Chapter 9

The red dot on the screen was moving towards LA. Fast.

"Should we uh…evacuate?" Webster asked.

"Are you kidding? He's coming to us!" Jeffries said excitedly.

"He's coming for us!" Webster bellowed. "Just like he said! We have to evacuate!"

"Look!" One of the operatives yelled. "He's stopped!"

The red dot had come to a complete stop just outside city limits.


Bolt had felt something. Something inside of him. He examined himself. Nothing unusual. Then he saw it. It was just behind his collar. There was a small square object under his skin. He knew what it was. It was a tracking device. This is how they had managed to know where he was.

He reached out with his teeth and, with a bit of hesitation, pulled it out of his skin. He howled in pain, causing some onlookers to stare at him oddly.

He looked at the piece of machinery. It was covered in blood. His blood. It must have been put there when he was given the powers.


"Why has he stopped?" Jeffries asked.

"It makes no sense." Webster said. "He's so close to our base. Why would he stop?"

"Maybe he's been terminated." One of the operatives offered.

"Let's find out." Jeffries said. "Send all units to that location. Take the dog into custody."


All the operatives crammed into the black sedans and drove out to take down the dog. They were armed to the teeth.

Webster drove in the first car. Jeffries stayed behind to monitor from the control room.

He watched the unmoving red dot. He pressed a button on the control panel.

"Can you hear me?" He said into it.

"I hear you Rich." Webster replied. "We'll be there in approximately…two minutes."

"Good. Keep me patched in."

He stared again at the unmoving dot. "What are you doing Bolt?"

"This is Webster. We're at the location. And…there's nothing here."

"Webster, I'm staring at the tracking signal right now. He has to be there."

"Well…the tracking device is here."

Jeffries froze. "What?"

"I said the…"

Before he could finish the machine exploded. Pieces of it flew everywhere.

"You are quite a bright dog."He turned. Bolt leapt on him. He smashed him into the wall and pinned him there.

"Don't cry out. I'll kill you." Bolt snarled.

Jeffries chuckled. "See you in hell Bolt."

"You first."


The rest of Sector X was crowded around the small, bloody tracking device.

"What's going on?" One of the agents asked.

"I lost contact with base." Webster's blood froze. "And Bolt isn't here. He must be at our base. Shit."

He turned to get in the car. "C'mon we have to go back."

Nobody moved. "That's an order!" Webster snarled.

"Sir I am not going to face that thing." One of the operatives said. There were several grunts of agreement from the other operatives.

"Sons of bitches." Webster snarled. He started the car and sped back to base.


"I had a look at the files at the little mortuary you have in Arecibo."

"Did you really?"

"It was never legal. None of what you did was approved by congress."

"They would never approve it." Jeffries replied.

"So you're trying to kill me in order to cover it up. Because if anybody caught me, I could lead them to you."

Jeffries nodded. "That was the general idea."

Bolt stared at the man. "You act as if this is all some game."

"It is. There are winners and their are losers."

Bolt punched him across the face, drawing blood. "Well I don't want to play anymore. You hear me? I want out."

"What do you mean?" Jeffries asked, confused.

Bolt chuckled. "You know...all the time I was coming here, I convinced myself I was coming to kill you."

"And will you?"

Bolt shook his head. "No. For what I really want I need you alive. I want you to take these powers away."

Jeffries grinned. "And if I say no?"

"I'll use the powers to tear you apart." Bolt snarled. Jeffries grin vanished.

At that moment the door opened. Randall Webster came in with his revolver. "So I was right. Don't move fido."

"Hold it Webster." Jeffries said, holding up his hand. "He doesn't want to fight."

"What the hell does that matter?" Webster complained.

"Listen to me. He just wants us to take away his powers."

Webster frowned. "What?"

"And that's just what we're going to do." Jeffries finished.