by Hayes, Drew
“What?”
“You’ve got visitors,” Eliza told him. “I was trying to give you a heads up in case you wanted to get composed, but they are probably almost there by now.”
“Jesus, what sycophant is trying to kiss up to me today? Or is it someone from the Evers Family trying to rile me into doing something stupid? You know what, I don’t even give a shit, just send them away.”
“’Yeah, good luck with that,” Eliza replied. The phone disconnected, and moments later Nick heard a knock on the door.
Bolting up from his couch, he grabbed one of the many guns hidden throughout the suite and glanced through the peephole. Blinking in surprise, he stepped back, dumped the gun in a nearby vase, and then yanked open the door.
Standing before him were Alice, Vince, Mary, and Hershel. Before anyone else could speak or act, Alice rushed forward, wrapping her arms tightly around Nick and squeezing hard. “I’m so sorry. We heard what happened.”
“I… yeah, it’s sad… what are you all doing here, though?”
“Mary told us what was happening,” Vince explained, stepping inside with the others and shutting the door. It struck Nick that he was dressed for much colder weather than what Vegas had to offer. “She overheard Eliza’s thoughts, and we figured you might need your friends at a time like this. Once she knew it had happened, she sent out the call. Mr. Transport picked us all up and dropped us off here. We know how much Gerry meant to you.”
Nick’s eyes roved the room, taking in all the faces, lingering on Mary’s for a long moment. He took a deep breath, hugged Alice back, and then slowly extricated himself from her embrace. “Listen, everyone, I appreciate this. I honestly do. Just seeing you all here means a lot to me. But, that said, you all cannot be here. Being friends with me is one thing; this is a whole other level. You understand what kind of place this is, right? What kind of people you’re surrounded by? If the DVA finds out you went to a den of criminals—”
“I’m the son of the most wanted former Hero in the nation. What are they going to say about this that they haven’t already brought up a dozen times over Globe?” Vince grabbed Nick and pulled him in for a hug that nearly bruised his back.
“As for me, I’ll claim to be here on official Adair family business, checking out a potential casino investment. Let them try and come at me from that angle,” Alice added.
“Roy and I don’t really have an excuse in the chamber; we just don’t give a shit about what the DVA tries to say. We don’t walk out on family when they need us.” Hershel skipped the hug in favor of a firm handshake, the strength of which surprised Nick.
“I’m not worried, either,” Mary said, noticeably not elaborating on the topic. “But at the same time, we don’t want to cause trouble or make this process harder. If you’d rather handle this on your own, we won’t force ourselves on you. We just want to help in whatever way we can, be it at your side or not.”
Nick opened his mouth to tell them, politely, that they should all head back home, but the words wouldn’t come. Looking at his friends, the idea of going back to sitting on his couch alone seemed intolerable. The truth was, he did need them right now. And Gerry would have been happy about that.
“I’ll get you all some rooms on this floor. And Vince, you can borrow some clothes. If you try to walk around the Strip in that coat you’ll keel over before we make it half a mile.”
“That’s kind of you, but you don’t need to play tour guide,” Alice said. During all the hugs and talk, she’d never moved more than a few inches from Nick’s side, a fact which he both noted and dearly appreciated.
“Come on, you’re all in Vegas; how can I not show you around?” Nick’s voice faltered a touch on the last words, and he looked away from them, back out the window. When he spoke again, it was without his usual air of frivolity. “Besides, I’ve been up here for a while. I don’t want to be around when they deal with Gerry’s room and equipment. Going literally anywhere sounds good, and playing tour guide will help keep my mind off things.”
“Well then,” Alice said as she slipped her arm around his. “I guess you’re going to show us Vegas.”
154.
“So, those are his friends?” Ms. Pips rarely looked up from the work on her desk, even after having Eliza called up to her office.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“They stand out too much. Have Florence tail them and use that blending ability of hers on the whole group. Nicholas will notice, but he won’t complain. You keep close as well, in case they need anything. With Gerry’s... with what’s happened today, Nicholas might not be up to his usual caliber, so I’m counting on you to keep things going smoothly. Any issues?”
