by Bryan Cohen
"You betrayed him to tell me. I understand that." She kissed him on the cheek. Like always, his stubble tickled her lips. "Thank you."
The sheriff squeezed her. "Be careful."
She pulled herself free. "Aren't I always?"
"No. No, you aren't."
Jennifer smirked and shut the front door behind her on the way out.
24
Travis breathed as quietly as humanly possible as he watched Ted Finley's bedroom window through a pair of binoculars. Even though he was nearly a block away and under the cover of an overzealous pine tree, he didn't need some nosy neighbor to overhear him and rat him out. Since he'd forced Natalie to tell the truth, neither of them had made contact. Travis wasn't planning to until he had evidence. A paper trail proving that Ted was involved in some shady business would be just the thing.
Travis relaxed his eyes for a few beats. "I prove Ted didn't come back right. Nat sees I'm a hero again. She forgets the ex, and comes back for–"
Movement caught Travis' eye and he focused back up through the binoculars. The light went out in Ted's room, and the supposed hero leaned over the windowsill. In the blink of an eye, Ted went zipping through the sky and the window shut behind him.
Travis cracked his neck. "There we go. Let's hope you're not going to the corner store for some milk." He paused. "Or heading to Nat's house for some... unthinkable."
Travis stretched his back and noticed a buzz in his pocket. He pulled out his phone and read the text message from Erica.
"Emergency meeting at the lair. Tell no one."
Travis pressed and held the power button until the screen went black. "Sorry, gang. More important fish to fry."
Despite the aches and weariness of two sleepless nights, Travis made his silent trek across several backyards with ease. Previous snooping attempts had clued him into the range of all the automatic lights, and following the pattern he'd made in his head meant he didn't trigger a single one.
"If NFL linebacker doesn't work out, I'll make a killer cat burglar. Minus the leather pants, of course."
Travis reached the side of the house. The footholds where Erica, Natalie, and whatever other people had taken the path upward were pretty apparent even in the dim light of the quarter moon. As he stepped on the middle rung in the aluminum siding ladder, he felt the metal start to give way. Travis gently pulled himself upward.
"Light as a feather. Strong as a bull."
The foothold stayed in place, but Travis didn't want to be the next person who took the same path. With a nimble pull and roll, Travis entered Ted Finley's room without making a peep.
He pressed on the headlamp around his forehead and lowered it to just above eye level. He couldn't tell if his heart was pounding from the jog and climb or if it was the blatant law-breaking. "Oh, incriminating evidence? Come out, come out wherever you are."
Travis went straight to the desk and began rummaging through the drawers. Aside from some blank loose leaf and envelopes, there wasn't even an errant crumb to be found.
"Don't they say a clean room is the sign of a deviant mind? I just wish it were enou–"
Travis' light caught a photograph hung on a corkboard on the wall behind the desk. It was the entire gang. Travis remembered the day like it was last Tuesday. Following the rescue mission to the Realm of Souls, the group had gone on a picnic. Sitting on a dilapidated wooden table, Travis had his arm around Natalie, who was laughing about something. Dhiraj and Jennifer were facing one another with that creepy "I love you more than life" smile they always seemed to have on their faces. The only person even facing the camera was Ted. It was as if the hero was saying, "If you're seeing this picture late at night and you're not supposed to be here, I'm watching you."
Travis took the picture off the wall and laid it face down on the desk. "You don't get to judge me, Finley. You're the cheater."
Travis turned toward the bed and noticed a strange creaking noise on a particular section of the floor. He put his weight back on the spot several times, and the same sound repeated itself each time.
"What do we have here, precious?"
Travis went down to his knees and noticed a square of carpet that had been completely cut away from the rest of the rug. He felt around the corner with his fingers and pulled. Removing the carpet revealed a likewise loose piece of floorboard.
Travis smiled. "Suspicious much?"
