Superhero (An Action Thriller) Page 13

  Switching back, Veronica continued. “Bystanders were in shock. The Los Angeles Police Department arrived on the scene in record time but were at a loss as to what exactly could be done to save the child’s life.”

  The police officer again.

  “About sixty percent of the car was engulfed in flames by the time our first unit responded and we were worried about an explosion. In consultation with the fire department we felt it was too dangerous to allow anyone to attempt a rescue. It was a tough call, but it was one we had to make.”

  Back to Veronica.

  “That’s when a mysterious man came on the scene and took everyone by surprise.” A screen shot from someone’s cell phone camera came on. It showed a man in a black, skin-tight suit with white eyes. “Witnesses state that this man calls himself ‘The Dragon.’ And what he did was beyond belief.”

  The officer said, “He flipped the car over and pulled the child out. Plain and simple. Most amazing thing I’ve certainly seen in my lifetime.”

  Veronica stated, “Witnesses report that the male was at least six feet tall and perhaps two hundred and seventy to two hundred and ninety pounds. After the child was brought safely into the arms of his mother, this man simply sprinted away and vanished, before the police could even interview him about what had occurred.” Veronica’s eyebrows furrowed. “And, amazingly, there was another incident involving this man the same night.”

  The video switched to the woman Jack had saved in the parking lot. It was a short interview about the details of what had occurred and at the end the woman said, “He’s my guardian angel.”

  The interview ended and Veronica said, “We don’t know much about him, but we do know that he saves people who most need the saving. Darlene.”

  Darlene nodded and said, “Now, Veronica, I’m assuming this man is dangerous.”

  “We don’t know if he is. All we know at this point is that he saved the life of a child and the life of a young girl that was being attacked. Other than that, we have no real information.”

  “Wow. Amazing story. You’ll have to keep us updated on the whereabouts of this Dragon. Especially if he ever comes forward.”

  She grinned. “I will. Thank you.”

  “Thank you.” She turned back toward the camera and moved on to another story.

  “Sir, sir?”

  Jack looked over to the man behind the counter.

  “Sir, you gonna buy something or not?”

  “Oh, sorry.”

  As Jack walked out of the gun shop his cell phone rang. The number belonged to the cell he had bought for Heidi.

  “I know,” Jack said.

  “Know what?”

  “Oh, I thought you’d watched the news.”

  “No, what did it say?”

  “Apparently witnesses saw a masked vigilante help some people. Not really a big deal. I’m sure the story’ll fade.”

  “I think you’re taking risks you don’t have to, Jack.”

  “I told you. I can’t just close my eyes and pretend I don’t hear them. I’m sorry, I just can’t.”

  “When are you going to be home?”

  The intimacy of the statement struck him and it brought a smile to his face. He had not had someone ask him that since he was a child.

  “Soon. Why?”

  “Dinner plans. I’m cooking. Hope you like duck.”

  “Can’t wait.”

  “Okay, I’ll see you then.”

  “Bye.”

  He hung up and walked across the street to his Viper. A group of young kids, maybe no more than fourteen, walked past him on the sidewalk. Before he could acknowledge them or form a conscious thought, he had spun around, knocking the gun out of the hands of the one closest to him.

  The boy stood there with disbelief in his eyes. Jack grabbed him by the collar and lifted him in the air with one hand.

  “If I see you out in the streets trying to rob people again,” Jack said, “I’m not going to be as nice next time.”

  As he dropped the boy, who fell to his backside, the friends scattered. Jack walked over and picked up the gun, twisting the barrel into nearly a pretzel shape and tossing it into a nearby garbage can. The boy didn’t move or speak. Jack winked at him as he got into his car, and pulled away from the curb.

  CHAPTER 35

  Colonel Finley sat at his desk, staring at a computer screen. His boots were up on a footrest and he sipped Irish coffee out of a mug that said, “Happy Father’s Day.” He placed the mug down on the desk and looked outside. The facility had only a handful of windows, to ensure that no one could photograph what was going on inside, and he was glad he had chosen an office that had one. Even if it was small and cramped.

  A black sedan came to the gates out front and he watched the MPs as they performed the routine checks. Two new recruits stationed here were in that car, along with two guards. Men handpicked by Finley, as everyone here was.

  Though he wasn’t one for reflection, he couldn’t help but think of the day he arrived here. Fresh out of Army Intelligence and a post in Saudi Arabia, he wasn’t much older than his son is now. He was such an idealist then. He thought the military was where the best in society gathered to pursue the most honorable goal: defending those that couldn’t or wouldn’t defend themselves.

  Abruptly, his views changed. Once he saw the secrecy, the lies, the deception to the public, he realized he was being used by people in power for their own ends. The military was a tool that politicians used whenever they had the inclination and enough public support to do so. He had known from the first day that the invasion of Vietnam was a mistake, and even though he had more experience than those calling the shots, no one listened to him. From then on, he kept his head low and his mouth shut.

  That’s how he ended up here. He developed a reputation as someone that didn’t need to boast and could be trusted with secrets. Now, in his late sixties and with a retirement waiver allowing him to work as long as he liked, he wondered if he had made the correct choice.

