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Chapter-3- Test Run

Friday January 19, midday Miami, Florida

** Rufus ran his hands back through his ** lengthy dark hair, pacing the cheap hotel room. He brought a cellphone to his ear and waited while listening to the dialing chime.

After a moment, Karla Howard answered the phone. "Hey, demon girl. It's Rue and I'm in a real bind." He paused to let her reply then said, "A day away from the Canal, huh? Collobulous and I followed this CIA dude, Greg Watson, down to that dome city to give'em the tour. They was ready for us this time and we got into a mess'a trouble. The two of us, Greg 'n I, we got out by the skin of our teeth but Bull was captured. I'm antsy as hell, darlin'. You've got all the power players."

He thumbed the screen, activating the speakerphone option.

Her voice came over the speaker on the back so that Watson could hear her. "Aw, wuffie, I'm sorry. I've got Fox, Patience, Eric, Sinopa and Jules with me. Johann, Reno and Evan are in California, tying up loose ends last I heard. Reno and Evan are driving to the east coast and Johann is flying to visit family in Chicago then he'll fly the rest of the way to Florida soon. I've not heard from Lance or Steven. Oh! But Topaz should be somewhere in your area, right now."

"Really?"

"Yes. I'll text you her number when I hang up."

"I'd sure appreciate it, mah lil' sex demon."

"See you in a few days. Stay safe. Oh, and there's something I need to tell you."

"Yeah, darlin?"

Karla trailed off briefly then said, "Hon, I'm going to try a relationship with Eric. I just wanted to tell you out of respect. I don't know if it's possible or if it will last because of my need to feed but I'm giving it a go. I just wanted to tell you so there wouldn't be any awkwardness or whatever. You know what I mean."

"Yeah, darlin'. I get'cha. I appreciate the fun we've had thus far. Good memories to offset the crappy ones I just made in the past two days. Karla, I won't try 'n wiggle between you 'n yer boy. You got my word on that, because you've got my respect, girl. Now get'cher blonde lil' bottom to Florida so Watson 'n I don't wind up next on Falcon's nab-list. We gotta find this fool, Sire, and take him down."

Karla chuckled and said, "Sinopa would make kibble out of him."

"Ayup. Sooner the better, I reckon. See you soon, Karla. And thanks for everything - I'll contact the Parker girl right away."

"Alright. See you soon." Karla disconnected the line from her side.

Rufus waited until the screen displayed that his call ended. He threw his left hand up and groaned in frustration. "Why all the best girls gotta be with a dude named 'Eric'. What the hell! That's two in a row!"

"There was another girl and another Eric?"

Rufus sighed and nodded to Watson. "Yeah. Úlfey. Long story, man. Don't really wanna go into that right now."

A moment later, Rufus' phone vibrated. He opened his text-messaging interface then thumbed the number on the screen. A menu opened, with an option to call the number from the message; he dialed it. Rufus switched it back to speakerphone mode then sat down on the far left mattress.

On the third ring, a girl's voice answered, "Hello?"

"Howdy. I'm lookin' for Topaz Parker."

"This is Parker. Who's calling?"

"This'n here is Rufus T. Darken. I need your help. M' friend, Collobulous, was abducted by Aris Falcon and his life is in danger ... that is, if he's still alive 'n all. I'm lookin' to raise my numbers, y'know, get more help to keep this sorta' thing from getting worse."

"You hear that, Vincent?" she said, her voice somewhat faint. She spoke directly back into her phone, becoming louder again, and asked, "Where are you?"

"A hotel just outside of Miami. I can come t'you if that's easier. My brain's a wreck - I can't remember if'n we met already. Wait, hold up, I met a different Parker. Fox, yeah?"

"Yes. He's my twin brother."

"I, uh ... okay."

"You didn't know that?"

"I was a little confused about how you two are connected, I reckon. I heard that the others were sayin' there was a premonition that you'n Fox are supposed to get married, then a lot of whispering 'n glares and Fox looked like he were uncomfortable with everyone talkin' about it so ... yeah. That's jus' about all I knew."

"Well." Topaz cleared her throat. "That's probably the most awkward thing I've been told in the third person considering the fact I've got you on speakerphone and I'm with my boyfriend, Vincent Nevada. Can you, uh, head to Bermuda? Vincent will be headed back home this evening and I'm trying to spend what little time I have with him. I'd rather spend time with him right now and talk about this with you later on when I'm not busy."

"Yes'm. I'll contact you when I'm close and we'll figure out where to meet, yeah?"

Meanwhile, on Parker's end, she began pacing in her luxury hotel room. She switched the phone to the other side of her face and gazed out the window over the Atlantic. "Alright," she said and cleared her throat.

The man's voice was thin over the phone. "Thanks, Ms. Parker." But she could tell his tone was genuine, deep, and oddly trustworthy, considering the fact she never met him.

"Yeah," she said, rubbing her face with her free hand. "Sure. Thanks for calling. Again, just to make sure we're both on the same page, I think you heard wrong because Fox is my twin brother. I'll await your next call and see you when you arrive." Topaz disconnected the call from her end, an oceanfront hotel in Bermuda. She turned to Vincent and shook her head. "That was out of the blue. So ... this new relationship is rife with challenges. Are you okay with that?"

