Red and Black

by Nancy O'Toole Meservier

  He led us to a cozy table near a window. After placing the menus on the table, Noel headed back to his post.

  “How do you know Noel?” I asked as we took our seats.

  “He goes to Colossus,” Alex replied.

  I nodded. The gym was pretty close to campus, after all.

  “Have you ever been here?” I asked, picking up the menu.

  “Nope,” Alex replied. “Guess it’s time to check out the damage.”

  He opened the menu and I saw him freeze, if only for a second or two. He smoothed out his features, then continued to look over the menu. As I opened mine and saw that the prices for the entrees, I began to wonder if my initial instinct, that Alex wasn’t exactly living the high life, was true. Of course, I preferred to pay for my own meal when it came to first dates. At least I tried to. Mark had, as Sunshine so artfully put it, had his “man pride” hurt by my suggestions to go dutch. It had struck me as kind of odd. It wasn’t as if I couldn’t afford it.

  I looked up to check Alex’s expression again, and paused as something out of the corner of my eye caught my attention. I turned my head to see none other than ever-elusive Dana Peterson. Dana Peterson! Who had been impossible to locate over the past week and a half. And now, he was just four tables away.

  Alex

  Christ, this place was pricey. Twenty bucks for a plate of pasta? I didn’t dare look at the steaks. Of course, when I had asked Noel for a good place to take someone on a date, I hadn’t specified that it be affordable. And while I’m sure this place wasn’t the fanciest restaurant around, the final bill was going to be twice as much as I had planned on. And that’s if we both ate cheap, drank water, and tipped poorly. It was a good thing Dawn wasn’t old enough to drink.

  I wondered if she would want to pay for her own meal? It was hard to tell. There was a big difference, after all, between buying your own cupcake and splitting the bill at a fancy restaurant. How much money did I even have on me?

  I glanced up at Dawn over the menu to see her staring off to her left, her eyebrows knit together in a frown.

  “Dawn?” I asked.

  “What? Yes.” She turned back to me. “Sorry…thought I saw someone I knew.”

  “Oh.” I began to turn toward where she had been looking. “Who—”

  “I was wrong. Looked like someone from school.”

  “Okay.” I turned back. “Have you been here before?”

  “No, but Sunshine has. She, uh…wouldn’t let me leave the house without giving me the lowdown on the best and worst of the menu.”

  As she spoke she tucked a strand of hair behind her right ear, ducking her head slightly. It was a movement that looked ridiculously cute, and I found myself smiling in response.

  “Sunshine’s been here that often?”

  “She goes on a lot of first dates.”

  “Just first ones?”

  “Um…it’s rare she meets a guy that she’s into enough for date number two.”

  “High standards?”

  “Sky-high.”

  “Well, then, you can’t keep this insider knowledge to yourself now. What should we try out?”

  “Ah, sure,” Dawn said, blushing slightly. “It’s just…”

  She inched her chair closer to me, extending the menu so I could see it. I found myself pulling closer to her in return.

  “Apparently, we should skip the steaks,” Dawn began. “But I think that’s because she has the thing about how you shouldn’t buy steak unless it’s from a steakhouse.”

  My opinion of Sunshine went up by several points as many of the menu’s more expensive items were immediately removed.

  As Dawn went over the dos and don’ts in more detail, I realized something. In drawing closer to the menu, I had brought my chair around to her side of the small table. As a result, I was far nearer to her than I had ever been. Had she always smelled so good? There was something about her scent that was really…fresh or something. I think it was her hair. And up close, it looked so soft. For one crazy second, I was filled with this strange urge to reach out and touch it, just to test my theory.

  “Hi, my name is Clark, and I’ll be taking care of you today.”

  The sound of the approaching waiter caused me to jerk up quickly. Dawn did the same and, as if realizing how close we were, backed away. I frowned, wanting to punch the dark-haired waiter in his perfectly cleft chin.

  “May I take your drink order to start?” he asked.

