Hunting Heroes: A Superhero Novel (24 page)

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Darkness inched across the eastern horizon, to reclaim the City of Chicago once again. Orange and pink painted the western sky, while the sun bid the city its daily farewell. The El rumbled throughout the neighborhood, it carried the sound of home to many people in Lincoln Park. Garrett strolled down Sheffield Avenue, hands in his pocket, eyes on the street ahead. He took notice of how empty the streets were on a perfect Sunday evening. Only flowered dogwood trees, a few random cars, quiet row houses and wrought iron fences surrounded him.

Garrett walked towards the large white stone cathedral on the corner and marveled at its beauty. The warm stone a stark contrast to the black he wore. His borrowed trench coat hid the bulletproof vest and sweat stained tee shirt. The gauntlet he stole from Shadow Guard peeked out from underneath his left sleeve.

Garrett spent the day since he left Ethan and Morgan in the woods going throughout the city’s personal points of interest. He started near his old apartment, where he took a life and almost lost his own in battle. He then walked down the street to where he had saved Valkyrie and Cannon. Garrett made his way to the rooftop in Wrigley-ville, the site of his first battle and victory with the Afflicted hero Shadow Guard. His trip of memories ended near the Art Institute, to the spot where a newsstand once stood. Where he lost Emma to his hero and where he learned he too was an Afflicted.

Garrett gripped the black wrought iron fence surrounding the cathedral. He closed his dark blue eyes and bowed his head to offer a quick prayer. Somewhere in the trees behind him, he heard a crow caw repeatedly. He had his answer.

“Oh, shut up,” he whispered and pushed himself away. He wiped the sweat from his brow with his clammy right hand and took a deep breath.

His burner phone vibrated in his right coat pocket. He struggled to dig it out because of the gauntlet on his left hand.

“Walter?” Garrett answered and glanced around the block.

“Are you safe?” Walter’s voice sounded raspy over the phone.

“Yeah, what happened to your voice?” Garrett leaned back against the wrought iron fence, watching the deserted street where his prey resided.

“Garrett, listen to me,” Walter said. “He knows you’re coming.”

A smirk twisted across Garrett’s face, his heart beat a bit faster from the news. His mind played out the battle between him and Patriot. Even in his personal thoughts, he did not know who would be the victor.

“Garrett, are you there?” Walter said.

Garrett blinked away his daydream. “I’m here. What happened?”

“I had a little visit from Patriot,” Walter said. “We had a bit of a disagreement on helping the enemy of the Assembly. Words were said, people were flung across the yard.”

“What did he do?” Garrett’s voice rose to a growl.

“I’m fine, don’t worry about me,” Walter said. “Morgan stopped by for a visit, she’s still here.”

Garrett pulled the phone away from his ear, clenched his jaw and shook his head.

“Garrett?” Walter said.

Garrett raised the phone to his ear, tapping the fence with his left hand. The sound of iron on steel vibrated through the immediate area.

“I’m here,” Garrett said.

“Focus on the task at hand,” Walter said.

“I am focused,” Garrett’s voice dropped to a low tone.

“You’re there already aren’t you?” Walter said. “I’m assuming the street is remarkably clear from any civilian traffic.”

“Yep,” Garrett glanced south down Sheffield Avenue and then up Webster Avenue. “I can’t believe he lives so close to DePaul and managed to pull off hiding here for so long.”

“He lived there before he became an Afflicted,” Walter said.

“Must be nice,” Garrett said. He tugged the coat off his shoulders and flipped it over the fence. He felt eyes on him so he surveyed the windows and rooftops to see if it was not just paranoia with a touch of nerves.

“You can still hop on the El,” Walter said. “I can find you a safe house.”

Garrett chuckled into the phone while he retightened the straps of his vest so it hugged him.

“I thought so,” Walter said.

“It’s too late, this needs to end,” Garrett shuddered when he spoke. His afflicted sense came to life with a slow crawl up his spine. “He’s here, goodbye Walter.”

