“Come in!” A voice said. I pulled the gun off of the little harness I’d made for it inside my suit and swung the door open. I stepped in and was greeted with five other guns.
Elias shook his head and smiled at me, “Markus, you never learn, do you?” I grit my teeth, yet another trap, whoopty do.
“Where’s my daughter?” I demanded.
“Markus,” Elias leaned over his desk and smiled, “You can’t make me tell.”
“Maybe I’ll practice divination with our entrails and figure it out.”
Elias whistled, “I’m surprised you know what a big word like that means.”
“I am surprised you haven’t won the prison award for softest mouth yet.” I threw my hands up, “Life is full of surprises.” I ducked. You know that feeling you get where you know you can feel someone watching your back? That’s what I felt, and I dropped. One of the thugs tried to pistol whip me.
Markus, calm down, Alice urged.
A few minutes later, Elias had left the building, and I’d redecorated the room with the thugs he’d left behind. They were pretty accommodating. Cheap muscle is cheap for a reason. There’s not a whole lot of problem-solving going on up there.
Where are you, sir? Brutus asked.
Following Elias.
You need to get out of the building! The police will have been notified by now, Jonathan warned.
I’m on my way. I’ll start asking for directions when I get out of here.
The signal between us seemed almost completely shut off. I ran out of the office and down the hall. The elevator opened up just in time, and Veronica smiled back at me. Her gun was held out in front of her, aimed at my temple.
“Nice to see you again, Markus.”
I socked her in the jaw, she dropped the gun, and I set the elevator to go down to the bottom floor. I hopped in. I tied her up with her jacket sleeves. No matter what they say, fighting in an elevator is not fun. Everyone is so close you have no time to react, and before you know it, you’ve bruised every bone in your body.
This was easy, way easier than I’d been expecting. The lights flickered. I groaned. Of course, if anything was going to go wrong, it was going to be now. The lights flickered for a couple of seconds and then went out completely. The elevator screeched and jolted to a halt. Burnt rubber smell filled the cabin. I coughed up a lung while flinging my arms around on the door to find the hatch.
I swung the service entrance open and hauled myself up to the top of the car. We were just under a level. The car was sandwiched between level twelve and level eleven. I tapped my hand against the metal chain that held the elevator in place several times. Thank goodness it was cool. I climbed up until I could reach the doorway for the elevator doors. I’d never had to escape from an elevator before.
Come to think of it, I rarely had to leave a building because the police were swarming during a power outage in the middle of the day while an angry and, uh. . . tied up inspector laid in the car below me. See what I did there? Okay, I’ve done better.
I wedged my fingers in the sides of the door and yanked on them. I wanted to scream while I did it, but being noisy wasn’t good idea at the moment. Finally, I got the doors opened and I stepped into a sea of people.
Someone grabbed me and stared at me with wide bulging eyes, “Are you okay, mister?”
I nodded, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw a flicker of blue, yellow, and white. I spun and ripped my jacket out of the stranger’s hands and took off. The hallway was crowded, and I couldn’t run, or I would draw more suspicion. I cursed myself. I wanted to go faster, but I couldn’t
“Excuse me, sir? Sir!” Subtlety is a delicate art, one that I never mastered. I tore off down the hallway and ran as fast as I could. The man behind me swore and followed me. I ducked into the stairwell. My feet blurred as I swung around and around the stairs. Twelve floors up, twelve flights of stairs, and then I had to bust out of a packed lobby.
How’s it going? I asked the others.
Alice seemed proud, We got him, do you need help? Police swarmed the stairs, and I started leapfrogging down the flights of stairs to the bottom.
Yes, please, that might be nice. I forced the mind-meld away. I needed to focus. I slipped and topped down the last two flights of stairs to the bottom and groaned. I rolled over and stared at a pair of polished black boots. They kicked me in the face. My gun miraculously hadn’t fallen out of my pocket. I used the stock to knock the officer out and walked back out into the lobby.
