She's Behind The Mask

Chapter 34 - Alone

"Some steps need to be taken alone. It's the only way to really figure out where you need to go and who you need to be."

"We just got a message from an anonymous number", she says and taps her phone to open it up, she holds it up for me to see. "They have your friend Heather", she says and I read the message. I go weak as I read the message.

We have Heather, if you want her back alive you will have to do as we say. She will be let free if you trade her life for Golden Ghost and Golden bolt's. Either will be dead by the end of the night, it is your choice who. Meet us at 5pm tomorrow at the Aeredale City Tower.

I bite my lower lip and tap my foot on the ground as I read the message. My hand makes its way up to brush through my hair in frustration. I blink back the tears in my eyes and hand the phone back to Sasha. I pace back and forth as I think. There's no way we can know where she is right now, the only way to get her back is to go to the tower tomorrow.

Sasha watches me, letting me figure things out before speaking. "We can gather all the people we can to go", she suggests. "We have lots of amazing fighters."

Just as she says that her phone buzzes in her hand. She looks down at it and I read her mind as she reads it. She doesn't need to tell me what it says.

If you bring backup, Heather will be killed on the spot. Come alone.

^^^

I pull back the curtain an inch and peek out the window of the van to look at the entrance of the tower. I turn away and finish braiding my hair. I put my hood on and look around at the people hidden in the depths of the van. Light reflects off their eyes and I read their minds. Anxious, scared, nervous, excited, worried.

Sitting along one wall of the van is Emily, Lucas, Aiden, Sasha and I. Along the other is some of the other most powerful supers we have. I look at my watch as we wait; it's 4:45pm. I make sure that my suit is all done up, looking for things to do. Sitting here in doing nothing in silence is killing me.

I remember that I never talked to Sasha about my dad. I turn to her and she looks back at me. "Shash", I whisper. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure", she says and waits.

"Did you know my Dad?" I ask and I can see her gulp, her thoughts turn to my Dad and I get the answer I want. "Why didn't you tell me?"

She sighs, "I thought it was right to let your mother tell you in her own time." I nod and look at my hands. "I also wanted you to be able to tell her that you have powers, what happened to your father wasn't mine to tell."

We go silent as we both think. Sasha looks at the tablet screen in her hands. A collage of all the security cameras comes up and she scans them to see if there's anyone suspicious. We wait patiently and I look at my watch once again; it's now 4:58pm.

I slip my mask on and get myself ready for action. Sasha signals to us and we look at the screen to see two men in black going up the elevator. In another camera I see Heather being pulled along with two more men in black, duct tape over her mouth and her hair messy. I clench my fist and shuffle in my seat.

Sasha turns to us and tells us that it's time to go. I look to Aiden, wearing a dark blue costume, as he goes invisible. "Can you hear me Kaylee?" I hear him think and I hum in response. I glance at Lucas as he slips on his mask. Sasha counts down on her fingers from three and Lucas, Aiden and I quickly slip out of the van.

Outside the sky is just starting to go dark. We crouch behind a bush and look to the tower, they will be going up the elevator right now with Heather. I look back to the van, disguised as a electricity van. I nod to Lucas and we run to the entrance of the tower. "They're still in the elevator, looks like they're going to the top floor", Aiden updates me.

The elevator is going to be too slow. I look to Lucas grab his hand as we go back outside. "Aiden", I say and he speaks to me through his thoughts, letting me know hes listening. "We're gonna fly, find a way up yourself." With that I grab a hold of Lucas with my telekinesis and together we fly up to the top of the tower.

We land on the balcony of the top floor and burst in through one of the glass doors. Sitting tied up on a chair in the middle of the empty room is Heather. She looks at Lucas and I with a shocked expression. "Why would they come and save me? They don't even know me." She thinks and I rush over to her. Before I can get to her a bunch of people dressed in black walk into the room.

"Don't touch her yet", I here a man in the middle say. "He isn't here yet."

My muscles tense as I wonder who they're talking about. "There's a man in a black cloak coming" I hear Aiden think. I relax when I know hes made it to the room safely without being caught. "He's going to walk through the door now, I can hear him."

Just then the man Aiden was thinking about comes through the door. He looks around the room at me and Lucas. "Did you bring backup?" He asks and I shake my head. He stays still and listens for a moment. I can't hear what he's thinking. He snickers, "Shall we start then?"

I get prepared for someone to start fighting but nothing happens. "If you willingly sacrifice yourselves, we'll let the girl go", he says and I don't reply. I take a step towards Heather and watch for their reactions. In the blink of an eye someone is behind her, a knife to her neck. I see her flinch and a drop of blood runs down.

My heart beats out of my chest as I think of some way to trick them. Maybe I'm not smart enough for them. I relax and put my hands out, "Take me then, just let her go." I hear Lucas gasp. "Kaylee, don't" I hear Aiden think. "We'll find a way out."

The man chuckles and flicks his wrist. The person takes the knife away from Heather slowly. A man comes up to me with a rope and ties my wrists. Lucas looks between me and Heather quickly and I see him wanting to do something. I then try something I never thought of trying. If I can read peoples thoughts, can I speak to them through my thoughts too?

"Lucas can you hear me?" I think and he has no reaction. "Lucas?" I try again. After I think that his head snaps to me. "Can you hear me?" He looks at me with a puzzled expression and nods subtly. "Don't do anything, not until they let Heather go."

I look at the man tying me up. "Let her go now", I say once he has finished.

"Him too", the man says and someone goes to tie up Lucas. He struggles before giving up, looking at me for reassurance. Once Lucas is tied up they undo Heather and she nervously makes her way out of the door. "Aiden, make sure she gets out alright" I think once she's out of the room.

I turn to the man. "What do you want us for?" I ask.

"You two not only are in The Super Secretive, but you're causing a bit of trouble around the city", he says in a mocking voice. "Stopping my supers from doing what they want."

"What they want is wrong" I spit at him. "What even is your power? Do you have one?"

He makes a deep gurgling noise as he laughs. "Why would I tell you?" He says, "You're going to have to pay for what you did."

"Heather I'm back", I hear Aiden think.

"You didn't come alone like you promised", he says.