Other links:
Sapphire Angel, Superheroine (Book 1)
Power Play (Book 2)
Deconstruction (Book 3)
Savage Dawn (this book - Book 4)
VIOLENCE WARNING: The two stories in the Savage Gang saga, and especially the second story, involve a gang practicing extreme violence toward everyone — women, the elderly, the protagonist, etc. The stories contain mature sexual content and violence as well. I am placing this warning on all chapters, including those without such violence, so you can choose whether to continue.
CHAPTER 47
Stanley Devor sat at his desk, alternating his gaze between two screens. The first showed a morning weather report, in which the meteorologist discussed a nor'easter moving up the coast. It would reach Pennsylvania in a couple of days.
The second screen showed footage from the previous night of Beth teetering down the driveway and climbing into the back seat of a car. He had watched the footage live last night, but had rejected the idea of going after her, or even mentioning it to his wife. Even if they could have caught up to her, Beth always needed to learn things for herself, and no amount of lecturing on their part would stop her.
Instead, he had discovered her destination by hacking into the ride-sharing company's computer network, using the license plate number picked up by his surveillance system. From there, it had been easy to identify the vehicle and its itinerary.
She had headed to the Hilton. Of course. She would have wanted another crack at getting cooperation from Olivia Lockheed. But had it been as Beth or Sapphire Angel? He suspected he knew the answer, although the Hilton's security cameras had lost her after she entered the elevators.
Stanley felt better about his decision not to pursue her after discovering her destination, and realizing she wouldn’t be doing anything dangerous. He felt even better when she returned two hours later. He studied the footage again, comparing it to the footage of her departure. She seemed flustered as she approached the front door, but much steadier on her feet. And the vacant stare was gone from her eyes. It was like night and day. If he hadn’t known of her concussion, he would have never deduced it from the footage.
Stanley sighed and leaned back in his chair. He had waited patiently for her to awaken, so he could find out how her night had gone without appearing like a mother hen. But she should be awake now. It was almost noon.
He rose from his chair and was halfway to his office door when an unknown voice sounded from the speaker on the back wall. Stanley froze and turned all his attention to the device, which sat on a shelf, surrounded on both sides by dusty books. The speaker played recorded transmissions from Sapphire Angel's bug in the jail of the Harrisburg police station, and Stanley was working through the backlog of recordings. Until now, it had been a source of frustration. Every voice over the past thirty hours had belonged to police officials bringing meals into the cells.
This voice was new, though. Deep and rough, it sent a chill of excitement through Stanley as hurried to the speaker and leaned closer.
“You need to . . . . . . . to Savage,” the male voice said, low enough for Stanley to only make out the beginning and ending parts of some words, with some gaps of a few seconds. “Tell him Sapphire Angel might be . . . . hideout . . . She . . . . wet boots . . . know about . . . near . . .”
Stanley swore under his breath. His equipment was the best money could buy, yet he could only make out every few words.
“I don’t . . . if she knows the hideout is … or just that …” the man continued, before his voice faded out again. When it came back in, the voice said, “Tell Savage… ” before fading out again.
“Got it,” another voice said, before footsteps sounded, fading away.
Stanley stood unmoving for two more minutes, hoping to pick up more voices. But only silence greeted his ears.
“Damn it!” he said, pounding a fist into his open palm.
A moment later, he took a deep breath. All was not lost, if he could enhance the audio in the recording. If he did, he might discover the hideout of the Savage Gang.
Sunlight came through the curtains, waking Beth. She moaned and looked at the clock next to the bed. It was almost noon. She eased herself into a sitting position on the bed, wincing as she waited for her vertigo to kick in. Except it didn’t. The room remained steady. Finally some good news, after the catastrophe at the Hilton.
It was Saturday morning — almost the afternoon — and she could take it easy, since she had no way to find the gang. She had written a few stories in advance for her editor, so she wouldn’t even need to turn on the computer today.
That didn’t mean she would be happy. She would be sitting around, doing nothing, as the countdown to doomsday continued. If Stanley’s estimates were correct, three days remained before reinforcements arrived and made the Savage Gang unbeatable.
She eased off the bed and slid her feet into a pair of soft slippers, before stepping toward the door. After her first step, a slight bout of dizziness hit her, but it was nothing like yesterday’s wooziness. It had to be the necklace. Perhaps it had recognized she wasn't wearing it as a trick to heal herself last night, so it had worked to restore her as usual.
She frowned, recognizing she was attributing sentient qualities to the necklace. Last night not only reinforced how little she understood of her origins and her powers, but also mocked her reluctance to explore those origins further. She had failed against the Savage Gang, so perhaps it was time to confront that part of her life.
Before she opened the door, her phone vibrated on the nightstand. She shuffled to it, held it up, and found a text message from Conner.
Call me when you’re up. Don’t want to interrupt your beauty sleep, because you’d want me to rush home so you could rip my clothes off.