  Dawn, thank God, ordered water. I did the same and watched as the waiter left the table.

  “So ah…do you know what you’d like to order?” Dawn asked.

  I listed one of the pasta dishes, hoping that it was one of the Sunshine-approved selections. For whatever reason, I couldn’t recall a single thing she had mentioned after the steaks. Dammit, Gage. This was supposed to be light and fun. Don’t go losing your head.

  From Dawn’s nod, it appeared I had made a good choice.

  “I’m going with the parmesan-crusted chicken. It’s Sunshine’s favorite, and I kind of promised her I would bring her some as a thank you for helping me prepare.”

  “Payment for favors in food?” I asked.

  “Yeah, that’s…pretty typical for her. And the portions here are kinda…you know, huge.”

  For the amount of money they charged, they’d better be.

  “So what do you mean by prepare?” I asked, catching on to her previous statement.

  “Well, Sunshine’s big thing is clothing. She’s really good at putting together outfits.” She winced. “That probably sounds shallow.”

  “Given the amount of conversations I’ve had about deltoids, not really.”

  Dawn laughed aloud, hiding her smile behind her right hand. I mentally assigned myself a few points for humor.

  “She, ah…helped me get ready for tonight,” Dawn said.

  “Well, you both did a good job, then.”

  And I meant it. Dawn had looked great in jeans and a T-shirt, but there was just something about her that almost…glowed in that restaurant. I found myself lingering over her smallest movements. The way she had nibbled on her lower lip as she went over the menu. How her hair swung as she turned her head to look at the waiter. The blush that colored her cheeks at the compliment. At least this time, the blush was accompanied by a smile.

  “So, does she do guys, then?” I asked. “I’ve yet to find a dress shirt that isn’t tight across the shoulders.”

  “That makes sense given that you’re so…”

  Dawn’s voice trailed off. I felt a smile twitch on my face.

  “So…what?”

  The blush on her face deepened.

  “Dawn, are you trying to call me fat?” I said with mock offense.

  “No!” she said suddenly. “Just…you know…fit.”

  “Hmmm,” I said, rubbing a hand across my chin. “Does this mean you’ve been checking me out?”

  “Oh God,” Dawn said, burying her face in her hands. “I can’t believe I even brought it up.”

  “It’s okay. It’s okay. I’m just messing with you,” I said with a laugh.

  “I know. It’s just…embarrassing to admit.”

  “So you have been checking me out.”

  “Maybe.”

  “Your drinks.”

  Christ, that waiter was speedy. I looked up to see Clark, carrying our drinks on a tray.

  We both ordered our meals. I couldn’t help but notice that the waiter’s gaze lingered over Dawn’s face far longer than necessary. I frowned, feeling a spark of caveman-level possessiveness creep up inside.

  Light and fun, Gage. Light and fun.

  “Hey, I’m going to ah…hit the restroom?”

  “Hmm?” I said. “Oh, sure.”

  She pushed back her seat and headed to the back of the restaurant, where the bathrooms probably stood. My gaze followed her as she left, distracted only when I caught sight of an all-too-familiar face. One I had only seen in photographs. And he was heading in the
same direction.

  What the hell was Dana Peterson doing here?

  “Hey,” I said, flagging down Noel as he passed.

  “Something wrong?” he asked. “Uh…sorry for not warning you about the prices.”

  “Later on that.” I lowered my voice. “Do you remember the Dana Peterson job?”

  Noel’s eyes widened. He nodded his head.

  “Well, the one that got away is here,” I said. “Just headed off to the bathroom. And Calypso still has him on her list.”

  He was the only one of the five targets that hadn’t RSVPed to the benefit. If he didn’t show up, it didn’t matter how solid our plan was. We would still be one man down.

  Noel’s head snapped toward the restrooms. He took a step in their direction.

  “Hold up,” I said, yanking on his arm. “What are you planning?”

  “The Mistress still needs him,” he said. “We can’t just let him leave.”

