by Wylder Stone
After Ruby gave her grandmother an odd look, she went on to share her week of highs and lows with the family. Genevieve heard the girl over her own thoughts and used everything she said to justify her decision to keep quiet. The less anyone knew, the better. The safer they were. Ruby rambled on about her successful science fair project. There was no denying she was her father’s daughter when she talked science and technology. It was her kind of Disneyland.
All of the Force brothers puffed out their chests with gratification when Ruby shared her contemptuous brush with authority while James further retreated within himself as he often did, burying himself in things he could control. It pissed Genevieve off. His intention wasn’t to ignore but self-preserve, not that it made his emotional absence okay.
His daughter was describing how a boy, who often pulled her hair, had flipped up her skirt in the hallway between classes, to which she quickly responded with a fist to his right eye. Proud uncles cheered at her reaction, each taking credit for teaching her a mean right hook while her father continued to build a wall around himself. So why couldn’t he respect the wall she was building, especially when it was to protect him and everyone else at that damn table.
Lost in thought, Genevieve still heard the ramblings around her and questioned why James couldn’t do the same thing. Sure, he had a hefty responsibility – ignoring his duties could cost lives – but not being emotionally present would backfire too. The fear he garnered and hid from would cost him dearly because there was only so much grace to go around.
“You did good, Ru,” Jackson praised. “You know he only did that because he likes you.”
“Yeah, you better keep that right hook fresh, kid,” Troy added.
Pulled from her gnashing thoughts, Genevieve was quick to correct the advice Jackson and Troy gave their niece. “That is not why he flipped her skirt, trips her, and pulls her hair! He does it because he’s a little…ass.”
Eyes widened, and jaws dropped at Genevieve’s choice of words. It wasn’t like her to swear. It also wasn’t like her to raise her voice or call children names. Maddy smiled and nodded Genevieve’s way, encouraging her to continue.
“Don’t you dare teach her that when someone teases her, humiliates her, or hurts her that it’s a sign of affection,” she warned. “If it were a man, and she were a woman, what would you say then?”
“If a man did that? Well, he’d be an asshole,” Troy replied. “But this is just a kid, and…”
“And what?” she laid in. “He isn’t going to be a man someday? She was right to defend herself, but she shouldn’t have to. If he likes her, he should be kind, or he isn’t even worth a fist to the eye.”
“I, uh…I never thought of it that way. Point taken,” Troy said, shrinking under Genevieve’s hot glare. “Ru, she’s right. The kid’s a prick.”
“I already know, Uncle Troy. He got suspended, and I didn’t.” Ruby chuckled. “I told the principal that guy violated my rights, and it was harassment. We just learned it in class, and it worked really good.”
“Are you serious?” James directed toward Genevieve. “I don’t want little shits messing with my daughter, but don’t you think you’re getting a little too heated? She handled it like she’s been taught to.”
“So, Ruby. Anything…else new with you, dear?” Maddy asked, grabbing at a new topic of discussion.
“Uh, no. That’s about it, Nana.”
“Nothing…exciting?” Maddy blushed in giddiness.
Ruby accepted a second helping of dessert while she pondered the odd questions her grandmother was tossing her way.
A long, warm sigh escaped Maddy. “Grandad and I are so proud of you, love. You’re becoming such a young lady.”
Ruby’s fork dropped to her glass plate in a loud clank, commanding the room’s attention. She scooted her chair back and turned to James.
“Seriously, Dad? You told? How embarrassing! I can’t believe you.” She got up from the table.
“Told them what?” Pulling his head from his phone where he had it buried again, James defended, “Oh. That. No, I promise I didn’t…”
“Uncle Jackson?”
“Don’t look at me, Ru. I didn’t tell Nana.” Jackson had his hands up in surrender, deflecting any involvement despite his answer giving it all away.
“So you do know!” Ruby fisted her hands, and her face turned crimson while her eyes filled from embarrassment that refused to spill over. “This is… It’s just… stupid! Why can’t you keep a secret and just care about the important stuff?”
