“Dude, come on,” Jason groaned, looking over to Reaper as I opened the passenger door and prepared to claim the front seat. I could tell Reaper didn’t want to get involved by the look on his face, but when he sighed and finally looked at me I knew what was coming next.
“Yeah, I know. He’s taller than me,” I grumbled as I pushed the driver seat forward and crammed into the back seat. One of the perks of working for Wells was that we were all given credit cards with virtually no limit. Considering how much money Reaper had spent on his car, you would think it would have come with a lot more space. Don’t get me wrong, it was one of the best looking sports cars on the market at the time, but it just wasn’t conducive for more than one passenger. The back seat area was so small and tight that I actually used to wonder if it was just for show.
“You know it sucks that I always have to ride in the back seat,” I mumbled under my breath as Reaper and Jason climbed into their seats and shut the doors.
“What was that?” Reaper asked as he fastened his seat belt and looked at me in the rear-view mirror.
“I said—” I started, but my words were suddenly interrupted by the car’s powerful engine roaring to life. I sighed and rolled my eyes as Reaper and Jason burst into laughter at my expense. “Ha ha ha,” I said sarcastically as they continued to laugh.
“I’m sorry, bro,” Reaper chuckled as the roar of the engine mellowed to a steady idle. “But seriously, what where you saying?”
“I was just—” My sentence was cut short once again and I was virtually stuck to the seat as the engine roared once more and the car sped forward into the street. I shook my head in silence while Reaper glanced at me in the rear-view mirror as he and Jason chuckled at my expense once again.
“Are you done?” I finally asked as I glared back at him.
“Come on, Howie. You know I’m just kidding, bro.”
“Yeah sure,” I groaned as I pressed a button on the side of my smart glasses which brought my email inbox and a few more windows into my field of vision.
“Hey, thanks again for inviting me to go out with you guys,” Reaper said, obviously trying to lighten the mood. “It seems like we haven’t done anything for fun in forever,” he continued as he shifted gears and drifted to the far left lane of the highway.
“Tell me about it,” Jason added.
“Yeah well, maybe next time someone else should drive because I’m tired of having to cram myself into this tiny back seat,” I grumbled as I continued to sift through my emails using my smart glasses.
“Is it really that big of a deal, Howie?” Jason asked without looking back at me.
“As a matter of fact it is. I called shotgun, Jason. You have to respect the Shotgun!” I answered.
“The world could end tomorrow and all Howie cares about is who called shotgun,” Jason chuckled. I glanced at Reaper who was desperately trying to hold back laughter but I pretended not to notice.
“Did you guys see that watch that Wells was wearing?” I asked, changing the subject as I suddenly remembered the oddly advanced device.
“Yeah, I saw it,” Reaper replied. “He always wears it. What’s up?”
“Nothing much,” I continued. “I’m just surprised I’ve never noticed it. It looks pretty sophisticated, even by our standards. I’d be interested to know if I can get one of those for myself.”
“I think it’s like a wrist mounted supercomputer or something but from what I can tell it’s no different from your smart glasses. Do you really think you need two wearable computers?” Jason asked as he flipped down the sun visor then reached in his pocket and withdrew a pair of designer aviator shades.
“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” I admitted. “So Reaper, did Director Wells mention how you’re supposed to go about challenging The Greater?” I asked as I turned my attention to Reaper.
“I thought we agreed not to talk about work,” Jason said.
“It’s fine, Ace,” Reaper replied, still keeping his eyes on the road as he drove. “We just have to find him, basically. With that necklace I told you about, he has no choice but to accept my challenge. The problem is that I have to challenge him in person. Besides that, Wells also went over some other stuff about the rules and regulations and such. It's actually a pretty interesting process.”
“Oh, yeah? How so?” I asked.
“Well, apparently I don’t have to fight him alone if I don’t want to. The Anokian laws allow up to three allies to join the challenger in the battle against the Right Hand.”
