End of Men by Suzanne Strobel

Author:Suzanne Strobel [Strobel, Suzanne]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Pivot Publishing
Published: 2020-11-17T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

Two days later, the hospital discharged me. The police came and went, full of probing questions and orders. We’d need to visit the station for a full debrief, provide a statement, turn over our recordings. Miraculously, there were no media inquiries. Between the morning’s bombing and all the other craziness, our attack had somehow slipped under the radar. The nurses encouraged us to talk to our VTs about what had happened, warned us of the trauma that victims could suffer after an attack. As if I needed reminding.

By the time David and I pulled up to my house, night was falling. He’d offered to take me home and I accepted, grateful for his companionship in a world that felt increasingly dangerous. He came around to the passenger side of the Mule and helped me out, encouraging me to lean on him for support.

I gazed down the street, where two bodyguards sat in an unmarked black vehicle—a new layer of protection assigned by Frida and the station. They were ready to jump into action the minute anything suspicious happened.

“Hi, lady!” a voice rang out from across the street.

The little neighbor boy was perched on his stone pillar, wearing another superhero costume. A red and yellow “S” blazed from the chest of his blue shirt, and a bright red cape was tied around his neck.

“Hello, Superman,” I called back.

He leapt down from the pillar and ran to the edge of their property, arms outstretched, red cape flowing behind him. His arms fell from flight position and he pointed to my sling.

“Are you hurt?”

“Just a little boo-boo.” I cringed. The term boo-boo was far more appropriate for a three-year-old than a boy his age.

He looked both ways and darted across the street, stopping just an inch or two away from me. He pulled a sheet of stickers from his pocket and gingerly placed one on my sling, then looked up at me with a big smile.

“It’s magic. It will protect you.”

I ran a finger over the sticker. It was a classic red and yellow comic book bubble with the word “Pow!” inside.

The boy pushed his glasses up on his nose and then spun around. He looked both ways before lifting his arms back into flight position and rushing across the street, cape fluttering.

David carefully guided me inside and eased me into bed. He was far more gentle than necessary, pulling off my shoes, helping me lay down, and delicately tucking the white comforter around me. I closed my eyes for what felt like a few seconds and when I opened them, he was returning with a cup of tea. The comforting smell of chamomile wafted over me as he set the blue mug on the nightstand.

“All right then, get some sleep.” He stood to leave.

My heart twisted at the thought of being alone, of the darkness closing in, the empty space around me. The two bodyguards outside gave me about as much comfort as the sticker on my sling.

“Will you stay?” I asked.

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