by Izzy Szyn
“Things were strained a bit between us for a while,” continued Noah.
“It was the worst thing that has happened between us. I felt like I was cheating when I fantasized about being with you. And with the Noah, too,” Vanessa told her.
“I felt the same way,” Noah confessed.
“The two of you could have anyone you wanted,” Amy replied. She saw in their eyes what they were saying was true. To have these two feel for her what she felt for them was overwhelming. “I've had the same feelings for both of you, and I felt like I was cheating when I thought about Dark Master and Calypso. Now I know why. My heart somehow knew you were the same people.”
“We never met you as them until a few days ago,” Vanessa pointed out.
“Yeah, but your exploits would be on television. I'm sure that I'm not the only person that’s fantasized about being with you two,” Amy explained. “With either of your identities, really. “
“So are we okay?” Noah asked. ‘I think Commissioner James is one of your strongest allies. He threatened to kick our asses.”
“What about me working with you as Artemis? Were you serious about it?” Amy questioned them.
“Absolutely, you’re smart, and even though you went about it the wrong way, you were actually trying to help people,” Noah told her. He placed a finger over her lips, sending tingles throughout her body. “I understand why you felt you had to do it.”
“We like your mom,” Vanessa said. “I went with Al to get her and she just came along without questions asked. She bragged about what you did. She thinks you shouldn’t have been punished because that arrogant son of a bitch put you in the situation where you felt you had no choice.”
“She told me the same thing,” Amy admitted.
“What do you say?” Noah asked. “About working with us, in and out of Adams Tech?”
“Can I think about it?” Seeing the disappointment in his eyes almost made her change her mind.
“After what happened today, I can’t say I blame you,” Noah said quietly.
“It hasn’t got anything to do with what’s happened today. You both apologized. It has a lot to do with me. I'd thought that I'd buried Artemis in the past. Now suddenly Artemis is being brought back,” explained Amy. “I had no intention of ever resurrecting her. But now because of this dipshit, I’m forced to dig her up. I’ll do everything in my power to help bring him down, but after that I’m going to leave it up in the air, for right now.”
“I see your point,” commented Vanessa. “No wonder you went into overload. I hadn’t thought about what it would be like to revisit something that you thought you’d buried. Like Noah said though, you tried to help people. Granted what you did was illegal, but I can admit, at least in this room, I was silently cheering you on.”
“Thanks,” Amy squeezed her hand. “What I did was wrong, but at the same time I don’t regret a single thing. There were families literally freezing, because they had to decide whether to eat or stay warm. They had to heat water on the stove to bathe because the heat had been turned off. I thought it was wrong for them to struggle to pay for something as basic as clean water, food, and shelter. Unfortunately, my story is all too common. There are many more kids like myself that are going through what I did and more.”
“Maybe you should sue the fathers?” suggested Noah. “Why didn’t you sue yours?”
“The thought never occurred to me, to be honest. But also, he has a lot of politicians in his back pocket. Do you know how hard I had it, to apply for any other job than a customer service job? Somehow he knew when I was applying for something. I’d make it through the interview just fine, think I had the job, but then get told that it was given to someone else,” Amy answered. “They spout family values, but then they don’t keep their zippers closed.”
“Maybe that could be Artemis' new mission. Calling out these people. Instead of shaming the mothers, shame the men that got them that way.” suggested Noah. “I've already been in contact with some friends of mine that do business with his bank. They're pulling their accounts as we speak.”
“Why?” Amy was speechless.
“Because real men take responsibility for their children. The expected, and the surprises,” Noah kissed her. “Think about it?”
“Okay.” He really did give her something to think about.
He stood up holding his hand out. “Let’s go eat. Then you’re to go to bed, to sleep.”
“Al had a bed made up for you,” Vanessa told her.
“I'm not sleeping in your bed?” The hell she wasn’t. Before Noah could answer, her cell phone rang.
“Looks like cell service is back,” observed Vanessa.
AL AND RUBY
For the first time in she didn’t know how long, Ruby was aware of the man walking beside her. He was very polite, charming, and hot. She loved the way he stood up for her daughter. The one thing she always regretted is that Amy hadn’t had any strong males in her life to show that there are some good ones. “I appreciate you standing up for Amy.”
Al told her. “I was leery at first when they brought her here, but they fit together.”
“Yeah, they do,” Ruby agreed. “She always had this look in her eyes when she talked about them.”
“They had the same in their eyes when they discussed her,” Al replied. “I think we should do everything we can to make sure they stay together.”
“Are you plotting a little matchmaking?” Ruby asked hm. “Because I’m all for it.”
“Not a little,” Al grinned at her. “Have to admit, I’m glad she takes after you in more than just looks. Before you ask, yes, I’m flirting with you. Once they put Hinderer away and things get back to some sort of normal, would you like to go out to dinner and maybe a movie?”
“You mean like a date?”
“No, not like a date, it will be a date.” Al opened the door to her room, “Dinner will be served in about ten minutes. We’re having fried chicken.”
“What, no lobster? No steak?” teased Ruby.
