The Paladin: A Teenage Superhero Story

Chapter 12

Saturday

December 18th

After that run in with Tres I knew I couldn't just leave things the way I did with the Paladin. I had a job to do and I wasn't going to let my self-pity get in the way of other people suffering. So after that, I reopened the trafficking case and started a new one. The Romero File. My dad had been pretty sloppy with his file storage, even after Alicia stumbled across her mother's file. It took me all of five minutes to pick the lock to the desk drawer in his study, and another five to photocopy the whole thing and return it exactly the way he left it. This was a good place to start but if my dad couldn't make it work then I doubted I could, I needed more. In the midst of composing all of my evidence I heard the doorbell ring. My siblings were gone for the day and my parents had gone to work so I was curious as to who it might be. I opened up the door and hopping from foot to foot, doing the 'I'm cold as hell dance' in an attempt to stay warm was Johnny.

"Hey... Johnny. I didn't know you were stopping by," I greeted suspiciously.

"Can we talk?" he asked. I had a feeling I knew what he wanted to talk about, but I let him in any way. After hanging up his coat and taking off his boots we went up into my room where I quickly gathered up all my files and stacked them out of sight.

"So what's up?" I questioned.

"You gotta talk to Samantha and say something man. Ever since Thanksgiving she's been off and ever since last weekend she's on another level. She's been reckless, and emotional, and as her friend, I can take that, but not as her partner. She's gonna get one of us killed," he insisted.

"No offense Johnny, but I don't have to do anything," I replied. He gave me a disapproving look. "Look, I know you're trying to help your friend. But with all due respect to Samantha, I'm done with her bullshit."

"What happened on Thanksgiving? She said she screwed up and she felt terrible but you two never said why. What exactly did she do?"

"Figures. She humiliated me Johnny, and believe it or not I'd rather get shot with depleted uranium rounds then to go through that shit again. And that unfortunately is not an exaggeration."

"Is that your excuse for not hitting the streets in four weeks? Broken heart?" he asked. He got me good, I wasn't about to tell him I was back on the case, I didn't want to make any false promises.

"What was it you said? I'm a teenager, got to act like it once in a while?" I countered. He didn't have a response for that one. "Things have changed Johnny, time to catch up. It was fun for a bit but your dream of a super team is over," I dismissed.

"Whatever man. I'm just telling you now, superhero or not, you want to stay friends with Samantha? Say something now, or risk losing her forever," he warned, heading for the door.

"Going so soon?" I questioned, not actually against him leaving, if nothing else than to alleviate me of the guilt he was laying on.

"Some of us still got work to do Booker, traffickers found new ways in, and according to them the guy who's buying put in his last purchase a week ago. If we can't find him now we'll lose him forever," he informed. That's not good. It was messed up to think, but as soon as the buyer stopped buying he became a ghost, so in a messed up way I found myself almost hoping he would keep doing illegal things so I could find him.

"You guys will find him," I assured.

"You don't believe that," he replied. I didn't, I wasn't even able to find him and no offense to them, they were amateurs. I had years of my father's detective advice to fall back on where as they were playing it by ear. Who ever was ordering those people was probably in the wind by that point, never to be found. "Whatever, I'll see you around," he finalized, closing the door behind him. Mr. Romero wants you to talk to you in his office in an hour. It was from Suzy, and if it went like the last two times someone asked me to talk, I didn't have much to be excited about. Be right there.