She smiled and bit her lip. That was the Conner she knew. It was almost as if their recent fight hadn’t happened. She dialed his number.
“Hey, sleepyhead,” he answered. She imagined the smirk on his face.
“Hey,” she replied. Her voice was scratchy, so she cleared her throat.
“How are you doing?" he asked. "Did your rest help?”
Beth cringed. She couldn’t tell him she had gone out as Sapphire Angel. And as much as she wanted to ask about his knowledge of Olivia Lockheed’s proclivities, she wouldn't tell him how Lockheed had ensnared and abused Sapphire Angel.
“I’m doing much better today. Surprisingly good. It’s like a miracle. If I continue at this rate, I’ll be all better by tomorrow.”
“Huh, that’s odd. I’d ask if you wore your necklace to bed, but I remember you saying it didn't work that way.”
“Uh, yeah. Weird.”
“I already talked to Mrs. Devor, and she said you should ease back into things instead of sitting around. And she hasn’t even heard how well you’re doing. Up for some lunch? I’m almost back, and can be there in about twenty minutes.”
“Sure, but nothing too nice,” she replied. “I haven’t showered yet. How about something like Flanigan’s?”
“Oh, I was thinking more about bringing something to you. But if you’re up for it, that sounds good, as long as Mrs. Devor says it is okay.”
They ended the call a few moments later, and Beth changed into a fresh pair of jeans and light blue sweatshirt. She moved slower than normal, sensing the hint of a headache coming on, but her symptoms were manageable. She grabbed a pair of sneakers and slid them onto her feet, before using a hair band to pull her hair back in a loose ponytail.
Beth heard footsteps at the door and turned, surprised Conner had arrived so early. Except it wasn’t Conner. Stanley stood in the doorway, arms crossed and wearing a frown on his face.
“Oh, uh, hi, Stanley,” Beth said, forcing a smile.
“Feeling better?” he asked.
“I am. Not one-hundred percent, but almost. Much better than yesterday.”
“And how was your trip last night?” he asked, his face revealing no emotion.
“Oh, yeah… that,” Beth said with a grimace. “So you know?”
“Of course I know. How was Olivia?”
Beth took a deep breath. “Don’t be mad, please. I just went to talk. I thought perhaps she might help me find the gang.”
“Who went to talk? Beth or Sapphire Angel?”
Beth cringed and looked down. “Okay, okay," she said. "It was Sapphire Angel.”
Stanley furrowed his brow, giving her the most stern look he had ever given her.
“Beth, I won't lecture you. You’re a grown woman. But…” his voice trailed off, and he sighed.
“I’m sorry, Stanley. It’s just that time is running out.”
“I get that. But you might have made your condition a lot worse.”
“Just the opposite, actually. I assume it’s because of the necklace, but I feel much better than I did even twelve hours ago. Night and day different. Like I said, I almost feel better.”
“Hmm,” Stanley said, rubbing his chin and squinting his eyes. “That’s a new one.”
“What do you mean?”
“Oh, uh, nothing. I mean, your necklace never ceases to amaze me. A concussion like that normally takes months to resolve.”
Beth shrugged but said nothing.
“Was it worth the risk?” he asked. “Did you learn anything from Olivia?”
“Uh, no,” Beth said as she looked down and shuffled her feet. “Dead end. She hinted earlier about wanting to work together, but it turns out she doesn't. She had, umm, other plans, and was just stringing me along.”
“Hmm. Sorry. Perhaps it is for the better.”
“I hate admitting defeat, Stanley, but I won't find the gang in time. They’ll take over the city.”
“Maybe not,” he said. “But given your condition, it probably doesn’t matter.”
“What does ‘maybe not’ mean?”
“It means I finally picked up something from the bug at the jail.”
Beth’s eyes widened. "What?" she asked, her voice rising with excitement.
Stanley looked at her with his arms crossed, sighed, and spoke, describing what he had heard over the speaker.
“Now I’m trying to boost the audio,” he finished.
“So the bug worked!” Beth exclaimed.
“Maybe,” Stanley said. “I’m not sure if I’ll be able to make it audible. And even if I can, I’m not sure I’ll tell you. Definitely not if you still have symptoms.”
“I’ll be better soon, I promise!” Beth said, bubbling with excitement. Her pursuit of the Savage Gang wasn’t over. Lockheed hadn’t taken away her ability to help the people of Harrisburg deal with the gang. Stanley would restore the audio and locate the gang, and then she would take them down.
Stanley studied her with his eyes narrowed, but said nothing.
“Think of how much I've improved in just the past twelve hours," Beth continued. "At this rate, I’ll be back to my old self tomorrow. So please work on the audio. I promise I won’t do anything until I’m better.”
“What’s up?” a voice came from behind Stanley. Conner stepped into view.
Stanley's head swiveled between Conner and Beth. “I’ll leave you two alone,” he said, before giving Conner a nod and walking from the room.