  “I agree, but we can’t just ambush him in the bathroom.” I shook my head. “I need to think of something, but there’s no time. Maybe we should—”

  “Alex, listen. The bathroom. There’s a closet in there. With a lock. I know where the keys are.”

  I blinked.

  “We could knock him out,” I said slowly. “Stash him in there. Call in someone at the Grand Bailey to come and pick him up. Is there an exit near—”

  “Right next to the restrooms! It leads to an alley.”

  I frowned. As far as snatching guys out of crowded restaurants went, it wasn’t a terrible plan.

  And we had limited time to work with. It only took a man so long to take a piss.

  “Let me see what I can do,” I said, pushing my chair back. “Get the keys. Work quickly. But try not to draw too much attention to yourself.”

  And with that, I made my way to the back of the restaurant.

  All things considered, it couldn’t have been a better setup for Noel’s idea. The restrooms were located down a long hallway, separated from the hustle and bustle of the restaurant. There would be some foot traffic (Dawn, thank God, had already made it to her destination), due to both the restrooms and a kitchen door near the front of the hallway. The entrance to the alley was close by. Now, if we could just get our timing right. And if I could just catch him alone…

  I placed my hand on the men’s room door and pushed it open with a small creak. I felt the tension in my shoulders relax a fraction. Boy, I was all kinds of lucky tonight. Not only was Dana here, but the room appeared to be otherwise deserted. The bathroom was long and narrow, with a couple of sinks, a trio of urinals to my left, and a line of three stalls to my right. The supply closet Noel had mentioned was at the end. All three of the urinals were empty, so Dana had to be in one of the stalls.

  I crouched slightly. There was only one set of feet, in the last one.

  I began to make my way forward, trying to make as little noise as possible on the tile floor. I wouldn’t need any of the extra juice that came with my abilities. Just my natural strength would do. In fact, I would have to be careful. I wanted just enough power to knock the guy out, but not enough to do any damage, which is trickier than you might think. I curled my big hands into fists. The fluorescent lights flickered above me as I walked past the sinks, and for a moment I paused, glancing in the mirror. Here I saw myself as Dana would, large, hulking, and dangerous, a dark shadow dressed in a leather jacket standing out against the bright orange of the walls. My lips were twisted into a scowl, my brow furrowed in concentration.

  I didn’t need armor or a mask to look like a villain.

  The door to the last stall swung open, and I felt my body tense.

  And then freeze.

  A skinny Asian man with spiky hair stepped out of the stall. His eyes widened in obvious fear at the sight of big, scary me.

  “Holy shit,” he said. “What is…”

  “Sorry,” I said. “Just…sorry.”

  And with that, I stepped into the second stall and shut myself in. I rested my hand on the swinging door, and let out a sigh.

  Where the hell had Dana Peterson gone?

  Dawn

  For the first time in my life, I was happy for cancer sticks.

  Figuring that confronting a civilian in the men’s room was gonna be awkward, I was very thankful when Dana walked past the restroom and headed toward the door at the end of the hallway, which led into a back alley. I was also thankful that Dana was so focused on getting his cigarettes out, he didn’t notice me slip outside and into the shadows.

  I crouched on the second-floor landing of a fire escape, staring down at the long, wide alley in front of me. It ran the entire length of the sizable restaurant before emptying out onto the street to my left. To my right, the alley went in four directions, including around the back end of the restaurant. Below, I watched as Dana inhaled deeply, and lingered on the fact that had I not been costumed up, I would have never approached a stranger in an alley (never mind the bathroom!). But things were much easier behind a mask. There was no second guessing myself. No overanalyzing actions. No fumbling over words. Real Actuals didn’t do that. They acted.

  Could I find a way to talk to Noel too?

  “You know those things will kill you,” I said as Dana took another drag.

  He jumped and, as if to prove my point, began to cough aggressively. He spun toward me, and I leaned forward into the light.

  “Damn,” he said. “It’s you again.”

  “In the flesh!” I said in my sunniest tone.