Vincent swallowed and ran his palms up over his cheeks then rubbed his eyes. "Yeah. Between Doctor F., and the news about possibly being sterile, and people claiming you're supposed to marry Fox, and with me being a virgin and you preferring women lovers on an emotional level, one would think our relationship is doomed from the get-go. But we also have something that most other relationships don't have."

Topaz stuffed her phone into her pocket and rested her elbow on a wooden table in the corner of the hotel suite. "Yeah? What's that? A near-death experience at the hands of an enormous zombie monster with claws?"

"Well, yeah. Exactly. I died in your arms. You were there for me in my last seconds. You were in my thoughts as I died, and you were my first thought when I was brought back. It's like I came back to life for you."

Topaz tried not to choke on his words. She nodded then, quietly, said, "And you came to rescue me. You gave your life to keep me from losing mine. That's a pretty intense sacrifice. And, don't take this wrong, Vince, but you do give me the same emotional offering I receive from women."

"I don't understand."

Paz stood up and walked over to Vincent on the bed and sat down beside him. She took his hand into hers. "You said romance intimidates you when we got together last week. You were shy. You were soft spoken but you were also honest and genuine. You're sentimental and affectionate. You don't mind lying down close to me without the need to put your hands all over me. I can relax with you and I don't feel like I'm being judged or like I have to live up to a typical man's expectations. I can be me with you. Other than my brother, you're the only man I've ever met who made me feel completely at ease. But at the same time, I feel like you look at me because you're genuinely interested in me. I feel pretty to you."

Kuda hopped up onto the bed between them, put his front paws on Vincent's knee and used his head to push Topaz's chin upwards until her lips met his. The little fox dashed back down onto the hotel floor then he dashed out through the open sliding glass door leading out to the sundeck.

The kiss lasted several seconds. Vincent, flush in the face, cleared his throat and said, "Well you certainly are pretty to me. When you smile it makes me feel good. I'm not anything like my brother, Reno. I've never thrown a punch; I've never solved my problems with aggression or anything like that. Girls in high school were kinda' nasty to me. I've been told I'm not manly enough to be what a woman needs and that broke my confidence."

"You ran into a room, face to face with a creature that would have scared anyone, and you saved me from it. You're more courageous than just about anyone else I've ever met. I could expect that sort of bravery from someone battle hardened like Karla Howard, or like my father. But from someone who'd never even handled a gun before? You could have run. But when push came to shove, you rose up and stood tall in the face of something you knew could kill you."

"And did. God. I can't even begin to describe how scary that was. But when that thing got me and when that first bullet didn't faze it like I thought it would ..." Vincent trailed off with a soft sigh, remembering the past. "I have to admit death wasn't as terrifying as I thought it would be."

Topaz tilted her head. "How ... how do you mean?"

"I was sad. I felt like I let everyone down. All I've ever wanted in my life was to be something special, important or be productive in some way that makes the world a better place." Vincent held his right hand up to keep her from interrupting. "I know that sounds corny but ... to me, I feel like having a meaningful existence is far more important than anything else. And when I thought ... I mean ... you know, I shot that thing. Then it got me and I thought that was that ... I'd die on the floor without doing anything important with my life. I'd never get to talk to my brother again, never find love, or make emotional amends with my immediate family, who died a long time ago anyhow ... I remember seeing my mother's face before I 'died.' In the end, though, I just felt like I wasted my life. And so all I could think of was how much of a failure I was. I was upset. I was sad. Death isn't scary anymore. I've done that and it was a disappointment. All I did was lament what sucked about my life and that I'd not see those I love anymore."

"Oh, Vincent," she murmured.

"I worked at a car dealership rotating tires and changing oil. But now I have this ability and I have so much purpose in my life. I'm actually using it to save lives, even if it means that I am putting an enormous cap on my own."

Parker moved close to him then smiled when he reached for her. It made her feel wanted. She leaned close and brushed her cheek against his. "I have an enormous amount of respect for you, now, Vincent. You really opened my eyes because I judged you before I knew you. You're an extraordinary man. But what do you mean by a 'cap?' How does saving lives hinder yours?"

"Dr. F. told me that my ability has caused my sterility. And I know how proud the Parker family is. You come from a long, long line of amazing people. I don't want to be the reason you never have kids or anything. It's my curse to bear; it shouldn't be put on whoever I have a romantic relationship with."

"Well I appreciate that you're open-minded enough to consider my wants and desires, but I certainly hope you're not thinking about giving up on this relationship this early because of a possibility that you _might_be sterile."

He closed his teeth over his lower lip. "I ... I mean, you're right, of course. I don't want you to think I'd give up on this just because I feel inadequate. I've always wanted to have a girlfriend and you're awesome. I like having you in my life."

"Yeah?" Paz brought her hand to the side of his face, gently tracing her fingers over the smooth almost-feminine-soft skin of his cheek. "You like a girl who shoots a gun and does karate? I'm not very girly."

"That's okay. I'm not very manly. I'm a geek. I mean, I'm not obsessed with card games or academia, but I'm otherwise pretty geeky. I'm not going to eat your shield, just because I Like-Like you. Yeah. That. See, my humor is pretty geeky." He tilted his head then said, "There was this game that came out for the NES back before either of us was born, and the little bad guy that eats your shield looked like a slab of ground beef, called a Like-Like. I know I said I'm not a game geek. I just remember pop culture stuff and I ..."

