SECRET IDENTITY (2 page)

Chapter 1

Rescue

“It’s been a long, hard struggle to bring Dobbling Chemicals
here to Fullerton. But three years and sixty-eight million dollars later, we’re
here to celebrate the grand opening of the industry’s newest and most anticipated
member of Dobbling Enterprises.”

“Joining me today is the person everyone credits with this
endeavor, Miss Brenda McKay, head of Design and Development for Dobbling. How
does it feel, Ms. McKay, to finally see the results after such a hard-fought
battle?”

The reporter stuck the microphone in Brenda’s face, narrowly
missing hitting her in the nose. Brenda instinctively jerked her head back to
avoid it, then wondered how the whole thing looked on national television.
Pasting on one of her patented company smiles, she replied, “It’s a dream come
true, Karen! Dobbling Chemicals is quickly becoming well-respected and honored
for its discovery and manufacturing of seco-resonant plastics.”

“Plastics that are rapidly growing in demand from all
sectors of the retail market, as well as for military use, isn’t that correct?”

For military use.
The phrase acted like a code word,
instantly putting Brenda on full alert. If the reporter was hoping for some
juicy tidbits to verify the rumors that Dobbling was being courted by the pentagon,
she was going to be sorely disappointed.

“I don’t know about any military purposes,” she smoothly
contradicted. “But we have some applications coming up that we feel will
completely revolutionize the field of medicine.”

That comment put a sparkle in the reporter’s eyes. It was
enough to get the woman off of the topic of the military for at least the next
question.

“By medical, are you talking about surgical or preventative,
or…”

“Pharmaceutical,” Brenda offered. “Although I can’t say
anything more at this time.”

The reporter nodded, taking her mic back and turning to face
the camera. “Dobbling Chemicals has already hired sixty new employees from this
area, and plans to hire at least sixty more. Which is why the town of Fullerton
welcomes them with open arms, as this company pumps fresh blood and dollars
into its tired economy. Reporting for Channel Eight Eyewitness News, I’m Karen
Fox.”

Brenda stood off to the side to thank the woman once the
cameraman had killed the feed. It was always good policy to brown-nose the news
media. It helped to keep them as close bedfellows, which in turn kept public
opinion swayed toward the positive when it came to big business ventures like
Dobbling Enterprises. Joe Common Man off the street had a natural aversion to
big businesses, no thanks to huge corporations who squandered billions of
dollars in the past, then expected Mr. Common Man to help bail them out. And
then, once the bailout came through, basically gave their saviors the shaft as
thanks.

Which was why she had the kind of job she had. Behind her
pretty girl-next-door face and her home-grown manners, she had a sharp brain
and keen eye for dealing with the public.

The reporter raised an eyebrow to see her still standing there.
Brenda gave the woman a warm smile. “Thank you again for the interview. If you
don’t mind…” She handed the woman her business card. “Send me an email. That
way when I’m ready to release more information, I can get in touch with you.”

“Thanks.” The woman accepted the card, barely glancing at it
as her cameraman relieved her of her microphone. “Say, is it true you’re from
Fullerton?”

“It’s true. Born and raised here. It wasn’t until I
graduated from Fullerton High that I finally left town to go to college.”

“Bet you’re especially excited to see this company come in
then, aren’t you?”

“You have no idea.” Brenda lightly laughed, then glanced at
her watch. It was usually a ploy to end the conversation before it went any
further, although the reporter didn’t need to know that. But this time it was
also the truth. “Oh, my. I lost track of time. I’m late. I’m sorry, but I need
to go. Don’t forget to email me!”

With a little wave, Brenda turned to hurry back to where the
small crowd was gathered at the front of the main building for the ribbon
cutting.

The explosion was unexpected and devastating. Wood slivers
and chunks of brick shot outward, filling the air first with dust and
particles, then with lethal intent as poison began to fill the sky. People
screamed as shrapnel rocketed from the heart of the factory. An instant later,
another thunderous boom of released energy destroyed what was left of the walls
and windows. The roof literally melted like wet cotton candy.

