“That was not what she meant!” Valerie hissed. He was about to answer when a commotion by the blockade line took both their attention. “Shit.”
“I said get outta my way!!”
James knew the bellowing voice, following Valerie to the blockade. Virgil shoved his way to the front, arguing with three police officers that refused to budge. He saw Valerie and pointed at her, then saw James and frowned.
“You got family here too, Jimbo?” “Family?” James asked, confused.
“It’s fine, he’s with me,” Valerie said to the officers still trying to impede Virgil’s forward momentum. “Your daughter’s safe, Virgil. She was the first person I checked on.”
“Where is she? Is she safe? Is she with her mom?” Virgil persisted, switching between staring at James and pleading with Valerie. James tried to shrink into the sopping wet grass.
“She’s with her grandmother, actually. She wasn’t even home. Her mom is fine too, but you can’t be here right now, Virgil. This could look really bad for you.”
“I don’t give a shit how it looks. You said her mom was fine, is she safe?” Virgil persisted.
“Laura has minor smoke inhalation,” Valerie explained. “She got out before the fire got too bad. She’ll be fine. I’ve got armed agents on her to be sure.”
“My ass! We might not get on anymore, but that’s my baby’s momma. She needs her mom, not promises to keep them safe! Your agents can’t do shit that don’t come out of a paper bag! You give Detective Kendall the same spiel??”
“Detec- -” Valerie said before catching herself. “Virgil, you need to go home. I’ll check in later.”
“I’ll drive you home, V,” James offered. “They won’t let me check in either.”
“I ain’t goin’ nowhere,” Virgil stated, folding his arms and planting his large posterior on the hood of someone’s car. The poor car groaned under Virgil’s weight, indenting on the top to match Virgil’s outline.
“If, uh.. If anything changes, Agent, please give me a call,” James said. He needed to leave before things got worse. Except, they got worse.
“Agent Falcon!”
James flinched. Virgil looked right at him and frowned.
“Agent?” he asked. James wanted to crawl under a rock. “Falcon?? What is this?”
“Please tell me you had eyes on your man during this debacle,” Zephyr pressed. Her eyes were pools of barely contained rage. Four others of her team followed, only some that James could name. Despite being internationally known, the PeaceKeepers did their best to stay out of the public eye with few exceptions. Zephyr was one of them, but she was their leader. Neurophage was another that James was familiar with - a mega genius that openly worked with the likes of Elon Musk, NASA, and Interpol. None of it really mattered, but having four of the PeaceKeepers stare him down made him feel worse; made his arm twitch even more.
“Yes, ma’am, I did,” James finally answered, unable to move away from Virgil. “You asked for white on rice at any cost. He did not leave my sight.”
Genevieve chose that point in time to bark, loudly, growling at one of the firemen working the scene. He was an older gentleman with a thick beard. James tried to shush, Gen, but she kept at it, though she remained at James’ side. He frowned at her, hissing, then looking at the fireman who continued on about his business. Something Hadi said the night before suddenly struck him. Lindy’s boyfriend. Gen did not just bark at anyone; she barked at Evolved. The pyro was a first-responder.
“Genevieve!” James finally roared, silencing the dog. He looked at Zephyr and the rest of the PeaceKeepers with her, wracking his mind for a way to speak without being heard. “She doesn’t like firemen. The hats scare her.”
Zephyr was about to argue about the stupidity of such a thing. He saw it in her face, that rage that caught him up for his idiotic comment when the elder gentleman beside her suddenly caught James’ eye.
It’s a fire fighter. The arsonist is a first responder.
“Dogs are incredibly sensitive to such things,” the man said. James felt like his head had just been thrown through a washing machine. It was as if the words were yanked from his brain, swirled around, and shoved back in. It was so jarring, he staggered back and fell onto the concrete.
“James!” Valerie said. For once, he was glad of the lack of medication. It provided the perfect cover to whatever that was.
“I’m… f-f…” he tried, his words fading away to a stammer he did not try to stop.