"The Legend of Zelda," she said. She saw his expression brighten and offered a smile. "It's a classic. I have the ROM on my cellphone. I probably know the second quest better than the first because the first time I played it, I was a fan of girl power. I named the character 'Zelda,' not knowing it would automatically make me start on the second quest. I thought, 'God this game is hard. I love it!' I was a fan ever since."

"Would it be premature to say I think I love you, now? I guess it's your turn to surprise me, heh. I never thought you'd be a fan of a classic video game. And that's awesome that you knew what I was talking about based on the name of an enemy."

Topaz felt Kuda at the small of her back. The little animal rubbed up against her but in a way that felt like he was shoving her towards Vincent. She smirked down at the little animal then looked back to Vincent with a sly smile.

He continued rambling, innocent and nervous. "I mean, you know, I just..."

"Shut the fuck up and kiss me."

Vincent brought his hands up to either side of her face, looking into her eyes. He lowered his gaze, as if eyeing the target out of fear he would miss it. He drew his lower lip between his teeth once more then lifted his eyes back to her soft brown hues. Vincent leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers.

Topaz kissed him back firmly, delighted by feeling of control. They continued their kiss with Topaz taking the lead. She guided him into the realm of the physical and placed his hand on her body, showing him the proper way.

Their kissing, their touching and their romantic exploration was relaxed. It was as far from rushed as she could have ever hoped for.

Before long, she removed her shirt and moved his hand to the bottom of her bra then gestured for him to move his fingers beneath it and feel. Topaz tilted her head, breaking the kiss, and began to nip at his neckline. "God this is nice. No expectations, no demand ... just moving at a comfortable pace. This is really enjoyable."

"I'm loving this. Damn you're hot. I can't believe I've got my hands all over you. I can't get enough of you." His hand moved further beneath the fabric of her bra.

She brought her hand back up, overtop of his, separated by the cloth and underwire, and guided his fingertips. Topaz whispered little words of encouragement, teaching him how to properly kneed and manipulate her body.

Parker nipped his neckline again with a smile. "So that makes me the hottest girl you've ever kissed."

"You're the hottest girl I've ever even hoped to kiss. Being able to kiss you is ... it's like having a cake made entirely out of icing." He placed his other hand on her thigh. "I like touching you. You're soft, you're tone ... you're sexy as hell. You're not all emotional or full of drama or weird like other girls."

"Is that so," she murmured with a sly grin.

"I'm not gonna lie, I really like you, Topaz."

She licked her lips then drew her head back from his neck and gazed into his eyes. "You say all the right things for someone who's supposed to be a geek. You didn't back in San Francisco the day we met, but I guess it's because you were nervous."

"And today?"

"You're definitely saying all the right things now."

"Having some purpose and a beautiful girlfriend has given me back my self esteem." Vincent took the initiative to show her that he desired her. His left hand, on her thigh, moved to the front of her pants, unfastening the button. He leaned forward and kissed her again.

Parker put her hands on Vincent's shoulders and guided him onto his back then leaned over him and kissed his lips, easing her tongue into his mouth.

She kicked her pants off, then unfastened his and moved atop of his hips, straddling him in her panties. Vincent's hands naturally moved to her waist and they began to grind against one another while indulging in their liplock.

She glanced up and spied Kuda lying on the carpet in front of the sliding glass door. The miniature fox was curled up in a ball, tail wrapped around him. The little creature seemed quite pleased with himself, as though his work was done.

Her eyes returned to Vincent, beneath her, and she reached down and opened the flaps of his shorts. It didn't take much effort to get them down and off.

Considering the fact he was a bit on the lanky side, she decided that he was deceptively well endowed. "Good boy." Her hands slid back down, between them, and she carefully eased the fabric of her panties to the side...

Topaz's gaze lifted from where their bodies met, to watch his facial expression. She smiled, seeing the excitement in his wide eyes. She reached between their bodies one more time then shifted her hips. With a satisfying murmur of delight, she lowered herself onto him.

His soft gasp was music to her ears.

X

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X

January 19, early evening... Bermuda

** Topaz looked up** at the ceiling, sprawled out on her back. She stole a glance over at the empty spot adjacent to herself. She sighed. Her gaze moved towards the other bed, which was made but had wrinkles in the comforter. Parker sighed then looked back up at the ceiling. She sighed a third time.

Kuda hopped up onto the bed and settled down between her arm and torso. He turned about, facing away from her and rested his little chin on her forearm.

She brought her other arm over, across herself, and ran her fingers through his hair. "You really like him, don't you?"

The little animal sighed through its nose.

"Yeah. Me too. And I'm more confused than ever. Two guys in a row? What the hell, right?"

Kuda suddenly jumped up, leapt off the bed and attacked the shoelace of her left sneaker. The little fox closed his teeth around the end of a shoelace and rolled over, taking the shoe along for the ride. He jumped back up then batted at the end like a cat. Then he got down on his tummy and nosed the shoe.

All at once, he snagged the shoelace in his teeth again, then popped straight up into the air and pounced the shoe.

Topaz rolled her eyes. "Fine. You're no help. You lil' shit."

Her cellphone vibrated. She brought it up and thumbed the screen then opened her text message inbox screen. It was a text from the same number as earlier.

