The Prospects (Book 2): Nothing Poorer Than Gods (7 page)

The tinny voice in her earpiece said, “I have it all worked out.”

“Oi! You’re listenin’ to me?”

“You can’t turn your helmet’s ears off. I heard every word you heard, including Agent O’Farrell’s painful dinner conversation with the girl.”

Inside the hotel’s restaurant, Trista absent-mindedly twirled linguini noodles around her fork.

Alex said, “You don’t like Boston’s Italian food?”

“I don’t have much of an appetite.”

“If this is about earlier, I need to fix my relationship with Emily, and your name came up in marriage counseling.”

“No, it’s … wait, my name came up?”

“If your husband got calls from another woman every night, would you like that?”

“I’ll stop calling.”

“And apparently I said your name in my sleep.”

“Oh? Why?”

“I don’t know, I don’t remember my dreams. It doesn’t help that I’m with you for the second night in a row instead of back at home.”

“The helicopter’s engine malfunctioned. These things happen.”

“I need to spend more time with my family. But you didn’t tell me why you’re not eating.”

“I can’t stop thinking about Candilyn.”

“She’s not our problem.”

“She won’t do well in prison.”

“You did. No offense, but she’s tougher than you”

“I was a part of a gang, I respected the correctional officers and the powerful inmates, and I avoided fights. Candilyn is going in alone, has no respect for anyone, and always gets in fights.”

“You were in a gang?”

“I was an Ultra-Genius. We watched each other’s backs. If not for them, prison would’ve been hell.”

“Candilyn has a healing factor. She’ll survive any beating she gets.”

“Years of abuse will make her evil.”

Alex finished his steak. “What do you want me to do about it?”

“I want you to do for her what you did for me.”

“I didn’t know what to do for you, which is why I called in Chaplain Monaghan and a therapist. Given the way Candilyn treated the martial arts experts I brought in to train her, I don’t expect much cooperation.”

“You made me believe I could be saved. No one ever did that for Candilyn.”

“You’re a better person than she is, even with a worse criminal record. You didn’t act of your own free will and you still faced the consequences. Candilyn did what she did of her own volition. If she commits any more crimes, that’s on me.”

“Jail will make her more likely to commit crimes.”

“I’ll arrest her when she does.”

“Is there anything we can do for her?”

“No. End of conversation. We have too many other things to worry about.”

In the hotel lobby, Malone looked comical with his muscular bulk crammed into a Boston Celtics jacket two sizes too small, but years of experience as a commando and a bodyguard taught him how to blend in. As he held a plastic grocery story bag, families and businessmen walked past him as if he were a piece of furniture. So did Alex and Trista.

He looked at his phone’s text message. Puca listened when the front desk gave Alex and Trista their cards and sent out their room numbers to the rest of the team.

Slick Shadow turned himself into a thick liquid and flowed through the hotel’s narrow ventilation system. He kept pace with Trista and Alex but stopped above the hallway to their rooms.

Alex opened the door to his room. Trista peeked in.

“You have two beds?”

“I asked for one. Your room is next door.”

“Wait. Can we share a room?”

“Absolutely not.”

“I understand you want more distance, but I have a hard time sleeping with no one else around. Every sound I can’t pin on someone else reminds me of Sergeant Hammer coming into my room at Griffin Tower. I mean, Kayleigh spent last weekend at her parents’ house, and I watched movies for two nights in a row.”

“I don’t have a change of clothes, and I’m not sleeping in these suit pants. Good night.” Alex closed the door.

After midnight, Puca appeared in the ice room with an echoing pop and Malone by her side. Slick Shadow poured in through the overhead air condition duct and reformed his body.

“Dat’s what I mean by boredom,” whispered Puca as she met with Slick Shadow and Malone. “Four soddin’ hours waitin’ for them to go to sleep.”

Malone handed her the grocery bag.

Puca pulled out a clear bag full of cloudy fluid. “Slick, hold dis.”

