“Xander?” I almost didn’t recognize the voice. I turned slowly, unsure of why Aiden might be at the hospital yet again. We really needed to work on our meeting locations.
“Is that him?” Lei whispered, leaning against my back. “Now I see why you edited those photos so much, big boy.”
“Go to the truck. I’ll be out in a moment.”
“Not a chance in?—”
I shot her a look that made it clear there was no negotiating.As she gave me the once over, I could almost hear her debating if she could take me in a fight. My biceps were as thick as her throat, and even then, I’d most likely bet on her.
“What are you doing here?”
“I hadn’t even gotten into the concert when a trio of villains showed up. It’s the first big event in Vanguard since the depowering. I knew something was going to happen.”
“You went looking for trouble?”
“I don’t remember you complaining when I saved your life.” Try as I might, I couldn’t argue with that logic. I’d certainly try, but it’d be a losing battle.
“I, uh…” I ran my hand across the stubble on my skull. Each day I made a thousand decisions, resulting in people living or dying, but nothing was harder than showing even the tiniest bit of gratitude. Much like the photo, it was time to pull the trigger and deal with the fallout later. “Thank you. You know, for saving me. I’d be dead if it wasn’t for you.”
“Some heroes wear capes, others…” he gestured in my direction. I was many things, but a hero wasn’t one of them. While the heroes hid and licked their wounds, I still had a job to do. Not all of us had the luxury of an alter ego.
“Are we finally going to nail down that coffee date?”
I appreciated his determination. My schedule was generally a nightmare, and it appeared his wasn’t much better. Two men married to their jobs. Nothing about thiswas going to end well. We couldn’t manage a thirty-minute lunch date over a hot beverage and I was sitting here thinking… what was I thinking? When did I go from imagining him naked to giggling like a schoolgirl?
“Xander?”
“Tonight? I get?—”
“No.” His voice was barely audible, as if he were trying to share a secret he didn’t want anybody to hear. “Turn around slowly.”
“If you wanted to see my ass, I have photos.”
“Xander.”
The second time he used my name, there was a distinct lack of emotion. I followed his gaze past my shoulder. It took a moment before I saw the receptionist Lei had been speaking with. She had frozen in place, but it was the dark orbs that replaced her eyes that were unsettling. The vibrant nurse had vanished, and now she resembled something from a horror movie.
“There’s more of them.”
Aiden stopped being subtle. Pointing to a doctor, and then a patient on a gurney, each of them suffered the same affliction. The more I looked about the emergency room, the more it appeared to be spreading.
“We need to get to the door,” I whispered.
I grabbed Aiden’s hand, ready to bolt for the exit. Three security guards blocked our path, each of them dark-eyed. I debated on charging through them, even with their handsresting on their weapons. I might be able to withstand a few slugs, but I couldn’t put Aiden at risk.
“They’re not moving,” he whispered.
The room filled with whispers from the frozen people. The sounds coming from their mouths came in breathy gasps. None of their mouths moved as they attempted to speak. The effect made the entire lobby sound like a creepy echo chamber.
“How much longer till I see a doctor?” A man yelled from the sitting area.
Before he could leave the waiting room, one of the security guards jumped on him. Others screamed, but it was nearly impossible to tell who was normal and who had become possessed. The emergency room descended into chaos as people scrambled for the exit.
“Follow me.” I pulled Aiden close, pinching his elbow to guide him away from the anarchy. The last time we touched, I had nearly died, and now it happened again. I was wondered if the world was trying to give us a hint.
I spent more than my share of time in the hospital. The primary hallways were only part of the labyrinth of corridors used by the staff. If people were going to tear into one another, I wanted away. After being shot, I didn’t think they could hurt me, but the box cutter left me with doubts. I also couldn’t risk Aiden. I was going to get that coffee date one way or another.
“Crap.” We had barely gone twenty feet when a securityguard blocked the door leading away from the emergency room. We slowed, and I turned around, ready to drag Aiden out another way.
