Read Online New Markets - 02 by Kevin Rau - Free Book Online

it’s her scent that is so awesome.
    We left the house and hopped in my car.  Not the most august form of travel for a pair of superheroes, but it was better than hanging onto Lance’s back for an hour and a half.  He didn’t slow down on the descent, so my claws tended to pop out and cut into him.
     
    I again received the feeling that Stephanie screamed while I drove us to Rikesville.  A shiver ran down my spine, and my fingertips elongated into claws.  I noticed that Lance fidgeted oddly at that moment, so I asked, “Did you just get the sense of Steph screaming?”
    “I … think so.  I figured I must just be worried about her.”
    “I don’t believe so; I just had the same feeling.  Something’s up, I don’t like it.”
    “Step on it, Rael.”
    “Dude, the car’s a beater.  It’s only going to go just so fast.”
    It made for a tense drive, thinking that your friend is in enough danger to scream.  I didn’t know her range was this far, either.  I thought she said she could only hear thoughts from a few dozen feet away, and links into our other senses from about fifteen feet out.
    I gave Lance the address so he could pull it up on his H.E.R.O. device and handle the navigation.  I didn’t want to touch my device too much when my claws were out, and I was too worried to get them to change back to normal.  The claws were razor sharp on the tips, and hard enough to easily gouge through concrete.  I feared that my smartphone wouldn’t survive a lot of scratches from them.
    I noticed that Lance grimaced, and occasionally rubbed his gut and leg.
    I asked, “You okay?”
    He replied, “Yeah, I’m still healing from the huge fight with Kralgon.  He did a lot of damage to me.”
    “Wow, that was yesterday afternoon.  I’m surprised you haven’t healed yet.”
    “I heal a lot slower than you do, apparently.”
    “Good thing it takes a lot more to hurt you, then.”
    “Yeah.”
    The thick clouds seemed to portend a bad day.  A storm would likely hit sometime late today or tomorrow.
    As I drove I asked Lance, “Any idea if our status as H.E.R.O. agents makes us local, or federal officials?”
    “Federal.  Didn’t you read the stuff I downloaded off their website a while back?”
    I shrugged at him.  “I glanced at it.  I was more interested in the idea of action than rules.  We’ve got the ability to step into another investigation and involve ourselves, or even take over?”
    “I don’t think we could take one over, although if it involves supervillains then we have official jurisdiction.  Similar to how U.S. Marshals are the prime agency for apprehending foreign fugitives, we’re the agency for supervillains.  In fact, I read that originally they considered making heroes part of the U.S. Marshal Tactical Operations Division, but since we also deal so much with rescue operations they decided to keep us separate.”
    “Okay, my key point is that if we show up at this kidnapping, we have enough official status to butt in, even if we aren’t taking over?”
    “We can step in; they’d have to call a H.E.R.O. HQ to get us off their backs.  Ideally we don’t want to butt in too much though.  Remember, you catch more flies with honey than, uh, butter?  Wait, what the heck else do you try to catch flies with?”
    I laughed, “Nice.  I think it’s vinegar, but I get the point.”
    “But yeah, it happens at Score! all the time – it’s really not that hard to talk people down from fighting if you try.  Better than jumping right in and getting physical, anyway.”
    “Heh, I think I’d just jump in.”
    “Hmm, no bouncer reference for you, Rael.”
     
    We drove into the ritzy subdivision by mid-morning.  The houses were large, the few cars visible in garages were elegant, and the lawns well cared for.  The mapping software led us to the house in question.  Several government vehicles were parked outside, as well as a few private vehicles.
    I parked in the street.  I