The Extraordinaries
Page 33
Seth reached back and shoved Nick toward the elevator. Nick felt a sharp blast of heat as he stumbled backward, a bright bloom of fire bursting in front of him. He stared in awe as the air burned, dispelling the shadows in the light.
“Run!” Seth shouted.
“But—”
“Go, Nick! Please go!”
Nick ran.
He was halfway across the room when he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. He glanced over in time to see a shadow racing along the wall next to him. It was amorphous until it stretched out from the wall, reaching for Nick. He could see the outline of what looked like claws, and let out a strangled gasp as he ducked right as it swiped at him. It missed him by inches. Owen shouted furiously, but Nick didn’t look back.
He hit the panel next to the elevator so hard, he thought he broke it.
It lit up under his hand.
The doors slid open.
He lurched through, slamming his palm on the panel inside the elevator. He turned in time to see—
“Oh my god,” he breathed.
Seth was suspended in midair, arms outstretched, fire leaking from his hands and burning around him. His cape swirled behind him, flaming sparks cascading.
He looked over his shoulder directly at Nick.
He smiled.
And then he exploded.
Nick was knocked back by the concussive blast of air that made it through the elevator doors before they closed. His head hit the wall behind him, and he groaned, covering his face as a wall of fire roared toward—
The doors closed.
The elevator car shook.
But then began to ascend.
* * *
He was running down the hallway following exit signs when he heard shouts coming from somewhere ahead of him, flashlight beams bouncing along the floor. He found an unlocked door and managed to get inside a small office before whoever it was rounded the corner. He didn’t close the door all the way, peering through the crack. A group of security guards ran by, guns drawn.
The alarms blared overhead.
Once he was sure the security guards were gone, Nick opened the door and stepped back out into the hallway. He’d only managed to take a few steps before a hand grabbed his hoodie and jerked him around.
He was face-to-face with Brett.
“You,” Brett said, eyes wide. “What the hell is going on?”
“Shadow Star,” Nick spat. “Pyro Storm. They’re fighting somewhere in the building.”
“Where’s Owen? Why isn’t he with you?”
“We got separated trying to get out of here. I don’t know where he is!”
Brett shook him. “Did you have anything to do with this?”
“No, man! I’m a kid. I didn’t do anything. I just wanna leave!”
“Fine,” Brett spat. “But if you see Owen, you tell him I’m not going to get fired over this. I swear, if his dad finds out that I—”
The ground shook beneath their feet. Brett’s grip on Nick fell away as he stumbled back. “What the hell was that?”
Nick didn’t know, but he didn’t think it was a good idea to stay and find out. “I’m gonna go, if that’s all right with you.”
But Brett had already turned away from him.
Nick ran again.
He heard Brett shout something after him, but it was lost to the pounding in his head.
* * *
He jumped over the turnstile, almost tripping and falling flat on his face. He managed to stay upright, and hit the door they’d come in, praying it wasn’t locked.
It wasn’t.
Cold air washed over him as he took in a gasping breath.
The sounds of sirens filled the air.
He could see the swirl of red and blue reflecting off the buildings around him.
He hid behind a bus stop near Burke Tower.
The cop cars flew by, lights flashing, sirens wailing.
“They after you?” a voice asked, making Nick jump and scream.
He turned around to see a man sitting in a doorway, his shopping cart next to him filled with cans and socks. He’d never been more relieved to see something so normal after what had just happened.
“No,” Nick said, voice shaky. “Not me.”
“It’s okay if they are; I won’t tell. Unless there’s a reward. Then I’d tell. There a reward?”
“It’s not about—”
“Would you look at that?” the man whispered, eyes wide.
Nick looked back at Burke Tower.
The windows were reflecting orange and red.
But it wasn’t coming from outside.
It was coming from within.
Fire.
It rose higher and higher, like it was hurtling through each floor of Burke Tower.
Nick tilted his head back as it reached the top, and there was an explosion as it burst through the roof, a trail of flames rocketing into the air. It shot across the night sky and disappeared into the sky.
“Probably aliens,” the homeless man said. “Took me in ’78, but I cut out the implant so they can’t find me! And now I have all the socks I could ever want!”
“Have a nice night,” Nick muttered, pulling the hood over his head.
He hurried away, leaving the man cackling in the doorway behind him.
17
He went to the only place he felt safe.
He kept out of sight, taking the stairs rather than the elevator. He wasn’t supposed to be at the hospital, and if he got caught, he’d probably be in more trouble than he already was. He was still wearing all black (except, of course, for his purple Chucks—Gibby was useless), but that wouldn’t help him. Not here. It’d probably bring more attention to him than anything else.
He’d made it up three floors when he heard a door open somewhere above him. He panicked, looking for somewhere to hide in the stairwell. There was nowhere for him to go. He held his breath, the footsteps echoing on the stairs as whoever it was came down.
Another door opened, and the footsteps disappeared.
He sighed in relief.
