More than a little taken aback Ace shook the offered hand and said, “It’s nice to meet you.”
Smooth.
Mr. Holander looked like he wanted to ask her dozens of questions, but Emily cleared her throat and he said, “I’m sorry. Please, continue.”
“Was Mr. Parker acting strange at all in the months prior to his vacation?” Emily asked.
“Not any more than usual. He’d always get a little upset after seeing Tomahawk speak, or if he read an article by that idiot Vince Jones, but other than that things seemed fine,” Mr. Holander replied. His expression was again serious and focused.
Vince and Tomahawk, that guy was asking for trouble.
Vince Jones was a well-known and very vocal opponent of Exceptionals. He was Tomahawk’s opposite in so many ways.
“Did he have any other known Exceptional friends?”
“I couldn’t really tell you. He never really talked about his other friends out on the course. I think he mentioned a girlfriend once, but that’s about it,” he replied.
Emily nodded and looked over her notebook. “Well I think that’s everything. Thank you for your time Mr. and Mrs. Holander.”
Ace and Emily began to rise, but Mr. Holander held up a hand and said, “Wait, do I need to worry about Homo Superior trying to come after me?”
Emily looked at Ace. She shook her head. “I don’t think so. You seem pretty satisfied with your job and life. From what we’ve been able to gather the HSO likes to target people who are disgruntled, people who want to bring about changes. But if you have suspicions about someone, please let the E.E.D know.”
At least he’ll be smart enough to know the difference between a telemarketer and potential contact with the HSO.
Mr. Holander nodded. “Thank you.”
Again Ace and Emily stood and Mr. Holander escorted them to the door. They said goodbye and left. Back in Ace’s truck Emily said, “That was easier than I expected.”
Ace pulled out of the Holander’s driveway. “I’m glad for that. Did you get anything else from him?”
“He’s clean. The worst secret he has is occasionally going to a strip club with his work buddies,” Emily replied.
“Hardly illegal,” Ace said as she drove away. “You want to try a couple more?”
“Sure,” Emily replied.
Three hours and four visits later they went back to Ace’s. “I didn’t think questioning people would be quite this tiring,” Emily said as she kicked off her shoes.
Ace laughed. “There’s a reason I’m still just a uniform. Detective work is hard, even for someone like me. Just be glad it was only for a few hours and not all damn day.”
“You mind if I use the gym?” Emily asked.
“Knock yourself out. I got a good workout in at work so it’s all yours,” Ace replied. “I’ll get dinner ready.”
“Thanks, I kind of missed lunch,” Emily replied. Ace just shook her head and waved Emily away. “Go workout, just don’t pass out.”
Emily smiled and went down stairs. Ace turned to the kitchen and began getting dinner made. She had to admit it was kind of nice having a roommate. It was also nice that their friendship seemed so natural. Ace didn’t have many friends and Emily was fast becoming her closest.
About damn time.
The next few days were eerily quiet for the officers of the E.E.D. Other than the one case that Bulldog’s unit had been called in on, there were no other calls for Hero intervention. It was like the entire city was holding its breath, waiting for something to happen. It put most of the police on edge, even the normals.
Ace and Emily spent most of their time questioning Regs trying to find out more information on Technosis. They’d encountered mixed results. Most of the subjects were willing enough; they just didn’t have any useful information. Some had become belligerent, forcing Ace to arrest a few. They were on their way to yet another name on their list when the explosion hit the truck.
Chapter 10
The force of the explosion rolled the heavy vehicle twice. Ace was disoriented by the sudden impact. She had to wait until the truck stopped rolling before she could get a handle on the situation. Her truck had ended up on its passenger side. She killed the engine and checked on Emily. Her friend was unconscious, but breathing. The truck’s safety systems had done their job. Ace made sure there were no serious injuries other than the gash in Emily’s head, before climbing up and taking a look out of the smashed driver’s side window.
Guns started firing as soon as her head came in view. That annoyed her. She always hated getting shot. She didn’t dare leave the truck to track down the shooter, judging by the number of rounds it was probably shooters. Whoever had thrown the bomb would be expecting that. Instead she ducked back inside and made sure Emily was protected. She dialed 911 on her device.
“911 emergency, what is the nature of your call?” asked the woman who answered.
