by Kai Strand
“Any idea where they might be?” Gyro asked.
Jeff and Set shook their heads.
“Mystic has done a thorough job covering her tracks,” Set said. “We don’t even know if she’s in the States or not. She completely vanished.”
Gyro resumed his pacing and almost sent Jeff into a fit of frustration. He gripped the arms of his chair, their wobble reminding him that he’d broken them earlier. He wished he could tear them off and throw them at Gyro.
“Delfina, I can’t chance losing you,” Gyro said.
“I will refrain from any heroics that might present themselves,” Delfina said.
Turning to Jeff, Gyro said, “We’ll find your target, and then we’re out of there. If she doesn’t have your girlfriend, that won’t be my problem. The extraction is all up to you.”
Jeff’s heart pounded in his chest. “Fair enough.”
“Fine then. We’ll do it.” Gyro stomped across the room and grabbed Jeff’s hand in a solid handshake.
Jeff grinned at him like a boy who’d just gotten everything he wanted for Christmas.
Chapter 33
“I trust you brought an item of Mystic’s? Something that belongs to her?” Señora Valdez held her hand out.
Set let his head fall back against the chair as he growled an obscenity.
Jeff’s heart stopped its incessant pounding so suddenly it made him gasp. He blinked up at the headmaster, who’d glided out from behind her desk and now stood in front of him. For such a petite lady, she sure was good at towering over someone.
“You don’t have anything?” The Señora let her hand drop.
Jeff shook his head. “Sort of a spur of the moment trip.”
“That’ll sure slow our progress.” Gyro chuckled.
Either Set grumbled, or distant thunder rumbled.
“How was I supposed to know?” Jeff scowled at Set, and then turned an apologetic expression on Señora Valdez. “What kind of thing do you need? We can get someone to get their hands on something.”
Gyro answered. “Anything that belonged to her. Jewelry, hairbrush, item of clothing, schoolwork.”
Biting his lower lip, Jeff asked, “Does it have to be tangible?”
One eyebrow raised, Gyro said, “Uh.”
“How about my defenses?” Jeff looked at the headmaster. “Remember? She built them. You could feel that they were hers last time I was here.”
“Hmmm. Yes, I do remember.” Señora Valdez turned to Gyro. “It might work.”
Gyro shook his head. “I don’t understand.”
“Here.” Señora Valdez placed one hand on Jeff’s head and beckoned to Gyro with the other. “Come see if you can read it.”
Gyro placed his hand on the other side of Jeff’s head. Jeff watched as Gyro’s eyes tracked across the top of his head as if he were reading a book.
“It’s faint, but I am getting something. It’s mixed with a lot of him though.” Gyro shook his head and pulled his hand away. “It’s very jumbled.”
“Is it enough to start with?” Jeff asked. “Maybe we can get going based on that, and I’ll have someone get something else of Mystic’s for you to continue with.”
“Why don’t you imprint Jeff?” Señora Valdez’s lips pinched into a straight line. “I mean Polar - my apologies - so that you can better decipher what belongs to Mystic.”
Gyro nodded. “It’s worth a try.”
He swung the chair he had sat in earlier around and set it in front of Jeff. “This may take a while. Don’t interrupt me while I’m processing. Why don’t you give me your necklace?”
“Why?” Jeff automatically clutched the pendant in his fist.
“I’ll use it to imprint you. It is yours, isn’t it?” Gyro asked.
“Oceanus gave it to me. Will the fact that it was hers originally confuse your imprinting?
Gyro shook his head.
Jeff handed over the chain with the pewter pendent. He watched Gyro run a thumb over the raised ridges of flames on one side and the snowman on the other. The custom pendant had been a gift for his seventeenth birthday. He’d looked at her like she was crazy when he saw the snowman. “What the heck is this for?” he’d asked.
Oceanus had laughed her clear bell-toned laugh, making Jeff smile and his stomach flop. “Well, how else am I supposed to depict ice? I almost chose a polar bear, but it makes me think of that tree trunk.” That was one of her nicknames for Mystic.
