Chapter 22: Go Time

James awoke to the sound of someone moving around the kitchen. Blinked, palmed his eyes, then sat up. Jessica had set a bunch of to-go boxes on the counter, some bags on the floor, and was digging out plates and cutlery.

He checked his countdown timer:

2 Hours till Nemesis 2 Released

Dusk was falling. He must have slept almost ten hours.

“Evening,” said Jessica briskly, pausing to drape her blazer over the back of a chair and roll up her sleeves. “I realized you all had probably not thought about dinner. With Nemesis 2 about to happen, I decided to bring something over.”

“Damn.” His voice was a rasp. “Mighty thoughtful of you.”

“It’s my job.” She hesitated, eyeing the kitchenette. “Not a lot of options here. Which is why I brought Delmonico’s.”

“That a… burger joint?”

Jessica looked askance at him over her shoulder. “The fireteam’s coming up. I brought some for them, too. If you want to shower, you’ve about five minutes before the steaks get too cold, and I refuse, on principal, to allow anyone to microwave them. New clothing is in the bags.”

“Shower, right.” James stood. That’s when he caught the smell and his mouth flooded like a bulldog’s. “Oh shit. What is that?”

“Four minutes, thirty seconds,” said Jessica coolly, opening drawers.

“And new clothing?” James walked over and poked inside the bags. They were full of folded up clean stuff. “Damn. I’m going to double your pay.”

“Ha.”

James strode into Serenity’s room.

She was sitting up in bed, t-shirt drawn down over her knees to her ankles, face illuminated by her new phone. “Morning.”

“Jessica brought steak.”

Serenity didn’t look up. “I knew my feelings for her weren’t Platonic.”

James snorted, entered the bathroom, showered. For the first ten seconds the water ran black with ash. He turned up the temperature to scalding and let the heat scour away the last of the day, the pain, the misery.

Stepped out, toweled off, wrapped the towel around his waist, and went through the new clothing. It was all from the Bass Pro. Long sleeve shirts, canvas pants, socks, underwear, and in the second bag a bulky gray and black ice jacket.

James hadn’t worn anything this nice in almost a decade, and better yet, it was all durable.

“Hey, Serenity!”

“What?”

“Get me a pair of scissors.”

He heard her mutter, get up, and a moment later she pushed open the door to hand him an old kitchen pair. She smirked. “Dang. I was hoping you’d be naked.”

James turned to the small mirror. “Sure you were.”

“You going to trim?”

“Uh huh.”

“Here, let me. No, seriously, I went to hairdresser school for a month before I changed my mind. Sit on this stool.”

He sat reluctantly, made sure the towel didn’t split open, raised his chin.

Serenity pursed her lips, ran her fingers through his beard a few times, considered.

James closed his eyes as she began to snip. It felt nice, being touched. Had been far, far too long. Her fingers were efficient, but still he drank in the touch. Snip snip. She mussed his beard, cut more. Tilted his head, cut. Tilted it the other way, cut.

Brushed his jawline, stepped back, considered.

“Done?”

She frowned, leaned in, snipped off a little more, then pulled the mirror off the wall. “I’m a fucking artist. And with a pair of kitchen scissors, no less.”

James considered his reflection. His beard had gone from almost a foot long to just a few inches. The hair still grew up his cheeks, but it looked halfway decent. “Nice job.”

“Nice job?” She threw up her hands and stormed out. “I’m going to go eat your steak.”

James chuckled, hung up the mirror, pulled his hair back into a ponytail and found a hair band with which to tie it off. Pulled on an Arctic blue long sleeved shirt, gray canvas pants, new socks with working elastics.

Voices came from the living room. The fire team. Suddenly James felt a pang of nervousness. An irrational desire to pull on shitty clothing came over him. He ran his hands down the new fabric, felt a fool. Would they laugh at him when he came out? Worse, would they smile and then look away in amusement?

“Get over yourself,” he grumbled. “You’re a grown man, for Christ sakes.”

He slid his phone in his new back pocket and emerged.

The fire team was clustered around the counter. The boxes were open, and people were putting steaks on plates, mashed potatoes, grilled vegetables, skinny fries. The smell was insane, and the steaks were huge and over an inch thick.

“I’ve died,” said Delvecchio through a mouthful. “God damn. It’s all downhill from here.”

Mancini looked around, saw James, and then grinned. “Looking sharp.”

Serenity and Jessica both considered him. James flushed and moved up to grab a plate brusquely.

“He cleans up nice, doesn’t he?” said Serenity in a teasing tone. “So long, sexy lumberhomeless jack. We barely knew ya.”

“Just a shower,” he grumbled, putting a steak on his plate. “And thanks, Jessica.”

She was leaning back, one arm crossed over her chest, cup of water held up in the other hand. “You’re welcome.”

She sounded very quietly pleased with herself.

James was impressed. She’d brought ten boxes for six starving people. It was just barely enough. He filled his plate and stepped back, chewing on a mouthful of fries.

Huffman caught his eye. She was quiet, at the back of the group, her eyes swollen from crying. She ate mechanically, her brow furrowed.

