We last read Chapter 52, in which Beth attempts to recover — physically and mentally — from the interrogation at the hands of Raven Tristan. Her memory of the interrogation is incomplete, but she remembers the pain. Beth also remembers the woman knowing Sapphire Angel’s identity, but can’t remember if the woman learned the secret to her powers. Beth doesn’t know the identity of her interrogator, but remembers seeing the woman’s tattoo — the tattoo of the Red Scorpions gang. She worries that the gang now knows that Beth Harper is Sapphire Angel, but takes solace in the fact that if the gang wanted to eliminate her, she would already be dead.
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!
Raven Tristan waited almost an hour for Wheldon's secretary to direct her into his office. Tristan would tolerate the wait, because he soon would be in awe of her accomplishments. She tingled with pleasure at the thought, and immediately despised her insecurities.
Tristan strolled into his office, putting on her stoic face. She looked as out of place as ever, with her tattoos and goth clothing, but she forced an air of nonchalance and ambled to a chair in front of his desk.
"This had better be good," Xavier Wheldon said, with a grin spreading over his face. Perhaps he thought his smile or looks were charming, but if the StarPrime CEO weren't wealthy, he would probably scare all women away with his smarm. Instead, he had a pick of a bevy of young lovelies, all many years his junior.
"It's good," Tristan replied in her normal monotone voice, as she sat slouched in the chair opposite his desk. She made no move to get started, though. She was in control of the situation.
"Well then, let's have it," he finally blurted out, spreading his hands wide. "Do you have something on Harper? Or on Sapphire Angel? Let's get to it. I'm meeting with Harper this afternoon to review any concerns she has for her story, and I want to have something to spring on her."
Tristan eyed her boss, rehearsing her presentation in her head. She had spent two days and three nights preparing images, documents, and videos, all with the goal of earning Wheldon's admiration. It had taken all her willpower to wait, as she wanted to rush to his office and spill her findings. But her desire for maximum impact had won out, so she continued her work. In the end, though, she had chosen a simple approach instead of one of the more elaborate presentations on which she had spent so much time. Simplicity would give maximum effect. Maximum shock. Maximum approval. Start slow, build up his anticipation, and go for the kill.
She reached into the backpack by her feet, pulled out an Android tablet, and slid it across the desk. She had convinced him early in her employment to exchange information digitally, telling him she hated printers and wanted to keep the data secure.
That was only part of it, though. She enjoyed how she could control the flow of information to him with her own device, only allowing content to appear on his device when she wanted. She also could remotely modify or delete her reports as needed, with Wheldon being none the wiser unless he noticed a change in content. He was hands off with technology, relying upon his IT people to give him what he needed. His IT people couldn't help him with Tristan, though, since he kept them far away from her work.
He stared at the screen as it sprang to life and a picture of Harper from her employer's website appeared on half the screen, with data on the other half. Tristan began by reciting basic data about Harper. It was a detailed version of the verbal report she had given him shortly after the investigation had started, and what she had spent much of the last two days and three nights preparing. As she went through it, Wheldon fidgeted in his chair and tapped his fingers on his desk. Just as she knew he would.
She walked him through some of Harper's past stories. Her talent and tenacious shone through in the evaluations from her publisher, who lavised her with many commendations in her brief time on the job. And somehow, even in the harder stories where she had to push people, everyone loved her.
They were twenty minutes into the presentation, and while Tristan had painted a very thorough picture of Beth Harper, she hadn't given Wheldon any important information.
"Alright, Raven, if you don't have any dirt on Harper, just say so!" His impatience and annoyance was now evident in his voice.
Tristan didn't change her demeanor, but inside she was ready to burst. He was reacting exactly as she had hoped. He was ready.
"I have more than you'll need on Harper," she said, keeping her voice flat.
"Well then, let's get to it."
Tristan stared at him, making him wait a beat longer. When satisfied he was on the verge of exploding, she reached into her backpack, feeling for the smooth fabric of Sapphire Angel's costume. She pulled out the sleek minidress and tossed it onto Wheldon's desk, where it gathered in a shimmering pile of vibrant blue and pure white. In his well-lit office, the costume seemed to radiate on its own. Tristan next tossed Sapphire Angel's tights, gloves, earrings, and boots onto the desk, next to the rest of the costume. Wheldon watched her actions with a bewildered look on his face.
"Recognize that?" Tristan asked, using all her willpower not to smile.
