Hero Rising by H.T. Night Read Free Book Online Page A

admitted.
    “You have it, on one condition. Don’t take on the world. Just find out who needs help, get in and get out. Fast.”
    I smiled at my wife and leaned over into her comfy chair and gave her as passionate a kiss as I could, due to the weird way I was standing. I think at one point I had my right foot in the air.
    “I love you, Josiah. If you are this hell-bent on it, just please promise me you will keep safe and that you will always come back to me. That’s all I ask. Live, Josiah. Live. ”
    “I will. I promise.”

 
    Chapter Nine
     
     
    The next evening, I went to see Sion at his cottage. He was outside on the porch overlooking the ocean, and the half-moon shone over the water. It was beautiful. Up in the castle, I had a great view of the ocean and the town, but down here on the waterfront, I could hear the waves coming in and out. I breathed in the salty air.
    “Hey, Josiah,” Sion said when he saw me come up to the patio. “Good to see you.”
    I took a seat across from my friend. “How’s it going, Sion?”
    “Pretty good,” he said with a smile. Sion pushed his large, thick black-framed glasses up his nose. His glasses were so heavy that he was constantly pushing them up. He looked nerdy with those glasses but he was my nerd and we were tight.
    “What brings you down here from Rapunzel’s tower room?” Sion asked casually.
    I laughed. “She lets me out occasionally. But, I wanted to talk to you. Ever since what happened in San Bernardino,” I said, “I need to know what my next move is. I figured you’d be the guy who could give me the best sound advice, because you don’t base your decisions on emotions.”
    I was still getting used to the fact of what I was becoming: a superhero. This is going to be a lot of responsibility I was up for the challenge, but everything I been through the last few years had taught me that this new venture was going to be damn hard.
    “I don’t know what it is about you, Josiah, but you always seem to have adventure around you.” Sion brought me a drink and I sat back, thinking. Yes, for some reason I had always been mixing it up. I guess it was just my destiny.
    However, I wanted to talk to Sion about my plans. “Sion,” I asked, “can you do me a favor?”
    Sion turned to me, his eyes curious. “Sure, Josiah. Whatever you need. What can I do for you?”
    “Well, you know I’m not that much of a techie,” I started, “and I need some help on the Internet.”
    Sion looked interested now and leaned forward. “I can help you with whatever you need.”
    “You know I love being on the island with Lena and the boys, but I’m getting a little stir-crazy by being here all the time. I want to help others.”
    “So, how can I help you?” Sion’s intentions were sincere.
    “I was thinking that if I set up a Facebook page, I could announce that I am available to help people.”
    “Tandra?”
    “Yeah.”
    Sion thought about this, and nodded. “I can do that, no problem.”
    “The thing is, I don’t want anyone to be able to trace it back to here.”
    “To Helena?” Sion asked.
    “Right. Not to Helena, and not to me,” I answered.
    “That won’t be a problem. It’s simple to do.” I was grateful for Sion’s intellect. Sion knew all about science and technology—those were his special gifts.
    Sion said he would set me up with a Facebook account and I said I would come back the next day to see what he came up with. I sat with him, shooting the breeze on the patio, watching the moon over the sea for an hour or so and then I went home to my castle.
    When I told Lena what I had asked of Sion, she was a little bit hesitant, but I reassured her that Sion knew what he was doing.
    “He won’t compromise us,” I said. “Sion is a master at this stuff.”
    “No one will know where you are?” I could tell Lena was concerned about the safety of our family. She always had the kids’ well-being in mind. As well as mine.
    “I promise you, Lena,