“This is Officer Ace from Hero Unit twelve ninety. I’m currently under fire at the intersection of Fortieth and Telegraph. There are an unknown number of gunmen and I have a wounded Reg with me,” Ace said. She had to shout over the sound of bullets pounding i
nto the undercarriage of her truck.
“I have your GPS signal, Hero Units will be dispatched immediately,” the dispatcher said. Ace could hear the sudden urgency in the woman’s voice. Apparently Detective Allen had had a talk with the dispatchers.
“Thank you. I advise extreme caution. My truck was hit by an explosive of an unknown type,” Ace added. “There is a high possibility that there is a powerful Energy Class leading this attack.”
“Affirmative, we will dispatch Duck and Cover’s unit,” the woman said.
That was the best Ace could do. Now she had to settle in and wait for her fellow Heroes to show up. For the first time she wished that Einstein had been able to finish her sidearm. Maybe the sight of her with a gun would have scared at least a few of them off.
Her thoughts were interrupted as yet another blast slammed into the truck. This one wasn’t nearly as powerful as the first. Instead of lifting the truck it spun it around. Ace was glad she had picked Emily up as sparks flew from the metal grinding across the pavement.
This was a bad situation. As long as she had Emily she couldn’t run effectively, their difference in height made it too awkward, it would leave her friend too exposed. In the brief look she’d taken she’d been unable to spot any of the shooters.
Another blast rocked the truck. This one nearly turned it on its roof. Whoever was throwing around explosions either didn’t have a lot of control on their power, or they were just trying to rattle her. Ace did her best to brace the truck against further blasts while still keeping Emily as protected as she could.
At last she heard sirens over the gunfire. It was a relief, but she didn’t relax. Instead she braced herself against a last ditch attempt by her attackers. Sure enough it came in the form of an explosion that was more powerful than the first. It sent her truck tumbling through the air; Ace lost track of which way was up as she was thrown around the cabin. In the chaos she did her best to shield Emily.
Remarkably the truck landed back on its wheels. Once Ace was again reoriented she realized the only sound she could hear were the approaching sirens. Again she checked Emily for injuries. The other woman didn’t look like she was any worse shape, but there could be internal injuries that Ace couldn’t see or feel. She just hoped whoever had been attacking them was long gone when the ambulance arrived.
Ace always hated hospitals. They reminded her too much of the labs where she’d spent a good deal of her childhood. White walls, brilliantly white lights, people in scrubs and lab coats and the almost nauseating smell of disinfectant.
At least no one here wants to try and take samples of you.
Not that anyone else knew about the attempted experiments on her. Her parents had made sure to erase all of it. That also included who she really was. Only a few people were supposed to know. She preferred it that way. Antis couldn’t use her family against her if they didn’t know who her family was. This situation served as a reminder of that. She’d been hard pressed to keep Emily safe, let alone trying to stop the attack.
You need her just as much as she needs you. You can’t throw this one away.
She thought all this over while she waited in the hallway outside of Emily’s room. Torment and Moses were in the room conversing. Ace could almost hear, but she didn’t care to. She just wanted to be sure that her friend was going to be okay.
It wasn’t long before Torment and Moses stepped back into the hallway. “Emily will survive. She suffered a concussion, but other than that she just has bruises,” Torment said, much to Ace’s relief.
Moses nodded to Ace and then walked down the hall. He wasn’t a member of the E.E.D, but ran the Exceptionals Wing of Genesis West Medical Facility and had permission to use his powers while on the hospital campus. It and its sister facility, Genesis East, were just two of the many hospitals that served the Greater New Davenport Area. “Moses took care of the worst of it. The rest will heal on its own. She’ll be able to leave in a little while.”
Ace nodded her thanks.
“What happened?” Torment asked.
“We were going to the next name on our list. An explosion hit the driver’s side of my truck. Once I figured out which way was up I checked Emily and then tried to get a good view of the situation. I wasn’t able to spot any of the shooters from my position so I called it in and hunkered down to wait,” Ace replied. She was tired. It wasn’t a physical tired; her body had hardly done anything. It was an emotional tired; the stress of the situation leaving her exhausted and irritable.
“From the sounds of it you were hit by an Anti squad. Likely they were going after Emily, but they might have been trying to kill you both,” Torment said. Ace nodded. She was used to this kind of thing. Antis were always trying to figure out her weakness, the one thing that could hurt or kill her.
