Dane Curse (20 page)

Chapter 37

After fifteen minutes of flying we came to the tunnel’s exit, high up on the side of a mountain. At the base were trees and a road that led back to the city. Beyond that was the Pacific. Its waves crashed loud, and sent the cool smell of salt and pine. I turned to the north and saw Gold Coast’s skyline. We were so far out that every star shining above it was perfectly visible.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Monday yanked off his helmet, and got in my face. “Why did you leave the office? Did you kill Sledge?”

“Is your locator active? Can they track you?”

The man didn’t look happy. “No.”

“Good, then we have some time.”

“For what? Answer my question. Did you-”

“Of course not.” I took a deep breath, and pushed the pain away. “I was there to get his help. I didn’t kill him.”

“Then who did?”

“I don’t know.”

“And the Agents?”

“They’re fine. Their armor held up. Might be a couple of injuries…”

Monday paced back and forth, shaking his head. “This is bad. Caught at two murder scenes in one day. You’re out of control.”

“Listen, calm down. Tell me, what did you found out? About the autopsy?”

His face went a special kind of blank. “Are you serious? You want to talk about that after what just happened?”

“Yes. Did Mindgame’s tox report come back positive for Black Bleach?”

He grit his teeth, and shook his head. “No Dane, they didn’t check. And by the time I got there he’d already been cremated.”

“What?” For a second the bullet holes in my body stopped hurting. “On whose say so?”

“Who knows? Probably the director’s.”

“Why would he do that?”

“Some black capes don’t get funerals, especially the ones that do truly heinous things. Their graves can become magnets for crazies, and besides, it’s not unheard of for them to burn.”

“But it’s not normal.” I shook my head. “Next question: where’d those guns come from?”

“What guns?”

“Come on. You have Kaos. God damn Azures, too. That ordnance your boys are packing back there is Sindicate property. How’d you get it?”

“We nabbed some big overseas arms shipment today, and decided to utilize the items rather than mark them as evidence. Confiscation of illicit assets is lawful under a number of statutes.” He was nodding and speaking fast with words that I could tell weren’t his.

“Humphries tell you that?”

“He announced it at tonight’s tactical meeting.”

“Really? You guys capture a weapons shipment, and didn’t have a news conference to tell the good citizens of Gold Coast just how safe you’ve been keeping them? I can’t remember a lawman making a huge bust and not taking credit for it. I’ll tell you, MAGMAs in the hands of the law. Twiddle must be furious.”

“Uh,” Monday shifted back and forth. “Twiddle’s dead.”

“Twiddle’s dead?” I spun around too quick, and was reminded of all the holes in my torso. I slumped against the wall. Monday moved to help me, but I waved him off.

“He was killed when we took Gun Guys.”

“Why would…” 
No. 
The Azures. The MAGMAs. First Mindgame and now Twiddle. “That lying son of a bitch, I can’t believe it.”

“What, what is it?”

I didn’t have time to think it through before, but there was only one way that all of it made sense. “Humphries. He’s actually working with Lynchpin.”

“What?” Monday tossed his hands in the air. “You’re… That’s insane.”

“Is it? Let me ask you, who’s the anonymous source leaking impossible info? I thought it was Lynchpin, trying to guide your investigation on the sly, but now I’m sure that your boss is partnered up with him. Otherwise why’d he set a land speed record destroying Mindgame’s body? Why stop a shipment of arms and not log them as evidence? Why kill Twiddle?” I looked out at the ocean. “Why did he destroy every bit of evidence that links the murder weapon to Lynchpin?”

“Wait, the MAGMAs killed Pinnacle?”

“Tipped with Black Bleach. The combination would’ve been lethal, even to Pinnacle.

“Oh,” Monday said. He sort of went blank as he thought it over. “But even if that’s all true why would Humphries do it?”

“So you guys can go nationwide. Pinnacle’s death would kill all opposition. The way the director sees it on the one hand we have a federal police force fighting crime and saving lives, while on the other we have a lone cape. Not a hard choice for him to make. Especially since he wouldn’t even need to get his hands dirty, just cover up Lynchpin’s deed, and pin it on someone else. Afterward he’s the big hero, free to expand the SPECs across a grateful country that, thanks to Pinnacle’s absence, is already crying out for greater security.”

“But… It’s true, the director is desperate to take us federal, and I’ve got no doubt he’s capable of what you’re saying, but I can’t see him working with the Sindicate. Not directly.” Monday took the spot next to me. “Do you have any proof to back this up?”