“Ru…” James sighed. “I do care about important stuff. That was…important. Right? It’s a big deal for a girl. And I only told your uncles.”
“You think my period is important?” She paused and looked at the ceiling for a moment to collect her thoughts and regain her cool. She wasn’t about to have a tantrum in front of everyone now that she was a young lady. “I only thought your phone was important.”
Ruby looked around the table, mortified by the looks of awe and sympathy before she stormed off. “I’m going home.”
“Ruby…” James stood and began to follow her, but Genevieve stepped in front of him and cut him off before he could.
“Let me go.” She tilted her head, her shoulders drooped, her disposition softening. “Please. She’s embarrassed. Just let me help.”
Torn between chasing after Ruby and letting Genevieve take the wheel, he finally nodded his head and took a step back. He stood there for a moment longer than necessary and watched her gather her things and move toward the door after Ruby. Something briefly felt different. He wasn’t sure what, but it brought him a sense of calm and clarity. James trusted her. Despite her actions of late and questionable behavior, he knew Genevieve could be trusted with his daughter. She loved her as much as he did.
When the earsplitting silence became distracting, James finally broke it. After a long spell, sitting there and reflecting on how quickly the past few minutes completely shifted against him, he turned his attention to his family. He filed away his thoughts about Genevieve and Ruby until he could reconcile them when he wasn’t surrounded by peering eyes. Sitting up in confidence, he addressed the prying vultures.
“I didn’t know it was a secret.” A bereft tone laced through his words as he took in the sympathetic looks around the table. “I wasn’t given a manual on this stuff. None of you have had to deal with this stuff either. So please – no comments.”
“We’re all going through it with you, son,” Maddy replied, but the sympathy ended there, and she delivered real talk. “It’s been too many years now, James. Ruby is lucky to have Vivi to turn to. You are too, but you’re too stubborn to notice.”
“You mean Genevieve,” he replied with an eye roll, “and…”
A buzzing sound bounced around the room as each of the brothers reached for their phones. James dug into the alerts sounding on his and pulled the laptop from the leather shoulder bag draped over the back of his chair. Fingers moving briskly over the keys, he worked quickly to validate what he didn’t think was possible.
“Tell me this isn’t happening, bro. False alarm?” Owen questioned, looking up from his phone.
James sat back, wide-eyed, and stared at the information rolling up his screen. His gaze slowly rose as awareness settled in, and he snapped his laptop shut before tossing it back in his bag.
He took to his feet and said, “It’s not a systems test. We need to get to The Elite Building…now.”
6
Genevieve tossed an arm around Ruby and slowed her down to a leisurely stroll. “Geez, you’re fast.”
“I just want to get home. And hide,” Ruby fired back in defeat. “I’m so embarrassed. Now they’re all going to look at me weird.”
“Oh, hon. No, they’re not. Trust me. It’ll be old news by the end of the day. They’re guys. They’ve probably already forgotten.” Genevieve laughed. “Growing up is sort of invisible, right? Like you don’t wake up three inches taller overnig
ht, and then everyone is like, ‘Oh wow, look at you; you grew last night.’”
Ruby turned her head slowly and gave Genevieve an amused smirk. “No. I don’t think that has ever happened, Vivi.”
“See. When something does happen that makes it obvious you’re growing up, the people who love you get excited.”
“So everyone is excited that I got my period? That’s just weird.”
“Nooo, they’re excited that you’re growing up. You’re becoming a young lady like your nana said. It’s exciting to watch that because although we love you as a kiddo, we can’t wait to see who you grow up to be.” Genevieve stopped and faced Ruby, making sure she understood what really happened back at the Bar & Grill. “Like…are you going to be like your uncle Jackson? Or maybe you turn out like your grandad. I already see a little of your dad brewing, and I’ve always seen your mom in you.”
