Hero In Camera - Chapter 5

Here's your last unedited sample chapter of Hero In Camera. This post had to be scheduled a week and a half ago because at the moment this posts, I'm taking a family member to the hospital for a scheduled surgery. I'm not a big "thoughts and prayers" person, but if you could give a tiny wish for a successful surgery and good health to my cousin Suzan (yes, there are two of us), I would appreciate it.

Hero In Camera goes on sale tomorrow!

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Harri punched in the number for Carol Inunza as soon as Susan closed the office door on her way out. The phone rang twice before the receptionist answered. “Inunza and Cervantes, how may I help you?”

“Good morning, Ngoc,” Harri said as she played with her pen. “This is Harri Winters. Is Carol in?”

“One moment, Ms. Winters.” Ngoc was nothing if not efficient.

The line clicked and Carol’s teasing voice blasted through the speaker. “I expected your call before the NSB’s, Harri.”

“I’m surprised I haven’t gotten a call from them yet.” She frowned. It was weird. Carol was listed as second chair on all the legal documents regarding Miss Purrception. Why did the NSB call her first?

“Don’t sweat it,” Carol said. “It’s probably because I was the last one to visit Miss Purrception at Mauvaises. If the NSB hasn’t called you yet, how’d you find out?”

“I got a nasty call from my ex-husband this morning.” Harri sighed. “Did you have any indication she planned something like this?”

“Probably about as much as you did. I brought up the fact she has a history of escaping custody with you at the beginning.”

“Like I haven’t gotten enough we-told-you-so’s from my partners and staff this morning. Shit.” Harri wanted to bang her head on her desk. “I really thought she was serious about turning a new leaf. This is going to break her family’s hearts.”

“I know it hurts putting your neck out like that,” Carol crooned. “But all you can do is chalk it up to lesson learned.”

“Did the NSB tell you who escaped with Miss Purrception?” Harri asked.

“Hard Knock, but those two are like peanut butter and jelly when it comes to jail breaks,” Carol said with a laugh.

“Is that all they told you?” Harri could feel something was wrong. Why would the NSB hold back information with Carol? Unless a Corvus ally was fishing for something.

“Harri, I’m too busy to play Twenty Questions and so are you.”

“Trubble and Black Death escaped with Purrception and Knock.”

There was silence at the other end of the line. Long enough, Harri said, “Carol, talk to me. What are you thinking?”

Carol muttered an obscenity. “I’m thinking Miss Purrception is in over her head, and we’re all in deep shit. Why the hell would she go off with that scumbag after everything he put her through?”

“She may not have had a choice in the matter,” Harri said. “What if Black Death threatened her?”

“With what?” Carol asked. “If he killed her inside the prison, there was no way he’d ever get free. He’d be sedated until the day of his execution.”

“We know we didn’t uncover all of Corvus.” Harri stopped tapping her pen. “If Trubble has been in contact with someone on the outside—”

“Threatening her family would be right up the bastard’s alley,” Carol finished. “Can you get them to safety? Do you need my help?”

“No, I can take care of it,” Harri murmured. “Thanks for your help, Carol.”

God knew Harri didn’t want to make this phone call but Rue Liberty needed to know what had happened. Harri also knew she probably should be doing this in person, but Kerry and Molly lived with their grandmother, and she couldn’t deal with the looks of disappointment on the young women’s faces. She had seen the same look in her own mirror every time Dad fell off the wagon.

Harri gulped some more cinnamon coffee before she dialed the home number for Rue Liberty.

“Good morning, Harri.” The retired superhero sounded as chipper as ever despite her advanced years.

“Hey, Rue. How’s everything going?”

“Just wonderful with your investment tips.” Rue chuckled. “Want to tell me the real reason for this phone call?”

“Honestly, no, I don’t,” Harri said. “But there’s something you should know. Monica escaped from prison last night. You may be getting a call from the NSB some time today.”

The silence on the phone carried on for so long Harri feared she’d given the old lady a heart attack. “Rue, are you okay?”

“I—” Rue cleared her throat. “I want to say I’m surprised, but I’m not.”

“I think we all wanted to believe Monica had turned the proverbial new leaf,” Harri murmured. “Are the girls at home?”

“Kerry’s at the Museum of Natural History with her girlfriend, and Molly’s just left. She needed to run an errand before she went to the Lechuza Building.” Of course, Molly was. Rey and Aisha hired Molly because they wanted another super to watch their baby, and Harri’s godson, Mitch for the four hours they were both at work.

Harri squeezed her eyes shut. She just needed to hide in her office until Molly went up to Aisha’s loft. No, that was a chicken shit way to deal with the problem, and it sure to hell wasn’t fair to Molly Reinhold, AKA the superhero Nix.

“I’ll tell Molly what happened when she arrives.” Harri hesitated. The last thing she wanted to do was ruin Kerry’s date. “Do you know when—”

“I’ll tell Kerry when she gets home.” Rue sighed. “Provided the NSB doesn’t pick her up before I can tell her.”

“I’m sorry to lay this on you—”

“Harri, you tried your best,” Rue said.

“Yeah, but obviously my best wasn’t good enough,” Harri replied bitterly.

“It’s worse when you’re Miss Purrception’s mother.” Rue’s laugh was equally bitter.

No sooner had Harri hung up the receiver when Patty buzzed her.

“I’m a little busy, Patty. Can you take a message?”

“Harri, Special Agent Wilbur Nesmith of the NSB at the door.” Patty’s voice shook. “And he says he has a search warrant.”

“Be right there.” Harri resisted the urge to throw her phone and gently set the receiver in its cradle. For a Tuesday, this was beginning to feel like the worst Monday on record.