by EJ Whitmer
“Have you forgotten that this is one of my best friends we’re talking about and that I’m already involved?” I countered. “Do you really think I’d just sit here like a good girl while you ran off with your buddies to save Mae? I know where you’re going. I know who to look for. Either you let me go with you, or I’ll do this on my own.” I lifted my chin and stomped my foot for good measure.
Blake glared at me for a long moment before finally taking a deep breath. “Is that what you’re going to wear?” He nodded to my yoga pants and t-shirt.
“What, do you expect me to go put my spandex Pepto suit on?”
He grabbed his keys and steered me toward the door. “Let’s go. We’re meeting the team at the office.”
“Can I drive?” I asked as we boarded the elevator.
“No.”
31
Blake and I pulled into the employee parking garage and parked next to Emmett. There were a handful of other cars parked close to the front door and I recognized most of them as belonging to one of the team members. We hustled to the elevator where Blake held his eye up to a retina scanner before zipping to the twenty-ninth floor.
“You know Vance isn’t going to be happy about you tagging along,” he warned.
I bit my lip and took a fortifying breath. “Yep. But he’ll be even less happy about us arriving together.”
He shot me a questioning glance as the elevator doors opened, revealing a large, white, empty gymnasium. The one and only time I’d been to the top floor of the building was when Carl and I stumbled upon the super team’s training session. The room looked the same, minus the flying objects and fireballs.
I followed Blake across the floor to a door on the southeast corner. He used his key fob to grant us access and gestured me forward into a long, narrow hallway. Several closed doors lined the walls, save for one brightly lit entrance at the end of the hall, where a cacophony of voices seemed to originate. I approached the open doorway and peeked in. The room was literally full of computers and monitors. One wall was devoted to several servers and looked more like a NASA substation than an I.T. room. As soon as I stepped into view, the voices hushed.
Emmett looked up from his stance behind a row of computer monitors and immediately frowned. “Anna, how did you-“
“She came with me,” Blake said from behind me. “She conned me into it. And honestly, she knows what’s going on and what’s going to happen. We might as well keep her close.”
Emmett scowled first at Blake, then at me, before turning back to his computer. The rest of the team nodded their agreement and resumed their discussion. Blake skirted around me to go join them as Lilith rushed up to give me a hug.
“Don’t tell the boys, but I’m so glad you’re here!” she whispered. “Regardless of what they think, another pair of eyes is always a good thing, powers or not.”
I smiled appreciatively and allowed her to pull me into the mix. Peter and Dom were scouring maps of eastern Chicago, circling who knows what. Blake joined Emmett and Will who were reviewing security footage of the building. Lilith pulled a chair out and ordered me to sit.
I have no idea how it’s possible, but the next few hours were the most boring and exciting hours of my life. On one hand, sitting in my chair doing absolutely nothing was driving me mad. On the other, by listening to the conversations around me, I was gaining intel on our situation and the plan.
Peter had been hacking away pretty much nonstop all week, trying to learn more about whatever organization Duncan was a part of. He’d found several websites claiming to be part of an anti-superhero movement, but each had ended up being the product of conspiracy theorists or nerdy teenagers.
Only one of the websites seemed promising. Peter found it through following several online forums and was finally making headway on finding the original source. However, he still hadn't found out much of anything regarding their motivation, how they recruited candidates, or even if the group had a name.
As we approached five o’clock, the team began to shut down their computers and one by one disappeared into the hallway to get ready. Lilith motioned for me to follow her down the hall and opened a door to reveal what appeared to be a small greenhouse. “This is my sanctuary,” she sighed.
Hundreds of plants lined the walls and ceiling, their vines draping across several trellises. Flowers of every color dotted the greenery and engulfed the room in their floral scent. Lilith moved from plant to plant, humming her agreement or shaking her head in disagreement. She carefully pulled several tiny pots of various plants from their shelves and tucked them in a messenger bag.
“Do you have any flowers that give off a lot of pollen?” I asked.
Lilith tilted her head to study me. “Of course. Why do you ask?”
“Well when the airbags deployed in my car the other night, a small amount of the powder embedded itself in the guy’s eyebrows and hair. Maybe you can use the pollen to do the same thing if you get close enough.”
Lilith beamed as she rushed to grab a large purple corsage from a row of coolers. She fastened the flower to her jacket and slung her messenger bag over the opposite shoulder. “Good thinking, Anna. That really is a great idea!”
I blushed under her praise and shrugged my shoulders. “Just trying to help where I can.”
The two of us joined the others in the gymnasium and went over the game plan one more time. Everyone was lightly armed with weapons ranging from knives to small hand guns. Half the team would stake out the restaurant from the street. The other half would split up inside and pose as regular diners. Once everyone confirmed their roles, we crammed into Lilith’s SUV and headed out.
32
It was still early as we arrived at the restaurant, but because we didn’t know the specific time Duncan was bringing Mae, we figured earlier was better. Lilith dropped Blake, Emmett, Will and me off at the entrance, then left to find a parking spot. Surprisingly, there was a wait to be seated, even at the early hour. The four of us stood awkwardly in the lobby, trying not to look too suspicious and probably failing miserably.
