SECRET IDENTITY Page 6

  Like before, she felt she was being approached by a strong magnetic field. Her entire body pulsed the closer he got, drawn like a tiny planet to a sun. The nearer he got, the more he appeared to glow. Not dark, not black like his garments, but brighter and denser than anything she had ever encountered. He literally dazzled.

  Good heavens, I need shades!

  The man stopped about a yard away from her. Near enough to where she could barely touch him with her fingertips if she reached out. He looked a good foot taller than her, making her guess he was around six foot six. His black hair was thick and nearly shoulder-length. But his eyes…his eyes were as black as his suit, as his mask and his hair. But weren’t his eyes blue?

  “Are you okay?” he asked her.

  His voice rattled her bones. There was genuine concern in his tone, just like there was honest caring in those ebony eyes.

  “I’m f-fine,” she finally breathed. “Look, I’m Brenda McKay. I work for Dobbling Enterprises. Would you mind answering a couple of questions, please?”

  One corner of the man’s mouth lifted. “I know who you are, Miss McKay. It’s not safe here. Please go back to your vehicle, or at least remain on the other side of the police tape. I need to find those victims who weren’t able to escape.” He glanced quickly over his shoulder, adding, “The coroner’s office is sending several ambulances to retrieve them.”

  Ah. That explained the sound of multiple car doors slamming.

  “Ju-just tell me who you are,” she hurried to ask. “What do you want me, I mean us, to call you?”

  “The Defender,” the stranger replied.

  A moment later, he was gone, boosting up and over her head, toward the parking lot where the police and ambulances were waiting.

  Brenda watched in awe as the stranger—The Defender—spoke with several uniformed men before turning to head back to the factory to begin looking for victims.

  What had started out as an order to discover the cause of the factory explosion had become a lot, lot more. Brenda could only thank her lucky stars she had been here when it had all come down.

  There was a new superhero in town, and his name was The Defender.

  He was here today to help retrieve the bodies. That explained why the police had called him in. Still, she knew she had to remain close by in the event something showed up that might help explain the cause of the accident. Brenda knew she had neither the training nor the experience to try and figure out the cause by herself. Neither did she have the protective HAZMAT suit to enable her to walk amid the chemical-laced area where the initial explosion had taken place.

  But she did have the credentials, and she had the backing of the company.

  One phone call from Wil would give her that access. Or at the least it would enable her to tag along during the investigation.

  The thought of being able to remain within The Defender’s vicinity was enough to get her female hormones percolating again.

  Pulling her cell out of her pants pocket, she quickly called her boss.

  “Wagner.”

  “Wil? Brenda.”

  “Whatta ya got?” he immediately asked.

  No hello. No how are you doing. Straight and to the point. It was one of the reasons why she got along so well with the man.

  “He’s called The Defender.”

  She heard her boss softly repeat the name.

  “Has he found anything yet?”

  “Right now he’s looking for the bodies of the victims,” she informed him. “I’m guessing he won’t begin any intensive search for the cause until tomorrow, at the earliest.”

  She was answered with silence. Brenda could imagine the man nodding into his receiver. It was a bad habit he had when he was on the phone.

  “I need you to clear the way for me,” she continued.

  “Clear the way how?”

  “I need you to have the authorities grant me access during the search.”

  “You already have clearance,” the man said.

  “Which means squat at the moment,” she argued. “This place is laced with God knows what kinds of chemicals and toxins. When they go in, they’re going to have to wear HAZMAT suits. Right now I’m no better than the average civilian. I need you to get them to let me accompany them while they investigate. I promise to stay clear and not touch anything.”

  Again, silence. “All right. I agree with you,” Wagner said. “I’ll get with the police department right after I hang up with you.”

  “Thanks, Wil.”

  “Anything else you need?”

  Other than a few hours alone with The Defender?

  “No. Not at the moment, but I’ll let you know if something pops up,” she promised. Saying goodbye, she shoved the cell back into her pocket, looking up in time to see a dark shadow moving inside another area where the wall was partially missing. She started to step over a shattered file cabinet for a better look, and nearly walked into a black-clad wall of muscle that suddenly appeared in front of her as if by magic.

  “You shouldn’t have gone past the tape, Miss McKay.”

  It took her four full seconds to recover. It took her another couple of seconds to realize The Defender had grabbed her elbow, turned her around, and was helping her back to toward the parking lot.

  “Is it true the police called you back in to help them try to find the cause of the explosion?” Thank God for instincts. Otherwise, her body was too wound up from the feel of his iron fingers clutching her arm. Or the sizzling streams of fire racing through her bloodstream.

  “Please, Defender. A moment of your time.”

  “I need that moment to do my job, Miss McKay.”

  Funny, but he didn’t sound as peeved as his words implied. But this chance was going to be over before it had begun if she didn’t do something quick.

  “How did the police get in touch with you? Are you on someone’s Rolodex? Do you have a phone number where I could call you and set up an interview? I have a few questions I need to ask.”

