by Drew Hayes
Behind them, more people were getting in line. It appeared Hershel was right; this thing was far from being done growing. Alice noted that these new people were also in costume, though theirs didn’t seem as well-crafted as what the boys had been able to churn out. Alex, Hershel, Chad, and even the novice Vince had done a shockingly good job in creating outfits for everyone who wanted to come. Some had been a bit more enthusiastic about attending than others, though; Alice was fairly certain that Mary had negotiated no less than three date nights in exchange for her participation that evening.
Alice glanced over at her friends, noticing that Mary was holding Hershel’s hand and smiling as he talked about what he hoped to see in the upcoming film. The small girl couldn’t have possibly cared less about the movie, but she was making sure he enjoyed himself fully, just as Hershel had done for her countless times. Since freshman year, those two had been united. They had the kind of love that was quiet, and easy to mistake for familiarity, yet it seemed unshakable. Much as she adored them both, it was hard not to feel jealous of them, at least occasionally.
“Coffee?” Nick had plopped down next to her and produced a cold bottle with a premade mocha drink from his own bag. “Figured you might need the caffeine to stay awake, since you passed out during the originals.”
“Shhh.” Alice elbowed him in the ribs, but then accepted the drink. “I don’t want Hershel or Alex to know I couldn’t stay awake through the last movie.”
“Dear girl, your snores told the room more efficiently than any words I could ever hope to conjure,” he replied.
Alice stared at Nick for a long few seconds. “I do not snore.”
“My mistake. In that case, I have the number for a good doctor whom you should let check you out, because no one should be making those sorts of noises from just breathing.”
Nick’s smart mouth earned him another shot to the ribs, which he managed to partially avoid. True, it wasn’t holding her hand or taking her out to dinner, but Nick was showing his affection in the way he always had, and she was returning it in her own way. It was, unquestionably, an unhealthy way to deal with the feelings between them, and it wouldn’t be able to suffice for much longer.
But, for the moment, it was enough.
178.
As the horde of costumed movie-goers streamed out of the theater, the street became thick with excited chatter. Countless conversations dissecting and celebrating the same cinematic moments floated through the air as the joy of what they’d watched burst forth from their lips, unwilling to be contained. The group composed primarily of those from Lander’s HCP junior year was no exception, as Hershel, Alex, and Sasha went back and forth over the choices that had been made, as well as the nods to the previous series. Mary walked ahead with Alice, determined not to be drawn into the conversation against her will, while the others walked behind, trying to make sense of the discussion.
“So, what did you think of your first costumed movie premiere?” Hershel asked at last, his eyes darting between Chad and Vince.
“The movie was good,” Vince said. “I mean, bad, but good bad, right? Anyway, I had fun with you all, and that’s what matters.”
“My assessment concurs,” Chad agreed. “I feel that, in truth, the act of actually seeing the movie was ancillary to the experience. It simply served as an impetus for us to do something unusual, and spend time together creating the outfits. The camaraderie seems to be the core of the enjoyment, more so than the film.”
“Most people just refer to that as hanging out,” Angela told him, patting her boyfriend on the shoulder. “And they don’t have to talk like a physics professor to say that it’s fun.”
“And what concern is it of mine how most people act?” Chad gave her an exaggerated wink, and Angela nearly lost a step. If Chad was trying to be sassy, he must really have been having a grand ole time.
They continued walking down the street to the cars, happy and relaxed, but still staying aware of their surroundings. Years of training—for some, a lifetime of it—had conditioned them to always be ready for a situation to turn dangerous. It was a shame, in a way, that even on a night as innocent as this one, each was prepared to go to battle in a heartbeat. Fortunately, both for them and for any ambitious muggers that might be prowling the night, no such trouble occurred before they reached the parking lot.
As the group reached their cars and began to pile in, Chad spoke up once more. “May I have a moment? There is something I would like to say.”
The others nodded; some even put their keys away before turning to their blond friend currently dressed like a space cyborg.
“I must confess that I came to this event viewing it as more of a trial run than anything else. I generally do not engage in frivolity when such time could be spent training, and this event has demanded many hours from me. From the outside, it seemed silly, but I pressed on because I wanted to understand what makes people do these things. Since I was a child, I’ve kept a distance from those unlike me, people I thought would slow me down. The only two friends I’ve had are Shane and Angela, both of whom I didn’t meet until college. Now, having actually gone through such an experience, I can say that, while joyful, there was no significant net gain from doing so.”
His friends—for that is who they were, whether Chad realized it or not—remained silent, allowing him to continue. The young man wore an open expression as he struggled to find the words he was searching for. Chad might have been one of the strongest Supers in the HCP, but when it came to basic socialization, he was the weakest of the lot. That said, he was trying to improve, and anyone who had fought Chad Taylor knew what he was like when he decided to train.