Gyro stared at the item for a very long time. Jeff watched in a state of anxiety. Set looked as bored as ever, and Señora Valdez appeared to be meditating, since she was so still and focused inward.
Forty minutes later, Gyro finally blinked up at Jeff. “I think I’ve got you processed. Now, I’m going to try your head again, and see if I can pick out the bits that only belong to Mystic.”
“Okay,” Jeff said. He wasn’t thrilled to think of spending the next half hour or so sitting still with Gyro’s hand on his head, but he was left with little choice.
Luckily, it didn’t take half the time to sort through the Mystic stuff. Gyro’s removing of his hand from Jeff’s head to massage his temples was their first clue he was done.
Señora snapped to attention immediately and suddenly dug through her desk drawer and pulled out a small tin. She glided over to Gyro and opened it under his nose. The scent wafted to Jeff.
“Licorice?” he asked.
“Yes. We found it reduces the headache.” When Gyro smiled thankfully, she snapped the tin closed and slipped it into a pocket in her skirt. “Well?”
“I think I’ve gotten a sense of her, but there are two possible locations, and I can’t tell enough to know which, if either, is the one she would have chosen.”
“Where are they?” Set asked, standing and stretching like he expected them to take off immediately.
“They are both in the states,” Gyro said. “There was a third, less likely location in Italy.”
“She’s from there,” Jeff said.
“That’s why I don’t think it’s a possibility. Villains rarely take their crimes home. That’d be too obvious.”
“Then we should at least get up into the states,” Señora Valdez said. “I will contact the pilot to prepare the jet. Jeff, er, Polar, call someone who can get their hands on a better item of hers, and you and Set need to organize your cavalry.”
Gyro looked at his wife with a mixture of love, respect and worry. “I’ll pack.”
“I’ll join you shortly, dear,” Señora Valdez said.
After she hung up the phone, Jeff used it to call home. Sandra answered.
“Let me talk to Mother,” Jeff said.
“I’m fine, thank you. And you?” Sandra’s tone was deadpan.
“No time for this!” Jeff growled. “Mother, please.”
“Using your charm and manners won’t help, bro. Mom’s not here. She and dad are still out of town.”
Jeff felt his energy drain out his toes. He slumped his head into his hand and rubbed his eyes, trying to hold back the useless anger that surged up, hoping to explode into the phone. “When are they coming back?”
“No idea. What’s going on? Why does the caller ID say Mexico is calling?”
“I’m in Mexico.” Jeff pulled his phone out and browsed through his contacts list until he found Mother’s number. “I gotta go.”
“Wait!”
But Jeff hung up, and then dialed Mother.
“Sarah Mean.”
“Hey Mother, it’s Jeff.”
Set paused in dialing a number of his own to raise an eyebrow.
Jeff turned his back. “Why do you still use Mean? You know it’s fake.”
“I always knew it was fake,” Sarah said.
“Oh yeah.” He’d grown up thinking his last name was Mean. It was easy to forget that his parents always knew, since they had lied to him and Sandra their entire lives in an attempt to hide the fact that a hero and a villain had fallen in love and had children together.
&nb
sp; “Jeffrey, I’m in the middle of something.” As if to underscore her point, Jeff heard a loud thump followed by a cascade of crashing noises. “Can I call you back?”
“Are you fighting?” Jeff asked.
“Um,” Sarah’s grunt was followed by a solid thud. “Really, it’s more like disciplining.”
“I need something that belongs to Mystic.” Jeff spoke fast, not wanting to wait for her to call later. “Would you be able to get something?”
“Oh, sure honey. I’ll stop at Annie’s on the way home.”
Jeff heard wind buffeting the speaker of Mother’s phone and knew she was getting ready to blow someone away, literally. “When are you going home?”
“Looks like we’ll be out of here in about ten minutes.”
“Say hi to Dad for me.”
“Sure thing, Jeffrey.” The wind swirled so fast Sarah had to shout to be heard over it. “Be sure to take the trash out when you get home. We’ve been doing your chores for you far too much lately.”