The text read, 'Just landed. You wouldn't believe how much a same-day plane ticket goes for. It might be a while, though. I hammered the chip in my passport. They usually detain me for questioning but the pros outweigh the cons, being supernatural and all. Just received your last text with the address. I've got the CIA guy with me; he's legit. See you in a while.'

"Thank God. He's literate," she murmured, "For some reason, I expected his text messages to be as difficult to read as his hick-ass accent is to understand." She thumbed the screen, replying, 'I'm not going anywhere. See you when you get here.' Topaz rolled over towards the nightstand between the two hotel beds. She hooked her phone to the charging wire, draped over the base of a lamp. With a grunt, she rolled onto her back once more.

Again, Topaz sighed. She closed her eyes, thinking back on how her vacation with Vincent ended. Her mind wondered over how much she enjoyed taking his virginity and how he was a quick study and a good student. She smiled inwardly at the thought of how he managed to apply everything she'd taught him to the second round.

Her smile faded. She pondered how things turned sour afterwards. She rubbed her thighs together, still moist from before he left to catch his taxi to the airport.

Topaz kicked the covers off, slid out of bed and walked into the bathroom. She turned on the shower then faced the mirror and frowned. "Why does this sterility thing bother you, Vincent?" she asked the mirror. "I know you only just found out. I know it's a fresh issue. But you're wrong ... a family is the last thing on my mind right now." She glared at the reflection then swallowed. "Okay. He's right. I've had this strange nagging sensation to be a mom at the back of my head for at least two years, now. What the hell is wrong with me?"

Topaz placed her hands on the mirror. A single tear escaped from her left eye and ran down her cheek. "God why am I dwelling on this? He was trying to prove to me that he's open-minded enough to let me do whatever I need to do to secure the Parker family's future. It wasn't like he was breaking up or anything. Why can't I just focus on how cute he looked when he fell asleep after sex?" She brought her left hand up and rubbed her wrist against the side of her face. "Topaz, girl, you need to focus on how you were impressed you managed to teach a virgin how to make you climax on his first lesson. Nothing earth shattering but certainly the boy has potential."

She looked down at Kuda sitting in the doorway. "You staring at me, pervert? Fur-vert."

Kuda hopped up onto the bathroom counter and sat down, back straight, chest puffed out. She quirked her brows at him then turned on the sink. The little fox ducked his head down and lapped at the running water. She bit her lower lip. "Guess I'm not very good with pets, huh? I feed you from the table and I forget to give you water. I'm a bitch huh?"

The fox ignored her and continued to lap at the water in the faucet.

Parker turned to the shower and stepped into it. "It just means we didn't have to worry about condoms, right? It's too early for kids right now; he got to have his first time 'raw-dog' style. What guy wouldn't want that opportunity? God, though, he might really hate himself over this sterility thing. I'd go nuts if I thought my plumbing was broken. How'd he know I want kids, anyhow?" She pulled the curtain along the railing above the hotel tub.

"What if I really am supposed to marry Fox?" She reached for the soap dispenser then sighed again. "My first genuine romance with a man and I'm already second guessing it. What's wrong with me?" she groused then sat down on the bottom of the tub, beneath the shower spray. "Stop it." Paz traced her thumb over the bar of soap then over the brand name etched into the center on the other side of the soap. "God why can't I just have a normal relationship?"

She put the bar of soap on the bottom of the tub then smacked it with the backside of her right hand. It skittered along the right edge, went up the slanted back end of the tub, bounced into the air, then she snatched it with her left hand. "You dumb bitch, why were you thinking about Fox when having sex with that boy? You're going to ruin a good thing with a good guy." She clenched the soap bar in her fist. "What is wrong with me? Am I emotionally broken?" She turned about in the tub, facing the faucet, and leaned back against the angled slope on the back of the tub. Topaz put her feet up on the all-in-one knob control and turned it to the left until the water became hotter. "How can I have feelings for them both? Fuck. If I was fifteen again, knowing what I know now, I could have gotten myself out of those knots without Fox's help. Then I wouldn't have this ridiculously strange obsession with my brother."

She extended her left index finger and balanced the soap bar on its end then moved it to her middle fingertip then back to her index. "Maybe I'd have been better off joining the DEA with Aunt Nicky. Dammit why'd you have to go and die or whatever. Reno isn't the only one who misses you; I need your advice right now. Ugh."

Topaz sat up, eyes wide. "Shit. Shit! What if Falcon is treating Vincent good and keeping his trust because he needs the power of radiation for some reason?" She kicked the faucet knob, turning off the shower then clamored out of the tub, through the hotel room, and snagged her phone from the nightstand. She called Vincent's number but it went straight to voice mail. She cursed her luck with a string of foul language, which lasted up until the answering machine beeped over the line.

"Hi, baby! I was thinking about you! Please call me when your helicopter lands but before you board the sub! If you don't get reception or whatever ... then call me as soon as you're down there. But make sure you're alone when you call me because, uh..." She paused then frowned at how it might sound if Falcon were screening Vincent's calls and voice mails. "Because, uh, I wanna talk dirty to you. Just ... please, call me right away. It's important and it's a private concern. Okay? I'm sorry if this comes off sounding needy or weird. I just ... it's really important, Vincent." She ended the call then dropped onto the unused hotel bed that was still made; her body still wet. "Shit! Why didn't I think of this earlier? What if he really is in danger there and Falcon is just using him? God dammit, you dense ditz! Karla's supposed to be the blond, not you! Moron!" She lifted her head then dropped it back onto the mattress. "Radiation! What kind of applications does focused radiation have? Jesus H. Christ, Falcon you bastard, if you hurt that boy I'm going to rip you apart worse than that monster freak! Ugh!"

