prodded. “If any other person does something like that, kills another human being, what happens to him, Dale? What about the guys on the rig?”
“That was Zundergrub going insane,” I said, feeling like I was losing a battle against the tide, getting swept out to sea regardless of how hard I paddled.
“You were his accomplice, whether you intended it or not,” he shot back in a neutral monotone, as if he were teaching me to read. “What about the German commandos?”
“They were trying to kill me,” I said. “It was self-defense.”
A bitter little smile bloomed on his face. “They were responding to a murder in the German countryside and followed your ship into the North Atlantic. They were deputized officers, trying to arrest you. See what I mean? It’s not that easy. And what about the dead guy in the woods?”
“He was a villain,” I said.
“I know who he was,” Superdynamic said. “The house burned to the ground, but they found a body shot through the chest with an arrow.”
“Enough, D,” Moe said, pleading. “Man’s done some wicked shit, okay? That’s plain as day. But he’s also done some good shit.”
“I’m not God, Moe. I can’t just wave my hand and make it all disappear,” he said. “I’m under an unreal amount of pressure here. You were convicted by the World Court, Dale. Even saving the President of the United States doesn’t make that moot. They’ve threatened my sanction. They’re threatening me with charges for aiding and abetting a criminal because I didn’t let you die in D.C.”
“You have to be kidding me,” I said.
He shook his head, looking at me like you would a man on his way to the gallows. “Ever heard of Dr. Samuel Mudd?”
“Yeah, the guy that fixed John Wilkes Booth’s leg.”
“Exactly,” he said. “And you know what happened to him, right?
I said nothing.
“I don’t know what to do,” he admitted, sitting back down on the bed next to mine, in a gesture of defeat.
“They’re not going to forgive and forget,” I said, wanting to laugh.
From Superdynamic’s expression, the answer was obvious.
“What are my options?”
“I can keep you here,” he said. “But then they’ll-“
“They’ll get upset and send someone after me; maybe you might get a smudge or two on your shiny walls.”
He stared at me, angry and frustrated. “You know it isn’t like that,” he said.
“Why bother saving me then? Why not just let me die back in D.C.?”
Jeff couldn’t look me in the eye. “You know who I did it for.”
I rolled out of the bed and stood, feeling the tension spike in the room. Moe’s attention was squarely on me, as deep lines creased Jeff’s young eyes, his feet sliding apart into a fighting stance. .
“Then let’s take this shit off,” I said, referring to my solid-light casts. “And I’ll go.”
Chapter Two
Superdynamic gave me one last look as the techs came in to take my casts off and left me to my fate. He didn’t have the courage to watch me get taken away. I was bare underneath except for boxers, so they gave me green scrubs, similar to what they wore in the hospital wing, along with a pair of purple socks with plastic tread. Normally, I would have been fitted with one of Superdynamic’s trademark skin tight onesies, but he would never let the feds get their hands on it. The scrubs fit snug, but I could move without tearing them. I would be changing clothes again soon enough.
Moe drove us to a small airport near the tower and waited for my pickup. I could tell he wanted to say something, but I closed all angles of approach. Nothing he could say would excuse what was happening, and I didn’t want to see the guy cry anymore. I didn’t have many friends, and Moe was more devoted than most. I knew he was hurting, just like I knew he didn’t see any other choice. The landscape was empty and arid, with two pathetic trees the only landmarks within miles besides the small tower and a
“That was Zundergrub going insane,” I said, feeling like I was losing a battle against the tide, getting swept out to sea regardless of how hard I paddled.
“You were his accomplice, whether you intended it or not,” he shot back in a neutral monotone, as if he were teaching me to read. “What about the German commandos?”
“They were trying to kill me,” I said. “It was self-defense.”
A bitter little smile bloomed on his face. “They were responding to a murder in the German countryside and followed your ship into the North Atlantic. They were deputized officers, trying to arrest you. See what I mean? It’s not that easy. And what about the dead guy in the woods?”
“He was a villain,” I said.
“I know who he was,” Superdynamic said. “The house burned to the ground, but they found a body shot through the chest with an arrow.”
“Enough, D,” Moe said, pleading. “Man’s done some wicked shit, okay? That’s plain as day. But he’s also done some good shit.”
“I’m not God, Moe. I can’t just wave my hand and make it all disappear,” he said. “I’m under an unreal amount of pressure here. You were convicted by the World Court, Dale. Even saving the President of the United States doesn’t make that moot. They’ve threatened my sanction. They’re threatening me with charges for aiding and abetting a criminal because I didn’t let you die in D.C.”
“You have to be kidding me,” I said.
He shook his head, looking at me like you would a man on his way to the gallows. “Ever heard of Dr. Samuel Mudd?”
“Yeah, the guy that fixed John Wilkes Booth’s leg.”
“Exactly,” he said. “And you know what happened to him, right?
I said nothing.
“I don’t know what to do,” he admitted, sitting back down on the bed next to mine, in a gesture of defeat.
“They’re not going to forgive and forget,” I said, wanting to laugh.
From Superdynamic’s expression, the answer was obvious.
“What are my options?”
“I can keep you here,” he said. “But then they’ll-“
“They’ll get upset and send someone after me; maybe you might get a smudge or two on your shiny walls.”
He stared at me, angry and frustrated. “You know it isn’t like that,” he said.
“Why bother saving me then? Why not just let me die back in D.C.?”
Jeff couldn’t look me in the eye. “You know who I did it for.”
I rolled out of the bed and stood, feeling the tension spike in the room. Moe’s attention was squarely on me, as deep lines creased Jeff’s young eyes, his feet sliding apart into a fighting stance. .
“Then let’s take this shit off,” I said, referring to my solid-light casts. “And I’ll go.”
Chapter Two
Superdynamic gave me one last look as the techs came in to take my casts off and left me to my fate. He didn’t have the courage to watch me get taken away. I was bare underneath except for boxers, so they gave me green scrubs, similar to what they wore in the hospital wing, along with a pair of purple socks with plastic tread. Normally, I would have been fitted with one of Superdynamic’s trademark skin tight onesies, but he would never let the feds get their hands on it. The scrubs fit snug, but I could move without tearing them. I would be changing clothes again soon enough.
Moe drove us to a small airport near the tower and waited for my pickup. I could tell he wanted to say something, but I closed all angles of approach. Nothing he could say would excuse what was happening, and I didn’t want to see the guy cry anymore. I didn’t have many friends, and Moe was more devoted than most. I knew he was hurting, just like I knew he didn’t see any other choice. The landscape was empty and arid, with two pathetic trees the only landmarks within miles besides the small tower and a
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