Tekgrrl (20 page)

“There’s more brainwave activity, but that’s to be expected,” Paul said, studying several charts. “But otherwise, I say you get a clean bill of health, Mindy. Nothing for the government to worry about.”

I breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s great.”

“Not that we need to prove anything to Simon Leasure. This was more for your own peace of mind, Mindy,” Wesley said, giving Paul a significant look.

“Well, next time I see Simon, I’ll be sure to wave these test results under his nose,” I laughed, sliding off the table.

“You can tell him now.”

We all turned to see Lainey standing in the doorway, cradling Emily. “Simon’s here. And he’s brought his team.”

We were all silent as we struggled to process this information.

“Let’s gather everyone in the war room,” Paul said, his voice brittle. “Come on, Mindy.” He ushered me out the door.

As I glanced over my shoulder I saw Wesley and Lainey hold back, speaking in hushed tones. I wondered what they were saying. Whatever Simon Leasure wanted, it couldn’t be good.

“Hello, everyone,” Simon said, a politician’s smile painted on his naturally handsome face.

None of us returned the greeting, and instead we stared back at him. I had somehow ended up standing between Paul and Toby. Wesley and Lainey were on Paul’s other side, and Luke and Selena near Toby. Kate stood off to the side, giving Simon a flirty look that I was sure was for Paul’s benefit.

Simon Leasure hadn’t changed in the year or so since he’d left us. He still had the same movie-star good looks, wavy blond hair, dark blue eyes, a faint hint of dimples when he smiled and a smile that had charmed the pants off of many a girl. Never me or Lainey, of course. We had been too smart for that.

Clad now in his standard Washington uniform, a dark suit with a red tie, Simon bore more than a passing resemblance to his senator father. I’m sure no intern in DC was safe.

His team stood in silence behind him, staring us down. There were eight in all, like the EHJ, four men and four women. They all wore uniforms emblazoned with the American flag.

“I’m sure the Reincarnist and White Heat told you all of our meeting yesterday,” Simon said, surprisingly formal, using their aliases and not their real names, as if he had just met them and wanted to maintain courtesies. No one spoke, but unruffled he continued: “As I’m sure you are all aware, I have formed my own team that will ensure the safety and the interests of our country. Elite Hands of Justice, I’d like you to meet
my
team, the American Agents, or AA for short.”

“Isn’t the AA Alcoholics Anonymous?”

Selena, of all people, had spoken up. I bit the inside of my mouth to keep from giggling. I cast a quick glance at Toby, who seemed to be having the same trouble. Paul and Wesley just looked angry.

Simon frowned. “Not anymore. We bought the rights.”

“Smart thinking,” Kate said.

“I thought so.” Simon preened, obviously unaware she was mocking him.

“So, what does this mean to us?” Luke asked. I noticed his muscles were tensed, like a snake ready to strike. He clearly sensed something was up.

“While the United States government does truly appreciate all of the work your team has done over the years,” Simon said, “the president has asked me to relay that your services will no longer be required.”

Paul laughed. “Well, since we don’t technically work for you, that shouldn’t be a problem. We just won’t continue to work with your defense contacts or turn over our lifesaving inventions free of charge like Mindy and I both used to do. And the next time some maniac in a cape or a terrorist shows up to blow the White House to kingdom come, I guess that will just be your problem, won’t it, Simon?”

“Yes, it will be,” Simon agreed. “I’m glad you see it my way.”

“Good luck,” Wesley said. And it sounded like he meant it. He added: “None of those people behind you has an ounce of magic. I’ll be interested to see how you defend against magical threats.”

“The United States of America doesn’t see any rising threat in the magic-using community,” Simon said, as if reading off a press release. “They are a power, of course, but we have full faith in our abilities to handle them.”

Wesley narrowed his eyes. “Next time the Dragon shows up, he just might kill you, Simon. Especially without one of us to pull your bacon out of the fire.”

Simon frowned. “The Dragon won’t show up again, because you won’t be around to tempt him.”

Wesley’s mouth tightened. “Pardon me?”

