We last read Chapter 42, in which Beth starts her dinner date with a nervous Conner Bennett. They talk about their investigation, but also about themselves, and even hold hands across the table. At 11 p.m., Beth suggests they end the date, so they’re not too tired the next day. In reality, she plans for Sapphire Angel to visit the mysterious tower on Xavier Wheldon’s property. Conner drives her home, and they share a kiss on her front stoop. Beth wants to invite him in, but feigns not feeling well, so she can keep her plans as Sapphire Angel for the night.
After Conner leaves, Raven Tristan tails Beth as she leaves her apartment. Tristan isn’t worried she might lose Beth again, as she’s planted a tracking beacon on Beth’s car. She uses the beacon to sees where Beth’s car leaves the main road. Tristan lies in wait, hiding in the woods as she spies the location with a pair of night-vision binoculars. A few minutes later, Tristan sees Sapphire Angel’s car enter the road from from a hidden lane and speed off into the night. Tristan smiles, deciding she will plan a surprise for Sapphire Angel when the heroine returns.
This is the second story, so if you want to start from the very beginning, you can jump over to book 1, and begin with the Prologue of Sapphire Angel, Superheroine. Or to start at the beginning of book 2 (this story), click over to the Prologue of Power Play.
Thanks for reading!
A low mist hung over the roadway as Sapphire Angel's car weaved through the country roads. The blinking lights on top of the nuclear plant's cooling towers beckoned in the distance, piercing the darkness and fog. Those lights hovered, as if frozen alone in the gloomy night, thanks to the clouds and mist settled over the rural area.
Sapphire Angel welcomed the hazy conditions, which would help her remain hidden for her night's work. It made her drive slower, though. Her plans for the night would come to an abrupt end if she wrapped her expensive car around a tree.
The slow drive gave Beth time to think about the busy night already behind her. Ethan had taken her big revelation well — or at least as well as she could have expected. She didn't want to become overly optimistic, but she looked forward to having him as a confidant.
And then there was Conner. She had Ethan to thank for pushing her to reach out to him, and it couldn't have gone better. She felt bad for misjudging him.
When she pulled off the dirt road to a hidden spot in the woods, the clock on her dashboard read 1:00 a.m. With luck, there would be no guards in the woods at this hour. She hadn't wanted to take any chances, though, so after leaving Ethan's apartment she had made a stop at Stanley's home. He had agreed to dispatch his drone, which by now had reached its destination and was flying somewhere high above Sapphire Angel. This wasn't the type of drone normal people played with, but a military-grade long-range surveillance drone with thermal imaging capabilities.
The superheroine climbed from her car and glanced into the dreary night sky, before looking down at her hand, which held a rectangular device the size of a large smartphone. The device was another one of Stanley's toys. If all went well, this device would lead her to a specific section of Wheldon's fence, and Stanley would remotely jam the surveillance cameras. From her end, the device was simple. Using GPS, it displayed a red line, marking the path for her to follow, but while giving off almost no illumination. The screen also would also show the image of anyone nearby, thanks to the drone overhead. Stanley had started to explain how the drone detected people, and not smaller animals, even in darkness, but Beth had held up her hand and shook her head. Too much information.
After hiding her car off the road, Sapphire Angel started her foray into the forest. The ground was damp and the air cool, and the forest alive with the cackles, shrieks and whoops of the creatures and insects of the night. Sapphire Angel remained focused, filtering out nature's sounds and remaining alert for any foreign noises.
She crept forward at first, unaccustomed to looking down at a screen while navigating the forest. But thirty yards into the woods she picked up her pace, realizing she didn't need to watch the screen with every step. She could keep it in her peripheral vision if she held it out in front of her, which should be enough to alert her of any unwelcome visitors.
After five or six minutes, she was already halfway to the tower. The screen remained empty of any sign of life, and she started to think wouldn't run into any guards. But two minutes later a blue dot appear on the screen, representing a living creature picked up by the drone. It was moving her way. At this hour, it had to be one of Wheldon's guards.
Sapphire Angel scanned the surrounding area, finding a thick tree. She moved to it, positioning the tree between her and the guard. She was thankful for her petite build, as the wide tree provided plenty of cover, even if the approaching guard wore night vision goggles.
