Chapter One: Shadows On a Wall
Vincent Valentine
The rain drags its cold, steely fingers down my face and I tug my fedora lower against my forehead. The eerie, almost morbid nature of the weather outside has me wondering if they will even attempt to transfer her. After all, even B.U.L.E.T. can’t take chances like those.
A hydrokinetic hasn’t shown up in nearly four years, and our kind shows up in some pretty odd places. My guess? They wouldn’t dare show up outside in this rain with someone who could turn the very weather against them. True, she might be slightly sedated, but knowing the nature of my kind, this rain would just make the hydro stronger.
It has been almost three weeks since I’d located and heisted out Kali, and, no offense, but I was eager for some additional company. So here I was, ten minutes away from the newest B.U.L.E.T. facility, with no insight as to what this girl would be like, or who she really was. Last time I’d tried to rescue someone with false credentials; I’d been stabbed in the back by who turned out to be a member of an assassin’s league called the Pack. Believe me, it’s a long story you don’t want to hear.
All I knew about this girl was that she was hydrokinetic, someone who could control water on a whim, and simply of the female sex. And once I’d gotten her out of this situation, I knew her reaction—it would either be indifference or shock, astonishment. Kali was definitely an indifferent sort of person, of which I was feeling a bit annoyed about myself.
I’ll admit, I do have a tendency to like a person once I meet them, and then lose interest the next day. This happened with Kali, as it does with everyone I know. As I slide my hands smoothly into my pockets, I notice that my transponder is no longer there. Though I feel around more, I know that I must have left it at Haven.
I groan and mentally punch myself—I should have known better than to come up with such a faulty system of communication, especially when someone as powerful as Kali joined the resistance. But while I wallow in self-loathing, I recognize the tell-tale demeanor of a B.U.L.E.T. agent across the street. He checks his watch, which I know to be com-device, and speaks into it softly. His presence and manner predict what I feared would happen: they’re going to try to relocate her anyway.
Hurried along with a purpose now, I fumble for my cell phone and speed-dial Kali, who doesn’t pick up, of course. Frustrated, I grit my teeth and shove my phone back in my jacket pocket, wishing I had a more caring sidekick. The agent across the road glances around, paranoia in the way he moves—he murmurs something more into his com-link once he sees me and I take a sharp breath as I move quickly before the building I was so close to yet so stupid as to not conceal myself against.
I would have to do this alone, however much of a letdown if would be if I got myself captured. I hear a slight scuffle behind me on the street, and soon it’s swarming with B.U.L.E.T. agents. A truck starts up and I hear a small, quiet whimper of sorts that I’m surprised I could hear—and the shiver that races up and down my back, along with a feeling of deep pity. And afterwards, a surge of anger at these people who think they can simply take people like me without any ramification whatsoever.
My anger is quenched by a kick well-planted neatly in an agent’s pubic area, executed perfectly by Kali Jade Andrews, herself.
“Kali?” I call out in disbelief as she levels off two more agents. She smirks mischievously, her regular ‘Gimme a fight any day, suckers’ expression present. “I didn’t think you were coming.” I say, beginning to smile, a small one if anything.
“And miss the fun?” she laughs and backhands another unfortunate B.U.L.E.T. associate. “I wouldn’t miss this for the world.”
It was true, Kali had an unusual taste for violence and action, of which she satisfied with random street fights with criminals and vagabonds with a penchant for misconduct. It was in her nature, as was my nature to forget about why were there and join in to whatever Kali was doing.
I leak into the fight, and though we definitely had more than a few cuts and bruises by the end, Kali and I level off almost a dozen agents. But, of course, by the time we are finished, I remember what we’re doing there. I face plant and Kali snickers, “You let the hydro get away, didn’t you?”
I say nothing, only silently punish myself and pull down my hat before walking away from the scene quietly. This was supposed my shot to prove to everyone else at Haven that I could do rescues as perfectly well as anyone else. This was supposed to prove that I was capable leader for them.
My stomach churns at the thought of another leading Haven, someone with far too much zeal and not enough training, or far worse someone who put our kind far before innocents on the street. If this happened……well, let’s just say: God help us all.