“We have to be careful about something like that,” said Callus. “Asano and Hastings both have family and connections. If we take them, people will ask questions. And Vaughn’s family is far too high-profile to risk capturing him.”
“Are you saying it can’t be done?”
“I’m saying we have to be careful about it,” said Callus. “We can go after Anita Jordan, but the others will have to wait for the time being. She might even have some of the information we need.”
“Then take her. One is better than nothing.”
“Understood, sir.”
CHAPTER 5
The hi-tech aircraft touched down on a carrier ship located in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa. Jim Ellis and Abram Zukov disembarked from the rear ramp once it lowered. Between the two was Pyre, who was shackled. Jim and Zukov each held him by the arm and escorted him down the ramp where a woman with red hair approached them, clad in a Cerberus uniform. She gave a salute to the two operatives and they returned it.
“Agents Zukov and Ellis, it’s a pleasure,” she said.
“And you are…?” asked Jim.
“Agent April Roque.” She made a gesture with her head to the prisoner. “Who do you have for me?”
“Clarence Black, a.k.a. Pyre,” said Zukov. “Located him in the remains of the Red Fist base in Tora Bora.”
Roque gave a nod. “Anything else worth noting out there?”
Jim shook his head. “The place was stripped. Not a thing left.”
“Then we’ll take Mr. Black off your hands,” said Roque.
Jim took hold of Pyre’s arm. “We still have some questions for him. Some things he said that we need to get to the bottom of.”
“We’ll handle that as well.”
“You can’t…you can’t let them take me!” said Pyre.
“Agent Ellis, my people are well-equipped to handle specials.” Roque signaled to her crew and they came to pull Pyre away from Jim and Zukov. Pyre screamed in protest, but with the inhibitor in place, he could do nothing more than scream. His powers were blocked and Jim could only watch as his prisoner was dragged away.
“Thank you for your assistance in his capture,” said Roque.
“I have a question,” said Zukov. “Clarence Black was working with the Red Fist, alongside other specials like Chloe Grant and Nina Murillo. All three of them were apprehended in the wake of the incident at Tora Bora. But somehow, he managed to escape?”
“You may not be aware of this given that you were working with the FSB at the time, but that was a pretty turbulent time for America,” said Roque. “The inhibitor technology we now use to keep the specials in line was discovered at Tora Bora.”
“That doesn’t answer my question.”
“Because I don’t have one,” said Roque. “Look, I’m just doing a job here, okay? I didn’t have anything to do with Black’s capture, I’ve never even seen the man before today. I was still in Special Forces when he was picked up.”
“It’s fine, Agent. We’re just a little shaken up at the thought of someone as dangerous as Pyre getting free,” said Jim. The look he gave Zukov told the seasoned operative to hold back.
“You mentioned there were some things he said? Care to elaborate?” asked Roque.
“Probably nothing, just some ramblings of a man driven half-crazy,” said Jim.
“Anything you can tell us will aid in our interrogation, Agent Ellis.”
“It just has to do with the fact that he was at the Red Fist’s base. We were worried that maybe the Khagan had gotten out or that someone else is trying to rebuild the organization,” said Jim.
Roque gave a nod. “I don’t think you have anything to worry about, Agent. The Red Fist is gone and even if someone does try and rebuild, they don’t have the resources to do it.”
“And the Khagan?” asked Jim.
“Still in a coma after his defeat on Olympus, from what I’ve heard.”
“Thank you, Agent Roque. We’ll be getting out of your hair now.”
Roque gave a quick nod and spun on her heel before walking off. Zukov and Jim boarded their craft and after closing the hatch, strapped into the seats with Jim at the flight controls.
“You seemed pretty conciliatory.”
“No, I just know a lost cause when I see one,” said Jim. “Roque wasn’t going to let us talk to Pyre any more than we already had. If we want to figure out the truth behind Pyre’s words, we’ll have to do it ourselves.”