Several voices started shouting, “Police, FBI, put your hands above your head!” Guns, everywhere. I dropped mine and kicked it forward while swinging my hands above my head. The glass front wall of the building shattered inward. I swung my left arm over my eyes to protect them from the glass and jumped forward and slid on my knees to my gun. I grabbed the edge of the desk and flung myself to the opposite side. Alexander strode through, flew down, and landed in the superhero pose.
His smile looked hungry and angry as he stood back up. The officers opened fire. He laughed and strode forward into their ranks, sowing chaos. Bodies flew everywhere. No one was hurt, seriously anyway. He strode over to me, and he still wore that creepy, hungry smile.
Need a ride, Markus? I nodded and grabbed onto him. We floated up and out into the city streets and began streaking up into the air so quickly that everything blurred. Hang on!
I went flying. It took me several seconds to realize what had happened. A shell had hit Alexander. Someone was shooting at us from a helicopter. I floated in the air. It felt like time stopped for a couple of seconds before I began flying back down towards the ground. I know it’s just my acceleration fading and gravity taking over, but for those couple seconds before the terror set in, it was peaceful.
My head snapped over to Alexander. He groaned and swung his shoulder as we fell. Blood flew out of his arm and shot upward. We were falling fast now.
Alexander?
He looked over at me and nodded towards the ground. He shook his head and flew over to me and grabbed me. My head swam as we started flying up again. All my blood and organs suddenly wanted to be in my stomach and legs and I choked back the bile rising in my throat. The ground still swelled up until it started shrinking again as we went up.
The patter of muzzled gunfire filled the air around us and Alexander started ducking and weaving up and around the buildings. The bile kept rising, if we kept this up much longer, I was going to be sick.
Where are we going?
Alexander grunted, How are you so heavy?
Are you calling me fat?
He cracked up and we swerved around a skyscraper and dropped towards the ground. We had lost the helicopter, but they would be on our tail any second. He swerved around another building and we zoomed through an alley. The smell of garbage and rotting food hit me in the face. The smell did not help my stomach situation. We skidded to a stop. Our feet slid through the muck of the alley.
I gagged, This is so gross.
Alexander rolled his eyes, Big baby.
I doubt we lost them.
Alexander shrugged and walked out of the alley and started mingling with the crowd. I followed behind and did my best to blend in. People shunned me a little bit, I couldn’t blame them, the smell was terrible.
Alexander?
He glanced over his shoulder at me, What? He frowned. From the street level it would be almost impossible to notice us but, from the air we’d stick out like a sore thumb with the near-perfect circle of open space surrounding the two of us. The street was packed and although they wouldn’t know for sure if we were who they were looking for, they’d definitely check us out.
We have to get inside.
He nodded. He turned and walked into a parlor. I stepped inside just a couple of steps behind him. The doorbell dinged and the distinctive whir of the helicopter passed over the street. I swallowed, that was close, too close. They’d be checking cameras, but by the time they figured out where we were and where we went
, we’d be long gone. Assuming of course, that they didn’t spot us.
I looked around and blinked. A wooden sign on the back identified this place as Reginald Taylors: Bespoke Suits and Apparel. I winced, this place was more than a little outside my price range, a single tie was an eye-watering five hundred dollars. Someone coughed. A man stood behind the counter and frowned at us. His thin mustache quivered as he stared at his floor.
“Can I help you?”
Alexander smiled at the man, “I apologize. We nearly had a slip back there. I took a shortcut through an alley and I dare say I’ll never go that way again.”
“Are you in need of suits or not?”
I stepped forward, “No we-”
The gentleman pointed at a sign. The sign read, “No loitering.”
“Oh, come on I-”
Alexander laid his hand on my arm, “I got this.” He cleared his throat and spun on his heel back to the owner of the shop, “We need suits. I don’t have a wardrobe benefitting someone of my rank.”
“Befitting?” I corrected him. He kicked me in the shin and pointedly ignored me. Apparently, I knew more about English than he did.
