Reality Hero

by Ashlynn Monroe

  Dina picked up the phone and dialed her friend who produced the news at the studio.

  “Hello,” Beth said.

  “Hey, lady, I just need to check something with you. Was there anything big that happened recently, any heroes saving the city stuff?”

  “Nada, it’s been a slow news week. Why?”

  “It’s nothing, just don’t tell the old man I checked in with you.”

  “Gotcha. How’s the filming going? You never did tell me how the hell you know Mind Man.”

  “I don’t have time to talk right now. I need to go. Thanks for helping me out. When everything cools down, maybe I’ll tell you the story.” Dina knew she wouldn’t but the promise would buy her some time.

  “Take care. I’ll text you if there’s any news like that.”

  “You’re my superhero. Thanks, and I’ll see you in a few weeks.” Dina hung up.

  If I find them alive, I’m going to punch first and ask questions later. How can they do this to me?

  Dina hurried into the emergency room and pulled out a picture of the group of them taken only a couple of months before at Bridget’s birthday party.

  “How can I help you?” The question came from a very young-looking woman sitting behind the admittance desk.

  Dina showed her the picture and pointed out Zane and Ella. “I know that this sounds strange, but my sister and friend are missing, and I wanted to know if you’ve seen this woman or this man here.”

  “I haven’t seen anyone matching those pictures, but I only work part-time. There’s someone here earlier and someone here later. Leave me your number, and if I see them, I’ll call you. I’d go to the police. If they haven’t just forgotten to check in with someone, the police will help you find them. If you give me their names, I can run them through the admissions roster.”

  “My sister’s name is Ella Dell, and her friend is Zane Blair. Are they listed?” She waited anxiously.

  The woman’s fast fingers typed away at the keyboard. She paused, then typed some more. The woman gave her a little half smile and shook her head. “Well, that’s a good sign that they’re all right. They aren’t listed here. Our critical cases go upstate to Mercy General, so you could check there too. Go see the police and fill out a report. I think it’ll make you feel better.” Bonnie pushed a pad and pen to Dina.

  Dina left her number on the pad of paper advertising medication for erectile dysfunction and handed the woman back her matching pen. She thanked her and left, using the hand sanitizer in her purse on her way out. A man sitting in the waiting area sounded like he had the plague as he coughed his head off. She hoped he was there for himself and not just waiting for someone else, because he sounded terrible.

  The well-meaning young woman could have no idea that Dina wouldn’t follow her concerned advice. There was no way Dina would go to the police. What her sister and Zane did after hours was actually illegal, and she didn’t want to attract unwanted attention to the heroes or their secret identities.

  She went around the building to the hospital entrance and checked in at the front desk. “I’d like to visit Bridget Anderson, could you tell me what room she’s in?”

  The woman used an iPad to look up the information. She glanced up and smiled at Dina. “Room 1047. The gift shop has a special on roses today.”

  “Thanks, I’ll check that out.” Dina went around the desk and saw the sign indicating the gift shop. She should bring Bridget something cheerful. Dina was going to buy the flowers, but then she noticed crossword puzzles and chocolates. She knew Bridget would enjoy those more, so she bought them, along with a big bag of popcorn.

  Dina checked her phone. She had to hurry. The extra time she’d allotted herself was running out. She pressed the up button at the elevators and nodded politely to an elderly couple waiting. The older woman smiled. “I get to meet my grandbaby today,” she said proudly.

  Dina had one of those faces that made strangers talk to her. She grinned. “Congratulations. Is it a boy or a girl?”

  “Girl.”

  The elevator dinged and they all got in. The woman began to talk about the newborn’s mother, and what a good baby she’d been. Dina smiled politely, but was happy when the elevator reached her floor and she could get out. Hearing people talk about family always made her feel the loss of her own acutely. If she ever had a child, there’d be no proud grandmother to remise about her own childhood. Her parents were both dead.

