Superheroine - Chapter 31
Once back inside the farmhouse, it only took Beth a few minutes to complete the change out of her costume. She was getting accustomed to the process. The men from the house were gone, meaning she could change in private, but also meaning they had slipped away.
When she returned to the front porch of the house with her costume safely tucked away in her bag, she saw Stanley in the grass area between the buildings. He was flanked by three state troopers. Several other troopers moved about the barnyard securing men she had defeated as Sapphire Angel.
“Beth!” Stanley exclaimed upon seeing her.
She descended the steps and he rushed to her, enveloping her in a fatherly hug.
“You’re okay!” he exclaimed, the relief clear on his face. The troopers edged up behind him.
“Thanks to Sapphire Angel, yes,” she replied. She figured her alter ego’s presence at the farm might come out at some point.
“Sapphire Angel?” one trooper asked. He was thin and tall, with a face dominated by a long, narrow nose. “Ma’am, I’m Corporal Bell. Did you say Sapphire Angel was here?”
Beth tensed and hoped the corporal didn’t notice a change in her demeanor. She tried to keep a neutral expression.
“Yes, she was. I was being held prisoner in the house. I heard a commotion, and then she came in and freed me and told me to stay hidden. I did, except for a brief peak to see some prisoners make a break for the woods. I came out when I heard your sirens.”
Beth watched the man, half expecting him to laugh at her attempt to conceal her secret. But the corporal only frowned.
“Where is she now?” he asked.
Beth shrugged. “I was hiding inside. I don‘t know.”
The man frowned again before nodding. His attention was diverted by the approach of two other troopers. He turned to face them.
“We found five men unconscious,” a female trooper said. “Rough looking types, including one giant, who look like they ended up on the wrong end of a fight. One of them started waking up, and muttered something about the leggy blonde in blue.”
Beth bit back a smile.
“We also found people wandering out in the woods behind the outbuilding, lost,” the trooper continued. “They claim they were held prisoner in the outbuilding, and that the rough-looking guys were guards. They say the guards were probably taken down by Sapphire Angel.”
“Are the prisoners healthy?” the corporal asked.
“Some of them are scrawny and pale, but it doesn’t seem to be too bad. But they said if Sapphire Angel hadn't come, it could have gotten much worse. They said some other prisoners disappeared during their stay and never returned.”
The corporal rubbed his chin and appeared to be in thought.
“Call in some ambulances,” he said. “While we’re waiting on them, follow protocol and get everyone separated. Have them identify each other. That will put their stories to the test and let us sort out who is a prisoner and who we need to lock up.”
“Yes, sir. I suspect the interviews will verify what appearances suggest. The ones claiming to be prisoners are a bit haggard and hungry looking, while the other guys look like they fought ten rounds with a gorilla.”
The corporal let out a soft, long whistle and shook his head in disbelief.
“The work of one woman?” he pondered aloud, before speaking to the trooper again. “Get started but tell someone else to notify the closest hospitals that they’ll have their hands full soon. Everyone will go there, and nobody leaves until we’re sure who is who.”
“Yes sir,” the woman said, and turned back toward the barn. Beyond her and to the right, Beth recognized five troopers leading a group of the prisoners from the woods. Her eyes darted from person to person. She counted nine. Among them she saw Craig O’Shea, and a few other faces she had seen in the pen. There was no sign of Ethan.
“Not everyone is here, Trooper,” Beth said, her voice rising, as she nodded toward the former prisoners. She felt a pit in her stomach. “I only count nine. There were more headed into the woods when I peeked out.”
He turned and looked toward the prisoners.
“Maybe there are more lost out there. Or maybe we didn’t get all the guards,” he said with a frown. “How many were there?”
“Guards?” Beth asked, her mind churning as she tried to count how many she reasonably could have seen as Beth. The whole secret identity thing was harder than she expected. “I saw maybe five, but there were probably more.”
“It’s possible some slipped away. We didn’t have the manpower to set up a proper perimeter.”
“You think they took prisoners with them?” Beth asked, balling her fists at her side.
“It wouldn’t be the first time a desperate criminal took hostages to use as a bargaining chip. So it's possible.”
Possible, yes, Beth thought. More likely, though, was Dominick’s men had taken prisoners for the same reason they had brought prisoners here. But what was that reason? If Ethan wasn’t here, he might find out soon enough.
“Who is this girl? What is her real name?” the man with silver eyes asked Dominick from the back seat of the car, as the wooded countryside flew by.
Dominick glanced over at the man. At first, he thought the man knew the answer and was testing Dominick’s knowledge. After all, the robed man seemed familiar with Sapphire Angel. But then Dominick noticed something in those silver eyes he hadn’t seen before. An eagerness. For some reason, the costumed woman’s identity was very important to him. That meant Dominick could use the information as leverage.