The phone dropped from Garrett’s fingers. Walter’s indistinguishable voice repeated from the receiver. Garrett walked forward right down the middle of Sheffield Avenue. His right hand fiddled with joints on the gauntlet. His metal-garbed fingers flexed in preparation. With a sharp intake of breath, his body calmed, like it always did before a brawl with an Afflicted.

The figure landed with a loud crash, leaving a shallow crater in the middle of the street. Garrett shielded his face from the blast of air when it rushed him, the car windows around him exploded into shards of tempered glass.

Garrett shook his head. “That was unnecessary.”

Patriot rose from the depression he created, his hazel eyes locked on Garrett. “You!” He wore a navy blue sleeveless trench coat and matching pants. His face hidden under a blue hood; it was the signature look of the leader of the Assembly.

Patriot pulled back his blue hood and tore off his goggles, his face lined with creases. “You took her away from me!”

Garrett’s eyes fluttered open when he realized Patriot shot towards him. He dodged the straight punch, he did not move in time to avoid Patriot’s elbow. His balance shattered and a flurry of punches and roars erupted from Patriot. Garrett blocked and deflected many attacks, the few that did connect kept Garrett on defense.

“I know your weaknesses,” Patriot screamed in between his punches and kicks.

“And I know yours,” Garrett said under his breath.

Garrett stepped back and Patriot surged forward. He slipped under a right hook and noticed an opening. He unleashed a uppercut, smashing Patriot square in the chin. He followed with a left hook, the metal on the gauntlet vibrated when it slammed into the side of Patriot’s face.

“It’s me,” Garrett said.

Patriot burst back half a block with his power of flight. The surge of energy pushed Garrett in the opposite direction. Garrett steadied himself, trying to catch his breath. His face and body were already bloody and bruised from the initial attack.

“You’ve ruined everything,” Patriot floated above the street, shaking his head. “You took her away from me.”

Garrett’s body heaved as he tried to catch his breath. “You did it to yourself.”

“No, you turned her against me. You turned my best friend against me. You made my people lose faith in me,” Patriot flew to a car parked to his right. He ripped the door off with ease. His battle crazed eyes focused on Garrett. “I’ve wasted too much time on you already.”

A faint smirk spread across Garrett’s swollen lip. “I’ve wasted 15 years hating you.”

“You parasite,” Patriot roared and flung the door at Garrett.

Garrett’s eyes opened wide, instinct took control and spurred his body into motion. He dodged to his left across the hood of a car. The metal gauntlet shrieked across the hood as Garrett tried to steady himself in his escape. The car door sliced through the air where Garrett stood moments ago and broke apart when it embedded into the stone of the church.

“I lost my daughter,” Patriot shoulders slumped, his head hung low.

Garrett crouched behind the car to catch his breath. He shook away his nerves and ignored the pain. He cracked his neck and walked around the car, his hands raised and ready.

“I lost her too, remember?” Garrett raised an eyebrow. “You killed her, you did all this, and you made me into the man I am today.”

A laugh escaped from Patriot’s snarled lips. “Don’t blame me for what you’ve done.” Patriot lifted his head. “You attacked my people to hurt me. You killed Granite. You lost control that night, not me.”

Garrett’s shoulders dropped and his head followed. He found it hard to swallow down Patriot’s words. The truth stung, it always does when it comes from the mouth of the enemy.

“We’re not that different, you and I,” Patriot said.

“You’re wrong,” Garrett’s eyes narrowed, and dropped his hands.

“Am I?” Patriot looked away. “We both do whatever it takes for our beliefs and for the ones we love. I devoted my life to protecting the people of this city. I fought, I bled and in the end 14 people had to pay with their lives for my mistakes.” Patriot turned his gaze back to Garrett. “What I do is for the greater good.”

“Where does locking up people like Amanda fit into the greater good?” Garrett said. “You could’ve saved her.”

“Her powers were too valuable,” Patriot said. “We needed her and in time, she would have been able to control her gifts. Now, she’s normal like the rest of them.” Patriot spun in mid air with his arms out. “The Assembly will have to protect her now.”

