Hunting Heroes: A Superhero Novel (11 page)

“I’ll miss having you around to keep this place on track,” Patriot said.

“I’ll always be around if you need me,” Walter forced a tight-lipped grin. “Don’t go messing up everything we built. I will let my people know downstairs what happened. Talk to Edi or Hal if you need anything from the lab. I am already worried about the trouble those two will get into without me around to keep an eye on their projects. The money from the patents and contracts will keep the Assembly afloat for many years.”

“That’s reassuring, one less thing I have to worry about,” Patriot said. “It was easier when you dealt with the money and I dealt with what happened out there. I know where to go to talk to people, if I don’t Samantha does. Take care of yourself, I’ll check on you in a couple of days.”

Walter began to make his way to the doorway. When his hand reached out to grab the door handle, he froze.

“A woman or a girl…” His voice trailed off. “Mother, sister, girlfriend…”

“What?” Patriot asked.

“This was because of a woman or a girl,” Walter said and shivered. “I remember asking him last night and I don’t remember if he said who it was, but I can tell I got to him.” 

“You’re kidding? Too typical if you ask me,” Patriot said. “He is willing to take down an organization based on protecting the people of this country, because of a girl. Was it his sister, his daughter, what was she to him?”

“I don’t know, I didn’t ask,” Walter said. “Have Bloodhound start there. If I remember anything else I’ll let you know. Take care of yourself my friend.” Walter swung the heavy glass door open. He stepped out of the office, with a whistle on his lips.

“A girl,” Patriot repeated Walter’s words when he picked up a picture from the floor he knocked over earlier. “I’ve lost three good people because of a girl. How typical and cliche. But which one is it? The white glow, something about it white glow feels familiar.”

He walked over to his heavy desk and dragged it back into place with one hand. Patriot rubbed his eyes and fell back in his chair. When he opened the bottom drawer of his desk, a bottle of 100-year-old scotch rolled forward. He dug deep in the back of the drawer and found a glass. He poured himself a half full glass and took a drink. He leaned back in his high backed chair and swirled the glass of scotch around in his hand.

His cheeks puffed out when he exhaled, his eyes darted back and forth to a visible manila folder in the open drawer. He swallowed hard, cleared his throat and pressed his lips together. With a sharp intake of breath, he placed the glass on his desk. He leaned down; his hand hovered over the file for a second before he scooped it up.

“Too big,” He said under his breath and laid the folder in front of him. He took another drink and opened the manila folder.

The first page had two different columns. One header marked injured, there were over 90 names on the list. The other column was marked deceased, there were fourteen names, and only one had been crossed out, Emma.

“So many people,” he shook his head and rolled his tongue in his dry mouth. His fingers trembled when he flipped the page. The first thing he saw was a picture of his first accidental victim, paper clipped to a page of how it happened, when and who he fought on that tragic day.

Patriot rested his arm on the desk and his heavy head fell in his hand. He flipped through every page, reading every word. His eyes moistened the further he read. Each page was a life caught in one of his battles, they were the lives extinguished because of his actions. Finally, he reached the end to a girl named Emma. He unclipped the picture and sat back in his chair.

Patriot held the picture before his hazel eyes. He sniffed his nose and stared at the photo of the strawberry blond haired girl with copper eyes. The same color eyes as his adopted daughter Zoe. He ran a calloused finger over the picture and a smile began to spread across his lips.

“Oh my God, it’s him,” he jerked forward in his chair, dropping the picture of Emma on his desk. His finger scanned Emma’s page for known associates and a boy’s name stopped his eyes. A boy named Garrett who witnessed her death and his battle with Coldfire.

He reached for his phone and found empty space and. He scrambled around the room to find it.

Patriot gave up his search. “Samantha! Get me Crimson and Obsidian. Have Aperture bring them home immediately.”

“Sir?” A voice came from the phone on the floor.

“Bring them home now!” Patriot said. “

“I’ll contact the DOD immediately,” Samantha said over the intercom.