Five minutes later, the door to the restaurant opened and Mae walked in, followed closely by Duncan. I gasped and attempted to hide behind Emmett’s body. Of course, my three captain obviouses heard my gasp and all turned around to see the cause. Mae immediately spotted them and rushed over.
“Hello!” she greeted. “How nice to see you here!” She peeked around Emmett’s body and grinned at me. “Anna! Why didn’t you tell me you were coming here tonight? This is wonderful! You can meet Duncan!”
Before I could stop her, she spun around and grabbed Duncan’s wrist to gain his attention. As soon as we made eye contact, he was on the move. He grabbed the hostess stand and shoved it over, knocking several patrons over and blocking us from the exit. By the time we fought our way through the crowd, Duncan and Mae were gone.
We burst through the doors, expecting to see the rest of the team subduing Duncan and instead, found Mae being drug around the corner, three blocks down the road.
Emmett cursed and pulled out his phone. “Where are you?” he demanded. “Well get here. Fast. They escaped.” He disconnected the call with a growl and glared down the street. “They couldn’t find parking anywhere. They’re on their way now.”
Less than twenty seconds later, Lilith’s SUV rounded the corner with a screech and skidded to a stop in front of us. We all piled in and Emmett barely had the door shut before Lilith peeled away. We raced down the street in the direction Duncan had disappeared. As we approached, I caught the tail lights of his red Trans Am disappearing down the street.
“That’s them!” I cried. “The red Trans Am. Go go go!” Lilith put the pedal to the metal and surged forward, cutting off several cars in her attempt to keep sight of the car.
Duncan seemed to have no real destination in mind. We followed the car through dozens of turns, backtracking several times before he headed toward the entrance to Lower Wacker Drive. At that point we were two cars
behind the Trans Am and losing ground. I blinked my eyes rapidly as we zoomed down the ramp, the change in light obstructing my vision.
The Trans Am was completely out of sight by the time we managed to switch lanes and pass the cars in front of us. Just as we cleared the last car, Lilith slammed on the breaks. A serious traffic jam blocked all lanes of traffic. Before our car completely stopped, the guys were pouring out and running toward the source of the bottleneck. I flew out of my seat and followed, coming to a halt as I recognized the vehicle in the middle of the road.
Both doors of the red Trans Am were wide open, the passenger side occupied with who I assumed to be Mae. Dom reached her first and leaned down to check on her.
“Mae! Are you alright?” he asked, his hands resting lightly on her shoulders.
“I’m fine, dear. Now quit fussing over me and go get him! He ran that way!” she pointed toward a dark outlet on the side of the road.
The team took off while I stayed behind to make sure Mae was alright. I leaned in to hug her tight and shuddered at the thought of how close I was to losing her.
“I’m okay, Anna,” she whispered into my hair. “You go catch up. Don’t let that son of a bitch get away.”
I wiped a stray tear off my cheek and gave her one more squeeze before running after my friends. As I neared the outlet, I noticed several articles of clothing littering the ground. I could only assume Duncan had shed his outfit as he escaped. I bolted around the corner of the outlet and found myself and the rest of the team in a large loading dock. The entire space had to have been at least the size of a basketball court and was empty aside from two dumpsters and a padlocked dock door.
The team stood in a circle, back to back, searching the area. Lilith glanced over her shoulder and nodded as I raced to join the group. She quickly reached into her bag, withdrew a small potted plant, and tossed it to me. “Set it at the entrance!” she ordered.
As soon as I set the plant on the ground, it began to grow at an alarming rate. Within seconds, a large wall of shrubbery covered the entrance to the alcove. It wasn’t impenetrable, but Duncan would definitely give his position away if he attempted to squeeze through the barrier.
I sent a quick thumbs up to Lilith before racing forward to the team. As I approached, Emmett reached out and grabbed my arm, intending to drag me into the center of their bodies. At the same time, another hand grabbed my other arm and yanked me away from the team. In his surprise, Emmett lost his grip, sending me tumbling backward into who could only be Duncan.
I immediately felt his arm encircle my neck, cutting off my airflow. I clawed at the invisible limb, trying desperately to free myself as he dragged me toward the back of the loading dock. As we approached the back wall, I let my legs go limp, a trick my brothers had taught me to do when in a headlock. Duncan instantly lost his hold as I crumpled to the ground.
Blake nodded at Lilith and held up a hand to the rest of the team, signaling for them to stay put. Lilith hustled to the front of the group and plucked the corsage from her lapel, blowing gently on the flower. Large cloud of pollen erupted and covered the area in a layer of yellow dust.
I quickly climbed to my feet and searched the area for an outline of Duncan. A faint yellow shape moved beside me and I immediately jumped in it, finding myself riding piggyback on an invisible foe. Once over the initial shock of my weight on his back, he began to spin in an effort to dislodge me.
