“Well, you guys know about my other interests outside the Fearless Five, right?”
The chief laced his fingers together and stared at the younger woman. “You mean your network of spies and information traders? Or your friendship with a notorious bomb maker? Or perhaps the corporate espionage you’ve been dabbling in recently? You have lots of interests, Lulu. Not all of which are legal. We’ve discussed them on many occasions, but apparently with little success.”
The computer hacker looked a bit sheepish, despite her mane of multicolored hair. “Yeah, well, this is about Jasper. I talked to him last week, just catching up and stuff, and he mentioned the name Prism. Said somebody by that name wanted him to do some work for her, but he turned down the job.”
Jasper was one of Lulu’s many shady friends. He specialized in blowing up things in Bigtime, but he’d also helped out the Fearless Five on more than one occasion.
“Well, we’ll just have to go pay Jasper a visit and see what he knows about the mysterious Prism,” Carmen said to Lulu.
“I want to go too,” I piped up.
The others stared at me like I’d hit my head a little too hard. Maybe I had.
“I would think you’d want to go back to headquarters or even home,” Carmen said in a soft tone. “We all know how you feel about superheroes and ubervillains, Bella.”
“I know.” I shifted under her curious, probing stare. “But I was the one who got attacked and kidnapped and almost blown to bits. Twice. I want to know what the hell is going on. Besides, maybe if we show Jasper this, it will help.”
I pulled the Star Sapphire out of my battered purse and set it on a table in front of me. Somehow, I’d held on to it again through all the commotion. Lulu reached over and picked up the gem.
“Look how big this sucker is.” She turned it around so the sapphire caught the light streaming in through the portholes. “You know, Henry, if you wanted to get me something for Christmas, this would make a very nice engagement ring.”
Henry pushed his glasses up his nose. “But you already have an engagement ring.”
Lulu held up her pale hand. A not-so-small emerald sparkled on her finger. “But just think how much better they’d look together.”
Lulu grinned at Henry, and I just had to laugh.
Twenty minutes later, we all stood on deck as Henry steered the boat into a small, secluded cove that branched off the bay. He aimed the vessel right at a sheer rock cliff. I looked at him, then at the cliff, then at the others. Everyone else seemed unconcerned by the fact we were going to get splattered against the sharp rocks in another three seconds.
I closed my eyes, bracing for the hard, jarring impact, but it never came. Instead, I felt something cool slide over my skin, and a white light flared against my eyelids. I opened them and realized we were in some kind of watery cave. I looked back. The cliff face stood behind us, looking as solid and real as ever.
“It’s a 3-D hologram,” Henry explained, seeing my confused look. “The cliff’s not really there.”
“Neat trick.”
I shook my head. Despite my aversion to superheroes, the Fearless Five never ceased to amaze me.
The boat sailed on through the cave. Lights set at various intervals in the rocky walls cast a dim, yellow glow on the rocks, highlighting the specks of fool’s gold and rose quartz embedded in the grayish stone. A few bats hid in the darker cracks and crevices. The creatures were small, no bigger than my hand, and had their wings wrapped tight over their inverted bodies, sleeping. The air smelled of the salty sea, with just a hint of sulfur. Everything was quiet except for the drone of the boat’s engine and the occasional splash from a passing fish.
We rode in silence for another five minutes before coming to a steel door that stretched from the top of the cave down below the waterline. Something told me this door was very real. Henry held out a small clicker that looked like a garage-door opener and punched it five times in rapid succession. The steel door rattled up, revealing a metal dock flanked by all kinds of boats, life jackets, and other sailing equipment. Henry steered the boat into an empty slot. Two more just like it took up the other spaces.
“I didn’t know you guys had an underground harbor down here too.” I marveled at all the expensive, high-tech equipment. I’d only been in Fearless Five headquarters a few times, but whenever I came down, it always seemed like the superheroes had added a whole new wing of stuff.
“It’s a fairly recent addition,” Sam said, tying the boat to the wide dock. “I got tired of storing the boat in the marina. People took pictures of it all the time, and we could never get to it when we needed to.”