“Allow me,” the same man said. James tried to flinch away but stiffened instead, shutting his eyes when the man’s fingers touched his temples. The jarring sensation went away, with a whispered apology that James was positive only he heard. “Better?”
Eyes still closed, James nodded, then just as quickly turned to the side and wretched. He was getting too old for this shit.
08
WORKED LATE. FEEL LIKE CRAP. ENJOY OPENING NIGHT W/OUT ME. SORRY, HAZE. WAFFLES NEXT TIME. BRING SOUP LATER. WE’LL TALK. - J
Hadi smiled at the text on his phone, feeling oddly giddy and euphoric. Amir had class that night but promised to stop by after for the grand re-opening. Everyone at the 13th Hour rooted for the younger Shahir, cheering him on for tests or presentations and then celebrating his triumphs with lots of booze and darts after. Hadi was glad Amir could have that kind of support. It was a shame James did not feel well, but it happened more often than not. James didn’t like to admit it, but Hadi could see it in the older man’s face on the days he still came for dinner and felt like crap. It would probably get too rowdy in the bar for James anyway. The man never stayed too long in a crowd.
There were empty Corona buckets all over the bar and at each table with a printed paper asking for donations to finish the last of the repairs and remodels. Tamara came in to collect the cash inside at the beginning of Hadi’s shift and would be back to relieve him later so he could celebrate with Amir. His head still hurt a lot when he worked too long. He couldn’t fall back on a quick sniff or hit while at work, so chewed aspirin instead, stuffing the bottle into his coat pocket after grabbing four little white pills.
“Hey, Haze,” V said as he sat down. Hadi had not even heard the man come in. He put his phone away and frowned at the large man that had become his close friend.
“What’s up, V? You ok? Want your fries?” Hadi asked. Virgil shook his head.
“Just a beer.” Hadi frowned in earnest. Virgil Krisken never ordered ‘just’ a beer. He was never quiet either, always larger than life with an infectious personality that drew everyone in.
“V?” Hadi pressed, even going so far as to knock the other man in the arm. He gave a questioning head jerk, straightening briefly to get the man his requested beer. “Everything ok?”
“Yeah, yeah…” Virgil said then shook his head. “My little girl. She’s sixteen. I don’t hardly see her, you know. Her mom don’t want me to. I get it, it’s fine. Those fires, Haze… those fires were at her house.”
“V…” Hadi said with great concern, sending up a quick prayer for the girl’s protection.
“She’s fine,” Virgil said, gulping down the beer and throwing a ten in the bucket closest to him. Hadi refilled the glass without asking. “She’s fine. But, too close to home, you know? I’ve done stupid shit. I know it. Cops know it. I’m alright with it. I made my choices but, she’s just a kid, Haze. She don’t need to get caught up in this.”
“Can’t your parole officer do something to help? Like, I dunno, protective custody or something?”
Whatever Hadi said, the look in Virgil’s eyes changed from worry to near rage in a matter of seconds. He snorted and downed the second glass of beer, slamming it down on the bar.
“How was your date?”
Hadi blinked at the change of topic but let it slide, shrugging. “Fine. It was nice. He left in a hurry in the morning though. Said he owes me waffles. Asked for soup tonight. He was gonna come for the re-opening but, I guess he’s not feeling well
.”
“Yeah, I’ll bet,” Virgil scoffed. Hadi frowned. “He’s duping you, Hadi.”
Now Hadi let his shock show. In all the time Hadi worked at the 13th Hour and known Virgil, the man had never used his actual name.
“What are you talking about?”
“The guy is an Ace goon,” Virgil explained. The term had become familiar to Hadi as a slur for the A.E.C. agents that liked to lord over all of the Evolved or harass innocent people from the shadows. People like Hadi and Virgil; Tam’s son, apparently, as Hadi had come to learn. Virgil practically spat the single syllable in disgust.
“Christ, V, where’d you hear that shit?” Hadi laughed, refilling the glass for a third time. “He’s a private investigator.”
“Comes in here every night, don’t he? Usually. What’d he make for dinner?” Virgil asked.
