Learning To Fly

by DeMaris, Charles

  Franklin took the smashed bullets out of his pocket and showed them to Kendra.

  “Wow…so he was shot and the bullets just bounced off?”

  “Yeah, happened again later that night in a park. He stopped some guys from raping a girl. One tried to shoot him. After all that, I kind of followed him to his place and I’ve been there ever since.”

  “Where were you staying before that?”

  “Uh…here and there.”

  “Wait…you didn’t have a place?”

  “Not for the last year and a half. Man, don’t know why I’m telling you all this.”

  “Because I’m nosy and asking all the questions.”

  “Maybe.”

  “You want another Coke?”

  “Sure…but you’re off now.”

  “No big deal. Linda can bring you another. I’ll flag her down. You’ve been on the streets, or what?”

  “You could say that.”

  “What about your folks?”

  Franklin wiped the corner of his eye with his napkin and looked down at the table.

  “I’m sorry, if you don’t want to talk about it.”

  “Mama…mama…my mom’s dead. Dad’s in jail.”

  “I don’t know what to say.”

  “You don’t have to say anything. It is what it is.”

  “It’s sad, is what it is. How old are you? You look about my age.”

  “Turned eighteen a few weeks ago. How about you?”

  “I was eighteen three months ago. Just graduated from Deer Park. Where’d you go?”

  “Until a year and a half ago…Walnut Hills.”

  “Oh yeah…what happened?”

  “I was stupid. Didn’t like the last foster home, so I took off. They were really okay folks. Didn’t like staying with a white family. Wish I could take that back.”

  “We all make mistakes. Look where you are now. You might not have met Walter.”

  “Maybe not. It is pretty cool, when you think about it.”

  Franklin was starting to notice that Kendra was in fact quite good looking, and the fact that she didn’t seem judgmental regarding his situation was astonishing. He wasn’t sure what to make of that. They continued their conversation until he had told her everything from how he and Walter had met up to the present.

  The show reached intermission and Walter was on the move instantly. He went toward the front row of seats near the stage, and when he didn’t think anyone would notice him, he darted behind stage to the dressing areas. He was moving so fast that the other people in the building seemed to be standing still. He searched the dressing rooms, finding nothing, but when he went by a restroom, he noticed that something was on the floor in one of the stalls.

  He opened the stall door and there was a small box on the floor. He took the lid off and there wires and a block of plastic, and some other circuitry he didn’t recognize. This had to be it.

  “Hey, buddy, think I got it.”

  “Where?”

  “Backstage restroom stall. You think you can get back here?”

  “On the way.”

  Motz approached the stage area, and luckily he was recognized by the cop who had the security detail for the show, and a moment later he was in the restroom with Walter. Walter moved aside, and he took a look at the bomb.

  “I’ve never seen anything quite like that. That’s enough plastique to level the building twice. These guys aren’t fooling around.”

  “You think you can disarm it?”

  “Let me take a look.”

  He looked the bomb over and thought he had the mechanism figure out, and removed some tools from his pocket.

  “Crap,” he said a moment later, “Doesn’t matter what I do. It’s some kind of remote detonator, but nothing I’ve ever seen. Why don’t you just get it the hell away from here?”

  “Okay, be back shortly,” Walter said.

  He scooped the bomb up, looked for a window, and was gone in a flash. He flew straight up, figuring on letting the bomb detonate far away from anything. He was about 5000 feet up when he heard a high-pitched whine come from the package, then a small puff of smoke escaped, and a plastic sign popped up with ‘BOOM’ written on it in cartoonish neon green letters.

  Larry Wilkins looked over the bomb and shook his head.

  “The entire thing was a hoax?”

  “Seems so,” said Motz

  “Why go through all that hassle?”

  “To get me out of the way,” Walter said, “Did anything else go down around the same time?”

  “We’ll look into that and let you know.”

  “Think about it. Stage something to get me out of the way and commit a crime somewhere else. Makes sense to me.”

  Wilkins scratched his head. “Makes you wonder what would be so important to stage a ruse like this.”

  “Maybe this,” Motz said, looking up from his computer, “Report just came in about a semi hijacked and all the cargo stolen.”

  “Where was that?” Wilkins asked.

  “Happened on 75, near Lockland. Found the driver knocked out on the side of the highway…truck’s nowhere to be found.”

  “Did someone get a statement from the driver?”

  “He has a concussion and his memory is a little hazy. Says he was forced off the road by a couple cars driving erratically. Next thing he remembers he’s lying in the ditch and the truck’s gone.”

  “What was he carrying?”

  “Whole cargo was heading to Wright-Patt. Got a copy of the bill of lading here, but I can’t make heads or tails out of these part numbers.”

  “We’ll have to contact someone at the base and find out what they were expecting.”

  “Guys, you care if I head home now?” Walter asked

  “Yeah, thanks for your help. Go get some rest. We’ll let you know what we find out.”

  11

  Over an hour went by and Franklin and Kendra had no shortage of conversation topics, finally drifting away from Walter.