Pandemonium ensued. Workers ran for their lives, but the
caustic gas was faster, and people fell, overcome by the burning fumes which
robbed them of breath. Brenda saw the flames ripping through the top of the
building, and immediately knew the worst had happened. She turned to race for
safety just as the wall of sound and debris swept over her and the rest of the
crowd.

Up ahead she caught sight of the news van. The cameraman was
about to close the door when he spotted her and frantically waved at her,
urging her to hurry. She screamed as her eardrums threatened to burst, and she
fell into the open door of the vehicle as a scalding chunk of plaster narrowly
missed striking her in the head. Somehow she managed to crawl over the carpeted
interior until she was far enough inside as the cameraman gave the door a hard
tug. The van’s side cargo hatch smoothly slid shut with a satisfying slam.

Behind her, the reporter wheezed as she fought for air. They
all were gasping. Through weeping eyes, Brenda watched as the cameraman hit a
switch on a panel, and tried to croak out a plea for help. Something in the
fumes was making their throats constrict. She panicked to think they could end
up suffocating to death.

Her ears were still ringing from the blast. Shrugging off
her jacket, she held it up to her nose, hoping it might help alleviate some of
the fumes. Wiping her eyes with the sleeve of her blouse, she rose up until she
could peer over the seats in the front of the van, but there was little to see
beyond the windshield. The yellowish cloud continued to boil, totally
obliterating everything from sight.

“Miss McKay.”

Her head whipped around to stare at the man huddled behind
her. The reporter lay unconscious on the carpet next to him. The man’s dark
complexion had turned almost ghost white.

“Call me Brenda.” She coughed. “And you are…”

“Alan.”

“Good to meet you, Alan. Sorry it had to be under these
conditions.”

The remark earned her a wan smile as the man coughed behind
a hand.

“It’s too quiet out there,” he managed to gasp.

The realization froze her blood. Too quiet. He was right.
The screaming had stopped. An image of the ground littered with bodies flashed
through her mind.
Oh, God, no.
It was too horrible to even consider, but
there was no telling what all had been in those fumes. The air could still be
toxic.
Oh, God, and it could be heading into town!

“Quick! Can you tell which w-way the wind’s blowing?”

“Hell if I know.”

“Can you drive us out of here?”

“Which way?” the man asked, pointing out the windshield. “That
stuff’s like s-soup. You can’t see past two inches out there.”

“Well, we can’t stay here. Can you reach the TV station? Can
you broadcast out? Call for help?”

“The blast must’ve taken out the antenna. I can’t even get a
signal. We’re stuck here.”

“Don’t say that,” Brenda gasped. Breathing was like trying
to suck air through a tiny straw. The harder she tried, the sides of the straw
would collapse, blocking the flow. It took great effort to try and make herself
calmly inhale. She watched as Alan struggled like her.

“We can’t stay here,” she repeated.

The cameraman held up a hand for silence. He was receiving
something through his earpiece. Brenda strained to listen.

“What?” she whispered.

After a few more seconds, Alan shook his head. “I thought I
heard something.”

“From the TV station?”

“No. Outside. There’s a microphone in the base of the
antenna.”

“What kind of something? Could it be someone? Someone alive?”
Maybe everyone outside wasn’t dead. She could only pray.

Without warning, the van lurched to one side. Brenda gave a
squeal of fright, and Alan yelled as they grabbed for something to hold on to
so they wouldn’t be pitched about inside the interior of the van like loose
marbles in a can. The vehicle bounced again, ending upright. Alan’s eyes
widened, and he pointed out the front.

“Look!”

The yellowish cloud was dissipating.
No.
Brenda
swiped the tears again from her eyes and tried to get a better look. No, it
appeared as if the cloud was being blown away. Almost like it was being…fanned?