Wheldon stared at the ensemble, before narrowing his eyes at Tristan. "Who wouldn't?" he replied. "It's Sapphire Angel's costume, or a damn fine replica of one. I assume you're going to tell me what this has to do with anything?"
"What that has to do with anything," Tristan replied flatly, "is this — Beth Harper is Sapphire Angel." Tristan waited for his face to erupt in glee, and the praise to come.
Instead, Wheldon scrunched his nose and gave Tristan a disbelieving look. "Bullshit," he barked after a moment of silence.
Tristan gritted her teeth. This wasn't how it was supposed to go, but she was prepared. She had expected this. Even now, after hearing Beth Harper confess her identity, doubts still crept into Tristan’s mind. Whatever strange power protected Sapphire Angel’s identity was overpowering, as if it were trying to make Tristan question the obvious.
"Look at the screen," she said, gesturing toward the tablet in front of him. With her own tablet, she remotely manipulated what appeared on his screen. He saw various photographs of Harper, tied spread eagle to the hood of Sapphire Angel's car, in full costume, minus her necklace.
The room was silent as Wheldon stared at each photograph, the hints of a satisfied smirk twisting the corners of his mouth. He finally looked up, grabbing Sapphire Angel's costume from the desk in front of him. He held it in his hands, rubbing his fingers over the magnificent fabric, inhaling sharply, as he alternated his gaze from the costume to the images of Harper wearing it.
"Hmmmm," he murmured. He held the costume up in front of him, spreading it out. "Tiny thing, isn't she? I guess she does have the same build, and you have the photos, and I've never felt or seen anything like this costume... but..."
"There are no buts about this," Tristan replied, irritation in her voice. Where was the admiration? The amazement? "Beth Harper is Sapphire Angel. In addition to what is in front of you, I saw it with my own eyes."
Wheldon continued to study the costume and the photographs, also grabbing the tights, gloves, earrings, and boots, and examining them. The more he touched the items, the more his slow nod increased. The costume, its material unlike anything he had ever seen or felt, had to be a powerful piece of evidence, even in the face of the mind-bending effects of Sapphire Angel's necklace. As Tristan watched, she saw a change in Wheldon's eyes, and thought again of a fireplace, and the hidden embers fighting to rekindle doubts. It was Sapphire Angel’s power at work, trying to protect her identity. She watched him as the fire flickered, barely hanging on. Wheldon sat back and gazed at Tristan.
"Okay," he replied, letting out a soft whistle as he gave her a nod. "Beth Harper is Sapphire Angel. I trust you." He leaned back and rubbed his chin, as if pondering what this information meant to him. She narrowed her eyes, studying him and trying to sense if there was any doubt left in him. If any hint of the fire was still present.
"You're sure about this?" he asked. "I have enough confidence in your abilities to make the leap of faith, if you tell me you're sure."
"One-hundred percent sure."
He nodded his head slowly. As she watched him, she saw the fire of doubt in his eyes go out. He really did trust her work. She exhaled in relief, and wondered if she should douse the hidden embers, too. Stomp them into oblivion. She still had the video, but an instinct deep inside her told her to hold it. For now.
"This is amazing, Raven. Your greatest work ever." As he spoke, a glow of pleasure started in her toes and rose through her. "How did you learn her secret?"
"You know our arrangement," Tristan replied. "You don't ask me how I do my job, or how I get my information. I do my investigation, and report back when finished."
"I never liked that part of our arrangement."
"Yet you agreed to it as a condition of me working for you. Besides, some of my tactics... push the limits. The less you know, the better. It gives you plausible deniability." Tristan threw him that bone. She couldn't care less about giving him deniability. She didn't like to reveal anything about herself or her methods.
"I have questions if you can answer them."
"Ask, and I'll see."
"First question — I assume you're the one responsible for chaining her to the car and taking her costume. How did you do it?"
"Again, I can't answer questions about how I do my job."
Wheldon frowned before nodding.
"Does she know you know her secret?"
"Yes and no," Tristan answered. "She knows someone knows her secret. She doesn't know who, though."
Wheldon nodded, pursing his lips before an enormous smile split his face. "Perfect, actually. That's something I can work with. Fucking perfect. Damn, Raven, you are good."
Tristan could barely sit still, soaking in his admiration.
"Tell me," he continued. "What was her reaction being chained to that car? Everything I've heard about Sapphire Angel suggests she always wins. I can only dream what was going through her mind to be on the losing end for once. Big time on the losing end, by the looks of it."
Tristan pondered how to reply. She couldn't say much without revealing how she learned what she did. "Let's just say she was distressed."
