by Tom Andry
I paused at the door, "Yes?"
"Can I get a ride?"
I chortled, "You're really pushing it today, Leon. But, so we are clear, you don't show up again and you're fired."
Leon looked crestfallen, "Okay."
I turned to leave Leon's apartment, my mind on the black BMW. "You haven't noticed anything weird have you?"
Leon smiled, "You're going to have to be more specific, boss."
"Anyone following you?"
Leon's ears pricked up, "No. Why, what did Alan say?"
I swallowed. Alan was down in the car. If Leon mentioned to Alan about the call, he'd know something was up. I needed to cover for Mind. "That wasn't Alan. A...different friend. Contact. Whatever. Said they thought I was being followed."
Leon's eyes grew wide, "Followed? By who?"
"Whom." I corrected. "I'm not sure. Someone in a black BMW."
Suddenly, Leon sprang past me, slamming into my shoulder before landing on the wall, his nails digging into the plaster.
"I'm sorry, Bob."
"What the hell, Leon?"
He crawled down from the wall, revealing twenty short gashes. In three of them, Leon's fingernails/claws had broken off and were wedged at the end. Leon's eyes were down, ears were back, and he was looking at anything but me.
"The elevator bell rang."
"That's no excuse. Don't get jumpy on me. Getting followed is part of the job."
I had to wait for Leon to grab a coat and wrestle it on. With his claws…well, it didn't look easy. Finally, he was ready to go. I turned, and reached out to the doorknob. As I did, I heard a small creak. I froze, trading glances with Leon. After the talk of the black BMW, I felt on edge as well, though I'd never admit it to my assistant. Under my hand, the doorknob started to rotate slowly. I stepped back, waving Leon to do the same. Whoever it was, they were quiet.
"Boss, you don't think..."
I waved off Leon's whisper. It couldn't be, could it? Could I have been followed to Leon's? A surge of hope washed over me. Maybe I had been successful! Maybe within the data was the key to the cloners! Behind me, something crashed to the ground. I spun, Leon's ears flat against his head, a lamp broken on the ground.
"Sorry, Bob."
I turned back to the door. The knob snapped back in place and I could just make out footsteps receding down the hall. If that was one of the cloners...
"Come on!" I half shouted.
I sprinted toward the door, my right leg springing me forward and slightly off balance, a shot of pain from where it connected to my thigh arcing up my hip. I slammed into the door awkwardly, pain shooting down from my shoulder to meet the pain coming from my leg.
"Damn you, Ted," I muttered.
I pulled at the door and Leon scampered through under my arm. I quickly followed and caught up to Leon and passed him, his galloping decidedly hindered by his lack of proper cat physiology. His claws, the ones that were left, tore at the carpet, leaving small fragments of shredded thread in his wake.
Finally, adjusting the strength I put behind each stride of my right leg, I quickly rounded the corner. The elevator door was closed, though there was no indicator on or above the door to read which floor it was on.
"Did you hear the bell again?" I pounded the call button.
Leon came around the corner, "No. I didn't..."
In the distance, around the corner on the far side of the elevator, a door was slammed open. In front of me, the bell rang and the elevator doors started to open. Empty.
Feeling my chest starting to tighten after only the short sprint, I turned to Leon, "The stairs. Quickly." He galloped past awkwardly. I called after, "Up or down?" I held open the door.
"What?" Leon called back.
"Tell me if they went up or down."
"Oh." I heard Leon pull the door open. A second later, "Down!"
I jumped into the elevator and hit the bottom button leading to the parking garage where I'd left Alan in the car. "Follow!" I called through the closing door, "Make sure they don't double back. I'll meet you in the parking..." I didn't think he could hear the last few words. Hopefully he got the gist.
I shook my head, despairing that I was counting on Leon to figure something out.
The ride was excruciatingly slow. The cool, air conditioned breeze froze the sweat that kept jumping off my forehead and out of my hair. I slammed the button a few times, praying that no one else would...
