Friction

by R S Penney

  He had to give the lady this much credit; she had spunk. Her low opinion of him notwithstanding, talking to her had been fun. Meeting someone who spoke her mind as openly as Selena Knowles was a rare treat, and-

  The music that had been playing nonstop for the last several hours suddenly died off, leaving him in an ominously silent room with half a hundred strangers. Had the DJ tripped a cord or something?

  Jack turned to look and noticed the single man standing just inside the front door. The one thing that made this guy stand out was his attire: sweat pants and a baseball cap were not the sort of thing one wore to a fancy party.

  The stranger stood with his head down so that the bill of his cap hid his face. “I'm so very sorry to interrupt,” he said, striding into the room. “I know crashing a party like this is generally frowned on.”

  He grabbed the lip of his cap and pulled it off, revealing light curly blonde hair. Tossing it aside, he let out a rich belly laugh as he stepped onto the edge of the dance floor.

  When he looked up, people gasped.

  Jack would have known that visage anywhere. The hard chin, the stubbly jawline, the brow with faint creases: these were the features of the man who had attacked Capitol Credit Union. “My name is Leo,” he said. “I've come with a message.”

  The man crossed his arms, lifting his chin to stare down his nose at them. “Peter Tombs promised you safety,” he hissed. “He promised an end to the carnage. But you should know by now; you will never be safe.”

  Clenching his teeth, Jack felt his face burn. He shut his eyes and shook his head. If you lose your cool, he warned himself, this guy will go on a rampage. Keep it together, Hunter.

  The guests who were still present started backing away toward the walls, leaving a wide open space in the middle of the room. Some of them were glancing about, no doubt searching for the nearest exit.

  Leo must have noticed.

  Tossing his head back, he let out a peel of laughter. “It won't work, I'm afraid,” he said. “The exits have been sealed. You're here to bear witness to one extremely important thing.”

  He strode forward.

  A middle-aged woman in a red dress was on her knees near the edge of the dance floor, head turned so that you couldn't see her face. Even from here, Jack could hear the sound of her panting.

  Leo stood over her with fists on his hips, shaking his head in disgust. “I'm afraid this just won't do,” he said. “Don't be a coward, woman. Face your end with just a little bit of dignity.”

  The woman looked up with tears visible on her face, blinking at her attacker. “Please…” she begged in a breathy whisper. “Whatever you want, just take it. Take it and leave us alone.”

  “You must bear witness!”

  “Enough!” Jack shouted.

  He couldn't figure out what would make this man stupid enough to attack a party full of Keepers – and curse his bad luck; they had all gone home – but someone had to teach Leo a bit of humility.

  The guy turned, glancing over his shoulder with a wry smile. “Well, well,” he said. “It seems that one of you actually remembers where his spine is. I've gotta say, I'm pretty damn shocked.”

  Crossing his arms, Jack looked up to blink at the man. “You have no idea who I am, do you?” he asked, marching forward. “Congratulations, Leo; you just met your very first Justice Keeper.”

  Leo spun around to face him with hands clasped behind his back, standing tall and proud like a general surveying a battlefield. “This is my lucky day. I was hoping to test myself against one of you.”

  Jack paced a circle around the dance floor, looking over his shoulder to glare at the man. “How 'bout I make you a deal?” he offered. “You let these people go, and I'll give you a test that'll make you yearn for the SATs.”

  Leo paced with arms folded, smiling down at himself. “I'm afraid that won't do,” he said. “These people exist to show your world just how dangerous this galaxy really is. To that end, they must die.”

  And that was when the chaos started.

  Chapter 15

  Several dozen well-dressed people backed away from the dance floor, many going so far as to turn and run. They toppled over chairs and knocked tables out of the way. A few ran for the exits.

  Two men who had made it to the back door began pounding on it. When it refused to budge, they let out cries of terror. It wasn't long before six or seven other people surged up behind them trampled them to the ground.

