The Erotic Mind-Control Story Archive

Light and Shadows VII: Radiant Twilight

by J. Darksong & Baltimore Rogers

Epilogue:

“—And in local news, a surprise occurrence at a press conference held late last night by local industrialist Tristan Brandt concerning the kidnapping of his daughter, Stacy, a college senior at our own Ameritech College from which she’d been abducted.”

The news feed switched back to a recording of the event, of Tristan standing before a podium speaking before the assembled news crews. “I’d like to thank the people of our city for their heartfelt prayers and well wishes in this, our time of need. And I’d like to thank our local law enforcement for their quick response to this tragedy. Thanks to their efforts, my daughter has been returned, safe and sound, and the vile criminals responsible have been captured. This merely strengthens my resolve in supporting Chief Harrington’s reelection, for his firm stance against crime in our fair—tthhaaaaccccchhhhhh!!”

Devon and I both winced in sympathy as Stacy appeared on screen, delivering that brutal kick to her father’s groin. Jerking the microphone from its stand, she turned to glare at her father, who slipped to the floor in agony and surprise. “You asshole!” she shrieked, stunning the audience. “You unforgivable bastard! How dare you fucking stand up there playing the concerned father after leaving me to rot in the hands of those goddamned kidnappers!” Before he could make some kind of response, Stacy struck again, kicking the downed man once more in the crotch, getting a howl of pain in response.

“I was fucking there, Dad!” she snarled, as the cameras began snapping photos. “I was LISTENING when you tried playing hardball with the men holding a GUN to my head! Hell, their leader was so impressed with your disregard for your ONLY DAUGHTER that he FUCKING TAPED IT!” At which point she took out the tape recorder, taken from the prison, playing part of the conversation in front of the assembled press:

First Brandt’s voice: “bzzwwippt!—nch of impudent little maggots! You think you can threaten me? Me?!? I’m Tristan FUCKING Brandt, you hear me? You don’t dictate terms to me—I dictate them to you!”

Then another gruff deep voice: “ Look, Brandt, you DO realize we have your daughter right here, right now? This isn’t an idle threat! We WILL kill her unless you pay her ransom—”

Then Brandt again, interrupting: “Bullshit! I know full well who I’m dealing with. You’re one of this peons that I laid off a week ago trying to get back at me. You low brow, mouth-breathing pissants wouldn’t DARE hurt my daughter! You don’t have the guts!”

The scene shifted back to the reporter, who shook her head ruefully. “Following that startling revelation, young Miss Brandt exited the stage, leaving her father to deal with the aftermath. In a related story, in a strange bit of irony, Tristan Brandt who weeks ago laid off several thousand of his own workers in order to maintain his company’s profit margins was himself fired earlier today as CEO by his own board of directors. When we caught up with him later outside the Brandt Corporation building, Tristan Brandt simply responded with ‘No comment’.”

Laughing aloud, I switched off the TV. “Well, I can’t feel sorry for the guy. He certainly got what he deserved and more. Still, I kind of feel bad for Stacy in all this. She got her revenge on her old man, of course, but the repercussions of it are going to be a strain on their father-daughter relationship for some time.”

Devon shrugged. “I don’t think that will really be a problem. Stacy’s father was a bit too clever for his own good. According to Deidre, he put most of his stock options and readily-liquid assets in HER name as some kind of tax break. When she turned twenty-one last week, she officially gained control over those funds. That’s not something he would have worried about before, considering that she was Daddy’s Little Girl, wrapped around his little finger. Now, though... I expect he’ll patch things up with her, but knowing Stacy she’ll make him grovel quite a bit before she forgives him.”

I nodded at that. Having come to know the girl somewhat, I could only imagine what her dad would have to endure to get back in her good graces. A part of me felt bad about having slipped unbidden into her mind after being rescued, but she’d been a bit too enthusiastic about telling everyone about her little adventure... including the identities of the two Supers who had rescued her. Maybe it was a bit haughty of myself, blanking out the memory of my and Rose’s faces and identities but letting her remember my hero persona Darklight, as the hero. All things considered, I could still use the good press to make up for the things that happened when I was on the run, and Rose had flat out insisted that the fewer people that knew she was even involved the better. Besides, I hadn’t manufactured the emergency, and I HAD actually saved her life. It wasn’t entirely selfish of me to profit a little from the situation.

