by R S Penney
A bullet to the forehead splattered the first guard's brains against the heavy metal door. That alone would make quite the impression, but he had to make sure these people realized the Leyrian threat.
Security cameras would have captured his impressive display. Any moment now, a team of officers would be coming down here to kill him. He had to be careful.
Placing a small explosive charge against the door, Slade backed away until he was halfway down the corridor. He retrieved his pocket computer, flipped it open, and typed in a sequence that would activate the bomb.
The door exploded inward in a flash of fire that consumed the first guard's body, chunks of metal falling to the ground. When the smoke cleared away Slade found not the first of three anti-gravity generators that kept this island afloat but rather a huge, hulking robot of blue metal.
It was very much like one of the battle drones he had seen on Leyria but thinner and sleeker with the barrels of machine guns protruding over the backs of its hands. “All intruders are ordered to halt,” the robot said.
It raised one arm to point the gun at Slade.
He reacted by shielding himself with one hand, creating a Bending that made the air seem to ripple like heat rising off black pavement. Bullets came at him, looped up toward the ceiling and then flew back at the drone that had loosed them.
The robot staggered as its own gunfire began pummeling its metal body. Reacting to this new threat, it ceased fire, and that gave Slade his opening. His skin was burning from the use of his power, but he gloried in it.
He charged through the corridor.
Leaping with a growl, he thrust one arm out and fired bullet after bullet. Each one hit the drone's camera-like head, the fourth ripping it clear off its mountings. The robot fell backward, limbs flailing.
Slade flipped through the air.
He uncurled to land atop the fallen robot's chest, his battered opponent squirming like a worm that had been caught under someone's boot. With a chuckle, he fired one last round into the robot's chest, destroying its central processor.
Smoke in the now open doorway cleared to expose a large room where a sphere-shaped object was mounted atop a thick metal pillar. A ring of bright blue LEDs around the sphere's equator gave off an eerie glow.
The anti-gravity generator.
Reaching into his pocket, Slade retrieved a small charge with a bit of adhesive on the back. He flung it with casual disregard and watched it stick to the side of the sphere. This one would emit a small electromagnetic pulse.
Once again, he stepped back and triggered the charge.
There was a bright flash of light, sparks shooting upward, and the LEDs around the sphere went dark. The entire island trembled before the other two anti-gravity generators were able to compensate.
Turning his face up to the ceiling, Slade closed his eyes and took a deep, soothing breath. “Nothing like a job well done,” he whispered. “Perhaps you will take the Leyrian threat a little more seriously now, Renos.”
He turned to go.
A squad of men in gray uniforms with heavy black vests came around the corner of the nearest intersection, each one with eyes shielded behind the visor of his helmet. “Get down!” the leader shouted. “On the floor! Now!”
With a thought, Slade put up a Time Bubble. His skin was ablaze, but that meant nothing to him; he welcomed the pain. If this body failed him, the Inzari would provide another. Gods smiled upon their faithful servants.
On the other side of the bubble's shimmering surface, two blurry men stood side by side in the corridor, each one pointing the muzzle of an assault rifle at him. Any moment now, they would let loose. He would have to move first.
Slade raised his arm, aiming his pistol at the first man. He fired once, adjusted his aim and fired again. Two bullets appeared just outside the bubble, each one spiraling as it inched its way toward its target.
He let the bubble drop.
The first pair of men staggered as bullets ripped through their throats with a spray of blood. Both sank to their knees and then collapsed on the floor, blood pooling around their bodies.
Behind them, the next two men stood in stunned confusion, unsure of what had just happened. An instant of confusion. That was all he needed.
Slade ran at them.
He jumped and turned his body in midair, hurtling toward them like a log rolling down a hillside. When he collided with the first two, they stumbled backward into the men behind them, and soon they were all falling to the floor.
Slade got up, lifting his pistol in both hands. He aimed for the first man and fired. And then the next…The next.
This was more fun than I would have expected.
Chapter 6
Harry maneuvered his wheelchair through the front hall, dressed in a pair of shorts and a pink button-up t-shirt that he left untucked. The chair was still a sore spot for him, but it did its job, and he had a guest to greet.
A very disheveled looking Jack stood just inside the front door with a big smile on his face. “Enjoying your time off?” he asked, eyebrows rising behind those messy bangs. “Lots of time to loaf around?”
Harry looked up to squint at the lad. “As a matter of fact, I am,” he said with a nod. “I get to watch my robotic butler make tea, cook dinner and do a poor job of simulating a nineteenth-century British house servant.”
Jack chuckled.
A few quick taps on the control panel wheeled Harry around so that he was facing the kitchen, and he rolled through the long hallway that ran alongside the stairs, When he passed into the next room, he had to let his eyes adjust to the glare.
Bright afternoon sunlight came through the window above the sink, illuminating his white cupboards and chrome refrigerator. The table was bare except for a thin vase in the middle that held roses.
Tilting his head back, Harry blinked a few times. “Yup…This is my life now,” he said, guiding his chair deeper into the kitchen. “Sitting around here and reminding you whippersnappers about what real police work is like.”
