I don’t think I had ever seen anyone as angry as she was. “No, what you thought is he could help you with your asinine plan to rescue Cyclone Ranger. You could have seriously hurt him by putting that thing on him. Get the hell out of my house.”
I hung my head and moved to the stairs. Another in a long line of screw-ups. “I’m sorry.”
“You keep going, Mister. I never want to see your face on my doorstep again!”
“Leecee, what are you screaming about?”
“Harold, you be quiet, I’m telling these kids how it is.” Her eyes went wide with disbelief. Slowly she turned to stare at Harold, now scrubbing the sleep from his eyes. Tears welling in her eyes, and her voice caught in her throat. “Harold, you know who I am?”
“We’ve been married forever.” He sat up and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. “How could I ever forget you?”
It’s a good thing we were in a soundproof room because the decibel levels would have had the Reclaimers back if they hear the shriek of joy as Alicia flung herself across the room to tackle her husband. For his part, he appeared a bit confused.
He glanced at the watch, a shadow of doubt sliding across his face. “I slept a bit later than normal, but…” He stopped and scratched his head. “Where did I get this watch? I don’t remember it.”
He moved to pull the mass of duct tape off. A chorus of “stop!” rang around the room.
Harold paused, panning the room, for the first time seeing the five strangers arrayed around his workshop. “I am completely lost, and if I’m not far off, I’ve missed significant time.”
Alicia pulled herself away as she wiped the tears from her face. “You’ve been here the whole time, but for the last ten years, you’ve been a zombie.”
He nodded, still peering around. “I don’t seem to have my drive to create new things. I actually feel like I did as a child.” He stood up and walked over to Gladiator, who placed Alyx back in the new wheelchair before he greeted his old friend.
“It is good to have you back, Mr. Fix-it.” Gladiator extended his hand.
Harold shook it. “Nico, it is good to see you as well, my friend.” He smiled with a soft laugh. “You still haven’t aged a bit. That witch did good work. I wish I could replicate it.”
“She was a vile creature.” Gladiator wanted to spit but wouldn’t do it inside. “I have seen too much grief to think it a blessing, but I am glad to see you better.”
“I’m not so sure I agree, but then again, I haven’t been alive for over two millennia,” Harold said. Alicia hovered around him, her hand constantly touching him as if to reassure her that he was real. “Is Alyx sick? What happened?”
Gladiator ran down the story of Alyx’s injuries, being captured, and our arrival as Grim Reaper’s prisoners. Abby, Jon, and I interjected portions where Gladiator didn’t know things. We ended up with a tag-team telling of the trip to Charlotte and meeting with Alicia. She filled us in on the house being searched and held overnight while she was tested and questioned about the reported subversives who were at the house. Wow, I’ve never been a subversive before.
“Well, now,” Harold said, noticing the condition of his clothes and the facial growth in dire need of grooming. “I think I’ll take a shower and get a clean set of clothes while you all eat some breakfast. If you’ll excuse me.”
“I’ll be down with breakfast in a bit.” Alicia smiled, a lot. “They probably left bugs, so I can’t let you upstairs.”
Harold took his wife’s hand, and they left the room. I heaved a sigh of relief. That could have gone badly. Alicia may have hung up the costume, but she was as fierce as anyone I’d ever met. I curled back up on the mat I slept on and dozed off while we waited for breakfast.
Abby shook my shoulder. “Tommy, breakfast. Well, really it is a late lunch, but who’s counting?”
I rubbed the sand from my eyes, but my stomach was wide awake, grumbling at the smell of bacon. Time plays tricks on you when you are underground for extended periods of time. Without the sun, every hour is unchanging. Waxenby said the casinos in Vegas were the same way.
I wondered how Wendi was. I missed her more than anything. I wanted to hear her voice, touch her hair, smell her lavender perfume. Lifetimes had passed, but I could still hear her say I love you when I closed my eyes.
I got up and grabbed a plate. Bacon, scrambled eggs, and toast. I looked over to where Alyx ate slowly, his hands shaking. Gladiator sat next to him, his food untouched, watching him like a hawk.