We’d just stepped onto the floating dock when a booming voice called out, “Bella!”
Grandfather appeared at the far end of the room. I ran to him as fast as I could with my various aches and pains. I threw my arms around him and hugged him tight. The static pulsed around me, fueled by my intense relief, but it didn’t make me fall or trip or suddenly go sideways. For now, anyway.
“Oh, Bella, I’m so glad you’re safe,” Grandfather said, stroking my snarled, frizzy hair.
“Me too,” I whispered. “Me too.”
Despite my protests, Chief Newman ushered me off to the sick bay, while the others trooped to the library to see if they could find Hangman or Debonair. I spent the rest of the afternoon being poked and prodded and pricked in all sorts of uncomfortable, unmentionable places. I also managed to break a thermometer, three plastic syringes, and a heart monitor just by looking at them.
At the end of the torture session, the chief said he’d keep me overnight for observation before letting me go home tomorrow.
Grandfather sat by my bed, holding my hand during the examination and cleaning up the various messes I made. Once the chief left, Grandfather peppered me with questions about the attack at the museum and, more specifically, about how Debonair had treated me. I answered most of them honestly, telling Bobby the sexy thief had shown me the utmost respect—except for the part where he refused to let me go and all the sex we’d had. There were some things you just couldn’t tell your grandfather, no matter how hip and cool he was.
“Well, I suppose I can understand his reasoning,” Bobby grumbled. “He was trying to keep you safe.”
If you considered safe sleeping with a notorious playboy and thief, sure, I supposed Debonair had kept me safe enough. At least we’d used protection. That was probably the safest thing we’d done during our time together.
“Did you call Johnny and tell him what happened?” I asked, changing the subject.
Bobby nodded. “He wanted to come home immediately, but I told him there was no reason to now. I hope that’s all right with you. He’s going to call and check on you in the morning.”
“Of course.”
I was fine now. There was no need for Johnny and Fiona to cut their vacation short. Unfortunately, the Bulluci family had gone through a lot worse than this before. On a scale of one to ten, one being a minor fender-bender and ten being my father’s murder, my ordeal didn’t rate more than a four—at least not in Bigtime.
Finally, Bobby ran out of questions. “You should rest, Bella. I know you must be tired. We’ll talk more later. Try to get some sleep.”
Grandfather pressed a kiss to my forehead, turned off the lights, and left the infirmary.
I settled down and tried to get comfortable. Like everything else in the Fearless Five’s headquarters, the hospital bed was the best that money could buy. The thick mattress cushioned my aching body, along with several fluffy pillows and soft, five-hundred-thread-count sheets. Despite the luxuries, I couldn’t sleep.
And it was all his fault.
Debonair. My thoughts turned back to the handsome thief. I couldn’t stop thinking about him. I kept remembering the way he’d kissed me. The way he’d held me. How gentle he’d been.
I even thought about who he might be—who he really was under all that blue-black leather. Try as I might, though, I coul
dn’t figure out his true identity. Maybe Carmen could help me puzzle it out. She had a knack for that sort of thing.
Mostly, though, I replayed last night over and over again in my mind. The dinner, the wine, the great sex.
Although I was as weary as weary could be, it was still several hours before I drifted off to sleep.
‘Are you sure you want to come along?‘ Carmen asked me for about the fifth time. “You don’t have to.”
It was the next morning. After spending the night in the sick bay, Chief Newman had given me the green light to resume normal activities and rejoin the rest of the world. Grandfather had gone home last night, after I’d insisted I didn’t need him to stay.
Besides, Bobby had told me he’d promised his lady friend that he’d check in with her after I was safe and sound. The warm glow in Bobby’s green eyes when he talked about this mystery woman told me my hunch was right—she was more than just a casual acquaintance or dinner date to him.
I was happy for my grandfather. I knew how lonely being single could be. Besides, who was I to deny the old man the pleasure of a woman’s company? As long as he was responsible about things, of course. But I didn’t let Bobby leave until he promised to introduce me to his lady friend at dinner one night this week.
