Two (Countdown Book 5)

Chapter 7

"We needs to close it down and check each pod indiviudally." I told the matenance manager tiredly. After taking down a thirty foot tall T-Rex, most people would get at least a pat on the back. Instead, I'd been given another assignment.

"Who did you say you were again?" the guy squinted at me, and I held up my badge again.

"Eli Moore," I sighed. "I'm a government agent."

"You don't look old enough." he challenged, and I wondered if he was trying to annoy me. "Maybe I should just call the police."

I was tired, battered and hungry. I didn't want to spend the next half hour arguing with someone over whether or not I could check for the next historical figure I didn't want to find. "I'm putting you under arrest for obstruction." I said eventually, getting out my cuffs. "Turn around."

"Now, wait here, you can't just-" I snapped the cuffs over his wrist, and nodded to Mackenzie, who stopped the Eye and checked the first pod. I clipped the other cuff to the railings, told the guy to stay put and went to help Mackenzie.

She glanced over her shoulder. "Looks like the press are here." she sighed.

I noticed the camera crews and reporters getting out of big vans. "You want to deal with them?" I asked, half-smiling. "You look better on camera than I do."

"Yeah, but you sound more proffessional."

"You're older." I smiled fully this time, and she glared at me. Age trumped everything.

"Fine." she muttered. As I lowered the next pod, she began talking to the news crews.

"There's nothing to see here, clear off." she said. She sounded exhausted, as I undoubtedly did too. I thought back for a moment, trying to remember when I'd last got an uninterrupted night's sleep. I couldn't.

I checked the next pod, asking each passenger the year, before clearing them off and letting them be on their merry way. As the next pod docked, the news crews began asking Mackenzie questions. She turned to the local police.

"Can you get them out of here?" she snapped. "This is government business and-"

I heard the unmistakable sound of someone screaming from one of the higher pods. I looked over at Mackenzie, and, as the news reporters hollered at her, she turned and ran back after me. Winding my arm around her waist, I allowed the gravity beneath us to disappear.

There was a lot of shouting and disbelief from the civilians bellow, as we rose up. Boston had told us to only use our powers if people were in danger, and I figured this was good enough. As we reached the top pod, where a brawl appeared to be taking place, I began to feel light-headed. We manouvered our way to the roof, and dropped down.

As I struggled to regain my breath, Mackenzie opened the hatch. She put a hand on my arm, and I nodded. We didn't talk, but an understanding passed between us. She dropped through the hatch, and I followed quickly after her.

There were two guys brawling in the middle of the pod. A woman stood to one side, her hands clasped over her face. I assumed she'd been the scream I heard. I also assumed that her and one of the two men had been on a romantic evening trip up here when they'd been rudely interrupted by...

"Oh my god." I muttered, grabbing one of the guys and pulling him away from the other one. Mackenzie grabbed hold of the second guy, and pulled him away. When she realised who it was, however, she let go of him like he had some kind of infectious disease. Then, almost on impulse, she balled up her fist and punched him hard in the face.

He collapsed to the ground, his eyes closed. He was unconscious.

"You just... you just hit..." I stared at her like she was crazy. She just stared at the guy, breathing hard, looking slightly surprised. "Christ, Kenzie, you can't just punch Hitler!"