“No, ma’am.” Eliza stood stock still, not wavering until she was given permission to leave. One never quite knew when Ms. Pips was done doling out orders, and she did not enjoy being cut off.
“Good girl. You can go now. Fix your makeup on the way out. I know you miss him too, but we have an image to uphold,” Ms. Pips said. “And for what it’s worth, you should know he thought highly of you, and how far you’d come within the organization. Gerry was the one who wanted you and Jerome to get real degrees at Lander. He always saw potential in you.”
“Thank you.” Eliza didn’t hesitate this time; she turned and walked stiffly toward the door. It was a good thing her makeup already needed fixing, because she could feel a fresh wave of tears sliding down her face.
* * *
“Eat up, eat up. You look famished.” The bald man with the gentle smile—Gerry, he’d called himself—sat across the booth from her, sliding over another hamburger. The diner was innocuous, just one of a dozen roadside attractions one might pass on a long drive. But the moment this man had walked in, everything had changed. The few customers besides her were hustled out, some given to-go orders, and the sign on the glass front door was flipped to “Closed.” He’d strolled right over to her booth, where she was snacking on a meager serving of fries bought with stolen cash, and had proceeded to order like he was trying to feed a family of five before introducing himself.
Eliza accepted the food, though she kept a wary eye on him at all times. How he’d known who she was or where she’d be was a mystery, but this wasn’t the first time someone had found her. She chewed through the last bite of her first burger, accepted the second, and downed half a glass of cherry soda. “Did I take something from you, or are you here to try and make me work for you?”
His eyes twinkled as he motioned to the waitress for a refill. “Not your first time being approached I see. Good, that should make this go faster. To answer your question, you didn’t steal from us, Eliza, but you did rob some people we know. Don’t worry about that, though, the matter has already been settled. We keep eyes and ears out for people with your sort of potential, so once we heard what you could do, I was sent to make you a job offer. I’m not here to force you, though. I’m sure you’ve dealt with the rough-and-tumble type before who made all sorts of threats, maybe even captured you and made you work until you escaped. My people don’t do business that way. We prefer loyalty in our employees, and that’s not the sort of thing you can get through force.”
She swallowed her bite of food harder than she’d meant to. “You know my name?”
“Of course. It’s my job. I know that you’re a Super with a rare duplication ability, a fifteen-year-old who has been on her own for most of her life, a surprisingly fearless and skilled criminal in your own right, and, most importantly, that you’re squandering your potential.” Gerry scooped up a small fry from his own plate and dunked it into the dollop of ketchup he’d poured.
“I get by just fine.” Eliza liked the food, but wasn’t a fan of being talked down to. What the fuck did this guy really know, anyway? She’d been making it on her own, duplicating what she needed and stealing the rest.
“‘Getting by’ is exactly the way I would put it,” Gerry agreed. “You survive, you endure, you soldier on, all of which is very impressive
and part of why I’m sitting here today. But tell me, Eliza, wouldn’t you rather flourish? Instead of worrying about where your next meal is coming from, you could dedicate yourself to honing your craft, to excelling at any area you chose to pursue.”
“And your gang is making me that offer?”
He laughed and took another bite of his fry. “My gang? I don’t represent a gang, Eliza. You don’t get these sorts of resources with a gang; you can’t track a homeless fugitive across the nation to a diner and then clear it out with a moment’s notice using only a poorly-assembled collection of petty criminals. What I am part of—and am offering you a place in—is something much bigger and grander than any mere gang. We have everything you could dream of. Lavish food for when you’re hungry, expensive beds when you’re tired, healing Supers when you’re injured, and most importantly of all: opportunity.”
Gerry leaned forward, meeting Eliza’s eyes over her hamburger. Curiously, she didn’t feel scared, even though he was getting close. Nothing about him seemed to indicate danger, even as she felt like he was staring right into her very soul.