Conner closed the distance to Beth, pulled her close, and placed a gentle kiss on top of her head. She wrapped her arms around him and leaned her head against his chest.
“Did you just grab my ass?” he asked, an expression of shock on his face.
Beth's jaw dropped as she leaned back. “No —” she started to protest, until he burst out laughing. She flicked his chest with a light smack. “Always the joker,” she said, shaking her head.
He remained silent, pulling her close again. After a moment, he stroked her hair. She nestled in closer.
“This is nice,” she murmured.
“I’m just glad we can get back to normal,” he said in a quiet voice.
“What made you change your mind about us?” she asked him.
“Well, this whole thing, and you almost getting killed in that explosion. I hate to say it, but in a way, maybe it was a blessing. If it hadn’t happened, you might still be intent on going after the gang.”
Beth's body tensed, and she knew immediately this would not go well. Conner must have sensed her tension, as he eased back from her and put his hands on her shoulders. He held her at arm's length and narrowed his eyes.
“I guess that was short-lived,” he said. “You’re not giving up on the Savage Gang, are you?”
She tried to meet his eyes, but had to look away. Her eyes studied the floor, and she didn’t respond. She knew what was coming, and already was blinking back tears.
“Beth, what the hell?” he muttered. “They almost killed you. They kicked the asses of a bunch of MMA guys. Hell, just one of them took down the champ, who everyone thought was the toughest fighter in the world. This isn’t the Red Scorpions. One of these guys could take down ten of those goons. What is it going to take for you to wise up?”
Beth continued to look down and spoke in a murmur. “I wasn’t Sapphire Angel during the explosion. The next time I run into them, it will be different.”
“You’re sure of that? Sapphire Angel is number one on their hit list right now. And you’re not in a condition to face anyone right now.”
“I —” she began, but he interrupted her.
“Why do you have to prove yourself? You don’t have to live up to everyone’s expectations.”
“You think that’s what this is?” Beth snapped, her anger flaring. “That I’m doing this to prove something? Good grief!” Conner flinched and stepped back, before she continued. “I don’t even know what to say. You don’t understand anything!”
Conner stared at her, his jaw set, before replying.
“Just forget it,” he retorted, disgust dripping from every word. “We shouldn’t argue. It isn’t good for your concussion, and I’m never going to change your mind. I meant what I said before. Call me when you come to your senses. Otherwise, I can’t take this.”
He spun toward the door.
“Conner!” she protested, as he stomped away. He didn’t answer, leaving the room and closing the door behind him. His footsteps pounded down the stairs, faster than she could have pursued him.
This was like a repeat of their fight two days ago. And like last time, his abrupt departure left her numb. She felt the tears coming. This time she didn’t stop them.
Other links:
Sapphire Angel, Superheroine (Book 1)
Power Play (Book 2)
Deconstruction (Book 3)
Savage Dawn (this book - Book 4)
For the love of fish sticks.....this chapter was just a rollercoaster from beginning to end, I swear. When we had that reveal earlier that one of the janitors of the jail was aligned with the Savage Gang, I did flash back to when Sapphire planted the bug inside, but didn’t think anything would come of it due to its past failures. Turns out I couldn’t have been more wrong.....if Stanley successfully manages to enhance the recorded track, that is.
But......ugh. Getting up at.....almost noon sounds utterly disgusting to me. That would’ve thrown my whole “breakfast --> Lynch --> dinner” schedule off by a mile, and I’d never be able to recover after THAT. At the latest, I get up at 10:00am so I still have time to have all three with sufficient gaps in between. Then again, Beth does have a busy life as Sapphire, and the attack at Lockheed’s room took place at a late hour, so there’s that, of course.
Maybe things might not be at a loss after all, thanks to Stanley coming in clutch. .....And then it all went to the urinal after Conner came over. Here I thought things were going so well. That Conner had come around after the bombing on the gun shop. I thought that if Beth could keep Sapphire’s antics a secret from Conner after that, everything would’ve been fine. But.....I guess the cat’s out of the bag.
Actually, now that I think about it, I hope this doesn’t discourage Sapphire from capitalizing on Stanley’s lead if he does manage to push her through. She’s so close now, and to give it all up in favor of making Conner happy---at the cost of dooming several more lives once the Savage Gang moves into the city---really doesn’t sound like the heroine she is.
Maybe she IS better off with Ethan. Conner could be written out of the story somehow to make the transition less painful for Beth/Sapphire, though no matter how it’s done so, she’s still definitely going to be sad whenever (or IF ever) it happens.
I say Sapphire should continue.....or at least entertain the idea. If Stanley is able to solve the audio, then she should move. But if he can’t, then Sapphire can just remain as Beth and continue living her last few normal days in relative peace before Harrisburg becomes yet another one of the Savage Gang’s stomping grounds.
......Wonder what’ll happen next! Catch you on Monday!