The Enhanced Ones (paused)

Ch. 17 Mercy

Faith goes up to a nearby roof and watches as Beau, in little girl form, and I head inside the building.

The revolving glass doors barely whisper as we pass into the lobby. The high ceilings send the stuccato sound of my slouched stilleto boots back down to us.

"You could have dressed for the occasion." Beau says looking up at me from under obscenely long lashes.

"I could have." I say. Then I tilt a leg so that Beau can see the wide array of buckles running down the outside. "But dont you think they are so fetching?"

"I'll give you my answer when I'm not wearing a dress."

We reach the security desk. To our left are elevators and to the right a plaza with, mostly closed shops.

"Can I help you?" A skinny older man asks with a bored look.

I give my sweetest smile and lean into the counter. "My niece needs to use the little girl's room. Where would that be?"

The man nods with a resigned sigh then pushes himself in his wheeled chair to a far drawer. He begins rumaging for what I assume is the bathroom key. I make the visibility of my hand whispy and quickly snatch up an access card lying next to some files. The card vanishes in my grasp and my skin regains its color right as the man shoves himself back towards us.

"It's just around the corner." He uses the hand holding the key to gesture. I offer my thanks then grab Beau's hand and escort his girl form to the ladies. It's a room of generous size considering it contains only one seat.

"Key card please." A deep voice asks from behind me. I turn and see a bulky man in a janitor's suit.

"And how do you know they wear that here?" I ask placing a hand on my cocked hip.

He smiles, "When do they not?" As he finishes entering the room the door clicks shut behind him.

"Good point." I hold out the key card. He takes it and it dissapears into a pocket somewhere. "You still haven't explained the whole outfit change situation you know." I comment as he turns to the mirrow to adjust a receading hairline.

"Havn't I? Grizzled eyebrows shoot up wrinkling a wide forehead.

"No."

"Oh." He pauses then finishes his attempt at sprusing up a hopeless mess.

"So what's the plan?" I ask growing annoyed with his physical choice.

"You'll see." He says simply.

I'm supposed to be the ambiguous one. I turn towards the mirror as well but not to look at myself but to see what might be in the wall. As my finger checks my lipstick my eyes roam over pipes looking for any discrepencies. If there is a secret passage somewhere we should be able to find it.

"Why don't you go down stairs and see if you can get in through there."

"Fine." I say calmly.

I walk out of the ladies room and drop off the key.

"Have a good one." The security official says. I wave over my shoulder not bothering with niceties. I head to the elevator. I select down and wait. Behind me I can hear Beau's new voice begin talking to the security. The doors open and I step into the empty box. I select the parking level then watch as the digital numbers count down to 'P'. It's a short ride, just enough time to change. I lean against the wall and pull off my heels. The backpack on my shoulders becomes visible and I pull a pair of simple mocassins out. I put them on then carefully place my boots in the bag.The doors slide open and echo out into a sea of cars boxed in by earth and concrete. I step out, my shoes not making a single whisper of sound. I make sure no camera's can see me then I make sure no one can see me and dissapear. I look down and see my hand like a faint heat wave. Just a blur. I've checked with others that even a faint hint of me is impossible. I remove my bag from my back and finish my transformation. I pull my hair into a pony tail and slip on a pair of heavy leggings and a simple t-shirt. If I were to be visible one would dismiss me easily. I place my white dress in with my boots. I pick my bag up into its familiar spot on my back and head back towards the elevator.

The doors open before I can reach them and out walks a man in a very nice suit. He's is underground but he is wearing sunglasses. I duck behind a pillar and watch as he slowly walks in my direction. A cold shiver runs down my back as I watch him. Something is wrong. The closer he gets the stronger my urge to run away. But why? He can't see me.

His dress shoes make a soft click on the ground. Each step a deliberate movement. Not a single twitch of muscle is wasted in his approach. About half way to me he lifts his hand and I cringe. The car next to me unlocks and I jump looking around then I notice the button in his hand. I need to get out of here, I think to myself. I move to step away from the pillar and find that my hand is stuck to it. Panic kick starts my adrenaline and it's all I can do to keep silent as I struggle to free myself.

"I have hold of her." A female voice says. The man I had been watching rounds the pillar and looks right at me a wide smile revealing fangs.

"Looks like the glasses work Orelia, you should tell Gabi when you see her next." The man's voice is so smooth I almost wish I didn't have the desire to kill him on the spot. "Give it up I can see you."

"Inaccurate. You can see an outline of what should be visible but is obscured." The female voice corrects him.

"Whatever." The man says. He reaches for my arm. I swipe his feet out from undr him and send a kick to his gut. He weezes and the female voice let't out a shocked sound. I had been pulling on my hand the whole time so in the flicker of a moment when the female was distracted I fell back into the car. Free I let out a laugh of triumph. The laugh dies in my throat as the man gets back to his feet. "Bad idea." He says looking right at me. I turn and run.