“Mr. Noah and Miss Vanessa like the simple home cooked meals, they’re not really fans of lobster and other things most people associate with the rich,” Al informed her.
“I was teasing,” Ruby told him. “Actually, if Amy had it her way, she’d eat chicken practically every day.”
“You’ll have to tell me what she does and doesn’t like,” requested Al.
“I will definitely do that,” Ruby promised. He really was sweet. The bedroom was bigger than the first apartment she had with Amy, when she was a baby.
“I’ll see you shortly. Would you like me to show you the way to the dining room?” asked Al.
Ruby had seen the dining room when she first arrived, and had a memory like an elephant. But she was also smart enough to take advantage of perhaps the best thing that’s happened to her since Amy. “I’d love that.”
“See you in about ten minutes.” Al said before shutting the door. Williams was an even bigger idiot than Al originally thought. Thankfully, Al wasn’t an idiot.
HINDERER’S LAIR
“Bean Dive, this is Johnny speaking.”
“Yes, I’d like to know if Amy Wilson will be working tomorrow?” Hinderer asked into the phone
“Sorry, can’t give out employee information,” said the employee.
“This is Noah Adams,” lied Hinderer.
“I don’t care if you’re the freaking Pope, I’m not giving that information over the phone,” Johnny replied. “How do I know that you’re not some kind of psycho serial killer?”
“I AM NOT CRAZY,” Hinderer said. “LET ME SPEAK TO YOUR MANAGER.”
“One second,” Johnny answered. “Mr. Rudolph? Someone wants to speak with you.”
“This is Mr. Rudolph.”
“Yes, this is Noah Adams and I’d like to know if Amy Wilson will be working tomorrow?” Hinderer had heard from several people in the coffee shop about how he and his assistant have been flirting with Amy for month
s.
“We can’t take the risk of someone trying to harm our employees,” the manager said. “But if you give me your name and number, I will give it to her when she comes in on her next shift.”
“Okay, the name is Noah Adams,” Hinderer lied. “Number is five-five-five one thousand.” He hung up the phone, thinking, snot faced bastard, thinks he could be snotty with him and get away with it? Who did he think he was?
Where the hell was the little bitch? Hinderer started to pace. He’d gone to the coffee shop earlier and was disappointed she wasn’t there. One of the employees told him that today was her day off.
Then he went to her apartment building and interviewed some of her neighbors, who said that Amy hadn’t come back after being taken into custody by Dark Master and Calypso. Could they have her hidden somewhere?
Picking up the phone, he made a call to the Commissioner. Surely he would be able to give him information about whether she was in jail or not. “Commissioner James is not in at the moment, please leave your name, number and a brief message, and he’ll get back with you. Goodbye.”
“Damn it,” He threw the phone against the wall, the phone smashing into pieces. Damn it, now he’ll have to get another phone. This was the third one this month. They should make them more solid.
BACK AT THE ADAMS MANSION
Amy looked around the room that Al had showed her to. It was a nice room, but she wasn’t going to sleep here. They’re not going to treat her with kid gloves because of what had happened.
Hearing a knock on the door, she opened it to see her mom on the other side. “Hi, how's your room?”
“Lovely. Why aren’t you in their room?” Ruby said when she walked in. “Is it because I'm here?”
Now that Ruby said it, Amy had to wonder if she was here because of how they thought her mom would object. It was sweet, now that she thought about it. “What do you mean?”
“Amy Elizabeth Wilson, I've been your mother for how long? Now, if it's because some people might not accept what you have with them, then tell them to fuck off. You love them don’t you?”
How do you admit to your parent that you’re in love with two people? “Well,” Amy started to answer.
“Are you lying to me or yourself?” Ruby asked. “I don't care if you love them, as long as they love you and treat you right. Which, from what I can tell, they do. Otherwise they wouldn’t have come and got me. They risked me knowing about them to help you.”
Amy sat on the bed and thought about the banter they'd been engaging in for months. About the time that the rumors started circulating that they'd changed some of their interrogation techniques. “We've been flirting for months,” she told her mother.
“Every time you talked about them, your eyes would light up like the Fourth of July. I've been waiting to hear you say it out loud. Now, again, why are you in here rather than with them?”
“They just put me in here,” Amy said. “I was surprised.”
“Don't you think you should get your ass down there? Unless, after what happened, you want to be alone?” Ruby asked her.
“No, I don't want to be alone. I think everything hit me at once. I thought that I had Artemis dead and buried. Now two sides want to bring her back. The evil bastard that is trying to put this city in a tech blackout, which I'd never do. And then there’s them. They want me to join them, permanently.”
“They’re smart people. They know what they want. I think that Artemis was never completely dead, just in a coma waiting for a purpose to come out for,” her mother told her.
“I think you're right,” Amy agreed.
“I believe that I've given you enough to think about,” Ruby walked to the door. “You know an added benefit to becoming involved with them?”
“What’s that?”
“Think how much it would piss the son of a bitch that is your father off,” Ruby grinned. “Especially if you invite him to the wedding.”
“Mom? You're horrible,” Amy started to laugh. Not many parents would be so open about being involved in a triad. She had the coolest mom on the planet.