“In due time,” the Fizzure CEO said. “When all the terms have been satisfied, and our goal reached, I will provide you with her name.”
The other man’s jaw tightened. Another reaction he hadn’t previously shown.
“You don’t want to cross me, Demarco. Remember what you are trying to gain through this project. Something very personal to you. It would be a shame if the project were a success, but you and your family didn’t get to enjoy the benefits.”
The stare he bore down on Dominick was interrupted by sirens coming up fast from behind them. Dominick’s driver eased onto the shoulder. Moments later four ambulances blew past the vehicle, sirens blaring and light bars flashing, headed in the farm's direction. Dominick tightened his grip on the door armrest, sinking his fingers into the plush leather. He could feel the man next to him staring at him with his silver eyes.
Dominick pulled his briefcase across the seat and opened it, revealing six identical mobile phones. He pulled one out and dialed a number. It went right to a generic voicemail message. He tried a second number. Another voicemail message.
On the third call, a gruff voice answered.
“Yes… sir,” a man’s voice said. He was breathing heavily, as if he were running.
“What’s going on?” Dominick snapped.
“Police are swarming all over the farm,” the man said.
“I figured that!” Dominick snapped. “Why?”
“I dunno for sure how they found us. But Sapphire Angel showed up and took out pretty much all of us. The prisoners got free, probably thanks to her. Then the sirens started, and me, Colby, and Frank hightailed it out of there. Some of the other guys may be wandering out there, too. We ran into some prisoners roaming around, lost. We have them. We’re going cross-country right now. Hoping the cops don’t have dogs.”
Dominick’s grip on the phone tightened.
“How many prisoners do you have with you?”
“Three. Well, two, plus one new guy we found. About the age you’ve wanted.”
“Keep him and the other two and get clear of the area. Once you are sure — 100% sure — that nobody followed you, get to the safe house with the prisoners. I’ll have somebody pick you up who knows the location of the backup facility.”
Without waiting for a reply, Dominick ended the call. He took a deep breath and detached the back of the phone, before removing the battery.
“What was that about?” the man with the silver eyes asked him.
“The girl got loose. Took out my men. And apparently that’s where the police are headed.”
“Not good, Demarco. I overestimated your ability to meet our goals.”
“I still have enough to see this to its conclusion. We have three prisoners. That will be enough to finish the job.”
“No,” the other man said, shaking his head. “From all you’ve demonstrated, the chances of that appear to be slim. The cat is out of the bag this time. You’re a fugitive now, wanted for kidnapping, and eventually more. You can hide but they might find you. It’s too late. It’s time to shut this down.”
“No!” Dominick snapped. “We just finished moving everything from the headquarters to a backup location. I told nobody about it. Even my men just learned of it, when they moved our equipment there. And that was just a few of them. By the time the police find me, we’ll be done, and I’ll have saved my daughter. They can haul me off to jail then.”
“Jail? That’s what you think will happen to you? Don’t they kill murders here? Pump them full of primitive chemicals?”
“A price I’m willing to pay. After we finish this.”
“You can’t finish this. I told you there can be no trace left behind of what you’re doing. The police, and Sapphire Angel, are getting close. Too close. End this now.”
Dominick glanced over at the man but looked down to avert those damn eyes. “I’m going to take you back to the place you're staying,” he began, “and I’m finishing this project. You know how close we are. Don’t interfere, and you have my word I will give you the identity of Sapphire Angel.”
The silver eyes flared, only briefly. The robed man turned to look out the window, in thought, before looking back and giving a slow nod.
“Very well. See if you can finish this tonight. And if Sapphire Angel interferes again, I have something for you to try,” the silver-eyed man said, as he reached a hand into his robe and came out with a large, folded piece of paper. “Try modifying the device’s reactor profile on the third alternate flow, as I’ve sketched out here. Your lead man will understand. If she shows up, switch over to it.”
“What will that do?”
“If she is what I think, it may very well neutralize her powers. She'll be a normal girl. Helpless.”
“You’re positive it will work?”
“No, I’m not. I can’t be sure I’m right about her. And even if I am, one slight error in those calculations, or in the implementation by your people, could make it all go wrong. It could even make her stronger.”
“Wonderful,” Dominick grumbled. But he supposed it was worth the risk. “Even if it works, do we really want to take her powers? Don't we want to use them?”
“The power loss will be temporary. Plenty long enough for you to defeat her and secure her. Then you'll be able to use her as needed.”
He said no more as he handed the paper over to Dominick, before looking out the side window at the trees whizzing past. Dominick glanced down at the paper. It was filled with numbers, sketches, scrawled comments, and equations. This was something his scientists would need to digest.
“Please return to Mechanicsburg, where this man is staying,” Dominick said to his driver.
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