I filled my plate and dropped next to Abby on the floor. Jon roosted on a table across from us. Alicia came down the stairs with a jug of orange juice and a coffee pot. Even with her hands filled, there was a bounce in her step. “Sorry it took so long. I had to run to the store. I only have enough for the two of us on hand, and I know how teenagers eat.”
Alicia’s eyes danced as Harold entered, fully shaved, dressed in a white lab coat and clean clothes. He kissed Alicia, who rubbed his bare face with oohs and ahhs.
“Thomas,” he said as he pulled a chair out to sit in front of me. “Tell me about this watch and how it works.”
I gulped down the last of my eggs, not wanting to talk with a full mouth. “Sir,” I started.
Harold held up his hand. “Son, you saved, if not my life, then my sanity and returned me to my wife. You call me Harold, or Mr. Fix-it if you need to, but I’m not a sir.”
“Yes, sir, err, Harold,” I stumbled on. “My best friend, Marcel, took the remnants of the collars we all wore and reprogrammed the chips somehow so we could turn them on or off to stop our Gifts from working. It worked on us right away, but it was overnight before it helped you.”
“I had been in that state for years according to Leecee,” he said, grimacing. I’m sure the thought of all the lost years bothered him more than he let on. “It shut my abilities off, but it took my brain a while to fight through the effects is my guess.”
“My girlfriend,” which earned me a dark look from Jon, “wears one to stop hers.”
Harold pursed his lips, twisting up his face as he thought. “Hmmm, what kind of Gift does she have?”
“She’s a speedster.” I thought I used the same term Marcel had told us.
“Yeah,” he sighed. “I’ve seen many a youngster turn old before their time because of that particular Gift.”
I nodded but couldn’t add anything, so I took a bite of bacon instead.
“So Leecee says you are planning on rescuing Cyclone Ranger.”
“That was why we went to D.C.” The thought of Reaper screwing us over still made me see red. “I’m not sure if we can pull it off without help.”
“Cyclone Ranger is a good man. I think I can help you out.” A cup clattered to the ground. Alyx convulsed in his chair, head shaking, arms flailing about. Gladiator kneeled before him, making sure he didn’t hurt himself. “I think I had better see to Alyx, then we’ll see what Mr. Fix-it has in his goody bag for you kids.”
I smiled as he left to treat Alyx. If anyone could help him, it was Harold. I grabbed more food and a big glass of juice. Alicia spoke quietly to Gladiator, whose eyes never left Alyx. It hurt to see the pain in the big man’s eyes.
“You think he’s going to be okay?” Abby said from next to me. I just about dropped my juice. For someone so muscular, she could move like a panther.
“Harold will have something.” I wished I felt as sure as I sounded. “He’s a miracle worker after all.”
She chucked me in the arm. “Thanks for getting us out of there,” she said, lowering her voice. “I was scared to death. If I ever get my hands on the Grim Reaper, I’m going to shove the scythe up his ass.”
I chuckled. If anyone could, it was Abby. “I’ll hold him for you while you do it.”
Alicia walked over, Jon in tow. “You mind helping me carry the dishes upstairs?” We glanced over to where Harold spoke to Alyx. Light flashed on the control panel on the wheelchair. It appeared more like a cockpit of a plane all l
it up.
“What about the bugs?” Abby asked.
“They are listening to the Food Network and assorted household sounds,” she said with a smirk.
“Sure thing.” I grabbed up plates and serving dishes. We trekked up the stairwell to help clean up. I did the dishes while Jon and Abby dried and Alicia put the things away.
An hour later, Gladiator pushed the wheelchair, which hovered a couple of inches over the floor, into the kitchen. Alyx’s color was better than any time since we met them at the Zoo.
“Jon, Mr. Fix-it has requested your presence downstairs,” Gladiator said.
A sopping hand towel landed over my face as he left for the workshop. I could only imagine what miracles were contained in the workshop, but I’d have to wait my turn.
Damn, I hate waiting.