  One woman in a green dress was clever enough to grab a chair by its wooden legs and throw it through a window. Glass shattered, and the chilly night air swept through the room. That did it.

  Everyone ran for the window.

  Jack stood on the dance floor with fists raised in a boxer's stance, facing down his opponent with grim determination. “Looks like you've lost,” he said over the din. “Your would-be victims just got out.”

  Leo threw his head back with a peel of harsh, cruel laughter. “That's of no consequence,” he said. “Look around you, Justice Keeper. This is what people become in the face of fear.”

  Chewing his lip, Jack squinted at the other man. “What's your game in all of this?” he asked, shaking his head. “You're not profiting by it, and I'm not about to believe this 'agent of chaos' crap.”

  Leo studied him with sweat on his face, suddenly growling with feral rage. “My purpose is simple,” he barked, striding forward. “The weak must be made to suffer. It's the only way they'll grow.”

  “Yeah, 'cause that's not totally cliché.”

  Nearly half the crowd had escaped through the window, but a few stragglers were clinging to the walls, afraid of getting trampled. They watched the whole thing with bug-eyed expressions.

  Then it began.

  Leo kicked high.

  Jack ducked and sensed the other man's foot passing over his head. He watched Leo begin a spin, then rose to clamp his hands onto the other man's shoulders. “Yeah, because I've never seen a move like-”

  Bending his knees, Leo jumped and pulled free of the hold. He back-flipped over Jack's head, then dropped to the floor behind him. A quick punch to the spine sent Jack stumbling forward.

  He pressed a hand to his chest, doubling over. “Okay, I've got to admit,” Jack said, straightening. “I'm just a wee bit impressed now. I'll have to remember that one the next time I'm-”

  Turning around revealed the other man marching toward him with a feral snarl on that otherwise handsome face. “In you,” Leo said, “I see the weakness of a man who is too sure of his own abilities.”

  He spun to deliver a back-hand blow.

  Jack crouched, reaching up with both hands to seize the man's forearm. He gave a twist, and Leo fell over backward, landing hard on the dance floor. A soft groan escaped his lips.

  Jack kicked him.

  The other man went rolling like a log across the polished tiles, stopping when his body hit the legs of a table. Most Keepers would be winded by a hit like that, but this guy just kept coming.

  He pushed himself up on extended arms, baring his teeth. Droplets of spittle flew from his open mouth. “Is that the best you can do?” Leo asked, getting to his feet. “I've seen far better.”

  With a growl, Leo whirled around. He charged across the dance floor like an Olympic sprinter, then jumped and turned belly-up in midair. He flew feet-first across the room, screaming his fury.

  Jack ducked.

  The other man passed right over his head, landing just a few feet away. A little bit of Nassai-assistance allowed him to watch Leo get his bearings. The bastard was already rounding on him!

  Jack turned.

  Leo kicked him in the belly. He spun like a cyclone, one hand lashing out to clip Jack across the cheek. Pain flared up, and silver flecks filled his vision, blocking out the sight of everything else.

  In his mind's eye, the silhouette of Leo approached. It spread shadowy arms wide, then brought them together as if to box his ears.

  Jack reached up with both hands
to seize the man's wrists, holding them steady. He flung Leo's arms apart, then delivered a hard punch to his chest.

  That left him winded.

  Calling upon his Nassai, Jack jumped. He snap-kicked to drive a foot into the other man's gut, augmenting the blow with a Bending. Leo went flying backward, propelled by an artificial gravity field.

  He landed on one of the round tables, then toppled over backward, knocking the whole damn thing over on its side. People let out cheers and gasps and pressed their backs to the walls.

  Jack bared his teeth as he stared down at the floor, blinking tears of pain out of his eyes. “I can't believe you thought you could take a Justice Keeper,” he said. “Some people dream of making it big in Hollywood, but others want things that are just unreasonable.”

  Leo popped up from behind his table, nostrils flaring with every breath. “I've held my own against you, old man!” he growled. “Or did you fail to notice that large bruise on your cheek?”