He opened the floor like it was a gift on Christmas morning. Travis shined the light on the contents of the hidden vault.
His forehead wrinkled. "The books. I thought they were in the lair."
Travis pulled his sleeve up over his hand so he could examine them without making contact. Erica had told him stories of Mr. Redican and his efforts to enhance his mind control powers using one of the books.
"But why would Ted need the books if he already has power? Why would he keep it a secret?"
"You're not supposed to be there."
Travis nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard the voice crackle over an intercom. He took a long breath to try to slow down his pulse.
"Dhiraj. You scared the crap out of me. Ted has you working security for him?"
The reply was as robotic as the first warning had been. "You're not supposed to be there."
Travis stood and put up his hands. "Ok. Fair enough. But you should probably get some sleep. Then you wouldn't sound like a cylon and you'd remember that Ted gave me permission to go in here."
"Who are you working for?"
Travis laughed. "What is this, an interrogation?"
A gust of air burst through the window, accompanied by Ted Finley. "No. It's an execution."
Ted grabbed the intruder by the shirt. Before Travis could react, he was tossed through the open window. Cold evening air stung like a dagger as his headlamp went flying and he plummeted to the ground. His ankle turned from the impact, sending a tight, stabbing pain up his calf. His muscles tensed as he attempted to put weight on his injured leg. The backyard safety light came on, blinding Travis for a moment, until all the lights in every house on the block went out at once. In the faint shimmer of moonlight, Travis could see his assailant floating out of the second story window from which he'd just been tossed.
"Fact-finding mission, over."
Travis ignored the pain and awkwardly sprinted across the grass. As his heart pounded, the pieces of the puzzle began falling into place. Travis reached his parking space in a nearby cul-de-sac and opened the front door.
"It's not him. He needs the books because it's not Ted."
As his key went into the ignition, Travis felt a sensation of weightlessness. It only lasted for a second as his now-floating vehicle flipped upside down and slammed onto the pavement below. Shattered glass and blood filled Travis' vision as he landed hard on his neck and shoulder. The fall had been high enough to shatter the windshield, but not so far as to shatter his bones. He grunted and wormed his way back onto the pavement.
"Just what my insurance company needed. Another 'Act of God' to raise my premiums."
When he was all the way out, Travis pressed up on his elbows and ran away from the mangled vehicle. The adrenaline was all that kept him from completely toppling over. He reached for his phone and tried to dial, but it remained completely shut off.
He pressed down hard on the power button and reached the dirt and forest of the nearby pond. "You try to unplug for one second…."
Travis looked for a tree to hide under, but they were all completely bare. He looked right and left, but there was nothing to offer sanctuary. When he turned back to his right, Ted's imposter was there.
Travis flew backwards off the ground and slammed so hard into a thick tree that he could feel both the trunk and his back fracture at the same time. Travis could no longer feel his legs. He would've collapsed onto the ground for sure if the fake hero hadn't kept him suspended in the air.
The villain who looked like Ted walked slowly toward him. He had a look on his face Travis could best de
scribe as disappointment.
"It really is a shame you found me out, Travis. I actually like the whole 'bully with a heart of gold' act. I relate."
Travis stared into Ted's eyes and gave his best attempt at a smirk. "Man, you must be compensating for the tiniest pair of all time. Bet you have to wipe Natalie's mind after she laughs–"
Ted flicked his wrist and promptly broke Travis' arm.
The scream echoed through the woods, but Travis doubted that anyone would hear him. Anybody who did wasn't likely to last very long.
His breath was labored. His pulse was through the roof. But he kept his eyes focused on the pure evil before him.
"Big man. Had to use superpowers to get a girlfriend. Bet you're real proud of yourself."
Travis floated away from the tree and rotated slightly toward the right.
The imposter sighed. "Sticks and stones will break my bones. Actually, they'll break yours."
Once again, Travis flew straight backward. He barely even felt the wide, sharp branch as it impaled his back and exited through his midsection. He wondered if Natalie would miss him as the world went black.