  Dana’s reaction was another flurry of coughs.

  “Do you have a name yet?” he asked between gasps. “I see them talk about you on the news. The Red and Black Woman. Miss Red and Black. It’s like people can’t think up anything more creative than the colors you’re wearing.”

  “Oh, I guess it’s just because all the good names are taken.” I stood up from my crouched position.

  “Well, that didn’t take long. You guys have only been doing this for what…ten years?”

  “Oh, it’s not those names that are the problem. It’s the several decades’ worth of comics that came before us.”

  “Please. Who’s gonna remember all of those?”

  “You’d be surprised. There was a guy a couple of years back in Chicago that started calling himself Magneto. People were not impressed.”

  And with that, I vaulted myself over the railing, landing safely on the pavement.

  I have to admit, I’ve always had a weak spot for moments like this: all that playful banter. I could probably read comics filled with just that. In real life, I found it filled me with this unique, crackling energy. It was impossible not to smile.

  “I’ve been meaning to talk to you,” I said, not caring at all that my dialogue was crossing into cliché. “You’re a hard man to track, you know.”

  “Oh, I’ve been driving instead of taking that damn bus. There’s something about almost being abducted by a bunch of psychopaths that kind of makes you nervous about taking public transportation.”

  “But not wandering into dark alleys at night?” I asked with an eyebrow raised.

  “What can I say? It’s an addiction.”

  I shook my head before speaking.

  “Anyway, I wanted to ask you. Have you heard about the Arthur Hamilton abduction?”

  “That lawyer guy? How could I miss it? I’ve been calling the police for the past week, asking them if our cases are linked.”

  “And the police…did they agree?”

  “They frickin’ lied, that’s what they did! Claimed there was no connection between our two cases when there clearly is.”

  “You mean Marty?”

  “Marty? The college kid? I’m talking about Martha, the woman driving the van.”

  “Martha?” I frowned.

  “Yeah, Martha. Martha Hamilton. Arthur Hamilton’s daughter?”

  My mind swam as I thought back to the newspaper articles I had flipped through on Mr. Hamilton. They had ment
ioned that he had a daughter named Martha, but I had never made the connection with the Martha who had been driving the van. But Dana had.

  “How do you know this?” I asked, after a pause. “That they’re related, I mean. I don’t remember hearing that on the news.”

  “Oh, I hacked into the BCPD case files.” He waved a hand in my direction.

  “What?”

  “Yeah, I’ve always been pretty good with computers.” He shook his head. “And that information was clearly displayed in the file the morning after the Hamilton abduction. But by the evening? Poof. Gone. Like someone had been tampering with things. Someone other than me, obviously.” He paused before speaking again. “And what did you say about that Marty guy?”

  “He was at both your and Mr. Hamilton’s abductions, as one of the kidnappers.”

  “Well that piece of information wasn’t in any of the case files. What’s the frickin’ problem? I gave them a full description of the guy. He didn’t even hide his face. And I’m pretty sure I mentioned his name, too.”

  I shook my head, my mind swimming. I had always liked the idea of a hacker sidekick. But I had more been thinking of a cute, bespectacled, dark-haired boy with whom I could share significant sexual tension. Especially one who would take off his glasses when he wanted to get all serious.

  Well, it looked like I’d have to deal with the married thirty-something guy with addiction issues. I watched as Dana paused to stamp out his cigarette. He shook his head and started pacing back and forth across the alley.

  “I wondered, you know,” he said. “If maybe they weren’t really doing their jobs. Bonnie thinks I’m being paranoid, but it’s not like this is the only abduction case to go unsolved. You remember that college girl who got snatched last spring? The one whose mother writes all those mystery books?”

  “Do you still have access to that case file, Dana?” I asked, changing the subject. “I mean, before it was altered.”

  “Ah…sure. I have a copy somewhere at home, but there’s a whole lot of nothing in there.”

  “It might be nothing, but…in all honesty this is the first potential break I’ve had on this.”