“You mean aside from what your guys have killed, burned, or seized? No.”

“Then it’s time for you to get out of town. You’re the city’s most wanted with all the cops and all the capes.”

“I’m not running.” I turned to him. “I still got work to do.”

“If what you say is right then even if you had evidence you’d still need an army to pin it on that pair. An Army. And the last time I checked that’s something you haven’t got. So what can you do?”

“I’ll tell you what I’m going to do.” I got to my feet as slowly as I could. The pain kept me in check. “I’m heading back to the office to get some bandages and a bit of shut eye. Then I’m going to find some hard proof, and nail your boss and his partner to the wall.” I looked down at my stomach.

“Then it goes without saying that you’re a fool.” Monday stood up. “In the meantime I’ll call in some favors, and look deeper into his anonymous source. If anything turns up I’ll contact Widow.” He put a hand on my shoulder. “Now don’t take this the wrong way, but I need you to forget my number. We’re through for a very long while.”

“I figured,” I said. “I’ll see you when I see you.”

“Wait. Before you go.” He pointed at his face. “I can’t go back looking like this without raising some eyebrows.”

I knew what he was asking for. “Helmet.”

Monday put it on, and with a quick jab I cracked his faceplate. He fell back into the wall, then slid to the ground unconscious. It was a good start, but there’d need to be more. The only way to save him from suspicion would be a pretty bad beating.

So I gave him a kick. Then I gave him another. I even grabbed the blaster on his wrist and squeezed it until the metal crumpled and the bone beneath cracked. That was enough. Damaged weapons with a fractured wrist, some broken ribs, and a lot of nasty bruises. It would hold. I set him upright, and looked him over. One dozen me’s stared back from his cracked visor, and not one of them looked good.

I turned and ran down the side of the mountain towards the road. From the street I could barely see the glow of the city that I had no way back to. My wounds were bleeding worse. I put pressure on them, but that squeezed more blood out than it kept in. I surveyed my surroundings. It was completely dark. Then a pair of lights crested the hill. A car was coming up fast. I put out my thumb. If they stopped I was going to club them and take their ride.

It got closer. The lights blinded me. I covered my eyes, and the car screeched to a halt. Then a person got out, and said, “Dane, is that you?”

I could only see her outline, but I swear it had an angel’s wings. “Widow?” I said. “I don’t believe it.”

She ran over, stuck a shoulder under my arm, and dragged me into the car.

Chapter 38

“How’d you find me?”

“Be quiet. Try to rest.” She shifted, and we bombed down a hill roller coaster style.

“But I’m shot.”

“I noticed. I have to get you to a doctor.” We were now clear of the mountains, and the city was rising up ahead like Oz.

“No, no doctors. You do it. Take me to the office.”

“Are you sure?” Widow glanced at me. “You look pretty bad.”

“I’m positive. How did you find me? That was some trick.”

“Yeah, trick.” We drove beneath the famous Welcome to Gold Coast City sign. The thing takes up four inbound lanes, and has a green background with lettering made from actual gold dust. “You were on the news. All the news.”

“Me?”

“Yeah, you and Humphries. He was on the TV, the radio, all the media outlets, right after the first shots were fired telling the city that the SPECs were in pursuit of the mastermind behind Pinnacle’s murder.”

“Really?” I laughed a little. It hurt. “That man’s smart.” Humphries was keeping everybody staring at the train wreck, making them think that he was catching those responsible. “Wait, how’d you know where to pick me up?”

“I saw Glory Anna crash through the pavement outside Humbart’s.” Widow took the next off ramp, accelerating through the turn.

“And?”

“And you’re not the only one who’s used Tunnel Town before.”

“So you saw where I was, and met me at the exit.”

“That’s making it sound easier than it was. That particular tunnel has three different outs. I tried the southernmost one first, figuring you’d go as far from the city as possible. I waited there for a long while.”

“Then you headed north.”

“Got lucky on my second guess.”

#

Four hands slapped me in quick succession.

“Wake up.” Widow was hovering over me.

“Where are we?”

“The office.”

I looked around. She was right. Widow had dragged me up to my suite and dumped me on the couch.              

“Come on, let’s get you stitched up.”

“Stitches don’t work on me.”

“I know. It’s a figure of speech.” She walked to my desk, and opened a drawer. “I’m going to get the bullets out of you, then I’m going to seal the holes. I want you with me until I do.”

I nodded. “Get me some whiskey while you’re over there.”

