Pacific Station Vigilante (Book 2): The Negative Man [Stormfall]

by Jeremy Croston

  “What do we do?”

  This was an unforeseen event. I hadn’t expected Titan to be so close and to interfere in tonight’s mission. “We need to get out of here and fast.”

  More shots were fired and we hightailed it back down the street, towards the pier. Titan followed, floating above us and moving fast. Every so often we had to take cover behind a car or duck into an alley to avoid attack. All the while, I was doing my best to observe how it operated and what weaknesses it might have. Finally, we made it to the old pier no longer in use.

  I pushed Heather into an old bait house and quickly shut the door. I knew these places had trap doors to the water below for easy access to bait fish. It took a moment to find it and I threw it open. Titan was right there though, blowing the hinges off the door. “Jump!”

  Heather dove in gracefully and I was right behind her. The floor blew up behind me from another Titan attack, and we slowly drifted down out of sight. I didn’t know if Heather was a good swimmer, but she seemed to be handling it well. We stayed down for as long as we could, moving towards the east shore. We had to come up for air, and thankfully when we did Titan had gone to the west. I saw the outline of the floating menace in the moonlight.

  “I don’t understand, how did it survive that attack?”

  Shit, there was no telling how. “My best guess is the very nature of the suit provides some sort of blanket protection against me.” Positive energy cancelling out negative. “I couldn’t even draw energy off of it.”

  We saved our energy for the swim to shore. I hated being wet, though I preferred wet to captured. It took a bit, but we eventually made it back to the rendezvous point. Hammerspace wasn’t there, but he did leave a small note tucked in the windshield of Heather’s car.

  ‘Guys, I got the prize. I’ll be at the Grab N Go until morning.’

  “Looks like our night hasn’t been a total waste.”

  Heather begged to differ. “What do you mean? Elephant is dead and the rest of the SVIS knows they can’t handle us. I’d say tonight was quite the success.” She stared up at the star covered sky. “I feel so alive! The rush, the excitement, I could do this every night!”

  For me it was more calculating. First The Crimson Mask showed me I was getting too complacent and arrogant and tonight I learned there was a force out there equal to me in power. My thoughts went back to my lab and my second project. “Excitement will come when I grow stronger.”

  “Well let’s not keep Shawn waiting. I’m sure there’s much we can get out of those gangsters if we take the time to get to know them.”

  I didn’t plan on learning anything from them. “There’s nothing they can say that’ll interest me. I plan on taking their heads back to their people and making them beg me for mercy.” SVIS and Grimes wanted to start a war with me; I was happy to oblige. Titan couldn’t protect them all. “And even then I’ll show this city you do not piss off The Negative Man.”

  Chapter 15 –

  Sunday Evening; Krum’s Comics and Games

  **Kyle Wonderton**

  The death of SVIS member Elephant, aka Ernie Masters was hitting the group hard. Ernie had been a close friend of Diana and Kim, so the store had been closed all day. Becky found me at my dad’s place and dragged me here. She said it was right for us to come to the small ceremony and pay our respects.

  When we entered the back room, there were a handful of people there. The three members of SVIS were standing at the front by a picture of their fallen friend with some members of the police department here too. I recognized a few faces from my first meeting here, but I didn’t want to mingle. I sat down in the back and just waited to see what happened.

  A very large bearded man stood up from the front and joined the SVIS guys up front. “Greetings everyone. If you’d all be so kind to take a seat, it’s time to send our friend off to the great unknown.”

  A small figure plopped down beside me, Becky. “That’s Father Reigart. He’s a normal, but he’s very passionate about preaching to the powered community.”

  It didn’t take someone with her skills to see how sad and conflicted the large pastor was. I figured he knew Elephant pretty well. “Our community lost a pillar and most of the world does not even know.” A few people began to weep. “Ernie Masters, the man we all knew as Elephant, died last night protecting us from a sinister force. The work he’s done for Pacific Station won’t ever be forgotten by those here tonight.”

  There was a tug on my shirt. “With his passing, I wonder who will assume the role of team leader.”

  I scanned the other three masked figures as Becky asked me. None of them looked cut out to become the new face of the team. Their body language was horrible – anxious and defeated. I wondered if Elephant was the glue that kept them together.

  Father Reigart moved aside and Kim, one of the owners of the store, stepped up to speak. “Ernie saved me once from a terrible fate. When I found out his truth, I wasn’t scared. No, I was relieved people like him with amazing gifts are out there.” He stopped talking, breaking down. Diana went up to get him and lead him back to his seat. I really felt bad for the man.

  The next person to speak was the head of the police department, Chief Grimes. The rumors were true, this dude was as rough as they got. “What happened last night was bullshit. I take responsibility for not knowing that bastard had partners. Everyone sitting here needs to know that the PSPD is doing everything we can to get to the bottom of this.”

  A man raised his hand and then got to his feet. “When will our city ever be safe? How many more good people will have to die?”

  Grimes waved him off. “This is war and people die. Masters knew the cost of protecting you people when he joined up with the police department.” He decided to soften up a little. “Shit, we’re all scared of The Negative Man and what he’s able to do. But, we’ve got our own ace and it’s already won the first hand.”

