Brute Justice (Justice Series) (20 page)

Chapter Forty

Clint pulled up to a giant, black wrought-iron fence. It had an electronic lock and an intercom podium stationed to the left side of the driveway.

Holy crap. I thought this stuff was only in the movies.

A crackly, static sound came over the speaker. “Conner residence. State your name and business, please.”

“Hi. Uh… I’m Clint McKay and I’m here to see Trey Connor.”

“Is he expecting you?”

“Yes.”

“Just one moment.”

Clint sat there about forty-five seconds, which felt more like three hours, wondering what was going to happen next. From what he could see of the property, the vast difference between Trey’s life and his didn’t escape his notice.

And I thought Jade’s house was nice. Even Sam and Lexi’s, but what a huge change to see a mansion like this. How random, that we’re all connected just by being at the same place at the same time seventeen years ago…

The scratchy radio broke the silence again as Clint heard the lock on the gate open. The sounds of hydraulic gears filled the air as the voice in the speaker said: “Proceed through the gate to the porte-cochere.”

The
porta
what?

He eased the cycle into the massive circular, cobblestone driveway. A light turned on over the giant entrance doorway and he saw Trey step out onto the porch. He cut the engine and leaned the Harley onto its kickstand.

“You’re not going to strangle me again, this time, are you?” Trey’s half-grin looked much more relaxed than he seemed earlier in the afternoon.

“Nah, man. Sorry about that. You just gotta try and understand… You were spying on my friends, and I didn’t know why.”

“Yeah, I get it. I do…” He paused. “It’s nice you’ve got kids like you that you can hang with. I never had anyone I could trust with any of this.”

“Well, now you do,” Clint said.

“So you’re here to do, well, exactly what?”

Clint looked around them, above to the awning overhead. There were security cameras installed already, which is exactly what he had expected. Of course a house like this would be properly protected. The difficulty now would be determining if there were any rogue electronics hidden along with the original ones.

He looked back up at Trey. “The surveillance,” he said, nodding towards the camera just six feet away. “Does it have audio?”

“No, just the video.”

“Okay, good. I’m just trying to figure out if Crain has any kind of tracking device or other surveillance attached to you or your family. We need to know if he knows about you.”

“Why do you think he’d be tracking me?”

“He’s been tracking all of us for quite some time now. It’s what tipped us off that he may not be such a nice guy.”

“Do you think my family’s in danger?”

“I don’t know yet,” Clint answered honestly, then finally registered the worried look in Trey’s expression. “Don’t jump to conclusions yet. Hopefully he hasn’t tracked you down yet, so you’re safe. Can you show me where your car is? I want to start there.”

“Sure, follow me.”

They walked in silence for a while, as they made their way to the five-car garage, a building separate from the main mansion. Trey took them through a side door and pointed to a shiny, red Hummer. “That one’s mine over there.”

Clint raised an eyebrow. “You’ve been following us in that? How did I not notice that thing?”

Trey laughed. “No, I’ve been taking the pickup our gardener uses to move things. It’s much less showy.”

“Good move,” Clint said. “Well, I’ll want to check both vehicles, then.”

“Can you check all of them? Just in case? I mean… I just don’t want to think he’s following my mother or anything.”

“Sure, man. No problem. You got a flashlight I can borrow?”

Trey handed him a
Maglite
. “So, can I ask about your powers?”

“Sure,” Clint answered as he slid himself under the front of the Hummer. “I guess we didn’t give you much of a chance to ask anything of us. Though it sounds like you know pretty much everything anyway. How much have you seen?”

“Bits and pieces. I’ve obviously seen Lexi’s invisibility in action. Or not seen it, if that makes any sense. Most everything else I’ve just read in your journal entries. So, uh… your super strength?”

Clint poked his head out from underneath the vehicle, grinning. “You wanna see?”

“Yeah!”

“Are there cameras inside the garage?”

“Oh, right. Yes, in the corner behind me.”

“Anyone manning the surveillance?”

“Of course. We’ve got a 24-hour security staff.”

Clint’s head jerked out further, his eyebrows knit together. “How are you going to explain me – this – to them, then?”

Trey shuffled his feet back and forth. “I hadn’t really thought about it. I’ve never had to worry about covering for anyone else but myself before.”

“This one’s clean,” Clint said as he pulled himself upright. “How long have you been covering? I mean, how long have you known about your powers?”

“A little over a year.”

“And you haven’t told anyone?”

“Nope.”

“Why not? How come you haven’t told your folks?”

Trey shrugged. “Well, it’s kind of complicated.”

“Look, we know your dad’s the Governor.”

His eyes shot upward. “How’d you know that?”

“It doesn’t take Sam and Leesha too long to find anything, once they start researching. They’re both really smart, and quick on the computer.”

“Oh. Wow, are they pissed at me for not telling them right away?”

“No, not pissed. But they’re a little worried about how big of a story this could be if it gets out, you being the son of a governmental official and all.”

“Yeah, I get that.”

“Did you keep it quiet for your dad? For political reasons?”

“Well, not exactly. I mean, there’s that. But it had more to do with my little sister.”

“Downs, right?”

Surprised snapped back onto Trey’s face, then it faded as he understood. “They really are good, aren’t they?”

“The best. But you can trust them. All of us – we’re in this together. Tell me about your sister.”

His face softened. “She’s really sweet. Her name is
Macie
and she’s four years old.” He pulled his wallet out of his back pocket. “Here, here’s a picture of her.”