  She carried her gifts into the room. Bridget’s arms, which were bandaged from wrist to elbow, lay at her sides. Dina bit her lip. She sat down next to her friend, setting the gifts on a table next to the bed. She reached out to smooth one of Bridget’s red locks of hair away from her cheek. Bridget gasped and opened her eyes.

  “Sorry,” Dina muttered.

  “It’s you? I didn’t think you’d come. Aren’t you busy ruining Zane’s life right now?”

  She’d never heard Bridget sound so bitter. “He’s missing. I’ve come up with a way to repair the damage I’ve done. I’ve been an idiot. I’ve stayed away to protect him, but I’ve only hurt him. I…oh, Bridget, I’m so goddamn sorry about everything,” Dina said miserably.

  “You should be, but hell, we all make mistakes. I was mad at all of you when Aaron died, but since I’ve been lying here, I—he made his choice. He loved being who he was. He liked the high of being a hero. I wouldn’t have wanted to take that away from him, and if I tried to I would have lost him. I miss him, a lot. He was part of me. I feel like I’ve lost half my soul.”

  Dina’s heart ached for her friend. “I can’t imagine. I miss him too, but he was your husband.”

  “The worst part is that we never had a child. With the danger I—I just didn’t want us to die and leave an orphaned kid who could end up like we did. Now all I want is a piece of him to hold onto.”

  There was a knock at the door. A man wearing a white lab coat came in. “Mrs. Anderson, can I speak to you about your condition?” He gave Dina a small smile. She noticed his ID said Dr. Richard Moore.

  “She can stay. This is my friend—sister, Dina. When can I leave? I think the medication is working. I feel better than I have in weeks.”

  “That’s good to hear, but other than the abnormalities we discussed in your blood work there was something else that I’ve found. Mrs. Anderson, Bridget, you’re pregnant.”

  Dina’s heart leapt. She looked at her friend. Bridget was white. Her mouth formed a small “o”.

  “That’s not possible.” She said the words quietly and without emotion.

  “Yes, it is, you’re about six weeks along. Did you want to talk about your options at this junction? It’s still very early.”

  Bridget gave the man a scathing look. “I’ve just lost my husband. Are you really asking me if I want to end the life of his child?”

  The man flushed. “In your current condition, I didn’t know how you’d view this. You do have options, but your window of time is closing. There’s also a chance that you could lose the child. If we work together on getting you well, then you may be able to make it to term, but with the blood loss, it puts you at an early disadvantage.”

  “I’ll do everything I can, doctor. Thank you.”

  He smiled warmly and patted Bridget’s hand. He glanced at Dina. “She’ll need her friends and family to keep a close eye on her.”

  Dina gave the man a quick nod and he left. When she looked at Bridget, the woman had tears in her eyes.

  “I haven’t lost all of him yet. I—I did forget to take my pills for a couple of days, but I’ve been on them for years. This—baby—it must have been conceived the morning he died.”

  “You deserve a miracle, Bridget. I’m so happy for you. I’m here for you, and the baby. I’m not shutting you all out again.”

  “Good, now you said Zane is missing? Is Ella okay?”

  “I can’t find Zane or Ella. When was the last time you saw them?”

  “I saw Ella yesterday. Zane hasn’t been here. I th
ink he’s waiting for Ella to tell him I’m willing to see him. Men. You know how they are. Hospitals aren’t a favorite place to visit for any of us, but I think Zane has more a phobia than the rest of us.”

  Dina nodded. As far as she knew, he’d never been to see a doctor since the escape.

  “I’m sorry to worry you, just focus on the baby. I’m going to take off. Do you need anything? I will be back to see you, either here or at home. I’m going to fix this thing between Zane and me.”

  “Good. I’m going to take a nap. I’m so tired. It was good to see you again, Dina. You’ve been missing too long.”

  She hugged Bridget, being careful of her arms, and left. Her time to search was over. Now she had to go save her job, her relationship with Zane, and the feelings of nine women.

  Chapter 12

  Dina made it to the modeling agency, only a few minutes late, and quickly looked at her notes to remember the model’s name. Mateo.