Jeff shook his head and looked up at the ceiling. “Yes, Mother.”
He wasn’t sure but he thought he heard his mom chuckle.
“See you at home,” Sarah said before disconnecting the call.
Gyro entered the room with one backpack over his shoulder and another one clutched in his hand. “Where are we headed?”
“Ransom, Idaho,” Jeff said. “Might be the only place left with supers who kind of care.”
“You better hope there are enough to form an extraction team,” Gyro said.
Set and Jeff exchanged an unsure look.
“Let’s hope,” Set growled.
Chapter 34
The private jet touched down at Ransom airport. The four supers called for a taxi and headed to Jeff’s house.
“Mother!” Jeff called as soon as he stepped through the front door.
“She’s not here,” Sandra said, stepping out of the kitchen. With a half-smile and a blush she offered Set a shy wave, but then her eyebrows knit when Gyro and Delfina stepped into the house.
“But I think I’m close to figuring out your performance issue,” Source said as he sauntered into the room behind Sandra. His eyes swept the unexpected crowd and narrowed when they saw Set.
Set smirked. “Let’s hear about this ‘performance issue’, shall we?”
Jeff glared at him. “Source is helping me figure out why my powers are still growing.” Jeff emphasized the last word, hoping to make it a threat, but it fell on deaf ears.
Set laughed. “Ah, sure.”
Jeff clenched his hands. Each time he was forced to ignore his anger, it became more difficult to control. His head swirled as if the madness were a tangible thing knocking against the walls of his brain trying to escape. He turned to Sandra and, in an attempt to remain controlled, practically whispered, “Where is Mother?”
“HERO headquarters. She said she’d be back this evening.”
“What?” Smoke snaked up from Jeff’s fingers. He closed his eyes and searched internally until he felt the ice in his lungs. The throbbing in his fingers dissipated. “We’ll go to her.”
Sandra grinned. “Oh, that’ll tick her off.”
“I don’t care.” Jeff stalked toward the front door. “Come on everybody.”
Source and Sandra followed.
“Not you. I meant them.” Jeff nodded at Gyro, Delfina and Set.
“I wouldn’t miss this for the world,” Sandra said.
Set eyed Source skeptically. “Besides, we can use them for the extraction team.”
“Fine. Follow in your car, Source.” Jeff strode across the lawn to his car, parked against the curb.
Set pulled open the passenger door and snarled at the pile of crumpled loose-leaf papers and fast food wrappers on the floor. His nose twitched when assaulted by a stale, moldering smell.
“Don’t be shy,” Jeff said. “If it’s on the floor, it’s trash and can be stepped on.”
Gyro helped Delfina into the back seat before jogging to the other side and folding his bulk in beside her.
Set’s lip curled, and his back was unnaturally stiff.
“I wouldn’t have pinned you as a prude, Set,” Jeff said. If he’d known a little mess was all it took to throw Set off his game, he would have toilet papered his house or something.
* * * *
Jeff pulled into the parking lot of the nondescript building.
“This is the heroes’ headquarters?” Set looked like he’d just been given the first place ribbon in a contest he knew he’d win.
“Yes. Heroes don’t usually showboat.” He swung the door open and found himself nose to nose with Supersmarm Don. “I stand corrected.”
“Chauncy!” Don said, grabbing Jeff’s hand and pumping enthusiastically.
“Jeff.”
“Oh, right! I’m hopeless with names,” Don’s mega bright smile faded as the other former villains followed Jeff into the lobby. “What’s going on?”
“I’m here to see my mother,” Jeff said.
Set and Don sized each other up, making Jeff wonder who would win in a battle of the chins. Gyro and Delfina stood patiently to the side.
Seeing the same old man who had expertly bound his wrists during Jeff’s last visit, he didn’t approach the desk. “Could you please let Sarah Mean know her son is here to see her?”
The old man’s watery gaze swept the room. “And who else should I say is here?”
“They don’t matter. I’m just here to pick up something from Mother, and then we’ll be out of here.”