Torment sat down. She looked tired. “Captain Angel and I think we have tracked down the HSO mole that recruited Jim Parker. We are having trouble tracking her though. For now I want you and Emily to go home and rest. You are going home under heavy escort. We can’t afford to lose either of you at this point in the investigation. She might be the only one who can find our mole, and you are probably the only person capable of protecting her.”
Ace didn’t bother arguing. She wanted to, but what Torment was saying made sense. Right now she needed rest more than anything. “You can go in and talk to your friend now,” Torment said once Ace agreed.
Emily’s room was just like every other hospital room Ace had ever seen. A TV bolted to the wall, a window with gauzy curtains and a bed surrounded by machines. It also smelled like disinfectant. Emily was sitting up in her bed. None of the machines were hooked up to her. There was a bandage wrapped around her head. “That’s three times now I owe you my life, Ace,” she said.
“I’m just glad you’re okay,” Ace tried to hold back the tears, but they came anyway. She sat in the chair next to the bed and leaned against her one real friend. She tried her best to fight back the flashbacks that were running through her head.
She’s fine. Now just worry about keeping her that way.
Emily stroked her hair and said, “I’m fine, Ace. Moses has given me a relatively clean bill of health. All that’s left are some bruises.”
Ace did her best to get herself under control so she could explain. “Ace I understand. I know you pretty well by now. It makes me happy to know I have a friend like you. And no I don’t blame you and you shouldn’t blame yourself. You are amazing, but even you, with all your power, have limitations.”
Ace nodded, grateful that Emily could read her thoughts. Emily was like the family she couldn’t allow herself to have. That made her pause, why was she allowing herself to get close to someone when she had spent her entire career avoiding friendships and any kind of family ties?
“Ace everyone needs to have someone in their life, even you. I should say especially you. And don’t forget I made the decision to involve myself. I’m not going to allow you to take that from me. This was something I chose for myself. I was well aware of the risks that would come from being your friend, so no trying to drive me off or scare me away. I know what’s going on in your head just as well as you do.”
What did I tell you?
Ace nodded and wiped her eyes. “Thank you Emily,” she said.
“Again, I’m the one that should be thanking you. Three times you’ve saved my life,” Emily said.
Just then Moses walked in. He was short, skinny and balding. His round face was set in a perpetual look of surprise. The glasses he wore were to help keep his powers in check. He wasn’t technically classified as a Used, but he needed a little extra assistance. “Oh, Ace good to see you. Did you want me to do a check on you just in case?”
Moses was always looking for a chance to examine her. He was set on finding what made her a Fifth. She always let him and he never found anything, but Moses was nothing if not determined. “If you want,” she said. She refrained from sighing, or shaking her head. Moses meant well.
“Thank you. Now just stand up and I’ll take a look,” Moses said.
Ace stood; arms at her side, relaxed. Moses moved his glasses down and his eyes glowed green. Ace didn’t feel anything as he studied her. It only took a minute for him to finish. His eyes stopped glowing and he replaced his glasses with a rueful smile. “You are in perfect health, as usual. No sign at all that you were hit by an incendiary device, bullets and if I heard correctly an experimental weapon that made Einstein swear.”
Ace shrugged. “Did you expect anything less?”
Moses laughed. “No, not at all. I remember doing your scan after you had a building fall on you. I was hoping to maybe catch a glimpse as to why you are what you are, which I think in turn would help us all understand the Exceptionals, but as usual you appear like a normal everyday human.”
Ace couldn’t help but laugh. That was the typical reaction from all Life Class Exceptionals that studied her and the rest of the Exceptional Phenomenon. DNA tests, blood work, hormone tests all came up negative for any irregularities. Not even the oldest of the Exceptionals, Firsts who had survived even the Exceptionals war, showed any internal signs of aging. They aged to a certain point and then stopped somewhere between forty and fifty. It still wasn’t certain if Exceptionals could die of old age.
“Anyway you are both free to go. Ms. Carpenter, I would advise you take it easy for the next day or two. Both of you go home and get some rest,” Moses said. He gave Ace a look.
It’s like he’s dealt with you before.
“I’m already under orders to take it easy,” Ace replied raising her hands.
“Good,” he said. He nodded to them both and then left.
“I’ll wait out in the hall,” Ace said.
“I’ll just be a minute,” Emily replied.
Torment was still waiting outside the door. She’d been joined by the rest of Ace’s team. There was an awkward silence before Maniac said, “Einstein and I’ll get your truck back up and running soon.”