Chapter 24

More paramedics came for Grace and to check on the rest of us. Grace tried to wave them away, saying she was okay, but Rachel helped them defeat her retaliation with soothing words. After they headed to the numerous ambulances that waited along the street, I realized how many people were standing outside their homes or along the sidewalk watching. It didn’t take me long to spot a few of them holding up smartphones, recording everything they could. Maybe the police would confiscate those phones and this wouldn’t be posted on the internet before I got home. Let it wait at least until tomorrow!

I nearly jumped when Rachel bumped my shoulder with hers. She smiled at me and I chuckled to relieve the tension.

The ambulance transporting Dan left, escorted by two cruisers. I didn’t know where they would take him. I would have suggested dumping him in a deep, deep hole from which he couldn’t escape, but they didn’t ask me. Wherever they were going, I was sure it was going to be somewhere sensible. At least it would be sensible until the gas was turned off. I needed to tell someone about the drug to disarm him, not to mention call Mr. Shepherd about it.

I turned to Rachel. “Why don’t you go see about Grace? I want to talk to a couple of the officers.”

She studied my face for a couple of heartbeats. “How are you feeling?”

I thought about it. I still didn’t have a headache. “Surprisingly okay. No headache.”

She smiled at me. “Are we learning control?”

I looked her over. Her golden aura was soft but shifted with irritation. “I can still see auras. If I can bring that one ability under control, I’m sure the others will follow suit.”

“We can go for a run later if you want,” she said and I nodded. She nodded too and then turned and followed her friend.

I went over to Officer Patrone. He was still on the ground. Paramedics were all around him. His head was braced in a large orange square and they had him on one of those flat boards so the paramedics could lift him onto the gurney without causing further injury. They couldn’t afford to let him move his head in the slightest during the trip to the hospital. His eyes were open, which I thought was a good thing, and he was answering questions. I wasn’t sure how much help I had been to him, but I was happy to see that much improvement.

The officer that had the large barreled gun stepped up next to me. “I’m Officer Harley,” he said and held out his hand to me. “I’d like to thank you for your assistance.”

I nodded and shook his hand.

“What’s your name?” he asked.

“Ral Sutton,” I said.

He nodded. “Well, Mr. Sutton, don’t look so down. You did a good thing here.”

I took a breath and looked past him at Officer Patrone. “I should have been faster,” I said. “I might have kept Officer Patrone from getting hurt at all.”

“If I’ve learned one thing in the last ten years working these streets,” he said. “It’s that you can’t save everyone.”

I looked around again, noting the spectators. “You’re going to need evidence to help prove what Dan did to the other officers, right?”

His face clouded over a bit. “What do you have in mind?”

“Wouldn’t videos of today’s events help?” I asked.

He looked around too. “Ah, yes. I understand.” Then he looked at me. “Are you camera shy?”

I sighed. “It wouldn’t bother me so much if they didn’t post them on the internet.”

He smiled. “Sometimes, that helps.”

“One more thing,” I said. “I’m not sure whom you should inform, but there’s a drug that can make Dan normal.”

His cop face returned. It was the only way I could describe it. “A drug? What drug?”

I shook my head. “I don’t know what it’s called, but I know how to get it.”

“What does this drug do?” he asked.

“It suppresses his ... abilities,” I said. “It would make him normal, like anyone else.”

He nodded and then asked, “Did he take some kind of drug to start with?”

I shook my head. “No. Believe it or not, he was born like he that.”

“Most kids I know get scrapes and such when they fall,” he said. “I’m sure he would have noticed that he wasn’t getting hurt.”

I nodded. “It’s possible the indestructibility didn’t kick in until he hit his teens. And even then, he could’ve just considered himself lucky, not getting hurt.”

“What about his strength and his metal hands?”

“I think those were more recent discoveries,” I said. “Everyone’s been lucky. I can see auras, and see what kinds of power they have. Dan can turn his hands into blades. I don’t think he knows how to yet, but given enough time, he would learn.”

Officer Harley nodded. “Good to know. So, how do we get some of that drug you mentioned?”

