The Last Superhero (27 page)

“
But, what-”

“She never went by her married
name.” Damn you Mom and your rebellious ways. “He hasn't
done anything. He's no threat. He's not armed or anything!”

“
He
hasn't done anything. He's no threat. He's not armed or anything!”

“
His
powers are enough to consider him armed and dangerous. I'm not going
to keep talking with you. You either get out or the SWAT team will
flush you along with him.”

“
I'm
not leaving him.” I keep whisper-shouting through my panic. “We
can work something out, Ross. Maybe come in and talk to him or
something. I can't let them, you can't let them...”

“
I'm
not the one calling the shots here. I'm sorry.”

“
You
know he's not dangerous.”

“
Either
get out or brace for impact.”

“
Whatever
you do, Ross, don't let them knock him out. For everyone's safety.”
Look Steven's way and he's still doing I don't know what in the
kitchen. “Come in and fucking talk. We can work around this.”

“
You're
not coming out.”

“
No.”

“
Give
me a second.”

He hangs up.

I start trembling.

Dammit. Dammit. Dammit.

This can't be happening.

Not after the awesome
make-up sex and the glimpse into what it could be if we let be what
can be.

Run? Hide? Blow the
motherfucking house up?

“
Everything
okay?” He's gliding towards me so casual, so nonchalant, so
unaware of the storm brewing outside.

“
Steven.
Have you been visiting my mother late at night?”

That stops him in his
tracks. “Yes,” he drawls, the lines on the bridge of his
nose deepening. “How do you know that?”

“
I
hate to break it to you but apparently a nurse caught you and called
the police on you.”

“
WHAT?”
Horror etches on his face. “No...”

“
Yes.
And they're here.”

“
The
police?”

Talk about finding the
message in the bottle.

Steven strides to the window
I was previously at and glances out.

My phone sings again.

“
Giana?”

“
Daphne?!”

“
I'm
here with Agent Ross.” Her voice is breaking. “He's
trying to talk to this colonel guy, calming him down because the
man's super agitated. That's why they want you to come out, to make
sure you aren't in there when they do whatever it is they're going to
do.”

“
I'm
not coming out.”

Steven hears me. “Who
is that?”

Answer him, “Daphne's
outside with the Department of Defense agents.”

Mouth agape, Steven walks
away from the window and slumps on the sofa, taking his hands to his
head.

“
This
is all my fault.”

“
Daphne,
please, put Ross on.”

Shuffling, voices, more
shuffling.

“
They
are letting me come in. Open the door.”

I rush to the door before
Steven can react and see Ross crossing the gate.

Hurry up, man!

Let him through, shut the
door behind him.

Steven's on his feet now,
looking confused.

“
Steven
Salvatore Waldorf.”

The mention of his name in
someone else's tones makes Steven rise to his full height.

“
Yes?”

“
My
name is Kenneth Ross and I work for the Department of Defense.”

“
I
remember you.” Steven's using that silky voice of his. “I
will not resist arrest. All I ask is that you let her go and make
sure they don't hurt her.”

“
I
won't go!” Where the hell did that shriek come from? “I'm
not leaving you, Steven.”

“
You
have no choice,” he says all dignified, looking down the length
of his nose. “How many men outside, Agent Ross?”

“
No!
Steven, please.”

“
Enough
to surround the property.”

“
And
on the street?”

“
Over
thirty men. Television crews are making their way here and there's a
helicopter flying over us.”

“
What
the fuck?!” Am I the only one processing all this?!

“
The
violation of your contract won't go unpunished, Mr. Waldorf. I
believe you knew that when you decided to disregard it.”

“
My
help was required and I acted upon it. First saving Miss Armstrong
from the thief, then during her mother's distress as her sickness
worsened. I am sorry that I succumbed under my human instincts and
let my delusional self pursue a relationship that clearly violated
said contract.”

“
Well,
that gets it out of the way.”

How can they talk like
that?! Miss Armstrong?! Where the fuck did that come from?! Why the
fuck hasn't he snapped and blown some shit up?!

“
I...”
CAN'T FUCKING TALK.

“
Giana.”

Steven's addressing me, but
I can't see him, can't hear him, my eyes, the tears, the trembling,
no.

“
Everything
will be all right, Giana. I promise.”

“
No.
You're not going with them.” Am I inching towards him or is he
the one inching towards me? “I can't.”

“
You'll
be fine. You're innocent.”