33
Jon came up carrying a backpack and an old guitar case. Abby went down next, so I helped Alicia with some chores, more to pass the time than out of any true desire to be helpful. My heart pounded, and my palms sweated as I waited my turn. Finally, Abby emerged, green backpack in hand. She gestured for me to go down.
It took everything I had not to run down the metal staircase. I stepped into the workshop, my head on a swivel. Harold sat on a rolling stool, a pair of magnifying glasses propped up on his forehead. He pushed another stool over to me. I sat.
“Tommy,” Harold said. “So, why save Cyclone Ranger?”
I paused. Harold smirked at me. He knew something but wasn’t saying. “They are going to kill him on TV. It isn’t right.” I fought to keep my voice level.
Harold shook his head. “No, it isn’t. Your father would have told me the same thing.” My jaw dropped. Harold laughed. “Tommy, I am probably the only person alive who has seen the faces of the most powerful Gifted in the country. I built and fitted gear for almost every one of them. You’re the spitting image of your dad when he was your age.”
I smiled at the compliment. “I have to save him. I grew up without him, but I can’t let him die without trying.”
“Well, then,” he said, slapping his knee, which caused his thinning hair to bounce up. “Let’s see what I’ve got for you. Ordinarily, I would build something, but my Gift is off, thanks to this here watch. Let’s start with the suit.”
He walked me over to a contraption, a cross between a time machine and giant pill. Wires crisscrossed the outside, hooked to circuit boards and a series of colored buttons. He stepped aside so I could climb in. “Once the door shuts, place your clothes in the drawer that opens.”
I got into the capsule, the door swung shut behind me, and a soft yellow light glowed from the walls. A hiss accompanied the appearance of the drawer. I kicked off my clothes, shoving them in. I guess I should have folded them, but I was distracted. I placed my feet on the blue footprints that were centered on the floor.
Harold’s voice came over the tinny-sounding speaker from above my head. “Tommy, hold your arms straight out to your sides and close your eyes, please.”
I did. I could see the red light through my eyelids as it ran up and down my body. A chime sounded, and the light turned off. “Go ahead and get dressed.”
I did so as fast as possible. I pushed the door open and stepped out. A whirring sound came from beside the machine. My very own combat suit assembled before my eyes. The same midnight blue as my dad’s.
“Now, it will take a bit to finish,” Harold said from where he stood by an open cabinet. “So, Tommy, we need to discuss your Gift. You don’t have to tell me anything, but the more you do, the better suited the gear I can give you.”
In the old days, a person’s Gift, as well as their identity, were highly guarded secrets. Everyone knew about Cyclone Ranger’s lightning and wind, but he would have aspects of his Gift that would leave him vulnerable to attack. “I’m not sure how to explain it,” I told him. So I described all the things I had gone through, Powell with the battery, Marcel’s tests, and the shock pistol in D.C. Harold’s mouth gaped more as the story went on.
“Tommy,” he said softly as if I were a bubble that would burst if he spoke too loudly. “I’ve only seen one other person with your type Gift. You are an amplifier. You absorb energy and can expel it at a much greater level.”
“Is that good?”
He scratched his head. “Are guns good? A gun can protect you or kill you. Same thing here.” He paused as he thought. “The other person I’ve studied tried to absorb too much energy and exploded, taking down the greater part of a city block.”
I whistled. A huge explosion, and it could be me. A surge of panic took me. What the hell. My Gift could turn me into a small warhead, just doing what I couldn’t control.
“Now, from what I understand, this person tapped into a transformer at a power plant while trying to break into Fort Knox,” he said, stopping to notice the confusion embedded on my face. “It was where the old government stored a lot of gold. So don’t do anything stupid, and you should be okay, but never let on you have a limit, or it could be used against you.”
I nodded, too spooked for words.
“The thing is, I don’t have anything on hand that I think could help you,” he said, his tone wrought with disappointment. “I could try taking off the watch and build you something…”
“No, Harold.” He wouldn’t lose any more of his life on my account. “You’ve done more for all of us than we had the right to ask for.”