The fifth floor was mostly silent. There was a man sitting at the nurse’s station, but he had his back to Nick. A woman moved down the hall, staring at a clipboard, but she turned and went in the opposite direction.
Nick crouched as low as he could as he passed by the nurse’s station. If someone saw him now, they’d probably call the police before anything else. He looked absurd, back pressed against the desk, inching forward as quietly as he could, hood pulled up over his head.
Somehow, by the grace of a god that smiled down at the idiocy of teenage boys, he made it past the nurse’s station undetected. He hurried down the hall toward—
“Nick?”
Crap. He’d been so close.
He turned around.
Becky stood behind him, head tilted to the side.
He waved. “Hey. How are you? You look … nice.”
The man from the nurse’s station stuck his head over the desk and looked at them. “Everything all right?”
Becky waved him away. “Yeah, this is Mr. Bell’s son, Nick. Apparently, he doesn’t understand the concept of visiting hours. It’s okay.”
“I understand visiting hours,” Nick said, scowling. “I chose to ignore them. And what’re you doing here so late? I thought you worked during the day.”
“Working a double to cover for someone else. Nice shoes.”
“Oh. Thanks. The color’s called eggplant. They seemed like a good idea when I bought them, but now I’m not so sure.”
The nurse at the station sat back down in his chair.
Nick gave very serious consideration to whirling around and running as fast as he could when Becky approached, but it’d been a long night, and he was resigned to his fate. “Please don’t send me away. I just…” He couldn’t finish, the words drying on his tongue.
She reached up and pulled his hood back, letting it fall. She frowned. “You look exhausted.”
Becky sighed. “Tell you what. Why don’t you go on in. Make yourself feel better.”
Nick nodded, not trusting himself to speak. That sounded good.
She put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing gently. “Go. I was in there a few minutes ago. I need to make a phone call.”
His eyes snapped up to hers.
She smiled at him as she dropped her hand. “You know someone has to be missing you. Or they will be when they wake up and you’re not there. It’s only fair, Nick.”
Yeah. It was. Mary Caplan would probably panic in the morning. And then she’d call Cap, and it’d turn into this whole thing where Nick would probably be fitted with an ankle bracelet that would track him wherever he went. Cap wouldn’t be happy, especially since he was probably dealing with the fallout at Burke Tower right at that very moment.
“Okay,” he said. “Since I’m magnanimous, I will agree to this condition.”
“How nice of you. Thank you for your generosity.”
He narrowed his eyes. “We’re in a hospital, Nurse Becky. This is no place for sarcasm.”
She rolled her eyes. “Kid, trust me when I say a hospital is the perfect place for sarcasm. And I’d consider moving my butt if I were you, before I change my mind.”
Nick moved his butt.
* * *
Everything was the same. The machines still beeped and hissed. His father’s eyes were still taped shut, the tube still down his throat.
Nick closed the door behind him. He was going to pull a chair next to the bed, but he was tired and heartsore. His eyes felt like they were filled with sand, and there were shards in his chest that poked him as he breathed.
He moved to the other side of the bed.
Carefully, he climbed onto it, not wanting to jostle his dad. He toed off his Chucks as he sat, letting them fall to the floor. He turned around, stretching his legs out. His knees bumped into his dad’s thigh, and he apologized even though his dad couldn’t hear him. As soon as the words left his mouth, he wished he could take them back.
He realized, then, how stupid he must look. It was the middle of the night, and here he was, climbing into bed with his dad like he was little and had just woken up from a scary dream. His eyes started to burn as he lifted his dad’s arm and lay near his shoulder. He brought the arm down across him, holding on to his hand tightly.
Dad didn’t wake up.
“Please don’t leave me,” Nick whispered. He closed his eyes.
* * *
He woke to the sound of voices.
A weak, gray light filtered through the window as he cracked open his eyes.
“—and he hasn’t moved at all, even when I put a blanket on him. I think he needed some reassurance. It’s tough having a parent in the hospital.”
Someone sighed. “I know. I really should have seen this coming. I appreciate you calling me.”
“I tried Mr. Caplan first, but got a voicemail. I didn’t leave a message in case I got ahold of you. Didn’t want to worry anyone unnecessarily.”
“Probably for the best. I don’t know when Rodney will have a chance to check his phone, given what’s going on with the Extraordinaries.”
“I saw the alerts on my phone, but it’s been a busy night and I haven’t had a chance to follow up. Is it bad?”
“I don’t know. They’re at it again. A nuisance, if you ask me.”
“I can’t imagine what it takes to— Looks like someone’s awake.”
He turned his head.
Becky stood in the doorway, Mary Caplan next to her, hand clutching the strap of her purse tightly.
“Sorry,” he mumbled.
Mary shook her head. “I’ll let it slide this time, Nick. Just keep me in the loop, okay? I would have come with you myself if this is what you needed.”
Properly chastened, he mumbled, “Okay.”
“Why don’t you take Mrs. Caplan to get a cup of coffee,” Becky said cheerfully. “I need to empty your dad’s catheter bag, and I’m pretty sure you don’t need to be here for that.”