“Veal parm, why?” Hadi frowned.
“You think a guy that can make decent veal parm is gonna come eat shit bar food every night just cuz? Conveniently showed up after them Ace assholes were harassing you, didn’t he? Take it from someone intimately familiar with those ass-hats - he’s duping you. Ask him yourself if you don’t believe me.”
Hadi felt his throat clench, swallowing on a lump in his throat. He prepped the soup shortly after Amir arrived. His presence changed the mood of the bar for the better. Tam came in to relieve Hadi, smiling and cheering Amir on with everyone else. They laughed and celebrated, even cheered V up a little while Hadi collected a container of tomato soup from the kitchen and clocked out.
He walked across the street feeling like he was about to step into a dark alley. His chest hurt and he shivered despite the warmer weather. The trek up the stairs was worse. His feet were like iron weights and his head swam with terrible scenarios. He did not want to believe Virgil, but something about the sincerity and anger in the large man’s voice would not let Hadi simply dismiss what had been said. He stood in front of James’ door for a good ten minutes before finally knocking. Gen barked on the other side. Hadi could hear her jumping on the door and James telling her he was on his way. The latch clattered against the plywood and the door opened to a rather warm, but cozy atmosphere. The TV was on, spilling its light and sound out into the living room. The kitchen light was on and the windows open, making the blinds clang against the glass.
“Hey,” James said, reaching out to give Hadi a quick peck on the cheek. “You seriously brought soup.”
“You asked,” Hadi shrugged. James let him in, smiling. To his credit, he looked awful, eyes sunken and the color drained from his face a little as if he’d been fighting a fever that just broke. That was not how Hadi should be thinking, but it gave him a small sliver of hope that not everything was a lie.
“Don’t be a stranger,” James said. “Want a beer? You gotta go back?”
Hadi shook his head. “I’m good. I clocked out. We’re gonna play darts with Amir. He passed his exams.”
“Good for him,” James said, genuinely meaning it. Hadi watched him pull out the soup, then heard the buzz of James’ phone. He watched James pick it up, reading the message that came through and frown.
“Everything ok, Agent Kendall?” Hadi asked casually. He pet Gen on the head when she came to him. He held no animosity towards the dog.
“Yeah, just a work… thing…” James said, suddenly realizing what he’d answered to. Hadi’s stomach fell out from beneath him. “Hadi…”
“You make it a point to sleep with all your suspects?” Hadi threw out, frowning at the floor. He felt the heat building up in his neck, ears burning and fought it down, until he felt the pain in his right palm.
“Hadi, that’s not how it is,” James said, coming back out of the kitchen towards Hadi. Hadi stepped back. “Please, I know how this looks.”
“I doubt it,” Hadi said, turning on his heel. He didn’t want to be anywhere near James Kendall. He felt the doorknob give beneath his grip and heard the door slam as he fled back down the stairs.
~
“…mommy said no, Joshua. Put nana back on the phone. - - Right now!” Valerie barked into her phone. She sighed heavily, rubbing the bridge of her nose. Now was not the time for her children to have the epic meltdown of all meltdowns. She had a job to do and needed the focus to be on that job not on her tyrannical three year old. “Joshua James!”
She bumped into someone as she spoke, spinning around to offer an apology. What she saw made her do a double take. The young man she bumped was familiar to her, handsome with dark olive skin and hazel eyes; the second fire manipulator that James was supposed to be tracking. That had ended in a complete fiasco, though James still tailed him. He was actually eerily good at his job. In fact, she was set to meet James later that evening to go over what they knew for certain. Five other fires had claimed too many lives since the train wreck. James suggested the arsonist would be a first responder, someone always at the scene but, so far, that gave them fifteen different names and none of them pinged on the Evolved registry. Not that anyone had expected them to. The registry was painfully limited because people did not openly admit to being Evolved. It was generally considered bad for one’s health to admit such things. Being openly gay was more widely accepted than being Evolved.
