Free Lafferty, Mur by Playing for Keeps [html] Page B

difficult," he said.
    Keepsie waited.
    Clever Jack sighed. "But we can do it."
    "Great. We'll help." Keepsie stood, and her friends joined her.
    "What?" They had finally thrown Clever Jack off guard. It felt good.
    "We're going to help. You don't think we trust you, do you?" she said, pulling on her jacket.
    "I can't be responsible for you all. You're on your own."
    "Ah, but we're not. We're in this together," Peter said. The others nodded, although some looked scared, others resolute. Samantha looked positively elated.
    They followed Clever Jack out the door.
    "Keepsie, can I make a quick call before this descent into madness?"
    Samantha asked.
    Keepsie nodded. Her heart hammered. What have I gotten us into?
     

    ***
     
    Samantha caught up with them outside on the street. She linked arms with Peter, who looked startled. "This is very exciting. Forming a vigilante group, working with a villain to infiltrating the Academy and remove a known criminal. What good ideas you have!
    "And, you're all under arrest," Samantha said, pulling an Academy badge out of her purse.
    The Third Wavers stared at her. Clever Jack ran.
    He disappeared into the dark faster than he should have been able to.
    But then again, he had super powers, while they had next-to-nothing.
    "Run!" cried Michelle, and they scattered. Peter wrenched free of Samantha's arm and grabbed Keepsie's hand.
    "You bitch," Keepsie managed to say before Peter pulled her down the road.
    Her friends did not disappear under the streetlights as well as Clever Jack had. Keepsie and Peter ran in the direction of her bar, dashing past startled people on the street. Keepsie heard a rumble of thunder and swore.
    White Lightning and the Crane flew over an apartment building and right toward them. Having been plucked off the street once that week, Keepsie had the mindset to duck as they came close. The Crane swept Peter up in his arms, but White Lightning missed, passing close enough that his cape stung her face.
    Keepsie had never seen so many heroes working together at once. The heavily muscled and tattooed hero who went by the questionable name Tattoo Devil pulled up on his motorcycle and hopped off, his sidekick, Cage, climbing out of the sidecar. Heretic, the powerful hero with fire elemental powers, flew high above them, pitching fireballs in front of fleeing Third Wavers, herding them. She laughed as she did so, and Keepsie realized why she wasn't used for crime fighting that often - she was batshit insane.
    Her friends screamed around her, and Samantha shouted loudly for the heroes to round up the vigilante group. Otherwise it looks like the heroes are attacking innocent folks, Keepsie realized. Michelle struggled inside a cage of glowing ropes, to little effect, and Barry hopped on one of his legs, leaving Tattoo Devil holding the other one with a bemused look on his face. He tossed it aside and tackled the older man. Barry's head hit the sidewalk with a smack.
    Keepsie struggled to her feet and tried to find Peter in the sky. White Lightning hovered a few feet above her and she readied herself for another attack. But he didn't swoop down on her again. He raised his arms to the sky and she felt her skin prickle.
    "I bet your power doesn't work so well when you're dead," he said. "I don't know why they didn't let me just do this before."
    Keepsie ran for it, even though she knew she couldn’t win. The flash lit up the street around her, but Keepsie never heard the thunder.

Chapter 9
     
    Peter had heard Keepsie's story of her abduction, and had, at the time, admired her wisdom in not struggling against Doodad as she soared above the city. Now that he was in a similar situation, he felt no such peace of mind. He batted at the Crane's arms, knowing it would do no good - and if it did do any good, he’d fall to serious injury or death. The Crane wrapped his extended arms around Peter like ropes.
    "Stop that, you don't want me to drop you, do you? Cause I can. I can let you fall