New Markets - 02 (53 page)

In short order I parked at Iron Cross's lot and walked in.  I swung by the emergency room area and spotted Kim working with a patient.  She glanced up and I smiled at her.  She smiled back at me before looking back at the person.

Soon I was on the restricted floor and had been cleared by the officers at the elevator.  The pair were the same as those yesterday during the day.

I asked one, "Willman here?"

"Yeah, he's in that room."  He pointed toward the left, where I'd met with him yesterday.

"Thanks."  I walked over to the room.

He had a variety of paperwork and a laptop on the bed.  He glanced up when I entered.

"Black Tiger.  Any progress?"

"Nothing good.  I've got a larger team ready to go after the slave ring to free the victims."

Agent Willman walked over to the door and closed it, then said, "We still don't have the leak figured out."

"That's not good."

"No, I'm looking through phone calls on everyone's cell phone, but without knowing the number called it's not been overly fruitful."

"I heard you wanted them to stop releasing people."

"Right.  We've got two more that were kidnapped yesterday in the evening."

"Any idea what time?"

"Late, around six p.m."

"That's pretty close to when we attacked the semis.  Whoever is kidnapping people is a different group than those holding them then."

"I agree.  My thought from the descriptions are that they are using freelance teams to capture supers, albeit geared up with the more advanced weaponry."

"And they are doing it during the day?"

"Yes, which is telling me that they are either eager to do this as quickly as possible, or no longer care about H.E.R.O. interference.  Although the rain did provide extra cover yesterday."

"I've got an idea.  You don't happen to have pictures of all of the supers in here right now, do you?"

"Actually, I do.  I figured we'd need something to work off of if any more were taken."

"Let me look through them."

He brought up some screens on his laptop, and shifted it toward me.  "Click there to move from one to the next."

I quickly went through the list and pointed at some of the most beautiful women in the list.  "Are any of these bricks?"

He said, "I'm not sure, but I know the room numbers, we can go find out quickly enough."

"Great."

He printed out a sheet with each of their pictures and we walked to the nurse's station.

Agent Willman asked the nurse, "Can you take us to see each of these ladies?"

The nurse glanced at the sheet and nodded, "Sure.  Nearly everyone should be awake now as well."  She looked at the sheet again and led us down the hall.

In a moment we walked into the first room.  The woman's face brightened as we walked in, but then looked confused as she stared at my mask.  "Can I go home yet?"

Agent Willman shook his head, "I'm sorry, not yet."

I stepped forward and put out my hand to shake hers.  She shook it, and I could feel from her hand that she wasn't a brick.

I said, "Sorry, I'm trying to find a brick amongst everyone here."

"Oh, one of the big strong ones?"

"Yeah."

"Wouldn't that be obvious."

"Not all are.  Sorry to bother you."  I headed out, and motioned with my head to Agent Willman and the nurse.

The second room was as dark as night when the nurse opened the door.  It even appeared dark to me, and I hadn't seen a truly dark room since before my change.

Both Agent Willman and the nurse stopped at the doorway, staring at the darkness.

I cautiously stepped into the room.  I could barely make out the shapes of the furniture.

Out of the darkness came a young woman's voice, "Oh, hello."  The room quickly became bright as day.  I saw a girl in her teens sitting cross legged on the bed.

"Hi.  I'm Black Tiger.  You were making it dark in here?"

"Yeah, pretty cool, isn't it?"

"Yes it is.  I can see in the dark extremely well, and could barely see in here."

"Aww, you could see?  I thought I had it completely black."

I smiled.  "Just barely."

She grinned at me.  "Are you one of those hero guys?"

"Yes I am."

"Why are you wearing black?"

I stepped forward and put out my hand to shake her hand, which she did.  She didn't have a strong handshake, nor muscles that felt like she could had she wanted to.

"Because I'm sneaky.  Anyway, I've got the wrong room.  Very cool ability you have there."

"Yeah.  I figured I'd do something to occupy myself since I'm stuck here."

"Good idea, have a good day."

"You too, Mr. Sneaky."

I smiled and walked out of the room.  I shook my head at Willman and the nurse.  She led us to the third room.

I entered this one, and a stunning woman with short hair ranging from dark blue at the roots to violet at the tips looked from the TV over to me.  She was muscular – far more than Stephanie, I noted – yet retained a voluptuous frame.  I stepped up and held out my hand.

"Hi, I'm Black Tiger."

She started moving her hand forward, but slowly pulled it back to her side.  "Sorry, I don't want to crush you."

"Try squeezing lightly.  Give it a try."  I smiled at her.

