Contents
The Supernormal Legacy:
Copyright © 2018 by LeeAnn McLennan
Dedication
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
About the Author
Special Thanks
Sample of Book 2: Root
Also Available from Not a Pipe Publishing:Corporate High School by Benjamin Gorman
Also Available from Not a Pipe Publishing: Shadow Girl by Kate Ristau
Also Available from Not a Pipe Publishing: The Staff of Fire and Bone by Mikko Azul
Also Available from Not a Pipe Publishing: Going Green by Heather S. Ransom
Also Available from Not a Pipe Publishing: SuperGuy by Kurt Clopton
Also Available from Not a Pipe Publishing: Wrestling Demons by Jason Brick
Also Available from Not a Pipe Publishing: The Sum of Our Gods by Benjamin Gorman
Also Available from Not a Pipe Publishing: The Digital Storm by Benjamin Gorman
The Supernormal Legacy:
Book 1
Dormant
by
LeeAnn McLennan
Copyright © 2018 by LeeAnn McLennan
All rights reserved.
Published in the United States by
Not a Pipe Publishing, Independence, Oregon.
www.NotAPipePublishing.com
Hardcover Edition
ISBN-13: 978-1-948120-05-0
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the writer’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events, is entirely coincidental.
Dedication
To my husband,
Andy McLennan,
for your love and support.
Chapter 1
I crouched behind the table in the bank lobby, cradling my unconscious boyfriend and watching the robbers yell and wave their guns around. One of the masked men slapped a bag in front of the teller window and demanded all of the money in the cash drawers. Another man wearing a gray ski mask shoved the bank manager toward the vault. The security guard lay dead in front of the bank entrance.
Blood dribbled down the side of Jack’s face where one of the robbers had clobbered him for refusing to give up his cell phone. I glanced at the bag holding our cell phones in the middle of the floor and then at the robber yelling at the teller. I was sure I saw blood on the barrel of his gun.
The woman next to me was crying and saying, over and over, “Someone make them stop.”
Crap. She had to go there. I could have stopped the bank robbers easily…if things had been different. If I hadn’t rejected my so-called sacred destiny and most of my family seven years ago at my birthday party.
My eyes strayed to the last robber who stood near the ATMs. He had barely moved since the criminals had burst into to the lobby. What was he waiting for? This was a robbery. Shouldn’t he be robbing?
My mom would have wasted no time jumping into action. I imagined her springing silently over the table, knocking out the first robber, and then swinging from the light fixtures to attack the other robbers from above. Then she would have brought Jack back to consciousness and found a way to bring the security guard back to life.
Okay, maybe that last part wouldn’t have happened.
I took Jack’s hand. It lay limp in mine. I tried to calculate how long he’d been unconscious, but I was so shaken up by the suddenness of the robbery and the quick succession of them demanding our phones, making us cower on the floor, and Jack getting knocked out that my sense of time was off. Jack was so pale and still; I was worried he might have a concussion.
It didn’t matter what Mom would have done. My mom couldn’t do anything because she was dead. Dead at the hands of terrorists while she was trying save thirty schoolchildren. I was one of those schoolchildren. My powers weren’t very strong yet, but I still ran to help her. When she saw me, her eyes widened in fear and her shields slipped just a little. But it was enough; enough for the blast from the bombs to hit her, sending her spinning deeper into the inferno. My last memory of Mom was her yelling at me, “Run, Olivia, run.” And, shame on me, I ran to safety along with all of the other children.
That’s when I decided there was no way in hell I was ever going to follow in my mother’s family’s footsteps. I wasn’t going to be like my grandfather, my uncles, or my mom. I wasn’t going to be a supernormal. Nothing crappier than a life of pain and secrecy, coupled with an ungrateful public and an early death.
But, in the dark of night, I could admit my guilt. Mom would still be alive if I hadn’t distracted her.
The first robber yelled at the bank teller, “Hurry up, dammit!” He glanced in the direction of the vault and shouted to the gray-masked robber, “Dude, get your ass in gear.”
The teller was shaking as she shoved money into the bag. She dropped some on the floor and bent to pick it up. I heard her retching.
I wanted this to be over. I wanted Jack to be okay. I wanted to go back to the normal life I’d been pursuing for the past seven years. Since I’d rejected my destiny at seven, the normal course of events – full abilities manifesting at thirteen, intensive training and mentoring by another supernormal, my first challenge – hadn’t happened. Somehow I’d managed to reject my potential abilities such that that they were a ghost of what they would have been. I got to be a normal kid, albeit one with a dead mother and a sad father who didn’t know about my mother’s powers or mine. The supernormal side of the family barely acknowledged me, though I got rather pointed presents from them on birthdays: X-Men comics, collector’s swords, and the latest Batman movie.