The blue dot on the screen came closer, following a straight line and pausing every thirty seconds in a manner too regular for an animal. Its most recent stop put it only thirty yards away.
Decision time. She could move out and attack, but she might spoil any chance of getting to the tower undetected. So she waited. The guard came closer, heading directly toward her. Had he spotted her? No. If so, he wouldn't be approaching alone and wouldn't be moving in such a predictable manner.
Twenty yards now. She would need to decide soon. If she attacked, she had to time it perfectly so the guard couldn't sound an alarm.
Ten yards. Sapphire Angel readied herself, but realized she was still holding the GPS device in her hands. She gritted her teeth. If she bent over to set it on the ground, she risked revealing herself. The approaching guard would be wearing night vision goggles and would see the movement. This would have to be a one-handed attack.
At five yards, the guard stopped. He was so close Sapphire Angel heard his breathing on the other side of the tree. Even though she couldn't see him, she could picture him scanning the woods with his night vision goggles. It was time.
Xavier Wheldon watched the image from one of his surveillance cameras, spying Sapphire Angel creeping through his forest. The costumed woman stepped one of her slender legs in front of the other, oblivious to at least one camera hidden in the trees.
A malevolent grin crossed the face of the StarPrime CEO. The stunning superwoman had rescued Tanner twice, defeated Rockford in a fight, and taken out a legion of his guards in Florida. Her luck would run out tonight, though. This time, he was ready for her.
But as he watched the screen, he saw one of his guards walking through the woods, directly toward the superheroine's location. This could ruin everything.
Wheldon tore his radio from his belt and snarled into it.
"Who is out there near the perimeter fence?" he hissed.
"I believe it's Spencer," a voice replied.
"Tell him to turn the hell around!" Wheldon shouted. "He's going to fuck up our plan!"
His heart racing, Wheldon turned his attention back to the video screen.
If he came two steps closer, Sapphire Angel would attack. She tensed as she heard a footstep on a twig, just on the other side of the tree. She waited for the next sound of movement.
But it didn't come. Seconds ticked by before she heard the man say, "Roger that," and then move away from her. She glanced at the screen and watched as the blue dot retraced the path it had taken a few minutes earlier. Sapphire Angel didn't move yet, though, waiting until the blue dot came within a few millimeters of the edge of the screen. Stanley had said anyone at that distance wouldn't be able to pick up her heat signature in the thick woods.
With a sigh of relief, the superheroine moved out from her hiding place and continued forward. The tower was almost in reach.
Wheldon exhaled in relief as his man moved away from Sapphire Angel. He studied the screen as the blond woman, shrouded in darkness, crept closer to the fence. Keying his radio again, he spoke.
"Everyone hold," he said. "We need to get her when she least expects it and her defenses are down."
He continued to watch, ignoring the din of work occurring below him in the tower. He was happy for the extra expenditures he had made on the cameras. The heroine had located the obvious devices, but had missed his most expensive items, strategically placed in the tress. She still had no idea she was being monitored as she moved within view of the tower.
Wheldon thought of the work happening on the grounds around the tower, and considered ordering his workers inside, but decided against it. The activity would lure Sapphire Angel closer, right where he needed her. And once he had her, it wouldn't matter what she saw.
"Another four minutes for her to get comfortable," he said into the radio, "and then kill the lights. That will draw her closer, and then we take her down. Be ready for my signal."
This is the second story, so if you want to start from the very beginning, you can jump over to book 1, and begin with the Prologue of Sapphire Angel, Superheroine. Or to start at the beginning of book 2 (this story), click over to the Prologue of Power Play.
Thanks for reading!
I appreciate any comments or email.
That scene with Sapphire behind the tree and the guard advancing on her was so tense, I swear.....can’t believe I’m saying this, but she’s lucky Wheldon had other plans for her, otherwise she would’ve been in for quite a fight. Wonder what he’s going to do in four minutes......
(Besides turning off the lights, of course. We already knew that.)
This doesn’t look good. But it’s nice that there is peril for her. And it fits with the idea oh her inexperience and naïveté. I suppose this is how life goes. Keep keeping it real. It’s nice having a hero that isn’t infallible.