I Am Phantom (4 page)

“I
assumed that since you’re still working on it. What is it?”

“Yes,
enlighten us,” Melanie said, stepping beside me and focusing on them like a
bloodhound who had found a criminal’s scent. “I don’t remember you two
submitting a report on what you were going to be doing. I see you started it
before the semester began.”

“It’s
my idea,” Matt said. “A practical application for my thesis.”

“And
what is your thesis?”

Matt
snatched another tool off the table. “Atmospheric water condenser based on
deriving molecular particles from areas of low relative humidity.”

What
the what now?

 
“You want to create water from thin air?”
Melanie said in disbelief. “Guys, you have to have something to show for at the
end of the year or you’ll be kicked out of the program. The guidelines clearly
state the project must have practical, pioneering attributes to the scientific
community. This is ambitious, granted, but not plausible. If you can’t think of
anything, I can find a professor to pair you up with—”

“This
is pioneering!” Cody said indignantly. “We’re just not entirely sure if it
works yet. Matt started it and I’m helping him.”

“Not
much, I might add,” Matt grumbled. Cody glared at him but Matt didn’t notice.
“The water particle generator will be ready by the end of the year,” Matt said.
“We just need some more parts and time.” He bent something and tightened
something else. “Think of the applications! No more fire trucks and fire
hydrants, water in areas where no water previously existed, humanitarian
efforts around the world—the list is endless.”

Melanie
sighed in defeat and turned to Cody. “I brought my notebook with some things I
was tinkering with if you need ideas. I’d be willing to let you work on it if
you add my name to the final report.” She pulled out a notebook and flipped it
open a few pages. Cody hovered near her.

“You’d
let me do that?”

“This
isn’t anything major, but still, don’t tell anyone. It’s just to get your ideas
flowing.”

Cody
stopped at one page and pointed. “Why didn’t you do this? It looks really
good.”

Melanie
quickly flipped to the next page. She blushed slightly. “It’s nothing, but
thanks.”

Cody
flipped another page. “What about this?”

“That’s—”

“No,
hold on.” He stopped her from turning the page again. “It’s on the right track,
just needs a little work.”

“I
want it to support a thousand pounds and be pocket sized.”

“On
a wire that thin?”

“For
developmental and construction purposes. It has to be really durable too.
Abrasion resistant. No material I’ve used has held up yet.” Cody lightly pulled
the notebook from her and pored over it.

“It
wouldn’t be so much the material as the weaving. That’d be in the production
phase.”

“You
could do it?”

“Definitely.”

Matt
suddenly got up from stooping over the machine. “I’m going to turn it on.”

He
stepped back as did Cody and Melanie, both looking very unsure.

Matt
pressed a button. At first nothing happened and then the thing shuddered,
sparked and fell over. Matt frowned. “More time. I need more time.”

Chapter
Four

Queensbury

After
we grabbed some dinner, Cody, Matt and I walked the short distance to the gym,
five or six blocks from the outskirts of campus.

I
don’t know what I was expecting when I went into the city. Seeing tons of
police on my first visit hadn’t made the best first impression. Matt was
obviously nervous since his head was on a constant swivel as we finally found
the gym stuffed between a couple shops on Park St.

It
smelled bad. A large mat had been laid out in the back between hanging punching
bags, and some other people dressed in workout clothes stood around the edges
talking. The sound of clattering weights came from the workout equipment to our
right.

A
man with a buzz cut and tattoos up and down his arm approached us from behind
the front desk. “You guys look new. You here for the karate class?”

Cody
thumbed at me. “He is. We’re just here to pump some iron.”

The
man suddenly looked worried as he assessed both of them, like he couldn’t
believe they had even managed to open the door to get inside.

“That’s
all good. Welcome, then. I’m Darian, the assistant manager and head karate
instructor.” He produced three forms and some pens. “You guys get a free month
trial period since you’re students. You ever done karate before?” Darian asked,
as I started filling out the form.

“I’ve
taken Kung-Fu,” I said. “Does that count?”

“Absolutely.
Kung-Fu’s a little less common than, say, Shotokan or American Tai Kwan Do.
This class doesn’t focus on one type. Most people are just here for the
sparring.”

Perfect.

We
finished the forms and handed them back.

“We’ll
hit the weights,” Cody said, dragging Matt over to the bench press.

“Take
it easy to start there, champs,” Darian yelled after them. “Come on, Drake,
we’re getting started.”

All
of the guys were older than me. Most had tattoos like Darian. I was surprised
to see a girl my age. She was laughing at something one of the other guys had
said, making her black hair bob up and down. She was toned, for a girl, I mean,
and her eyes were both kind and courageous. She had to be if she was here among
all these men.