  “Three years ago, the baddies called me 'boy,' ” Jack lamented. “Now it's 'old man.' How did I skip the sexy Tom Selleck with a Touch of Gray phase? Most of my hopes for getting laid were pinned on that.”

  “Do you always joke like this?”

  “It makes up for my other glaring personality flaws.” Jack started forward, keeping his gaze fixed on the other man. “You want I should beat you some more? Or is it finally time for your concession speech?”

  Leo leaped over the table.

  He flipped through the air, then uncurled to land poised near the edge of the dance floor, bringing up his fists for round two. “This is not over!” he shouted. “You have not yet begun to see what I can do!”

  The man crossed both forearms in front of his face, then flung his hands out to the side, triggering some spring-mechanism that had been concealed by his jacket. Blades slid out from his sleeves, long, sharp and gleaming.

  “Didn't see that coming,” Jack muttered.

  His opponent strode forward, hissing and fuming with both blades pointed down at the floor. “You will die painfully,” he growled. “And when it's over, everyone will know I am the strongest!”

  He slashed at Jack's cheek.

  Leaning back, Jack watched that gleaming blade flash over his nose. Mere inches away. Way too close. The other man spun and slashed once again in a quick backhand strike.

  Jack ducked.

  The blade passed over his head, nearly close enough to slice hair. He waited for the other man to come around, then sent a pair of jabs into his belly. He rose to uppercut his foe across the chin.

  Somehow Leo used the change in momentum to his advantage. The man fell over backward, setting his hands down on the dance floor. He flipped upright, then jumped and kicked out.

  A scuffed black shoe hit Jack in the face, clouding his vision with stars. As he stumbled backward, he focused on the spatial awareness that came with a Nassai bond. The silhouette of Leo strode forward, growling as it slashed with a knife.

  The tip of a blade left a rip in Jack's shirt and a nasty red gash across his chest. Hot stinging pain flared through him. As his vision cleared, he saw Leo draw back his arm for a punch.

  By instinct, Jack threw up a time bubble. The air before him rippled, and he saw the blurred image of his opponent standing as still as a statue with the gleaming blade of that knife upraised.

  Jack turned sideways.

  The bubble popped in time for him to watch his opponent punch the air in front of him. He clamped one hand onto Leo's wrist and the other onto his shoulder. A bit of Bent Gravity, and he gave a shove.

  Leo went flying, hurled across the room. He landed on one of the empty tables, his anguished groan echoing through the room before the whole thing gave way. “This isn't over yet!”

  The man got to his feet and ran for the nearest window, leaping at full force. He crashed right through it, glass shattering all around him. Before anyone could blink, he was gone.

  Jack gave chase.

  Halfway across the dance floor, pain made him double over and press a hand to his chest. “Okay,” he said, tossing his head about. “Not the smartest idea for someone who's bleeding all over the place.”

  He tapped away at his multi-tool, bringing up the communications application, and placed a call to Station Twelve. A woman's face appeared on the screen. “Agent Hunter, how can I help you?”

  Jack winced and felt sweat roll over his face. “The terrorist,” he choked out. “The terrorist attacked the party. Send back-up.”

  “Right away,” she said. “I'm alerting local authorities. Four Keepers will be joining them in the pursuit. Stay where you are, Agent. Medical personnel have been dispatched to your location.”

  Jack pressed an ice pack to his chin, shutting his eyes tight. “Well, this is humiliating,” he muttered. “Beat up by some kid with a drug habit.”

  The med-bay on Station Twelve was empty except for Dr. Katz who had wandered off to review some files. A set of double doors with clear windows looked out on a long hallway where people scurried back and forth even at this hour. The news of his fight at the banquet hall had probably gotten many people out of bed.

  There were stacks of first-aid kits next to the emergency bed he had chosen, each one locked in a small metal case. The monitors that displayed his vitals – you only had to sit on the bed for them to activate – let out soft beeps as they tracked his heart rate.

  The doors slid open.

