Diary of a Teenage Superhero

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Take my word for it. Being in jail is no fun. After being taken into custody by some thickset guards, we were handcuffed and black bags were placed over our heads. Chad tried to protest, but was cuffed about the head for his complaints.

  I remained silent.

  We could have fought our way out of the situation, but that would have simply made things worse. Besides, we had no desire to harm any of The Agency employees. We just wanted to have a few minutes of freedom.

  After our arrest, we were taken to a cell and the bags and handcuffs were removed. The first thing Chad did after we landed in the cell was yell at the retreating backs of the guards.

  “Just go to sleep,” I tell him.

  Probably the worst thing about the cell was that the lights stayed on all night. The second worst thing about it was the beds. I’d thought the dorm beds were the hardest things you could possibly sleep on until we ended up in jail.

  After a lot more grumbling under his breath, he does. For me, sleep does not come so easily. I dream about being in the room with Ravana. His constant questions about The Agency. Then I dream about him burning on the roof of the building as we made our escape. I see him pounding the retaining wall of the building.

  Pounding and pounding and –

  Someone is hitting the bars of our cell. I wake up to see Brodie on the other side. Her hair is uncombed. She looks tired and harassed. Her condition doesn’t improve any upon seeing me awake.

  “Do you know how long I’ve been standing here?” she asks.

  “Ages?” I guess.

  “I’ve been calling your name for the last ten minutes as well as hitting the bars with this cup!”

  I notice she has a metal mug in her hand. “You’re kidding,” I say. “They really give those things to prisoners?”

  “What the hell do you think they drink from? Their hands?” She shakes her head in disbelief. “What on Earth were you thinking? What made you do this?”

  “That was me,” a voice comes from Chad’s bunk. He blearily raises his head and regards both of us through half open eyes. “I insisted that Mr. Goody and I break out together.”

  “I should have expected as much,” Brodie folds her arms. “And can you tell me why?”

  “Because I don’t like to take orders!” Chad says, now fully awake and annoyed. “I refuse to be treated like a prisoner. I’m a citizen of Norway! I shouldn’t even be in the United States.”

  “You’re not a prisoner,” Brodie says, then realizes what she’s just said. “Well, you are now. But you weren’t before.”

  “I was,” he argues. “We all are. They have no right to keep us locked up here twenty-four hours a day while they work us like animals.”

  “Look,” Brodie says. “I’m an Australian. Dan’s from somewhere in China. Obviously The Agency doesn’t adhere to international boundaries.”

  “Or respect them!” Chad snaps.

  “I know the last week has been tough,” she says.

  “Really?” Chad lifts an eyebrow.

  “Okay. It’s been really tough. Still, there’s a mission to carry out and we’ve got to –”

  “Mission?” Chad explodes. “I don’t recall signing up for any damn mission! I want to see the paperwork!”

  A guard appears at Brodie’s side. “It’s time, Miss. These boys have got another visitor.”

  She casts a helpless look at us. “Don’t do anything silly.”

  I glance over at Chad. I don’t think we can promise anything.

  No sooner does Brodie leave than Twelve appears. It’s the first time we’ve seen him since we arrived. He still doesn’t look like an alien, but now he definitely resembles an ogre.

  “I’m very disappointed,” he begins. “You boys signed an agreement and now you’ve broken –”

  “I don’t recall signing any agreements,” Chad interrupts.

  Twelve doesn’t look like he often gets interrupted. “Take my word for it. You signed an agreement and now you’re going to keep to it.”

  “What’re you going to do?” Chad asks. “Force us?”

  “If we have to,” Twelve says quietly. “Typhoid is not the only one able to coerce difficult subjects.”

  I think back to the torture room and Ravana and his instruments. My stomach turns over at the memory. I feel light-headed and dizzy as the rage builds up inside me. Without realizing it, I’m on my feet in a second.

  “You will not threaten us!” I snap.

  Twelve’s eyes widen in surprise as his mouth becomes a thin line. “We don’t want to threaten –”

  “I’m out of here!” Chad interrupts. “I’m not taking orders from some alien weirdo!”

  There’s a buildup of heat in the room. I see a ball of fire in Chad’s hand. It grows red hot. Then white hot. Twelve steps back. To his credit he shows not a shred of fear. Chad swings around and throws the ball of fire at the wall behind us. There’s an enormous explosion. Bricks and mortar fly in all directions. Even I’m showered in it.

  Chad grabs my arm. “Come on.”

  Then we’re running down a corridor before I know what’s happening. This is all occurring so fast. Alarms start blaring. Two guards appear and I knock them over with a blast of air. We spot a couple more in another corridor and Chad blocks their passage with a block of ice.

  We find ourselves in the area known as The Cavern where all the strange aircraft and equipment is stored. Personnel are running in all directions, but they obviously haven’t been informed as to the nature of the threat.

  We rush onto the main concourse. The easiest way out of here would appear to be up and out. I remember Doctor Sokolov telling us not to show our powers to the other personnel, but all bets are off. I point up at the doors designed to allow the aircraft to exit and focus on pushing them apart. A week ago they probably wouldn’t have moved. Even now I am only able to separate them a few feet.

  Through the gap I can see daylight. Grabbing Chad, we fly toward the breach. At the same time I throw a barrier up around us. I do it just in time. Someone starts shooting, but none of the bullets find their target.

  We land on the grass outside the facility. Guards start appearing from the woods. They have us surrounded in seconds. All I need to do is take to the skies and I can have us out of here in seconds.

  Chad grabs my arm. “What’re you waiting for? Let’s move!”

  I shake my head. This has all gone horribly wrong. These people may not be our friends, but neither are they our enemies.

  “No,” I tell him. “This is not right.”

  “What do you mean? We need to –”

  I turn to him. “Typhoid intends to destroy a city with a nuclear weapon. Do you want to allow that to happen?”

  “Well, no. But –”

  “Our place is here,” I tell him firmly.

  Helicopters are approaching on all sides. By now we’re surrounded by about a hundred guys with machine guns. There’s no doubt in my mind we could probably take them out, but I doubt we could do it without hurting people. Not without maybe killing someone. And whose side would we be on then?

  I put my hands up in the air.

  “Come on,” I tell Chad. “It’s time to play ball.”