  “Colonel?” His phone buzzed.

  He pressed a button. “Yes?”

  “They’re ready for you, sir.”

  Finley glanced at his computer screen. The email he had been waiting for had arrived two minutes ago and he hadn’t caught it as he stared out the window.

  “Be right there.”

  He stood up and checked his uniform, a force of habit, and then left the room, heading toward the facility’s underground laboratories.

  The facility itself was the most advanced he had seen, both in terms of the technology available and its fortitude. It was meant to keep people out and to withstand a full assault, even a nuclear detonation. Some of the government’s greatest secrets were buried here, and enemies couldn’t be allowed to damage the facility or take it.

  As he stepped on the elevator he saw a flyer up ahead that said, “AREA 51 PARTY TONIGHT.”

  He hated that term and how it had been applied to his facility. The implication that he was doing anything other than looking out for the best interests of his country bothered him.

  The laboratories were dimly lit, enough so you could make your way around but not enough to see exactly what everyone was working on. Finley walked by a few work stations and got some stares; this wasn’t a place he usually visited.

  At the far end of the second room over, large monitors covered the walls and men in uniforms sat behind computer screens. Finley came up to a man that was sipping a cola and leaning back in his chair.

  “What’dya have for me, Gunnerson?”

  Steve Gunnerson quickly placed his drink down and sat up straight. “We have a hit, sir.”

  “Lemme see it.”

  The monitor on the far wall pulled up an image of Jack Kane. It was one of him flying through the air at Finley’s men. An incredible feat, Finley thought. But one he had seen performed better before.

  “His real name’s not Jack Kane, sir. That’s why we were unable to get a hit on anything for so long. We
tracked down a foster home he was raised in. We made contact with some of his adoptive family, but they didn’t seem to know anything. The mother’s senile, and she’s probably the only one that would know his true identity, but it’s not unusual for adopting parents to learn nothing about the biological parents.”

  “Cut to the chase.”

  He cleared his throat. “Yessir. Address in Bel Air. A large estate left to him. But, sir, you’re not going to believe who his parents were.”

  Finley pulled up a chair and sat down. “Tell me everything you know.”

  CHAPTER 36

  Jack was driving home when he saw William’s number flash on his iPhone. He answered.

  “What’s going on, Will?”

  “You sound like you’re in a good mood.”

  “I haven’t felt this great in a long time. What’s up?”

  “We got a Myr at the station. Armed robbery. He’s hinting that there may be some information he’s willing to trade in exchange for allowing him to be deported. Sounds big. I thought you might want in.”

  Jack checked his watch. Heidi would be waiting for him. “Okay, I gotta make it quick, though.”

  “Oh really? You got better plans than catching the man that took your legs?”

  “I’m not a cop anymore. Won’t they have a problem with that?”

  “I…I never turned in your badge. I thought you might need it somewhere down the line.”

  “William—”

  “You can get pissed at me later. Just get your ass down here.”

  “All right.”

  Jack called Heidi and she didn’t answer. He left a message saying he would be home in a couple of hours.

  The precinct was nearly empty when Jack showed up. He had to show his driver’s license to the officer at the front desk since he didn’t have his badge and she glanced from the ID to the image on the computer screen several times before letting him into the precinct.

  William was sitting in his cubicle, sipping coffee out of a Styrofoam cup with his feet on the desk, chatting with a couple of the other detectives about the day’s events. When he saw Jack, he finished his coffee and stood up. He put his suit coat on and buttoned the top button on his shirt.

  “The top button,” Jack said. “This must be important.”

  “The Myrs deserve it. You ready?”

  Jack shrugged and they began walking to the back interrogation rooms.

  “Saw the little piece on our mutual friend,” William said. “The Dragon? Couldn’t you come up with anything less corny?”

  “It’s the first thing that popped into my mind.”

  Rounding the corner, they ran into a group of Vice detectives. Scraggly with greasy hair and torn, stained clothing, they looked like they could be living under any bridge in the city. They said hello to William and ignored Jack.

  The door to the interrogation room had a small one-way glass pane and Jack glanced at the man sitting at the table inside. He had long black dreadlocks and wore a black T-shirt and jeans. His leg bounced up and down frantically and his hands were folded in front of his face like he was in prayer.

  “Name’s Kevin Shastro,” William said. “He wants out of the Myrs and doesn’t know how to do it. Says he’s got big information to trade in exchange for witness protection and then deportation to the country of his choice.”

  William opened the door and went inside, Jack behind him. As William sat across from the boy, Jack leaned against the wall, his hands behind him, his eyes locked with Kevin’s.

  “Yo,” Kevin said, looking at Jack, “yo, I know you. You that guy I saw on TV that Agamemnon kicked the shit out of.”

  William said, “Show him your legs, Jack.”

  Jack pulled up his pant leg, revealing the gleaming metal underneath.

  “See,” William continued, “we all have an incentive to see your boss go down.”

  Kevin exhaled and looked to William. “Yo I need guarantees. You gotta get me in witness protection, me and my girl. And then I wanna be deported.”

  “Tell us what you got and I’ll see what I can do.”