She mumbled, “I’ll get you some whiskey,” but came back with a small bag instead. Inside was gauze, a handheld industrial strength magnet, and a tube of sealant. “Ok palooka, this may hurt a bit.” She ran the magnet over my stomach. I felt the metal inside me tug against my skin right before the wound spat out all the shrapnel it had. My eyes got wet and nearly jumped out of their sockets as I took big gulps of air. “You ok?” she asked.

I nodded, but it hurt worse than when they went in.

“Good.” Widow shoved some gauze in my hand, and I used it to soak up the blood as she pulled me forward. Then she ran the magnet over my back, my arm, and by the time she finished with my legs I was in agony. “Here, hold on to these,” she said, and handed me all the slugs.

I took the bullets and gave them a once over. “You got some bedside manner.”

“Quiet.” Widow reached over and grabbed the tube of sealant. The thing was filled with liquid skin, a sweet little invention that helped plug up wounds for those of us who know not the joys of sutures or staples. She carefully injected just enough into each wound, and it dried into a pale plug almost immediately, which felt strange but stopped the bleeding.

When she finished she surveyed her work, gave it an approving nod, and returned the tools to the desk. “So, you want to tell me how you got away? I thought you were cooked for certain. That was Glory Anna you fought.”

“I asked her to let me go. Politely. She places a high premium on manners.” My eyelids were getting heavy. “Then I shot her.”

“Are you joking?”

“Nope,” I said.

“What’d you shoot her with, Lois? I didn’t see any-”

“A devilish grin.”

“Whatever.”

“Why don’t you get me some fresh threads? There’s some in the closet.”

“How about a pillow and blanket? Wait here.” She walked out front, and returned with the linen. After she draped the covers over me, Widow took extra care to ensure my pillow was fluffed. “Is there anything else?”

I shook my head.

“Right answer. I’ll be in the next room. If you need anything just let me know, ok?”

I nodded. The darkness began to seep in. “They say I killed Pinnacle, Widow.”

She sighed, kissed my forehead, and turned off the lamp. “Nothing you can do about that now, just get some shut eye.”

Chapter 39

Morning came quick and with it a lot of pain. Everywhere hurt, even the places that weren’t perforated. After a few deep breathes I got to my feet and made it to the bathroom mirror to take inventory. A purple shiner covered my left eye and was pushing westward like it declared manifest destiny, while beneath it a muzzle full of fuzz had grown like thorns around a split lip.

I carefully washed up, shaved, and put on some fresh clothes, then went into the waiting room. Widow was gone, but on the couch, folded neatly, were a second set of linens along with a note that read: Getting breakfast, DO NOT LEAVE – W.

“Aye aye, cap,” I said, then returned to my couch. I needed a distraction, so I grabbed the remote and turned on the tube. I figured a little news wouldn’t hurt.

Wrong again.

#

I was watching when Widow returned. She had a white paper bag with her. “Anything good on?”

“Good?” I shook my head. “No.”

“What’s up?”

“It’s Gravel. Killed last night while I was busy.”

“That’s the third board member. Wait, didn’t he find Pinnacle’s body?”

“Yeah.”

“Do they know who did it?”

“They don’t, but I do. It’s too much of a coincidence that the three board members Lynchpin was chatting up at his party have all turned up with upturned toes, one of which I was trying to contact. He’s tying loose ends.”

“Any other news?”

“Mostly just me.” I motioned to the set where I was fighting the SPECs and making my escape in Jane, all caught from news choppers up on high. “I look notorious, huh?”

“Is that pride I hear?”

“No, just glad to know I still got it.”

“Yeah.” Widow put down the bag she was carrying on my desk. “Well, whatever you got there’s not much of it left.”

“No positive ID.” I motioned toward the screen. “Thanks to my mask. I got pretty lucky there.”

“Lucky, huh?”

“Yeah, you made a good call.”

Widow handed me a cup of coffee with a smile on the side. “Here, take this.”

“Thanks.”

“And this.” She pulled out an egg sandwich and some hash browns from the bag. “Eat up, you look like you need it. And there’s more so don’t be shy.”

I dug in. I knew the place where she got it. A little greasy spoon half a block away, and while they’re not usually known for the care they put into their product, it tasted amazing. We watched the tube some more, but nothing new came up before the cycle began repeating itself. I clicked off the set, and finished the food in silence.

When I swallowed the last bite Widow sat down next to me and put a hand on my shoulder. “So, what now?”