Ruby looked at her clutched hands and thought about what Genevieve was saying. “I guess that makes sense. Will it always be so embarrassing?”
“Yes. Whether it’s your first boyfriend, your first day of college, maybe even your wedding day… Those Force’s will fawn all over you like a bunch of fools because they love you so much. Right now, they annoy you. But one day, it’ll mean the world to you.”
Ruby’s face twisted in confusion. “Really? I don’t know…”
“I promise.” After a long pause, Genevieve went into damage control mode. “Your dad…he didn’t mean to hurt you or embarrass you. This kind of stuff is hard for dads, and although sometimes it’s hard to see, you’re his greatest joy, and he’s just so proud.”
“Vivi? Sometimes it feels like he died too…when Mom died,” she admitted with a tear threatening to spill over. “I don’t know if I want to be like him because he isn’t happy anymore, and I don’t want to be like that.”
“Oh, Ru…we all deal with hard things in different ways. You know how it hurts so bad sometimes, not having your mom? He hurts like that too, and maybe even a little more because he worries about you and hurts because you hurt. I think we need to cut him a little slack. He does this dad thing all by himself, and that can’t be easy when it hurts too.”
“Yeah. Maybe,” Ruby answered.
Genevieve grabbed the girl by the shoulders and ducked down to her level with a big grin on her face. “I got an idea! Girls’ night! You and me with all of our favorite junk food and some cheesy movies. What do you say?”
“Can we do our nails too?”
Genevieve’s fisted hands went to her cocked hips, and her grin grew. “Duh. Now let’s go grab our junk from the market and get our girls’ night started.”
Arms locked together, Vivi and Ruby made their way to the market on the corner that sat adjacent to the Elite Building. They wandered the aisles, filling their basket with a sweet and salty variety, giggling as they did. The overhead music caught Vivi’s attention as it faded in and out and occasionally lost its signal to static. It wasn’t until the lights began to dim, then flicker, that she grew concerned.
“What’s up with this place?” Ruby laughed. “It’s all spooky.”
“Uh, yeah,” Vivi said lightheartedly, not interested in alarming Ruby. “Probably just a power surge or something.”
Customers were leaving the store, some with their purchases, some without because the mood became too eerie, the market so silent you could hear a whisper from an aisle or two away. Something wasn’t right, and Vivi knew it. This wasn’t a surge or even a coincidence. The lights went out, over and over, kicking the emergency floodlights on.
The overhead sound system was broadcasting white noise, despite the manager attempting to use the system for an announcement while Vivi and Ruby stood in line. He beat the phone receiver against the pole it was attached to before hanging it up in frustration. Then the music came back on at an ear-blasting level before going out again. Then the lights followed suit.
It was Vivi and Ruby’s turn at the checkout, and the register went out. The card reader declined Vivi’s card – then another. The register screen began to flicker, and the card reader turned off.
“I’ll just pay cash,” Genevieve said, digging into her purse.
“Something is really whacked out. Like this neeever happens,” the kid behind the register said.
“Vivi? Is everything okay? I’m kind of nervous,” Ruby admitted.
“Oh, it’s fine. Just a power grid issue. I’m sure of it. Everything will be fine at home.” That, Genevieve was sure of.
The Elite Building was immune to most power grid issues and completely safe from outside interference of any kind. James saw to that. The building was responsible for clients with sensitive business and couldn’t afford to rely on typical utility services. It was completely self-sufficient and off the grid, making it less vulnerable to anything from natural disasters to outside offenders trying to gain access. The place was a fortress – its own world entirely – and the safest place to be in a crisis of any kind.
Vivi needed to get Ruby back home. They needed the security of the building now more than ever. It might not be obvious to anyone else, but they were under a cyberattack, and she was the target. Trouble had found her once again.
The register kicked back on, and the screen flashed her name while it kicked out an endless receipt, and the coupon dispenser copied suit.
“Whoa, man. What’s this thing doing?” The kid behind the register was amused. Genevieve was not.
