She gasped for breath and struggled against the crimson force.
Jack didn’t move. “Come on, this isn’t the way you want this to go. You’ve seen the movies… you know how it ends when you take hostages . ”
“We’re walking out of here , ” called the woman. “And you can’t stop us or we start killing them, starting with your friend.”
“Let’s make a deal,” called Jack. “You release all the hostages and you can take me instead.”
“No deal,” she said.
“Come on,” said Jack in his most convincing voice. “My team isn’t going to attack you if you’re holding me. Let’s just let you guys get out of here with a minimum of fuss and bother and let these poor people get back to their loved ones.”
The big man holding the roll of paper looked nervous. “ Él tiene quizá razón, Pistola. ”
“Shut up, Cañón ,” hissed Pistola. “I know what I’m doing.”
“You guys know who I am?” Jack called to the security guards in English.
“Yes, sir,” replied one of the Treasury guards.
“Then you know I have the authority to order you guys to get the fuck out of here. Clear out. As of right now, this incident is under the jurisdiction of Just Cause and Homeland Security. You’re complicating things and people are going to die.”
The guards paused, uncertain what to do.
“Move it!”
One of the guards made a decision. “Okay, guys. You heard the man. We ain’t getting paid to stop supervillains.”
“But, Chuck…” started one of the men who plainly wanted to play hero.
“Shut up, Joe. I want to live to get my pension.”
The other man shrugged. “Good point.” The guards backed out through the doors to leave the printing floor vacant except for Jack, the cowboys, and their hostages.
“All right,” called Jack. “Now are you guys going to play ball or what?”
Sally twitched a little as she tried to find some weak spot in the energy ribbon binding her, but it held her so tight she could barely breathe. Nobody had ever managed to snare her when she was running at speed before. For the first time in her life, she’d found someone faster than her, and she was scared.
Pistola came to a decision. “All right, mister. You come down here and surrender and we’ll let these people go. Drop your weapons.”
Jack leaped down to the printing floor. Another man might have broken his legs in the drop, but Jack’s invulnerability protected him from harm. He set his guns on the ground and kicked them gently aside, then undid the clasps on his combat harness and let it fall to the floor. He smiled, put his hands on his head, and took a couple of steps forward. “Let the hostages go.”
“I don’t know, Pistola. He’s got something planned. I don’t trust him.” One of the cowboys was actually another cow girl , Sally realized, but with a butch haircut and square jaw.
“Quiet, Espada. I’ve got it under control.”
Jack waited patiently as Azote extended another energy ribbon around him and soon he lay on the ground next to Sally, trussed up like a rodeo calf. “How are you?” he whispered.
“Hurt.”
A worried expression crossed Jack’s face. “You going to be all right, kiddo?”
“I don’t know.” She was glad her goggles were cracked; Jack wouldn’t see her tears of fear and frustration.
“You shouldn’t have run off like that,” he chastized.
“I’m a speedster. Running off is what I do best.”
“Good point. So what’s the plan?”
“What do you mean, what’s the plan ? Don’t you have a plan?”
“No.” Jack gave her his best infectious grin. “Do you?”
“Idiot.” Sally grumbled. In spite of her dismay, Jack’s indomitablespirit made it difficult for her to remain miserable.
“You people get out of here right now,” Pistola shouted at the hostages. The hostages, stunned, looked around helplessly. “ Mierda, tengo que tirarlos para hacer que entienden? Move it before you get shot, dumbshits!”
The prisoners headed for
Jack didn’t move. “Come on, this isn’t the way you want this to go. You’ve seen the movies… you know how it ends when you take hostages . ”
“We’re walking out of here , ” called the woman. “And you can’t stop us or we start killing them, starting with your friend.”
“Let’s make a deal,” called Jack. “You release all the hostages and you can take me instead.”
“No deal,” she said.
“Come on,” said Jack in his most convincing voice. “My team isn’t going to attack you if you’re holding me. Let’s just let you guys get out of here with a minimum of fuss and bother and let these poor people get back to their loved ones.”
The big man holding the roll of paper looked nervous. “ Él tiene quizá razón, Pistola. ”
“Shut up, Cañón ,” hissed Pistola. “I know what I’m doing.”
“You guys know who I am?” Jack called to the security guards in English.
“Yes, sir,” replied one of the Treasury guards.
“Then you know I have the authority to order you guys to get the fuck out of here. Clear out. As of right now, this incident is under the jurisdiction of Just Cause and Homeland Security. You’re complicating things and people are going to die.”
The guards paused, uncertain what to do.
“Move it!”
One of the guards made a decision. “Okay, guys. You heard the man. We ain’t getting paid to stop supervillains.”
“But, Chuck…” started one of the men who plainly wanted to play hero.
“Shut up, Joe. I want to live to get my pension.”
The other man shrugged. “Good point.” The guards backed out through the doors to leave the printing floor vacant except for Jack, the cowboys, and their hostages.
“All right,” called Jack. “Now are you guys going to play ball or what?”
Sally twitched a little as she tried to find some weak spot in the energy ribbon binding her, but it held her so tight she could barely breathe. Nobody had ever managed to snare her when she was running at speed before. For the first time in her life, she’d found someone faster than her, and she was scared.
Pistola came to a decision. “All right, mister. You come down here and surrender and we’ll let these people go. Drop your weapons.”
Jack leaped down to the printing floor. Another man might have broken his legs in the drop, but Jack’s invulnerability protected him from harm. He set his guns on the ground and kicked them gently aside, then undid the clasps on his combat harness and let it fall to the floor. He smiled, put his hands on his head, and took a couple of steps forward. “Let the hostages go.”
“I don’t know, Pistola. He’s got something planned. I don’t trust him.” One of the cowboys was actually another cow girl , Sally realized, but with a butch haircut and square jaw.
“Quiet, Espada. I’ve got it under control.”
Jack waited patiently as Azote extended another energy ribbon around him and soon he lay on the ground next to Sally, trussed up like a rodeo calf. “How are you?” he whispered.
“Hurt.”
A worried expression crossed Jack’s face. “You going to be all right, kiddo?”
“I don’t know.” She was glad her goggles were cracked; Jack wouldn’t see her tears of fear and frustration.
“You shouldn’t have run off like that,” he chastized.
“I’m a speedster. Running off is what I do best.”
“Good point. So what’s the plan?”
“What do you mean, what’s the plan ? Don’t you have a plan?”
“No.” Jack gave her his best infectious grin. “Do you?”
“Idiot.” Sally grumbled. In spite of her dismay, Jack’s indomitablespirit made it difficult for her to remain miserable.
“You people get out of here right now,” Pistola shouted at the hostages. The hostages, stunned, looked around helplessly. “ Mierda, tengo que tirarlos para hacer que entienden? Move it before you get shot, dumbshits!”
The prisoners headed for
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