“Why would you say that? There are things I don’t need to know. What the hell, Becky.” Then, because he couldn’t not, he added, “Is there a lot?”
She laughed at him.
So weird.
* * *
There were a few people blinking sleepily in the hospital cafeteria. Mary made Nick sit at a table in the corner, before saying she’d be right back.
Nick pulled his phone from his pocket.
He had missed calls and texts.
Gibby had tried to call him three times. Martha twice. Bob once.
There were voicemails, but he ignored those for the moment.
Gibby had texted him, demanding he pick up the phone or she was going to kick his ass.
Martha’s said she wanted to talk to him.
Bob wrote that he’d be there when Nick was ready.
There was one from Jazz, wondering why Gibby wanted to know if Nick was with her, and since he wasn’t, where Nick could possibly be?
Nothing from Seth or Owen.
Mary returned, placing a banana, a muffin, and a bottle of juice in front of him. “You’ll eat all of it. And drink all of the juice.”
“I’m not hungry.”
“I received a phone call three hours ago. The only time a phone rings in the middle of the night is to deliver bad news. For all I knew, something had happened to Rodney while he was on duty. So, imagine my surprise when the hospital told me the boy I was responsible for had shown up on his own. You will do as I say, and you will like it.”
“But I—”
“Less talking, more banana.”
Nick picked up the banana. “You’re very good at the guilt-trip thing.”
She sniffed. “I prefer to think of it as knowing what’s best.”
“Oh. Well. You’re very good at that, then.”
“Thank you.” She sipped her coffee, watching him peel the banana. He made a show of taking a big bite and chewing obnoxiously. She wasn’t impressed. “This is hurting you more than me, just so you know.”
He slumped in his seat. “Sorry.”
“So you’ve already said. I appreciate it, but we’re going to move on from it now.”
“Okay.”
“I’m not mad.”
“Okay.”
“Eat the muffin.”
He did.
She waited until he was halfway through it when she said, “Rodney was shot once.”
Nick looked up at her. He tried to swallow without chewing and ended up choking. He coughed, spraying crumbs on the table.
Mary cocked her head. “Delightful.”
He glared at her, opening the juice bottle and taking a drink to help clear his throat. “You did that on purpose.”
“And you’ll never prove it. Though, I suppose if you’re going to choke on food, at least you’re in a good place to do it.”
“I didn’t know that about Cap.”
She shrugged, taking another drink of coffee. “It was a long time ago. Back when he was a beat cop. Two years on the job, and he got a call for a domestic disturbance. Scary thing, those, though I suppose all calls that come in have a chance of being dangerous. He arrived, and the man didn’t want to leave. The woman had a restraining order against him, and there were warrants out for his arrest. He also had a gun and shot Rodney in the arm.” She set the cup on the table, holding it between her hands. “In the grand scheme of things, it was nothing life-threatening. But imagine getting a call saying that someone you love has been hurt in the line of duty.”
“I don’t have to imagine that.”
She shook her head. “Of course you don’t. I panicked, only hearing the words Rodney’s been shot over and over again in my head. By the time I got to the hospital, I created this entire
world in my head, one where Rodney was dying, or already dead. I was going to have to put on a brave face when I arrived, I knew, but I cried almost the whole way on the train. So even though I knew he was gone, I dried my eyes and strode in, ready to face what was to come. But instead of losing him, I was brought to one of the rooms. Rodney was spouting off at the doctor, saying it was just a flesh wound, and he would absolutely not be admitted, that it was wrapped, and he was ready to go. He looked relieved when he saw me, saying I would vouch for him.”
Nick winced. “Not the best move.”
Mary laughed. “No. Not the best move. There was an officer waiting in the hall, and I told him he’d probably need to arrest me right then and there, because I was about to commit assault. I was … so angry. It wasn’t rational. Or fair, really. But that’s the price, I think, for loving a hero. We’re a lighthouse, Nick. A beacon to help them find their way home.”
Nick could barely breathe.
“They’re brave,” Mary said. “But we are too. Because while they’re out there, saving the world, we’re the ones they come home to. And it may not always be fair, and there are times when you know they’re in harm’s way, but they’ll always fight like the dickens to get back where they belong.” She reached over and put her hand on top of Nick’s. “Rodney does that for me. And I know your dad does the same for you. After everything you’ve both been through, he’s going to do everything he can to see your face.”
Nick believed her.
And he wondered if there was someone else fighting for him too.
* * *
Mary’s phone rang a little later. “That’ll be Rodney,” she said, looking at the screen. “What do you say we keep your adventure last night between us?”
If she only knew the half of it. “That sounds all right with me.”
“I thought as much. Give me a moment, okay? I expect the juice to be gone by the time I get back. Mind me now, Nick.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Hello, love,” she said as she answered the phone. “Busy night?” She stood from the table and walked away to an empty corner of the cafeteria. Nick heard her laugh at something Cap must have said in response.