“Hey
hey! Fresh meat, Darian?” One of the guys yelled when I came over.

Everybody,
including the girl, looked at me. I felt like I was being sized up. The girl’s
gaze lingered then she returned to talking.

“Let’s
get started,” Darian said. “This week is Brazilian jiu jitsu first before
sparring.” He split us into groups and walked between each, correcting them and
showing a better technique. He made his rounds over to me. He stood there for a
minute, watching me go through the moves.

You’re
pretty good,” he noted. “Actually,” he dropped into his own pose of the one I
was doing, “that’s perfect. You pick up quick. Hey! Newbie here’s outdoing you
all. Let’s pick it up!” The others grumbled and the girl shot me a nasty look.

After
an hour spent punching defenseless bags, and learning jiu jitsu holds, grips
and throws, Darian clapped his hands.

“That’s
enough. Thomas, what’s wrong with your neck?”

Thomas
gestured towards me. “Newbie squirt pinned me when we were practicing triangle
holds.”

Darian
burst out laughing. “We’ll all get to spar him eventually, then. Get your gear
and be back in five. Drake,” he pulled me over as everyone went to their duffel
bags lying on the side of the ring. “you can borrow my gear until you get your
own.”

“We’re
just sparring, right?”

Darian
nodded. “Yep. Casual sparring. But we always wear gear. Some of the guys get a
little intense but it’s all for fun. Any style allowed. Just get a good hit in
and don’t hurt anyone.”

His
knee, hand and elbow pads were a little too loose and smelled funky, but I put
them on and stood awkwardly outside the mat. I caught Cody giving me a ‘what
the heck are you doing’ look while Matt struggled to lift the bench press bar
behind him. A couple of the other gym patrons had stopped their workouts to
come watch.

Darian
started breaking us up in to pairs. He paused when he came to me.

“Drake,
you and Liz are both pretty new, so you can spar each other. Use that corner
over there.”

The
girl with the black hair and the courageous eyes, Liz, met me there. “Liz,
huh?” I said. She finished tightening the strap of her glove. “Elizabeth. You a
freshman at Queensbury?”

“Yeah.
You?”

The
glove finally on, she pounded it into her other fist a few times. “Yep.” I took
a place in front of her.

“Elizabeth
what?”

She
smirked and bowed. “Beat me and I’ll tell you.”

We
began.

I
went with Kung Fu, which was obviously most familiar. I crouched low, my legs
spread wide and my arms strong and poised like a cobra waiting to strike. Some
of the spectators whistled and laughed. Liz cocked an eyebrow but said nothing.
She planted her foot back. One of her big toes was missing.
      

She
had backed away, fists up in a style almost mirroring boxing. She jabbed. It
was focused and unwavering, but nowhere near my speed. I swatted it away. As I
did I felt the urge to perform a jiu jitsu hold I had just learned. The
transition seemed easy, like I was meant to use them together. Just like kung
fu, I had instantly mastered another fighting technique and started integrating
it into my own style.

 
Liz punched a few more times, each aiming
for a different part on my body. Testing me. I let her. I could have won in a
snap, but I enjoyed fighting, enjoyed fighting her. It was the experience more
than the victory that was worth it.

We
circled each other. Liz had dropped her pose and instead seemed to be searching
my defense for a weak spot, like a tiger pacing her cage, looking for an opening.

“Wrap
it up, people,” Darian called. “Come on.”

Liz
jumped at me then. I sensed, rather than saw, her muscles tense the moment
before she moved. I planted my body and shifted back.

Like
she had telegraphed, her punch came at my chest. I sidestepped. The urge to
follow through with the move came again and I didn’t suppress it this time. I
gripped her arm, thrust my body as leverage under hers and, using her own
momentum, tossed her like a sack of rice.

Liz
thudded to the ground. A sympathetic ‘Ooooooo’ went through the bystanders. Liz
pounded the mat and looked up at me.

“I
see you have no problems with hitting a girl.”

“None
whatsoever.” I helped her up. “Your name, please.” Liz brushed herself off.
“Elizabeth Coltrac. And you?”

“Drake
Sinclair.”

“Fine,
Drake. I won’t take it easy on you next time.”

“I
can’t wait.”

“Same
time next week,” Darian told me once the class was over. “You pick those moves
up naturally.”

“Thanks
again.” I shook his hand and joined Cody and Matt on the sidewalk. I had tried
to find Liz afterwards but she must have left already. I felt only a little
disappointment. Really.

“You
looked like you were having fun,” Cody said as we started walking back towards
campus.
  

“It
was fun,” I agreed. “More than I thought it would be.”

“The
fighting or the girl?” I shot him a dirty look as an answer. Cody held up his
hands in mock surrender.