X

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X

An hour later...

** Rufus glanced at his phone**. "Okay this is the room. I hope she has a charger."

"Low battery, huh?" asked Watson.

"Yeah. Eleven percent. I wonder if'n she's a hot chick."

"Does it matter?"

Rufus turned away from the door and stared at the special agent with a mock glare. "It always matters. I'm not tryin' to hook up or anything. I just wonder'n if she's hot. Fox is pretty bad ass, son, and if he's supposed to marry this chick then she needs to be hot."

"Yeah? How you figure, Rin-Tin-Tin?"

Rufus offered a smirk in reply. "If Jessica Alba was my sister..."

"You'd hug her at Thanksgiving Dinner and Christmas, just like every other brother with a hot sister in the world. Get over yourself," Watson said. "When you grow up with a chick, things are different. You antagonize each other, eat each other's favorite snacks out of the fridge, and argue all the time."

"Sounds like marriage," Rufus mused thoughtfully.

"That Alba chick is in her mid-forties or something, Rufus."

"You ever seen her as the Invisible Woman in Fantastic Four, son?"

"That was ... I was a kid." Greg rubbed his chin then nodded. "Yeah, she was pretty hot in her twenties, wasn't she?"

"Shit yeah, son. I hate to say it, though, but Karla blows Alba out of the water any day of the week, at any age."

"Okay," Watson murmured in agreement, "I'll give you that. I mean, Karla looks a little on the young side, but she's gorgeous, stacked, dresses well, and always looks put together. Probably hottest girl I've seen off the top of my head. But just imagine how much hotter she'll be in a few years when she's a little older?"

Rufus laughed and turned back to the hotel door then knocked. "That won't happen. She doesn't age. She'll continue to look the way she does now, just like she's been doing since long before either of us were born."

Topaz opened the door, looked at them both then said, "What I like about Karla Howard is that she's the only F-cup I've ever seen that manages to still be perky, firm and, yes, they're real. Go figure, only a succubus would have genetics that damn good. Get in here, both of you, and stop talking about girls in the hallway." She stepped aside and let both men into her room then she shut the hotel door and turned back to them. "Alba was hot in Fantastic Four. But c'mon, even now in her forties she's smokin'. I hope I look that good after having several kids."

Watson recognized Topaz from her dossier. "Wait a second, you're prophesized to marry Fox Parker? I recognize you from your file. Aren't you supposed to be a lesbian?"

"File huh? No, that's not creepy at all," she said with a snort of sarcasm. "I'm on a Skittles hiatus. Okay, there's been a development so both of you sit down and hear me out."

Watson and Rufus sat down on one of the hotel beds. Topaz traced a thumb over her jeans, which weren't yet fastened. She picked up a Nancy Drew novel from atop the dresser and said, "Don't judge."

"Never," said Rufus.

She dropped down on the second bed. She stuffed the book down the front of her pants, grasped the fastenings and pulled them together tightly then buttoned her tight jeans. She withdrew the book and tossed it on the bed. "It's my secret to getting on jeans this tight."

"No complains," Rue added. He ribbed Watson with a sly grin then glanced back at Parker.

She stood up and looked in the mirror. "I just got off the phone with Vincent. We talked about what Falcon's rumored to be doing ... which is basically using the boy for his power. He said he has Falcon's complete and total trust. He's going to keep doing what he's been doing ... but he's going to keep his eyes open for anything out of the ordinary. Then he's going to contact me if he finds Collobulous - that was his name right?"

"Ayup. I appreciate that."

Topaz nodded. "Anyway, he's also going to let me know if he finds anything else. He's our inside guy, now."

"Are you two ... involved?" asked Watson.

"I'm not quite sure how that's any of your business?"

Greg lifted his hands in a defensive posture. "It complicates things if he's caught and is in danger. A handler should never have emotional attachment to a field agent. A field operative could be used as leverage to draw out an attached handler. There is a realistic possibility that he could be killed and you need to be able to operate under that kind of duress."

Parker began pacing. "We started dating. We've just spent the last couple days together and, earlier this afternoon, we got physical for the first time. I really like him. He's the first guy interest that I can think of ... ever."

"What about Fox?" asked Rufus.

She groaned in frustration. "What about him?"

"Sinopa and Collobulous are both very accurate with their premonitions. Speaking of Bull, we need to get him back. Falcon's gunna pirate his strength and make himself extremely powerful. We cain't fight him if he's badass like that. This is more serious than I care ta' admit."

She gazed back towards the mirror again. "Johann told Fox that your boy, Collobulous, can pick up six hundred pound ATV motorcycles with one hand and without so much as straining or breaking a sweat."

Rufus stood up and walked over to the dresser adjacent to Topaz. He looked at her for a moment then reached for her hairbrush and started brushing his lengthy black hair. "The man can juggle dumpsters. He picks up full-sized automobiles, including busses and trash trucks, and throws them at people. He once lifted a Gremlin then spiked it like a volleyball." Darken paused for effect then said, "After being shot in his bicep with an armor piercing round."

