Don't Call Me A Hero

Chapter 11

I sat slouched in the hard metal seat as I scribbled nonsense into my notebook. I couldn’t focus on the professor. My mind was reeling as I struggled to figure out the best plan of action to help Amanda. It has been two days since Tom had left to find Charlie and Maria. Peter was worried for his partner but still sat a few rows back. Owen sat beside me, looking like he was taking much better notes than I. 

Perhaps I could steal them from him later, as awkward as that might be. We hadn’t spoken much since the k********g attempt. He seemed to be preoccupied with something else. I was glad. Now, distancing myself from him was easy. 

I was totally and completely happy that he wasn’t talking to me.

I hadn’t realized class was over until Owen stepped around my feet and headed for the door. I groaned to myself as I gathered my stuff in my arms and headed followed after him. I watched his back as I walked down the narrow hallway. I had time before my next class, two hours to be exact, so I headed down toward the coffee shop.

Peter was right at my heels as soon as I stepped through the doors. I took a deep breath and inhaled. Nothing smelt better than a coffee shop. I stepped in line and glanced back at Peter. He was furiously typing away at his smartphone. I sighed as I turned toward the shelves of sweets and pastries. 

Amanda was hurting and here I was about to enjoy a fresh fruit smoothie and some sweet monstrosity. I shouldn’t have come to class. I should be back planning her rescue. I didn’t even know where to start. Those guys who tried to kidnap me gave no hints as to who they were or what exactly they wanted from me. Of course, I knew because of Amanda. 

The experiments were starting up again. 

And they wanted all of us back. 

“What can I get for you?” the lady behind the counter smiled at me. I placed my order and stepped to the side as I waited for Peter to take his. I followed him to a table and sat down across from him. Nothing was said, not even after someone came and dropped off our orders.

“Any word from Tom?” I asked, sipping my smoothie.

“No,” Peter shook his head, “something had to have happened.”

“I’m sorry,” I blurted out, “for asking him to go in the first place. I didn’t think he’d take this long or end up missing or-”

“Shut up,” Peter chided, “are you really that self centered? Not everything is about you.”

“Okay,” I muttered as I stood up, “I’m sorry for trying to apologize.”

“Alex-”

“No, you’re right. How self centered of me,” I sighed, “I’m going to go to the library. I got stuff to work on.”

I hurried out of there and bounded down the steps and into the cool air. Fall was upon us and  if my life hadn’t gone to s**t, I probably would have been loving the cooler temperatures. I hurried down the sidewalk only to pause when I felt a hand tap my shoulder. I spun around, ready to fight when I found Maria. Before I even knew what I was doing, I lunged forward and wrapped her up in my arms. 

“You’re okay,” I muttered as I pulled away. She seemed shocked, but pleasantly so, and gestured behind her. 

“Does Charlie get one of those too?” she asked with a grin. I shook my head as we shared a look of distaste. Charlie used to be one of my best friends...now look at us.

“Tom?” I asked, looking around.

“Right here,” he patted me on the back. I jumped and stumbled away before holding a hand on my chest.

“Don’t scare me like that.”

“What happened?” Charlie asked, nodding toward my bandaged hands.

“I got thrown into a car,” I shrugged, “which is why I wanted to speak with you two.”

“Are you okay?” Maria asked.

“Obviously,” I answered and looked over at Tom, “go see Peter in the coffee shop. He’s worried sick.”

I watched Tom leave and glanced around for anyone else within ear shot. I would feel better if we were inside somewhere safe but I doubted anywhere was really safe.

“Arthur is alive,” I told them, “and we think he’s the one who killed his mom.”

“What?” Maria gasped. Charlie just looked furious.

“That’s what Amanda told me,” I shrugged, “you know that others are going missing. They’re starting up the experiments again and they want us all back.”

“I know you don’t like me,” I looked at Charlie when I spoke, “but I think we’ll be safer if we stick together. I could also use your help finding Amanda. She keeps getting worse. I don’t know how long she has.”

“Okay,” Charlie nodded, “where do we start?” 

“Research,” Maria offered, “we need to figure out who has the means to pull something like this off. It can’t just be Arthur. He might have the crazy, but he doesn’t have the brains to do the experiments.”

“A lot can change in four years, Maria,” Charlie said. 

“Well, he’s not working alone,” I said, “I had three people try to take me.”

“And you beat them all?” he asked, clearly impressed.

“ Not exactly,” I said, “this crazy teenager jumped in and I held off two until Peter could shoot at them so it worked out for me. Anything happen to you two?”

“No,” Charlie groaned, “our people wouldn’t let us go. We couldn’t sneak away until today.”

“Okay,” I nodded, “let’s head to the library. I’ll see if there’s anything online about Arthur.”

“I’ll see if I could find anyone who could pull something like this off,” Maria said as we started walking toward the large building a few roads down from where we stood.

“I can’t use the computers,” Charlie said, “my fingers are too big.”

