Cape Crossed

Chapter Fifteen

Hannah stared at the dark phone screen in her hand for what felt like the hundredth time in an hour. Every bing and ding that came from it sent her heart racing only to plummet back down. None of them were from Jake. Not a single one.

He'd called nearly three days ago to let her know he wouldn't be home for about another week. There was barely any explanation no matter how much she asked. Something about a new source and time sensitive material. She'd had to invent an excuse to hang up before she started whining in earnest. He'd texted her a few times at first but stopped after she hadn't responded with more than one syllable words.

"Hey there camper." She turned towards the voice, tugging the silver mask back down over her eyes. Crimson Blade leaned forward against the ledge she'd hoisted herself onto. Below them the city lights started to flicker on as the sun slid past the horizon. "Ready to work?"

"Yeah, always am," Silver said with a shrug. She swung her legs back to the roof and Crimson placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Everything alright? Look if you're still not feeling your best you can take the night off. I think I can handle things solo for a night."

"No I feel fine, tip top,"Silver mumbled. She hung her head slightly to watch her booted feet kick at the loose gravel. "Jake's still on his trip and I think we might be arguing. Like really arguing."

"What did he say?" Crimson crossed his arms over his chest.

"Nothing, it was me." She leaned back, forgetting for a moment there was nothing behind her to stop her from falling off the edge. All the same she felt something cradle her back and keep her where she was.

"You?" Crimson asked. He gripped her wrist and pulled her back to safety. "Actually, I've seen you when your angry. This sounds about right." Silver shoved him a little and stood.

"I'm not angry."

"No?" He eyed her up and down slowly, taking in her wide stance and clenched fists.

"Just...why...how do you just suddenly find a source two days before you're supposed to come home? Isn't that the kind of thing that you need before you go? Aren't there contracts and things to sign that take time?" She burst out, kicking the ledge. She winced when it cracked. Crimson's eyebrows shot up. "It sounds fishy."

"Do you think he's lying?" He looked out across the city, watching Solar Flare shoot by and out of sight.

"No! I don't know, maybe?" She leaned against him with her chin on his shoulder. "Am I overeacting?"

"I don't think so. You're right, it sounds a little strange, but has he ever given you reason to think he might be hiding something?"

Silver laughed. "I'm the one hiding things." She worried her lip between her teeth. "Maybe I'm just feeling guilty about keeping things from him. How do you do it?"

"Keep all of this from Henry?" He gestured to his red suit and cape. "Not well, I'm pretty sure he knows and just plays along."

"What?" Silver stepped back, jaw dropping. "You know of he really does know we have to bring him in."

"I know." Crimson tightened his arms over his chest like a hug. "I will if I have to but until one of us says it directly I'm not doing anything."

"Seb..." Silver wrapped and arm around his shoulders. They stayed like that for a few moments.

"If Jake is hiding something maybe it's for a good reason." Crimson added. He shrugged and straightened out his cape. The red fabric trailed behind him, as attention grabbing as a neon sign. "Maybe he's planning to propose?" Crimson laughed when her face beneath the mask lit up bright red.

"I think I'd know if he was going to propose," she scoffed. Silver switched the communicator in her ear to on. "Please tell me there's something to take care of Agent Carmichael."

"Actually, it's Agent Scott and I am so very interested to hear about this possible proposal," Zach chuckled and looped a rubber band around his index and pinky finger, plucking the tight bands.

"You were listening?" Silver swayed on wobbly legs. "How? Did anyone else hear?"

"You butt dialed me. You need to stop bringing your phone with you. What if you had dialed someone less cool than me?" Zach jumped out of his chair when the rubber band snapped and ricocheted off his computer monitor and past his head. The chair clattered to the floor alongside him. He jumped to his feet trying to appear calm.

Claudia paused in the doorway long enough for a quick, "I saw that," before she was gone.

"Anyway, this proposal," Scott continued.

"He is not going to propose," Silver insisted. "Where's Carmichael anyway?"

"Got the flu. Anyway, he could absolutely be planning to. You said it yourself, you feel like he's holding something back," Zach pointed out, settling back into his chair and keeping his hands in his lap.

"And you guys have been together for a little while right? Almost a year?" Crimson asked.

"Almost." Silver started to pace. "Do you think that's enough time? It took two years for him to even ask me on a date."

"How long did it take him to propose to Lorelei?" Crimson sat back, hovering in the air rather than trusting the dented ledge.

Silver stopped, looking nervously towards where the Hotel DeBelle had stood nearly three years ago. There was a high rise there now but it was thin and sickly in comparison to the massive building that had been there before. "He never did. He had planned to, not that night thankfully but it was on his mind. They'd been together...maybe five months?" She bit her lip trying to order the events. "But they'd been friends way longer than that."

"Well there you go. Sounds to me like you two have been together long enough," Zach insisted. He shrugged his shoulders and scrolled through a list of camera feeds.

"I still don't think that's it." Silver shook her head. "I don't know if he'll ever get to that point with me."

"Then why stay?" Crimson watched a string of police cars zip by below as Agent Scott started directing them through the communicators.

"Because I love that dork." Silver sighed and jumped down after Crimson.