  Kevin shook his head. “I ain’t new to cops. You guys are allowed to lie and cheat. I ain’t givin’ shit until I get guarantees.” He pointed to the camera. “On tape.”

  “Kevin, the LAPD has limited resources for this type of thing but I will do everything in my power to make it happen.”

  “No good, holmes.”

  Jack stepped forward. “LAPD may not have the juice but the DEA does. I’m former DEA. I can make a few calls if what you tell me is worth it. I can guarantee you I can make it happen.”

  Kevin’s eyes locked with his for a moment. “Aight, aight. You got a deal, holmes.”

  William began, “So let’s take it from the top. How’d you get involved in the Myrs?”

  “Nah, forget that. I’ll tell you somethin’ you need to know right now. Agamemnon, that dude’s crazy. He ain’t into money like the rest of us. He’s happy livin’ in his warehouse. But what he does want is a weapon. And he got it.”

  “What kind of weapon?”

  “WMD, man. The shit your government was lookin’ for in Iraq. He got one.”

  William paused. “You telling me that your little rink-a-dink gang got hold of a nuclear weapon?”

  “I don’t know what it is, man. But it’s massive. People been sayin’ it can take out the whole city. Yo, I ain’t into that. I got in this game to make green. My girl’s got my baby on the way. I just wanna take care of ‘em, you know?”

  William leaned back in his chair. “Wait here a minute.”

  As the two men went to leave, Kevin said, “And I know where it is. But you don’t know until I’m in another city in witness protection.”

  William nodded and walked out. Once they were out in the hall, he said, “You believe him?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why?”

  “I don’t know. I just feel he’s telling the truth.”

  William ran his hand through his hair. “Well we gotta get Homeland Security out here. They can call everyone else. At least they can actually give him his witness protection.”

  “You do that. I want five minutes alone with him.”

  “For what?”

  “Just to talk.”

  “Jack, this man may have information that could save millions of lives. I don’t want any rough housing.”

  “Nothing like that. Just five minutes.”

  William folded his arms and leaned against the wall. “Five minutes. I’m gonna go place the calls and I’ll be back.”

  Jack walked into the room and heard a voice: “REVEAL US.”

  It was so loud he whipped around him, making sure no one was yelling in his ear. All he could hear were William’s footsteps as he walked away down the hall.

  As Jack shut the door behind him, Kevin watched as he pulled the cord out from the video camera and pulled the chair up next to him, where they could whisper.

  “Kevin, Homeland Security is on their way. They will give you everything that you want. A new life. But we both know how government works. They won’t be able to stop this in time. You know and I know, Agamemnon is too powerful and too smart for them. But I can stop him. I know where he is, where the warehouse is, but I don’t think he would keep a device like that where he could be raided. He would hide it somewhere. I just need to know where.”

  “Yo, I already told you. I ain’t sayin’ shit until I’m in witness protection.”

  Jack’s eyes flashed green. They were bright enough that they blinded Kevin and he closed his eyes and had to look away.

  “Shit!”

  “YOU WILL TELL US WHERE IT IS.”

  Kevin looked to him, he was trembling now. Something in Jack’s eyes. But all Jack could see was a green trim around his field of vision.

  “What are you?”

  “Tell me now, Kevin.”

  Kevin looked to the camera and then back. He leaned farther away, as if afraid Jack would bite
him, and said, “It’s buried in the desert.”

  “The Mojave?”

  “Yeah.”

  Kevin was answering but he wasn’t blinking. His eyes were locked to Jack’s and his face had slackened, like he was under the influence of a narcotic.

  “Where?”

  “I ain’t actually seen it. It’s by highway marker twenty-one. That’s what I heard. Buried in the dirt out there under a bunch of rocks.”

  Jack leaned back in his chair, the green trim around his vision disappearing. Kevin blinked furiously as if he had just woken up.

  Jack stood, and walked out of the room. Wondering as much as Kevin what had just happened.

  CHAPTER 37

  The Mojave Desert covers a massive portion of the Southwestern United States. While most of the desert is uninhabited, and in some cases, uninhabitable, a fair number of cities, including Las Vegas, can be found inside its boundaries. Its true characteristics, other than the heat, are Joshua Trees and the mountain ranges that zig-zag across the rugged landscape.

  Night had fallen long ago as Jack Kane flew through the air over the empty desert. He had perfected his jumps over the last few days to the point that they were nearing flight.

  He was in his suit now, gliding high above the desert floor, glancing at the lights of the occasional passing car below. But primarily he kept his eyes glued to the stars. Glittering fragments of glass thrown on a reflective surface, Jack thought. He had never seen anything so beautiful. Except maybe…Autumn. The sweet girl that his sister had allowed him to see yesterday. The scar had begun to heal but it was noticeable, coming up out of her shirt onto the base of her throat. It wasn’t something she was going to be able to hide, probably even in adulthood. It pained Jack to see it and know he was responsible. Rage built inside him as he thought about it and he almost didn’t notice that he was descending.

  He landed hard on the ground and looked up just in time to see a minivan go by. He sprinted again and jumped several times, building momentum each time, until he launched himself high into the air, feeling like he could touch the stars.