by R J Sorrento
“You’re more than welcome to stay at my cottage the rest of the week. Your mom and I will head home after we drink here and eat lunch down the road. It’s quiet in this little town. Take some time to relax while you’re coping with everything.”
“I appreciate that offer, but I know what I have to do now.”
“Let’s go join your mom then. I think our wine’s getting cold.”
Cal rolled his eyes. “Oh, Gary,” he groaned with a chuckle. His first real laugh in days.
“There you two are.” Valerie grinned. “Come and sit.”
Gary sat back down next to Valerie, but Cal remained standing. “I have to go.”
“But you just got here!” Valerie shook her tasting glass in surprise, splashing red wine onto the white tablecloth.
“I need to go before the traffic gets any worse,” Cal insisted, staring out the window. His body was in Michigan, but his mind was somewhere else.
“But, Cal, why?” Valerie turned to Gary. “What did you say to him?” She poked him in the ribs.
Cal stepped toward his mom. “I’ve been a coward most of my life. Always looking for the easy way out.”
“Honey, don’t be so hard on yourself.” Valerie stood up and took her son’s hand in her own. “You’re going through a rough patch.”
“No, Mom, it’s true. I’m always running away or quitting when things get tough.”
Valerie squeezed his hand tighter.
“There’s something…someone I’ve been running from. And I have to face it, all of it.” Cal thought of Fernando. Was he in danger? Would Dr. Almighty take his anger out on Fernando since Princess Freeze returned empty-handed? Cal could never rest until he found Fernando. “I’m sorry, Mom, but I have to go.”
He squeezed his Mom, patted Gary on the back, and rushed to the front door.
He could hear his mother questioning Gary, her voice a mix of confusion and concern as he pulled open the front door. Cal turned around and gave the table one last glance. Gary nodded at him, beaming. Cal nodded back before rushing out.
He ran to the car, pushing past the tipsy group of women he had seen earlier. A few of them had decided to rest on the green patches of grass in the lot.
“Hey there, handsome,” one woman slurred with a wave while another whistled.
Cal shook his head and laughed, a relief from the blood pulsing in his temples. He hit the key fob to unlock the car. His hands were shaking, whether from fear or adrenaline he had no time to figure it out. He turned the key in the ignition of his Mom’s sedan.
This time would be different. He wouldn’t try to escape. He would run toward the flames, straight into the fire.
Chapter 25
Cal parked his car a few blocks from the lab. A temporary hiding place; it was only a matter of time before Dr. Almighty located the car. He was done hiding anyway. It had never done him any good.
I’m the one with the superpowers. Not Dr. Almighty.
But the scientist had become a symbol of fear. An abstract concept in Cal’s mind. And a concept was much more terrifying than a man. Harder to destroy.
He shook away his nagging thoughts as he came upon the warehouse entrance. The first thing he wanted to do when he got in was check on Fernando and Margo. The thought of them being in danger because of his stubborn refusal to join Dr. Almighty ate away at him.
Cal’s mind raced with various horrifying images while he had been stuck in the agonizing Indiana traffic. Dr. Almighty had harmed Fernando and Margo as teenagers, so he couldn’t be sure that torture was off the table. Goosebumps popped up on his arms, imagining Fernando crying out in pain. He shook his shoulders and tried to comfort himself. Cal knew Fernando could take care of himself; he had been willing to put himself in harm’s way to warn Cal the night of the thwarted capture.
But there was strength in numbers and Cal wanted to be the one to help Fernando and Margo take down Dr. Almighty. There could be no more recruits, no more abductions and forced gifts. No matter how incredible the powers. Not on Cal’s watch. Together they could stop him.
He slid in through the open warehouse door. Easy access could lead to a trap, but it no longer mattered. He would take on anyone who stood in his way. Cal crept through the wide space. The sound of his footsteps bounced off the high ceilings, no matter how much he tiptoed. Loads of new boxes were stacked in rows. He wondered about the contents. More needles, more tranquilizers, or something even worse could be inside.
