them regarding Filo.”
“The flu?”
“Yes sir,” I said, “I hear it’s spreading through the schools.”
“How come nobody told me?”
“About the flu, sir?” I asked.
“No, about you.”
“What about me, sir?”
“Jesus,” he said. “About you taking over for Jeff.”
“I don’t ask questions sir, I do what I’m told.” I kept looking at the old man. The distrust on his face was closer than it appeared.
Humphries pulled out his phone, and started to dial. “Good.”
No, not good, bad, very bad.
There was no way I was letting him check on my story. We’d be neck deep in silver clad lawmen before cresting the next hill. I pulled to the side of the road, near a particularly treacherous drop, and jammed on the brakes.
He stopped dialing and looked up. “What’re you doing?”
I put my arm over the seat, and turned around with Rico in hand. “Drop it.”
“Do you know who I am?”
“Yeah, you’re someone who doesn’t ruffle easy. Now, do you know what this is?” I motioned toward my piece. “It’s the thing that’s going to punch a hole through your chest if you don’t drop the phone.”
He did what I asked, but slower than I wanted.
“Good,” I said. “Now I need to ask you a few questions. If you answer them then everything will be fine, and I’ll drive you to work as requested. Otherwise…”
“Otherwise what?”
“Otherwise I’ll make you answer. Now I don’t want to do that, but I’m the kind of guy who does a lot of things he doesn’t want to do. And since time is a factor, let’s get started. Where’s Pinnacle?”
Humphries sat there glaring at me. I had to remember that this was the head of a paramilitary force of men who, despite having no special abilities themselves, dealt directly with the most dangerous powered criminals in the world. No surprise he was a tough nut.
“You having tongue trouble?” I said. “Where’s our boy? What’s happened to Big Red?”
A smirk joined the glare. “You have no idea how much trouble you’re in. You must be the dumbest black cape this side of the Pacific. When my team hears about this there won’t be a place you can hide.”
“Hey, if you’re going to beat your gums then why not answer the question?”
“You want an answer?” He crossed his arms. “Go to hell.”
“I need to know where Pinnacle is,” I said.
He looked out the window. “Go to hell.”
“You think I’m messing around here? Where. Is. Pinnacle?”
He turned back to me. “Go. To. Hell.”
I didn’t have time for this. I couldn’t say for certain, but Humphries seemed the type to keep a schedule so rigid that alarm bells would ring if he was more than five minutes late. And like I said, there’s only one road into town.
“Always the hard way.” I reached back, grabbed a handful of his collar, and dragged him over the seat like a gym bag. Then I stepped out, shot a quick glance both ways to make sure there were no cars coming, and crossed the street with the director in tow. I holstered Rico, and with one hand dangled Humphries over the edge. He looked down. It was easily over a hundred-foot drop with nothing but jagged rocks between the ocean and us.
All he did was whistle and nod. “Good choice, son.”
“Thanks,” I said. “Now start yapping before my hand gives.”
The wind was kicking up, so he had to yell. “I won’t tell you squat, you’ll have to drop me.”
“I will, pops. I don’t got all day.”
He looked down, and took a deep breath. Then he turned back to me, and the bastard actually put his hands in his pockets. “Then let go and be done with it.”
I dropped my weight, lowered him slightly, and threw Humphries into the air. He got ten feet of lift, which was high enough for the wind to push him an inch or two out to sea. I had to lean out to catch him, barely getting my hand around his collar, and ripping his shirt in the process.
He yelped, and again I asked, “Where’s Pinnacle?”
He was
“The flu?”
“Yes sir,” I said, “I hear it’s spreading through the schools.”
“How come nobody told me?”
“About the flu, sir?” I asked.
“No, about you.”
“What about me, sir?”
“Jesus,” he said. “About you taking over for Jeff.”
“I don’t ask questions sir, I do what I’m told.” I kept looking at the old man. The distrust on his face was closer than it appeared.
Humphries pulled out his phone, and started to dial. “Good.”
No, not good, bad, very bad.
There was no way I was letting him check on my story. We’d be neck deep in silver clad lawmen before cresting the next hill. I pulled to the side of the road, near a particularly treacherous drop, and jammed on the brakes.
He stopped dialing and looked up. “What’re you doing?”
I put my arm over the seat, and turned around with Rico in hand. “Drop it.”
“Do you know who I am?”
“Yeah, you’re someone who doesn’t ruffle easy. Now, do you know what this is?” I motioned toward my piece. “It’s the thing that’s going to punch a hole through your chest if you don’t drop the phone.”
He did what I asked, but slower than I wanted.
“Good,” I said. “Now I need to ask you a few questions. If you answer them then everything will be fine, and I’ll drive you to work as requested. Otherwise…”
“Otherwise what?”
“Otherwise I’ll make you answer. Now I don’t want to do that, but I’m the kind of guy who does a lot of things he doesn’t want to do. And since time is a factor, let’s get started. Where’s Pinnacle?”
Humphries sat there glaring at me. I had to remember that this was the head of a paramilitary force of men who, despite having no special abilities themselves, dealt directly with the most dangerous powered criminals in the world. No surprise he was a tough nut.
“You having tongue trouble?” I said. “Where’s our boy? What’s happened to Big Red?”
A smirk joined the glare. “You have no idea how much trouble you’re in. You must be the dumbest black cape this side of the Pacific. When my team hears about this there won’t be a place you can hide.”
“Hey, if you’re going to beat your gums then why not answer the question?”
“You want an answer?” He crossed his arms. “Go to hell.”
“I need to know where Pinnacle is,” I said.
He looked out the window. “Go to hell.”
“You think I’m messing around here? Where. Is. Pinnacle?”
He turned back to me. “Go. To. Hell.”
I didn’t have time for this. I couldn’t say for certain, but Humphries seemed the type to keep a schedule so rigid that alarm bells would ring if he was more than five minutes late. And like I said, there’s only one road into town.
“Always the hard way.” I reached back, grabbed a handful of his collar, and dragged him over the seat like a gym bag. Then I stepped out, shot a quick glance both ways to make sure there were no cars coming, and crossed the street with the director in tow. I holstered Rico, and with one hand dangled Humphries over the edge. He looked down. It was easily over a hundred-foot drop with nothing but jagged rocks between the ocean and us.
All he did was whistle and nod. “Good choice, son.”
“Thanks,” I said. “Now start yapping before my hand gives.”
The wind was kicking up, so he had to yell. “I won’t tell you squat, you’ll have to drop me.”
“I will, pops. I don’t got all day.”
He looked down, and took a deep breath. Then he turned back to me, and the bastard actually put his hands in his pockets. “Then let go and be done with it.”
I dropped my weight, lowered him slightly, and threw Humphries into the air. He got ten feet of lift, which was high enough for the wind to push him an inch or two out to sea. I had to lean out to catch him, barely getting my hand around his collar, and ripping his shirt in the process.
He yelped, and again I asked, “Where’s Pinnacle?”
He was
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