to hold him.”
He glanced down at the remains of her computer. “Sorry about the laptop, but I’m sure you can remember enough of what was said to re-create it for your article. And what you can’t remember, you can make up.”
“Look, Jake,” she said. “I don’t want us to be enemies.”
“You have a funny way of starting a friendship.”
The photographer had changed film, and was snapping shot after shot of Jake - Captain Courageous - talking to Kimberly Stratton.
“Look,” she said, “for what it’s worth, I’m sorry. You do mean more to me than just an article.”
“I highly doubt that. Power Man, back there, was talking about getting an interview. Were you going to lay him, too? He seemed to have that idea.”
“I don’t take men who dress like bumblebees to bed.”
He couldn’t help but smile. “I’m glad you have some standards.”
She grinned. “Not many.”
He wanted to be angry with her. She had taken advantage of him. She had proven she couldn’t be trusted. She was really no less a viper than the Secretary of Technological Development who thought he was manipulating Scott. But he found he couldn’t quite manage it.
“One mistake you made,” she said, “might have been to let the world know your real name. And you can’t blame me for that. The whole accident with the zeta reactor is public knowledge, and there was more than one article written on it. One of them by Tempest, himself. I don’t know how that Power Man wacko got his strength, and I sure as hell hope there aren’t any more like him in the world, but there are crazies out here. He came to the Press Herald knowing I worked here, because he was looking for you. Anyone in your life could potentially be a target.”
Jake nodded. “I hadn’t taken any of this as seriously as I should have, I guess. But too late to play Clark Kent, now. The cat’s out of the bag.”
He reached into his belt and produced a device smaller than the palm of her hand.
“What is that?” she asked.
“A signaling device. One of Scott’s many inventions. You know, Egghead Man?”
She smiled and nodded.
Jake flipped it open. “Works like a cell phone, but with a lot more range. You just flip it open and it automatically connects with the comm-link in my wristband. You get in trouble, Scott and I can be there mighty quick. You can talk directly, or you can text.” He handed it to her.
“What if I just want to say hi?”
“All things considered,” Jake said, “I’d rather you didn’t.”
She nodded. “I guess I understand. I am sorry.”
“Me too.”
Jake’s wristband beeped, and Scott’s voice came through the audio field developing around him. “Captain. You there?”
“Yes, I’m here.” The wrist band had been damaged, but was now once again working. Scott had said there were nanobots implanted in it which could repair damage, and do so fairly quickly.
“I have secured the package,” Scott said. “Meet me at the designated location.”
“Understood.”
“Is everything okay at your end?”
Jake nodded, looking into Mandy’s eyes, wishing he saw something there that he did not. “As good as it’s going to get.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Tompkins and Kincaid led the way onto the campus. They had discarded their suit jackets in favor of flack vests, and each gripped a pistol with both hands, safety off. They were followed by ten men dressed in full SWAT regalia. Flack vests, helmets, and carrying M16’s.
They passed college students walking with book bags strapped to their backs, some of the kids with ear buds in place. Some were walking alone, others in groups, but all jumped out of their way with expressions ranging from shock to outrage as Tompkins and his group of agents charged by.
“Remember,” he called back to them. “If you see Calder, shoot to kill. No warnings. Simply fire.”
Kincaid added, “Don’t give him time to power-up. If he gets that time, and all he needs is a couple of
He glanced down at the remains of her computer. “Sorry about the laptop, but I’m sure you can remember enough of what was said to re-create it for your article. And what you can’t remember, you can make up.”
“Look, Jake,” she said. “I don’t want us to be enemies.”
“You have a funny way of starting a friendship.”
The photographer had changed film, and was snapping shot after shot of Jake - Captain Courageous - talking to Kimberly Stratton.
“Look,” she said, “for what it’s worth, I’m sorry. You do mean more to me than just an article.”
“I highly doubt that. Power Man, back there, was talking about getting an interview. Were you going to lay him, too? He seemed to have that idea.”
“I don’t take men who dress like bumblebees to bed.”
He couldn’t help but smile. “I’m glad you have some standards.”
She grinned. “Not many.”
He wanted to be angry with her. She had taken advantage of him. She had proven she couldn’t be trusted. She was really no less a viper than the Secretary of Technological Development who thought he was manipulating Scott. But he found he couldn’t quite manage it.
“One mistake you made,” she said, “might have been to let the world know your real name. And you can’t blame me for that. The whole accident with the zeta reactor is public knowledge, and there was more than one article written on it. One of them by Tempest, himself. I don’t know how that Power Man wacko got his strength, and I sure as hell hope there aren’t any more like him in the world, but there are crazies out here. He came to the Press Herald knowing I worked here, because he was looking for you. Anyone in your life could potentially be a target.”
Jake nodded. “I hadn’t taken any of this as seriously as I should have, I guess. But too late to play Clark Kent, now. The cat’s out of the bag.”
He reached into his belt and produced a device smaller than the palm of her hand.
“What is that?” she asked.
“A signaling device. One of Scott’s many inventions. You know, Egghead Man?”
She smiled and nodded.
Jake flipped it open. “Works like a cell phone, but with a lot more range. You just flip it open and it automatically connects with the comm-link in my wristband. You get in trouble, Scott and I can be there mighty quick. You can talk directly, or you can text.” He handed it to her.
“What if I just want to say hi?”
“All things considered,” Jake said, “I’d rather you didn’t.”
She nodded. “I guess I understand. I am sorry.”
“Me too.”
Jake’s wristband beeped, and Scott’s voice came through the audio field developing around him. “Captain. You there?”
“Yes, I’m here.” The wrist band had been damaged, but was now once again working. Scott had said there were nanobots implanted in it which could repair damage, and do so fairly quickly.
“I have secured the package,” Scott said. “Meet me at the designated location.”
“Understood.”
“Is everything okay at your end?”
Jake nodded, looking into Mandy’s eyes, wishing he saw something there that he did not. “As good as it’s going to get.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Tompkins and Kincaid led the way onto the campus. They had discarded their suit jackets in favor of flack vests, and each gripped a pistol with both hands, safety off. They were followed by ten men dressed in full SWAT regalia. Flack vests, helmets, and carrying M16’s.
They passed college students walking with book bags strapped to their backs, some of the kids with ear buds in place. Some were walking alone, others in groups, but all jumped out of their way with expressions ranging from shock to outrage as Tompkins and his group of agents charged by.
“Remember,” he called back to them. “If you see Calder, shoot to kill. No warnings. Simply fire.”
Kincaid added, “Don’t give him time to power-up. If he gets that time, and all he needs is a couple of
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