Slick Shadow look inside the shopping bag. “Let’s see, empty vodka bottle, empty bottle of sleeping pills, and suicide note in forged handwriting. I still say I should take care of the girl. She couldn’t escape my black hole psychic defense technique last time.”

“You’d slash her to pieces. Less blood Flayer cleans up, less piss da Handler takes out of us. And Malone can handle a wee lass.” Puca handed Malone a circuit-covered keycard. “You first.”

Malone put the keycard in Trista’s door and pulled a white canvas sack from inside his jacket. He opened it and slipped into her room without a sound.

Slick Shadow put the bag down, assumed his viscous form, and slipped into a vent.

When Puca heard a muffled whimper from inside Trista’s room, she knocked on Alex’s door.

No answer.

She knocked again.

On the other side of the door, Alex said, “Trista, is that you?”

In the other room, Trista emitted another muffled whimper.

Puca waited for the door’s peephole to darken. She pointed one finger at the bag and the other at the middle of the door.

The bag went limp when she teleported the sleeping pills dissolved in vodka directly into his stomach.

Alex doubled-over. He felt like a heavyweight boxer slugged his belly.

Slick Shadow slipped through the heat vent and landed behind Alex. His boneless arms wrapped around Alex’s elbows and knees.

Alex wrestled against Slick Shadow’s soft oily arms. The harder he fought, the faster the alcohol and tranquilizer entered his bloodstream. Before long he felt too light-headed and groggy to even be afraid.

Malone opened the next room’s door. Trista’s head shook furiously under the bag and her wrists strained against the handcuffs that kept them behind her back.

Puca opened Alex’s door with the circuit-covered keycard. “Dis was easy.”

Waves crashed against Pete’s stony feet as the sun set behind the Atlantic coastline.

Pinwheel yelled, “Don’t go too far out. The island stops real abruptly. It’s a deep drop to the bottom.” He led Gary to the edge of the beach and pointed. “See those jagged lines on the horizon? That’s New York City.”

It’s too far for me.” Gary’s compound eyes squinted. “Is that Rock Jock?”

Pete didn’t turn around. “I used to be.”

“I can’t believe you guys are here. I love the Young Sentinels. I watched your videos before I ran away from home. But, Pinwheel, what happened to your multi-colored hair?”

Pinwheel rubbed his buzz cut. “That look wasn’t really me.”

“Is Cantrip here? He’s my favorite.”

“No.”

“Too bad. There aren’t enough Jewish superheroes. You and Stardancer were a great duo. Remember that time when you fought Dragon-Dude? You said …”

They said the line simultaneously. “His breath is worse than his bite.”

Gary laughed. “And then Knockout Rose punched him so hard he did a backflip.”

“Yeah, that stuntman was committed.”

“What?”

“We were actors. All our battles were staged.”

“Really?

Pete turned around. “I killed a little girl. That wasn’t acting.”

“Easy, Pete,” said Pinwheel. “Agent O’Farrell said you did the right thing.”

Gary said, “I don’t know what happened with Pig-Girl. One second she’s sweet, the next she pulls out a knife, licks it, and starts stabbing. Then the farmhouse blows up, and those other guys attack from all directions.”

“It’s over,” said Pinwheel. “Let’s enjoy the sunset.”

In the gym, Knockout Rose hit the heavy bag with her stun gloves turned off. Every time she did, the stripped-shut gashes in her cheek stung.

Arbalest, also in full costume, entered the gym with his crossbow in his hands. She glared at him and punched the bag harder.

Arbalest glared back and said nothing. He went to the window.

In the medical building, Deon said, “Hey, Jenny, I can take you to the beach to watch the sunset.”

Jenny didn’t look up from her Kindle. “I prefer sunrises.”

“What are you reading?”

“
The Art of War
.”

“Is it better than the movie? You know, with Wesley Snipes?”

Jenny raised an eyebrow.

“I’m kidding. Is there anything in there about being nervous about starting pre-med school?”

“Try not to run away, and if you do don’t pee yourself.”

“You won’t let me live that down, will you?”