A knock at my door drew me back from my musings. Glancing up, I saw Devon’s sister poke her head into my room. “Hey. Mind if I... come in?” she asked hesitantly, blushing slightly. “The nurse at the front desk said it was okay.”

“Sure, come on in,” I replied, settling back into the hospital bed. Worse luck ever. Second time in two weeks I’m at the same hospital getting bandaged up for massive burns and neurological trauma from repeated pulse weapon fire. “One more time,” the charge nurse had said, “and you’ll get ‘frequent fryer’ miles.” Har-de-har-har-har. Glancing back up, I noted with surprise that Devon’s older sibling was carrying a small flower bouquet. “Flowers? For me? Wow... you shouldn’t have.“

“Yeah, I know,” she murmured softly under her breath. “But... well... I guess you... kinda deserve them, or something,” she added, placing them on the desk. “Don’t get me wrong. I still think you’re some kind of degenerate pervert that only wants my naive innocent little sister for her body. But, well... what you did back in the SUB, trying to protect her, pretending to be some rich snooty kid to taken in her place? That was... really nice.” She smirked. “Dumber than a box of rocks, but nice. So... I guess you’re not all bad.”

“Gee. Thanks.” I grumbled rolling my eyes skyward. If that was what passed for an apology from her, I should probably check the flower bouquet as soon as she left. The last time I had gotten flowers in the hospital—this hospital—they had turned out to be a deadly poison gas trap, after all.

“Dee,” Devon said slowly after a moment, grabbing our attention. “I’ve made a decision. I’m transferring to Portland, Oregon. I’m leaving Provo.”

“WHAT?!?” we both exclaimed at the same time. Deidre glared at me. “Is this YOUR doing? You convinced her to leave home and move across the country to be with you? Was this your plan all along?”

“Deidre, stop it!” Devon yelled sharply, cutting her sister off. “Look,” she said gently after a moment. “I know this all seems strange to you, but it’s fine. Really. This is what I want. I want to be with Jimmy. And moving to Oregon doesn’t mean I won’t see you again. Heck, you’ve been there and back a few dozen times over the past year during your internship for that travel company you want to work for when you graduate.”

Ah. THAT explained all those ‘sightings’ over the past several months, thinking it was Devon. Good to know I wasn’t completely nuts after all.

“But... but Dev,” Deidre said, glancing at me again, bottom lip trembling, “how can you trust this guy? I mean, you don’t know anything about him! What if you go off with him and I never see or hear from you again?”

Devon sighed deeply, glancing at me. “Jimmy... she’s not going to let this go. You should just show her and get it over with. I mean, you’re going to have to tell her eventually anyway. She’s my sister, my family... which makes her part of our family, if you decide you still want us to be together.“

She was right, of course. I was merely prolonging the inevitable because I didn’t like her. Still, if I’d learned anything at all growing up, it was that you can’t choose who your family is, or who you love. Family and love are both decided by fate.

“Okay, you’ve totally lost me,” Deidre said with a scowl. “What are you talking about? And what’s this big secret he has? Am I right? Is he REALLY some kind of perverted sex offender? Or a pedophile? Or a transvestite?” I blinked, going red in the face. Where the hell did she get this stuff from?!?

“No,” I said succinctly, gathering my darkness, activating my Neuroweave costume, despite the overly-sensitive, still-healing flesh around my chest and abdomen. I had the satisfaction of seeing Deidre going completely speechless, eyes bulging almost out of her head as I conjured a pair of floating black orbs of darkness, juggling them idly one-handed. “She meant about me being a Super, the hero that you’d gushed about earlier in the cafeteria. The name’s Darklight,” I said with a grin. “And as to that autograph? Yeah, I can still do that if you want.”

Deidre let out a small sigh as her eyes rolled up into her head and she fainted, collapsing to the hospital floor.

* * *

District Attorney Anthony Reginald Harrison straightened his tie, mumbling to himself as he sat down at the kitchen table. The day had just begun and already his mood was sour. His city was in ruins—well, technically, it was only three small locations damaged by the explosives from the night before, but still, it was the principle of the thing! First, the entire city gets swept up in a wave of insanity, with everyone losing their minds and acting like a bunch of freaking perverted degenerates, and then his old ‘friend’ Eugene Frasier hijacks the city’s communications satellite system to broadcast some stupid fight against some insane Super Villain threatening to take over the world, and finally the explosions last night. It was just too much.