"Jesus," she whispered. "Okay. That's impressive. And we don't need Falcon having that ability. What's the drawback to that kind of strength?"

"You don't wanna see him dance."

"Pardon?"

Rufus shrugged. "He cain' do none of that stuff you 'n Fox do. Nothin' graceful. He cain' even do the Macarena, honey. Here's a scary thought: If Falcon took Bull's strength 'n your agility, the sumbitch would become certifiably amazing."

Topaz gave him a moment to use her brush then she reached for it and closed her fingers over the pressure points of his hand. With ease, she took the brush from him and began brushing her own hair. She walked away casually and said, "We can't just go down to Vincent's new home on the fly. It'll blow his cover and the boy will die. On top of that, you shouldn't have been down there in the first place. At least not without a support team. And I'm certainly not rushing down there. The last time I went up against Falcon, he threw me around like a toy. If he were to become stronger or more formidable than he already is," she trailed off and shook her head with a frown. "We'd all wind up dead. However..."

Rufus favored his right hand in his left, rubbing his thumb into the sensitive spot where she'd plucked the brush from his grip. "However what? What's the silver lining, here, darlin'?"

Topaz shifted the brush to her other hand and started working on the other side of her head. "I saw these huge glass tubes when I was in his old lab. He likes to bring people back from the dead. That includes Vincent. Vince died in my arms last October. Tonight, we had sex. He sure as hell isn't dead. And I mean, God, he was dead for a while. Longer than what a hospital would consider possible. Brain dead. Excessively dead."

Watson folded his arms. "What if he's a clone?"

"Clones have unique finger prints. Even genetic duplicates like identical twins will have unique fingerprints. Vincent's are the same - it really is him."

Rufus rubbed his face. "You, uh, printed him?" He smirked and repeated what she'd said earlier. "That's not creepy."

Topaz shook her head then handed the brush back to Rufus. "Not directly. I'm the daughter of the world's greatest thief. I'm nothing if not thorough. I located Vincent's belongings. Things he owned growing up. I spent two weeks in his childhood bedroom with Reno. I took his prints and matched them to the Vincent I started dating about a week ago. Remember, I saw him die. It was traumatic. I had to be sure it was real."

Watson eyed her. "What's the verdict?"

"He's real. What I'm trying to say is that your friend, Muscles McGee, is probably in a stasis tube; not dead. So let's not rush in and mess up everything, okay?"

Rufus gazed at her for a moment then dropped the brush on the dresser and flopped back onto one of the two beds. He closed his eyes and frowned. "I hope you're right. He was my boy. He always had my back." He noted her expression and smirked at her. "Don't get it twisted, darlin' ... we weren't Brokeback Mountain or nuffin'. He's my boy and we were a team. He's saved my life before. And I let him down. I just need to return that respect. I need to rescue my brother in arms."

She stared at the southerner for a moment then shook her head and settled on the edge of her mattress. "I'm sorry, Mr. Darken. I understand that he means a lot to you. But let's not rush anything. My way of doing things will give Vincent a chance to gather intelligence. Do you two train?"

"Train for what?" asked Watson.

Topaz rubbed her forehead. "To stay sharp. Okay, obviously not. So until your friends show up, I'll be the teacher and you two are the defense course students. I know a place. Very private. If you're going to hide out with me, you're going to train to be your best. Got it?"

"Got it," said Rufus. He sat up, looking at a small fox sitting on the bed two feet from his head. "Oh, hey there, lil' fella." He turned to Watson and gave the man a nudge.

Watson coughed softly and said, "I don't have an ability but I can fire a gun." He glanced at the small ferret-sized pet then back at Parker.

"That's still a skill that requires training and practice." Topaz smiled in a playfully faux-pleasant way and said, "I'll make you boys better than whatever you can do as of today. Just play by my rules so that everyone lives in the end."

"Aite, girl, we got your gist, sugar. We wait for reinforcements."

"Thank you, Mr. Rufus. I like you already - we're on the same page about certain things. For now, we need to rest." She turned to Watson and said, "What is your job in the CIA?"

"I'm not a clandestine operative if that's what you're asking. Why?"

"Are you a lifer?"

"Yes, I consider it a career," he replied.

"I'll keep you alive. But I want a favor that I can bank for a rainy day."

"Pardon?"

Topaz shrugged. "If I want to join the CIA, if I want my future kids to join the CIA, if I need the CIA to look the other way for any reason one day in the future ... that is my price to guarantee that you'll come out of this alive and without a single scratch. You have my word. You won't receive so much as a papercut in exchange for one professional favor."

Watson rubbed his chin then nodded. "Done deal. But how can your version of training make me better with a gun?"

"Can you throw a knife and make it stick in an object?"

"Not well."

"Pop culture calls it 'Gun Kata,' or sometimes, 'Gun-fu.' What if I told you there was a Rosetta Stone program for something other than languages? A way to increase your agility and hit a target and increase your accuracy with any short-range weapon to the point where you're almost guaranteed success without your iron sights? Rufus, can you shoot?"

"Don't need to. Tooth and nail."

"Fair enough." She glanced back at Watson and said, "We're taking a mid-day nap. It's akin to meditation. It keeps the mind sharp. We'll get started in an hour. You guys will train the way I train until we're ready to make a move."