“Bella?” Carmen asked.
“Yes,” I said, focusing on the other woman. “I want to go. I need to go.”
Carmen, Lulu, and I sat in the library around an enormous wooden table bearing the F5 insignia. It was just us girls today. Sam, Henry, and Chief Newman were all busy with their day jobs. Sam adding to his billion-dollar business empire, Henry working on his latest technology column for the Exposé, and the chief overseeing the Bigtime police department and catching criminals.
“I want to know why Hangman wants the sapphire so badly, and who Prism is.” I took a deep breath. “And I want you to help me figure out who Debonair is. I want to know who he really is. I need to know.”
“But you hate superheroes,” Lulu said, her dark eyes never leaving the computer monitor in front of her. “You only tolerate us because Fiona’s marrying your brother. Why do you care who Debonair is? I would think you’d be happy enough to go home and forget about the whole thing.”
Carmen looked up from the jigsaw puzzle she was working on and stared at me. Her blue eyes grew cloudy, then cleared. “You slept with him, didn’t you?”
I couldn’t stop my mouth from dropping open. I knew Carmen was an empath, a sort of psychic who could tap into people’s emotions and even their powers, but I’d never expected her to guess my deepest, darkest secret. Especially since it was only twenty-four hours old. My fingers twitched, my hair frizzed, and my power flared up like a neon sign.
It was like something out of a cartoon. Loose puzzle pieces flew through the air, bouncing off books and walls. A few of the small missiles hit the various globes in the room, making them spin round and round in perfect time. Some pinged off Lulu’s laptop, causing her to duck farther down behind the monitor. And, of course, one puzzle piece shot up into the air like a rocket, hitting the enormous film screen that hung down from the wall. Even though it was bolted to the ceiling in six places, the screen wobbled for half a second, then crashed down, frame and all, making a thunderous roar as it slammed into the floor. Carmen and Lulu jumped, startled by the sudden collapse. I just sighed and looked over my shoulder. The screen landed right behind me. If my chair had been back two more inches, I would have gotten brained by the frame. But I’d been just out of range, just like always. Lucky me.
“I’ll take that as a yes,” Carmen said, moving to pick up the wayward pieces.
I grimaced, ashamed by my sudden outburst and unwanted power display. “How did you know?”
Carmen grinned. “There are some benefits to being a psychic empath. Guessing your friend’s secret is definitely one of them. So come on, Bella. Spill it.”
“Yeah, I slept with him,” I muttered.
I told the two women about Debonair asking me out, kissing me in the museum, how we’d had dinner together in the Lair of Seduction, and what happened afterward.
“And he said the weirdest thing—that I wasn’t a stranger to him, that I was important to him. I didn’t know what to make of it at the time. I still don’t. Do you think I know him? The real him?”
“Probably,” Carmen said. “He’s probably another one of the rich businessmen on the society circuit. Hell, he might have even written you a fat check at the museum benefit the other night. Either way, I’ll help you find out who he is.”
“I feel like such a fool,” I admitted. “He’s probably seduced hundreds of women, and I fell for all his lines, just like everybody else.”
“You shouldn’t feel too bad, Bella. These things happen. I think it has something to do with all that tight leather, myself.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, looking at Carmen.
“Carmen means she did the exact same thing—slept with a superhero,” Lulu chimed in.
“You did?”
A sheepish grin spread over Carmen’s face, and she nodded. “Yeah, I slept with Sam before I knew who he really was.”
My confession was enough to get Lulu’s full and undivided attention.
“Speaking of superhero sex, how was it?” she asked, her dark eyes bright with curiosity. “Debonair’s supposed to be very skillful in all sorts of interesting things. At least, that’s what I’ve heard.”
“You’re engaged. What does it matter to you?”
Lulu held up her hand. “Just because there’s a ring on this finger doesn’t mean a girl can’t have fantasies.”