“Yeah, but don’t warn those two down the hall until it's too late to back out. I'm lucky I'm going to have a son and daughter-in-law. Go fuck their brains out. I brought ear plugs. I love you, but I don't want to hear you screaming as you come.”
Amy felt her face turn beet red. She was sure she'd turn into a redhead after this conversation. “Night mom.”
DOWN THE HALL
“Did we do the right thing? I swear, after one night, this bed feels strange without her,” Vanessa asked Noah.
“I know, but it’s for the best,” Noah agreed. “She’s been through a lot. I think she might appreciate the time to herself. Plus, we can't guarantee that she won’t scream. She might be uncomfortable with her mom here.”
Before she could reply, there was a soft knock. Damn, Vanessa thought. Couldn’t they behave themselves for one night? Hopefully it was for something simple. Getting up, she opened the door to see Al. “Hey, did the Commissioner call?”
“No, I'm here for another matter,” replied Al. “It’s about Amy.”
“Is she okay?” Noah came to the door.
“Can I come in?”
“Yeah, sure,” Noah stepped aside. “What’s wrong with Amy?”
“What’s wrong is you two are here and she is down the hall. I thought you'd finally come to your senses,” Al said.
“Senses?” Noah asked.
“Yes, senses. I've heard the two of you do nothing but talk about her for months. You finally have her here and she is sleeping down the hall?”
Noah felt his face turn red. Al was like a father to him. After his parents were arrested for fraud and embezzlement, Al stepped in to raise Noah when no one else would. None of his parents’ families wanted anything to do with him. They thought that he was as big a thief as his parents.
One of the things that Noah vowed was to regain the money that was taken from him and to avenge his parents. He knew without a doubt some bastard set them up. That was one of things that made him become Dark Master. “I thought she might need time to herself. She's been through enough. “
“Do you think she believes that? Or maybe what happened freaked you out and you changed your minds about wanting her?” asked Al.
“We haven’t changed our minds,” Vanessa protested. “With everything that’s happened, plus her mom is down the hall, we thought she’d appreciate time to herself.”
“I think that Ruby is smart enough to realize how the three of you feel for each other,” Al remarked. “So if you don’t mind, I'd like to say bullshit. Either you want her or you don’t. Or is it only when things are easy?”
“You do have a point,” admitted Vanessa. “But our relationship is not normal.”
“Do you think Ruby gives a flying fig?” Al asked her. “What if Amy thinks you don’t want her anymore because of what happened?”
“Of course, we still want her,” Noah said.
“You’ve got a good way of showing it, by putting her in a room down the hall,” Al silently hoped that his legs wouldn’t catch on fire. “What if she thinks you just wanted her for one night? Even now she could be planning on leaving.”
“The hell she is,” Noah replied. “She isn’t going anywhere.”
“How do you plan on stopping her?” Al asked. “I’m going to bed now, it’s been a long day. But I think you should get your ass down the hall.”
“Great advice, Al,” Vanessa said. “Thanks.”
*****
Waiting outside of Amy’s room, Ruby saw Al walking towards her, smiling. That was fun. “Well?”
“They bought it,” Al said. “I think I left them looking for handcuffs. How about you?”
“Let’s just say she won’t be sleeping alone tonight.” Ruby grinned.
“May I escort you to your room?”
“I’d love that,” Ruby agreed.
HINDERER’S LAIR
Hinderer
smiled as the woman was dragged into his warehouse. Who knew killing could be so much fun? What’s even more fun is watching the look of horror on their faces as they slide through the floor.
“What the hell is going on? I demand you release me this instant,” the woman demanded. “Who are you?”
“You’re not in a position to demand anything,” he said to the woman. “Don’t you remember me, Patti?”
“You’re that guy that bumped into me,” Patti recognized him. “What do you want from me? My husband will pay you anything to get me back.”
“Considering how you acted, he just might thank me,” Hinderer walked over to her. “You’re mean, nasty, and horrible to people. I’ve been listening to your phone calls. Tell me, do you make being a bitch a hobby? Especially to people you call on the phone?”
“What are you talking about?” Patti asked.
“Let’s see, you called the electric company saying that they were price gouging and that you demanded they lower your bill. When they declined, you asked for a supervisor, and when he declined, you gave in and pay your bill. Then there was the cable company, same thing. You denied playing pay-per-view movies. When you know good and well that your husband has a porn addiction that needs to be fed every night,” Hinderer loved watching her face go pale.
“They get paid to talk to people like me,” protested Patti. “I don’t have to be nice to them. It’s their job.”
“It’s their job to answer the phones, not to be insulted,” Hinderer said to her. “You, and people like you, are the things that customer service people love to complain about in their breakrooms. Now, you’re going to have to explain to the powers that be, why you’re such a bitch. I bet their getting your room in Hell ready as we speak.”
“Let me go and I won’t tell,” Patti promised.
Hinderer smiled, he could practically smell the fear. Maybe he should have done this a long time ago. “I’m tired of playing, you’re boring me,” Hinderer stopped by the panel. “My babies haven’t been fed for a while,” he said before pushing the button.