The man nodded and looked at our muddy shoes again, “I will be most gratified to provide such. . . gentlemen with suits, but I must insist that you clean up first.” Ahh, I see where Alexander was going with this.
We washed up. Luckily, there were two tubs, unluckily, they were in the same room. We dressed in some silk undergarments the guy had provided.
“I didn’t think tailors worked like this. I thought he’d kick us out.”
Alexander chuckled, “He swallowed his pride when he saw my black card. You can add what we spend here to the mission cost.” I rolled my eyes. “I’m serious,” he folded his arms over his chest, “These suits are going to cost a small fortune.”
“Talk to the boss,” He smirked at that and we both walked out to the room. We both were measured and set up for two suits. That was just ridiculous, Alice would be irritated when she found out just how much this had cost us. We got shoes, hats, ties, cufflinks, and personalized handkerchiefs.
Apparently, at a tailor you paid them and then you got the suit weeks later. Yeah, Alice was going to be very, very hot when she found out what we’d done. We walked out into the street. The man flipped the sign around to say that he was closed. I looked around. The street was nearly empty in the fading light.
Where are you? I asked Alice.
What took you so long? Alice asked.
I’ll tell you later.
Alexander grinned and started walking down the street, Markus and I had a boy’s day out. I rolled my eyes. Alice was going to be so mad.
We made our way to the apartment the old-fashioned way. I groaned and fell on the couch. Alice sat next to me. She scooted herself all the way over. Her warm body pressed itself against mine. I put my arm around her, it just felt right.
Alice looked at me with her big dozy eyes, “I was worried about you.”
I sighed, “I am sorry.”
“Where were you?” She pressed. Alexander winked at me and walked into the bedroom and shut the door. I wanted to slap that look off of his face.
“We uh, spent ten-grand.”
Alice’s eyes bugged out of her head and she pulled away from me, “On what?”
“We went into a tailor. The guy was expensive, but he helped hide us from the cops.”
Alice rolled her eyes, “You don’t have that kind of money.”
I shook my head, “No, but Alexander does.”
Alice cocked her head at me, “Oh?”
“He wants us to pay him back, though.”
Alice smiled, “It’ll come out of your share.”
“I don’t have a share,” I coughed. “Where’s Elias?”
Alice put her hand on my chest, “We’ll do it tomorrow.”
I shook my head, “No, we need to do it now.”
“I’ve been trying, Markus. Nothing works.” I dark weight lodged itself in my chest. I hoped I was wrong.
“Tell me you’re not saying what I think you’re saying.”
Alice sighed and nodded, “I can’t read his mind.”
I frowned, “Why not?”
“He’s got a very mild mental ability. He has built up fortifications like nothing I’ve ever seen before.”
I groaned and rubbed my eyes, “What are you suggesting?” Alice bit her lip and looked at me, her eyes looked concerned, scared even. I felt a pain in my chest. I didn’t want her to be worried. I wanted to figure out how I felt about her. Whatever she was about to suggest was something that I would probably disagree with and she already knew I’d go ahead with. “There’s nothing I won’t do for her, Alice.” She turned away, but not quick enough to hide the tear that rolled down her face.
She took a shuddering breath, “I know Markus, I know.”
“What is it?”
“You’re going to have to go inside his mind. Both of us will need to be in there to break them down.”
I closed my eyes, “Why can’t we do it now?”
“Please, I’m tired Markus.” She wiggled her head against my shoulder until she felt more comfortable. “Plus, I think you’re exhausted too.”
I squeezed her shoulder, “I’m sorry I’ve been putting you through so much.”
Alice shook her head and signed, “Markus it’s okay, you’d do the same thing for me.” I groaned, she was right and she knew it. We needed sleep and lots of caffeine to get us moving tomorrow. I had a feeling that once again, it was going to be a very, very long day. “Did you check him for trackers?”
