Absolute Power (Book 1): Origins (4 page)

Phillip looked terrible. His beard was coming in thick, and his skin was pale.  The interior of the box reeked almost as badly as Phillip.  Elena stayed where she was in the crate, holding the baby.

“Have a pleasant trip?”  Porter smiled.

“I could see how you might think you’re funny,” Phillip said, “But you're not.  Is my guy here?”

“Somewhere,” Porter answered.  “Probably waiting to make sure it’s not a trap.  Want to go take a look around?”  He asked Phillip, then said to Elena, “Misses. Florian, stay put for a bit.”

Porter needed a moment to talk to Phillip alone.  It was obvious enough, so Phillip went along.  The two of them walked back the way Porter had come.

“What's up?”  Phillip asked when they were out of earshot.

“You still want to go through with this?”  Porter had to try one last time.

“You mean escape from Russia in a box?”  Phillip knew what he was asking so said, “Or do you mean, how can I disagree with what The One is doing?”

“Tell me this, do they do more bad than good?”  Porter asked.

“Not yet,” Phillip replied.  They stopped at the foreman's office, and Phillip peeked through the window.  He didn't expect anyone was inside, but he learned to expect the unexpected.  It was all very counter-intuitive spycraft.

“And you think you can do more from the outside than on the inside?” Porter asked.

“I'm angry, John,” Phillip stopped walking.  “I'm angry that I let it get this bad without noticing.  I'm a goddamn spy, and I didn't see this coming.  But I see where it's going, and I have to do something to change the course.  It's one thing to fight a war in someone else's backyard.  It's another to fight it at home, and you and I both know that when this gets bad it's going to be global.  Civilians versus Super-Humans.  Super-Humans versus Super-Humans.  The military versus Super-Humans.”

“And I think I can fix it,” Porter said, “and I wouldn't mind some help.  I already have an idea.”

An enormous man, nearly seven feet tall with dark skin, came out of the shadows.  It was impossible to believe that someone of his size could have snuck up on them.

In a deep voice he said, “To stop any force you need an equal and opposite force.  To turn it back, you need something more.”

“Or the planning to deflect it,” Porter retorted.

“We'll leave that up to you,” the big man said.  “The people I work for have their plans and no one gets very far by dividing their efforts.”  He came closer and put out his hand.  “People like to call me The Dragon Slayer.”

Porter shook his hand.  “Yes, I know, I was there.  It's hard to imagine the man who killed a Red Iron General can get around without being noticed.”

“I would say the same thing about the famous Major Porter and the infamous Lieutenant Green,” The Dragon Slayer said.  “Phillip, let’s see the woman.  I need a word with you.”

Porter took the hint and let them go.  He wasn't exactly sure why he was waiting around.  His part was over, and they'd disappear with the woman.  Maybe it was sentimentality.  Phillip had been his go-to-man throughout the war.  If Porter wanted troop movements, the position of a Red Iron Colonel or a Russian official to look the other way, Phillip was the one who could do it.  There was a mutual admiration and trust between them.  Thinking about it now, he supposed that Phillip was one of the few people he could call a friend.

When he spotted Phillip walking back towards him, he waited.  The Dragon Slayer wasn't with him, and he wondered what had happened.  As Phillip got closer, Porter could see that he was smiling.

“Let's go,” Phillip said.

“What, they reject your application?”  Porter asked.

“No,” Phillip replied, “he made a convincing argument.”

The two of them left the warehouse and closed the door behind them.  Then they got into Porter's car and sat for a moment.

“Sergeant Deacon-Slater didn't seem like the type of man to change opinions,” Porter said.

“DS, always knows what he wants to do,” Phillip said.  “The guys pulling the strings are the ones that make it complicated.”

“You can stop there,” Porter said starting up the car.  “Tell me plain and simple, you staying at The One?”

“As long as I can stand it,” Phillip replied.

“How are you going to explain showing up in New York?” Porter sped through the dock.  The fog had miraculously cleared in the last couple of minutes.

“Do you know how many times I've disappeared and shown up two countries away?”  Phillip waved a dismissive hand.  “Tell me, how are you going to explain to the ladies that you’re younger than you look?”

“What?”  Porter asked confused.

Phillip ruffled the hair at his temple, and Porter took a moment to glance at himself in the mirror.  The hair there was going grey.  He'd first noticed it after being captured in Russia but hadn't paid it much attention.  Now it had grown to a long streak that faded behind his ear.

Porter grunted and ignored the comment.  Then said, “Flip.”

“Yeah.”

“I'm going to enjoy calling in the favor you just incurred here.”

An old man stood staring into a mirror remembering when he wasn't so old.  AJ Rodgers rubbed the socket where his eye used to be.  The eye patch that had once bothered him seemed normal now.  He still had all his hair, except that it was white.  On cold days, his knee hurt like hell where it had been shattered.  The cane that he'd been using for the last twenty years felt weightless in his grip.  It was a perfectly balanced instrument.  AJ didn't have to check the sword inside to know it was clean and finely honed.  A sword master like him would have nothing less.

“The kid is late,” Porter said.  He was sitting in an armchair near a massive window.

AJ's office overlooked The United Nations Plaza.  It was an excellent view considering the glass was eight inch thick bullet resistant material.  He hated it; it made him feel disconnected.  He hated the office too; for the same reasons.  The One Director yearned for the old days, before the war, even before The One.  The best times were when it was just him on his own, hiding in the shadows and scaring the crap out of criminals.  Now he was relegated to giving orders from a desk thousands of miles from the action.

“Kid?” AJ raised an eyebrow as he turned around.  “Major Kelley is only six years younger than you.”

“I still remember him as the boy genius from that show he had in the sixties,” Porter said.