And its all the fault of those damned ‘freaks’, he thought with disgust, taking a drink from the cup of coffee before him. Freakin’ costume wearing vigilantes... if it weren’t for THEM, these megalomaniacal super villains wouldn’t be so rampant. Everyone thinks of them as heroes, but they ATTRACT more crazies than they help put away. If I had my way, every single one of them would be rounded up and locked away in a steel box on the bottom of the ocean!

His wife, Jennifer, walked over, placing a plate of hot food in front of him, leaning down to kiss his cheek. “Honey, you’re scowling again,” she admonished. “You know it’s too early in the morning to be irritable. Come on. Eat something. You head to the office without a good breakfast far too often.”

Reggie chuckled softly, ruefully, grabbing his fork. “All right, dear. You went through all the trouble of cooking, the least I can do is eat it I guess.” Cutting a slice of ham and a scoop of scrambled eggs, he started to devour it when the doorbell rang. He sighed heavily, starting to get up only to have his wife hold up a hand.

“Go ahead and finish eating, sweetheart,” she said with a grin. “I’ll get the door.”

Shrugging, he did indeed continue eating, nodding in appreciation. Jen really was a great cook. It was a pity that his work kept him away from home so much. He really needed to show his darling wife how much he appreciated her. Well, with this latest project now all finished up, I should be able to spend more time around the house again...

“Wait! I said wait, dammit!” Jennifer’s voice called out from in foyer. “What is this all about? You can’t just barge in here—”

What the hell is this all about? He thought, scowling. Pushing back his plate he stood up and walked to the living room just as several police forced their way into his home. “H-hey! What is the meaning of this?” he yelled, forcing his way in front of the invading policemen. “DO you have ANY IDEA of whose house you are ENTERING? I don’t know what the hell this is all about, but you have about three seconds to back the HELL out of my house this instant, or you can all just head down to the unemployment office downtown—“

“I don’t think that will be necessary,” a startlingly familiar voice spoke. The police officer’s parted, admitting a young woman with long red hair. Reginald gaped in shock as former FBI special agent Stephanie Brooks stepped inside his house. “Hello again, Mr. Harrison. Surprised to see me? Hmmm... I can imagine you would be. You didn’t expect I would survive the task you’d assigned me after all, did you?” Harrison took a step back. “In case it’s not obvious, Mr. District Attorney, these men are here to arrest you.”

“A-arrest me?” he said, hands twitching slightly. Shit, shit, shit! That bitch... fuck! How is this happening? “Is this... some kind of joke? The last I heard, YOU were the target of a nationwide manhunt from the FBI, CIA, and Homeland Security! If anyone here should be arrested, it’s her!“

Stephanie nodded, and the lead officer grabbed Harrison by the wrist, locking a handcuff around it. “Nice try, Mr. Harrison, but you’re not talking your way out of this one. The target you sent me to eliminate managed to free me from your control instead. I surrendered willingly to the local police and made a full confession.” She sighed softly. “As it turns out, some old friends went to bat for me, and my confession made it to the right people. I was cleared of all wrong doing, and a warrant was issued for your arrest,” she replied, holding up a piece of paper. “So, ‘Master’,” she said with an edge, “anything you’d like to say for yourself before these men haul your sorry ass downtown?“

Anthony Reginald Harrison closed his eyes, hanging his head. Fuck! That Frasier kid... he’s fucked me over again. Again! First he ruins my reputation with the DA’s office, then he gets my Uncle arrested and ruins our deal with those Middle Eastern investors... now I’m being arrested because he couldn’t simply DIE at the hand of my assassin or do me the courtesy of killing her instead!

Letting out the breath he was holding, he opened his eyes. “Fine. We’ll do it your way for now, Brooks.” Glancing at his wife, he nodded. “Jen, please get Teddy on the phone and tell him that I’ve been arrested. Also contact my office and let them know the situation.” He gave her a wink.“Don’t worry, baby. This is all a mistake. You’ll see. I’ll be back home again in a few hours.”