The elevator groaned to a stop. A couple of women in conservative office attire broke off their conversation in mid-sentence, their smiles fading as they took in my disheveled and chrome-legged visage. I managed a small, apologetic smile, paired with a small wave. They glanced back at each other for a second. One of them opened her mouth as if to make an excuse when the doors started to close again.
I jabbed the bottom button repeatedly, wishing the doors would hurry, "Sorry, ladies. This 'open door' button seems to be broken." I didn't manage to catch what I'm sure were looks of relief as the doors closed.
When I finally reached the parking garage, I pushed through the doors when they were wide enough to let my belly through. Leon was standing in front of a door in the far corner, looking around wildly. I spread my arms wide. He did the same, shaking his head.
"Damn it!" I yelled, hopping slightly and throwing my arms down.
Leon rocked back on his haunches, his eyes wide and focused on the other side of the garage near the entrance and exit. I turned. Did I see a figure? I couldn't say. I looked back and Leon was already moving, loping toward the garage exit at his best speed. I put my head down and pumped my legs as hard as I could, meeting him at the opening despite his head start and closer proximity.
I heard the squealing of rubber being left on asphalt as I rounded the bar that keeps cars from entering without taking a ticket, my head whipping back and forth. There was no sign of any dark mark on the black tarmac. They could have gone in either...
"There!" Leon called out.
Cars everywhere. Which was it? None appeared to be going faster than any of the others.
Damn it.
"How do you know?" I puffed, my breath coming hard and thin. I felt like I had a lead weight on my chest.
"The smell. Burning rubber. It's coming from there." Leon pointed at what I had to admit were fresh-looking marks.
"Huh," was all I could manage. I doubled over, consciously slowing my breathing. After a few moments I added, "Did you get a look?"
He shook his head, "No. Not a good one. Pretty sure it was a dude though."
"Yeah?" I turned back toward the garage. "How?"
"Aftershave."
Not exactly definitive, but better than nothing. I stole a glance at Leon. He was a bit of a flake, but maybe he did have uses. It wasn't like I needed an assistant every day.
"You know, Leon? I think I like you better as a cat. Come on, Fluffy."
Leon rolled his eyes as he followed me back into the garage, "Meow."
* * *
Chapter 4
After confirming that he hadn't seen anything amiss, Alan pulled out of the parking garage, revving the engine. I smiled, ignoring Leon in the backseat. I tried not to think of the damage his claws were doing to my upholstery. I'd considered shoving him in the trunk, but I was pretty sure that would be some sort of grounds for a workplace lawsuit.
Though, he was a super. Might've been that I could've gotten away with it.
I took out my flask and took a sip, considering the possibilities.
"So, about dinner tonight," I offered the flask to Alan. He refused, "What's on the..."
"You're being followed!" Mind's voice blared into my ear. After the chase, I'd turned the earpiece back on.
I turned quickly, scanning behind us for any sign of a car. Sure enough, off to the side, a black sedan was parked just behind a brown van on a very deserted street.
"Up ahead as well. I count at least three different cars. They are crisscrossing your path, keeping you in their sights.
"
"Shit."
Behind me, the sound of tearing upholstery preceded Leon's head poking between the seats. "What is it, boss?"
Alan was staring at me, his eyes searching.
Damn. Alan was a smart cookie. I'd stopped in the middle of a sentence. Would he figure out that Mind had interrupted? Could he? Sure he could, but it'd be a big leap of logic. But I wouldn't put it past him. I had to cover.
"Something's not right." I spun in my seat a few more times. "Leon, watch that car parked on the left back there. Behind the van. See if it pulls out." I continued scanning our surroundings as Alan's knuckles whitened on the steering wheel and Leon watched the car parked behind us.
"There!" Leon whispered, as if they could hear us. "They pulled out just as we turned the corner."
"Damn. Okay, new plan. Time to take the long way."
Alan nodded, "Okay. But are you sure? My place is nearby and there are a number of public areas."
