Shades of Gray - By Jackie Kessler & Caitlin Kittredge Page 0,71
Iridium said coldly. “You want to finish this thing with Hypnotic? Do it the way that makes sure he’s really finished.”
Steele said nothing for a moment as her dark gaze bored into Iridium. When she finally spoke, her words were scathingly soft. “You may play the hero, Iridium, but you’re no better than your father.”
Iridium got to her feet. The Squadron’s casual treatment of her as a second-class extrahuman she’d stomach, but not this.
A hand clamped down on her shoulder. “Iri,” Frostbite said. “Don’t. Walk away. Get some air.”
“All right,” she said. “You’ve heard how to take care of your little supervillain problem. If you don’t listen, then I can’t help you.”
They had already gone back to arguing when Iridium got her gear and stormed out.
Iridium ignored greetings from Protean and Lionheart, a sneer from Nevermore, and an indifferent “Where ya been, girl?” from Kindle before she found her father in her office.
With Gordon.
“What is he doing here?” she demanded.
Gordon had the nerve to smirk. “Just paying a social call on your dear father. It seems he’s misplaced something.”
“Oh?” Iridium rounded on Lester, who grimaced.
“Radar’s done a bunk. Haven’t seen him since yesterday morning.”
Iridium’s stomach dropped. “You let the deranged telepath out of the pen? Dad, are you nuts?”
“They’re not children,” Lester said icily. “I don’t keep them under lock and key.”
Iridium’s headache returned with a vengeance. “Fine. I’ll deal with Radar, like I should have done before. Instead of letting your pet villains sit around, why don’t you have them patrol the grid?”
“You don’t give the orders here,” Gordon said. “Arclight does.”
“Like hell. We’re a team,” Iridium snapped.
Gordon’s lips twitched. “Not in the least. Not unless you want me to ask where you’ve been for two days.”
Lester’s eyes narrowed as he looked between Gordon and Iridium.
“What’s he on about, girl?”
“Nothing.” Iridium had never wanted to wring the neck of anyone like she wanted to wring Gordon’s now. The smarmy bastard was actually blackmailing her. In front of her own father.
“As I was saying,” Gordon purred, “all of the team’s resources should be devoted to finding Radar. We cannot allow him to run unsupervised about the city.”
“He’s not a child,” Lester growled.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Bradford. Perhaps you preferred your cell and your Thorazine cocktail to the free air you’re currently breathing?” Gordon folded his arms.
Lester’s power snapped, all of the lights in the warehouse flickering. For a moment, he was Arclight in all his villainous glory. Then he got himself under control. Iridium was grossly disappointed. “Fine,” he said, holding out his hands. “We find Radar.”
“Where is he likely to have gone?” Gordon asked. “He is a wretched little man with no friends or family.”
“Hypnotic.” Lester sighed, shaking his head. “Bloke’s obsessed with Hypnotic. Likely he went searching for the zombies to gawk at the lair of the man himself.”
“If that’s true, Radar could be under Hypnotic’s sway by now,” Iridium said. “Dad, if Hypnotic controlled another Mental power, especially one like Radar …”
Lester was already reaching for his comm and belt. “You don’t have to tell me what a disaster that would be.” He looked at his daughter, and she saw real fear in his eyes. “I know full well, girl. I was there when it happened the first time.”
Interlude
Alone in his apartment, Garth sits on his sofa, staring at nothing. One might think he, too, has fallen victim to the zombie plague. But Garth McFarlane isn’t lost in a virtual paradise. Behind his sunglasses, his eyes are burning.
He thinks about what the EMT had told him when he’d taken Julie to the hospital two days ago.
It’s like they’re drugged.
No, they weren’t suddenly drugged. More like they were in a trance.
On his lap, Garth’s hands clench into fists.
Someone had done this. Someone put his wife in the hospital, had disrupted the lives of too many people to count. Who?
Garth reviews all the known Mind supervillains, and then all the Mind superheroes. The list is staggering.
He remembers, two days gone, hearing Frank Wurtham on the tele. The man’s words tease Garth like a fickle lover: We cannot depend on the authorities to take down these freaks of nature.
No, he surely cannot.
A growl in his throat, Garth lunges for the phone and calls Terry. This time, Garth won’t take no for an answer.
The Latent Network must be raised, before all of New Chicago falls into madness.
CHAPTER 31
VIXEN
3224 exceeds every expectation. What 1102 showed me was but a shadow of what this child can do. Such wonderful things he shows me. Even