Lilith was busy pulling her plants from her messenger bag, while Blake barked out orders for the rest of the team to spread out and keep their backs to the walls.
“Anna, let go!” Blake’s voice rang through my mind.
I took a deep breath and unlocked my arms and ankles, the force causing me to fly through the air and crash into a dumpster. A loud snap, followed by searing pain told me my arm had most definitely been broken while catching my fall. I groaned and cradled my arm, willing the tears to stay back.
The group crept forward in the direction from which I flew. Emmett inched along the side wall to the loading dock stairs and pried off the banister as if it were a mere twig. Wielding the piece of metal like a baseball bat, he slowly circled the area, waiting for the opportunity to swing.
Peter began hurling fireballs into the enclave, avoiding the other team members as they searched for Duncan. The fireballs whizzed through the air and hit the cement walls, somehow missing their invisible target.
“Peter, blast the room at eye-level!” Blake’s voice resonated through my brain, and I assumed the rest of the team’s. “Everyone else, duck down in three, two, one!”
Peter took a deep breath, raised his arms and brought them down in a large swooping motion. A large wave of flames surged forth from his hands and barreled down the corridor. We all held our breath as the fire settled. Behind Dom, a single flame danced in mid-air.
“Must’ve grazed him,” shouted Dom. “His hair is on fire!” He crouched down in a defensive stance and began circling the flame.
“Hold still!” cried Lilith as she rushed forward with a mass of crawling vines. She tossed her bundle in the center of the combat zone and began to hum. The vines twisted their way around the empty space, in search of something to grab a hold of.
A panicked wail echoed off the cement walls as the vines found their target and began winding their way up Duncan’s body. Blake freed himself from Duncan’s clutches and took a step back to catch his breath.
“Ayyyyyayayayayayayah!!!!” A bizarre battle cry sounded from the entrance of the loading dock. The entire group spun around to see a very large, orange striped tiger bound into the space. Carl sat atop the tiger, clad in his pleather pants and black collar/cape, and wielding what appeared to be a paintball gun. The duo galloped through the team members and approached the wriggling mass of vines subduing Duncan.
“The party’s here, cocksucker! Prepare to feel the wrath of Stealth!” Carl leveled his gun at Duncan and fired several rounds, splattering his invisible form with paint.
Duncan backpedalled and tripped over the vines, falling backward and hitting his head on the cement. The pile of greenery stilled and slowly began to recede. In his unconsciousness, Duncan’s form began to reappear, revealing a naked, paint splattered man lying on the ground.
Carl attempted to hop off the tiger and underestimated the distance to the ground, falling on his rear and sending the paintball gun skidding across the cement.
Emmett and Blake gave the tiger a wide berth and rushed to my side. I reached out with my good arm and grasped Emmett’s hand, letting him pull me to a standing position. The pain radiating from my left forearm was excruciating. I gritted my teeth against the agony and began inching toward the rest of the group. The adrenaline was slowly wearing off and I was beginning to feel weak.
Lilith was standing next to the tiger, petting its shoulders and speaking in soothing tones. Dom, Peter and Will were staring at her like she’d lost her damn mind.
The rustle of leaves preceded Mae’s appearance at the entrance of the loading dock. She picked the foliage from her hair and slowly jogged the rest of the way to me, immediately throwing her arms around me. “Oh honey! Are you alright!? Why are you holding your arm like that? Where is …” Mae’s fussing ceased mid-sentence as she spotted Duncan’s naked form on the ground. She quickly abandoned me and crept closer to him, eyeing him up and down several times before tilting her head and leaning closer. “Well what the hell was I supposed to do with that?” she asked, pointing to his penis.
I groaned and rested my head against Emmett’s shoulder. “Really, Mae? That’s all you have to say?”
She glanced back at me and shrugged. “Well, if it wasn’t the size of a fuzzy little caterpillar, I’d say it was the obvious elephant in the room. I’ll be the first to admit that I haven’t seen one in ten years, but aren’t they supposed to be bigger than that? I feel like it's going to grow a cocoon and fly away as a hairy little moth!”
Blake’s shoulders shook with silent laughter. I elbowed hi
m swiftly in the stomach before dislodging myself from Emmett’s hold and approaching Mae. I reached out and grabbed her wrist to tug her away from Duncan’s still form. We'd taken no more than two steps when a hand grasped my ankle and sent me toppling to the ground. My head hit the cement with a loud thud and I instantly saw stars.
Through the foggy haze, I watched Duncan slowly rise and advance upon the team. By that point, the entire group was faced away, discussing the presence of a three hundred pound tiger. In my peripheral vision, Carl’s abandoned paintball gun shined in the dim light, just out of reach. I blinked my eyes rapidly to clear my head, and rolled to my knees. The edges of my vision were beginning to turn black as I scooped up the paintball gun, took aim, and fired at the back of his head.
Duncan howled in pain and spun around to face me. “You!” he roared as he lunged toward me.
I fired twice more, hitting him in the shoulder and forehead, and crept forward as he fell to his knees. “That was for hacking away at Lilith’s plants.”
