Shadows (Ultrahumans Book 2) (2 page)

Andrea nodded. ‘He still wants both of us on a slab though. I don’t think we should let up on him.’

Penny grinned. ‘I’ve got no plans to. Have you done anything about your relationship issue? I saw you talking to him…’

‘I don’t
have
a relationship issue. I don’t have a relationship.’

‘That’s the issue.’

‘No, I haven’t. It would get complicated. I like him, and he likes me, but… Well, he doesn’t like me; he likes Twilight.’

‘You
are
Twilight. More than I’m Cygnus anyway.’

Andrea pursed her lips, her nose wrinkled. ‘Sometimes I wonder. Anyway, secret identity. I am not going to try to seduce a man while wearing a mask.’

‘Maybe you just need the right mask,’ Penny replied.

3
^rd
March.

‘Where do we file this one, Andrea?’ Zoe asked, holding up a larger than usual comic in a transparent plastic bag.

Andrea peered at it. Emblazoned above a posed photograph of Svetilo in a bikini were the words ‘Supergirls: Swimsuit Edition.’ Andrea grimaced. There was no way you were ever going to see Twilight in a bikini, but the Russian model-cum-heroine was something of an extrovert.

‘Adult collectors’ editions,’ Andrea decided. ‘It’s in the back, top shelf.’ She looked across at the counter where her boss, Roger Wentworth Peters, was reading one of the latest editions of Brightstar’s comic. ‘Roger, why are we even stocking this stuff?’

‘That one,’ Roger replied, ‘is signed by four of the models and it’ll probably go for over a hundred bucks.’

Andrea regarded the thin magazine with new eyes. ‘Okay, so I guess I can understand that one. What about the copy of
Ultras Uncovered
I filed away yesterday? Pretty sure that one wasn’t signed. Smudged a little, but not signed.’

‘I like the articles.’

‘Would those be the articles on that blonde on page seven?’ Zoe asked.

‘Those were very good articles, yes.’

Both girls giggled and Zoe headed for the back of the store where the more expensive, collectible comics were kept. Radium Comics always had a good stock of premium merchandise available, as well as the more common stuff which was at the front. Roger generally did his hunting for rare books at the weekends, which was one of the reasons the shop was closed then, and one of the reasons Andrea liked working there.

It also paid the bills and it was normal. Andrea had come to appreciate normality more since Ghostfire had died on the end of Cygnus’ fist. Her life had been focussed on revenge and she had had some of that. It had eased things, even if there was more to be done.

‘Good weekend, Andrea?’ Roger asked, finishing his comic.

‘Not bad. Went running.’

‘Huh. Did you see the news footage of Twilight outrunning Tower Block? Two miles in heels leading a man that can bulldoze cars.’

Andrea grinned. ‘Quite a stunt, but you’d have to be crazy to do that.’

‘Pretty sure they’re all a little crazy,’ Roger replied. ‘Thank God they are.’

5
^th
March.

Penny stood at the barrier watching the sliding doors intently. Starblaze International was busy today, lots of people in suits flying into New Millennium, presumably on business. There were a few others, and Penny was guessing at tourists in town to see the new New York. In her considered opinion, her town was not a great tourist destination unless you went on holiday to party. There were clubs and theatres and such in Uptown, but the city was too young to have much to see once you had taken in the basic cityscape. Still, tourists came, and Washington was not that far away.

The doors opened and there was a slight drop in the noise level. Penny glanced around her and saw the weird result of June Summerfield coming into view. Suddenly men holding signs up were hoping against hope that she was there to be picked up by them, while others were just hoping she was available to be picked up, and women were looking disgustedly at the men around them, or enviously at June.

June herself seemed oblivious, walking out down the gauntlet of onlookers with a small case dragging along behind her. She was dressed in a grey, woollen dress, long-sleeved and high-necked, but short, and a pair of calf-length, stack-heeled boots. She did not really need the extra height, but it curved her spine and put an extra strut in her step, adding to the curvaceous figure her dress was hugging. Penny could understand the reaction. She figured a lot of people were about to be disappointed just as June’s face brightened.