Patriot stood in the middle of his office, his eyes on the picture of Emma in his battle hardened hands. “I’ve known about you for so long. I got you now, Garrett.”

Chapter Thirteen

Soft colors reflected off the walls, bathing the room in a multitude of lights. Garrett sprawled across the sofa in loose black sweatpants and matching Blackhawks sweatshirt. His hands folded across his stomach while he watched television. He scratched at the overgrowth of dark stubble, which began to consume his face.  He attempted to push himself to get off the couch and decided he was not ready to leave his spot. It would be too much work. Garrett claimed the same spot for the better part of a month after he told his parents about who he was and what he had done. Since then he received a single text from his father, it said they needed more time.

“Hey Ethan,” Garrett said. “Mind getting me a glass of water?”

“Are you kidding me?” Ethan said from his bedroom. “Get off your butt and get one yourself. You have been lazy, even more than usual. Look, I know you are going through stuff, but this has got to stop. You got to get up and do something, anything.”

Garrett rolled his eyes. “I am doing something. I’m watching TV and staying out of trouble just like you and my parents want me to.”

“Garrett, you’re not hearing me,” Ethan said.

“What the hell are you doing in there?” Garrett closed his eyes and took a slow breath. “You guys are going to sit around and watch a movie like you always do. You don’t even need to put on pants.” His eyes drifted to the window to the right of the television to see the flurry of snowflakes descending upon the city.

“Are you wearing pants? You better be,” Ethan stepped from his bedroom and peeked over the couch.

Garrett looked over at Ethan and waved his hands over his legs.

“You are, thank God,” Ethan combed his short brown hair.

“Can you at least put on clean clothes,” Ethan said. “It kind of stinks in here and by here, I mean you.” Ethan dropped the comb on Garrett’s chest and walked to the window to the left of the television, and peered out into the snowy abyss.

“I showered today,” Garrett said.

“It was two days ago,” Ethan said from his perch in front of the window.

“Really? I thought it was today. What day is it?” Garrett said with a shrug.

“It’s Tuesday. Wow, it’s snowing hard now,” Ethan said.

“You’re a weatherman on the radio,” Garrett said. “You’re supposed to know how much we’re getting. You’ve been talking about this storm all week.”

“Well for once the models were correct,” Ethan said.

Garrett scoffed when he saw the nice pair of blue jeans and black wool sweater Ethan wore. “Do you always have to dress up when Denise is coming over? You make me feel dirty. Not the good kind of dirty.”

“You are dirty and I know how much snow we’re getting,” Ethan watched the mass of snowflakes descend to the earth. “I tried calling her, she didn’t answer.”

“I bet she killed her battery again playing that stupid fruit puzzle game. She’ll get home soon,” Garrett rolled off the couch, stretched and cracked his back.

“Ugh, I hate that noise,” Ethan curled his fingers and rubbed them against one another.

“Sorry,” Garret dragged his bare feet while he walked over to get a peek of the chaos outside. “What time is she supposed to get off work?”

“She got off work a while ago. She should have been home by now,” Ethan turned away from the window and made his way over to the couch.

“I bet there’s traffic, don’t worry, she’ll be home soon,” Garrett said. “You know how it is around Chicago when it snows. Everyone forgets how to drive when they see the first snowflake.

Ethan drew his lips tight. “I should be at the station, but they wanted the guy on ABC doing the weather today. I am not good enough to cover storms like this. So, they brought in the big guns.”

“You’re still a weather noob. You’ll be on TV one day,” Garrett said. “Well maybe not, I think you do have a face for radio.”

Ethan continued to stare out the window.

“Don’t worry,” Garrett said.

“I know. But, you know how I am,” Ethan said.

Garrett raised an eyebrow. “Yep, you are a worrier. You always have been.”

“You check out the news today?” Ethan asked.

Garrett lips curved into a slight smirk. “It’s all over the internet. This Afflicted Intelligence Agency is going to be a pain for them. Good if you ask me. Someone has to keep an eye on the Afflicted and the Assembly.”