Jenny went back to her Kindle. “Vijay would have a better comeback.”

Ruby snapped her claws from her seat at the foot of Joey’s bed. “Don’t give up, dude. It takes persistence to get a girl.”

In the middle of the island, Billy Two bleated and jumped around nervously.

Steve looked back. “What’s his problem?”

At the helipad near the airstrip, Stormhead pointed to the approaching helicopter.

Magna’s eyes glowed a pale shade of blue. “I see ‘MAB’ on the side.”

Harry said, “At least your telescopic enhancements are working. Maybe your x-ray emitters were burned out from the medical work.”

“I cannot account for our helicopter. I scanned each component before it left. Whatever caused the malfunction must have occurred between here and Boston.”

“We can survive one night without a helicopter,” said Stormhead. “Magna, let’s retrieve the prisoner. Harrison, stay here and make small talk with the agents.”

Harry wrung his hands. “Small talk is a big problem for me.”

Stormhead and Magna flew across the island to the room that held Noah. “Against the wall with your back to us.” Stormhead put his hands against the door and sent electricity into it before opening it.

Noah stood against the far wall, still wearing shackles and a psychic nullifier. “Who’s the robot?”

“Do not ask questions. Agent O’Farrell is not here to protect you.”

Magna pulled Noah up the stairs by his shackles.

“Where’s Joey?” asked Noah.

Stormhead allowed electricity to crackle along his fingertips. “Away from you.”

“Can I say goodbye to him?”

Gary watched Stormhead and Magna lead Noah out of the cells. “Where are they taking him?”

“Back to prison,” said Pinwheel.

“Can I talk to him one last time?”

“Stormhead told me to keep you away.”

Gary tried to step around Steve but Steve held his arms out.

“Please,” he said. “I know he was a villain, but I want to say goodbye to him.”

“I can’t let you.”

“Remember when you told Stardancer that you can’t be good if you aren’t nice?”

“One of the worst lines I ever had to memorize.”

Gary quit pushing. “What’s going to happen to me?”

“We’re taking you back to your parents in Long Island.”

“I don’t want to go back. I flew away for a reason.”

“You’re a minor and a missing person. You don’t have a choice.”

“What about Ruby? She’s thirty-something.”

“She can go anywhere she wants.”

“So she’ll be homeless again?”

In the gym, Arbalest watched Magna and Stormhead lead Noah towards the helipad through his crossbow’s scope. “Resist arrest, freak. I want to sink a bolt between all four of your eyes from here. A broad-headed bolt, right in the middle.”

Knockout Rose punched the heavy bag so hard the chains rattled.

“You mind, sweetcheeks?” said Arbalest. “I’m trying to focus.”

She punched the bag harder.

“You should show more respect,” Arbalest said. “If not to your elders, then to your betters.”

She hit the bag with a combination of punches.

In the medical building, Jenny put her Kindle down. “Who’s in the lower level?”

“Nobody,” said Deon.

“I heard a door open down there.”

“It’s just the waves.”

The sounds of squishing steps echoed from the doorway leading to the lower level.

Ruby said, “I heard that.”

Pete stepped further into the surf to get a better look at theapproaching shiny white things among the crests of breaking waves. “Are those dolphins?”

By the time he saw they were more squid than dolphin – and more human than squid – they were already running up the beach in a wave of gnashing beaks surrounded by tendrils. They stood on thick rubbery stalks and spread boneless arms that ended in swirling tendrils.

Before Pete unfroze, Gary and Pinwheel were surrounded by charging creatures with squid-like faces, cephalopod fins on their hips, and humanoid bodies covered with pale rubbery skin. Pinwheel repelled them with a series of blinding flashes.

“Is this your escape plan?” asked Stormhead.

“I don’t know what those are,” said Noah.

Magna looked up. “Large birds are approaching. Their shapes do not match anything in my biology database.”

Billy Two bolted across the island.

“Why are they stopping?” Arbalest barely heard his own question over the beating Knockout Rose gave the heavy bag. “Do you have to do that now?”

