Page 39 of Urban Justice

Chapter 17

Much later,as Sloane dressed, Luke went to grab something to eat in the kitchen, not that he was that hungry. He knew he should fill his stomach, but he was distracted, and cooking was the last thing on his mind. He was grateful to find some ready-mixed protein bottles stocked in the fridge. He didn’t want to think about what had happened earlier. He’d made himself vulnerable, for the first time in a very long time, and to the worst possible person. How could he have imagined building anything with Sloane? It was clear he’d scared her to death, which was far from the love he’d hoped to see in her eyes. It was a reality check he’d be best to remember.

As he gulped down the drink, Luke had to admit that this place was nice, homey. He didn’t see anyone else, but it was clear the place was used a lot. The kitchen was the central point of the level, with a large living room opposite the sleeping quarters.

Were there others around? With a brief glance at the elevator, he supposed that if there were, they’d be downstairs. Weren’t those working for the Vigilante active at night?

Maybe he should have waited for Sloane, but he wanted to dig on his own, without the filter of her coloring the information she gave him.

The elevator door slid open as he approached, probably due to a motion detector, and the control panel was a slick wooden piece with four unidentified buttons. Luke pressed the last one on the bottom and the doors closed on him. The ride was quick and smooth, and opened to a sort of garage combined with a storage room. Wooden boxes were stacked on one side, and there were dark cases too. Curious, he stepped out of the elevator to look around.

The area was way bigger than he’d anticipated, and his first impression wasn’t exact. Once past the boxes, he found himself in a high-tech armory. Everything was military grade and kept in perfect order, most probably for quick access. On the other end was a vast parking area, with various vehicles, all matted black or deep gray, and also ordinary vehicles, most probably the civilian ones of the people working here. However, he didn’t see the one Sloane had used the night before. In fact, he was certain they’d parked on another level as he would’ve remembered the setup.

Back at the elevator, Luke pressed the second to last button and he felt the lift going up for a few seconds. The doors slid open and this time, he remembered having been there. The place was no longer empty though. Two people were at the control center that looked more and more like some starship’s helm, and four people were completing drills in the training area. When he looked on the far side, he saw the small parking area they’d left the car in, and it was still there.

Everything stopped the moment he stepped out of the elevator, all eyes turning to him. He recognized Lance on the mats with Melina. He also recognized the brown-haired man who’d greeted him last wearing a funny t-shirt, but the three others were complete strangers.

The more he learned about the Vigilante thing, the more he discovered how complex it was, and that it was more than a single-person operation as he’d initially thought.

It was Lance who came to him first, the others waiting to follow his lead. It was clear that the blond mountain of a man wasn’t happy about the situation, but the animosity had lessened a bit.

“Professor Radcliffe. Glad to see you’re up and about. Your head wound seems better too.”

Extending his hand, Luke took it without hesitation. “Yes, definitely better. I want to thank you for saving my life and taking care of me. I know Sloane did some of the heavy lifting, but I see it’s teamwork too. Know that I’m grateful, and you don’t have to worry I’ll say a word to anyone about all this.”

They were only words, but what Luke said was the truth. It wasn’t for him to judge whether what they’d done in Chicago was legal or not, but he couldn’t deny the results.

Lance seemed to consider his statement. “From what we gathered from your file, I think we can believe you on that. But know if you change your mind, there will be consequences.”

“You were the ones that came to me, and I’ve been anything but deceptive, so you can stuff your threat for all I care.”

It wasn’t obvious, but the others closed the circle around them. Luke knew he didn’t stand a chance against the warrior, not in his physical state, or his lack of training, but he’d never been the kind of man to back down when attacked.

“Sloane had to make the call to reveal who she was, and the circumstances didn’t leave much choice in her bringing you here, but don’t expect us to trust you without question.”

Crossing his arms over his chest, Luke looked around. “You probably know every single thing about my life.”

Lance’s mouth quivered a little. “We only go that deep if we need to bring someone down. Hasn’t happened yet.”

The tension eased a bit.

“Fair enough. You can cast me down to hell if I ever reveal anything about Sloane. But I know the work she does, and I wouldn’t want Chicago’s Vigilante to disappear. Not when criminals are threatening to take it over.”

A low chuckle came from the rest of the group, and when Lance stepped aside, it was clear the team members present were amused. One of them, a blond man came forward. “So Sloane is the only Vigilante?”

If they were all determined to be open and honest, Luke was determined to do the same as he put the pieces together. “You’re the Vigilante too... all of you.” Nobody had to respond to the statement for Luke to know he’d been right. Some reported the Vigilante to be a giant, others small and thin... it all made sense now. He would’ve put the pieces together eventually, even without Sloane’s earlier revelation. “How does it work? You flip a coin and you put your suit on? Or you have a schedule on the wall?”

Now, laughter bubbled, and the blond man came forward. “You’re funny. I see why Sloane likes you. I’m Sam. And no, we don’t have a schedule.”

Lance growled in menace, but Sam rolled his eyes. “Come on, Lance. He’s here and he already knows most of it. And you said all the required threats, including death. What’s more to say?”

Sam clapped Luke’s shoulder. “Not everyone who works here goes out as the Vigilante. A few are here just for support. The only rule is that only one goes out at a time, for the duration of a specific mission.”

It was similar to military-style planning, but one that made sense. That way, the person in charge could be completely focused on what needed to be done, but also have real rest and downtime.

Sam introduced him to one of the others, a guy named Arno Caldera who didn’t say much. Melina winked at him as Sam went to the command center. The other warriors resumed training, but it was clear that their attention was still on him.

“This is Devin. He mostly mans the computer.”

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