Jim initiated the take-off procedure and within minutes, the craft’s VTOL jets carried it gently above the carrier’s deck. Once he reached a suitable altitude, he activated the thrusters and shot off into the horizon.
“I don’t think I have to remind you that Cerberus is an international organization with a global reach. And with Vanguard no longer operational, Cerberus is now the only thing standing between rogue specials and innocent people,” said Zukov.
“What would you have me do, Abram? We do need something to stand up to rogue specials, but it’s not worth it if they’re breaking laws,” said Jim.
“We don’t even know if that’s what’s happening here. Clarence Black is hardly the most reliable of witnesses.”
“No, he’s not. But he made you suspicious, didn’t he?”
Zukov couldn’t disagree.
After giving him a few moments to try, Jim added, “That’s what I thought.”
“And how exactly do you expect us to get to the truth?”
“There’s one thing I do know. A few months ago, there was an explosion in DC that resulted in one casualty—a military colonel.”
“You think that was Pyre’s target? Who was it?”
“The man who was in line before Callus to become Cerberus Director.” Jim’s eyes narrowed, the only outward expression of the anger burning inside him he would allow. “Leonard Thorne, the man who oversaw Vanguard when we were a pet project of the Hayworth administration. But when Lawson took the Office of the President after Hayworth’s death, he ended the project. Thorne was then asked to be Cerberus Director.”
“Until he was killed by Pyre,” said Zukov.
Jim nodded. “The very same day he planned to accept the offer. Thorne didn’t exactly trust the idea behind Cerberus, but he felt that if he didn’t take the position, it could go to someone far more dangerous.”
“And you think Callus is that person.”
Jim glanced at Zukov. “Would seem to fit, don’t you agree?”
Zukov sat forward, elbows on the armrests and his hands interlocked with his chin resting on his fingers. “So what do we do now?”
“You still have contacts in the FSB, right?”
“Yes.”
“Reach out to them, see what you can find out about Nathan Callus, Cerberus, anything that we may not be aware of.”
Zukov sat up. “That’s quite a tall order.”
“Never said I liked to do things the easy way.”
***
April Roque entered her office on the carrier and shut the door, locking it behind her. She sat at her desk and turned on the computer, placing a secure call to the Olympus space station. The face of Director Nathan Callus appeared on the screen.
“We have Clarence Black,” she said.
“Excellent work, Agent Roque,” said Callus.
“Not quite. It wasn’t my team who found him, but Jim Ellis and Abram Zukov.”
Callus paused. “Did he say anything?”
“Ellis let slip that Black said some information that deserves further investigation. When I pressed him on it, he fed me some crap about being worried that the Red Fist was rebuilding.”
Callus sighed. “We can’t let those two figure out what we’ve been doing. I want you to keep a close eye on both Ellis and Zukov. These men are dangerous to our interests and our mission.”
“Yessir.”
“I also have another job for you. A special I need picked up. I’m transmitting the dossier now.”
CHAPTER 6
Jim knocked on the door before opening it. He approached the old man sitting in front of the window in a wheelchair, staring out over the well-manicured lawn of the retirement home.
“Hey, Dad.”
Wayne Ellis turned his head and gave a smile. Jim grew up idolizing his dad, the big war hero. Enlisted to make him proud. But the past several years hadn’t been kind to Wayne, his once-strong body was quickly withering away.
“Jimbo!” Wayne’s face brightened up with a smile and Jim walked over, bending down to give his father a hug. He pulled a chair from a small table nearby and sat beside Wayne. “What brings you here?”
“Thought I’d come and see how you’re doing,” said Jim. “Some things are happening at work that are making me wonder if I made the right decision.”
Wayne sighed. “Now listen to me, son. Sometimes, you just gotta do the job. I know you don’t like working at that movie theater, but you’re gonna need that money for prom.”
“The theater…?” Jim sighed and shook his head. “No, Dad. That was when I was in high school. I haven’t worked at the theater in years.”
