Chapter 22

Beau heard the buzzing of his alarm clock go off on the floor beside. He reached for his bottle and brought it to his lips only to find it was empty. He sat on his futon bed and threw the empty bottle of Jack Danel’s against the wall smashing it against the white wall of his tiny closet apartment. His toy robots started waking up now he had to get up and use the bathroom.

He crawled to the bathroom, relieved himself and then washed up. When he was done he crawled back inside his bedroom and started getting dressed. He was dressed when he heard a knock on his door before it was opened with a keycard.

Two twin young men skin Supers came into his apartment. They glared at him. “Techno. Man. You drunk again?” Alex Wade asked him.

“Techno bro. This is to much.” Dexter Wade said.

Beau snorted shaking his head. “I had a bad night. I’m not drunk. I have hang over from last night. I’m ready to go. Just get my stuff ready. I got to make to make my rent and fill you two gentlemen’s pockets.” He said before he pulled himself up into his wheel chair. He smiled and reached down to carelessly roll up his futon over and then started wheeling himself to the door.

The two brothers said nothing but hurried to get a table and toys ready. Beau sighed wheeling himself to the elevator as his two friends and helpers got his table and box of merchandise. They took the stairs while he waited for the elevator to arrive.

It took a bit of time but soon enough the elevator arrived and the automatic doors opened up. A man in a dark suit and sunglasses was waiting for him. Beau wheeled himself inside nodding to the man. He spun around. “Could you hit the 1st floor.” He asked.

The man nodded silently hitting it and the doors closed. They were both silent as they went down stairs. The man in sunglasses turned to Beau. “Mr. Lucas. I take it.” He said.

“I’m not interested.” Beau said.

“I work with a particular organization that is interested in hiring you for your brilliant mind. A hundred grand a year plus benefits and an studio apartment.” He said.

Beau smiled. “Do you work for BlackWater?” He asked.

The man was silent. “Hmm. Yes. That is remarkably excellent guess on your part.” He said.

Beau shook his head. “I’ve had a lot of offers sense I’ve been let off from the government. You were the last one. I was expecting to come and a hundred thousandth a year sounds like minimum wage with today’s with the weight of inflations going. All I’m interested in is dying quietly and being left the fuck alone.” He said.

“If it’s the government having a problem with you working with us. I can assure you-” He began but stopped when Beau looked at him.

“I’ve seen you watching me for a bit of time. I also seen the fed your working with tailing me when I was trying to talk a good time girl into giving me a discount on head rub. I’m not interested in working for the government directly or indirectly anymore. No games. I just want to die quietly and be left the fuck alone. Sorry brother. I’m only interested in living quietly as much as I can. I don’t have that long on me and my days are pretty much drinking and trying not to think of anything to make to end myself. So with all due respect fuck off.” He said.

The elevator door opened and the man smiled taking off his sunglasses revealing his glowing mirrored eyes. “Good evening to you brother.” He said and walked away out of the elevtor.

Beau sighed and wheeled himself out toward the front of the apartment building on to the side walk where his two young friends had set up his booth and he wheeled himself over as his customers started coming up to his desk.

He smiled as a young girl with horn on her head came up with dollars in her hand smiling at him. He grinned at the girl. “How’s it going baby girl. I got your doll for you right here for you.” He said reaching over to a box with package on it and handed to her the box. The girl handed the money over to him and took the box with an excited giggle.

She ran over to her parents who stood off to the side with their hoodie’s up and face masks over the lower half of their faces. They nodded to him in thanks. He nodded and put the money in the box he kept the money.

Beau looked up to the clear blue skies and sun shinning down on him. He grinned.

“These are amazing. Did you make them yourself.” A charming feminine voice called to him.

Beau was half drunk but his mind focused on the genuine admiration at his skill in making the pet robots on the table. He had been sober for two months until he got the news they had put Rider in prison for two years but not before collaring his powers.

Rider was collared and put in to the general population. If he survived Beau knew his old friend wouldn’t know how to cope with the new world again once he got out.

E had called him to promise he would be watched but her words did little to ease his mind. It had taken E five damn years to find a means of halting Rider’s biological time bomb from going off.

“Excuse me. Sir.”

Beau shook himself out of thoughts of his friend and looked up at a young blond woman dressed in an leather jacket and jeans. She stared at him with sensual sky blue eyes that had a mystical glow about them. She had average looking face and easy going smile that hinted at ready sense of humor and brown chestnut hair that reminded him of his mother. She stared down at Beau with eyes that were mystical blue mirrors of concern as she studied his face.

“I sure did Darlin. I’m a straight up wonder with making things. It’s one talent I still have going for me that is of some use.” He said.

The Beauty held his gaze. “Your hero Technomancer.” She said.

It wasn’t a question it was more like a statement of fact like she already knew him and a whole lot more.

“So…are you a back sight?” He asked.

The Beauty shook her head. “No. I have employee at my company that deals in temporal patterns but I have a friend that pointed me toward you. You are a fine engineer. I could use you on my team.”

“I don’t work for the government…anymore. I mean my own business. I don’t want no trouble.” He said kindly to her.

“Pardon me. I forgot myself. I’m Jassica Remo.” She said and gave him a card.

Beau looked at the name of the company and her position. “Senior VP of Homeworld industry. Homeworld. Interesting name. What do you do at your company?” He said and then he noticed the logo on her earth world globe on her jacket.

Jessica smiled. “We consult for private parties and act as private security for clients in need of protection or otherwise.” She said.

Beau had heard of companies like her’s when he was in the service and had fought along side some of the agents of such companies. Mercenaries. Professional Mercenaries. Hired guns. Hell who was he to judge. He had done his time under contract with the government before they sent him to prison and after.

He just had one question. “Did someone send you to me?”

Jessica smiled. “Like a said a friend pointed me in your direction. We’re based in the city and Baltimore but have operations in Hawaii as well. There is room in board a decent paycheck and you’ll work with brillant ladies and gentlemen.”

“Did Rider send you or E. You have to tell me. I most know.” Beau said surprising himself by his old charm creeping back into his voice.

Jessica giggled. “You’ll have to come with me to find out. Though. I have a guess it will be surprising for you what your friend has accomplished over such a short time period.”

It had been five years sense he saw or heard from his old crew. Rider was busy doing his super hero thing and getting cartoon shows made after him and his early beginnings.

Angel.

Damn. He hoped it wasn’t her. All the same he didn’t know and he had to find out. Beau nodded. “Alright you talked me into it. I’ll go with you.”

“That’s excellent.” Jessica said with a smile. “When would be a good time for you to visit the-“

“Today would be good enough for me. I’ll travel with you. I got a bit a cash to spend on a ticket and I got nothing holding me here. I’m ready when you are.” Beau said quickly.