“Thank you, Tommy.” A proud smile lit up his face. “I can see not only do you look like your father, but you have his strong character as well.” He paused to walk to a small dark wood box, which lay near the bed he had slept in. He opened it, pushed a few things around, and pulled something out. “The one thing you would never guess about your father is he was always a bit of a practical joker.” He held out a silver ring, a dark blue stone in the center.
I took the ring, noting the inscribed lightning bolts running around the band. The stone shone with a deep gleam. I ran my finger over it and almost dropped the ring. A shock hit my finger as soon as I touched the gem. The slight energy from that one instant started bouncing around in my chest, building.
Harold laughed. “Your father gave it to me. He would shock people with it when they weren’t expecting it. Just never use it on a Norm; it could stop their heart. I’m sorry I don’t have more for you.”
I held the ring, a ring my dad had held, and felt closer to the man I had never met, the father I had never met. “You’ve given me more than you’ll ever know.”
I put the ring on as Harold pulled my combat suit out of the machine and packaged it up in a black backpack. He walked me through the controls in the helmet before adding it to the bag. He stopped to grab a silver duffel bag, and we went back up the stairs.
The upstairs was in chaos. The vans were back, Reclaimers setting up all around the house as I watched. “What happened? I thought the bugs were taken care of.”
Harold tossed Gladiator the bag. “That is your armor and sword.” He moved to look out the window. “They are raiding to see if you came back is my guess.”
“So, what do we do?” Abby asked. She was dressed in a fitted combat suit, helmet under her arm.
“We shoot our way out is my vote,” Jon said, dressed in a brown and green combat suit. He carried throwing knives on his wide belt and in combat knives in the tops of his high boots. A quiver of arrows poked over his shoulder for easy access. Mr. Fix-it had even provided a composite bow, which was out and strung. “There are only twelve guys out there. Abby, Gladiator, and I take all of them down before they know what hit them.”
“And what do you think happens to us after you bring the Reclaimers down on our heads?” Alicia commented, highly agitated. “You’ve destroyed our life here.”
“Now, now, Leecee.” Harold patted her hand. “We need a bit of misdirection. Alyx, can you open portal into the house next door?”
“Nico, roll me to the window.” Alyx had dark circles under his eyes, but his eyes
sparkled for the first time since I’d met him. Obviously, whatever Harold did for him worked. He started chanting, moving his arms in a strangely rhythmic pattern. A swirling mass of lights grew from the wall, expanding to show the beige and green living room of the next house over.
“Alicia, from the front window, short out the van’s engine. Tommy, I want you to shoot through the bay window and hit the transformer. It will mess with their night vision,” Harold said as he stepped over to Jon, pulling an arrow from his quiver. “Jon, fire this arrow into the truck pointed up the street. Throw the front door open and then get back here pronto. Any questions?”
We all looked at each other, wondering which of us would speak first. As usual, it was me. “And what exactly will that do?”
Harold, devious smile on his face, said, “Do it. You’ll understand in a minute.”
It amazed me how similar Harold’s grin was to Marcel’s when he knew something no one else did. I shrugged. Jon and Alicia hopped through the portal, followed by Abby. Harold put his hand on my shoulder before I could jump through. He walked over, unscrewed the light bulb from a nearby lamp, and switched it on. “You might want to charge your battery first.”
A quick check to make sure Alyx and Gladiator weren’t watching, then I clenched my jaw and stuck my finger into the open socket. Energy and pain shot through my system, combining and overpowering the ring’s shock. The skin on my fingers crackled as the electricity poured into me. It stopped without warning. Harold held the plug up. “A little goes a long way with you, Tommy. Remember, you need to be careful.”
I nodded my thanks since I was a bit buzzed from the energy. I jumped through the portal, landing in the middle of the neighbor’s living room.
Jon and Alicia stood by the front door as I entered the foyer, almost tripping on the plant dominating the wall. The owners must have green thumbs.
“What took you so long?” Jon asked impatiently. “They are getting ready to move now that it’s full night.”
Storm Forged Page 24
