Betrayal by J.D. Cunegan

Author:J.D. Cunegan [Cunegan, J.D.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Superheroes, Mystery, murder mystery, conspiracy, Baltimore, sci-fi, Vigilante
Publisher: J.D. Cunegan
Published: 2020-04-13T23:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 32

"I don't know who The Collective thinks I am."

Even as he spoke, careful to maintain eye contact with the small red light several feet in front of him, Brian Andersen had his heart in his throat. He felt the bead of sweat trickling down his temple. He held onto his wheelchair with such a grip that he could feel his pulse in his fingertips. He understood that running for office meant being in the public eye, occasionally speaking on camera, dealing with the media—but being the target of a murderous cult, and everyone knowing it, was its own brand of stress.

He would never wish this on anyone.

"But clearly, they do not know my family," he continued. "We Andersens are many things. Quitters and cowards are not among them."

Bullheaded. Stubborn. Foolish. All of those were Andersen family traits. But so were such virtues as passion, bravery, and conviction. Even with everything Brian had endured in his life, even he had to admit the fact that he was still here was due in no small part to his own resilience. He might not have had his sister's cool costume or indestructible skeleton, but Brian was strong in his own right.

And if he was going to serve as Baltimore's next full-time district attorney, he had to make sure his fellow citizens saw that. Cowering because some masked man growled his name in a spooky tone in front of a camera wouldn't get that point across. This whole fiasco was shocking and confusing, but Brian couldn't focus on that. Not with this race, and not with his sister firmly in the crosshairs as well.

He also had to level with the public when it came to Bounty. Lannigan had already hit him over the head with it once, because it was a smart tactic. The job was to enforce the law, and in this one instance, Brian hadn’t been doing that. He absolutely deserved to be questioned over it.

But like Lannigan, The Collective was making it personal.

Or would it have been personal no matter what, since the vigilante in question was his sister?

"It's true I didn't pursue charges against my sister when I discovered she was Bounty," he continued, swallowing back the lump as best he could. It barely moved. Clearing his throat fared no better. "And if you decide to hold that inaction against me, I can't—and won't—argue the point.

"But... I think we all can identify with the desire to do what we can for our family. It's no secret that Jill is the only family I have left." Brian paused and sucked in a deep breath, determined that his voice would not waver. Not on live television. Not with The Collective watching. They wanted him scared to the point of soiling himself. He had to show them they had failed.

"There is nothing I won't do to help my sister, to protect her." Brian chuckled. "Not that she needs it. But let's not forget... legal does not always necessarily mean right. Sometimes, doing the right thing means making that distinction.

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