‘Pen! Oh thanks for meeting me,’ June exclaimed, rushing the rest of the way to the end of the rail as Penny moved around to meet her.

‘It’s not like I had anything else to do,’ Penny replied. Occasionally being unemployed had its compensations.

‘I was kind of expecting Red.’

‘She was busy, but she lent me a car to come get you.’

June’s blue eyes brightened further. ‘Which one?’

‘The Gallardo. It’s not like we need the armoured one.’

‘I’m driving back,’ June said, giggling like a schoolgirl.

~~~

The bright red Lamborghini raced up the drive at a slightly more excessive pace than the rough surface deserved and came to a halt. June was still giddy when she climbed out and reclaimed her bag.

‘What a rush,’ she breathed. ‘That thing is awesome.’

‘You’re crazy,’ Penny told her.

‘Says the girl who tossed Tower Block into the bay this week. Yes, I did see that on the news.’

‘Twilight was the one who ran two miles with him chasing her so I could do it.’

‘Uh-huh. She’s crazier than you.’ She turned and started toward the house, a three-storey structure built like some modern art wedding cake. ‘I’m going to freshen up and then we can chat. I’ve missed a week of gossip,
and
I haven’t seen
True Powers
this week.’

‘Okay,’ Penny said, hiding a grin.

June trooped through the hall and under the hole in the ceiling, which was the only access to the upper floors, and then through to the lounge before turning left to go into her room. Penny followed, but continued on to one of the sofas, managing to sit down and pick up the remote before she heard the squeak from June’s room.

‘Red! What are you…? I thought you were busy?’

‘Busy getting ready for you coming home, yeah,’ the voice of the Red Huntress said. ‘Now get your dress off…’ And then the door closed and the rest was lost.

Penny grinned. At least those two had a love life, even if neither she nor Andrea seemed to be able to manage one. She pushed her glasses up her nose and turned on the TV, which was huge. Pretty soon the moaning would start and she did not need to hear that.

6
^th
March.

Malls were not Twilight’s favourite places either. Even Andrea found them crass, but in costume they presented a different problem: all the lighting was designed to eliminate shadows.

She was pretty sure that the three thugs robbing the jewellery store on the second storey had not considered that when picking their target. No, they had been after diamonds. The shop had a selection of cut stones which they could set in whatever manner the buyer wished. They had security, sure, but that had just meant the thugs took out the two guards with silenced pistols as soon as they walked in. That, in Twilight’s book, made them fair game, but harder to take down in the confined space of the shop.

Which was where her partner came in. Cygnus marched into the shop in her tiny, low-cut, thong-backed swimsuit and stiletto-heeled thigh-high boots as though there was nothing in the world which could harm her, which was not true, but it might as well have been as far as the goons were concerned. And with their attention on her, Twilight slipped in low and behind a display case before anyone could see her.

‘You three are under arrest,’ Cygnus snapped, ‘put down your weapons and come quietly or there
will
be consequences.’ No one moved, but the thugs did look a little disturbed at the turn of events. ‘Still going to have to work on that,’ Cygnus muttered. Louder she added, ‘This place is going to be surrounded by police in a matter of minutes. You’re not getting out of here with the diamonds, and if you give up now you won’t get shot on the way out.’

‘F-fuck you, freak!’ one of the men replied, turning his pistol from his hostage toward Cygnus and pulling the trigger as though his life depended on it. Glass shattered and a lone slug hit her in the chest, rapidly turning into a metal pancake.

Then Twilight appeared from behind a cabinet, her sword swinging up in one, smooth movement. The man let out a scream as his hand, and the pistol in it, became detached from his arm.

‘Guns on the floor,’ Twilight snapped. ‘Now!’ There were sudden clattering noises as the other two men dropped their weapons and backed quickly away from their hostages, their hands rising over their heads.

‘You see they listen to you,’ Cygnus said, trying not to sound too much like she was whining. She looked at one of the men behind the counter. ‘Would you call an ambulance, please?’

‘It’s all in the voice,’ Twilight said as she dropped to her knees beside the thug who was now cradling his stump and mewling on the floor. ‘That and cutting a guy’s hand off for emphasis obviously.’ She pulled a pack from one of her belt pouches and started pulling out bandages. ‘And you can shut up. You killed a man tonight. You’re lucky I’m not letting you bleed out on the floor.’

‘You c-cut… my h-hand…’ the thug stammered.

‘They can do wonders with microsurgery these days and you’ll get plenty of rest in prison.’ Twilight wrapped a cloth strip around his wrist and yanked it
very
tight. The man screamed. ‘Don’t be a baby,’ she told him.