Jack strode past him with hands in his pockets, pausing at the door that led out to the backyard. The boy seemed troubled. “Is Melissa around?” he asked in cautious tones. “I was hoping we could talk.”
“She's in class,” Harry answered. “Won't be back until later this evening. We were expecting you to stop by for the party.”
“I was gonna make an appearance.”
Oh no…
After nearly five years of working with Jack, Harry knew enough about the lad to recognize when he was worried. It was the kind of kinship you eventually developed with a partner, and they may as well have been partners. All those nights teaming up to bring in petty criminals using Leyrian weapons.
Things had been simpler then; sometimes Harry wished he could go back to those days. Then he remembered that he had been in life-threatening danger for most of it and decided that it was probably nostalgia acting up. But at least he had been useful. Now, he was just in the way. “Spit it out, kid,” Harry said. “What is it?”
Jack turned around.
Silhouetted by the light from the backyard, the boy looked grim, his eyes fixed on the floor. “It's not easy to say…” he mumbled. “And I guess it's my fault.”
“What is?”
Jack closed his eyes, pressing a fist to his mouth and clearing his throat with some volume. “Leo is free.” The words came out as a whisper. “I don't know how, but we got the report earlier this morning.”
Harry felt a single drop of sweat roll over his forehead and down the length of his nose. His head sank upon hearing those words. “Leo is out,” he said. “God help us all. I thought that man would be locked up forever!”
“So did I.”
“How did it happen?”
Leaning against the door with his arms folded, Jack looked up at the ceiling. “Wish I knew,” he whispered. “But Slade had ten years to put his people in key positions. There are more of them than we anticipated.”
Harry
's stomach was churning, and for some reason, the wound in his chest started to throb. He remembered the way Leo had manhandled him with ease. That awful feeling of being completely helpless. And worst of all, the man had promised to go after Melissa and Claire. They had to do something-
Harry got out of the chair.
Pain flare throughout his body, and he doubled over with a hand against his chest, wincing from the ache. “Shouldn't have done that,” he wheezed. “Damn it, Jack, we have to do something.”
The young man looked at him with blue eyes as cold as eyes, and suddenly Harry felt very stupid. “We are going to do something,” Jack insisted. “But you're going to give yourself a chance to heal.”
Harry dropped back into the chair with his hands on his thighs, hunched over and gasping. “Yeah,” he said, nodding. “Yeah…You're right. I'm sorry; you know how I get when someone threatens my girls.”
“That's why I love you.”
“Love you too, kid,” Harry said. “So, will you be coming to the party tonight?”
Jack went pale, his face twisting into something that was painful to look at. “I got the invite,” he said in a hoarse voice. “I figure I'll make an appearance, but I really need to get some things done.”
Pressing his lips together, Harry studied the young man. “Anna,” he said, shaking his head. “Look, the two of you are going to need to work out your issues sooner or later. Don't hide from your own friends, Jack.”
“Yeah…I guess so.”
Melissa felt a little embarrassed when she saw the lengths her father had gone to celebrate her birthday. Well…She supposed they weren't that extravagant, but if Harry had not been successful as a cop, he could have been a party planner.
Her father had strung up lights along the back of the house that cast a warm glow over the backyard and set lanterns on poles in the garden. There was a long, rectangular table full of snacks, and a bowl of punch. No doubt Michael had done most of the work, but she could see her father's touch in everything.
Three of her classmates stood in a small cluster in the grass. Niella Savan with her long brown hair framing a tanned face was nodding along with something Ty Venez said. That young man was tall and lanky with prominent cheekbones and a complexion that made it look like he needed more sunshine in his life.
And there was Aiden.
In beige pants and a dark blue button-up shirt that he wore untucked, Aiden stood there with a smile on his face, watching her from the corner of his eye. Oh, God…What did my dad say to get him here?
Melissa wore a sleeveless yellow dress with a skirt that flared, her black hair done up in a braid. “Hey,” she said, striding toward him. “I'm glad you could make it tonight. You look nice.”
“So do you,” Aiden replied. “Welcome to Earth adulthood.”
Grinning sheepishly, Melissa felt her face burn. She bowed her head to him. “What did my father tell you?” she asked. “You know, this birthday really isn't that big of a deal back home. You can't even drink-”
Aiden was smiling, turning his head to look at the back of her house. “He told me that you would be very unhappy if I didn't come.” Well, at least that wasn't too bad. “He then said something about my being an upstanding young man.”
“Oh god…”
“Yeah, very parental.”
Melissa stood before the young man with arms crossed, unable to find the courage to look up. “That's my father,” she said with a shrug. “Try not to read too much into it; he really does mean well.”
As if on cue, the back door slid open, and Harry's chair came rolling out onto the patio. Her father looked left and then right and then focused his attention on one of the other guests. “Ben! You made it!”
Tanaben was leaning against the back wall of the house with his legs stretched out, a drink in his hand. “Lovely place you got here, Harry,” he said. “So, the runt is finally all woman sized.”
“Seems like.”