“Mom, I’ll call you back. Don’t give him any ice cream,” Valerie said in a rush, ending the call as she stuffed the phone into her back pocket. She had no front pockets and the ones in her short coat were not adequate enough to hold the large smart phone without having it drop to the pavement every time she took a step. It was incredibly frustrating; incredibly distracting. “Excuse me!”
“Yeah?” the young man said, turning to look at her. He did not look like a killer or carry himself like some arrogant ass. He carried himself like a twenty- something kid trying to make a living. She looked him over, flushing when he arched an eyebrow at her.
“Sorry… thought you were someone else,” she said, letting his elbow go. He shrugged it off and walked up the steps to the library carrying several books beneath his arm. She did not like doubting James, but he was too close, losing focus. Virgil had completely ruined any hope of secrecy for James, something Valerie felt partially responsible for. Her best friend had been sulking since their ‘break up’; not that they were ever a ‘thing’. Still, she saw where the attraction was. As soon as the thought left her mind, the library exploded with such force she went flying across the street.
The ringing in her ears was deafening. That high-pitched echo was the only thing that reached her mind by way of sound. She felt pain at her back, a tenderness that made her wince and move slowly. She could smell acrid smoke, feel the heat of flames behind her. Somewhere in her periphery, she was aware of people running. Something told her to look up, to look for the man named Hadi. She found him, kneeling on the floor a few feet from her with books toppled all around him. People around them suddenly caught fire as they ran, thrashing around on the ground as if that might spare them. The bartender looked as startled as Valerie was, reaching out towards them to pull flames away.
Valerie turned to look behind her and felt her blood run cold. Another man stood at the top of the steps, hands stuffed into pockets. He wore a dark mask but was tall and broad in the shoulder. Two other explosions ripped across the library’s courtyard, sending waves of sharp, burning glass out into the crowd.
“Looks like I caught me a little Sparrow,” the masked figure said. She did not hear his voice, not really. She felt the vibrations of it, peered at the dark eyes behind the mask. She knew this man, knew his face and eyes but her mind was so fogged with pain she could not force any coherent thought to the surface. Another pyro, maybe? She looked for the young bartender again, unable to lay eyes on him this time. Her head hurt and her back throbbed. They’d been tipped off that three locations in Chicago had received threats: Chicago Library, Mercy Hospital and Medical Center, and Shedd Aquarium. Various teams had been dispatched to each location but Valerie had been closest to the library so she arrived before
the rest of the team. If she was right in her guestimation, they were still at least fifteen minutes out.
“Don’t,” Valerie warned, pulling her gun from her back holster. She aimed it at the perpetrator’s head as best she could despite the ringing in her ears that was creating undulating vertigo all around her. The man in the mask merely laughed at her. He said something else but she could not make it out. In fact, her attention was focused behind him, on the burning building, on the people engulfed in flames. She felt hot just watching it, sweat running down her face and down the valley of her breasts. Suddenly she realized what was coming and gritted her teeth against the rising heat that would eventually end in her demise.
“STOP IT!!” someone else hollered. It was loud enough and brash enough for Valerie to hear it through the ringing in her ears. She could hear other things too, she noticed: screaming and the distinct pop-crackle of fire or the thunderous booms of new explosions.
“Leave her alone,” the same someone said. The masked man looked both annoyed and amused at whoever spoke. Valerie could not find the will to turn around. She still burned inside, still wanted to fall to the ground and die. She had to fight it. She thought of her children: Joshua, who was only three; Anne-Marie who was five; Adam who wasn’t even one yet. They’d already lost their father; she needed to fight for them.
“The little fire bird. Fucking everything up,” the masked man said. Valerie heard it as a muffled mess, but a muffled mess that she recognized. She knew the voice. “Time to die, little fire bird.”
Valerie couldn’t hold on anymore. She was vaguely aware of being hauled to her feet though she did not have the energy to remain standing. She barely had the energy to keep her eyes open. She wracked her memory for the voice she recognized, the dark eyes and - brows. Angelo. That was the last thing she remembered, hearing the explosions continue in the background as everything went black.
09
Hellfire Page 7