The Redeemer Read online

Redeemer

  Special Thanks:

  A special thanks to Juanita Roberts, Patsy Cohee and Stephanie Cohee for always encouraging me to go on.

  Chapter 1: English

  “Вы думаете, вы могли бы украсть у нас? Никто не ворует у нас” Kimoko Andel said deviously.

  Kimoko and his two bodyguards, Live and Syle, stood in front of me.

  Most people in my position would probably be nervous about being confront with two beefy guards and their boss…but I am not most people.

  They were your average, garden-variety bodyguards, cute but not worth mentioning.

  They had caught me in the middle of stealing back a mystical artifact called the Illumutoo. It was a tablet detailing the end of the worlds. When I first heard about its contents, I laughed. The end of the worlds? Last time I checked there was only one and I thought we all agreed the end was nigh.

  Kimoko had stolen it from a government installation, very craftily, I might add and stored it here. This was one of his more secure hideouts…guess it’s so much for that theory.

  I wasn’t as stealthy as I had intended to be. Then again, I wasn’t intending to be very stealthy. Before this, I was a thief. It was a lifetime ago but I guess some things can’t be left behind.

  “I speak English. Just English.” I smirked as I snatched the tablet off its pedestal.

  Kimoko smiled, “You’re going to die.” He said with glee.

  “Really? That’s the strongest threat you have? I hear that about sixty times a day.” I chuckled.

  “Costumed freak!” Kimoko spat, “Hand over the tablet.”

  I looked down at my costume. It was a cat suit, obviously for stealth, with knee-length combat boots and a slight black mask covering my eyes. I also had on leather gloves and a belt, which housed some of my weapons. This was along with my gun holsters holding two pistols at my side. His words offended me.

  “You want the tablet? Come get it.” I smiled.

  The guards advanced towards me and I smiled, tossing the tablet on the pedestal. I quickly ducked a punch by one of the guards and kicked the other in the chest, causing him to stagger back. I grabbed the first guard’s arm and wrenched it, causing him to cry out in pain.

  I smiled to myself as I flipped over his head, his arm still in my hand, and threw him against the wall! I quickly hopped up in time to slide out my Eskrima sticks and began hitting him as hard as I could.

  When I tired of hitting him, I brought my right hand around and knocked him out with the stick.

  Without turning, I could hear footsteps. I spun around, pushing my hand down and pulling out three shurikens and lobbing them through the air! The cracked as they hit the wall, through Kimoko’s suit.

  I cracked my neck, walking over to him, “And the name’s Huma.” I said, taking the tablet from him.

  I walked over to the window and looked back at him, throwing him a peace sign. I turned to the window, looking down at the city.

  I chuckled as I kicked the window out and the air began to pour through the hole. I quickly jumped out, free falling for a few feet before I opened my arms, releasing the mini-capes under my arms.

  --- --- --- ---

  I walked into Chateau LeBreon, a restaurant in downtown Helprin district. It was one of the hippest, trendiest spot in Helprin. It was decorated with dark red satin and dark lighting; candle-lit, I noticed.

  The place was darker than most restaurants and more intimate, despite its size. After dropping off the tablet with my field agent, I met with Eric Salis, who told me to meet an old friend at Chateau LeBreon. The maître Dee sat me at a booth in the back of the room. The candles were the biggest source of light. When I sat down, I was surprised at who was sitting across from me, reading the menu.

  “Dana…didn’t think I’d be seeing you this century.” I said quickly. She made me nervous, “Why, exactly, am I seeing you?”

  Dana Samis was a woman of about sixty. She is a proper sort of woman, who always looked the part. She had his hair back in a bun and a much understated amount of makeup. She wore only the most up-to-date fashion. A real Manhattan woman. Before I was a spy or whatever you want to call me now, I dated her son, Steven. It was a long story. This was during the period when I had been a thief and everything was different. He was running his father’s company and running for political office. He died in a fight between his brother, a terrorist group called Medusa, and I. She’d never forgiven me for it. No one had. I guess becoming a spy was my way of atoning for what had transpired. Now, sitting here and looking at her, I remembered how icy things were between us.

  “You’ve been busy. From a low-life thief to a spy of sorts.” She smiled, “How interesting.”

  “Low life? Harsh.” I said, “Back to my question: what would prompt you to seek me out?”

  Dana smirked at me, “I need someone with your talents.” She said quickly, “I’m forming a team, of sorts.”

  I chuckled. It had to be something like that. To make her come to me, there must be more to the story.

  “The world is in jeopardy and I knew the strongest, most capable…heroes.” She said quickly, “While you’re not a hero, you’re quite good at what you do.”