25
Ted's shoulder was starting to feel better after two days of rest. Unfortunately, that means the pangs of starvation and thirst were now taking the lead in the pain parade. For the first day, Ted attempted to use his powers to escape with every available moment, just in case the half-dozen around-the-clock guards all sneezed or closed their eyes at once. They'd learned well from Pluric's mistake, so they ensured multiple pairs of eyes were on Ted at any given moment.
He sat in the corner of his grungy cell with shackles hanging from his wrists and calves. If anybody had been keeping his true identity a secret, it seemed the cat was finally out of the bag.
He swallowed as well as his dry throat would allow. "You know what I could really use? A granola bar. Nothing fancy. Maybe something with chocolate chips or dried fruit in it?"
Despite countless conversation starters over the last 48 hours, none of the guards had taken the bait. They simply stared at him. He'd gotten over the self-consciousness halfway through the first day of captivity.
"I always wondered how you guys completely neutered my powers while the dark souls who crossed over just barely kept me in check." Ted tried to scratch an itch on his likely infected back, but the chain wouldn't allow him to reach. He rubbed the troublesome area against the stone wall instead. "My theory is that Nigel and his merry men were only at half-power. They could stop my power like intercepting a pass, but it still let me do cool flips and stuff. I could show you if you just turned around for a hot second."
The guards didn't move an inch.
Ted sighed. "You can't blame a guy for trying. Anyway, you guys are on your home turf. You're the full-blooded dark souls, so even a little glance turns me into the equivalent of a puppy."
Ted paused for effect. "Or whatever you call a baby Lychos. A Lychie?"
The door to Ted's cell opened with the sound of stone scraping against stone. A wave of air entered that was slightly less dank than the air he'd been breathing. Ted inhaled deeply, trying to enjoy the simple pleasures of captivity. A new squad of troops accompanied the relatively fresh air. They wore enough armor to make one soldier indistinguishable from his brethren. The one in front held out a data pad that looked like a more advanced version of the tablets they had back home.
Ted attempted to clear his throat, but the noise he made was more pathetic than attention-grabbing. "I was wondering when the waiter would get here. I'll take the calamari and one granola bar, please."
The soldier with the device straightened his spine and spoke loudly. "Ted Finley, you are to be tried before Judge Tristance for the crime of treason. Your execution by hanging is scheduled immediately after. Do you understand?"
Ted raised an eyebrow. "So, the hanging is already scheduled? Even though the trial could go either way?"
It was tough to tell through the dark soul's helmet, but he detected a trace of a smirk. "We're optimistic. This way."
The guards unchained him from the wall and led him from the cell. With most of them boring holes straight into his back with their pointed stares, Ted knew his chances of escape were close to zero. His legs ached to be stretched, but he assumed they weren't going to stop for a yoga break prior to his hanging. Well before they reached the door to the outside of the castle, he could hear the chanting of a raucous crowd. They all wanted him dead, and each of them had the power to extinguish his greatest strength. Even without the fogginess brought on by thirst and hunger, Ted wasn't sure there was much of a plan to be formulated.
Boos and sneers assaulted him from either side as the guards led him through an aisle in the center of the madness. Ted marveled at the thousands of spectators on hand.
Nice crowd for a fair and completely honest trial.
His legs barely tolerated the rickety wooden steps up to a much sturdier plank. Dangling above the raised surface was a thick, knotted rope. An executioner Ted had been familiar with when he thought he was the all-powerful general stood to the side of the noose. His pale face was punctuated by a wide grin.
A booming voice quieted the crowd. "Silence."
Across the courtyard and at the same height as Ted sat the dour, authoritative Judge Tristance. Ted could detect the impatience in his voice.
Maybe he has a golf game to get to.
"Fellow dark souls, we have a traitor in our midst."