She approached Watson on the bed furthest from the sliding glass door. "Move over. I'm lying down, too."

"Why not over there?"

"You a misogynist? I'm not going to give you fucking cooties. Besides, Kuda is lying next to Rufus. I'm not going to disturb the fox just because you want to be a freak. Move over and share."

"Damn you're pushy." Watson slid over towards the nightstand.

Topaz dropped onto the bed on the side nearest to the wall. "Don't be a whiner."

X

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X

Sunday January 21, 10:00 am PST East of San Francisco, California

** Reno Nevada shifted the satellite phone** to his other hand and paced back the other direction across the roof. "I'm glad to hear it. You've really come out of your shell, bud. This new ability of yours, starting a relationship with Topaz, feeling useful ... you're not the kid that got bullied in high school anymore. But there's still something bothering you. I can tell by your voice."

"Reno," said his younger brother over the phone, "Topaz has me questioning the guy who saved my life. What if he really is using me for my control over radiation?"

"I'm not sure how to help you out of this."

"You've got a good gut instinct. What should I do?"

"Vincent, what do you think?"

"You know I always second guess myself. And I don't want to be judged for making the wrong choices."

Reno gazed over the side of the roof to make sure no one was within earshot then he said, "Listen. Don't you dare tell me you're afraid of being judged! Especially by me. Did I judge you when, in your sophomore year, you decided to try dating a guy? Did I judge you when, after we got out of our hippie-parents' house, you decided the first hobby you wanted to pursue was ... Pokémon? Did I judge you when you came to me for advice on women? Have I ever judged you?"

"Okay, okay. And you didn't have to bring up that thing from high school."

"I'm just saying, Vincent, you're my brother. As a brother, it's my job to pick on you for what brand name of shoe you wear, or if you miss a spot when you floss. But I would never _judge you based on life decisions or struggles. And I won't judge you on _this. Look, Falcon is a scary guy. For a while, I thought he was responsible for your death and I was hunting for him for revenge. Turns out he saved your life. If you want to work for him then that's your choice."

"So why is everyone still after him?"

Reno paced back across the rooftop again. "Because he has artifacts that worry all the supernaturals left in the world, which isn't very many. They're anxious. People that boggle the mind. They're all nervous about Falcon's possessions. Your new girlfriend was tasked by the remains of the Esoteric Community to steal back these artifacts and hide them around the world."

"Oh my God do you think she's using me to get to them?"

Reno blinked and reached up to cup the top of his bald head. "Man, I don't know. She's not the type to use sex as a means to an end. And I'm told she's the world's greatest thief. So why would she need to use you?"

"I hope you're right. That would really suck."

"She's not into guys. But she's into you. I think you're the first serious straight relationship she's ever had. She's also the first serious straight relationship you've ever had. That's huge. It's meaningful. I doubt either of you are getting played by the other, okay? Just relax."

"What about this guy, Fox?"

Reno brought his hand down and tugged at the whiskers beneath his lower lip. "Well, uh, that's her twin brother. Why do you ask?"

"Rumor has it that they're supposed to wind up together."

"Vincent, I don't know what to tell you, bud. All I can say is that there's a lot of weird people in what's left of this 'Esoteric Community,' okay?"

"When is everyone supposed to be getting to Florida?"

"I don't know. I've not even left California yet. The car won't be ready for a few more days. I'm about to take a rental into the city and look at the remains of a club where I gained my abilities. The one where your pal Krys Monroe used to work and live. What's going on in your world?"

"This guy showed up at my girlfriend's room with a CIA agent. They're looking for a black man who has unnatural strength. They came from here. The domed city."

"I thought that place was a super secret?"

"They got in. Two of them got back out. The third one has a vendetta against someone who works for Doctor F., but he apparently surrendered without any resistance after believing his friends were killed. Thing is, I know better because they're with Topaz, now. Anyhow, this guy is here somewhere."

"I hate to stir drama," Reno said, "But have you thought about finding this guy and reassuring him that his friends are alive?"

"No one knows they're alive," Vincent said. "Even Doctor Falcon thinks they died in a building that collapsed during a standoff between them and a group of city cops with Sire."

"City cops, huh? They wouldn't be run by my old boss, would they?"

"I have no idea. They wear black uniforms. I never really see them. Look, Reno, I think I'll see what's happened to this guy and I'll look around to see if there's any truth to what Topaz has told me. But I want to meet all of you when everyone arrives in Miami. I want to meet Fox so I can figure out if he's competition or not. I want to see you again. I've got so much to show you. I want to see my girlfriend again. I can only see her in Bermuda when I don't have a busy work schedule. I want to meet all these people you've been working with. I want to see dad's restored car that you've been telling me about."

Reno laughed and said, "You won't recognize the Chevelle. We're rebuilding it. Now that your girlfriend had all the important parts restored, Wilfred, Johann and Evan are making it into ... let's just say it's not street legal. But considering the fact that they're down there inventing stuff that has never been documented, it might as well be alien technology. Street legality is the last thing cops will have to worry about if they catch me in this."

"And, uh," Vincent cleared his throat. "What in the world are you going to do with this superpower vehicle of awesomeness?"

"Pick up girls, what else?"