Simon held up an envelope. “This is a cease-and-desist order signed by the president himself, after he and I had a little chat about what you’re up to. You are to turn over to my team all equipment the Elite Hands of Justice use in their pursuit of evil.” He looked directly at me and Paul. “And any inventions or patents currently in process become the immediate property of the United States government.”

Everyone’s jaws dropped. I felt a buzzing in the back of my head start up. Oh, no. That was usually a precursor to the episodes I had.
Hold it together, Mindy, hold it together,
I chanted to myself.

“Oh, hell no!” Toby blasted. “This has got to be some kind of joke.”

Simon gave us a mirthless smile. “It most definitely is not.”

“And if we tell you to go to hell?” Paul asked through gritted teeth. He looked as if he wanted Simon’s head on a plate.

“If you tell me to go to hell, I will see it as an act against the interests of our country, and you will be taken into custody by my team,” Simon said. “If you pretend to cooperate and still show up on the street at a later time, I will see it as an act against the interests of our country and you will be taken into custody by my team at that time.” He gave us all a nasty grin. “I told you all that you’d be nothing without me.”

It got deadly silent in the room. I noticed Wesley and Paul exchange glances. Lainey’s mouth was a grim line. Wesley glanced down at Luke, who gave a barely perceptible nod, and Toby gave Paul a weary look. Kate cracked her knuckles. Instantly I knew what they planned.

“Simon,” said Wesley, taking the baby from Lainey. “I’m afraid we’re going to have to decline your offer.”

Simon blinked. “Excuse me?”

“What he means to say,” Paul clarified, stepping in front of me, “is ‘Go to hell.’”

Simon’s faced twisted into a terrible grimace. “Take them,” he snarled.

His teammates stepped forward.

“No problem, boss,” said one of the men. He charged straight for Luke. The others took the cue and launched themselves as well.

It only took a second for me to realize I was screwed. My only power was my design skill. Without my tech gadgets, I was nothing, and I had been too out of whack this morning, and felt too secure in our headquarters, to remember to grab a weapon. I was powerless.

The buzzing in the back of my head increased. That voice that crept into my thoughts hissed,
Powerless. Nothing.

Simon’s teammate jumped the table and came at me, claws literally out. Distracted by the voice in my head, I took a split second to react, but at the last moment I managed to evade the woman’s blow, raising my arm just in time to ward it off. My sweater tore from her nails, and I winced. Damn, these people were playing hard-core! Why would Simon be letting them use this much force?

She must have been expecting an easy victory; as the woman attacked again, I took her by surprise and palm-heeled her in the face. Thank God I had taken self-defense classes with Luke as an excuse to be near him when I was younger. My foe staggered backward, howling and holding her shattered nose, and then a foot caught her in the chest and sent her flying across the room.

“Mindy, get behind me,” Paul snapped, turning to deal with one of the men.

I scrambled to my feet, hating to crouch behind him like a stupid, simpering girl. But that happens when you’re a powerless nothing.

The voice in my head laughed. And then I had a flashback to lying on the table in the Vyqang ship, my head not even closed up again as they began to harvest more…

The voice in my head went silent, as did the rest of the world. My limbs felt heavy, like I was surrounded by water or some sort of other thick liquid. I stood up, moving as if I was in slow motion, pushing my way past Paul, who probably said something to me, and faced Simon’s team.

Simon’s lips were moving, but I couldn’t hear. I reached out with my hand, as if I were physically picking him up, and made a throwing motion with my hand. Simon hurtled off his feet and through the wall behind him.

One of his teammates stopped trying to fight Wesley, who’d erected an invisible shield between them, and launched himself at me. I swatted my hand, like I was hitting a troublesome insect buzzing around my head, and he went crashing off into one of the women.

Then it was like someone had turned the sound back on. I could hear my heart pounding in my ears, my labored breathing, and the blasts of the other combatants all around me.

“Nice going, Mindy,” Paul said, taking me by the arm as I swayed on my feet.

“Thanks, but I think I’m going to pass out,” I replied.

“No time for that. Pass out after we’re to safety.” Paul put his arm around my waist. “Hope you still have that voice recognition software up. Computer, this is Paul Christian, White Heat,” he yelled.