“Just
asking. So you’ll go back?”

“Yes.
For both,” I added.

“No,”
Matt said. I noticed him massaging his chest. “Never again.” Cody rolled his
eyes.

“I
only dropped the bar on you once, Matt. I’m sorry.”

We
turned the corner. It had grown dark while we were inside. The buildings around
us hampered the last of the sunlight, making it seem darker than it should
have.

“We’re
lost,” Matt said. I looked up from the sidewalk. Nothing around us looked
familiar.

“Backtrack,”
I said. “We only took a couple turns on our way here.”

“Four
turns, Drake buddy,” Cody said.

“Three,”
Matt said. We headed back towards the last road. As I looked around, my mind
played through free-running routes and courses I could create out of the
infrastructure. Fire escapes were jungle gyms; rooftops were high wires, light
posts were gymnastics bars. The danger of it all never crossed my mind as my
imaginary self deftly leapt and flipped ahead of us.

“Drake.
Earth to Drake. I asked you a question,” Cody said.

“Sorry,
what?”

“He
wanted to know your thoughts on the level of chemistry between him and
Melan—”

“Stop!”
Cody said, his face growing red. He shuffled his feet a bit. “Geez, Matt. But…
yeah, I—I was kind of wondering, you know…you have any idea…if Melanie
may like me?”

I
snorted but put up my hands before Cody could get the wrong idea. “No, it’s not
you. You’re asking the wrong person, Cody. Have I noticed anything? I have no
idea what I’m looking for.”

In
truth, I had noticed them spending a lot of time together, even when not in the
Lab, and especially considering the year had just started. And Melanie seemed
to laugh more when Cody was around. Was that a sign? It was possible something
was there. Or maybe I was reading it all wrong. Also possible.

“I
just thought…I don’t know,” Cody said. What do you think, Matt?”

“Me?
You want my opinion?” He looked totally put off, like we had just asked him to
jump through a flaming hoop on a snowmobile. I’m still learning metaphors.

“You’re
a guy,” Cody said. “And you’re our friend. What do you think?”

Matt
shrugged his slender shoulders. His hand started massaging his bruised chest
again.

“I
think she likes you.”

Cody’s
eyebrows rose. “Yeah?”

“She
puts up with you. Nobody would put up with you unless they liked you.”

I
laughed. Then I stopped. Somebody had screamed. Cody and Matt both looked just
behind us.

“You
heard it too?” I said.

“Yeah,”
Cody said. “Was that someone—?”

Another
scream, followed by breaking glass.

“Come
on,” I said. I hoofed it back one road and took a turn down a narrow street. We
definitely hadn’t come this way, but whatever was going on hadn’t sounded good.

Cody
and Matt huffed behind me. “Drake, I think we should—whew—call
the—police.” This time the person sounded in agony.

“You
do that, I’m going to go see what it is.” The road came to a T. There was
nothing to my right, but to my left…

“Back
up!” I hissed.

Cody
nearly dropped his phone as I pushed them back. “Hello? Yeah, we
have—what do we have, Drake?”

Four
men in hoodies stood in the middle of the street, all circled around a broken
form. A sobbing woman huddled against a car just behind them. One of the men
kicked the guy on the ground.

“Stop
it!” The woman sobbed.

“Give
us the keys, man,” one of the hoodies said, ignoring her. Give us the keys and
we’ll stop hurting you. You want us to hurt your girlfriend too?”

“Come
on, man,” another said. “Maybe he don’t have them. I don’t want to kill
anybody, get it?”

“Shut
up,” the broadest of the four said. He bent down and rolled the man over so
that he faced us. His face was a bloody mass. His fingers were broken. “Listen,
pal. There ain’t anybody here to help. All we want is your car. Give me the
keys or we may have to strip search your girlfriend to find them. You want us
to do that?”

“Car
jacking,” I said. “And one guy in really bad shape.” Cody relayed the
information and a minute later hung up.

“They’re
on their way,” he said.

“They
won’t be in time,” I said. “You guys stay out of sight.”

“We
can—Drake!” They couldn’t do anything, but I could. I wouldn’t stand by
and watch this man bleed out on the pavement.

I
approached the men from behind, trying to be as non-threatening as possible.

“Hey!”
I said, holding up my hands. They turned. The broad one stood up. I tried to
read their posture. A couple looked ready to fight, tire irons clenched in
their fists. The other two just looked annoyed. The broad one gestured with his
iron.

“Get
the hell outta here, man. You don’t want any of this.”

“I
don’t want trouble. Just stop hurting him.”

“You
have a car we can borrow instead?”

These
guys must have really been in need of some transportation. “I don’t, but I know
it’s not worth killing someone over.”

“Man,
you don’t know jack.”