Knockout Rose gave the bag a last punch and opened the door. She froze when she saw the oncoming rush of squid-men coming in with the tide.

In the medical center, the stench of rotting fish got overwhelming when the lower level door swung open.

The room got ice-cold when Jenny threw a burst of wind to shut the door again.

They caught a glimpse of flailing tentacles as the door slammed shut.

Deon picked up Ruby. “Marcia, Jenny, hold down the fort.” He ran to the door faster than an Olympic sprinter.

He stopped as soon as he got outside.

The squid-men were all around and the shadows of monstrous human-headed birds darkened the skies.

“Aw hell,” said Ruby, “this ain’t good.”

At the helipad,
the MAB helicopter pilot and agents were trained to deal with supervillains, not hordes of aquatic monsters.

“Everyone back on board,” said the pilot. “We are out of here.”

“Wait,” said Harry. “Our helicopter didn’t come back. You have to take us.”

“Handle this yourselves, superheroes,” said an agent.

Deon appeared in front of the elevator’s door and pushed Ruby into the helicopter.

“What are you doing?” asked an agent.

With a streak of kicked-up sand Deon was gone again.

Ruby snapped her claw. “I don’t weight much, and I taste great with butter.”

Magna took to the skies. Its vibration blast spread in a cone and destroyed the birds’ bones on contact.

Stormhead flew over the beach and rained lightning bolts on the squid-men around Pinwheel.

Pinwheel lowered his arms. Gary ran past him, flapped his wings furiously, and flew towards the helicopter.

Pete grabbed every squid-man who came near him and threw it back into the surf. Several shattered their razor-sharp beaks against his stone skin as he ran after Pinwheel.

In the gym, Knockout Rose slammed the door and threw free weights against it.

Arbalest turned around. “Now you’re being immature. It takes concentration to get a good shot, and I can’t do that if you’re louder than a …

The squid-men threw themselves against the door. Only the weights kept it from opening all the way.

Knockout Rose grabbed a dumbbell and threw it against a squid-man’s head. It

Arabalest fired bolt after bolt at the monsters.

It was so cold in the medical building that Jenny’s breath showed as her wind blast kept the door closed.

Marcia shoved an unused bed against the door.

In a flash Deon came back into the room. “Joey, we’re getting out of here.”

Joey moaned as Deon cradled him.

“What’s going on?” asked Marcia.

“Monsters everywhere.”

“Monsters?” asked Jenny.

“The chopper’s taking off.” In a flash he was gone again.

Deon dodged a gauntlet of squid-men in under a minute to get back to the helicopter as it started to rise.

The agentd tried to shove Gary out as Deon pushed Joey in, but Pinwheel pushed Gary back in from behind.

Noah dug his fingers under the psychic nullifier’s chin strap. He scraped the flesh off of his chin but couldn’t force it off.

Harry disappeared in a puff of granular smoke.

Pinwheel heard a buzz in his ear as he stepped back.

Deon ran back to the medical room.

The helicopter rose quickly.

Pinwheel looked around as Pete caught up with him. “Kayleigh.”

In the gym, Arbalest slapped another magazine of bolts into his crossbow. “They won’t stop coming!”

Knockout Rose grabbed the last dumbbell. Instead of throwing it at the squid-man climbing over a pile of his fallen comrades, she threw it through the window.

She kicked broken glass out of the pane. “This side’s clear.”

Arbalest lifted the window near him and followed her out.

Deon got back to the medical building before the front door closed.

Jenny shivered in the cold air despite the beads of sweat on her forehead.

Marcia shoved Joey’s old bed against the door.

Pale green slimy tentacles poked through the cracks.

Deon put his arms under Jenny’s shoulders and knees and strained to lift her.

The air got colder as Jenny created a strong wind at Deon’s back. “What about Marcia?”

Marcia braced her legs against the floor. “I won’t make it.”

“I’ll tell them to …”

“Go!”

Deon ran as fast as he could with Jenny in his arms, which was considerably slower than usual.