  The man lifted the yellow tape and shoved her under it until she was on the other side before he released her. There was no doubt in her mind when he pivoted on his heel that he was going to vanish again, and she would never get the opportunity to see him again.

  “Please, Defender! Stop! I need you!” The words gushed from her before she realized what she’d said. Her mind was drawing a blank; her hands were cold and numb. The only thing she could think of was having him take her back. Or, for that matter, anywhere.

  I need you!

  Ohhhh, shit. Did she really say that? Did she really sound that desperate? With her mouth hanging open, she could feel her face turning a nice first-degree-burn red. To top it off, there was a definite glint of humor in Defender’s onyx eyes as he stared at her.

  “I-I-I meant…I meant I need you to, uhh, to let me ask you some questions. About the explosion. About the cause of the explosion. As a representative of Dobbling. Please?”

  Defender smiled at her. “I will release a statement to the police once I’ve finished investigating the cause of this explosion, Miss McKay, but I will be honest with you. I’m very tempted to grant your request.”

  He started to walk back the way they’d come, when he paused and looked back at her once more. God help her, her body ached to see him standing there with his firmly-toned thighs and abs.

  “Miss McKay, may I ask you a question?”

  “Uh-huh. Yes. Anything!” She was slowly becoming a mindless groupie for this man, and she didn’t give a shit who knew. She’d sell her soul for a half-hour alone in his company.

  “What would you say if I told you I needed you?”

  She drew a complete and total mind blank as he lifted off the ground and flew back to the factory.

  Chapter 9

  Thoughts

  If it had been any other circumstance, if it had been nighttime, and just he and her alone, Lorne knew he would have made a move on her. He also knew without any doubt that Brenda would have
accepted his advances. Hell, she may even have initiated the whole thing on her own.

  His dick was bulging in his pants, he was so hard. At least he could be thankful his leather pants were tight enough to somewhat hide it. Still, it made walking somewhat awkward, which was why he had to lift himself over the debris field and over to the main part of the factory where the epicenter of the explosion was located.

  Unfortunately, part of his brain refused to let go of Brenda, standing behind that police tape with that wide-eyed plea on her face.

  “I need you!”

  Lorne grunted. He’d almost lost it, and that would have been disastrous if he’d let his grip on his powers slip. Of course, he would have continued to wear his Defender uniform, but the rest of him would have changed, such as his facial features and eye color. Brenda would have noticed the difference immediately. Hell, she might have recognized him, too, with those sharp eyes of hers.

  Behind him, he could detect the crime scene investigators coming in to help. Lee had been sidetracked to another mission when they had arrived at the police station. Although Lorne knew he’d miss having Lee watch his back, Luke was still around to assist where he could.

  That was another thing they had to be cautious about, letting others know they were related. Lee had arrived at the police station ahead of Lorne. The captain had introduced them, and the two brothers had shaken hands like strangers. It wasn’t until after Lee had left that Luke had told him where their little brother was going.

  Lorne wasted no time. He let the police commissioner know he would be happy to help with the search for the cause of the explosion once all the victims’ remains were removed. But he had also made it clear that if he gave an order, everyone had to obey it. “Question me later,” he’d firmly told them. “But if I say ‘move’, everyone better haul ass for the nearest exit.”

  Okay, Lorne. Now’s your chance to put your powers to the test.

  And to see if your big brother was right about cotransference, Luke’s voice buzzed in his head.

  It was a theory Luke had proposed not too long ago. Lee’s powers were more of the mobility type, the way he could change the form of his body from three dimensional to two, which gave him almost limitless access to anywhere. So far, no kind of sensors or security alarms were beyond his capabilities. Hence, he was indispensable to all government agencies worldwide. Despite his powers, Luke could keep in touch with him, no matter where he was.

  On the other hand, Lorne seemed to have a different kind of connection with his older sibling. Yes, they were able to keep in mental contact. And at times Luke could open up a three-way between the brothers. But Lorne had found he could almost transfer psychic-type vibes to Luke, who would “read” them.

  They intended to put their theory to the test, using the factory as their proving ground.

  Boy, I can feel how hyped up you are, Luke commented.

  Lorne couldn’t stop the smile from reaching his lips. Thank heavens the man could not read his mind, or else Luke would have known why Lorne was pumped. The eldest could read anybody if he had some sort of direct contact with them—through the phone was the most common source. Yet he couldn’t read his brothers. They assumed it was because they all held the Palmer gene, which designated what powers they would have once they reached a certain age.

  Knowing his secret was safe from Luke, Lorne felt free to let part of himself continue thinking about Brenda.

  There were three bodies left to recover, which Lorne quickly handed over to the coroner’s office. If there was anything to be thankful for, it was the fact that the factory had yet to hire its full, expected compliment of workers. Same for the lab area, where the brunt of the accident took place. That, plus it had been a Saturday. Dobbling had deliberately picked a weekend for its ceremony, so that after the ribbon cutting the media could be taken on a tour inside without getting in the way or interrupting any of the work going on.