I leaned forward and my long hair brushed Jack’s chest. Another reminder of how I was different from my family. Long hair, tight jeans, wide cuff bracelets, and revealing tops. All typical attire for a high school student, but my mom would never have allowed me to have long hair; too easy to grab in a fight. And tight jeans? Forget about it. It’s hard making a flying leap if you are worried that your jeans might split. As for the bracelets, I could hear Mom saying, “I’m not Wonder Woman. I don’t need bracelets to stop bullets.”
I was shaken from my reverie when the first robber started yelling at the bank teller again. The robber by the ATM was still, as if he’d been locked in place by my aunt’s freeze beam. I looked around the lobby at the rest of the hostages: Mostly folks my grandparent’s age with some people suits and a few in jeans scattered around.
If Jack were awake, I would be furious at him for insisting on depositing his fifteenth birthday check the old-fashioned way, using a teller. He was quirky that way.
My heart leapt when Jack groaned and his hand tightened in mine. His eyes fluttered open, and we stared at each other for a
moment before he said, “Ollie, what the hell?”
I tried to smile but failed. I kept my voice soft. “Do you remember where we are?”
He tried to turn his head to look around but winced. He looked at me with panic. “The bank, right? It’s being robbed.”
The yelling bank robber noticed us talking. “Shut up!” He lifted his gun suggestively. “Or it’ll be more than the barrel of a gun you feel.”
The lady next to me muttered, “Keep quiet, you two.” She wiped the tears running down her face.
I nodded, not wanting to call more attention to us. I felt an ember of shame, but I pushed it down.
Jack attempted to sit up and I helped bring him to a more comfortable position where he could see what was going on. His lips tightened when he saw the dead guard.
The bank manager and the gray-masked robber came back from the vault. Gray Mask gripped the manager by his arm and dragged him over to Yelling Guy. The manager was shaking and sweating. Gray Mask gestured impatiently to Frozen Guy, who jerked into motion and slowly moved to his side. The robbers held a hissing conversation that left all three men angry.
Still holding on to the manager, Gray Mask faced the rest of the lobby. “Who knows how to access the records of safety deposit box owners?” His voice was calm and reasonable, which made his next words even more chilling. “If you don’t come forward, I’ll shoot this useless bastard.” He aimed his gun at the man’s head. The manager’s knees buckled, but the robber shook him hard. “Stay with me, asshole.” He looked back at the hostages. “Hurry up.”
He pulled the hammer back on the gun.
There was a profound silence before an older man stepped forward. He wore a blue suit with a red tie, and his bank employee name tag said ‘Mr. Benson.’ He spoke quietly. “I can help you find the information.”
Gray Mask nodded. “Good man.” He looked at the manager. “You go sit over there and don’t move, or my associate will shoot you.” He nodded at Frozen Guy. The manager scuttled off and sat, as if his legs could no longer hold him.
Frozen Guy seemed to slump as he surveyed the lobby. His eyes darted around, and he shifted from foot to foot restlessly.
Mr. Benson came over to a desk, sat down, and started typing on the computer. Gray Mask stood beside him, his gun held loosely, but obviously at the ready. He spoke so softly to Mr. Benson that I couldn’t hear his orders. Or, truthfully, I didn’t try. Though I’d rejected my powers, I still had better senses and more strength than normal humans. When I’d gone out for soccer, it had been a moral dilemma for me, since I was so much better than everyone else. I had told myself I would try to hold back, and I did. Mostly.
The retching teller reappeared and handed Yelling Guy a bank bag. He took it and said, “Idiot,” then reached through the teller window and whacked her on the head. She dropped out of sight with a thud.
Jack stirred next to me. He was gritting his teeth and muttering, “We’ve got to stop them, Olivia. They’re going to hurt more people.” I put a quelling hand on his shoulder.
Jack’s the one who should have been born into a supernormal family. He was the guy who stopped bullies from beating up geeks. He never passed a homeless person without giving a handout. If he had powers, he would have ended the robbery in seconds.
I was afraid he was right about the robbers. If I’d had my phone, would I have the courage to call my mother’s family, even if they’d probably hang up on me for being a major disappointment? I looked around the lobby at the scared and shaking people. An elderly couple clutched each other’s hands and seemed to be praying; a man in a suit sat with his arms around his knees and shivered.
Yes. Even though it would mean groveling, I would call my family to save these people.
That thought made me feel a little better about myself, a little stronger. I straightened up and then froze. One of the hostages, a small man dressed in construction worker clothes, was moving slowly towards the desk where Gray Mask stood. I instantly saw his plan – if he could get close enough, he might be able to overpower the robber and take his gun.
Gray Mask turned around, and I almost yelled to the small man to watch out, but he had already stopped moving.
“What are you doing?” Gray Mask asked, and my heart beat hard until I realized he was talking to Yelling Guy. “Don’t stand there like an idiot. Start clearing out the vault. We don’t have a lot of time before the police get here.”
Yelling Guy looked sullen but headed into the vault. Frozen Guy started to follow, but Gray Mask waved him off.
Jack and I shared a look, both thinking the same thing. Why had the robber and manager come out empty-handed? Why was Gray Mask interested in the list of safety deposit box owners?