“Doesn’t Henry take care of all your fantasies?” I sniped.
I was being bitchy, but I didn’t care. I didn’t want to talk about what had happened between Debonair and me. Didn’t want to admit how easily I’d fallen under his spell—and how foolish I felt that part of me wanted to see him again, despite the fact he’d lied to me.
Lulu paid no attention to my sharp tone. Her eyes narrowed, and she gave me a sly, satisfied smile. “Henry does just fine in the fantasy department. He can do more with his fingers than just type really, really fast, if you know what I mean. Lots more. But there’s always room for improvement.”
The three of us got in Lulu’s van and headed into the city. Lulu kept questioning me about Debonair and his legendary skills in the bedroom, but I was able to ignore her—for the most part.
Twenty minutes later, Carmen stopped the van in one of the nicer neighborhoods in Bigtime and parked in front of a well-kept brownstone that took up the better part of the block. A wrought iron railing flanked the steps, while a cement, urn-shaped flowerpot beside the front door held a smattering of fall pansies. More flowers bloomed in the window boxes on the upper floors. Just looking at it, you’d expect this upper-class home to be occupied by a wealthy widow and her yippy, teacup-sized dog—instead of by the city’s foremost explosives expert.
I’d been to this same brownstone earlier this year when Fiona and Lulu had gotten some bombs to help us battle two ubervillains who’d kidnapped Johnny and the other members of the Fearless Five. Using Jasper’s bombs, we’d managed to save the others and obliterate most of the Bigtime Observatory in the process. They were still rebuilding the structure. Like the superheroes, Jasper was also very, very good at what he did.
Carmen and I got out of the van and waited for Lulu to grab her cane. A few years ago, Lulu had been used as a hostage during a battle between the Fearless Five and the Terrible Triad. She’d been crippled and confined to a wheelchair as a result. She hadn’t been able to walk at all until Siren had zapped her with a couple thousand bolts of electricity during the battle at the observatory. As a result, Lulu’s body and broken back had managed to regenerate themselves. After countless hours of physical therapy, Lulu was no longer confined to her wheelchair. She wasn’t quite able to walk on her own just yet, but she’d get there someday. I admired her determination. Funny, how things could change in
a heartbeat in Bigtime.
Carmen and I helped Lulu up the steps, and she punched a call box attached to one wall. A security camera swiveled over our heads, zooming in on our faces. Jasper was very particular about his security. He had to be, in his line of work.
“What’s the word?” a low voice asked.
“Is it boom-boom again?” Carmen asked.
“No,” Lulu replied. “It’s not Silent Night either. He’s changed it twice since then.”
The two of them bickered back and forth a minute, trying to come up with the right code. Lulu snapped her fingers.
“I know. The word is lucky charms.”
“Lucky charms?” I asked, not quite getting Jasper’s odd sense of humor.
Lulu shrugged. “It’s something new he said he was working on.”
She repeated the phrase into the call box. The door buzzed open, and we stepped inside.
“Jasper?” Lulu called out when the bomber didn’t appear to greet us.
“In the living room,” a male voice called out from deeper in the house. “Down the hall on your right.”
Lulu looked at Carmen, who shrugged. But I noticed Carmen’s eyes began to glow ever so slightly. The three of us walked through the wide hallway, rounded a corner, and stopped in front of an open door.
Jasper sat on a sofa in the room in front of us. White-plaster casts covered his left leg and arm, and his face was cut, swollen, and bruised beyond belief. He looked like he’d been used as a punching bag by the Ringer—for a full ten rounds.
Jasper peered through his glasses at us, trying to focus through his half-shut black eye.
“Well, it’s about time you guys got here,” he said.
17
‘Jasper, what happened to you?‘ Lulu asked, hobbling over to sit next to the battered man.
Carmen and I settled ourselves on some nearby chairs.
“Not what, who.” Jasper picked up a half-melted bag of ice from the cushion beside him. He took off his glasses and put the ice over his black eye, wincing. “I had a visitor a couple of nights ago.”