“Really?” I questioned, as I wondered about the purpose of such a law. “What about him?” I continued. “Does he get to fight with anyone?”
“No. The Right Hand must defend his title alone.”
“Wait a second… you’re telling me that this guy has defeated over a thousand challengers who all had the potential to fight him with four to one odds?”
“That’s what Wells said,” Reaper said nonchalantly.
“You don’t sound too concerned about this, Reaper,” I replied.
“Why should he be?” Jason asked. “Their laws allow us to take him on together. I don’t care how many times he’s won in the past. There’s no way one guy’s gonna beat us both.”
“Actually…” Reaper started. “I was gonna take him on by myself, Ace.”
“Excuse me?” Jason asked, obviously taken aback.
“I just think I should take him on alone. One-on-one, you know? You don’t think I’m up to it?” Reaper asked.
“No, I’m not saying that. I’m just saying if I’m allowed to fight with you, why not let me help?”
“So you’re saying you think I need help?” Reaper asked. “You really don’t think I can beat this guy by myself, do you?”
“Come on, Reap, this is the fate of the world we’re talking about here. I’m not saying I don’t think you’re up to it. I just think it wouldn’t hurt to have a little insurance considering the stakes. I’m sure we can all agree that you’re pretty much guaranteed a victory if we fight him together.”
I stopped skimming through my emails and chuckled after listening to Jason’s last statement.
“What’s so funny, Howie?” he asked.
“Well, I was just thinking that we may be getting ahead of ourselves,” I said.
“What do you mean?” Jason asked.
“I just want to make sure we’re not going into this thing with a false sense of security.”
“Meaning?” Reaper responded with a hint of frustration in his voice.
“I agree with Jason. Taking him on alone is simply a bad idea,” I said flatly.
“Hey, I didn’t say it was a bad idea!” Jason protested.
“Sure you didn’t,” I said sarcastically as I looked back to Reaper. “In any case, I think both your ideas are bad ones. As confident as I am in both of you guys’ abilities, I think it would be foolish to think of this thing as a done deal just because you get to fight together. I don’t think I have to remind you that the two of you were once defeated by the Stranger officer Tango who was not only fighting alone, but he was just a man. If The Greater is as powerful as they say it will likely take more than just the two of you to defeat him. If their laws allow for a team of four then that’s what we should do. It wouldn’t hurt to have a couple of extra hands on deck just in case we need them.”
“You’re kidding me right, Howie?” Reaper asked with a hint of agitation in his voice.
“No, I’m just being practical,” I replied.
“More like pessimistic,” Jason quipped. “As I recall, Reaper wasn’t even 100 percent during our first fight with Tango, and in the second fight I fought him alone and mopped the floor with him. Not to mention we’re both twenty times better than we were back then.”
“You know what, screw this, okay?” Reaper demanded. “Enough about work! The longer we talk about this crap the more pissed I’m gonna get and I’m just trying to have some fun for a change,” Reaper continued as he pulled the car into
the parking lot of David’s Bar and Grill, our favorite restaurant and usual place to hang out whenever we found ourselves with any down time.
“Fine with me,” Jason said as he flipped open the vanity mirror in front of him and ran his fingers through his flawless black hair as Reaper put the car in park and shut off the engine.
ALL EYES WERE ON US AS WE ENTERED THE MODERATELY sized restaurant and followed the hostess as she led us to a booth near the back of the open room. As we continued toward our seats, I could tell that the girls that were practically gawking in our direction as we passed them by were really only looking at Jason. Reaper and I were both used to that sort of behavior by this point. Jason was one of those guys that gave off some sort of celebrity-like aura that members of the opposite sex seemed to be completely transfixed with. They probably think we’re just lowly members of his entourage, I thought, shaking my head and chuckling as we continued onward.
Jason and Reaper both slowed their approach as we neared the table. I sighed and shook my head once more but I pretended not to notice what they were doing. They weren’t being polite; I knew they wanted me to reach the table first so they could both sit on the outside. It always pissed me off that they sometimes treated me like their little brother, but for the most part I did my best to ignore it. The hostess smiled at Jason then walked away as Reaper and I sat on the bench to the left.
