Free Hero Unit by JC Bybee Page B

that spoke of
years of comfort. In one arm was an infant that she was gently
rocking. The motion seemed completely unconscious on her part.
    “Mrs. Holander?” Emily asked.
    “Yes, what I can I do for you?” the woman
replied.
    “We are from the E.E.D. We were wondering if
we could talk to your husband for a few minutes,” Emily continued.
She was wearing a polite smile and her voice was calm and
reassuring.
    She’s a PR rep, what would you expect?
    “Of course,” Mrs. Holander allowed them in
and said, “Wait here I’ll go and tell him you’re here.”
    “Thank you,” Emily said, still smiling. They
were left in a well-lit foyer. The décor was simple and clean.
    “Do you know this guy?” Ace asked quietly.
She kept her eyes moving.
    Emily shook her head. “He works in the law
firm on the floor below my company.”
    Ace didn’t like the idea of dealing with a
lawyer, especially a Reg lawyer, but she was just here as backup.
Emily would be doing all the talking. A few minutes of waiting and
Mr. Holander joined them in the entryway. “Can I help you?” he
asked.
    Right out the gate Mr. Holander put Ace at
ease. She just wanted to trust him. That should have put her on her
guard. She had no idea what his power was, having never consulted
the Reg database, but she liked to think that Emily would have
warned her if this guy was a potential problem. “Yes Mr. Holander
we are here to ask you a few questions about the recent incident at
the building where your firm is located,” Emily said.
    “Of course, please come in. Charlene could
you get us something to drink?” Mr. Holander seemed genuinely
interested in helping, which also upped Ace’s estimation of him as
a person.
    Not all Regs are morons.
    In the living room Ace and Emily took the
couch while Mr. Holander took one of the overstuffed recliners.
They were joined my Mrs. Holander who was carrying a tray with
glasses full of water. Ace was grateful for the ice in her glass.
Thanks to Hellfire the mid-August heat was still in full
effect.
    “I don’t know if there’s much I can tell you.
I only heard about what happened,” Mr. Holander began.
    “That’s alright, we are actually looking into
anyone who knew the Anti involved. But before we begin, by law, I
must tell you that I am a consultant working for the E.E.D and I am
an upper-tier, Mental Class,” Emily said. She handed her newly
printed credentials to Mr. Holander who looked them over carefully
before handing them back.
    “Very well, I have nothing to hide so you
have my permission to use your powers as you feel necessary during
our interview,” Mr. Holander said. He was still totally relaxed,
though his wife looked tense. She was clearly a normal and not
comfortable with the casual talk of using powers in her home.
    Most normals would be uncomfortable.
    “Thank you for your cooperation,” Emily said.
“Now the Anti involved called himself Technosis, but before he was
known as Jim Parker, a Registered technomancer.”
    “No way, that was Jim?” Mr. Holander looked
dumbfounded.
    “So you knew him?” Emily asked.
    “Yeah, Jim and I were golfing buddies. Most
weekends and whenever we could both get time off we’d try to get a
round in,” he explained. “I haven’t seen him in, man, over a year.
Do you know what happened to him?”
    “How familiar are you with the Homo Superior
Organization, Mr. Holander?” Emily asked.
    He sat back in his chair, a look of horror on
his face. “Are you telling me what the Time’s printed was
true?”
    Hell.
    “At this time we have only found two people
directly involved with the HSO here in New Davenport. We have
absolutely nothing that points to them having a large presence
here, nor do we feel that the Exceptionals community as a whole is
in danger,” Ace replied. That was the NDPD and the E.E.D’s official
statement on the issue. Torment had let her know just before they’d
left the precinct.
    Mr. Holander looked at her,