“You are talented and determined, Eliza. That’s what put you on our radar. But more than that, you are hungry. Hungry in a way that has nothing to do with mere diner hamburgers. We’ve tracked your activities and your escalation; we’ve seen the ambition in your capers. I don’t come to every recruitment meeting, you know. They only trot me out for the special cases, the ones who can really go somewhere. Those with the hunger. We can help you with that. We can teach you, train you, bring you to a level it would take decades to reach on your own. It won’t be free. Nothing in this world truly is. But the price will be fair. Loyalty and service, those are what we’ll demand in return.”
The stare broke as Gerry leaned back, downing one more fry before reaching into his wallet and pulling out a simple white card. He laid it onto the table near her, close enough for Eliza to see it was nothing but a phone number.
“Memorize that; cards are too easily lost to be trusted. Say it to yourself every morning to make sure you never forget it. Because sooner or later, you’ll realize I’m right, that what I’m offering and what you need line up perfectly. And when that day comes, all you have to do is find a phone and make a call. I’ll answer, and we can get your new life started.”
“You aren’t going to demand an answer right now?” Eliza pulled in on herself a little. This was too easy; she didn’t trust it.
“Certainly not. We both know you wouldn’t give one without thinking it over.” Gerry closed his wallet and rose from the booth. “The bill is paid, and there are three more rounds coming. Save a little room for the chocolate pie; it’s lovely here. I’m taking one to go.”
“Thanks for the food,” Eliza said. “But you just told me nothing was free.”
“Neither was this. I bribed you so you would listen to my offer.” Gerry tapped the card once with his finger. “Remember, memorize this. I’d hate for you to need us and not remember the number.”
Carefully, she took the card and looked at it before stowing it in her pocket. “What makes you so sure I’ll call?”
“I’m good at reading people, and you won’t let a chance like this slip away,” Gerry told her. “Take your time; take a year or so, if you need. We’re patient, and we’ll be ready when you are. Until then, stay safe, Eliza.” With that, he walked out the diner’s front door, causing the dented old bell overhead to jingle softly.
155.
The loud clanging and dings from the machine blared over all the other, similar noises. Vince stood in front of it looking wildly uncomfortable. He glanced over to Nick, who merely pointed to his freely visible eyes and shook his head. This wasn’t his doing; swinging his power around in someone else’s casino would be tantamount to punching one of their people in the face. Luck had simply decided, of its own volition, that today Vince Reynolds would be blessed on the slots. This was the third time he’d hit a jackpot, although they were always the smaller ones, never the rare grand prize, and since Vince only played a nickel at a time he didn’t reap the full rewards. Still, the guy was up over $200 since they’d begun to explore the Strip, and he only played the slots when the others saw something else they wanted to try.
Hershel had fared all right at blackjack, coming away slightly up, while Alice lost quickly at a craps table. There had also been stops for food, shops, and tourist stuff that Nick hadn’t bothered with since childhood. Oddly, he found he was enjoying himself. It was easy to get numb to the spectacle of Vegas when one lived around it every day. Seeing the world through his friends’ eyes was like viewing it for the first time, and while that wasn’t enough to entirely take his mind off things, Nick no longer felt like he was suffocating in sorrow. That was an improvement.
From out of the crowd, holding a cup of tea from a nearby coffee shop, Mary appeared and walked over. Nick expected her to halt before him and make conversation. Instead, she merely paused for a brief moment. “You have company coming. His thoughts seem genuine, but I don’t know that I trust them. The man is clearly skilled at self-control.” Without waiting for a response, she continued forward, arriving at Hershel’s side where he and Alice were watching as Vince’s winnings climbed higher by the cent.