“Sure you will,” Stephanie murmured softly, accompanying the officers as they escorted Harrison out the door. She had actually hoped the blowhard would collapse, sobbing and begging, or put up some kind of resistance, prompting the officers to use force to subdue him. More than anything, she wanted an excuse—any excuse—to hurt her former Master, to pay him back a mere piece of the hell she’d endured thanks to him. Her career was over. The federal government wouldn’t be pressing any charges against her, since her actions were due to extreme coercion from the mind control chip implanted in her head, but neither would she be allowed to resume her job in such a sensitive security conscious post. But forced retirement or not, she would be damned if she allowed Harrison to walk away from this through some kind of technicality.

As if sensing Brooks’ ill will towards him, Harrison shifted slightly, moving to the far right of the officer leading him towards the squad car. “Yes, yes, officers, I’ll come along quietly. No need to worry. I intend to have my day in court, and let the facts prove me innocent,” he said confidently. “And I want you both to know that I don’t blame either of you for this... and when this is all over, I intend to inform your superiors of what a fine job you’re doing.”

“Uh huh,” Officer Dunham replied, shoving him firmly but gently into the back of the car. “You know the part about ‘the right to remain silent’? Feel free to use that at your leisure.”

Harrison grumbled softly, settling into his seat as the door close behind him. Several of his neighbors had come outside to see the spectacle, and he knew he story would hit the news within the hour: Local District Attorney arrested in connection with terrorist threat and assassination attempt. He was so mortified, so upset, that he found himself grinding his teeth again, an old habit from his youth. Damn him, he thought furiously, thinking of the Frasier boy. Damn them ALL! he growled, thinking of the boy’s father, mother, and younger sister. Bunch of costume wearing vigilante freaks... doing whatever the hell they want, as if the law doesn’t apply to them just because they have POWERS! But when an ordinary citizen like yours truly steps in and does something to stop them—for the good of the people!—I’m sent to jail! He growled again, grinding his teeth even more.

Damn you Frasier! Damn you and all your kind. I swear... I’ll get even with you somehow, if it’s the last thing I ever do!

* * *

Eugene Frasier glanced up as his door opened, a soft smile creasing his lips. “Ah! Lass, yer a sight for sore eyes. Please, come in, come in.”

“Thank you,” Delores Gutierrez replied primly, straightening her skirt as she made her way over to his bedside. “Mr. Grimalde mentioned than you wished to see me? I brought you some flowers to help brighten the room some,” she said with a smile, placing the large vase on the dresser. “You’d be surprised how much a little colorful plant life can cheer you up when you’re down. And a good positive mood is the first step to recovery.”

Gene nodded, smiling a bit grander. “Aye. My mother used to say the same thing back in the day.” He sighed softly, glancing towards the window. “I... wanted to thank you... you and Nigel and your, ah... friends... for coming all this way to see me. Nigel... doesn’t strike me as the kind of man that travels across the country on a whim just to visit a ‘casual acquaintance’ like myself. At least not without prodding from his ‘conscience’, that is,” he added with a chuckle. “I was wondering if it was you that prompted him to visit me.”

“I’m hardly Mr. Grimalde’s conscience, Mr. Frasier,” said Delores with a tight smile, “I’m just his household manager and part-time nanny to his kids.”

“Ach, Ms. Gutierrez, I’m sure that whatever you do, the word ‘just’ does not apply.” said Gene.

“ Well, that would be for someone else to say, I suppose. If you’re looking for Nigel Grimalde’s conscience, I’d say that you’re looking for his wife, Patty, or maybe his strong right arm, Angela. But quite frankly, there wasn’t really much conscience involved. We really didn’t have anything else to do. In case you haven’t heard, the Grimalde family is homeless at the moment, and more than 2000 employees are kind of in limbo while they try to decide whether to repair or demolish the Tower.”

“I see,” Gene replied softly, thinking. “Guess that just goes to show that you can’t judge a book by its cover. He puts on a gruff, devil-may-care exterior, but inside he’s a lot more, ah, human than you’d think.” He shook his head. “Looks like we’re more alike than I gave him credit for.”

“Well, I don’t know you well enough to make a side by side comparison, Mr. Frasier,” she said with a sweet smile, “but you do strike me as the same kind of person as my boss. You both have something of a reputation,” she said carefully, diplomatically, “as real hard-asses. As businessmen, you’re smart, cunning, and, well, ruthless. You both seem like the kind of men no one ever gets the better of. And of course, as Armor Man, you’re one of the most feared and respected heroes in the country, if not the world. But, well... there’s obviously more to you than just the person people see or hear about from rumors.”