Wayne frowned. “Did you quit? C’mon, boy. Thought I raised you better than to be a quitter.”
Jim reached out and gripped his father’s hand. “Dad, I’m not a teenager anymore. I graduated high school, remember? Then I went into the service. Just like you.”
Wayne’s face seemed to go completely blank for a few moments, but then he gave a few blinks. “That’s right. I remember now.”
“That’s good,” said Jim. “How are you doing here? They treating you well?”
“Oh yeah, they’re great. Tomorrow’s movie night.”
Jim gave a half-smile. “Good to hear.”
“What’s this problem you’re having at work?”
Jim sat back in his chair and stared out the window. “I think they might not be on the level. Involved in some shady dealings.”
“Then you gotta find another job.”
Jim chuckled. “Not so simple. Whatever they’re up to, I think I’m the only one who can stop it. I just have to figure out how.”
“Y’know, your mother made the world’s greatest spaghetti and meatballs.”
Jim had learned to deal with his father’s sudden shifts in topics. His mind wasn’t what it used to be and he had difficulty keeping track of a conversation.
“Yeah…” Jim had a half-hearted smile on his face as he reached over and patted his father’s liver-spotted hand. “She sure did.”
“You think so too, huh?” Wayne’s smile remained on his face and he leaned closer with some effort, beckoning his son closer with a slight twitch of his fingers. “Hey Jimbo, why don’t you ask her if she can make it tonight? I know she wants me to cut back on red meat, but if you ask her to make it, she probably will. She could never say no to you.”
Jim’s eyelids felt heavy and the smile faded from his face. “I-I can’t do that, Dad.”
“Oh come on!” said Wayne, his voice nearly taking on a whine. “A little bit of ground beef’s not gonna kill me!”
“No, Dad…don’t you remember? About Mom?”
Wayne’s smile now turned into a look of worry. “What about her? She’s okay, ain’t she?”
“Dad…Mom’s gone. For almost five years now.”
“Oh…” Wayne looked away, staring at a framed photograph of his wife on his dresser. “I must’ve forgotten…”
“It’s okay, Dad.”
“I just…I forget things sometimes, Jimbo. Ain’t my fault…” Wayne covered his eyes with a hand.
Jim stood and stepped to the side of his father’s chair, laying a reassuring hand on Wayne’s shoulder. “I know, I know.”
“But!” Wayne suddenly had some spark in him again and a smile came on his face. “Don’t you worry, kiddo. I’m not gonna forget about your game this weekend. Promise I’ll be there, front an’ center.”
“Yeah…I know you will.” Jim sighed and hugged his father, trying to hold in his emotions. “Gonna score a touchdown just for you, Pop.”
“That’s my boy.”
Jim felt a buzzing in his pocket. He pulled his phone from his jeans and looked at the message summary on the lock screen. SENDER UNAVAILABLE was all it told him about who the message came from. Jim unlocked his phone and went into his messages. The only thing it said was, “DO YOU KNOW WHO YOU’RE WORKING FOR?”
Jim typed out a quick response with his thumb, inquiring about the sender’s identity and hit SEND. Almost instantly, a response came: “NOT SECURE. I’LL CONTACT YOU LATER.”
He put the phone back in his pocket and looked down at his father. “Sorry, Dad. I gotta get going.”
“Okay. Oh, and don’t forget your Mom’s birthday is coming up soon.”
Jim sighed. He bent down and kissed the bald portion atop Wayne’s head, where the hair had receded. “Yeah, yeah I’ll remember. Got it marked on my calendar.”
***
Anita Jordan stepped inside her Brooklyn apartment and closed the door, locking it behind her. She dropped the keys on the table by the door and walked inside, nearly collapsing on the couch. She looked at her phone, the time was after three in the morning.
Ever since Vanguard disbanded, she’d begun working as an EMT. The hours were all over the place, but she didn’t really have much of a social life to begin with. Her mother was still living in Baltimore and while Anita considered moving closer to her, she also felt like she needed to be on her own.