Quickly grabbing their bags, Genevieve wrapped an arm around Ruby and led them to the exit, only to find that the sensor doors that had been opening and closing were now locked shut. They stood and waited a moment, then walked back and forth, trying to trigger the red light on the sensor. Nothing happened. When the manager approached with a key, he stalled with a puzzled look.
“Odd. They aren’t even locked. Huh.” He scratched his chin and inserted the key anyway. “Yep, unlocked. This has never happened before.”
Vivi noted that the other exit doors were also locked at the other end of the store. People began to bang on the door as panic settled in. A loud crash startled her, bringing her attention back to the door where they still stood.
“The security gate,” the store manager said. “We are open twenty-four hours. Never used it as far as I recall.”
“Oh. Great,” Genevieve said, the music blaring once more while the lights flickered on and off in a steady pattern.
He’s here, she thought. It’s him…this is him. Ruby remained calm, but her tearstained face glowed in the flickering lights. Vivi needed to get Ruby out of there – he didn’t get to harm her. More importantly, Vivi knew why he was after her, and she didn’t want Ruby to see her die. That’s what this was. Revenge. Vivi was about to pay for everything she’d done to put a stop to the illegal behavior – for interfering – for doing the right thing in a world so wrong.
Genevieve began to bang on the glass doors, all but willing them to open. When the streetlights outside began to turn on and off, and the traffic lights flashed green on all four sides, she knew she wasn’t getting out of this unscathed.
“Ru…call your dad, honey. Tell him we need help getting out.” Staying calm for Ruby’s sake was becoming increasingly difficult, her voice unintentionally slipping on the word help.
“It doesn’t work, Vivi. My phone isn’t working,” Ruby cried.
Reaching into her purse, she grabbed hers but found the screen void of any connection.
“Well, I’ll be…I don’t have a signal either,” the store manager offered, scratching his head. “Somethin’ strange is going on in here for sure.”
Something was strange, all right. And frightening. Genevieve wasn’t afraid to face her past, but not when Ruby was within arm’s reach. Most villains chased you with knives or guns, but this one used technology. He could hurt her, scare her from afar this way. It was like running from a ghost. There was no telling where he was. He could be across the street, watching from the coffee shop, or several continents
away. Or ten feet behind her.
Nothing was more frightening than a stalker in the wind – or behind the internet. He could watch her, hurt her even, and never lay a hand on her or even be in the same city. Her past had arrived, one she thought was dead, and today she learned it was anything but.
Back from the grave, her sworn enemy was back for revenge. The previous threats had been real, oh so real. When she hadn’t arrived at his request before, she’d crossed a line. When finally showed up only to be interrupted by James, she’d crossed another line. Patience was exhausted, and he wasn’t going to stop until he got what he came for. Coming out the other end alive wasn’t an option. He said so.
That knowledge fueled a sense of fury and fight that had her banging on the glass doors again, yelling for help. Ruby followed suit. The store manager ran to the fire alarm and pulled it, hoping it would signal for assistance, but it didn’t sound. He pulled the fire extinguisher from the wall and assaulted the glass door to no avail. It was security glass. It wasn’t breaking.
Pulling the ax from the same enclosure that he broke the extinguisher from, the manager wedged it between the two sliding doors. When he attempted to pry them open, the wood ax handle broke, causing wood splinters to fly.
The yells and loud bangs across the glass gained the attention of passersby, but nobody knew what to do. Strangers were grabbing their cell phones, likely calling for help, only to pull their phones away from their ears and scratch their heads. Their phones weren’t working either.
“Uncle Jackson! Daddy!” Ruby screamed.
Jackson and James were running down the sidewalk on the opposite side of the street, followed by Troy, Owen, and Derek. Genevieve and Ruby screamed their names and pounded on the glass until a man followed their view. The stranger looked back and forth between the Force men and Genevieve and Ruby trapped inside, putting two and two together.