“Hurry up,” Gray Mask said to Mr. Benson, who was still working on the computer.
Mr. Benson answered, “There is no one by that name in our records. Is it possible the box was rented under a different name?” He was so polite it was disorienting, given the circumstances.
“Dammit.” Gray Mask looked furious for a moment, and then he narrowed his eyes at Frozen Guy, who sidled over. They held a soft conversation, and then Gray Mask leaned over the computer. This time, I strained to hear while I watched the construction worker move closer to the desk. “Look under Careen.”
Careen. I knew that name. My school nemesis was Mindy Careen. She wasn’t like a supernormal nemesis, just a run-of-the-mill bully who had it in for me for some reason. Though I don’t think bullies really need a reason.
She had an older brother, Gary. I remembered that he was a smart kid, had gotten into MIT and was on the path to making something of himself, as my dad would say. Then he disappeared and there were rumors of burnout and drugs.
I looked more closely at Gray Mask. No, he didn’t look familiar. I stared at Frozen Guy. Did his lips or the shape of his eyes under the mask look familiar? Possibly.
Jack shifted beside me and I saw him watching the construction worker. Great, now Jack would feel like he had to help the man. I gripped his hand, and he looked at me. I shook my head slightly, and he shook his head back, rejecting my warning. Before I knew it, he stood up and staggered to the middle of the lobby, holding his head and moaning.
Gray Mask jerked around with his gun aimed at Jack. I scrabbled over to Jack on my hands and knees to shield him. If I had my full powers, I could have stopped a bullet for him, but now all I could do was hope Gray Mask wouldn’t shoot. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the construction worker slip closer behind Gray Mask.
To distract the robbers, I started crying. My tears weren’t completely fake, and I had to fight the urge to give in to a crying jag.
“Stop it!” Everyone froze when Gray Mask snapped out the terse statement. He whirled around, pulled the trigger, and the construction worker dropped without a word. The gunshot echoed around the lobby and someone screamed. I gasped, and then my heart almost stopped when he aimed the gun at Jack. “No heroes.”
“How do we know you’re not going to kill us all anyway?” Jack snapped.
Gray Mask shrugged and waved his gun from side to side. “Maybe, maybe not.”
I wiped the tears from my face and reached for Jack’s hand. He gripped mine tightly and gave me a comforting smile. He shifted, preparing to do something heroic. I sighed inwardly. My options were narrowing.
I stood up slowly, Jack’s hand slipping from mine, my heart pounding and blood rushing to my head. All eyes and guns were on me. I swallowed hard.
“Ollie, what are you doing?” Jack asked, sounding panicked and trying to grab my hand. I stepped away from him and faced Gray Mask and Frozen Guy, who were both watching me; Gray Mask with a sardonic quirk to his mouth, and Frozen Guy with eyes wide.
“Let everyone go now. You can finish up without us.” I tried to sound confident, like Mom would have in this type of situation.
“Oh, yeah?” Gray Mask grinned. He raised his gun and said, “Certainly without you.”
Everything slo
wed down. I heard the gunfire, and Frozen Guy yelled, “Olivia, no!” I saw the bullet moving toward me. If I ducked, it would go past me and hit Jack.
I breathed in fear, and my breath filled all the corners of my body. In the space of that breath and the next, I begged for help from my dormant powers, drawing on the faint stirrings I’d ignored for so long and asking for more.
As I breathed out, power filled me as if the breath leaving my body made space for it. I felt electric. Everything, even the air around me, was sharper and clearer than anything I’d ever experienced. I had awakened my powers, and I felt complete, like the last puzzle piece had been put in place inside me.
I reached out and felt my hand harden like armor. I plucked the bullet out of the air and noticed the sensation of heat in my hand before flinging it down, where it buried itself in the floor.
Dead silence followed. Gray Mask cocked his gun, but I didn’t give him the chance to fire again. I leapt forward, kicked the gun out of his hand, and whipped around to deliver a solid punch to his jaw, knocking him down. He cursed at me as I pushed him to the ground and held him under my foot. I kicked the gun under a desk, my mom’s words ringing in my head – “No guns, ever.”
I heard another shot, and a bullet whizzed by my left ear. I spun around and saw Yelling Guy standing near the vault. Grabbing a marble pen stand from the desk, I threw it and knocked him out before he could yell anymore.
I glared at Frozen Guy, or Gary Careen, as I now knew him to be.
He swallowed hard and tossed his gun aside. “We were just going to get my inheritance. Just what’s coming to me.” He looked at me, his eyes defiant through the holes of his ski mask.
I glanced at the dead construction worker near his feet and at the dead security guard. “Was all this worth your inheritance?”
He licked his lips and rubbed his forearm. I had a feeling his inheritance would end up in his arm or up his nose. Pitiful. I felt sorry for Mindy, to have a brother like this. I vowed to be nicer to her, no matter how she treated me.
The Supernormal Legacy (Book 1): Dormant Page 1