He made it through the warehouse without a challenge. After taking a moment to catch his breath, he realized he could put his flight to use and hovered down the blue corridor to the Vazquez apartment. He turned his head side to side like a predator on the hunt, ready to pounce. Getting to their apartment was almost too easy, so Cal kept his guard up, ready to defend.
The cobalt blue door of the apartment was unharmed. Cal ran to it and pressed his palm to the cool metal before knocking three times. One long knock followed by two short ones. Fernando had commented that it sounded like a heartbeat when Cal had used the signal for the first time during training, which made Cal’s heart pound faster. It became their secret signal if any of them had gotten locked out.
The door opened slowly and Cal held his breath, waiting to see who was behind it.
“Cal, what are you doing here?” Fernando’s eyes were wide, his baritone voice filled with dread. He glanced at his hands to check for his gloves and grabbed Cal by the arm to hide him in the apartment.
“You’re safe.” Cal smiled as he allowed Fernando’s full weight to pull him past the threshold of the doorway.
“Claro que sí.” A quick grin betrayed his hard demeanor as he shut the door behind Cal. “Why did you come back?”
“Hello to you, too.” Cal folded his arms in front of his chest. He had imagined their reunion going differently during his long drive in the car.
“You’re in danger. Dr. Almighty has been planning something terrible for you.”
“I had to know you were safe. After you helped me get away from Princess Freeze, I had no idea what happened to you and Margo.”
“I can take care of myself.”
Cal took a step closer and swiped his thumb down Fernando’s jawline. “I know that. But I had to see you again, had to see for myself that you were okay.”
Fernando’s eyes lit up. “What about your boyfriend?”
Cal winced. “It’s over between us.”
“I would say I’m sorry, but that would be a lie.”
Cal moved closer to him. He inhaled slowly, enjoying a hint of spiced aftershave. Fernando was safe. He returned his hand to Fernando’s jaw, sliding it down to his shoulder. Being able to touch Fernando without guilt twisting his stomach was a welcome change. Leaning in closer, Cal placed a soft kiss on his lower lip.
“Cal, you’re back!” Margo burst into the kitchen.
Startled, Cal broke the kiss. He savored the look of a breathless Fernando with his eyes hazy and lips parted.
“Yes, thank you for that observation, hermanita.”
Cal stepped back from Fernando. “Hi, Margo.”
“Well, at least someone’s glad to see me.” She smiled and ran to wrap her arms around him.
Fernando cleared his throat. “Ted’s been busy planning. I was trying to find a way to track you down, to warn you. But since you’re here…”
Cal found a spot on the sofa to sit. He slid around, trying to get comfortable. Anything to avoid pacing the room and wringing his hands. Fernando had a habit of looking solemn, but it was the hint of fear in his voice that worried Cal.
“I’ve been keeping my eyes and ears open ever since Ted announced he was going to take you down,” he continued. “He’s been having the recruits track down and keep tabs on anyone you care about. Your mom, your best friend - I believe her name is Nessa? And Jin.”
“He better not touch any of them!” Cal stood again. It felt like he was a world away from his family and friends despite the short distance between them.
> “Ted is waiting for a Friday night, I think…to draw a crowd. He wanted to do it Labor Day weekend at Navy Pier, but I overheard him telling Rita and Vinnie he was missing a few vital parts to complete his bomb.”
“Bomb?” Margo and Cal asked in unison.
“Mierda. Aren’t you listening? Yes, a bomb!” Fernando clenched his fist. Cal was taken aback by the swift anger in Fernando’s voice and the fire in his dark eyes. “Ted’s planning something big at the Ferris Wheel. The more I put the pieces together…well, I think he wants to blow it up.”
Margo made the sign of the cross.
“Your family and your friends are in danger, Cal,” Fernando warned. “Ted’s hell-bent on finding each one. He doesn’t seem to sleep, always in that damn office with the lights on, working…thinking. It’s not good.”
“Why is he doing this?” Cal paced, his nausea rising to his throat. There was no antidote for the guilt eating away at him.
Margo shook her head. “I’ve never understood him. Why did he take me and Fernando away from our parents? Why is he building an army of people with superpowers?”