“Can I get you guys anything to drink?” a warm voice chimed just as Jason took a seat on the bench across from Reaper and me. I looked up from the display of my smart glasses and noticed a blond waitress smiling brightly at Jason and completely ignoring Reaper and me.
“The service is always so great whenever Jason is around,” I whispered to Reaper as I nudged him with my right elbow. I clenched my lips firmly together to hold back laughter as Reaper responded with a muffled chuckle. Jason smiled and did his best to ignore us as he turned his attention to the slender waitress who was completely enthralled by his movie star quality good looks.
“I’ll have a glass of water, please,” Jason said. The waitress scribbled something down on the notepad in her hands and continued to stare hopelessly into Jason’s green eyes. She nearly dropped her notepad as her trance was finally broken after I cleared my throat as loudly and obnoxiously as humanly possible.
“Oh! I’m sorry!” she said as she finally turned her attention to us. “And for you, gentlemen?”
“I’ll take the biggest glass of lemonade you have,” Reaper said enthusiastically.
“I’ll have a glass of water,” I said as she looked to me. “And perhaps you should grab one for yourself as well,” I continued.
“W-what do you mean?” the waitress asked.
“I just think you look awfully thirsty,” I said, trying my best not to laugh as Reaper nudged me with his left knee and snickered.
“He’s just joking,” Jason interjected as the waitress’ face instantly turned red with embarrassment. I rolled my eyes at Jason for coming to her rescue and the waitress seemed to forget all about my quip as soon as she turned her attention back to Jason.
“Not drinking tonight?” the waitress asked as she smiled at him.
“The night’s still young,” he chimed. She blushed once more as Jason continued to beam his 1000-watt smile at her. I cleared my throat and was just about to release another obnoxious sigh when she finally turned and headed to the kitchen to retrieve our drinks.
“I don’t get it,” I said, shaking my head as I glanced from the waitress to Jason.
“What?” Jason asked, pretending to be oblivious.
“You don’t even have to do anything! You barely said a word to her, yet she’s practically falling all over you!” I replied.
“What can I say? Women know what they want… and in most cases it’s me,” Jason said with a crooked smirk.
“Give me a break,” I said, jokingly rolling my eyes.
“Wait a second,” Reaper started. “Correct me if I’m wrong, Howie, and I’m pretty sure that I’m not, but the last time we went out like this… didn’t I get more phone numbers than Ace?” Reaper asked before raising an eyebrow and looking at Jason.
“As a matter of fact you did,” I confirmed, as I recalled the event.
“I demand a recount,” Jason declared as he dismissively waved his hand and we all burst into laughter.
“You’re just mad because you lost, bro,” Reaper added. “Admit it, I’ve got more juice than you!”
“You probably cheated!” Jason joked.
“How can I cheat?” Reaper asked.
“You probably told them who you really were, didn’t you?” Jason teased.
“Of course not!” Reaper replied.
“In that case you must have paid them!” Jason responded.
“Hey, like the great philosopher once said… it ain’t trickin’ if you got it!” Reaper joked and we all burst in to uncontrollable laughter. A group of five guys at a nearby table frowned at us as we continued to clown around.
We finally quieted down when we noticed that the waitress had returned with our drinks.
“Are you guys ready to order?” she asked, still looking only at Jason.
“The usual?” Jason asked while glancing from me to Reaper.
“Definitely,” I confirmed as Reaper and I both nodded our heads.
“We’ll take three of the biggest cheeseburgers you have with as much bacon as you can fit on them,” Jason said to the waitress. Her warm smile grew wider as Jason smiled at her and she blushed for the one-millionth time while she took down our order.