Gene nodded thoughtfully. “You’re just as wise and perceptive as I remember,” he said with a soft sigh.

“Eh? Pardon?” Delores asked, her smile fading slightly. “Have we... met? I mean, um, aside from just now?”

“Aye, we have,” he replied with a melancholy grin, “though it was ages ago. I’m not surprised if you don’t recall...”

Now Delores did frown. “Recall? What? Did I forget something important?”

“Not... important, per se,” Gene said, blushing slightly. “And well, as I said, it was ages ago... back when I was a youngster, just starting in business for myself, still wet behind the ears. I’d only recently moved to River City, had just sold my first patent and was looking for capital to start building up Frasier Industries.” He sighed softly, picturing the day in his mind’s eyes, still fresh after so many years. “I’d gone to the First National Bank to secure a loan... except I picked a bad day for it. It seems a few unsavory characters had decided to do the same... at gunpoint. This was before I’d invented my armor, mind, and I was just another ordinary citizen. The leader of the trio was an old foe of Omega Girl’s, one ‘Dr. Atoms’... insane genius and all around mad scientist. He’d brought his newest invention with him—an anti-gravity gun.”

“Wait... that sounds familiar,” Delores said slowly, racking her brain. “Back when I still had my Tear, when I was Eagle Woman, when Angela was my junior partner. Yes, I DO remember that! A bank robbery, that crazy Atoms guy...”

“Aye,” he said, blushing again as she stared at him now, peering carefully at his face. “When the manager hit the silent alarm, and the police showed up, the mad doctor’s goons held them at bay. But when Eagle Woman and young Angel Girl arrived, he decided he needed a ‘distraction’ in order to make good his escape. So... he began shooting people randomly with his anti-gravity gun, sending them floating hilly-nilly about the bank. I was unfortunate enough to be standing beneath the skylight when I was hit... and I crashed up through the glass, spiraling helplessly up into the sky.”

He raised his gaze then, turning to meet her own, despite his evident embarrassment. “I still remember it, lassie... clear as day: falling upwards, end over end, not knowing if I would keep going until I left the atmosphere completely, or fall to my death when the effect suddenly wore off... then, a pair of arms grabbed me... strong, yet soft... steadying me, holding me still... then, looking up I saw a face... the face of a literal angel, compete with wings. ‘Hang on, I’ve got you,’ you’d said, a radiant smile on yer face. ‘Don’t worry, You’re safe’. And it was true. Safe I was. Then ye brought me gently back down to earth—“

“Oh... oh my goodness!” Delores exclaimed, blushing as well, as recognition finally clicked. “That was you? Oh my... I remember now! That was my first patrol as senior Tearbearer. My mentor, Free Bird, had just retired a few months before. I had given her Tear to Angela, and she took to it like a natural. And besides that I had been training her for months, but I was still worried about her. Even so, when I saw you crash up through the skylight, I just had to go after you. Who knows what would have happened to you if I hadn’t! But it was also Angela’s first time in a live fire situation, and I was so worried about leaving her down at the bank by herself. I must admit that I left you behind rather, um, abruptly when I got you back to terra firma. The funny thing is when I got back to the bank, Angela already had everything wrapped up. First she had managed to get Atoms to hit all of his henchmen while trying to hit her. So they were all trapped on the ceiling. And then she kept him firing at her until his gun ran out of juice. After that she just took him down and cuffed him. I was amazed. I was so afraid that I was going to find her hurt or captured, and when I found her in complete control instead... well... I must admit... I forgot all about you.“

“Ach. Well, I couldnae forget about you. You were my first encounter with a real life superheroine,” he replied with a shy grin. “And I was... well... I was fair smitten with ye, lass. After that day, I obsessed on meeting ye again, face to face, to thank you for saving my life... och, but I never had the pleasure. When ye rescued me I was too awestruck, and too thankful at being alive to untie my tongue. And then ye were gone. I never got the chance to express my gratitude. Afterwards... many years later, by the time I’d become something of a hero in my own light you had fair vanished off the scene, retiring and turning leadership over to your protégée, Angela,” Impulsively, he reached out and took her hand and kissed the back of it gently. “Lass, thank ye for saving me. It’s fair to say that I wouldnae be the man I am today if I’d not met ye. That encounter, when you swooped down out of the blue to save me, a complete and total stranger... that’s what drove me to create my first suit of armor... to flit about and rescue people the way ye’d rescued me. You, Delores Gutierrez, made me want to be a hero.“

Delores blushed, struck speechless by the admission. Here was arguably one of the greatest heroes of their time, a man who had saved the world more times that she could count, had just barely survived saving the world AGAIN only days ago—telling her that SHE was his inspiration, the person most responsible for him becoming a hero in the first place? She was touched, and deeply, and despite her best effort to contain them, tears welled up in her eyes, and overflowed onto her blushing cheeks.