~~~

‘That went moderately well,’ Cygnus said as they walked away from the shop. ‘I mean, it’ll take them a while to get the blood out of the linoleum, but we got the bad guys.’

‘The two guards probably wished we’d got there faster,’ Twilight replied.

‘One of them’s going to live, probably.’ She stopped, looking in one of the shop windows.

‘It would have been better if… What on Earth are you looking at?’ Twilight stopped and looked where her partner was staring. It was the window of a lingerie shop and the dummy in the window was wearing a black, lacy bra and panties, a choker, and a lacy mask.

‘Another kind of mask,’ Cygnus replied.

‘You have got to be kidding me. I can’t wear–’

‘Why not? You’d look amazing. He’d fall over his tongue.’

‘That place is
hideously
expensive,’ Twilight protested.

Cygnus reached into the top of her boot and produced a plastic card. ‘My treat,’ she said, grinning. ‘One of us should have a love life and I don’t think it’s going to be me for the foreseeable future.’ She started forward before Twilight could present further arguments.

Well… Well, it was probably going to be worth it for the look on the assistants’ faces when they were presented with two heroines lingerie shopping.

7
^th
March.

Jacob Dannon opened his bedroom door and stepped through. There was a limited amount of moonlight coming in through the window, casting the bed itself in silver and turning the shadows into total darkness. He reached for the light switch.

‘Don’t.’

The voice caught him by surprise and he stopped moving, peering in the direction it had come from but seeing nothing. His eyes were still acclimated to the light in the lounge and his night vision was shot. It had sounded like a voice he knew, but a less certain version of it. He pushed the door closed behind him.

‘How long have you been standing there in the dark?’ he asked.

‘A while,’ the voice replied. ‘I was trying… to decide.’

‘Decide? Decide on what?’

‘Whether I should do this.’

Dannon frowned. ‘You’re usually a bit less cryptic, Twilight.’ His eyes were adjusting and he thought he could see her shape in the shadows in the corner of the room. It looked paler than usual. ‘What’s going on?’

She took a step forward and the light caught her skin. There was a lot of skin on show. The bra and thong set left little to the imagination, but she was still wearing a mask, of sorts. He took in the slim, toned body, the mop of tousled, black hair…

‘I…’ he began, and realised he was not sure how to continue. His body knew what it wanted, but his brain was taking its own sweet time to catch up. ‘I don’t know what to say.’

‘Well… tell me to go or ask me to stay,’ she replied.

He did neither. Instead, he took the couple of steps needed to close the distance between them. He bent forward and their lips met. It was tentative at first, then her arms looped around his neck and they were kissing feverishly, as though both had been waiting for this for decades. His hands slid over her buttocks, pulling her against him, and she moaned into his mouth.

Then he broke the kiss. ‘Stay,’ he whispered.

~~~

Penny watched the couples on the dance floor of the Huntress’ Den through Cygnus’ eyes and wished that she was out there with them, dancing with Bobby. But Bobby was dead, murdered to get to her, and there was nothing she could do about that aside from remembering him. There had been offers; plenty of men wanted to dance with her, vertically or horizontally. She knew he would want her to move on with her life, but it was too soon. She was not ready to let anyone else in that far.

‘No Andrea tonight?’ June asked from her place on the stool beside Penny’s.

‘Hopefully, if she hasn’t chickened out, she’s banging a UID Special Agent about now.’

‘Oh! That’s… unexpected.’

‘You haven’t seen the way they look at each other.’

‘I mean… Well, she’s always seemed a bit… cold? Though I guess she has lightened up a bit since Christmas.’

‘Since Ghostfire died, actually. There’s a bit of Latin hot blood in there somewhere, but she was just very focussed before.’

‘Isn’t it going to be a bit odd? I mean, with the mask?’