Enemies & Allies by Kevin J. Anderson Read Free Book Online

hands outstretched, eyes wide as saucers.
    The car dropped off the bridge.
    Lois found herself falling, then screaming, more in disbelief than panic. She didn’t have time to panic. She was plummeting toward the river, and when she hit from this height, the sluggish water might as well be cement.
    Suddenly she was in the arms of a man who simply scooped her out of the air, a red-caped stranger who could fly ! Her stomach lurched and so did her heart; she didn’t seem to weigh anything at all.
    Below, her car plunged into the river with a ferocious explosion of spray, but Lois was being gently carried back up to the bridge. The air seemed remarkably still, and her world had focused to a tiny space, just her and this amazing man who was simply there exactly when she needed him.
    Lois’s heart pounded, and she looked up into the face of this hero, realizing that she was the first person ever to see him clearly, since all the earlier photos had been blurry. He was classically handsome, square jawed, with beautiful blue eyes and dark hair with a sassy-looking curl that hung over his forehead. His smile was warm and generous. He could have been anybody, yet he exuded a kind of strange familiarity.
    He flew up toward the bridge, where the gathered policemen watched in slack-jawed wonder. “Please watch your driving more carefully from now on, all right, Miss Lane?” the flying man said.
    “You…you know my name?” She struggled not to stutter, trying to remember how to be a real journalist, instead of behaving like a woman who had just survived a terrifying brush with death.
    “I’ve read some of your articles. You’re a good reporter.”
    She laughed despite her awe, unable to grasp this surreal conversation. “So the great costumed hero of Metropolis reads the Daily Planet ?”
    His face displayed a slight frown as he returned her to the edge of the bridge, setting her on her feet. “That wasn’t a product endorsement.”
    Her arms had automatically looped around his neck for a better grip, but once she touched down on the solidity of the bridge, she could barely stand. Nevertheless, her journalistic instincts kicked in, and she blurted before she lost her chance, “Now that you’ve rescued me, I’d like an interview, whoever you are.” Her tone suggested that he owed her.
    “I don’t speak to reporters, Miss Lane. That would be unfair to your competition.”
    “It’s unfair to the people of Metropolis! You seem to be fighting for the forces of good, but how can we know? If you keep secrets, people will suspect that you have some sinister purpose.”
    That made him pause, even though he seemed anxious to go after the jewel thieves. “You make a fair point. Maybe the people of Metropolis do deserve a few answers. Shall we say eight o’clock tonight, at your apartment?”
    “You know where I live?” Lois was taken aback in spite of her triumph.
    He responded with a mysterious smile. “Of course.” Then he flew off into the sky, dwindling to a speck above the skyscrapers, in pursuit of the thieves. Naturally, he rounded them up in due course, dropping the men like a weekly trash collection at the precinct station, but by then the jewel heist had become a much less important part of the story for Lois.
    If possible, that evening had been even more surreal.
    As the appointed hour approached, Lois grew more and more nervous in spite of herself. She spent the entire afternoon deciding what to wear, though she didn’t normally waste valuable time making herself gorgeous to impress a man (even though this particular one had saved her life). Was he expecting to have dinner with her? Should she light candles, open a bottle of wine or champagne? Did he even drink wine or champagne? Who could know the answer to that? She would…and in just a short time. She watched the door, watched the clock.
    “I’m here, Miss Lane.” He stood on her open balcony, startling her. Of course—a man like him wouldn’t use the