“Because he can,” Fernando answered. “We only have a few days to prepare, if I’m right about him wanting to attack Friday night.”
“Well, where is he right now?” Cal covered his fist with his left hand.
“Hard to say. He hasn’t been in his office as much. Ted’s been hard at work, keeping himself hidden.”
“Oh.” Cal paused. “We’ll be ready for him. More than ready.”
“But what about all those new recruits? They looked powerful enough to take on all of us, and they’re newbies,” Margo interrupted.
Fernando waved her off. “You don’t get it, do you? Did you not see how Cal took down Rita? She was down in seconds and he wasn’t using all his strength against her. Even from my freezing ice block prison, I could see his power. We have the one thing Ted wants in this world that can’t be bought.”
Cal noticed Fernando turn to him, his gaze electric on his skin. A lightness filled his chest as he soaked in Fernando’s praise.
“Fine. You’re right, Fernando. Cal’s a badass. Happy now?” Margo rolled her eyes. “But keep in mind there are others lurking in the shadows. The ones who got away.”
“They were the smart ones to leave when they did. Don’t worry about them. They have no interest in helping Ted.”
Margo shook her head but Fernando pressed on.
“I’ve allowed Ted’s money to sway me. Going along, following his orders. I’ve been greedy. Wanting to buy Manchego direct from Cuenca, the finest clothing, that blasted BMW. I have no excuse for behaving like a spoiled child.” Fernando paused and turned to Cal. “But you’ve shown me none of those things matter. They’ll never be what I need. I will do everything in my power to help you fight.”
Cal’s heartbeat quickened as Fernando’s stare intensified. There was so much that he wanted to say to him, phrases he had rehearsed in the car, talking to the steering wheel. Relief washed over his body as his shoulders dropped with an exhale. He wouldn’t have to face the battle alone.
“We can stop him…the three of us.” Margo glanced at Cal and then her brother. “If we work as a team.”
Fernando nodded, not breaking eye contact with Cal, disregarding the chastising tone in Margo’s voice.
“If we’re stopping a bomb from going off at Navy Pier, there will be plenty of media coverage,” Margo added.
“We’ll have to disguise our faces,” Fernando agreed.
“I’ve been waiting to do this for years.” Margo clapped her hands.
“Do what?” Cal asked as he watched Fernando rub a hand over his eyes.
“I’ll work on costume ideas.” Margo picked up her phone. Cal saw her scroll through an online shop and then quickly shift to create three boards in another app to pin ideas. “This is so exciting!”
“Given that Dr. Almighty wants to kill people I care about, I’m having a hard time feeling the excitement, Margo.” Cal pressed his lips together.
“Every bomb has a silver lining.” She stared at her phone, scrolling and pinning.
“I’m pretty sure the saying is ‘every cloud has a silver lining,’ no?” Fernando scratched his chin.
Cal nodded. He gripped the back of his neck with both hands, trying to suppress the image of bombs and his loved ones in the same place together.
Fernando grabbed Cal’s shoulder and met his gaze. “We’ll stop him.”
“Should we train right now? Get a head start?”
“Let’s wait for Margo to gather her ideas. If it’s only the two of us training, I don’t know how I’ll control myself,” he admitted, sliding his hand to wrap his fingers around Cal’s bicep.
“Fair point.” Warmth bloomed at Cal’s neck, enjoying the supple leather against his skin.
“Besides, I need to keep an eye on what Margo buys.” Fernando released his grip on Cal’s upper arm. “I don’t want to wear anything gold or sparkly,” Fernando teased his sister, nudging her back with his black boot. A gentle warning but firm.
“But gold would go so well with your eyes.” She winked.
“Don’t even joke.” Fernando shook a finger at her.
“I’ll make what I can by hand. We have plenty of fabric and supplies in the warehouse. Let’s see what we can find.”
“Sounds good.” Cal yawned as he stretched.
“No, you rest,” Margo insisted. “You’re worn out.”
“I won’t argue with that.” Cal swallowed another yawn.