“Ach, no, lass,” Gene said gently, squeezing her hand again. “I didnae wish to make ye cry. I was just wanting to thank you, is all. I’m sure ye’d been thanked a million times by all the people ye’ve saved over the years... I’m just sorry that ye had to wait forty years for mine.”

“Oh, Mr. Frasier... Eugene... I haven’t always lived up to the mantle of a hero. I’ve done so many, many things... things that... that I’m ashamed of. I’ve... well... never mind. You’ve made me feel so proud just now. So... worthy. It almost makes up for all the rest. Thank you. I’ll... I’ll cherish this moment forever!” Then, abruptly, she walked away. At the door she turned and looked back at him as if she wanted to say more, but instead she favored him with a gigawatt-bright smile, oddly at variance with the tears still streaming down her face.

Gene sighed softly as she departed, taking out his cell. He was glad that he’d gotten the chance to talk to Delores. One less regret in my life, he thought to himself. And if Grimalde is truly serious about extending the hand of friendship, then maybe... maybe Delores and I could become friends too. But then his mind turned to less happy matters. Not much I can do about wee Katie’s situation at the moment. Aye... it’ll be a long time before she forgive me for what happened to wee Jessica... if ever. Still, at least the lass is alive and well. Now, I’d best check in with my team to make sure Jimmy is still okay.

* * *

“No.” I said resolutely.

“No? What do you mean no?” Devon asked, hands on her hips, about to go into argument mode. “Why can’t I come with you?”

“Because you have things to do here in Provo before you can come,” I said wearily. I didn’t really want to have this argument. Hell, I didn’t want her apart from me. If I were selfish, I’d have said ‘sure, Dev, pack a bag and let’s go’... but I wasn’t that selfish. She needed to get her affairs in order. She needed to finish the semester so she didn’t lose her credits. She needed to arrange for withdrawing and transferring to Portland—God, I knew what a hassle that was! And she needed to settle things with her family before she just took off three states away. As much as I wanted her with me always, I wasn’t going to let her ruin her academic standing OR her relationship with her family, just so we could have more time together.

“Jimmy,” she began, before sighing, and turning away. I knew what she wanted to say, wanted to ask of me... to wait with her, to hold off for a day or two so that she could go. I smiled sadly.

“I can’t wait, Dev,” I said grimly, wincing a bit as I pulled the network scabs and scar tissue all along my upper torso by bending down to pick up my bags. “You know better than me how bad the situation is.”

She nodded, sighing again. Shortly after the incident at the jail, on the way to the hospital to have him looked at, she and Jimmy had talked. She’d finally admitted that she was having visions, that she’d somehow obtained powers she hadn’t had before. She’d told him about the vision she’d had back at his room, the image of her shooting him, as well as the others—them being kidnapped, and her being drugged, chained helpless to the bed, about to be raped. Each vision had occurred exactly as she’d seen it, though the conclusion she’d drawn from each had been wrong. She hadn’t killed Jimmy, as she’d feared when she saw him fall, and she hadn’t been raped, literally saved by the buzzer as the guard was called away at the last second. She’d merely drawn the logical conclusion from what she’d seen, though events had somehow turned out for the better.

But there’s no second-guessing the visions I had seen as I sat with Jimmy in the back of the ambulance on the way to the hospital, she mused sadly. The images still sent an icy shiver down her spine:

* * *

a man, tall, ruddy with salt and pepper grey hair, dressed in a shining silver and blue armor—stabbed, gored through the heart from behind with a gleaming silver blade... blood and metal shards raining down on the bare barren ground...

“Your... father...” she’d gasped in shock, heart beating like a kettle drum, hand going to her chest as if to prove it hadn’t been SHE who’d just been impaled. “Someone... no... him, his brother, your Uncle... he just... impaled him! Stabbed him through the heart! He’s... Jimmy HE’S DYING!”