Oh god…
Why did older people always feel the need to draw attention to the fact that she was so young? It was hard enough being a cadet and trying to get people to take you seriously for five minutes; didn't they realize they were making life that much harder for her?
Almost covertly, Aiden took her hand, and she suddenly felt a burst of warmth and affection. It was all she could do to avoid kissing him right there. Making out with a guy in front of your father wasn't exactly the way to prove your maturity.
Tilting her head to one side, Melissa batted her eyes. “You're wonderful.” Instinct took over, and she leaned in to kiss him on the cheek before she could stop herself. “I'm really glad you came.”
Aiden went beet-red, shut his eyes and hung his head in chagrin. His soft, nervous laughter left her feeling uneasy, but he soothed her concerns by saying, “I'm really glad I came too.”
“Is what he's saying true, Melissa?” Niella asked.
When she looked up, the other woman was watching her with lips pursed, a puzzled expression on her face. “On your planet, you still wouldn't be permitted to drink alcohol even though you've reached the age of majority.”
“It's true…Sort of.” She explained about how different nations had different rules – which was also true of Leyria, though there was more commonality – and how she would have to wait one more year to drink legally in Canada. It suddenly dawned on her that it would be awkward going back home. Here she was, a Justice Keeper who could be sent on life-threatening missions. She could be asked to evade gunfire, but as far as Canada was concerned, booze was a big no. “Excuse me a moment,” she told the others. “I really should greet the other guests.”
She found Ben leaning against the back wall and staring into his glass. His frown seemed ominous. “How's it going, kid?” he asked. “Guess I should stop calling you that now that you're all grown up.”
“Or, just a thought, you could stop bringing it up.”
“Point.”
Melissa spun around to lean against the wall beside him, folding her hands over her stomach. Finding the willpower to ask what she wanted to ask was difficult. “So, I'm told you're working with software developers.”
“Indeed.”
“How are you liking it?”
Ben lifted his glass to his lips, shut his eyes and drank half of it. “Not too bad,” he said. “Much less gunfire, which is always a plus.”
“You don't miss it at all?” she asked. “Working with us?” Memories of the angry rant he had directed at Larani were there in her mind. Perhaps she should have been more tactful in bringing it up.
Ben scrunched up his face, then shook his head forcefully. “Sorry, kid,” he said. “I remember what it was like to be your age, to want to change the world. But you grow out of it when the world kicks you enough times.”
Closing her eyes, Melissa took a deep breath, then nodded once in understanding. “I get that,” she said. “But we miss you. There are a lot of people who wouldn't be alive today if not for what you did a few months ago. Including me.”
Ben gave her a gentle squeeze on the shoulder, and that seemed to ease some of the tension. Not much, but some. What else could she say? She wanted him to come back to work with the Keepers again, but she was old enough to know that trying to argue would be pointless. People had to make their own choices. “Seeing anyone?” Melissa asked.
“Maybe.”
“Oh? Wanna share the juicy gossip?”
A wheeze of laughter from Ben was followed by the man's attempt to wipe sweat off his brow with the back of one fist. “Kid, I'm twelve years older than you,” he said. “I don't think we can do the gossip.”
“If you say so.”
“Where's the birthday girl?”
The sound of Jack's voice made her look up to see her friend coming around the back of the house with a wrapped present in both hands, a smile on his face. “Melissa,” he said. “I have something for you.”
Melissa strode toward him at a brisk pace, shaking her head. “You d
idn't have to do that,” she said. “I'm just glad you were able to stop by.”
He handed her a rectangular package in pink wrapping paper and a bow, and when she tore into it, she found a stack of comic books. There were maybe a dozen in total, all featuring her favourite character. “Ms. Marvel?” she exclaimed. “Jack, you really didn't have to do this.”
“You think I'm gonna go to Earth and not bring back something?” Jack teased. “I thought you knew me better than that.”
“Well, it's much appreciated.”
Melissa threw her arms around him in a hug, patting his back several times. She pulled away and held his gaze for a long moment. “I'm glad you made it,” she said. “We were worried you wouldn't come.”
He shut his eyes, breathing deeply, and then nodded to her. “I wasn't going to skip out on your birthday,” he said. “But I really can't stay. Cassi needs me to look over some files.”
“Oh, come on, Jack.” Deep down, they all knew the real reason he was so eager to get out of here; Anna would be showing up any minute now. Melissa had half a mind to tell him that he and Anna would just have to work out their differences – they were both her friends and both old enough to be past this kind of stupid high school drama – but she thought better of it.
Her father's attempt to make them sort out their issues had only resulted in disaster. You couldn't push people to be rational in the face of painful emotions. That said, she still thought Jack was being ridiculous. Running away every time he thought that Anna might show up wasn't going to solve anything.
“I'm sorry…” Jack mumbled.
He turned to go, pacing to the end of the patio, then paused for a moment. “Happy birthday, Melissa,” he said. “You've got a lot to be proud of. Never forget that.”
When Anna stepped into the backyard, she found the patio lit by a string of lights along the houses back wall and lanterns on tall, skinny poles. A group of teenagers was conversing in the grass, and Melissa was among them.