She looked doubtful, but slowly put her hand in mine and gently squeezed it.  She didn't feel as strong as Lance, but she was far stronger than I was - and her muscles felt much like Lance's did.  They were unbelievably solid.

She looked nothing like Lance, however.  Where he had been a huge guy who became even larger, she appeared more like a very well proportioned woman who had more muscle than normal, but not an obscene amount.  She could almost have been Lance's mom's sister or cousin.  They both had normal feeling skin, but she looked more like an amazon than a body builder.

I grinned.  "Guys, I think we've got a winner."

She grinned back at me and squeezed harder.  I grimaced as her viselike grip squeezed my hand.  She quickly let go upon seeing my expression.

She said, "Sorry about that."

"No, it's okay.  I'll heal any damage in a minute, and I was really hoping to find a beautiful brick here."

Her eyes lit up and she smiled.

Agent Willman said, "All right, so you've found a lady brick.  Now what."

I continued looking at the woman.  "What's your name?"

"Daphne."

"Hi Daphne.  How would you like to go home now?"

Her eyes opened wider and she grinned.  "Yeah!"

"Excellent."

Agent Willman said, "Now hold on a second."

I pulled out my H.E.R.O. phone and sent a quick text to Hellshock and Gatecrasher.  'I'm having a hot lady brick released now, meet at far NE of Iron Cross lot - going to follow her home and see if a merc team shows.'

I looked at Agent Willman.  "It's okay, I'll bring her home.  If anyone comes after her I'll be there."

"That's not a comfort, being as they've taken you down twice."

I grinned.  "I know.  That's why this is a great idea."

He shook his head.  He looked at Daphne, and then back at me with narrowed eyes.

I said, "We need to argue about this at the nurse's station.  Come on.  Daphne, why don't you get ready while we get your paperwork."

I left the room, smiling.  I heard Agent Willman's heart rate stay at a higher rate than normal after we arrived at the nurse's station.  I looked at her, "Please get her paperwork."

Agent Willman rose his voice, "No,
don't
get her paperwork.  I've given an order that no more supers will be released from here!"

I rose mine as well, "Yes, they
will
.  I'll take Daphne home and make sure she's safe."

"
You
can't make sure she's safe, Black Tiger!  Hell, last night it sounds like you were almost captured yourself!"

The nurse looked back and forth between us, unsure of what to do.

"I've had enough of you F.B.I. guys keeping people here against their will.  I'm bringing her home!"

"Not against my orders!"

"Your orders won't stand long if I chuck you out a fourth story window, Willman!  Step off, this is on my shoulders!"

"Fine!  You want responsibility for her?  Fine!  Nurse, go ahead and release Daphne Marais.  If anything happens to her, hero, I'm taking down H.E.R.O. with you, got it?"

I waved my hand in the air. 
Hell, this is so funny to me I'm not even riled up enough to have the claws out. 
"Whatever. 
Get the paperwork, ma'am.
"  I stared at the nurse.

Agent Willman threw his own hands in the air and stomped into his makeshift office.  He called back, "Do it, release her.  I've had enough of this."

I followed him into the room, as I raised my voice and spoke I dropped my H.E.R.O. phone in front of him to display the last text message.  I loudly stated, "If you think you're going to be able to shut down H.E.R.O. if I were to fail to protect her, you're drunk."

"You H.E.R.O. agents are always stepping into things that are borderline for your area of expertise, and most of you have no expertise in law enforcement at all!"

"Oh really?  How about in the 'protect and serve' department?  We stop more crimes, and faster than you do by far!"

"Get out of my office!  You better make sure you keep her safe, then!"

I laughed as I left his office.  "Nice office, you have a bed in your office?"

I walked back to the nurse's station and said.  "Damn, he's a jerk.  You have the paperwork?"

"Right here."

"Doesn't a doctor need to sign a release?"

"Doctor Antais already released everyone here.  The only thing holding them is the F.B.I.  H.E.R.O. already had us releasing people as they felt comfortable."

"Awesome.  Shall we?"

The nurse led the way back to the room.  On the way she said, "I hope you're right, and do keep her safe."

"Me too."

She entered the room with me trailing just behind her.  Daphne was standing - she wore a t-shirt probably four sizes too small and a pair of Iron Cross sweat bottoms.  She had on socks but no shoes.  She was distracting to look at, and I knew I’d picked a winner.

I chuckled, "You grew too?  I've got a brick buddy who's finding his stuff a bit tight now."

"Yeah.  I'm afraid to take a deep breath."