“There was no net gain . . . yet I find myself compelled by the idea of doing it again. Even though it represents a less efficient way of managing my time, I still find the idea preferable to going back to my old system. It seems, as such, that perhaps I am not quite as suited to solitary living as I suspected. I say all this for two reasons; the first of which is to thank you for opening your doors and letting me in. You were under no obligation to treat me like one of your own just because I moved in, yet you did so without hesitation, and I am exceptionally thankful for it. The second reason I say all this is because I have decided how I would like to use the ‘king for a day’ ability I won in our wager.”
“Hang on, you guys made a bet with Chad?” Nick interrupted.
“At the semester finals,” Vince told him. “Whoever came out on top got to plan activities for a whole day, and the others have to go along with it.”
“Yeah, I figured that out from the context,” Nick said. “What I meant is that you all made a bet against Chad?”
“And they nearly won it, too,” Chad told him. “But in the end, I pulled out slightly ahead, and as such, I have decided what to do with our day. I’m thinking of using it during spring break, assuming we can all get off work.”
“Brenda told us that we’re free to take the whole week, since business drops off significantly,” Mary said.
“And there’s no way in hell you’re getting hours,” Angela said. “Half the reason for the Cowgirl Rodeo is that no one comes out around here during break, too much other cool shit, so they’ve got to make the money while they can.”
“What about you?” Chad asked.
“I wasn’t a part of your little bet, so I get to wait and hear what the plan is before I sign on board. You’re a doll, but if you think I’m spending my last spring break doing some sort of ultra-training, then you severely underestimate my love of sunbathing and margaritas.” Angela waggled her eyebrows and stuck a hand on her hip. “But, if it’s fun, then I can get off as much time as I need.”
“I’m not sure how much fun it will be, though I hope a lot,” Chad said. “I actually want to spend a day doing normal activities. Perhaps going to a beach, or an amusement park, or on a hike . . . forgive me, the idea just struck, so I don’t have much of an itinerary yet. The point is, I think I’d like to see
more of what I’ve been missing. What normal people have grown up with.”
“We can deliver on most of that,” Shane said. “Though, with this group, I think true normality has been off the table since we stepped on campus.”
“Perhaps so,” Chad agreed, turning to look at his costumed friends, who could just as easily be his adversaries the next time he stepped into class. “But perhaps our ‘normal’ is not so bad either.”
They filed into their respective cars and began heading back toward campus. For most, this would mark the end of a night they would look back on as a rare glimpse of what normal life could be. For one of them, however, there was still work to be done before the night was through.
179.
While everyone else went to their dorms or apartments after parting ways in the parking lot, Nick Campbell drove his car to a different destination. He pulled up in front of a large, gated brick building, one among dozens of identical others, and killed the engine. Emerging from the car, he took a moment to check his reflection and frowned. It would have been nice if there had at least been time to change after the movie. Such was the price of efficiency, however, and Nick sauntered through the front door without an ounce of compunction over the fact that he was technically trespassing. These buildings were undergoing renovations that had stalled due to a drop in the company’s revenue; there was nothing to steal, and no reason anyone would care to do more than offer up a perfunctory effort at guarding them.
Inside, Nick found the vast area largely empty, save for a few lamps, a duffel bag, a portable generator, and several people. Two of them he knew instantly; they were the ones who had texted him with the need to meet up, after all. The other three were strangers, so far as he was concerned, though Nick had a feeling that, before the night was out, he would know intimate details about each one.
“I see you weren’t gentle with them,” Nick said, noting the blood, bruises, and occasional missing tooth decorating each of the three men’s faces.
“You wanted the problem handled fast and quietly. That sort of ruled out delicacy as an option,” Eliza said. “Did any of the others notice?”
“I don’t think so,” Nick told her. “You two intercepted these hooligans before even our resident telepaths could pick up on their thoughts. Good work, by the way. I appreciate you helping me give them a night of normalcy.”
“Might be their last,” Jerome grunted. “These three were definitely hired by Nathaniel.”
Nick leaned in close to one of them, noting the twinkle of fear in the large man’s blackened eye. Poor fools, they’d had no idea what Nathaniel was sending them into. If Jerome and Eliza hadn’t intercepted them, they would have been walking up to a group of impossibly powerful beings and trying to harm them. While there might have been repercussions for the HCP students after the fact, it wouldn’t have changed the fact that the criminals were essentially being thrown into a meat grinder.
“So, you started the fun without me.” Nick pulled himself back from the man he’d been eyeing and turned to Eliza. “Did they say anything else?”
“Just that he reached out to their gang through some connections and offered a lot of money to beat down a group of kids outside the theater,” Eliza replied. Her tone was even, more so than it had been when she and Jerome first pounced on these three. Much of her anger had already been vented by battering their bodies; now, she was content to leave them in the horrifying hands of Nicholas Campbell.
Nick nodded, then walked over to the duffel bag and unzipped it. He reached in tenderly, wary of slicing himself on one of the sharp objects contained within. “It seems that Nathaniel Evers is letting us know that the game has resumed.” He rooted through the bag carefully, searching for a specific tool. It was important to start these things off with the right tone. Made things go much more quickly.
“A warning shot? That’s unlike any of the Evers,” Eliza said.