Ted turned to the executioner. "Not exactly an impartial judge, is he?"
The hangman's grin widened. "File a complaint."
The booming voice echoed against the wall of the castle. "Ted Finley is better known by another name to our people: the living soul."
The crowd sent their deafening vitriolic hate in Ted's direction. He was tempted to flip them the bird, but that might have been the hunger pulling the strings. The anger from the onlookers subsided as they anticipated the continuation of the judge's speech.
"The living soul has infiltrated our forces, posing as the General and attempting to kill second-in-command Pluric Xanivere. The charge is high treason. Ted Finley, state your case."
Ted coughed twice and attempted to muster the necessary volume. "Thank you, Tristy. I'm honored, and this award is really something I share with all of you. First of all, I'd like to thank my paren–"
"Keep. It. Short." The powerful voice would've caused Ted to gulp if he'd had the ability to do so.
He nodded. "Sure thing, Trance. Look, everybody, I didn't choose to be the living soul. I didn't choose to have my mind wiped and parade around like the General for the last few months." He stared down into the center of the crowd. "But you have a choice. This war has been going on for far too long, and I'm the only one who seems to want to end it." Ted raised his hands as high as they would go and reached forward. "If you stop this farce of a trial and join me, I promise that you'll see peace in your lifetime."
Utter silence filled the space.
I did it. I changed their minds!
Ted blinked a few times to sharpen his focus. When he did, he saw hundreds of faces seething with quiet anger.
Ted's eyes darted back and forth. "I'll pay you?"
The spectators erupted in hatred once more until the judge shut them down.
"Add bribery to the list of charges."
The executioner piped up. "I'll make the noose extra tight."
Judge Tristance somehow raised his voice. "Since there is no compelling argument to the contrary, Ted Finley, I sentence you to death by hanging. Immediately."
Ted didn't have any wisecracks left. He didn't say a word as the executioner fitted the knot around his neck. His breathing grew slow as he shut out all the noise that threatened to swallow him whole.
I wish I could've said goodbye. I'm sorry, Mom and Dad. Sis. Dhiraj. Erica. Nat. I've failed you.
The executioner walked to the side of the plank where a long, wooden lever pointed diagonally up. He placed his hand around
the handle and threw his smile in Ted's face one more time.
I'm sorry.
The hangman pulled the lever down.
Time ticked by in milliseconds. The platform gave way, sending Ted straight down. He looked out upon the crowd, which stared straight back at him. The moment where the rope snapped tight approached. It grew nearer and nearer… but it never happened.
Just before the noose was about to snap his neck or begin choking him to death, Ted Finley froze in midair. His irises shot wide open. He was hovering above the angry crowd of dark souls, and somehow, his powers appeared to be working at full blast.
26
Natalie sat over the side of the bathtub and iced her achy knee. Since her secret tryst with Ted had made itself known to Travis, she hadn't stopped working out. After the 75th full-court suicide of the afternoon, her right knee started screaming in pain. Drenched in sweat and with a heart that was about to explode for two distinct reasons, she drove herself home and secluded herself in the bathroom.
Natalie had been the villain in dozens of gymnasiums around the state of Pennsylvania. She was the one who was going to come to town and crush the dreams of the basketball hopefuls on the court and the fans screaming their lungs out in the stands. She'd been in games where the opposing crowd booed her every single time she got the ball. None of that stuff fazed her.
And now I'm actually the bad guy. I'm the worst person alive.
Her hallucinations had paused for the time being. She supposed the stabbing guilt was enough torture.
Ted had tried to text her multiple times in the last two days. She ignored every last one of them. Her phone had buzzed again when she first sat down to tend to her injury. Erica was calling an emergency meeting.
"Heroes don't need the bad guy on their side today."
The sulking went on for another 15 minutes when the phone buzzed again. Her pain, the ice, and the world around her faded away when she read the text from Travis.
"Spot of our 3rd kiss. I love you."
