by Lan Chan
There were some areas of Melbourne where the government had been able to pour money into rebuilding after the Reset. These smaller businesses in urban areas weren’t one of them. This was probably one of thousands of singular shops that had been left to rot.
There was one streetlight on this road. It was one of those terrible yellow ones that didn’t really do much except discourage cars from running into a power pole. It didn’t offer much illumination. I stopped short of walking down the street. Apprehension filled me as I surveyed the scene. I didn’t mind danger from people. I could handle that. But there was something about darkness, something deep within the recesses of my mind that filled me with utter terror.
I let myself take time to adjust to the shadows. There was no point rushing in there if I was going to be a liability. As the shapes became clearer, I could make out a limousine and four figures standing in front of it. Two rumbled lumps lay on the floor. I was too far away to actually hear what they were saying, but from the pitch of their voices, one of them was a girl.
Help! The plea came again. There was less hope tied in it. If there were any other espers about, they certainly weren’t making themselves known. Something tugged at me. It wasn’t until I’d allowed myself to creep closer that I realised I actually knew the girl’s voice. It was Grace Xiao.
What was Grace doing in a back street of the suburbs? She lived with a contingent of maids and butlers in an expensive mansion in Kew Gardens. That was in the other direction completely. Grace’s presence caused me to pause mid-crouch.
Where were the rest of her guards? I thought of Suit Guy but couldn’t find him in the crowd of shadows surrounding her. The memory of Mum’s words from that night on top of the hotel came to me unbidden. What if this was an inside job? Had Suit Guy betrayed her? Or was he one of the unmoving bodies on the ground?
I should have made an anonymous call to the New China consulate instead of sticking my nose in. There was every chance she would recognise me, and then where would I be? I was having enough trouble dealing with Zeke knowing about my powers.
One of the other figures stepped closer. He brandished what appeared to be a long knife or a baton at her. Grace backed up until she hit the limousine. She turned her head to the side so that if I were standing in plain view, she would have been able to see me. I slipped behind some garbage bins, tossing up the alternatives.
Did these muggers know who Grace was? If not, could I just walk away? Surely Grace would have known to just give them what they wanted without a fight, and they would leave? Unless they’re the other type of vile creature that stalks the night, an insidious voice piped up. Almost as though my thoughts were a premonition, Grace screamed. One of the attackers lunged for her throat.
Close your eyes and keep them shut, I sent Grace. The man had her pinned to the limo with one arm. I couldn’t see where his other hand was, but I could guess. It sent a hot flash of fury through me. Grace was too trusting for this city. She’d probably grown up with nannies and advisors whose positions hinged on keeping her happy. She closed her eyes like a good girl. That’s when I pounced.
My body slammed into the side of the man who had Grace by the throat. Both of us toppled to the ground. I rolled as I fell and was up on my feet in an instant. With the slightest touch, I shocked him. He doubled over completely and lay there spasming.
One of the other men swung at me. I ducked and planted an uppercut directly under his jaw. I swept his feet from underneath him, and he landed with a distinct thud that was more of a boom in the quiet of the street.
The last attacker circled me warily. He held a switchblade between us. The night air carried his filthy stench to me. I gagged but wouldn’t allow it to distract me. I felt the presence of his probe pressing on my shield and knew instantly that he was a beta-level Reader. My brain filtered theories until I was sure this had to have been a setup. The rest of the thugs might have been a bonus, but this was the one who had been sent to abduct Grace.
By now my eyes had adjusted to the low light. I still wasn’t comfortable but it was enough so the worst of my anxiety was kept at bay. What did distract me were the pins and needles all over my skin. How could I already be overexerting myself?
The man feigned a lunge when he realised I wasn’t going to be mentally subdued. The blade jumped between his hands. I watched him carefully, keeping most of my attention on the calculated flickering of his eyes. His feet moved in contradiction to his upper body. He was doing it to throw me off.
Almost imperceptibly, his eyes darted left. A millisecond later, his arm swung out. I caught him by the wrist and pushed back until I heard the snap of bones breaking. That was too easy. Mum had shown me in theory how this should be done, but I’d expected it to be much harder. The man was whimpering and clutching at his broken wrist.
“You stupid bitch!” he kept muttering over and over. I would put money on the fact that he had a few screws loose up there. He had the classic sunken skin and protruding eyes of a substance addiction. No doubt he thought he was going to score some cash tonight.
I sensed Grace turning her head towards me, and I spun her around so she was facing the limo.
I said keep your eyes shut! If you see me, I’ll kill you, I told her mentally. It occurred to me that my words sounded very much like something the Shadowman would say. My features rearranged into a scowl. Grace stiffened and didn’t move. I couldn’t work out whether she believed my empty threat, but at least it was keeping her quiet.
You have two seconds to get the hell out of here before I get serious, I told the man. He answered by attempting to spit on me. He must have been a real dried-up prick because the spit was more of a cough.
Don’t say I didn’t warn you. I stepped forward and slugged him across the face. As I did so, a small tendril of electricity raced down my arm. Instead of just knocking him out, the man’s body flew a couple of metres. He landed hard against the pavement. I stared in astonishment at his unmoving body.
I wasn’t a waif by any means, but I certainly wasn’t a bulldozer either. There was no way I should have been able to throw around a grown man like him. Whatever was going on with my telepathy had the effect of giving me greater physical strength. Even more than the EK usually did. I didn’t relish this new development. There was something seriously wrong with me, and I couldn’t go to an esper clinic because they would automatically call in the Psi-Ops. My life would become a series of experiments.
Right now, though, I needed to get out of here. I turned to head back in the direction of the main road when I felt a tug on my sleeve. I yanked away, keeping my back to Grace, and pulled the hood tighter around my face.
We’re done here, I sent Grace. When I went to leave, her soft steps followed me. Are you deaf? If you don’t stop following me, we’re going to have a problem!
“I’m sorry,” Grace squeaked. “I don’t want to be a burden, but my driver’s dead, and I need to call my father to have someone pick me up. I…I don’t want to wait here alone.”
This was just perfect. I was already late. Now I had to stand around babysitting. You’re helping to avoid a political incident, I repeated to myself as I waited for Grace to make her call.
I stayed with her until another car came to pick her up. Headlights rounded the corner. A black sedan pulled into the street with the New China flags flying on the antennae. It was followed by a motorcade of New China enforcement.
Grace turned back from where she was standing under the streetlight and tried to find me in the darkened alley.
“Thank you,” she said. “I wish I knew your name, at least. My father would reward you handsomely.”
Keep your money, I sent her. Remember this the next time your father decides he’s going to sneakily make a play for the territory around the Strip.
A smile lit up her face, but she didn’t comment. Just as well because the driver had parked and was running around to open the door for her. If he heard her talking badly about the president, she’d prob
ably be in quite a bit of trouble.
Grace disappeared into the tinted car, but just before it sped away she whispered a thought into the night air.
I understand why you wish to keep your identity a secret. If you won’t tell me your name, then I will give you one, so that when I speak of this to my father, he will know you. You walk in the darkness like a ghost. A spectre watching over the city. I will call you Spectra.
I couldn’t help smiling at the thought, even though I had a feeling it would bring me nothing but grief. Mum would have a fit if she knew. This was just great. Grace was going to turn me into a vigilante.
As I walked back to the bus stop, a thought crossed my mind. In a battle between a madman and a ghost, who would win? I had a feeling I would find out one day soon.
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