“No, not a warning shot. A threat,” Nick corrected. “He’s making it clear that he intends to go after my friends this time, not simply limit our battle to him and me.”
“You already knew that,” Eliza said. “That’s why you’ve had me and Jerome on watchdog duty since we got back.”
“What I knew is irrelevant. What matters here is what Nathaniel was trying to communicate. In this case, he wants our resources spread thin. Protecting me was one thing, but if I have to worry about him coming after any of my associates at any given time, then we’ll be running around futilely, trying to cover more than we could possibly hope to.” Nick’s hand closed around the instrument he’d been looking for, and a half-smile crossed his face.
“This is too much,” Jerome said. He looked at the three men who seemed increasingly worried the longer they watched Nick rustle through the duffel bag. “Infighting between the families is one thing, but Nathaniel’s actions could bring down the full weight of the HCP, and all the Heroes who’ve come from it, crashing down on his people. The Evers family would never sign off on something like that.”
“Certainly not,” Nick agreed. He picked himself up from the ground and walked over to their hostages, a single item in his hand. “Which means that either Nathaniel never meant to truly harm them and knew we would intercept such inept pawns, or he has begun to take action without running it up the proper chain of command. Knowing Nathaniel, the latter seems infinitely more likely.”
Nick leaned over and set the item he’d taken on the ground. It was a generic chocolate bar, picked up hours earlier from a gas station outside of town. The three men looked at it, then him, then back at the bar again.
“Here’s the deal, gentlemen. One of you, and only one, is going to get an all-expense-paid trip to Vegas, where you will be handled by the finest thugs and forced to sleep in the most cramped of compartments. But, if you do as you’re told and play ball, you may find accommodations improving as things progress. We’re a hungry organization, and there’s always room for those who can follow orders and complete tasks. That offer is only good for one of you, however. The other two will remain here, and are going to tell me just so very many of the things I want to know. Tidbits of information you may not even have realized you could conjure will be plumbed from the depths of your minds.”
Eliza and Jerome went around and took hold of the bonds keeping the three men in place. With a few quick tugs, the ropes would give way in seconds.
“Of course, seeing as we’re big on go-getters, and the job you’re getting won’t be an easy one, there’s a little admittance test to pass. First of you to grab this chocolate bar, unwrap it, and take a bite is our winner. All manner of violence is both allowed and encouraged. Anyone who tries to chomp through the wrapper, or does something as dumb as go after one of us, is disqualified, and will have the honor of dealing with me when I’m in a less pleasant mood.”
Nick took a few steps back, then gave the nod to Jerome and Eliza. “All right, you fucking animals, let’s see which of you can claw your way out of this pit.”
180.
“I’m sorry, but so far, we haven’t found anything,” Mr. Transport said.
Sean Pendleton nodded, keeping himself calm. It was a skill he hadn’t always had. Back in his younger years, he’d been brash, with something of a temper, though never anything that compared to Victor’s. It was only training, and his experience on the job, that had taught him to stay calm no matter what he was dealing with. So he was calm as he took the news. He calmly rose from the table where Mr. Numbers, Mr. Transport, and Dean Blaine were still sitting, and he calmly lifted his chair up and smashed it against the wall into many calm pieces.
“Sean!”
“I’m fine,” he said, dropping the splintered remains onto the concrete floor. “I’ll clean it up later.” Sean stepped over the mess he’d made and grabbed another chair, bringing it back to the table.
The upside to holding their meetings in the abandoned Hero bunker was that they didn’t have to worry about whatever prying ears and eyes might be i
n Lander, and they could make a mess as needed. The downside was that they had to clean up those messes themselves, which had left Sean sorely missing the janitorial staff, especially when he kept getting the same bad news over and over.
“I understand you’re frustrated, but you knew this wouldn’t be a simple task,” Dean Blaine replied. “You searched for years on your own and came up with nothing; Charles Adair has only had more time to bury leads since then. If Shelby is out there, she’s been put in a place specifically designed to foil even those of us with resources and training.”
“Normally, this is exactly where we would be able to shine,” Mr. Numbers said. “Unfortunately, given Charles Adair’s deep involvement with our organization, it would be folly to assume that we can trust any of the others. Even if he doesn’t have them in his pocket, his wealth and power would make it tantalizing to sell us out to him. Pity, Mrs. Tracking would be able to handle the whole ordeal in no time.”
“Don’t count on it,” Sean said. “I went to every Super with location abilities I could find, none of them turned up a thing. Maybe he’s got someone with neutralization powers at her side, or some other ability that masks her, but Shelby is not that easy to find.”
“Perhaps you’re right,” Mr. Numbers said. In truth, he’d already suspected such a possibility; it was only his faith in his team member’s capabilities that had prompted a belief she might succeed.
“All we know for sure is that, from each angle we come at, Shelby Adair turns up as dead,” Mr. Transport told them. “We’re using every channel we can without alerting someone that we’re looking, and none have turned up even a single scrap of information. Outside of Alice’s dream visitor, there has been no corroboration that Shelby Adair is alive.”