I shook my head, "You place is filled with a wife and two kids. Plus, you know, I have the security system."
Alan grimaced, "But it is so much farther. Do you think they know we know? Should we make a run for it?"
"Oh, I don't..."
"Yes. Run. I'll direct you. They are converging on your location now."
"Yes. Run. Now."
Alan gunned the engine and Leon fell back into the seat, more sounds of tearing making me wince. I kept relaying Mind's directions. We circled back on ourselves a number of times and went the wrong way down a few one way streets, but we managed to stay clear. Alan pulled up to the garage and I quickly inserted my gate key. The gate rose slowly, but finally we were inside.
I looked over at Alan. His face was beaded with sweat, though his smile was huge, "Man, that was something!"
"Nice driving, Reporter."
"Nice car, PI. I love this thing! Though, I have to say, I thought you were going to get us killed there a few times."
"Get inside. They are almost here."
I tried not to let the news break my expression or talking rhythm, but Alan's eyes narrowed slightly.
I smiled, "Killed? Me? That's the way I take every time I go to your house. This calls for a drink."
"Drink? Oh, I don't know, one's my limit before lunch. I should be getting back..."
"Come on, Reporter." I pulled the dartboard out of the trunk and tucked it under my arm, "Plus, you don't want to go right back out there right now. Give them a chance to give up."
Alan glanced at his watch, then shrugged. "Okay. But I'm going to check in. At least tell Suzi to lock everything down." He followed me around his parked van towards my door, "It's times like this I wish I had one of those security systems."
We both pulled up short as we nearly ran into a suspended form.
"What the hell, boss?" Leon whispered.
Leon's question faded as he caught sight of Swell hovering an inch or so off the ground just outside my door. Swell managed to get a few muffled cries for help through his frozen lips, but they were mostly unintelligible. He was caught in one of Mind's beams. She had them in every room of the house, plus quite a few in the garage near the only entrance to my office. This was only the second time I'd seen her use it. The beam was invisible, but it held the person in a sort of energy cocoon. They couldn't move, but could still hear, talk (somewhat), and see. Mind assured me that it would hold just about any super on the planet sans, maybe, The Raven. Swell's eyes were wide and angry, and he was obviously struggling to get free. His skin was a reverse pincushion of metal spikes. The spikes protruded from every square inch except from around his black briefs and matching mid-calf boots. He wore a black eyemask that affixed to his face using some sort of adhesive. He'd left the toupee behind, and it was clear that Swell was hairless all over. The spikes on his head were at least twice as long as all the others.
A slow smile spread across my lips as I ducked around the suspended super. Mind did like to surprise me sometimes. This was a good one.
I patted Leon on the shoulder, "Don't worry about him. He's just having a bad day." Leon nodded, following me around the super.
"Who is this?" Alan's eyes were wide.
"Remember the super from EnviroKop? This is him." I shook my head, "Not sure how he found me so fast though."
"What's his name?" Alan whispered.
"He calls himself Swell."
"Doesn't seem so swell to me. Looks positively uncomfortable. And he's been like that for how long?"
"Not long, I'd guess. We haven't been gone that long."
Alan watched as I went through the motions of opening my door. Mind could do it, but with an audience, I had to put on a show of the security system scanning me.
"How long you going to leave him this way?"
I shrugged, "I don't know. A couple...of days. Maybe. Depends"
Alan whistled, "No wonder people are following you."
"Hurry, Bob."
"Come on, I need a drink."
Alan nodded and waved a goodbye to the struggling Swell and followed Leon and me up the stairs. Mind's baritone "company" voice, as always, announced Alan's presence and his clearance. In Alan's case it was "friend", which gave him access to nearly everything in the house. No one else had that clearance, though Liz certainly would have if she'd ever visited.
Leon headed straight to the bathroom, likely to check his hair situation. I tossed the dartboard on the couch in the front room near Leon's desk and pushed open the double doors to my office.
"They're here."