His hand is on my face and I
can't... “I can't lose you.”

“
You'll
be fine.” Look me in the eye with those hazel eyes that are
looking oh so green under the light. “No more hiding.”

“
No,
please, no.” Plead. Cry. Beg. What else?

Ross cocks his head towards
the door.

Steven nods.

I can't.

A hand on my arm pulls me
away.

I can't.

Give a jolt and hug Steven
and land kisses on his face before the hand pulls me again and the
door is open and Ross is saying “She's coming out first”
and telling me to raise my hands so they see I'm not resisting.

If this were a movie, we
could be playing our last scene.

I won't cry so he won't
scream.

But the moment I step out
the door, two men in black uniforms get hold of me and drag me like
we're evacuating from a fire and I'm almost at the gate when I see
Ross coming out with Steven.

The
click
of handcuffs behind my back. I'm being arrested too.

There's no time to shout
when a swarm of men in uniform runs towards Steven and I see the one
holding the gun up to his face.

“
NO!”
I cry.

Goes unheard.

As the trigger is pulled and
it takes Ross by surprise that a dart flies through the air and gets
stuck in Steven's neck.

Say hi to all hell breaking
loose.

28

“
NOOOO!
Don't let him go to sleep!” I keep crying, but the dudes
holding me aren't listening.

Jump, try to see as Steven's
legs give under his weight and Ross's shooting me concerned glances
and Steven hits the floor and I keep jumping until I start shouting
at the top of my lungs:

“
RUUUUUUUUUUNNNNNNNNNN!!!
Motherfuckers RUUUUNNNNN!”

Cold. Shivering cold.

SHIT.

“
Stay
awake!” I call at Ross who's trying to figure out what's going
on as the sky darkens, black clouds gathering above us.

Shake the dudes holding me,
too taken aback to react.

“
ROSS!
Stay awake! This is a fantasy!”

He's standing there, looking
down at where Steven's supposed to have fallen but isn't anymore.

Ross's fading from view.

We're not outside the house
anymore but in the middle of a forest.

Everyone's trying to
understand what's going on and finding no answer.

I'm trying to keep someone,
anyone, awake.

A dark figure swooshes near
me.

Thunder strikes.

Look around.

“
Listen
to me,” I tell one of the agents, but he can't hear or see me.
“LISTEN TO ME!”

Screeching. In everyone's
ears.

Will my handcuffs off and
they're gone.

Every man for himself,
falling, doubled over against the noise.

Find Ross.

Drizzle. Rain. It's so dark
in this place.

Can't stand the sound.

Ross's writhing on the
ground, covering his ears with his hands. I shake him, slap him, his
eyes find mine and he's staring.

The screeching stops.

“
This
is a nightmare. A dream. A fantasy. You're awake.”

A force pushes me off him
and I hit a tree.

A suit-clad, mask-wearing
younger Steven's kneeling beside Ross, who looks at him in disbelief,
whispering, “Salvatore Jr.?”

“
Yes?”

Oh fuck. This isn't Steven.
This isn't Steven at all.

Someone comes running from
my right. A man in a military uniform holding a massive machine gun
aimed at Steven shoots round after round that the intended target
deflects with waves of his hands.

Another person comes from
the opposite side dressed in some kind of white ninja outfit and
jumps through the air, sword in hand. Action that Salvatore Jr.
replies to by pointing an open hand at him and he's sent rolling
backwards through the air.

The military guy's only some
feet away from me. Salvatore Jr. turns to him, the machine gun flies
out of the man's hands, and he's lifted off his feet and sent against
a nearby tree and I see the blood gush out the back of his head.

Touch my own head and see I
was lucky my fate wasn't the same.

Daphne.

Goddammit Daphne's supposed
to be around here!

But where? How far do the
nightmares reach?

A man is screaming and I
turn to realize Salvatore Jr. has put his hands on Ross's head and
the man is thrashing under him.

Do something.

Run, jump, land a kick on
Salvatore Jr.'s jaw that burns and sends him off balance.

Rummage around the floor,
grasp a large branch and try and hit him, but he's quick to swoop me
off.

A roar comes out of nowhere
and a giant wolf is leaping over my head and biting on Steven's arm.

The ninja's back up,
wielding his sword.

The wolf is sent skidding on
its hind legs over the bed of wet leaves underneath.

A glinting sword cuts the
night air and both man and weapon are left suspended as Salvatore Jr.
raises a hand to stop him.