Anita rested her head on the couch’s armrest, her eyelids growing heavy. But then she felt something. A feeling that she wasn’t alone. Anita sat up and rubbed her eyes. She couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary, making her wonder if she was just imagining things.
She stood, closing her eyes and concentrating. As Paragon, Anita possessed telekinetic abilities that enhanced her strength to superhuman levels, gave her the power of flight, and projected a field around her body that made her nigh-invulnerable. The mental nature of her abilities also gave her a kind of psychic sensitivity, something she worked to develop after she was mentally controlled by the Analyst.
There was definitely someone else in the room. She could now pick up the psychic reverberations of another person. But they were invisible to the naked eye. Anita tried to zero in on the location and once she found it, she flew at her window and threw a punch at what seemed to be empty air.
But her fist connected with a face and was followed by a thump as the target struck the wall. The light ceased bending around the invader’s suit and Blindside stood in front of Anita.
“How’d you know I was there?” she asked.
Anita tapped her forehead.
“Right, we should’ve assumed that,” said Blindside. “Too bad it won’t be enough to save you.”
“We’ll see about that,” said Anita. “Now get the hell out of my apartment.”
Blindside gave a smirk beneath her mask. “How about you make me?”
Anita flew at Blindside, but she quickly went invisible and used her enhanced speed to side-step the attack so that Anita’s arms grabbed nothing but air. Blindside circled around her and thrust her foot into Anita’s back, the suit’s strength enough for the special to feel the blow.
Though she initially used her powers to find Blindside, Anita had to concentrate to do so. That was something she struggled with when her invisible attacker moved silently and swiftly around her, delivering quick, surgical blows.
Anita lunged for the window, shooting through it. Her only option was to put some distance between her and Blindside so that she could concentrate and locate the attacker. And though Blindside’s capabilities were impressive, Anita assumed flight wasn’t among them.
But the special quickly learned that Blindside wasn’t alone. She picked up a new signature just before it struck her
from above with a thunderous blow. Anita plummeted, striking the roof of a building below her so hard that it left cracks in the stone.
Her attacker, Bruiser, crashed down beside her, the building quaking on his impact. Bruiser grabbed her by the hair and jumped from the roof. At the apex of his leap, he hurled Anita with all the strength he could muster. She fell fast, hitting the empty street.
Pain shot across her entire body, but still she tried to pull herself to her feet. Anita looked up but saw no trace of Bruiser. She tried to concentrate to find him, when electricity flowed through her body and she went into spasms.
Spark cut off her attack and Anita fell to her knees. Once Spark got within reach, Anita shot up with a blow that knocked the Hellhound off her feet. Anita tried to push through the pain. She’d already been tired after a long shift and now this. Anita had been pushed to her limits and she couldn’t take on all three of these attackers at once.
The only sensible thing was to retreat. Anita took off towards the sky, but she felt the temperature drop. Almost instantly, she was encased in a block of ice that caused her to drop like a stone back to the street. Coldsnap stood on a rooftop ledge, looking down at her.
Zero and Blindside stepped from the shadows and approached Anita. Zero held up his arm and an inhibitor shot out from his gauntlet. It struck Anita’s head and the feedback caused her to fall unconscious.
Blindside stepped over to her, staring down at their new prisoner. “I’m a little disappointed. I hoped the great Paragon would put up more of a fight.”
CHAPTER 7
The piercing ring of his cell phone caused Jim to stir in his sleep. He grumbled, burying his face in the pillow in futile attempts to block out the sound. Rolling onto his back, he opened his eyes and stared up at the ceiling. He sat up and reached over for the phone. An incoming call from a blocked number.
“Ellis,” he said, answering it.
“We’ve got a problem,” said the voice on the other end. It was garbled and unnatural, which meant the caller was using some kind of voice synthesizer to disguise their identity.
Vanguard: Seasons 1-3: A Superhero Adventure Page 43