“I can call my contact and have it sent anywhere you need it,” I said. “And if I’m right about Dan, the sooner it’s administered, the better.”

Harley nodded. “I’ll have to clear it with the Detective in charge. He may ask for the contact information so he can ask about the drug directly.”

“I’ll let my contact know to expect the call,” I said.

“Good,” he said and then shook my hand again.

Officer Harley then led me over to the parked patrol cars. Several other officers were talking to a man in a shirt and tie. He wasn’t wearing a jacket with his suit. I recognized his slate-blue aura. I had seen him in the alley Thursday night. Now that we were standing closer together, I could see his face better. It was pockmarked, which gave him a rough appearance. His eyes took in my clothes. I didn’t think he recognized me, but I couldn’t be sure how much he knew yet.

Officer Harley introduced us. I was speaking to Detective Fannin.

Fannin turned out to be the same detective Rachel had spoken to back at Grace’s apartment. He probably already knew everything that had happened, including the bits that I didn’t know. He was currently talking to another officer.

As I approached Fannin, he nodded at the officer. The officer looked my way too and then nodded at Fannin. They probably didn’t want me to overhear what they were talking about. “Ral Sutton?” Fannin asked. His eyes were dark brown, almost black. His aura, a smooth cream color, was neutral, and though he looked amused, his aura didn’t agree. Maybe his expression was a mask, so he wouldn’t give away anything, any emotions. Too bad I could see his aura, it wasted his effort.

I nodded at him. “Detective Fannin.” I didn’t want to play twenty questions. I went straight to the meat of what he needed to know. If he wanted to know more, he could ask. “I’m sure the other officers have told you about Dan’s abilities, his strength, and his indestructibility.”

His expression never changed. “Why don’t you tell me about Mr. Baxter?”

I nodded and told him everything from the moment I watched the officers bringing Dan out of the house. Throughout my entire discourse, Detective Fannin watched me with that amused expression. It was a good thing I could see his aura, otherwise, I was pretty sure his expression would make me mad. I ended my statement with the officers and paramedics carting Dan away on the gurney.

Fannin stared at me for a minute or so after I finished. I even wondered if had fallen asleep while I talked. That would have made me mad.

Finally, he blinked and licked his lips. “Is that the statement you want to go with?” He asked.

I frowned. Had the other officers left out details? Was I alone in this? “You believe in facts,” I said.

“Of course I do,” he said.

I nodded and turned to look back at the front yard where everything had happened. I spotted a glint of metal on the sidewalk. I pointed at it. “There’s a piece of the broken handcuffs there, on the sidewalk.” I looked at the Detective. “There’s also the fact that Dan is currently wearing three pairs of handcuffs.”

“So?” he asked.

“How many men have you heard of that could break a pair of handcuffs?” I asked.

“What’s your point?” he asked, ignoring my question.

“I’m pointing out the facts. Dan is a lot stronger than he looks. Short of any world-class bodybuilders you’ve arrested, I doubt you’ve ever encountered someone as strong as him. He didn’t get lucky with a brittle chain. I watched him tear those cuffs off his wrists. His hands turned to metal so he could.”

Detective Fannin simply stared at me like he was waiting for me to finish the joke or something. Yet his aura told me how irritated he was.

I shook my head. “I know a way to disarm Dan. To make him less dangerous so he won’t be a problem in jail or during the trial.”

His smile increased. “And what would you suggest?” His tone implied I had no idea what he and his officers could handle.

“There’s a drug that will suppress Dan’s powers,” I said. “As far as I know, it’s currently only available as an injection, so I’ll have to find out if an aerosol or gas version can be made. Something that Dan can inhale so it’ll take effect.”

He openly grinned at me. “Now, hold on there. You’re trying to tell me that we have to drug him with some unknown agent or he’ll what?” he shook his head. “Throw us around like rag dolls?”

I shrugged. “Or beat someone to death with metal shod fists.”

I could see the skepticism in his aura, and he looked even more amused if that was possible. “And where pray tell, would we find such a drug?”