“Walter will look after her,” Garrett straightened his back. “Like how I should have protected Emma. Instead, I had to see you in action.”

Patriot scoffed. “You still don’t understand,” he said and dropped to the ground. “She never needed saving that day. She didn’t need you then and she doesn’t need you now.”

“You’re right, she doesn’t. But she needs her family,” Garrett stepped forward. “She deserves to know who she is.”

“I am her family!” Patriot’s face grew red when he screamed. “And you took her away from me.”

“You started it,” Garrett flexed his fingers. “So, let’s end this.”

“Once and for all,” Patriot surged forward once again.

Garrett was ready this time and dropped into a low stance. He ducked out of the way of a punch and countered with an uppercut into Patriot’s stomach. He followed through with a knee to the same area. A couple of jabs into Patriot’s ribs and the hero crumpled to his knees. Garrett slammed his left fist into the side of Patriot’s head to put the hero down to the ground.

“I’m not done with him yet,” Garrett said to the power within him when it raged to feed.

Patriot pushed himself off the street, but Garrett sent a knee into his face to drop him once again.

“How does it feel to be human with just a touch,” Garrett stood over Patriot, baring his teeth. “You better get used to it.” A vicious smirk formed across Garrett’s face when he watched him struggle to rise off the street.

“Enough of this,” Patriot roared with newfound strength. Patriot flipped upward with his powers of flight and hammer kicked Garrett right in his shocked face. Garrett’s entire body jerked upward, his feet left the ground behind. A roundhouse kick crashed into Garrett’s sternum before he realized what happened, the navy blue sky dominated his vision.

Garrett clutched his chest and cursed the useless vest. His lungs struggled to fill with much needed air until he rolled to his side. His dazed eyes scanned the street for a second before his vision focused on Patriot a few feet away. Both men were bloody, out of shape and grasping at their wounds.

“Ready to give up yet?” Garrett groaned when he rose.

Patriot chuckled and looked up at Garrett. “We both know that’s not going to happen.”

“Yep, not after everything we have done to each other,” Garrett raised his dark blue eyes to the man who was once his idol.

“You’re right,” Patriot said.

“You killed her, kidnapped her, locked me up and you almost put your friend in the hospital.” Garrett relaxed his body. His nerves calmed like they always did when he faced an Afflicted. His afflicted sense deafened for the first time since he encountered Patriot. All was quiet on the block, except for their harsh breathing.

Patriot swallowed hard. “You took my daughter and my best friend away from me.”

“Your best friend needed help,” Garrett said. “I didn’t take her away. I just told her the truth.”

“You took it all away,” Patriot said in a hushed voice.

“Me? All you do is take people away,” Garrett leaned against a parked car to steady himself. “You took Emma away from her family you selfish bastard.”

“I didn’t know how to find her parents,” Patriot backed away from Garrett, eyes darted around the street. “She was dead when I found her. Then she came back to life before my eyes. I didn’t even know who she was at that time.”

Garrett tilted his head. “You’re a liar and a bad one at that.”

Patriot shoulders slumped. “I needed her to remind me why I protect all these people,” Patriot fanned his arms outward. “She needed someone to look after her.”

“She had someone, she had her family and she had me,” Garrett jabbed his thumb into his chest.

“You failed to protect her that day.” Patriot said.

The words hurt Garrett more than any of the hits he received today. “You’re right, I did and so did you.”

“You just would’ve taken her powers eventually, you parasite,” Patriot stretched his arms. “You’re drawn to us.” Patriot let a smile squeak across his lips. “You have more power than you realize and I know all about it.”

Garrett shrugged. “I really don’t care what you think you know about me.”

“I know the pain you feel, the guilt you feel for taking a life,” Patriot stepped forward. “The doubt if you’re doing the right thing. Like me, you have an advantage. Fear is something both of us do not possess. Your powers make you fearless when it comes to the Afflicted. The other Afflicted, fear you because you represent the loss of our gifts and the eventual fall into normalcy.”