AJ laughed because he remembered him the same way.  The image of a tiny seven year old in shorts and a bow tie was ingrained in his mind.  Billy Kelley would stand behind a podium answering all sorts of nonsense the audience asked him.  It was hard to believe that the tot had grown up to be Major William Kelley.  No matter how much money his family had, they couldn’t wash that out of existence. Of course, recently he'd been using that to his advantage.  AJ had to hand it to him, he was a brilliant strategist and maybe that would be enough.

“It
is
impressive how he turned everything around,” AJ said.

“You mean the embarrassment of being found out as a Super-Human and not a genius?” Porter asked.  “Or getting people to stop calling him Billy.”

“The newspapers ate him alive,” AJ recalled.  “That was back before The One had changed the reputation of Super-Humans.  To take that much ridicule at that age.”

“It sounds like you’re trying to convince yourself,” Porter noted.

“You know I hate this, John,” AJ replied.

Porter was reading the morning paper and looked up.  “What?  The speeches or quitting?”  He didn't mean it to sound as angry as it did.  “Sorry, sir.  I'm not too happy about it either.”

“Then take the damn job,” AJ's voice got louder.

“No offense, sir,” Porter put down the newspaper, “but I'm not going to make the same mistake you did.  I can do more good in the field than in an office.  Out there I have a chance to shape the future of The One without getting tangled in the red tape.”

There was no point arguing with him because AJ agreed.  He took a seat across from Porter and held his cane between his legs.  The silver head of a cat adorned the handle, and its ruby red eyes stared at him.

“But when this is all over you'll take the promotion?”  AJ asked.

“I have to,” Porter replied.

“Ah, yes, your pet project,” AJ said.  “I never figured you for someone to play the long game.”

“I've been working on this since after the war,” Porter told him. “For my plan, I need a certain type of recruit and I need to be in a position of power.  The recruits, I’ve been tracking since they were born.  The power, that will come with the promotion.”

“Lot of work for something that might not pan out,” AJ commented. “What is it you think you can get these kids to do?”

Before Porter could answer, AJ's secretary knocked on the door and poked in her head.

“Sir, Major Kelley is here.”

“Send him in,” AJ replied.

William James Kelley Junior came in, not wearing a uniform but dressed in an expensive tailored suit.  For the last seven years, he had been assigned to The One’s US East Coast division as a liaison.  Mostly he spoke with governors, police commissioners and politicians who sought mutually beneficial arrangements with The One.  Kelley’s excuse for not being in uniform was that it put the civilians at ill-ease.  While a large percentage of the population were fearful of Super-Humans, the decision makers understood the big picture.  Being friends with people in power was good for both sides; having aide requests prioritized or allowing One operations free access to resources.  Never the less, as far as constituents were concerned, a senator was happier to be seen in public with William Kelley the socialite rather than Major Kelley the Super-Human.  In that way, Kelley made many friends in high places.  And that was why he was in AJ's office now.

“Sir,” Kelley saluted and stood at attention.

“Yes, fine, son, take a seat,” AJ didn't bother to stand and greet him.

Kelley sat in the last arm chair and composed himself.  He knew why he had been called.  Kelley made it a point to know everything if only because he made everything happen how he wanted it to.

“You know Major Porter,” AJ gestured.

“Yes, of course,” Kelley nodded, “if only by reputation.”  He did an excellent job of keeping the smile off his face.  Porter had been the only real threat to him, and now he had bowed out.

AJ spoke, “I've had a lot of very interesting people bring up your name lately, Major Kelley.”

Kelley chose to keep quiet.

“For a Major, you've made quite a name for yourself as a liaison,” AJ said.  “Do you catch many evil villains on the upper east side?”

Faking a laugh at the obviously vicious joke, Kelley replied, “I served in the intelligence department during the war.  And yes, this job is a cushy position.  Maybe I'm not blowing up Red Iron commies or nabbing Free Flights, but I work hard.  I do a job that very few people are capable of doing.  And I must say that what I do is integral to your work.  I make the screaming masses, the voter hungry politicians and money grubbing corporations listen and keep quiet.”

AJ chuckled.  “Didn’t mean to offend you, son,” he said.  “I'm a war horse, like Porter here, so my understanding of glad-handing is negligible to say the least.”

Kelley was still annoyed when he said, “If you don't mind me asking, why
is
he here?  For that matter, why am I here?”

Settling back in his chair AJ explained, “I'm sure you've heard rumors of some changes in The One.  Effective at the first of the year I'll be resigning as Director of The One.”

Kelley tried to look surprised.

“As some of my last acts I'll be setting into motion a few projects,” AJ went on.  “Most of them are designed to integrate The One into normal society.  I want to change the image of Super-Humans; none of this locked away from the public, sitting like lords in castles or demons in cages.  I want us on the street, face to face and helping people.”

“A commendable decision,” Kelley said.

“After I'm gone, Major Porter will be promoted to Colonel,” AJ told him, “and will be running a special project outside of our standard departments.  He'll have a lot of leeway, which will ruffle some feathers, but the rest of the brass can deal with it.  I'm telling you this because I want to make it absolutely clear that my final orders are to be carried out to completion.”

“Sir, I feel I'm missing something,” Kelley prodded him to come out and say what he was here to say.

“As the new Director of The One, you'll be tempted to trash everything and start over,” AJ warned him, “That's a fool’s move.”

“Did you just say I'm your successor?”  Kelley asked.

AJ stood up and grabbed the man's hand to shake it.  “Congratulations, son,” he said.  “You'll never sleep another day in your life.  Now, if you'll excuse me I have to make the announcement to the world.”  He paused and looked at Kelley.  “Unless you don't want the job?”

“No, sir,” Kelley stood up.  “I mean, yes, sir.  I'm honored to take the reins.”