“Newspapers,” I offered, “see if you can find everything published about the first experiments.”

He nodded, seeming happy to have something to do. 

The library stood tall and ominous against the clear blue sky. The round, black building towered over everything else with large windows nearly covering the expanse of it. We couldn’t see inside though it would be quite the view on the inside. I was told they built it to model the library Sir McPatrick had in London. He was some sort of important super powered scholar that I didn’t care to learn about. 

We stepped inside and moved away from each other without another word. I moved to the second floor computers as they had more privacy. Maria sat at the first computer she found, though her investigation didn’t seem as suspicious as mine did. I couldn’t see where Charlie went off to but I doubted he was lingering anywhere. 

I signed into the computer and started typing away, thankful for those typing lessons the compound made me take when I was there. Most of what I found was nonsense. Arthur apparently had a really common name. I scrolled through every social media program I could find and there was nothing on him. I moved onto the internet itself and groaned as I saw the first link. 

“Arthur, you ass,” I muttered as I waited for the page to load. Two years ago he had sat down with a radio host and claimed to be one of the rescued experiments from Lutfy’s program. It was a clear violation of the agreement we had with the state but I doubted they did anything about it. The article stated that Arthur seemed to be, “on something,” and the host urged everyone watching to disregard his claims. I scribbled down his name on my hand and closed out of the page. 

There wasn’t anything else on him online. 

I logged off of the computer and hurried back down the wide staircase. I slowed my pace as I neared Maria. She was focused and leaning toward the screen with her hands typing away furiously at the computer. 

“We meet again, Blackwell,” a hand grabbed my arm. I tried to yank my arm from their grip, expecting to find the one of the kidnappers. Instead, I was looking into the wrinkled face of Professor Geabble. 

“Professor?” I asked, looking down at my arm, “please let me go.”

“No,” he said, yanking me toward the exit door. For an old man, he was surprisingly strong.

“Excuse me?” I asked as I tried to peel his hand off with my other one. Though we were surrounded by people, no one seemed to notice my struggle. I looked back toward Maria, who was turning my way with her phone to her ear. She didn’t look worried, just annoyed. I yanked my arm once again but it did nothing. 

I groaned. As soon as we were out of the crowd, I will get him off me. No need to start a scene, especially not with my ability. 

“Move,” I heard Geabble hiss but I soon realized he wasn’t talking to me. Charlie stood before him with his rocky arms folded across his thick chest.

“Let go of my friend first,” he ordered. 

“Oh, don’t worry about him,” Geabble shrugged, “we’re just going to have a little chat.”

“You can’t lay your hands on your students, sir. That could lead to some sort of lawsuit, right?” 

“I assure you no harm will come to him.”

“I don’t care. Let him go.”  

“Okay,” he said, releasing me. It seemed like he wanted to cause a scene as much as I did. A crowd had gathered around us and I narrowed my eyes as I tried to figure out who they would stand with. The professor glanced around before his eyes landed on mine.

“I just wanted to talk to you about how you’re going to pay for my daughter’s car.” 

Daughter’s car? 

Oh!

“You could have just said that,” I told him as I rubbed my arm, “what’s wrong with you?”

“What’s wrong with me?” he asked, “you’re the one that totaled her car!” 

“What’s going on?” Peter asked, shoving past some college students.

“Who are you?” Geabble asked. 

“His guardian,” he folded his arms and raised an eyebrow at the old man.

“Perhaps you should be the one I should be talking to,” he replied, “my daughter’s car was totaled by this young man. He should have to pay for it.” 

“How much damage?” 

“$2,000.” 

“Ouch,” Peter muttered as he pulled out a check book. He scribbled something out on it and stepped forward to hand it to him, “I gave my number to your daughter to have you call me. I don’t think that got taken care of. That should be more than enough to cover the damages.”

“Thank you, sir,” Geabble went to step around him before Peter grabbed his arm just where he grabbed mine.

“If you even think about touching him again,” Peter glared up at the man that stood a whole head taller than him, “I will end you.” 

“Understood,” Geabble smiled as if the thought amused him before disappearing into the crowd. I shook my head and turned toward Maria who had walked up at some point during that altercation.

“You are having terrible luck, aren’t you?” she asked as the crowd dispersed.

“The worst,” I shook my head and nodded my head toward Charlie, “thanks, man.”

“We have a job to do,” he shrugged, “can’t let anything get in the way.” 

“You okay?” Peter asked as he walked up to me.

“Fine and thank you.”

“You owe me.” 

“Haven’t I always?”

“We need to talk in private,” Maria said, nodding toward an empty conference room. We hurried inside and Charlie stood in the doorway to stop Peter from entering. 

“Charlie,” I spoke up as I sat in one of the office chairs, “Peter knows everything too. He cncan come in.”

“That was Professor Geabble, right?” Maria asked as we all sat down.

“Yes.” 

“His father worked with Dr, Lutsfy.”