“I thought you wanted that job?” Ethan said.

“I’m taking a sabbatical,” Garrett said.

Ethan glanced back. “I’m glad you are. Clear your head, it will be good for you. I’m surprised it took them this long to watch them a little closer.”

“They probably have been, its official now,” Garrett said.

“You have to be careful out there, more than ever,” Ethan said. “Now we’re dealing with a people a lot bigger than the Assembly. The United States government will make you disappear.”

Garrett rubbed the back of his neck. “Sage said there would be an announcement. I guess it was the AIA stepping in. You know what’s going to happen now? Every country is going to try to get as many Afflicted as they can. The Afflicted went from being people to being living weapons. I’ll worry about the AIA later or when they come knocking on our door.”

Ethan lowered his brow. “Worry about it later? Are you crazy? This is a big deal. You’ve been distant ever since Sage and when you told your parents.”

“Listen, I don’t want to talk about it,” Garrett spoke in grunts. “Some stuff I have to deal with by myself, leave it alone.”

Ethan jumped to his feet and stared down at Garrett. “They’ll understand. They need time to wrap their heads around this like I did.”

Garrett ran his hands through his black hair. “Leave it alone. I don’t blame them for not wanting to talk to me.”

“Why are you keeping this to yourself?” Ethan raised his voice. “Is it because of Denise? She does not know about any of this and I am not going to tell her anything. I keep a secret from the woman I love even though it puts her in danger. Because of my promise to you, you better tell me what’s going on?”

Garrett’s eyes drifted to the window. “This has nothing to do with Denise or my parents. It’s about me and everything I have done. Sage gave up his powers because of his memories and his love for his wife.”

Ethan nodded his head.

Garrett covered his face with his hands and exhaled. “I’ve taken my memories of Emma and used it against the Assembly to hurt Patriot.  I beat two people up to get his attention, to take out my anger. What kind of person does that?”             

“Garrett you’re--” Ethan said,

Garrett stuck is hand up. “Please, let me get this out. I let my memories ruin the life of two good men. When I look at you and what you have done with your life. I am happy for you, you’ve moved on. You have taken Emma’s death and used it in a good way. I let it rot inside of me. I take out my pain on the Afflicted. Maybe, I am getting used to it and a part of me is starting to enjoy hunting them. It could be why it didn’t hurt so much after I took Sage’s power.”

“Do you enjoy it?” Ethan asked. “After what I saw what you did to Granite you scared the hell out of me.”

“I don’t know anymore,” Garrett said. “The feeling when I look down on one of them when I take their power, it feels awesome. I know it’s wrong, I can’t help it though. I can understand how my parents are taking this. I let them down.”

“Why didn’t you say anything to me?” Ethan said.

Garrett’s shoulders slumped, his eyes closed. “I see you slipping away to Denise more and more. I want you to get away before I drag you down with me. Sage was right. I used the memory of Emma--”

Ethan reached out, placed his hands on Garrett’s shoulders and looked into his eyes. “You watched my little sister die. I know you still blame yourself for letting go of her hand. If it wasn’t for Patriot and Coldfire, Emma would still be alive today.”

“I told her to wait for me,” Garrett’s voice faded when he spoke. His eyes rolled down to his scarred hands and he remembered the blood on them when he tried to dig her out.

Ethan let Garret go and covered his eyes. “Don’t let Sage confuse you and twist this around on you. You saved him, he was in pain and you took the pain away. Don’t forget the good you can do. They love you they will come around. They don’t care if you’re an Afflicted. They are worried how you are risking for life.”

“I don’t think that’s it,” Garrett said.

Ethan swallowed hard. “Patriot misused his powers and innocent people died, like Emma. Other Afflicted in the world misuse their powers and people die. You kept telling me you wanted to speak for those people, so speak for them damn it. Those innocent people no longer have a voice. You have to be their voice. You told me that. Your power is what the Assembly will hear.”