  Low murmurs broke out across the room. I couldn’t help but notice Kim and Diana seemed annoyed with Grimes talking about this now and in their store. Grimes’ assistant walked up, her hands out. “Everyone remain calm. Let the Chief explain first.”

  “Thank you Deputy Larsen.” She gave a curt nod and went back to her position. “I know the name Titan means something to all of you and I’m here to tell you that last night Titan was able to withstand an attack from The Negative Man.”

  “Impossible!” It was the same man who just asked the question. “How can that even be true?”

  “Oh it is very possible with the proper technology. Your tax dollars have been going to work finding a way to counteract his powers and we’ve been successful.”

  My first question is where they got the research to figure out such a thing. I had read Dr. Cooper’s files front and back and there was nothing in there about counteracting. There was only total annihilation. I wasn’t prepared to give away knowing anything, so I hoped someone would ask for me.

  Curiosity was rampant in the room. Becky did the work for me. “I doubt The Negative Man strolled into the precinct and gave you information on him. I think we have a right to know where your intelligence came from.”

  “I can’t reveal much, but know the government has resources. If you dig in the right spots, you find the right information.”

  Was there more out there on this secret project Cooper had been working on? The man who I got the files from told me that this was all there was left. Talon, I’m pretty sure that was his name. He’d been a broken man for sure and when he found out who my dad was, he made me promise to get these files to him as soon as possible. I had more questions for him, but shortly after our encounter, he went into shock and died.

  No matter where I looked everything on Dr. Cooper had either been redacted or completely wiped away. Hell, I couldn’t even find the name of the project he’d been working on, just he summarization on The Stormfall. If the government was involved, I wondered just how far the conspiracy ran.

  Grimes was still blowing
smoke to the people. “The Negative Man has caused Capital City to take notice. Trust me when I say the research we got from inside sources tells us how to combat it.”

  “Do these sources tell you who he is?”

  Exactly! Maybe the police actually knew who he was. I doubted Grimes would tell us, but if he gave the impression he knew, my next stop would be an easy one. Unfortunately, “I’ll tell you as I was told. Some ghosts remain in the grave forever. I might not have been provided with that information, but it’s only a matter of time before the truth reveals itself.”

  The people in the room might have been buying his sales pitch, but I knew better. His voice was all wrong, too confident. This was a man who knew the only way to reveal The Negative Man’s identity was once he was in a body bag. I had a surefire way to make that happen. I didn’t know what the police had, time would tell with that.

  The rest of the service was more of the same. A few people talked about the man, Ernie, while others talked about being saved by the masked hero. Either way, as the service came to an end, most of the folks in attendance were no longer sad. They were angry.

  I didn’t really want to stick around to hear them rabble-rouse and all. I had my own things to deal with and that would be a more productive way to spend the rest of my evening. Just when I thought I was walking home alone, “Hey, not going to say goodbye?”

  “Social etiquette isn’t really my thing.”

  She fell in line with me. “Going back to the Lion Cave?”

  I tried my best not to be annoyed. “Yeah, I have work to do.”

  Apparently she either wasn’t taking the hint or getting it. “Have you thought anymore about what we talked about before?”

  I stopped because I had. Her crazy plan about me taking up the mantle from my dad actually worked its way into my mind. I couldn’t stop thinking about the idea of becoming the next generation of Dark Lion. Every night before I fell asleep, I looked at the cloak hanging there. Yeah, it was crazy to think that I could take the role over of protector of the city.

  If I didn’t answer honestly, she’d probably use her power. “I have. Well at least until tonight. You heard Grimes, they have this Titan thing and have a way to fight him on even ground.”

  She grabbed my hands. “You know as well as I do that Grimes is a blowhard. Relying on suspicious reports from secret government officials? Please. At least we know your file is authentic. Who knows what some corrupt political aide gave him to shut him up.”

  “You’re right. The best thing to do is to rely on yourself.” With all this talk of secret projects and cover ups, I really wanted to learn more about what Dr. Cooper was working on. “It’s a shame we don’t know someone who can do some hacking for us that’s one hundred percent trustworthy.”

  Becky got even weirder and started looking at her feet. “Well, I might be able to help with that.”

  “How?”

  “You’re going to have to really be open minded about this guy. Or what’s left of him.” She wasn’t making any sense. “One of my dad’s former associates transferred his conscious to a netbook before he died.”

  Wait what? “He’s mind is in a computer? And you have access to it?”

  “Yep,” she said with a catlike grin. “I have access to it.”

  **Jericho Staley**

  “I just had to watch people mourn the death of a vital member of this community Jericho. So yes forgive me, I am rather upset.”

  This was a rare visit to see Father Reigart where I’d been summoned and not just strolling in off the street. “Ernie Masters was part of the problem, not the solution. I understand people missing the person, but the vigilante? No, he was a nuisance.”

  Looking over I spotted a bearded face rest up against the wooden confessional wall. “I don’t see how you can differentiate between one and the other. Do you consider Jericho and The Negative Man to be two different people?”