  The man stood on the sidewalk next to the curb in front of the building. He was gorgeous. He looked nervous. She got out of the car and extended her hand. He shook it nervously.

  “Hi, Mateo. I’m Dina.”

  She opened the door and threw several suitcases in the back and then three smaller bags. Great. Just what the show needs—another diva. “Is this everything?” she asked, praying the answer was yes.

  He nodded and opened the car door. He sat down in the passenger seat and buckled up.

  “Thank you for coming on this short notice, Mateo. I need a man who can stand up against some very appealing competition. Are you up to the job?”

  “I can’t believe I’m going to be on TV. This is my dream come true. Will I have my own room and enough space for my things?”

  Oh God, please don’t let him be gay. I need a straight guy to woo those women. They’ll smell a fraud coming a mile away. Don’t panic. Maybe he’s just metrosexual. Her desperate mind raced with indecision. Did she just come out and ask him or was that a lawsuit waiting to happen?

  “Did GiovAlexi tell you that this is a dating show and that nine women will be waiting for you to sweep them off their feet?”

  She hoped he’d tell her if that was going to be a problem. He smiled, but said nothing. Her suspicions weren’t alleviated.

  Going for the gusto, she opened her big mouth. “Okay, don’t sue me or get mad, but I need to make sure that you do want to date women. If you’re the winner, will you seriously want to date the woman after the show has aired? That’ll also keep your face in the tabloids if you’re out in public a lot and especially if there is PDA involved.”

  “Why are you asking me that?” He sounded upset

  Great. Make him mad before you even get out of town. Great start. The voice in her head was not always her biggest cheerleader.

  “I’m sorry, Mateo. I just want to be sure that you can fulfill the contract that you’ll sign when you get out there, and it’s a three hour drive back if you can’t check yes to all the questions. I also need to ask if you’re married or have children or communicable diseases.”

  He looked only slightly appeased. “I have married no children with communicable diseases.” He looked pleased with himself.

  His answer only heightened her suspicions. If he were straight, he’d be asking for bra sizes instead of hoping for enough room for his products when he was ready to unpack. Having several gay friends who she dearly loved and wouldn’t change for anything in the world made her gaydar fairly accurate. She had no problem with him being gay, except that she needed a man who could make the women hot for him instead of Zane. She absolutely didn’t need a man who, instead, might fall in love with Zane. That could make for some good drama. Her producer brain was running full speed ahead, but she refused to speculate on the potential ratings that twist would give her.

  “I just want to make sure you understand you have to convince nine women—there are only nine now—that you’re sexier than a man with super powers, and you’d make a better boyfriend. You have to actually want to date them, not just smile pretty when the camera pans over you.”

  “I’m straight, lady. Do you think I’m gay? I’m pretty enough to be gay, and I’ve had offers, but I am not gay.” His feathers were definitely ruffled.

  “Mateo, you’re a very good looking man, and you know what they say ‘gay or taken’, so I just had to be sure. You don’t have children and you’re single, correct? No angry girlfriend going to blast the show to the media the day it airs?”

  “Lady, you’re really not very nice. I’m straight, single, no child support to pay, and I have a clean bill of health. Do you want to check my teeth and interview my grade school teachers?”

  “No need. I started a full background check on you as soon as you told GiovAlexi you’d do the show. I did the same thing with the other contestants. No need for the media to air any dirty laundry someone forgot to own up to. I’m actually a very nice girl, however, this has been a trying week and a long day. I wish I had the luxury of time to be tactful.”

  He laughed, and his laugh was very sexy. He’d do. They talked about his background and the show and actually got to know each other. Dina liked him. He was very affable, and she enjoyed the ride back, even with the worry constantly nibbling at the back of her mind.

  She hid Mateo in Vinny’s RV, and Vinny took over an unused cabin.

  She helped Vinny carry his personal items to the cabin. “Are you sure you’re okay with this, Vinny?”

  “Those little tin cans make me claustrophobic. I’m happy to let Pretty Boy use it,” he assured her, but then she noticed he was staring at her. “You are doin’ okay, D?”