Clint looked down. “She’s cute. She doesn’t look much like you…”

“No, other than we have the same red hair. Her face pretty much looks like a typical
Downs
kid.”

“I don’t know much about it… The disease,” Clint stammered, embarrassed.

“It’s not a disease; it’s a syndrome. Basically she was born with one extra chromosome, which makes her mentally slower than normal humans. Well, there’s a more scientific explanation-”

“Yeah,” Clint grinned. “Just give me the dummy version. I’m a little slow too, when it comes to science and chromosomes, or whatever you called it.”

“Ha, right. Okay. Well, anyway, Mom blames herself because she had
Macie
so late in life. It happens more for older mothers, for some reason. She and Dad weren’t trying to get pregnant – it was totally a surprise. Dad was in the early stages of his state campaign when they found out. I think it was two weeks before he started talking to Mom again, he was so mad.”

“Why?”

“He was worried about it ruining his chances for the office. Then they had her, right before the primary election, and found out about the
Downs
diagnosis. He went ballistic again. In the end, he said it was the pity votes that pushed him over the edge and won the election for him.”

Clint looked at him sideways, not really sure what to say.

“Yeah, I know that sounds bad. He’s not all that horrible. He’s just very driven, and he has a funny way of coping with things beyond his control.”

“Oh. So that’s why you haven’t told them?”

“No, not exactly. It’s just… Well, Mom’s had a hard time dealing with her guilt over
Macie
, and trying to find the best care for her. I don’t have the heart to tell her I’m not normal, too. It’d kill her.”

“It’s not the same, Trey. You have to know that.”

“I know, but neither one of them needs one more thing to worry about.” He paused, thinking. “Do your parents know?”

“Parent. It’s just me and Dad. And yes, he knows.”

“How’d he take it?”

“Not well, at first. And he’s still freaked, worrying about me all the time. But he’s coming around. Plus, the Dixons have been incredible – they helped me tell him.”

“So, they didn’t have any problem with it?”

Clint’s laugh came from his belly. “Problem? Well, they pretty much wigged at first. Mrs. Dixon’s wound pretty tight. She cried, she screamed…”

“You were there?”

“When they found out? Yeah, Leesh and I had to go in and disarm some thugs Crain sent in to retrieve his files.”

“Are you kidding me? That wasn’t in the notes!”

“It wouldn’t be – we really only log anything to do with our powers, and how they manifest. Yeah, we’ve got to fill you in on a lot that has happened since we all got together. Time, brother. We’ve got time…”

“Right. So, back to your strength?”

“Where can we go so people can’t see?”

“Um…” he said, looking around the garage. “There’s a blind side in the front corner of the house. Follow me.”

“You got a spare socket wrench I can borrow?” Clint asked, looking at the peg board along the back of the garage.

“What’s a socket wrench?”

“Are you kidding me?!” He pulled one off the wall, thrust it forward. “Will anyone miss this?”

“Nah, I can’t imagine they would.”

Once around the front of the house, Clint held the long silver tool in both hands and pulled. It quickly stretched and thinned, just like he was pulling freshly made taffy.

“Cool! You made that look easy!” Trey grinned.

“Look what I figured out tonight… Here, hold this so you can see it happen.” He handed the flash light to Trey. He took one of the needle-sharp metal ends of the stretched wrench and ran it along the back of his forearm, making a three-inch long gash which bubbled up with blood.

“Ouch, man! What the…”

“Just watch.”

Trey leaned in closer with the light and watched the red line shorten in length as it sealed itself together from both ends, leaving no trace of the injury that was there seconds before.

“Leesha thinks my muscles are not only growing and strengthening at an incredible rate, but it is also manifesting into some sort of super regenerative ability. Cool, right?”

“Way cool!”

Clint was just about to tell him more when a bright beam of light illuminated where they stood. He hid the wrench pieces behind his back and squeezed it into a ball, which he stuffed in his back pocket.

“Everything okay out here, Mr. Connor?” a gruff voice barked from behind the light.

“Yes, it’s fine Lou,” Trey said calmly. “I was just showing my friend the grounds, that’s all.”

The man approached them. He was wearing dark jeans, a button up shirt and a navy blazer. The only indication he was working security detail was the clear coil which led from his collar to the earpiece in his left ear. Clint instantly recognized a look of disbelief in his eyes.

“Clint McKay?”

“Yes.”

“I’m going to need your ID.”

“Uh, okay.” He pulled it out of his wallet and watched the guard walk away with it.

They stood there in silence, watching the darkness where he had just retreated. Trey spoke first.

“Dude. I am so sorry.”

“What was that all about? Is he Secret Service?”

“No,” Trey chuckled. “Though they’d like to think they are. It’s similar, only on the state level.”

Clint thought about everything he had heard or read about the Presidential Secret Service. “Do they follow you everywhere?”

“Yeah, when we go out. But I don’t go out very often. I’ve been pretty sheltered for many years now.”

“Leesha mentioned you are home schooled. Is that why he didn’t believe I was your friend?”

“You can read minds, too?” Trey looked shocked.

“No, that’s just Sam. I could just see it in his eyes, that’s all.”

Even in the dark, the color rushing to Trey’s face was clear. “Yeah. Well, I don’t have many friends.”

Clint grinned. “Well, it’s a good thing you crashed our party, then.”

Trey smiled back.

“Hey, is that guy going to come back with my driver’s license?”

“Yeah, come on, let’s go get it. I can introduce you to Mom while he’s finishing his background search on you.”

“A background search? On me?”