The man dialed his phone and dropped his chin to whisper quietly into the mouthpiece.
“She’s in the middle of something,” the man said as he hung up the phone.
Jeff stared at him waiting for more information. When none was offered, he prodded. “And… she’ll be right up?”
The man shook his head.
“Someone is bringing the thing to me?”
The man shrugged and shook his head again.
“You don’t know?” Jeff yelled.
“Whoa!” Don said in his game show host voice. “No need to accost the volunteers.”
Without taking the time to think about it, Jeff strode across the lobby and into the hall. Don and the volunteer yelled at him to stop, but he ignored them. He was surprised when Set followed him onto the elevator. Don squeezed his bulk through the doors, just before they closed. Jeff ignored him. He heard Source and Sandra yell for them to wait.
“What do you think you can do? Barge in on your mom?” Don asked.
Jeff stared at the doors as the elevator descended.
“Do you realize how many heroes you’ll have to get through to get to Sarah?” Don asked.
Jeff barked out a laugh and finally looked at Don. “I’ll make a wager with you. I’m willing to bet not one super comes to her defense.”
Don’s sculpted jaw fell open in shock. “That’s ridiculous! There are dozens of heroes down there, and your mom is their queen bee.”
Jeff held out his hand. “Twenty bucks, which is all I have on me.”
Don reached to grasp Jeff’s hand, but Jeff pulled away at the last moment.
“And you don’t count.” Jeff clarified.
“I won’t need to count!” Don said.
Jeff shook hands with Don, and the doors slid open to an empty hallway.
Don frowned as he looked up and down the deserted hall.
Jeff strode off the elevator and headed toward Sarah’s office.
Set kept pace with him, admiring the rich paneling and thick carpeting. When they stepped into Sarah’s opulent office, Set crooked a smile and nodded. “Nice.”
“And empty,” Jeff sighed. He wasn’t familiar with the layout of the building, and had no idea where to look for his mother. He turned to Don. “Where is she?”
“I don’t know,” Don shrugged, but wouldn’t make eye contact.
“Where might she be?” Jeff asked with clenched teeth.
Don sighed and pointed. “Conference room is that way.”
Jeff led the delegation down the hallway, peering into each door they passed, but finding only strangers.
Source and Sandra caught up to them. Sandra asked, “What are we doing?”
“Looking for Mother,” Jeff replied.
The hall opened up to a waiting area surrounded by three walls. Each wall had a double doorway in its center. “This looks very conference room-like.”
Jeff flung the first set of doors open to find an empty room. The second set of doors opened to a room crowded with people. Most were packed around a long rectangular conference table. Others sat in chairs along the sides of the room. Only one person stood. At the far end of the room, Sarah Mean pointed a red laser light at a projection of a map on the wall. The occupants of the room all turned to stare at the group that burst in. No one moved. Jeff smiled across the room. “Hello, Mother. Sorry to interrupt.”
As eyes shifted away from the people in the doorway, Don slipped a twenty-dollar bill into Jeff’s hand. “Holy crap, we’re in trouble.”
“And it’s only going to get worse,” Jeff said, sliding the bill into his pocket and skirting around chairs to get to Sarah. “I’m hoping you have that item, Mother.”
Sarah leveled a longsuffering glare on her son, but gave her daughter a soft smile when she squeezed up between them. “Why now, Jeffrey?”
“Because,” Jeff whispered, “I don’t know how much longer I can contain my powers. I’ve got to find Oci.”
Set joined the group. “I hate to break up this touching reunion, but we need to get the show on the road.”
Jeff nodded. “The item, Mother?”
“My intern has it.”
“Great.” Jeff spun toward the door, but Set stopped him with a hand to his chest.
“Not so fast, Polar. We need your mom, too.”
Sarah squinted at Set. “And who are you?”
“This is Set. We’ve been working together to find Oci,” Jeff said.
“Why do you need me?” Sarah asked.
“We’ll need all the help we can get to pull Oceanus out of wherever it is Mystic is holding her.”