  “Well…I tried to play sports in school…one year of basketball. I wasn’t that good,” she said.

  “Only basketball I ever played was on the playgrounds. Never played on any team. Wish I could have tried it.”

  “You any good?”

  “Like I said, I never played on a team…but I got an ok jump shot. I’m the only black kid that can’t dunk.”

  Kendra was taking a sip and spit her drink out in laughter, then picked up a napkin and wiped the drink off Franklin’s face.

  “Oh, I’m so sorry,” she said between giggles, “I didn’t mean to do that.”

  “It’s okay. I didn’t think that was that funny.”

  “I needed a laugh. It’s been a long day. You think I could see that killer jump shot?”

  “Well, it’s dark out now—”

  “No silly, maybe tomorrow. I’m off work.”

  “I got my test in the morning, not sure how long it takes.”

  “Test?”

  “GED. Walter insisted.”

  “He’s a smart guy. You think you’re ready?”

  “Oh yeah, been studying all week.”

  “What time is the test?”

  “9:00.”

  “Then that’s it. I’ll drop you there, and when it’s over, we hoop it up.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Sure. Why not? It’ll be fun.”

  “Where? There’s a court not far from Walter’s.”

  “Right across the street at the gym. My parents got me a membership and I have guest access.”

  “The L.A. Fitness over there?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Never been in a fancy place like that.”

  “It’s great. Got a full court in there, all the machines you’d ever hope for, pool, hot tub—”

  “Okay, I’m sold.”

  “Great, it’s a date then.”

  “Uh…sure.”

  “Franklin…it’s a good thing black folk don’t blush.”

 
“We can, just it doesn’t show.”

  “It's as close to showing as I’ve ever seen. When’s the last time you had a date?”

  “Well…uh…”

  “I thought so. When’s Walter coming back?”

  “Not sure. He got a call from a cop and split. Depends on what the emergency is.”

  “Can you get ahold of him?”

  “I can text him. Don’t want to call in case he’s somewhere he can’t answer.”

  “Tell him you got a ride home.”

  “You sure?”

  “Yes, I’m sure. People are watching us here. How far away do you guys live?”

  “Not far, down by U.C.”

  “Good. Let’s go.”

  Walter showed up at the IHOP five minutes later to find that Franklin was nowhere to be found. He checked the restroom and then thought to check his phone. There was a text.

  Hey Gramps. Got a ride home. Later, F.

  “You looking for your friend?” the server asked.

  “Yeah, but he sent me a text. Said he got a ride home.”

  “You just missed him. They left a couple minutes ago.”

  “They?”

  “Yeah, he left with Kendra. Man, they were talking up a storm before they left,” she said with a wink.

  “Good for him. Later.”

  Walter walked out and took off, arriving at his apartment a few seconds later. When he was sure nobody saw him, he landed, walked in, and met Otis waiting right at the door.

  “You gotta go out, buddy?”

  He hooked the dog up to the leash and took him outside. Otis did his business quickly, but since it was a nice evening, he decided to stay out and walk him around the block. He enjoyed walking Otis, because it was the only time the attention was off him. People gravitated to the dog, mainly because few people had seen a dog that large before and Otis was more than agreeable to the attention.

  “Hi Walter,” came a voice from across the street. A group of college girls came across the street at a run, making a beeline for the dog.

  “We didn’t know you had a dog. What’s his name?”

  “His name’s Otis.”

  “Can we pet him?”

  “Oh sure, he would like that very much.”

  “How much does he weigh?”

  “255 pounds, last time I weighed him.”

  That scene was repeated four more times as they walked around the block. By the time they got back to the house, Walter kept walking because there were people out and he didn’t want them to see where he lived. By the time the coast was clear, a car slowed down next to him on the street.

  Franklin rolled down the passenger window and called out, “We’re just heading up to the park. Be back in a bit.”

  “Okay kid, but not too late. You know you have your test in the morning.”

  “Yeah, we know,” Kendra said, “I won’t keep him out too late.”

  Kendra drove to the park and shut off the car. They sat there with the windows down for a moment, a refreshing breeze blowing through the car.

  “So, this is where it started?” Kendra asked.

  “Kinda. I mean…he punched the thief a few blocks back. Dude landed all the way up in the Shell parking lot. This is where he stopped a couple dudes trying to rape a girl. You want to get out. I’ll show you where.”

  They got out of the car and walked through the park.

  “The girl was over there. Right here is where one of them shot Walter. Lot of good it did him. Then he took off running. Walter tackled them both and knocked ‘em out. Left them for the police.”

  “Did the girl live around here?”

  “Not sure. Looked our age, maybe a year older. Probably in college.”

  “Looks like most of the people around here are college students. How did Walter end up here?”

  “It’s a sad story. He told me the other day. His wife had cancer, years ago. Spent all their money on treatments, sold the house and everything. They moved here to save money and then she died. He never moved.”

  “How long ago was that?”

  “Ten years ago. She died the same day my mom did.”