“Vamos, Fernando,” Margo tugged at his elbow.
* * *
Fernando followed her out of the apartment, but turned to look at Cal as he leaned back on the couch. He watched Cal stretch muscled arms over his head and longed for his strong embrace. But he needed to focus. He had to take down Dr. Almighty. Be ready for anything if he wanted to survive.
Time alone with Cal would be the ultimate reward, more than anything he could have dreamed of and more than anything Dr. Almighty could buy.
Chapter 26
Rita and the others were slumped around the dinner table in the common room. Their sessions had intensified in the training studio the past few days. Not only that, they had spent most of their nights this week capturing three of Cal’s loved ones, tossing them into white holding cells. Ted kept the victims in a state of sleep with injections throughout the day to alleviate Rita and the recruits from having to watch over the cells.
She worried about her students. Dr. Almighty’s demands were overwhelming and the recruits were overworked. But he was the genius, and she had to obey.
Rita noticed Fernando and Margo’s absence from their sessions the past few days. She never seemed to have enough time to break into their apartment to search for signs of Cal if he had returned. If only she could hand him to Dr. Almighty on a silver platter, all this training and kidnapping could stop. She could prevent the battle.
But Rita did her best not to live in a world of what ifs. The hypothetical always drove her mad. She had no time to waste on wondering anymore.
Rita glanced around the room. Vinnie and a few others had fallen asleep in their chairs. He had continued to throw plenty of longing looks her way as they trained. Although he was impressive as he honed his powers, she could not allow herself the distraction. No matter how his t-shirts fit around his shoulders and biceps. She blocked any attempt Vinnie made to help her, even when he had offered to divide the recruits into groups to give her a break. She did all she could to discourage him and yet he persisted.
Rita felt her eyelids go heavy. She forced herself awake, pulling at the pink sleeve that covered the burn on her arm. Fernando had taught her to trust her instincts. She stood slowly from her chair and went to wake the others to send them to their dorms for the night. They would need their rest. Tomorrow they would capture the final two: Jin and Nessa.
* * *
Fernando was cautious every night when he borrowed the virtual r
eality system from the training studio. Following the patterns of Rita’s sessions, no one was around after dinner. The young recruits must have been on the brink of exhaustion, a small ray of light as they faced the darkness ahead. He could not make the same mistake with Cal, overworking him before the showdown.
He customized the sessions on the virtual reality headset with varying levels of difficulty. Finding the balance between protecting Cal by preparing him for the worst while not pushing beyond his limits was a challenge. If the pendulum swung too far in either direction, it could prove deadly on Friday night. Losing Cal was not an option.
Fernando made sure there was plenty of time for Cal to rest and regain his strength from using his multiple powers. He knew Margo rolled her eyes whenever Fernando drew Cal a warm bath to soothe his aching muscles or offered him the last piece of food on the platter. Margo could tease and laugh at him all she wanted. The distant sound of Cal’s low sigh as he slid into the bathtub was worth all his effort. She did not understand how long he had waited for someone like Cal.
And now Cal had returned to him, single and unattached. Fernando would not treat him like some weapon because of his abilities. He knew what it was like to be treated less than human.
Cal’s improvements were exponential during the evening training sessions. Fernando saw Margo’s eyes light up as Cal went from standing to flying to gliding within seconds. His fist could devastate a concrete wall and punch a hole into a block of wood. Fernando’s curiosity made him want to push Cal harder, but he noticed the healing power slowed as he exhausted his body’s energy. Purple bruises marked his tan skin, lasting longer than they should.
Fernando saw the limitations of Ted’s genetic modification for the first time.
* * *
Cal’s sleep was restless as he tossed and turned in the silence of the guest room. He woke up early on Friday, his body unable to rest, anticipating the looming battle with Dr. Almighty.
Cal slunk around the kitchen and set up the coffee maker to brew a big pot of strong black coffee. He felt at home here, as strange as it was to call a secret apartment hidden away in a lab home. It was comforting to know Fernando was only a few rooms away, sleeping soundly in his bed.