I sighed. “That’s a great question.”

“Does it have a great answer?”

“I don’t think so.” I put my hands across my stomach, and felt the wounds there. “Ow. I’m sort of stuck.”

“Well, let’s talk it through, maybe we can figure out something.”

“Couldn’t hurt I guess.”

Widow turned to me and waited.

“Ok, here’s what I think: Lynchpin’s wanted to get rid of Pinnacle for years, and with the MAGMAs he finally sees his chance, but before he can move he needs a guaranteed way to deflect suspicion, and that’s where Humphries comes in. Lynchpin knows, through his government connections, that Pinnacle’s the sole roadblock to the SPECs national expansion. With him out of the way Humphries can go federal without a hitch, so the crime boss and the director strike an accord; one will commit the murder while the other conceals it.

“First Humphries schedules a meeting with Pinnacle in a secure Sindicate property to discuss the possible expansion while miles away Lynchpin waits with a loaded Kaos. Then, when our hero shows, he plugs him with a Black Bleach tipped MAGMA. Once Pinnacle pops, Lynchpin pulls up outside the building and uses his TK to remove the shell without entering, leaving the crime scene evidence free.

“Afterward, when the body goes public, Humphries pins the whole thing on Mindgame and destroys any evidence to the contrary. Lynchpin kills the three board members who helped him, and I’m guessing Sledge because either he was getting close or didn’t stop snooping like he was supposed to. Then with all the loose ends tied up, and the murderer found, it’s case closed, leaving both men free to expand their organizations; one across the country, the other across the sea.”

“Makes sense,” Widow said. “If Lynchpin’s shifting offshore he’d be at odds with the SPECs a whole lot less, but why would he hire you?”

“It would alleviate any suspicion that he’s involved.”

“From who?”

“The board members who weren’t in it with him, I guess. Especially his daughter. She really loved Benjamin, and would be committed to finding the killer. But what’s bothering me is would Pinnacle really show up in street clothes for a meeting with Humphries? And the MAGMA had to travel a long way to reach him, would he have stood still long enough to get hit? I want those answers, but they’ll be hard to find since to get them I’ll need to wade through both the SPECs and the Sindicate.”

“There I can’t help you. But on the plus side you’re still free, you still have options.” She looked at her lap. All twenty fingers were drumming on her leg. “I hate to say it but you can scram.”

“Monday said that, too.”

“He’s a smart guy, for a cop.” She reached into her pocket. “This might help. I picked it up before breakfast in the off chance you might need it.”

I took it from her and gave it a gander. I couldn’t believe it. Widow had bought me a train ticket. Destination: New York. “You want me to run?”

“It’s the safe play.”

She was right, it was safe. And smart. Nobody knew me in the Apple. If I could find Lynx, and convince her to come then we might be able to take a knee, let the heat blow over, and then return to finish the job. But I thought of Pinnacle. I remembered how he looked. And I remembered my promise to find the killer.

I put the ticket on my coffee table, and slid it away from me. “No, nothing doing.”

“Fine.” Widow headed out to her desk. “Go tilt against some windmills. It’s a shame you pissed off Glory Anna.”

“No choice on that front, she was going put me in the clink.”

“Yeah, there’s that. But I doubt she’s got any love for the Sindicate, and after last night maybe even less for the SPECs. Who better to help if you want to nail them both?”

I laughed to myself. That was true enough, but go near Glory Anna again? Fat chance. I joked about it about last night, but deep down and all around I knew my escape was pure, uncut luck. And besides, how would I even go about finding her? There was a Team Supreme hotline, but it must’ve been ringing steadily over the past two days, and even if I did get through how could I convince them to help?

The idea was a fantasy.

Pure sci-fi.

I jumped to my feet, and said, “Yes!” Retrieving my iron I walked into the waiting room. “I need your car, I’m going out.”

“What?” Widow’s jaw nearly fell off her face. “Are you serious?”

“Yes I am. I need to run an errand.”

She blocked the door, shaking her head hard enough to knock out the brunette bun. “No. Not unless you’re driving east until you hit a place famous for pizza you’re not.”

“Sorry kid.” I picked up Widow, and moved her to the side as gentle as I could. “I got to go see about some heroes.”

“And where will you do that?”

“Where else? A comic book shop.”

Widow’s face dropped even further. “You think she can help with Glory Anna?”

“It’s not Glory I’m gunning for,” I said, and slipped on my overcoat along with my last hat. “It’s all of Team Supreme.”