There was a movement at the far edge of the windshield. She
crawled to the front of the van, with Alan right behind her. Together they
stared at the area where they could barely make out someone, a figure, standing
not too far from them. As the fumes rolled away, they were finally able to see
a man.

Brenda gasped in shock and delight. Yes, it was a man. A
very well-built man, with a wide chest, small waist and hips, and long,
muscular legs. A total stranger wearing a shiny black leather-looking jacket
and pants. What appeared to initially be black paint across his face was actually
a mask.

But what was more astonishing was the fact that this man was
gripping two of the factory’s huge steel doors, one in each hand, and was
waving them up and down like enormous fans, breaking up the yellow cloud with a
speed and skill that was astonishing to watch.

“Who…the…hell?” Alan’s hushed voice commented over her
shoulder.

“It looks like we have a new superhero,” she said in awe.

“Are you shitting me?”

“Infinity’s been gone, what? Sixteen years?” She started to
smile. A new superhero. It was almost too good to be true.

She gave a quick glance at the area around them and saw the
fumes were almost all gone. As much as she would love to remain there watching
this mysterious stranger in black save the day, she knew they needed to seek medical
attention, especially for the reporter who remained unconscious.

“Damn! Will you look at the guy? Those doors have to be at
least four inches thick and solid steel. I betcha they weigh at least seven or
eight hundred pounds each, and he’s waving them like playing cards!”

“Alan!”

Her tone got his attention.

“We have to get her to the nearest hospital, and we need be
checked out, too,” she told him, gesturing toward the reporter. “Monning Clinic
is about four blocks away. Can you drive us there now? I’ll show you the way.”

The cameraman never got the chance to answer because the van’s
side door slid open.

“Anyone in here needing immediate medical attention?”

Dark blue eyes slid over Brenda before darting to the cameraman,
who was already lifting the reporter into his arms.

“Here.”

The woman was transferred to the arms of the black-clad man,
and a prick of unexpected jealousy went through Brenda.

“Can you two make it over to the hospital on your own?” the
man asked.

His voice was rich and deep, and sent shivers through her.
His glance paused below her waist.

“Better get that taken care of as soon as you get there,” he
added.

Brenda looked down to notice for the first time that her leg
was bleeding. At some point she’d ripped her pants and cut herself during the
explosion. “Okay.” It sounded so lame, but it was the best she could do at the
moment.

At Alan’s nod to his previous question, the superhero backed
away from the vehicle. In the next second, he lifted off of the ground and flew
away.

Brenda hopped out of the van to watch him go until he
disappeared in the distance. Her body felt as though she was holding onto an
electric fence, and the current was setting off fireworks in her bloodstream.
The moment the man had set his eyes on her, it was as though time and the
universe had come to a screeching halt. At the same time, she could feel
herself growing wet between the thighs.

This man had called to her in the most primal way, and she
had no idea who he was, or even what his name was. But she would find out.
Whatever it took, she would find out, one way or another, if it was the last
thing she ever did.

Chapter 2

News

A can of soft drink floated into the living room from the
kitchen and dropped down onto the coffee table in front of him. Lorne smiled
and picked it up as his two brothers walked in with big grins on their faces.

“Congratulations! Our late bloomer has finally gone public!”
Luke crowed and whacked his younger sibling on the back.

“Mighty fine intro, too,” Lee commented. “Hell of a lot better
than having to rescue some old woman’s cat from a tree.”

The men snickered as they watched Lorne’s ears flame, and
sat in chairs on the opposite side of the table.

“Hey, do you think Brenda recognized you?” Lee asked,
getting directly to the point.

Lorne shook his head. “No, she didn’t.”

“But she was definitely interested,” Luke said. “So were
you.”

When Lorne shot his older brother a defensive look, Luke
laughed loudly in response.

“Oh, come off it, little bro! If she had coughed just one
time, you would have scooped her up and taken her straight to Mercy General!
Admit it!”

“Yeah, Lorne. You’ve had a thing for her ever since we were
kids,” Lee said.