Alan reached out, "I want to call Suzi."
I handed him the phone as I sat behind my desk and watched as Mind shuffled through the feed of the cameras we had placed in the garage. I listened as Alan explained what had happened on the way home and asked Suzi to check the locks and to call the police if she saw anything suspicious.
I sat down and poured a finger of scotch. As much as I hated to admit it, Mind was right. It was early and I really didn't need any more to drink. I glanced over at the screen on the intercom, which showed three cars, the black sedans and the brown van from before, pulling into the garage. They must have used some sort of master pass key to get through the gate.
Whoever these guys were, they were professionals. I saw three large guys in suits with bulges under their arms step out of the cars. They scanned the garage and took up defensive positions. A fourth man, larger than the rest, stepped out of one of the cars. He walked up to Swell, still suspended, his eyes wide. The man put his hand out until he came in contact with the field. He pulled his hand back and then said something into his watch. Out of the back of the brown van, a small man with some sort of large, handheld device exited. He approached Swell and ran the device up and down the super. After checking the device's readout, he turned to the large guard and they talked for a bit.
After a few moments, the large guard nodded and the small man approached the panel, holding the device in front of him. The large guard said something else into his watch and the back door of the farthest sedan opened. A grey-haired man, impeccably dressed, stepped out, fixing his tie. I put my finger on the intercom button, anticipating Mind's announcement of a visitor.
"System offline."
Alan's eyes grew wide and I nearly jumped out of my seat. Offline? That's impossible! Even my "kill" switch only disconnected her from my apartment systems. She was still operational. She'd never let anyone or anything...
All the doors in the apartment opened simultaneously as the monitor went dark. In front of me, Alan was pressing the button on top of the phone, the connection obviously terminated. The door to my office was the only one that wasn't on the system, and it was already open. Alan looked around for a weapon, the handset of the phone forgotten in his hand. I didn't have any. Even before Mind, I never found much use for them. Plus, what would I use against someone who could disconnect Mind so easily? Leon exited the now open hallway, his cat eyes wide.
"Boss?"
The loud steps on the stairs
seemed to fall in time with the beats of my heart. Alan stood and moved next to my desk. Leon did the same, except that he crouched down on all fours. I downed the finger of scotch and ran a hand through my hair. A few moments later, the large guard entered. He walked forward, one hand inside his coat. He glanced down the hallway to my living area and poked his head in my office, quickly taking in the contents, pausing on each of us and the locations of our hands. He put his watch to his lips again.
"Clear."
The guard stepped back toward the door, eyes finally on us. His face was a blank mask. He relaxed into a posture that was comfortable enough that he could hold for hours, but still gave him the ability to free whatever was under his jacket without hesitation. The ball was in our court.
A professional? Oh yeah.
I licked dry lips as I heard more steps on the stairs. I stole a glance at Alan, standing next to my desk. I hoped I looked less scared than he did because he looked terrified. I grabbed my glass, but decided against pouring any more. I set it back down with an unintentionally loud crack. Leon's ears flattened as he turned to me. I shrugged an apology.
Finally, the well-dressed man entered, his salt and pepper hair parted on the side and perfectly feathered back. My mouth dropped open as I finally realized who he was.
Alan gasped, "Mr. President?"
The leader of the country threw a thumb over his shoulder and said, with a slight southern accent, "Did y'all know you had a super down there? He sure did look put out."
The President smiled, Alan and I in stunned silence, Leon crouching down, trying to look as inconspicuous as possible. "Boy, you three gave us quite a run, I'll tell you. That was some driving. And y'all call me Vice President, please. I know I’m technically the President, but until I'm officially elected, I'd prefer if you use my old title."
I stood in dumbfounded silence. The President, make that Vice President, was in my office. The leader of the country. In my office. And he'd shut down Mind! Behind him, the rest of the suited men filed in, taking positions at every door and at his shoulder. The smaller man with the device didn't enter.
"Uh...hi." I managed. "The super, he, um..."