  It was an interesting question. “I’m one coin with two different sides. I can separate the two aspects when needed.”

  “When will this end? I’m not asking as a man of God, but as a friend to a friend. Jericho, you’re going down a path that I don’t know that I can condone.”

  I knew my visits here brought about turmoil inside Reigart. He was trying to balance the fact we’d become unlikely friends with his core values and beliefs. “I’m not asking you to condone what I’ve done or am planning to do. All I’ve ever needed was someone to talk to.”

  He then brought up the other hot topic. “Heather, she’s not someone you can talk to is she? Her lust for battle, bloodshed, it’s gotten worse, no?”

  As much as I wanted to lie to him, “It has. I try to keep her in check, to retain the humanity I’ve lost. No matter what I say, she wants to be included in the messy stuff as much or even more than I do.” I was supposed to be the agent of change, doing the dirty work.

  “So I ask you again, where does this end? It’s obvious your convictions to her are weighing more on you than your convictions to your cause.”

  “This isn’t the answer you want Father, but it ends when my plan is complete. And if I lose Heather in the process, then it’ll be for the greater good.”

  Chapter 16 –

  Monday Morning; Wonder-Tech Tower

  It was gone. The file containing that idiot Dr. Cooper’s research was gone. I knew it was on my desk before I left for North Terrace, but when I walked in this morning, nothing. I remained calm on the outside, but internally I was raging.

  I checked the log of guests who were checked in. The only names on the list were a few clients and Becky Walker. Nothing here told me who may have been the culprit. Of course, any of the clients could’ve been forged or even infiltrated. I took down all their names with the intent of tracking each one down.

  Before my manhunt could begin, Shawn Jordan entered my office with a little too much pep in his step. He took a seat in one of the chairs and propped his feet up on my desk. I cringed at smudges getting on the glass top. “The three packages have been delivered. I think we’ll be getting confirmation soon.”

  By three packages, he meant the dead bodies of the three gang leaders who were about to enter into an accord with the SVIS. Shawn had been instructed to place their bodies in the driver’s seat of three cop cars at the precinct. I should’ve had him put up cameras too so I could see the look on Grimes’ face.

  I sat down too and gave one last contempt look at his sneakers. “No one saw you?”

  “Pssht, sometimes I don’t think the cops in this city could catch the flu if they tried.” He chuckled at his own little joke. “As always, I was quick and efficient.”

  The man had a bit of an overwhelming personality, but his efficiency and never say die attitude couldn’t be overlooked. “You could’ve called me and told me that. I’m guessing something else has come up?”

  He finally got his feet off his desk. “I need a few days off to deal with some personal business.”

  “Is everything okay?”

  I don’t think he was ready for me to actually give a crap. “It’s not okay, but I don’t want to bother you with it. After everything, I didn’t want to flake out for a few days on you without advance warning.”

  Something was bothering him greatly. Could Heather and I continue on without him? Yes, but superior numbers were always a good battle strategy. “That’s fine if you need to sort something out, yet I’m curious why you won’t tell me what it is.”

  He looked around the room like he was checking for bugs. “A blast from the past is after me. I need to take him down before he gets me.”

  “Would I know this person?”

  “I doubt it.” He fidgeted for a few moments before breaking down. “Last year while lying low of The Dark Lion, I bummed some cash off another super named Hijack. I paid him back a few weeks later, but he wanted more. Said I owed him compound interest.”

  Money, the root of all problems. “Let me guess, he threatened to expose you for what
you really were if you didn’t pay him.”

  “Bingo. So I paid the first amount like a fool and when he demanded more, I lost it.” That didn’t surprise me; he didn’t seem too stable. “I went back to his hideout a day later and stole all his money. Took it all outside and torched it just to show that I’m not the kinda guy you mess with.”

  “What power does this Hijack have?”

  Shawn shuddered. “If he touches you, he can take control of your mind for a short time. Happened to me once, damn near impossible to forget that.”

  A super crime boss extorting others? This sounded like the kinda guy who needed to meet the real power in the city. “To be honest, I don’t really care about your personal history with him. What does bother me is having a lowlife scum bucket extorting powered people.”

  “What do you mean boss?”

  “You have a problem and I want to eliminate it. We all know you’re a bit squeamish when it comes to eliminating threats.”

  He didn’t reply which I took for an agreement. With a few minutes of silence, I went to the computer and found what little I could on Hijack. His name popped up here and there on a few dark websites related to powered people and Pacific Station. Turned out he had a long line of people he took advantage of. The more I read, the more upset I became.

  My mind was made up. “Go home tonight and rest up. We still need to complete our original objective.” He looked at me funny. “Hijack is mine and I won’t hear another word about it.”

  Before he left, I had him write down the last known whereabouts of this despicable super. It would be a great pleasure in ridding the world of another parasite, one who’d been around too long. This is the important work DL never understood. Fighting the big threats is good, but allowing the small time bullshit to happen on your watch plagues the city just as much. Guys like Hijack have no right to be free.