  Jena stood on the other side in track pants and a tank-top under a sweater that she left unzipped. Her hair looked like it had lost a fight with a pillow. “You okay, kid?” she asked, striding into the room.

  Jack lowered his eyes to stare into his lap. “I'll live,” he said, nodding once. “What have we heard from the search teams? Have our people managed to corner and cage this asshole?”

  “Not yet.”

  “Well, there goes my morale.”

  Jena did a quick about-face, pacing a line in front of him with arms crossed. The scowl on her face told him this was no time for jokes. “He's gone to ground somewhere,” she explained. “Witnesses saw him jump into a cab. We traced its route all the way to Lower Town, but no one knows where he went after that.”

  Gritting his teeth with a hiss, Jack shut his eyes. He shook his head and let out a throaty growl. “This is my fault,” he muttered. “If I had been able to take him down, this would all be over.”

  Jena stopped pacing.

  Standing before him with arms folded, she looked over her shoulder. “Okay. Time for some tough love,” she said. “Kid, I know you carry the weight of the world on your shoulders, but you're not doing anyone any favours.”

  She rounded on him, and the ferocity in that scowl nearly made him fall backward off the bed. “This is not about you,” she said. “Get it through your head. You did exactly what you were supposed to do.”

  “And he's still out there!”

  “Welcome to the real world, son!” Turning her back on him, she marched all the way to the door before calming herself. “Sometimes, we can do everything right and still lose. Your guilt isn't helping.”

  The instinct to reply with a quick quip was hard to suppress. Wrestling with all his emotions was even harder, but Jena had a point. He had done what he could, and now it was time to move on to the next thing. “You're right,” he said, hopping off the bed. “So what do we do now?”

  Her shoulders slumped as she stood there with her back turned. “I don't know, kid,” she murmured. “Right now, you get some rest, and then we review the case tomorrow.”

  Biting his lip, Jack looked up to blink at her. “Something's bothering me,” he said, approaching from behind. “How'd he get in the room? A party with that many politicians is going to be crawling with security.”

  Jena went still.

  He stepped up beside her with hands in his pockets, shaking his head. “We had to show ID just to get into the parking lot,” Jack went on. “So who let the country's most wanted terrorist crash t
he party?”

  Jena pressed her lips together, blinking slowly as she stared through the door. “I've been asking the same question,” she said. “That's why I've assigned Janisk to review the security logs.”

  “What do we know?”

  “The RCMP's crime scene unit is working with our people to survey the property. So far, we've determined that the fence surrounding the banquet hall was not breached; that means he likely passed through one of the security checkpoints.”

  Jack buried his face in one hand, groaning into his own palm. “And that means our boy has someone on the inside,” he said. “Once news of this gets out, we'll lose our last shred of credibility.”

  “Are you suggesting we keep it quiet?”

  “Absolutely not.”

  Jena offered a small smile, nodding once in approval. “Just checking,” she said. “It would be impossible even if we wanted to. The RCMP have examined that crime scene, and they'll be reporting their findings any minute now.”

  “We have to-”

  He cut off as his multi-tool vibrated. Jena's buzzed as well, suggesting that they had both been forwarded an important update. Given that he had set his tool to privacy mode during the party, whatever had come through was flagged as high priority. That made his stomach turn.

  Jena turned away from him, tapping away at the small touchscreen on her gauntlet. “What is it?” she asked of whomever she had called. “Have you figured out how the man made it past security?”

  “No, ma'am,” a woman's voice responded. “I suggest you turn on the news.”

  Jack checked his own multi-tool and found a text message from Harry instructing him to do the same. Apparently something big had just happened. “Computer,” he said, spinning to face the monitor on the wall. “Display CBC news.”

  The screen lit up with the image of Jonathan Kruger staring into the camera with that frank expression of his. “…from Parliament Hill,” he said, ending a sentence that had begun before Jack had tuned in. “An emergency session in which the prime minister declared a state of emergency following the events of tonight's terrorist attack.”