Page 33 of Fanning the Flames

After splashing water on her face and quickly brushing her teeth, she went to put on one of the pairs of sneakers at the door. “Wait,” Sadie called, hurrying from the bedroom in her pink-and-white-striped pajamas.

She launched herself at Joan and hugged tight. “Be safe,” Sadie said.

“I will.”

“I love you so much.”

“I love you more than anything.”

“Let me know what’s going on when you can.”

“I’ll try.”

They kissed, and then Joan forced herself to pull away. She typed in the code to disarm the alarm. She hadn’t even realized she’d stopped setting it before all this new activity began.

Sadie watched her from the doorway until they lost sight of each other.

Joan took the stairs to the parking garage to jog off nervous energy. Knowing Sadie was safe was the one thing easing her mind.

She spent the short drive trying not to freak out while texting with Mark. It had to be another push for information, like Zee and Kade grilling them after the Smash incident. Thathadto be it.

She drove up to the imposing concrete structure behind Mark’s bright-blue sports car. Perry got out of the passenger seat before the car stopped moving.

A short young dude in glasses and a dark suit stepped out from under one of the soaring arches. The new-ish sidekick, right. He waved them around the side of the building. Perry made the angriest face he’d ever made and got back in Mark’s car.

A garage door opened. Joan hastened to park and meet up with her brother and Per. Mark took one look at her and said, “Whoa there, Anxious Annie. Relax. Don’t let them see you sweat.”

Perry looked like he was quite literally going to rip someone’s head off. Joan nodded at him. “Maybe you should tell that to Angry Andy.”

He responded with a string of furious curses in Portuguese.

New Sidekick entered the garage. “Thank you for coming.”

“Like we had a choice?” Joan said.

“Hey, New Sidekick,” Mark said.

“Ward,” the sidekick said.

“Ward. Right. You’re still here? Good for you.”

“Please follow me. The Supers are waiting for you.”

They didn’t go into the large lobby, but rather around to a back staircase. It felt kind of weird in here. Off, like there was something static in the air. Or maybe that was her heightened energy mixing with Perry’s.

Ward led them into a brightly lit conference room with a long, oval black table, two large TV screens…

And all four Superheroes sitting and staring at them.

“Hi, guys,” Kade said with a broad grin. “It’s good to see you.”

Darlene glared at Joan with her usual disdain. What was she wearing? Some kind of boxy striped turtleneck sweater with chunky square buttons.

They weren’t in their Hero outfits. That was a good thing.

“It must be early for you,” Ward said. “May I offer you some coffee or tea?”

“I’ll take coffee with milk and sugar,” Mark said conversationally. How the fuck was he so calm?

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