This answer seemed to please Wheldon. He leaned back, smiled, and nodded his head.
"Serves her right for all the trouble she was causing me. Amazing, Raven, amazing. You were the one — maybe the first ever — to come out on top of Sapphire Angel. You must have shaken her to the core."
"She's shaken," Tristan replied.
"And you're sure she's not on to you?"
"Positive."
Wheldon seemed pleased by this response as well. His smile grew wider. He studied her costume again.
"Hard to believe I have all her stuff, right here in front of me. You really beat her bad. This is all authentic?"
"Yes, it's the real deal. It belongs to Sapphire Angel."
"It looks like my meeting this afternoon with Beth Harper will be very interesting. If you can get me another one of these tablets, with the photos and your full report loaded onto it, I'll be all set. You can leave it in my mail slot when it's ready."
"I can do that," Raven replied.
"I knew I could count on you. You've played a big role in what I'm about to accomplish, Raven."
Tristan had been on a high, basking in the glow of Wheldon's compliments, until his final words. You've played a big role in what I'm about to accomplish. An ember sparked in Tristan, but not an ember of doubt this time. She would never doubt Harper's secret again. This ember ignited the fire of Tristan's worry. Worry about Wheldon's plans. She sensed she had helped rush some sinister plan toward fruition, and sealed her own demise by removing his final obstacle — Sapphire Angel.
Five minutes later, Tristan trudged toward her car. The fire from the ember of worry had raged into an inferno.
Ten minutes after Raven Tristan left his office, Xavier Wheldon returned a phone call from MacGregor Lockheed. Wheldon was in a much better mood than an hour earlier.
"MacGregor," Wheldon said, his voice vibrating with mirth. "Thanks for taking my call. I know an important man like you doesn't have much time to chat."
There was a scoff on the other end of the line. "I was the one who called you, Xavier. I hope you have some good news for me."
"Well, MacGregor, unfortunately your daughter couldn't keep Harper and the OCO investigator off our trail. Those two gnats, as of a few days ago, were still pushing hard."
"I'm sure Olivia is doing everything she can, Xavier."
"Don't worry about it. I found a way to get Harper to back off. This afternoon she'll be pulling the plug on her story, and then, without that threat hanging over the deal, it should be easy for your girl to get the OCO to drop any opposition."
"How are you going to get Harper to back off?"
"I came up with a rather compelling solution."
As he spoke, Wheldon glanced down at an image of Sapphire Angel, in great distress, chained to the hood of the car. He looked over at the superheroine's shimmering costume, which was still spread out on his desk. He shook his head in disbelief. Doubts nagged at the edge of his consciousness — Beth Harper was Sapphire Angel? — but he pushed them inside. His faith in the abilities of Raven Tristan was almost absolute.
"Care to share with me what your solution is?" Lockheed asked.
"Some day, but not now," Wheldon said. "I have some information which will be helpful, but it loses its effectiveness if I disclose it too early. I hope you can trust me on this one."
That was only part of the reason for Wheldon. MacGregor was a political animal, and Wheldon didn't know if he could trust the man to keep his mouth shut instead of using Wheldon's information for his own gain. If Harper's secret got out too early, Wheldon wouldn't be able to use it to control her. And what if Tristan were wrong about Harper? No, she couldn’t be.
"I've played the game, too, Xavier. My whole life. And while I don't like you shutting me out, I can wait if it will get Harper to stand down. And if you get Harper to stand down, the deal is as good as done. I'll call Olivia later to set things in motion."
Wheldon smiled, grabbed Sapphire Angel's costume with one hand, and titled his chair back. As he ran his fingers over the smooth fabric, he said, "Oh, Harper will stand down. She's in for quite a surprise in a couple hours."
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.
Stanley, Ethan, Raven, and now Wheldon. I guess Wheldon could have tried to also tell MacGregor, but that whole thing about the costume naturally casting doubt upon anyone who tries to figure out its wearer’s identity would have probably kicked in; after all, it almost did for Wheldon.
Screw Raven, man……then again, you made me change my opinion on Conner in just a few paragraphs/chapters, so maybe you were able to do the same with Raven.
For the first time in a while…..it’s the HEROINE who’s on the ropes. Can’t wait to see how this plays out.
Oh! This is murder! I want it to get better! I’ve guessed totally wrong up to now. I have no idea where this is going. And poor Ethan, the long suffering loyal sidekick. This IS going to get better, right? One thing for sure, you really get a feel for how a new “super heroine” needs to come to grips with how the world really is. This is a NOT comic book stuff!