  Giving him her most brilliant false smile, she nodded. “I’m great. Why?”

  “I’ve known you for a long time, and I’m good at spotting trouble. Your face has trouble stamped all over it.”

  “Gee, that makes me feel pretty.”

  “Really, is there something going on with the hero? I saw the way he was after the boat incident. Now he’s not showing up and you’re running off and leaving production to me. You spring some model on me and tell me about a secret twist. I know damn well you haven’t approved this with Ervin or the network. What the hell is going on?”

  “I’m going to level with you, Vin. We might not have a show. Mind Man is MIA. The show must go on. This stays between us, but I know I can spin this.”

  He was silent for a moment. “I’ve seen you work magic, at least in the old days. I’m not saying a word.”

  She slapped him on the shoulder. “Thanks, Vinny.”

  “No worries, just don’t get my ass fired.”

  “Got it.”

  She gave him a quick hug and went back to her own piece of privacy. She looked at her phone to see if anyone had texted or called…nothing. Dina set it down, plugging in the charger, and sighed. Where are you? Please be okay. Kicking off her shoes, she noticed her damaged feet. When she returned home, she was going to put each pair of heels she owned into a wood chipper.

  She flopped down and began rubbing one of the aching, misused feet. A hot bath and soft bed would really help her stress decrease. She stood and walked to the back of the RV. Her shirt was off quickly and she’d just unzipped her skirt when a loud sound startled her. Dina snatched her shirt off the floor to cover her breasts as she peeked her head out of the tiny room. What she saw made her blood run cold.

  Zane flickered in and out. He was lying on the floor in his bloody street cloths just appearing and disappearing, curled up in agony. The shock brought her to her knees, and when she tried to stand her legs were too wobbly. She crawled the short distance to where he was lying. He looked like a ghost, unreal. Her hand hovered above him. She didn’t know if she could touch him, or if contact would make things worse.

  “Zane, what’s happening? Where are you?”

  He didn’t seem to notice or hear her.

  She spoke louder until she was almost screaming at him. “Zane, can you hear me? Where are you? Please help
me find you.” Taking a deep breath, she decided she had to try to reach him. Dina grabbed him as soon as he flickered in, and he suddenly felt more solid and real. “Where are you? How can I find you?”

  “Stay…away…wants…to…I love…you.”

  She fell forward. Nothing was under her hands anymore. He was gone. She might have thought it was a hallucination, except there was a puddle of blood on her floor. He was hurt and needed her. Panic rose in her chest.

  Not bothering to put on her shirt, she went running across the campground to the RV her audio-video woman, Farrah Jones, lived in. Crickets chirped loudly, somewhere a lone coyote howled. Dina ignored it all as she rushed toward the only person she could imagine had what she needed. Desperately, she pounded on the door until it opened.

  When Farrah saw her standing there, looking frazzled and half-dressed, she raised an eyebrow. “So, has this become a clothing-optional establishment?”

  “I need your help. Can you keep a secret?” Dina had to risk trusting the woman. She might be the only one who could help.

  Farrah nodded, her eyes narrowed, and Dina could see that her interest. “I can and will if you promise me I won’t go to jail for it.”

  “You won’t. I’m scared. I know you toy around with surveillance, GPS, and those types of techie things. Please, you can’t tell anyone, but Mind Man is my friend, I know he’s being hurt and needs help. I have to help him, but I don’t know where he is.” Dina sobbed on the last word.

  “Wow, slow down. Why do you think that he’s in trouble?” She looked genuinely concerned yet there was a note of disbelief in her voice.

  “Everyone knows he can just disappear when he wants. He hasn’t always been able to control it, at least not as he can now. He just showed up in my RV flickering in and out and bleeding. We have to go there and see if you can find him. He emits a frequency when he goes. In his current state, he was probably broadcasting loudly. He’s learned to control how far the signal travels, but when he’s out of control he can’t disguise or hide his signal.”