I pressed a button on the right side of my smart glasses and leaned back to get comfortable as the waitress finally turned and walked away. I had just accessed the Deep Web when I noticed a tall, absolutely stunning redhead sitting at the bar and staring over in our direction. For a fraction of a second I thought she may have been looking at me, but of course I was mistaken.
“Hey, I think that girl over there is looking at you,” I said as I realized my mistake.
“Another one? Where?” Jason asked as he casually scanned the room.
“Not you. She’s looking at Reaper,” I replied, as I continued to gawk at her behind the security of my tinted smart glasses. I knew that I was being a gigantic hypocrite for continuing to stare at the scarlet bombshell after I had given our waitress such a hard time about gushing over Jason, but I was so transfixed by her beauty that I didn’t care.
“Seriously?” Reaper asked. “Where is she? What does she look like?”
“She’s… she’s… geez man,” I stammered as the very sight of her made my heartbeat quicken. “Reaper, this is quite possibly the most beautiful woman that I have ever seen in my entire life.”
“Oh yeah? On a scale of one to ten, what are we talking?” Reaper asked anxiously.
“Fifteen!” I said with no hesitation.
“Welp, that settles it. I’ll be right back boys,” Reaper said as he took a few gulps of his lemonade and popped a mint into his mouth.
“That’s my boy!” Jason chimed. “Good luck, Reap. You’ve got some catching up to do,” he said as he flashed a small slip of paper with a phone number written on it.
Damn she’s quick, I thought as I realized our waitress must have slipped Jason her number without any of us seeing it.
“No freaking way!” Reaper suddenly said as he hurriedly sat back down.
“What?” I asked as Jason and I leaned in closer.
“That’s the girl!” Reaper said while looking at Jason.
“What girl?” Jason asked, obviously confused.
“The girl from Manhattan, the redhead that I saved from the stampede just outside the Empire State Building. I gave her to you before I went back in for her family, remember?” Reaper said in an excited whisper.
“Holy crap, you’re right!” Jason whispered as he glanced at the girl at the bar then back to us.
“What do you think I should do?” Reaper asked.
“What do you mean?
Go over there and talk to her!” Jason insisted.
“No I mean, do you think she knows? Do you think she knows it’s me?”
“Of course not. You were wearing a mask, you idiot,” Jason smirked. “Now get over there before she notices me and forgets about you!”
Reaper smiled and took a deep breath. As he stood and headed towards the bar, I noticed the five guys at the nearby table flash peculiar looks at him. These were the same guys who had appeared to be agitated by our laughter a bit earlier. They were giving off a sort of troublemaker-like vibe but they hadn’t exactly done anything at the time so I didn’t think it was worth mentioning to Jason.
Jason and I both watched as Reaper walked right up to the bar and took a seat next to the stunning ginger-haired girl that had been eying him. I took a sip of my water and looked over to Jason who looked to be checking something on his phone under the table.
“I’ve gotta use the restroom, bud. I’ll be back in a second,” he suddenly said as he pocketed his phone and slid to the end of the bench and stood. I was used to Jason slipping off at a moments notice, therefore, I simply nodded my head and pretended that I didn’t know he was lying. I glanced over to the bar as Jason walked away and I noticed that Reaper and the tall redhead seemed to be carrying on a polite conversation.
I wonder if he’ll tell her who he really is, I thought as they smiled and chatted away. After a while, my curiosity got the best of me and I pressed a button on the left side of my smart glasses to eavesdrop on their conversation. Not only did their images suddenly appear much closer on the virtual display created by my glasses but I could also hear everything they were saying due to the miniature laser microphone that my glasses were equipped with.
I continued to observe and listen to them for a few more minutes but I lost interest once I confirmed that their conversation was nothing more than normal small talk. I guess he doesn’t have to play the Reaper card after all, I thought—smiling as I pressed the button on the left side of my glasses in order to zoom out to the default viewing mode.
“Just what in the hell do you think you’re doing, boy?!” a male voice suddenly demanded a few feet away from me.
Savior Part 2: Son of Eden (The Savior Series) Page 6