Alice nodded, “While he was unconscious, we scanned him. He had a link open with another mentalist Enhanced, and I severed that before we headed here.” I nodded. Gifts like Alice’s were rare, the government tended to. . . recruit them to the armed services. There was probably only half a dozen Enhanced that could help Elias.
She nodded, “Let’s talk about this tomorrow. I’m really tired.” She sighed and turned her head against my shoulder. I stared into the fire and we both fell asleep.
20
Chapter 20
Elias kneeled with his head held high. He somehow managed to make kneeling in chains look arrogant. His clothes were ripped, and for once he wasn’t wearing all black. His gray-white suit was ripped in places and specs of blood covered the front of the suit. Dried blood had crusted around his mouth. I looked back at Brutus.
“What?” he shrugged, “Alice’s way wasn’t working, so I tried the old fashioned one.” I couldn’t get too angry at him. I could barely resist punching Elias until his face looked like human soup, but I couldn’t and he knew that.
Elias spit on the ground by my feet before looking back up and sneering at me, “Look at you, you finally got me.” I smiled, mine was more vicious than his.
“How’s Erik doing?”
Elias snarled and a blood vessel stood out on his forehead, “You’re messing with things you don’t understand.” I nodded and swung my hand at his hear cupping my hand. Elias flinched. I stopped my hand before it hit his ear. I wasn’t going to rupture his ears. Not till I found out where he’d hidden Tanya.
“I understand who or what I’m messing with.” I squatted down and smiled at him. “I understand that you murder for fun, that you sell drugs to cartels and gangs, that you kidnap defenseless women, and that you are pathetic. You’re weak. You’ve been so strong and so impenetrable that you’ve forgotten what pain and loss feel like.” I flicked my knife out and opened it. Alice grabbed my hand. We needed to mix our blood in order for us to enter his mind. I cut a line down my thumb and one down the center of Elias’ forehead. I smiled at him, “I think you need a reminder.”
My thumb pressed against his forehead and the world lurched. Alice and I had fallen on the ground. I noticed that I was viewing the two of us from where Elias knelt. I looked over at Alice and grinned, we were inside. I reached for Elias’ mouth and felt it. A giant megaphone he
re in this world. It felt like a football field full of subwoofers. The ground around us shook like an earthquake.
I grabbed a hold on his voice, “Do not let us free, no matter what we say, do not unchain us, we will return to our bodies when we’ve finished with Elias.” The shaking subsided and I fell down on my hands and knees. Elias had ripped control of his mouth away from me. The shaking rumbled and started again,
“They will not escape. I’ve planned for invasions, and the Cobalt’s never lose.”
“Except for the Cali job!” I screamed at him. Elias chuckled and the earthquake slowly faded. I helped Alice to her feet.
“Where are we?”
Alice fumbled and shook her head, “We’re in his mind.”
I rolled my eyes but I smiled too, “I know that, where are we?”
Alice shrugged, “Every mind is different.” I looked around. Forest surrounded us on all sides. The chill hit me and I started shivering. Trees were full of the colors of fall, but they were covered in deep snow. It was an impossibility but then again none of this was real. Alice closed her eyes and bit her lip. She mumbled something and then she changed. She was covered in a thick parka and patching pants with snowshoes.
My teeth chattered, “H-h-h-h-how-how did you d-d-d-d-d-do that?” Alice smiled at me and pulled her hood up over her head, she snuggled into the thick padding on the inside.
“You’re in his mind. You think about a parka and see yourself wearing it and it will appear.” I cocked an eyebrow at her, but tried anyway. Parka, thick, warm parka. Warm like it just came out of the dryer. I closed my eyes and fixated on the idea until there was a swish and I was in warm heaven. I moaned; the warmth felt so good.
“It’s gonna get harder from here. This is the center of his power. We can control the environment, but it will cost us a whole lot more than it costs him.” I created a pair of thick pants and then moccasins. Two swishes and bursts of wind later and I was completely warm.
Ex Supervillain Page 14