From over the din, I heard a beep and then a computerized voice said, “Confirmed.”

“Initiate action: Fire sale.”

“Initiation confirmed.”

It was our contingency plan, should a villain ever get through all of our security and try to take over the building, so that no tech or information would fall into enemy hands.

Simon recognized the code name. “No! Someone stop it!”

“That’s as good a distraction as anything,” Wesley said. “Now, Lainey!”

“Everyone hold hands,” my friend shrieked over the din. I felt Toby and Paul take my hands just as the sound of the bombs going off started in both my lab and Paul’s.

“Apri il portale,”
I heard both Wesley and Lainey say at the same time.

Coldness washed over me, and then the whole world turned inside out.

We popped into existence outside of a familiar-looking dank alleyway, all of us an exhausted mess.

Lainey and Wesley were propped against one wall. I could only imagine how much will it had taken for them to magic the whole team here. Of course, the rest of us were suffering from the discomfort of interdimensional travel through magic means, and most of the team was doubled over fighting nausea. Lainey had always told me that magic teleportation had this effect on those whose bodies weren’t used to it. Selena was actually vomiting, and Luke stood next to her, rubbing her back and speaking softly. My own stomach was tossing violently, and I wished I had someone to hold my hair.

Wanting to power past the light-headedness I still felt from whatever I myself had done back in headquarters, I focused on Wesley and said, “We could have used my teleportation system to avoid this.”

He shook his head no. “They would have followed the tech signature. They have no magic users, so no way to trace us.”

I nodded. That made sense.

“Where are we?” Paul asked, looking around.

“A safe house. Or at least it will be in a moment,” Wesley answered, running a hand over the wall and speaking some words. He then walked through it.

Paul took a step back. “Where did he go?”

“Welcome to Fantazia’s,” I said, following Wesley, Lainey and Kate inside. The rest of the group stood staring, openmouthed.

As soon as they followed, and when the doorway between our world and Fantazia’s closed, I felt a bit of the pressure in my head let up. I didn’t know why it did, but I was grateful.

Surprisingly, there were no patrons in Fantazia’s bar. It seemed like it was just beginning to open up. Did she have regular hours? I wondered idly as I watched as the rest of the team stagger in and look around.

“Fantazia!” Wesley yelled. A moment later, one of the usual emaciated waitstaff came scrambling out of a back room.

“Sir, you can’t be here,” the androgynous waiter said. “The establishment is not open for business yet.”

“I don’t care, she needs to see me. Fantazia!”

A moment later, a thundercloud in black lingerie erupted from the back, looking extremely angry.

“What do you think you’re doing?” she growled, either oblivious or not caring that she was in front of a bunch of strangers in an almost see-through teddy. “You just can’t barge in here like you own the place!”

“We need your help,” Wesley said, keeping his eyes level with hers.

“And this is how you come to ask for it?” She looked behind her as a man with four arms and silver skin appeared, speaking some strange language. “No, you don’t have to go, Qwuogidsh. These people were just leaving.”

“No, we weren’t,” Wesley corrected.

The man shook his head, and to most of the room’s shock, shimmered away. Fantazia just looked furious. She whirled on Wesley.

“Great! Just great! Do you know how long it takes for Qwuogidsh’s dimension to line up with this one? I’m going to have to wait another hundred years to see him!”

“The time will fly by.” Wesley crossed his arms over his chest.

Fantazia looked murderous and started spouting off in rapid-fire Italian. Wesley spoke back to her in the low voice of a man trying to control his temper. Their tones started getting more and more intense and they looked like they wanted to strangle each other. Ah, family fights.

“Hey!” Paul interrupted the steady stream of Italian. “Do you want to talk so the rest of the class can understand?”

“So, what do you want?” Fantazia snapped at Wesley.

“Simon Leasure is abusing his power with the government. We had to turn over everything to his new team or Simon was going to consider us villains and take us into custody.”

“We chose to leave,” Paul put in.

Fantazia smiled. “
You’re
a fugitive?” she said to Wesley. “That has to be the funniest thing I’ve heard.”