  Lorne entered the back labs, which no longer resembled any kind of research facility. What was left of the area was filled with blackened and charred refuse. The walls still stood, but the ceiling was totally gone. Carefully, he stepped over, through, and around the debris, keeping his eyes and himself open for anything that looked out of place, or which beckoned further examination.

  Yo, bro. What am I looking for again?

  We know we can rule out accident, Luke stated. But until we can prove it, the cops can’t just take our word for it. So we either need to find evidence of that, or evidence of foul play.

  Like an explosive device? Or the remains of one?

  If you’re thinking bomb, Lo, that may not be the case. It could be something as simple as programming a computer to perform a certain function at a certain time.

  I’m walking blind here, Luke.

  I’m right here with you, Lo. Just turn on your protective senses, and let me see if I can detect anything.

  He held out his hands, seeing if he sensed anything. The whole place felt empty, like the aftermath of a major storm. The energy which had been released was totally spent. This place was calm.

  Lorne’s eyes went to his right hand. He had grabbed Brenda’s arm with his right. He had held her hand at the funeral with his right. Both times he had fought the urge to pull her into his arms and keep her there, letting her snuggle against him.

  Pushing his powers of protection a notch higher, he continued to sweep the rooms, methodically moving through them like a human vacuum cleaner, making certain he scoped out every square inch, including what remained of the walls and random portions of the ceiling.

  The further he moved away from the labs and into the main factory, the more destruction he saw evident. Here, very little remained that was bigger than a breadbox. Again, the room felt cold to him. As void as space.

  Luke, I’m getting a distinct vibe that the explosion may not have been centralized in the labs like we first thought.

  Ditto.

  Two of the victims I recovered came from this area.

  Already there, bro. Running background checks on them now.

  The factory had been staffed by a skeleton crew. Fifteen people, max. The men he had recovered were identified by their colleagues, which meant they were supposed to have been there. So unless one of them was working as a mole, investigating that possibility would be fruitless.

  A glance to his left revealed a smaller room. It either had to be an office or a storeroom of some kind. Maybe a janitor’s closet.

  Luke, I have an alcove to my left. Leave it? Or catch it on the way back?

  Might as well clear it while you’re there.

  A vision of the floor plans remained in his mind’s eye, courtesy of his big brother. Nothing like a perfect memory to go with the guy’s other mental skills. Lorne could see the extra room on the blueprint, but there was no title or explanation for it.

  He started to walk through the narrow opening, when his hands started vibrating, as if he was holding onto an engine revving at top speed. At the same instant, Luke’s voice rang in his head.

  You breached something, Lorne! Get the fuck outta there, now!

  “Everyone out, now!” Lorne yelled, making sure his voice could be heardby those still inside as he threw on his protective shield and shot straight up through the remains of the ceiling and roof. A microsecond later, an ear-splitting blast sent shockwaves throughout the factory. He was ready for it, throwing an umbrella shield over the entire area, effectively encapsulating it.

  The smaller percussion roiled like a pot boiling over, filling the dome shape with smoke and steam. It was smaller explosion, and although it was not as bad as the first one, it was still capable of causing a lot of damage. He didn’t want to take any chances.

  Lorne glanced up to see the police and detectives who had gone inside had made it out safely. Plus, another news truck had joined the others. His actions were being filmed. The Defender in action. No doubt it would be replayed countless times, ad nauseam, in the days to come.

>   He glanced over at the parking lot where he knew Brenda had left her car. The vehicle was still there, but she wasn’t. Panic set in. Oh, shit, Brenda! Don’t tell me you went inside the building!

  A movement behind the trunk of a shattered tree several yards away caught his eye. Lorne let out the breath he’d been holding and willed his galloping heart to slow down. She had ducked behind the tree for safety, out of the line of fire.

  Once the smoke began to dissipate, Lorne lowered his defensive shield until it snuffed out the remaining fire. Explosions could be contained, but they couldn’t be avoided. The laws of physics were indisputable. As long as he let the force expend itself first, the rest would be a cake walk.

  Nice going, Luke praised.

  Honest praise. Lorne wondered if he had surprised the guy.

  I needed to get above the explosion and make sure I had it all within my reach.

  Either way, nice going. Can you go back in?

  Yeah. Let me cover myself.

  He rewrapped himself within his own powers, like a natural HAZMAT suit, and descended back into the building. The eerie feeling he’d gotten a second before the blast was gone, but he remained on the lookout. If another such event happened, he would be protected, but that wouldn’t mean everyone else would be. He had to be alert to another possible dangerous reaction.

  That second blast could have taken out any clues there were regarding the first, he informed his brother.

  Still, keep looking. You never know, Luke answered.

  His decision to use his abilities to defend others, rather than to use them as a covert weapon, was what had helped him decide to go public. That, and the urging of his two brothers, who said their father would have wanted one of his sons to take over his legacy, the same way Logan had taken over for their grandfather. And their grandfather from their great-grandfather. And so on.

  The world needed a defender of good, they’d argued. A Defender of Good.

  The choice of his pseudonym was a given.

  Brenda’s worried.