“I lied,” Garrett clenched his jaw.

Ethan’s bushy eyebrows squeezed together. “Whenever I think about her, I want to make them pay for what they did. Then you came to me and told me you thought you had the power to stop them. Those words made it hurt a little less. The more I believed in you, the more the empty feeling seemed to go away.”

“Look what I did in her name,” Garrett said.

“You need to stop then,” Ethan said. “I lost my sister. I do not want to lose my brother. But I know how you are. You won’t stop. You are the most stubborn person I have ever met. You’re going to do what you think is right, even if you’re wrong.”

Garrett raised his eyes and offered his friend a weak smile. “Pretty much.”

“I want you to know,” Ethan said. “I never blamed you for her death, not once. It’s not your fault.”

“They’re afraid of me like you are. Where do I fit in the world now.” Garrett dropped his head in his hands.

“I’m not afraid of you,” Ethan placed a hand on Garrett’s head. “You’re still that gangly kid from down the street who had a crush on my sister.”

Garrett raised his head from his hands. “I tried to make this into something righteous, we both know it’s not. I’m not a good guy like most of the Assembly. I’m the opposite.”

“You’ve made mistakes. Everyone does,” Ethan said.

“It’s not that easy,” Garrett said. “I don’t care about being a dead person’s voice anymore. Let’s call it for what it is. It’s revenge for Emma, not justice.”

Ethan sat back down on the couch. “It’s not true. I know you don’t think that. I know you memorized every name of the people killed by Patriot.”

Garrett’s mouth hung open.

Ethan narrowed his eyes into a fierce glare. “Tell me you didn’t?”

Garrett’s chin dipped down. “I do, and there’s more than there should be.”

“Quit telling yourself it’s only about Emma,” Ethan said. “Remember when you were too afraid to tell me you might be an Afflicted? Are you still scared of being one of them?”

Garrett sat in a silence only an epic blizzard can provide.

“Well are you?” Ethan asked again.

“Every time I take one of their powers,” Garrett lowered his head. “I can feel my own power grow stronger. I feel less like the person I was before I drained one of them. It scares me. What if I can’t control it like when I was a kid? I know I let go of that beam of energy the day Emma died. It was Coldfire’s power being released and it melted the side of the building.”

“How do you know it was you?” Ethan shifted his body closer to Garrett. “You said you blacked out.”

Garrett ran his fingers through his hair. “The night in the woods after Shadow Guard, is when I figured out it was me. It’s freaking me out. What if it happens again because I’m getting stronger?”

“Why didn’t you say something sooner?” Ethan asked.

Garrett glanced at Ethan from the corner of his eye. “I didn’t want you to freak out. The power is growing, but I think it’s because I am too. Sage said the more you use it the stronger it will get. For me it must be the more I take. When I took Sage’s, it didn’t hurt like I did before.”              

“I think you need to take a break and clear your head,” Ethan said. “It’s not too late to stop. You can still have a life. It is possible. Try going back to teaching. You always said history is a lesson left by our ancestors. Learn from the past and move on.”

Garrett frowned. “Not possible.”

“Listen, I want revenge for Emma as much as you do,” Ethan said. “It’s too risky. I see that now more than ever. Honestly, I didn’t think you’d ever do it. I thought going after Patriot was an escape to deal with everything. I didn’t think you’d ever get this far.”

“Thanks for believing in me,” Garrett said.

“Garrett, you got to admit it did sound crazy,” Ethan said. “You proved me wrong though. Now they know about you and they are afraid of you, I know it. I’m afraid I’m going to lose you to Patriot, like I lost my little sister.”

Garrett’s lips curved into a grimace. “This is my life now. When I hunted Shadow Guard I stepped onto this path. I have to follow it now and see where it takes me.”

“But you don’t,” Ethan said.

Garrett cleared his throat. “I was a substitute teacher for a year. There’s no going back. How can I look those kids in the eyes knowing I took out one of their role models? What if they find me in class and hurt those kids. It’s too late.”