It would have been easy to miss him in the crowd, if not for Mary’s warning. Nick’s head wasn’t on straight, so much of his mind still trying to cope with the morning’s loss. Thanks to her, though, Nick was able to keep a knowing smirk in place as Wilson Evers stepped into view only a few feet away. They weren’t in one of the Evers’ properties—Nick had been sure to avoid anything they owned, so he probably wouldn’t start trouble here. Nothing was guaranteed, though.
“Nicholas,” Wilson greeted, stepping to his side. “It’s been a while.”
“That it has.” Nick couldn’t very well say that the last time they’d met had been when he asked for permission to kill Nathaniel. In these public places, it was a given that everything would be overheard by someone.
“Surprised to see you out and about, given what happened.” Wilson leaned against the railing next to Nick, staring out at the casino with him.
Although Nick had been annoyed when he first noticed Florence tailing them, he was thankful for Ms. Pips’ caution. Florence was helping his friends blend into the crowd, so it probably seemed like Nick was by himself, making small talk with the occasional stranger. That was good; the less Wilson Evers knew, the better. Although even he wouldn’t be so bold as to challenge the HCP, it was more than possible for him to go after Nick’s friends not knowing what he was biting off.
“I sat in my room for a while moping, and then I couldn’t stand it anymore. At least here, there are things to see and do, you know? Distractions.”
“You’re not the first to choose that strategy, nor will you be the last. When my wife passed, I spent a full week too drunk to think. Distractions are useful, in moderation, but eventually you’ll have to face the truth of the matter,” Wilson told him.
“Sadly, I’m all too aware. I’ve known I was going to have to face it for the past few weeks at Gerry’s side.” Nick wasn’t entirely sure what to make of this conversation. The obvious conclusion was that Wilson was trying to lure him into a sense of familiarity in hopes that he’d let something important slip, but that had never been the way of Wilson Evers. Certainly, some of his lackeys employed such methods; however, he tended to be renowned for his direct demeanor.
Wilson scanned the room, his eyes sliding right over the four people by the slot machine who really should have caused a momentary glance to linger. “Perhaps this isn’t my place to say, and you might not want to hear it, but in a way, what you had was a blessing. Few of us ever get to say our goodbyes. At least you could treat his final moments with the gravity they deserved.”
“I know you’re right, intellectually, but I think it’s going to be a long while before I can honestly look at this experience that way,” Nick admitted.
“What we know and
what we feel are often disjointed things; such is the complexity of this creature called man.” Slowly, Wilson pulled himself up from the railing and straightened his tie. “I won’t intrude upon your grieving anymore; I know I’m probably among the last people you want to see today. But when I heard you were out, I felt compelled to come and tell you that I’m sorry for your loss. Our organizations have never been friends and have often been enemies, but that doesn’t mean I can’t respect people who deserve it. Gerry was a good man, and the world is lesser without him.”
“Thank you, Wilson. I admit, when you came over I thought you might be opting to try and stab me right here in the middle of all these tourists.”
“While the idea crossed my mind, propriety and respect are what separates us from common criminals. Besides, you never left yourself open for a single moment in our entire conversation.” Wilson smiled and stuck out his hand, which Nick accepted and shook.
Once the handshake ended, he stepped back into the crowd, almost vanishing into it even without the aid of a Super like Florence. Nick was glad things had ended smoothly; if Wilson had tried to mount an attack, there was no chance the others wouldn’t have stepped in. And while it would have been wonderful to see the looks on the faces of whatever goons Wilson employed when they faced off against four HCP-trained Supers, exposing his friends wasn’t worth it. Better to hold on to peace while it was viable. Sooner or later, it wouldn’t be, and then these peaceful moments would be nothing more than a thing of the past. Such was the nature of the world he lived in.
But the longer he thought about it, about all the time wasted on pissing matches and minor feuds, the more Nick wondered if this really was the only way. If someone took hold of the situation, someone with the vision to see a better method and the strength to make it a reality, perhaps they could put an end to these petty distractions. It was an idea, certainly, though not one he really had time to dwell on now. Perhaps later, when he needed a private distraction.