  I smirked, “That’s sweet. But the last time I played with a group, it ended…” I paused.

  Her smirk disappeared too, “Do you think I would dare come to you if this weren’t important? The very world is at stake.” She said direly.

  “What exactly is so threatening and why in the Hell can I help?” I asked.

  “I’m not sure if I can tell you here. It involves Medusa.” Dana frowned.

  I paused. Medusa was something I didn’t need in my life. Besides, when we killed the last leader, Wynn Iric, I thought it was over. They’d single-handedly destroyed my life and the lives of those around me. It was something I hadn’t processed yet, the thought that they were back.

  Dana leaned in, “You know how dangerous they are. You know they’re everywhere.” She frowned.

  “I don’t believe you.” I said, “I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing, but I’m cashing. See I’m not exactly a gambler. I’m more of a ‘take things and leave’ kind of guy. You remember.”

  “You think they’re not watching you? That they won’t come after you?” Dana asked, “They’re already coming for you.”

  I chuckled, “Now you’re paranoid. Look, Dana, they’re dead. They’re not coming back.” I said standing, “And I doubt that they’re worried about me.”

  Dana stood too and grabbed my arm, “You’re in danger! As long as you’ve known me, how many times have I been wrong?” she asked.

  I looked at her, trying to understand. She wasn’t wrong often. I looked away from her and my eyes caught on a man. He was beautiful. He had light brown hair, cut close to his head and a strong, chiseled jaw. His brown eyes that pierced me. He was watching our conversation with great interest and something seemed to catch on as I looked at him. Dana turned in the direction of the man, who was standing now. Dana stopped. She looked to be faltering.

  “Dana?” I asked. I grabbed her arms, “Dana! Who is he?!”

  “He’s shutting off my powers. We have to go!” Dana said, almost in a trance.

  While looking directly at us, he pulled out a small gun and aimed it in our direction. I shouted for everyone to get down and people began dropping to the floor as gunshots rang out in the restaurant. I pushed Dana into the back room and followed as gunshots hit the wall beside my head. Past the corridor to the bathroom and into the kitchen. The staff looked to us as if ask, “what’s going on?” but we didn’t stop. Not until the back door burst open and two black-clad guards burst in with guns aimed at us. I quickly grabbed a knife that was si
tting on the edge of the counter by the stove and threw it at one of the guards. It stuck into him and bounced off the wall and to the floor. The other began opening fire and Dana and I ducked. I didn’t have my weapons and I was out-gunned. Dana didn’t have any weapons. I heard footsteps move closer and paused. I popped up over the counter and dragged him back down to us. Dana moved away as I punched him and he rolled me over, punching me. I frowned and kicked him off me. Before I can make another move, his gun is aimed right at my throat and I smirk out of nervousness.

  “Target acquired.”

  Suddenly, his head crashed against the stove and there was the sound of blows being landed. I slowly stood up and saw that Dana was with a man. He was taller than both of us and had dark brown hair. He had a six o’clock shadow and was wearing an ear piece along with a tight leather suit, much in the vein of mine. His boots were much shorter and he wore no mask. He also had gloves and a bow, which struck me as odd. He smiled to me as I walked over.

  “Peter, this is Archer.” Dana said, “Took you long enough.”

  “Maksim almost got the best of me.” He said, extending his hand to me, “You must be Huma.”

  I looked between them, “Maksim? The guy with the gun?” I asked.

  “He’s an agent of Medusa.” Archer said, “Deadly.”

  “He scrambles powers and wipes memories.” Dana said, “Which is why my powers didn’t work.”

  “Medusa? Seriously?” I asked.

  “Do you see why we need you?” Dana asked.

  Archer nodded, “They won’t stop coming for you. We could use you on our team.” He smiled.

  “Like the Avengers or something? I don’t play well with others.” I frowned, “I’m going home and pack my bags and I’m leaving.”

  “That’s your plan? You’re going to run?” Archer said, turning to Dana, “I thought you said—“

  Dana chuckled, “Run? You’re going to run from Medusa? I always thought you were smarter than that.” She said.

  “You said it yourself, I’m just a thief.” I shrugged, “A criminal.”

  “We’ve all got stuff in our past.” Archer said, “Look, the worlds in danger. There are actual super villains now. I’ve heard stories about you, we all have, and if you took down Medusa once…”

  “Luck.” I said quickly.

  “Maybe we need some luck.” Archer nodded.

  I looked around at the chaos. They were right. Somehow, they were right. Medusa was back and they would be gunning for me. And there was also the world-ending catastrophe that was happening. I wasn’t a hero, but this seemed worthwhile. Last time I went up against them, I lost everything. I wasn’t going to let that happen again. Finally someone was speaking English.