Anna blushed.
“I’d… do the same for any injured champion on our team,” she said. “Even though technically Ben worked in the field, and not just in Vanderbrook. Still the same, though.”
“Right,” said Malcolm. “Nothing to read into there.”
Tapestry rolled her eyes at him.
“Morph, you should probably head to my place to report in with Wax and Savior,” she said. “Greenthumb will be alright on his own. If Rain Dancer’s faction was going to make a move against him, they would have already done it.”
“You’re probably right,” said Anna. She hesitated for a second. “Just… tell Ben that I’ll be back soon, okay?”
“Sure,” said Malcolm, smiling.
Anna headed down the hallway, toward the elevator. The door to Greenthumb’s hospital room was closed, and the shades were drawn over the windows on either side. Malcolm knocked, and heard a familiar male voice invite them in.
Greenthumb was wearing a hospital gown, and had a clean bandage wrapped around his head. He looked tired and thin, which was a little worrying, given his usually hardy appearance. A woman with brown hair and a baby in her arms sat in a chair next to his bed, frowning.
“Wind Runner…” said Greenthumb. “And Tapestry. Good to see the two of you.”
“Good to see you, too, Ben,” said Tapestry. “How are you doing?”
“Fine,” said Greenthumb. “As far as I’m concerned, I’m ready to get back into the field.”
The woman glared at Greenthumb.
“No, you aren’t,” she said, her voice sharp. “Ben, we talked about this.”
“Carol…” Greenthumb sighed. “I’m not retiring. I know you want me to, but it just isn’t happening.”
“You aren’t in your twenties anymore, Ben!” said the woman. “And really… think about what you’re doing? Think about what your job involves. Why would you want to keep doing that?”
“Because I’m good at it,” said Greenthumb. “And because I enjoy it.”
“You enjoy killing innocent people?” asked Carol.
“The monsters aren’t innocent!” snapped Greenthumb.
The baby started crying. Greenthumb’s girlfriend shot him a look, and slowly coaxed the child back to silence.
“Ben…” she said. “There’s a reason why protests are happening, all around the country. You… might be on the wrong side of history.”
She shot Malcolm and Tapestry an apologetic look.
I feel like now would be a good time for us to leave…
“We’ve talked about this before, Carol,” said Greenthumb. “You know I’m not going to change my mind. Let’s just let it drop for now.”
Greenthumb’s girlfriend sighed and focused her attention down on the child in her arms.
“Anyway,” said Greenthumb. “Let Savior know that I’ll check in with him as soon as the doctors clear me for duty. It shouldn’t be more than a few days, if not later this afternoon.”
“I will,” said Tapestry. She nodded to both Greenthumb and his girlfriend, and left the hospital room.
“Wind Runner,” said Greenthumb. “Hold on a sec.”
Malcolm stopped short of the door. Greenthumb looked him in the eyes, his face growing very serious.
“Let me know if you hear anything about Melt,” he said.
Melt had been Greenthumb’s former partner, a champion who’d turned into a demon during a fight with Rose. Malcolm had been there too, and had in a real sense been at least slightly culpable in Melt’s transformation, having fought to break the battle up instead of fighting against his friend.
“I will,” said Malcolm. “I… I’m sorry. For what happened.”
“It wasn’t your fault,” said Greenthumb. He held Malcolm’s gaze, and there was something vaguely intrusive about the way his eyes bored into him. “Don’t hesitate, if you go up against him. Fight with everything you have. There’s no doubt in my mind that he’ll kill you or any other champion that tries to show him mercy.”
“Ben!” snapped Carol. “That’s your partner that you’re talking about! How can you say that?”
Greenthumb cleared his throat.
“You should go catch up with Tapestry,” he said, to Malcolm.
“Right,” he said. “Take care.”
He left the hospital room, feeling a bit shaken.
CHAPTER 12
Tapestry was waiting in the parking lot, leaning against her BMW with her phone. She glanced up at Malcolm as he walked toward her, the wind blowing a few strands of blonde hair across her face.
“Wax says we need to drop by the house to pick up the clothes he bought for us,” she said. “We’ll head out to the casino as soon as we do.”
“Sounds good.” Malcolm climbed into the passenger seat. “Know anything about our target? Golden Joab… it’s hard to guess at much from his name.”
“A couple of news reports, here and there,” said Tapestry, sounding a little discouraged. “I’m surprised Savior is sending us after him. The only reason why there’s buzz around him potentially being gifted is because nobody has figured how he does his tricks.”
Malcolm considered it for a moment.
“That would probably be the easiest approach for us to take, you know,” he said. “If we could catch him using his powers in action, in the middle of a show, he wouldn’t be able to ignore the Champion Authority’s attention any longer.”
Tapestry shrugged.
“Maybe,” she said. “It’s funny, the reason why he can still make a living off his magic is because nobody can prove that he’s gifted. People don’t like watching people that have proven superpowers doing that kind of show. It’s as though it ruins the mystery of it.”
“People are weird,” said Malcolm. “News at 11.”
Tapestry smirked at him.
Wax had several bags already packed for them back at Tapestry’s house. Tapestry spoke with Melanie for a couple of minutes, reiterating her message about parties being off limits.
“I’m serious, Melanie,” she said. “It isn’t about me not wanting you to have fun. It would draw too much attention to the house, which is currently serving as our temporary headquarters.”
“Has anyone ever told you that you’re bad at trusting people?” asked Melanie.
Malcolm chuckled.
“We should get moving,” he said. “Wax, is there anything else we should know?”
Wax ran a hand over his smooth, bald head.
“I suspect that Rain Dancer might also make a move on Golden Joab soon,” said Wax. “Possibly at the same time as the two of you. Be on guard. This could end up being a much more dangerous assignment than it sounds.”
“Sure, sure,” said Malcolm.
We’re staying at a hotel in a casino. Even if it’s dangerous, it’ll still be the most fun I’ve had at work in a very long time.
“Alright,” said Tapestry. She looked at Melanie. “Remember to lock the doors before heading to bed. We’ll be back soon.”
The Hawktail Casino was a couple of hours outside of Vanderbrook, nestled in a small slice of Native American territory in the middle of a wildlife reserve. The area was ill suited for farming, with only scrub grass and weeds growing for miles around.
The drive went quickly, with Malcolm taking a turn for the second half. The casino stood out like a sore thumb on the empty grass plains. It was several buildings, more of a small, urban settlement than a single structure.
The hotel was a ten-story tower with all the expected extras. There were several pools on one side, a large garden with a couple of greenhouses in the back, and several outdoor eating areas. The casino itself was a long rectangular building attached by a slender hallway. Everything was plastered with neon lights and gaudy decorations.
Malcolm drove the car into the main parking area, leaving it to a valet as several bagboys helped them with their luggage. Tapestry looked a little out of her element, which was also exactly how he felt.