"...Great. Well, I'm not changing your oil. I've retired from that crap. So it has weapons and stuff? Does it go fast?"

"According to these guys, it's made out of a sheet of diamond, it fires diamond pellets coated in graphite ... or something like that ... and the pellets can blow up things without a charge or warhead, just because of how fast and hard they'll hit their targets. And, yes, it'll be fast. The engine is a supercharged 325 horsepower V8 that runs on water, and there are induction motors in the wheels that I power directly. If I'm on a straight road for a long period of time, Wilfred thinks I can get up near the speed of sound. They said if the car was designed with aerodynamics in mind, I'd break Mach-1 with no problems. Don't want to flip it or get air beneath it. But yes, it's fast."

"Why not get a corvette then?"

"Because I like it. It was dad's, man."

"Reno, honestly, you need something with angles so if someone tries to hit you with an RPG ... not that it would ever happen but if you're going to make a car into a battle tank, then look at what's being done to actual tanks, right?"

"Look, my next one will be a DeLorean and I'll use electricity to give it thrust, boost and flight."

"Ha, funny. I wish we had stuff like that movie depicted."

"Yeah, me too. Anyway, right now I want dad's Chevelle, okay? You know I've always wanted dad's car. It's the only thing I've loved more than my old Monte Carlo."

"Are you really going to fight crime with a weapon of mass destruction on wheels?"

A smile crept across Reno's face. "Hell-to-the-yes I am. Thanks for giving me an idea about what to put on the plates. I'm thinking, '66 WMD.' Yeah. That's it. We've been working on it for two days, now. It's going to be the first electricity friendly vehicle. It's going to be awesome."

"I look forward to seeing it. I'm going to try to find this guy who surrendered and give him the good news. I love you."

"I love you, too, Vincent. And hey, I'm proud of you."

"Why, because I have a meaningful job? Or because I had sex with a girl?"

"Well, yeah. Nichole always said you'd make some girl very happy one day. Good for you."

"Heh. Yeah. Thanks. I hope it lasts."

"Have faith. The Nevada charm works, bud. Mom gave up a Manhattan penthouse for ... 'Green Acres' because she couldn't resist the Nevada charm. Don't doubt yourself, kiddo."

"I'm really trying to believe in myself. But it isn't always easy."

"Every time you stop believing, Journey replaces a band member."

"Geeze. Weren't they dad's favorite?"

"Best band to come out of San Fran, Vince." Reno shifted the phone to his other ear. "As my friend Karla would say: Be good. And if you can't, then be good at it."

"Catch you later, Reno."

The ex-inspector grinned. "You too, kiddo." He pushed the antenna down on the satellite phone then walked to the far end of the house's roof and tossed it down onto the Chevelle's car seats, sitting out on the front yard. It bounced across the driver's seat and into the rear bench seats. Reno rubbed his hands together, cleared his mind, focused, and then...

He opened his eyes, standing at the center of a scorched patch of grass. He glanced up, over his shoulder, at the roof he'd come from. "God that's cool."

"Reno!"

He looked forward then headed for the old garage adjacent to the house. "Yeah!"

"C'mere, we need you to test the steering column!"

He headed down to the garage and approached the gutted car and its three so-called mechanics. "What am I doing now?"

Wilfred waved him over to the other side of the car. "We managed to make the steering column out of gold, using Johann as an Alchemist. And we found a superconducting cable. The supercold jacket was hard to procure, by the way."

"A gold steering wheel." Reno grinned. "God, this car is going to be so fresh."

Evan looked up and shook his head. "Okay, I know I'm probably the whitest black guy ever but ... really? Fresh?"

"Yes, Evan, fresh. As in, this car couldn't possibly be any fresher if it was made out of Altoids and run on Listerine. Fresh." He sat down on a stack of cinderblocks and closed his hands around the wheel. "Let me know when you need me to zap it."

"Sure," said Wilfred. He handed Reno a flash drive and added, "Found this in the glove box by the way. Figured it was a weird thing to be in a hippie's car so I plugged it into my Windows Tablet. The OS couldn't understand the architecture. I opened the jack and ran copper leads to the USB socket in the tablet. When I opened the file, it was garbled, not encrypted. But in power shell, I was able to get a few ASCII details ... the file date is wrong."

"What do you mean wrong?"

"Well, I might be reading it wrong. The file looked like it was last modified twenty-five years from now. But that doesn't make any sense. So I'm going to go out on a limb and make another guess. It's possible that the file is time-locked."

"What's that mean? 'Time locked.' As in, the file can't be opened for another twenty-five years from now?"

"It's possible. I couldn't find anything that could read the file natively. PDF, DOC, TXT, nothing. It was all scrambled. But what I could get out of the scrambled mess did mention what looked like a date. Sunday, August 29, 2049. Your guess is as good as mine. Sorry, that was all I could manage. What's the deal?"

Nevada shrugged his shoulders and looked at the thumb-drive. August 29. The only thing he could think of was that August 29th of last year was when the Esoteric People were attacked and killed.

"Is that date special for some reason?"

Reno rubbed his face and shrugged. "Why are you asking me? I have no idea." He stuffed the thumb drive into his pocket then sat down in front of the steering wheel, which was mounted up on cinder blocks. "Lets test this thing already, huh?"

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Next chapter: https://www.sofurry.com/view/659871