  They walked a little farther and sat down on a park bench. Franklin was immediately aware of how close Kendra was sitting to him and he wasn’t sure how he felt about that. Nervous? Excited? Maybe both?

  “You didn’t tell me how your mom died?”

  “Overdose.”

  Kendra didn’t know how to react to that, so she sat silently for a moment.

  “I…I don’t know what to say.”

  “It’s okay…well…maybe it’s not always okay. I mean…she had a problem. She was a good mom before…before the junk. With dad in prison…after she died…oh man…”

  Kendra saw the tear run down his cheek and pulled out a tissue to wipe it away.

  “That’s the second time you did that for me. I gotta stop doing that.”

  “It’s okay. I can understand. You’ve been through a lot.”

  “What would your dad say, you hanging out with a kid like me?”

  “I don’t care. None of that’s your fault.”

  “But what I did after? Running off from the foster home, living on the streets?”

  “Is that who you are now?”

  “Huh?”

  “Is that who you are now? Or have you moved on?”

  “Well…I see what you mean. I’m not sure I’m the same dude. Sometimes…nah…I’m different. Walter…”

  “Walter gave you a way out, but what if who you are now is who you always were?”

  “I don’t think so.”

  Kendra reached over and took his hand in hers, sending a wave of electricity up his arm.

  “Look, Franklin. I hardly know you. I’m not sure what I’m doing, really. You just seem like a good guy. All that rough stuff…that’s not you. It’s part of you, but you lived on the streets all that time and came out still clean? Maybe Walter helped you a bit, but I think who you are now is who you always were. You just needed a nudge in the right direction.”

  Franklin didn’t trust himself to say anything, not wanting to ruin the mood, or whatever was happening. He sat there and stared ahead, feeling the warmth of her hand in his, wishing the moment to last longer than he knew it could. Finally she spoke up.

  “What time should I pick you up in the morning?”

  “Huh? Oh…test is downtown, not far from here.”

  “8:00 good?”

  “Yeah…that’s plenty early enough.”

  “That will give us enough time for a good breakfast.”

  “Yeah…thanks.”

  “For giving you a ride? You’re welcome.”

  “Not just the ride…everything.”

  “Well, it is getting rather late, and I don’t need my dad asking too many questions. Can I drop you home now?”

  “Sure.”

  They walked to the car, still holding hands, until Franklin reluctantly, and quite slowly, disengaged his hand and got in the passenger seat.

  “It’s this building right here, door on the right,” he said a moment later when they pulled in front of Walter’s building.

  “How does he keep people from knowing where he lives?”

  “He never goes in or out when people are looking, and he can move pretty fast when he needs to get in without being seen. People know he lives around here somewhere because he walks Otis.”

  “Otis?”

  “Biggest darn dog you’ve ever seen.”

  “Well Franklin, it’s been a wonderful evening. I’ll see you in the morning. Good night.” She leaned over and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. From the car to the porch, Franklin was nearly convinced he had gotten some of Walter’s powers, as his feed hardly seemed to touch the ground.

  Leslie Gordon rolled over and poked her husband in the ribs.

  “You gonna answer that, Stan?”

  “Huh…oh…my phone…who the hell?”

  Colonel Stan Gordon, USAF, looked at the call
er ID and reluctantly answered the call.

  “Yeah, Larry, whatcha got. Must be big to wake me up at this hour.”

  “Sorry about that,” Larry Wilkins said, “Might be big, not sure.”

  “You’re not sure? Give me a sec, will you? Let me go to the other room so Leslie can get her beauty sleep.”

  “You know she doesn’t need that.”

  “I’ll tell her you said that.”

  Gordon put on a pair of pants and ambled to the living room, where he sat down in his recliner and turned on a lamp.

  “Okay Larry, what is it?”

  “We had some weird goings on down here earlier in the evening. Started out with a bomb threat at the Taft. Walter grabbed the bomb and took off. Darn thing was a dud.”

  “Someone planted a bad bomb?”

  “Worse. It wasn’t real. Went off and popped a little sign out that said boom.”

  “Now why in the hell would someone do that?”

  “That’s what we thought until we got a report on a hijacked semi.”

  “You think the fake bomb was a diversion?”

  “Yeah, with Walter popping up all over town down here. Crooks wanted him out of the way, but we don’t how bad it is. I got a bill of lading from the shipment. It was headed your way, but I don’t know what these part numbers are.”

  “And you’re hoping I can help you with that? That information might be classified.”

  “I was afraid of that, but if whatever that truck was carrying is dangerous, we might need to know.”

  “You said you have a copy of the bill?”

  “You have a secure email I can send it to?”

  “Sure.” Gordon gave Wilkins an email address and opened a laptop he had sitting on the end table.

  “Okay, Stan, I just sent it. You should have it shortly.”

  “Yeah, got it,” Gordon said a moment later.

  “Please tell me you know what was in that shipment.”

  Gordon perused the attached file and read it again.

  “Crap.”

  “What? You know what the shipment was?”

  “Yeah, a couple new prototypes, not something you want in the wrong hands.”

  “What is it?”