“What? Where? When? How?” Jimmy had asked her, sending a stream of questions at her even as the second vision struck her: a young girl, dark brown hair, dressed in a lewd parody of a waitress outfit—shot, a bullet straight through the heart, eyes and mouth wide in shock, dead even before she fell to the ground... and at her side, a second girl, young, short, blonde, with blue eyes... her expression a mirror image of the shock of the dead girl... her lover... her girlfriend... her soul mate...

“J-jimmy,” she breathed then, going still, her face a deathly white. “Your... sister. Katie. She needs you. Now! Oh my God. Oh my GOD, JIMMY!”

“Wh... Katie? But my dad...” he’d began, only to pause himself. Then his eyes widened, and his mouth gaped open in surprise. “Oh... oh god. Oh god. Katie. I... I feel her,” he’d whispered, shaking his head. “Her pain... her grief... her anger...” He blinked, then sighed, closing his eyes. “Jessica... Jess is dead.” He’d sighed wearily then, leaning his head against her, and Devon had clutched him tightly, letting him vent his own pain and grief in her arms...

* * *

“I have to go,” I repeated softly, breaking her out of her introspection. “My dad... he’s still alive. My mom got in touch with me, and Ghost Girl and her people have been in contact with him since then. He’s in critical condition, but he’s alive and stable. And he’s in the best medical care he could possibly hope for. Katie, though... she needs me.” I couldn’t explain how I knew it, other than the fact that I did. She had friends there at home, people to look after her and comfort her... but I was her twin, and the only one who truly knew the depths of the despair she felt. “I’ve waited here long enough,” I continued, closing Jenny’s trunk, walking over to my beloved Devon. “If there was any other way—“

“I know,” she said sadly, smiling. “I know. But you’re right. Go to her. Go be the loving caring big brother she needs right now. I’ll catch up and follow you down in a few weeks.”

I leaned in to kiss her one last time, deeply, trying to burn the moment into my memory. It would be far too long before I would be able to do this again, and I wanted to savor the experience. I felt her sigh and melt into me... then stiffen slightly, shuddering as if she were cold.

I had no warning, no sensation of danger, no inkling of trouble whatsoever. One moment, I’m kissing the woman I love and the second... we’re both sent flying into the dirt from the force of Jenny exploding in a blast of heat, fire and metal. Luckily... well, unluckily for me, but luckily for Devon, I took the brunt of the blast, my poor abused but sturdy body between her and the car. I did, however, have the state of mind and reflexes from a few thousand hours of training, to wrap my arms around her and roll with the impact, shielding her as best I could. Coming to a halt several dozen feet away, I groaned, spitting dirt and gravel out of my mouth, and rubbing the thin trickle of blood coming from the side of my head. A nice sharp shard of Jenny’s hull had cleaved a slight gash, probably the least of my injuries, but certainly a telling one. Shaking it off, ignoring the ringing in my ears, I searched, frantically for Devon...

She was unconscious, knocked out by the blast, but hopefully okay. I checked her over briefly, remembering my medical studies; her pulse and breathing were good, and her eyes weren’t dilated underneath the lids, so most likely no concussion. No open or obvious wounds or bleeding, though I couldn’t discount the prospect of a broken bone or internal damage from the impact. I needed to get her to a doctor. Hell, I needed to get myself back to the doctor.

“Hmmm... looks like I missed,” a heavily accented feminine voice replied from behind me. Turning around, I felt my stomach drop in dismay. Three garishly colored women, with brightly colored hair, stood just a few feet away from the burning wreck of my car. Ah, shit. So, I guess I might have to postpone that trip to the doctor for a while.

Hola, gringo,” the one with the bright red hair said loudly. “Madame Serpentina sends her regards... and requests your presence... enseguida... NOW!“

Serpentina. Fuck a duck! The Syndicate’s head honcho had one hell of a beef with me. In our last meeting, I’d basically, well... raped her, though that was most decidedly HER doing, not mine. I’d then blanked out her mind and programmed her to turn herself into the closest police station and confess every illegal act she’d ever committed. Not that it had worked, obviously, as she was still free and clear, and able to send her hitmen... errr, hitwomen, after me. I needed to go on the offensive, now, while I still had the chance—

WHAM!

