Just Cause: Revised & Expanded Edition by Ian Thomas Healy Read Free Book Online Page A

Colorado
     
    The conference room was a masterpiece of contemporary architecture and interior design. Expansive black reflective surfaces redirected the cool lighting. The table was rich polished hardwood with varnish so dark it nearly appeared black as well, but contained unimaginable depths. Recessed computer terminals sat before every overstuffed, leather-upholstered chair. Juice had kicked off the meal by formally introducing Sally to the rest of the team, speaking in his best courtroom voice while she stood beside him and tried hard not to blush or fidget or do anything that made her look amateurish. At last, relieved, she got to return to her seat to enjoy her dinner. They’d been offered choices that sounded like something from a fancy restaurant, and Sally had picked pork loin stuffed with apricots, parsley potatoes, and cranberry-walnut salad. “God, this is amazing,” she said between bites.
    “Our house chef… Everyone says he’s a low-grade precognitive,” Jason said to Sally. He was in his brown and gray Mastiff outfit. It was skintight, and showed off every muscle contour, which Sally found distracting. He had his mask pulled down around his neck so as not to hinder his food intake and his gloves lay folded neatly next to his plate.
    “What does that mean?”
    “He knows exactly what you want to eat even before you do.” Jason smiled. “All I know, though, is that I’ve never been disappointed.”
    Sally grinned. “I can’t imagine you turning down food.” During the meal, he’d put away enough food for three normal people, and ate with incredible enthusiasm and gusto.
    “Yeah, watch out for Jason,” said Jack Raymond from across the table. “Get too close and you’re liable to lose an arm.” Known as Crackerjack, he was the public face of Just Cause and acted as the team’s press agent and publicist. Sally remembered his Saturday Night Live hosting gig back in 1999, and people still aped his tagline from the skit spoofing Just Cause—“ Whoa… I didn’t expect that to happen! ” His unique power was total invulnerability. No known weapon or force could injure him. He specialized in espionage and dirty tricks. He eschewed a traditional superhero costume for a SWAT outfit instead. Jack was dangerously handsome, with his curly hair, just starting to go gray around the temples, and devilish good looks. A couple of days’ stubble only added to his roguish appearance. His eyes sparkled with amusement.
    “My mom can’t cook to save her life,” said Sally. “And before that was dorm food at the Academy. I’d be happy with anything edible.”
     “The food here is more than just edible,” said Sondra—Desert Eagle. She sat near Jack but far enough apart from the others so as not to inconvenience anyone with her wings. Normally, she wore thigh holsters loaded with custom-manufactured large-caliber automatic pistols and bandoleers of clips, but she had come to dinner unarmed. “You’ll have to step up your workout routine just to keep from filling out your costume in the wrong places.”
    “Yes, indeed,” said Eric, resplendent in his bright blue Forcestar costume. He created and controlled force fields that were virtually unbreakable. He could wrap one around himself to fly, or he could use them as great clubs, wedges, and walls. “The trials and tribulations of the Spandex set.”
    “I’m glad I don’t have to worry about that,” said Jay Road, known as Glimmer, the psionicist. He had no set costume and generally wore jeans and a denim jacket in public. Authorities had found him wandering along a country road in Oklahoma after a series of tremendous thunderstorms and tornadoes several years ago. He couldn’t remember anything about his past—not even his name—but had strong psionic abilities from telepathy to levitation to psionic healing. He could even see occasional glimpses of the future, although the power was uncontrolled and visions came to him without warning or