G.U.A.R.D. Book #2: Aberrations

-6-

     "Stop sneaking around," Slade commanded. "We're supposed to be normal people."

Winter straightened from her bent-over position. I rolled my eyes with a small sigh. We walked towards my house from across the street. Max had stayed back in the car with Cindy, while Lee Slade led Winter, Anthony, and I to the house. Anthony actually walked from a distance, acting like he was a normal teenager on a walk. We debated for a while who would go and who would remain behind. Obviously, Cindy had to stay due to her wound. Winter and Anthony initially offered to wait with her; they were all best friends. Max didn't have a problem with that, since he wasn't in the mood for his little sister to get hurt, not to mention Cindy was happiest with them anyway. But Slade reasoned Winter would probably need some fresh air after that little flight we took, and Anthony was a "metahuman." Still unclear on what that was, only that a metahuman was someone with powers. With all the things that happened, I honestly didn't know if it surprised me or not.

So it was decided, then, that Winter and Anthony would be going. Max would stay behind with Cindy. On some unsaid note, it was agreed I would be going. Winter would be with us, while Anthony held back and kept a lookout. Slade gave him a spare earpiece, just in case. Upon seeing it, Winter instantly begged aggressively for one (classic her), but the G.U.A.R.D. agent most definitely disagreed to the thought. So that's where we came in, walking across the road to get to my house. I was surprised when we walked straight past Miss Sanderson's house. I thought we would sneak into her yard, and then into mine, considering that's what I did last time.

Leaning in, I whispered, "What are we doing?"

Slade looked at me, a little amused. "Your house, of course."

I looked to the brown bloodstains on my basketball shorts uncertainly, then to the much-larger stains on my shirt. Would this really pass as a new fashion statement? Ugh, we should've thought this through more. Slade was the secret agent! Why hadn't he noticed?

The man strode right up my walkway, totally ignoring the police tape around the place. Two different police officers were there now. Before following, I stole a glance back at the Hunter household. It was getting a whole lot more attention than the Light house. More police tape wound around the scene. Fire trucks circled the area, and the firefighters were hosing down the last of the flames. A few reporters also stood in front, their vans on the curb, and camera operators filming them.

"Come on," I told Winter quietly.

"Sir, I don't think you three should be in here," one of the police officers said as Winter and I joined Slade.

"Hello, gentlemen," Slade answered casually, hands in pockets. "Would you like a doughnut? There is this amazing Dunkin' Doughnuts just right down the road."

I gazed at Slade unbelievingly. What is he doing?

"Who are you?" the other officer questioned in an irritated tone.

"Is that a no? 'Cause I was thinking about going down there right now." Slade pointed behind him, as if the restaurant was right behind us. He dropped it again and uttered half to himself, "I thought all police officers ate doughnuts."

"Sir, you shouldn't be in here. If you haven't noticed, this is a crime scene."

"Which is exactly why I'm here," Slade told them. Then he stepped up and slung his arm out to the officer. "Detective Mike Saunders. The department sent me down to do a little snooping."

"The department?" The officer looked uneasily to his partner and shook Slade's hand. "Why didn't they call us?"

Slade snorted. "When do they inform you guys of anything?"