“Uh-uh-uh,” the sandy haired woman chided me as the ground around me rose up and pancaked me, slamming me down flat, hard. My breath burst from my lungs, what little remained from the explosion earlier. “You’re not getting away, gabacho,” she said with a savage grin, “especially after all the time it took to track you down! Do you know what the last week has been like for us? You’re like some kind of fucking doomsday weapon, bolillo... everyone that even comes close to you is dragged into some kinda carrajo noveno!” She emphasized her statement by attempting to drag ME into hell too, the ground beneath me opening up briefly, to swallow me up, before reforming into a giant hand composed of dirt, sand, rock and gravel... and hand that began to squeeze so tight that I felt my joints start to pop.

“Hey! Easy, Tierra,” the third girl, with pale light silvery-blue hair, warned. “Mistress said to bring him back alive. He wasn’t in such good shape to begin with, qué?

Sí, sí, Vienta,” Tierra grumbled, releasing her grip. I gasped, and fell back to the ground as the hand holding me crumbled away beneath me. Still reeling, unable to get my balance or catch my breath, I tried for my ace in the hole, forming a small orb of darkness in my left hand. Vienta scowled, shaking her head at my attempt to fight back. “Well, well, pendejo gran, seems you haven’t learned your lesson quite yet. No matter. I’m done with this whole mess. It’s time to say goodnight.“

She extended a hand towards me, and suddenly... I couldn’t breathe. I gasped, clutching my throat, sinking to my knees... to no avail. I couldn’t catch my breath, and as winded as I was before, I was beginning to fade rapidly. Winded. Vienta. Viente... the Spanish word for wind. I congratulated myself for figuring out how I’d been beaten as I slipped regretfully into darkness. I only hoped that these three devils would be satisfied with my capture... that they’d take me and leave Devon alone...

* * *

“Devon? Devon! Shit... c’mon kid... wake up!”

Devon’s eyes opened blearily, then closed again, as a wave of vertigo struck her. Her head... felt like someone had pumped it full of air and dribbled it up and down a basketball court. She groaned softly, taking a few deep breaths, trying to find her center again. Someone was holding her... shaking her slightly... glowing ember of that ever-present cigarette in front of her face...

“C’mon Devon, snap out of it!”

Abruptly, Devon blinked awake. “Huh? Wh... Ghost Girl?” she said frowning. “What are you doing here? What happened?”

“I was hoping you could tell me,” she said with a frown, gesturing around with her smoke. Devon blinked in grim awareness of her surroundings... the burning remains of Jimmy’s car... the rough and broken ground all around them. “It looks like an ambush to me. And I’m really, really hoping your boyfriend wasn’t inside that heap when it blew.”

“No,” Devon replied with a shake of her head. “No, he wasn’t. He’d just finished packing his clothes, and had stopped to kiss me...” She gasped as full memory returned, the vision she’d had just moments before a brutal explosion had sent them both flying. She’d seen Jimmy, stripped naked, hands and ankles chained, a heavy metal collar around his neck... kneeling before a dark haired Latina woman with eerie green eyes and fangs like a vampire.

“Shit,” she murmured, pulling away from Ghost Girl regaining her feet. “We have to call someone... his mom or dad, maybe... one of his friends! He’s not dead, he’s been captured, kidnapped—again, goddammit—by some weird vampire girl!”

“Vampire?” Ghost Girl asked incredulously. “Did you seriously just say, a vampire kidnapped your boyfriend?”

Devon turned to glare back at her. “Yes, a vampire, Ghost Girl,” she replied with an edge. “Some weird freaky girl with hypnotic green eyes and fangs for teeth. And she has him... or will have him soon. I blacked out from the explosion, but I had a vision of him, bound in chains, kneeling before her.”

Rose sighed deeply. “Alright. That’s good enough for me. I’ll call it in and update the boss. I saw the explosion and came running... it’s only been about ten minutes since... whatever... happened. Whoever took him couldn’t have gotten very far,” She pulled out her cell phone, then paused, as Devon turned and started walking. “Hey, wait, Where are you going?”

“Parking lot,” she growled succinctly, limping slightly as she went, “to get my car. You go ahead and call your people, and see if they can track down the ones that took him. Me, I’m going directly for the source.” She sighed heavily. “School be damned, I’m heading to River City.”

((end))