Nobody else mentioned it, so James left well alone.

For a few minutes there was nothing but the sound of enthusiastic chewing and the occasional moan from Delvecchio.

“My family owns an ironic deli,” he said between mouthfuls. “Upstate. It’s doing great, I mean, the family politics is a nightmare, makes Game of Thrones look PG13, but the food.”

“An ironic deli?” asked Serenity. “I love it already.”

“Yeah, my uncle’s idea.” Delvecchio popped a Brussel sprout into his mouth. “He studied old ‘50’s photos of New York Deli’s, and then copied the style, but went a step too far on purpose. We’ve even got a barber pole. But the Reuben. I thought I’d work there when I graduated high school, but shit didn’t work out.”

“What happened?” asked Mancini, who ate much like a hawk, fierce, quick chewing and then careful selection of his next bite.

Delvecchio gave a rueful laugh. “Fuck, if I tell you I’ll never hear the end of it.”

“Wait,” said Serenity. “Game of Thrones? Did you sleep with your sister?”

Delvecchio scowled and threw a Brussel sprout at her, which she plucked from the air and popped in her mouth. “No! What do you think I am?” He hesitated. “My cousin.”

“Oh shit!” Serenity grinned. “Your cousin! First cousin?”

Delvecchio sighed. “It almost tore our family apart. My uncle got in a fist fight with my dad, who’d then tried to buy him out of the business.”

“That’s next level,” said Singh quietly. “No wonder you chose to join the army.”

“You’d understand if you met her,” said Delvecchio sadly. “We met for the first time when we were both sixteen. My uncle moved to our town to start the deli.”

“Fucked up!” said Serenity, delighted.

“Yeah,” said Delvecchio, then smiled and shook his head. “It really was. But those were the best two months of my life.”

James snorted, chewed on the insanely good steak. “What about you, sergeant? Where you from?”

“Cleveland.” Mancini nodded as he chewed, as if agreeing with himself. “Family was all doctors. They were horrified when I signed up. But I’m a patriot. Felt like I had responsibilities.” He said it as a simple fact. “Before I knew it, I was in Kabul. Was there right till the withdrawal. What a shitshow.”

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Nods from Delvecchio and Singh.

James looked to Singh, who was the only one not wolfing down his food.

“My family resides in Indianapolis. Everybody came over from India in the 70’s. Uncles, aunts, grandparents, my parents. They did very well.” His smile was mirthless. “My decision to join was not understood either. I am definitely the black sheep of the family.”

“So, why’d you join?” asked Serenity.

“I didn’t find Indianapolis very exciting, and my family’s expectations were… constricting.” He shrugged. “Also, I am a wild and reckless man.”

“Right,” snorted Delvecchio.

“Excuse me,” said Huffman. She put her plate down and left the apartment. They heard her descend the stairs and then the slam of the front door.

The fire team exchanged glances.

“She hasn’t heard from her parents,” said Mancini quietly. “She got hold of a neighbor who said they heard screams and gunfire from her family house, but the neighbor’s not answering the phone now, either.”

“Shit,” said James quietly.

Delvecchio lowered his plate. “Maybe we shouldn’t have talked about families.”

“No.” Mancini was quietly certain. “Huffman would have hated our avoiding the topic on her account. I’m going to go speak with her. Delvecchio, you touch my steak I’ll drop you.”

The sergeant left.

They ate in silence until Jessica spoke up.

“Quick update. City Hall is a mess. Several key people died today despite preparations, and that’s only heightened the strain on our ability to handle this crisis. Basic services are temporarily suspended, so we can expect to see trash overflow and the post office is closed.”

“Who cares about the fucking post office?” asked Serenity.

Jessica shrugged. “It’s a pillar of civil society and does a lot more than just deliver letters and packages. Most streets have become impassable due to abandoned vehicles, and that’s limiting our ability to manage the crisis. Power and water are being safeguarded as a top priority, so we shouldn’t see any disruptions there. The mayor has tapped the emergency food stockpile, and that should start distributing meals to food pantries across the city tomorrow.”

“How much food they got?” asked Delvecchio.

“18 million shelf-stable meals. But the warehouse is in Jersey, so there are some logistics issues. They’re working on it.” She picked up her tablet, hesitated, then set it down. Took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes. “To be honest, it’s hard to know what’s happening due to so much communication breakdown. Government is in free-fall, and while the mayor is still a presence, there’s only so much he can do. The NYPD and the fire department have been going all out for four days now, and the sheer number of casualties is overwhelming. Mass-grave burials have risen a hundred-fold on Hart Island. They’re using trash barges to bring the bodies in. It’s a scene right out of a Dore print over there.”

“Dore?” asked Singh.

“Gustave Dore? Never mind.” Jessica put her glasses back on. “What I’m trying to convey is that our systems are being overwhelmed and a sense of panic is spreading through all my professional networks. I think the greatest challenge moving forward will be to simply keep people at their stations. Toward that end, we need to give them something to hope for.”

Serenity set her plate down in disgust. “Then we’re fucked.”

“I’m not so sure.” Jessica turned to James. “While interdepartmental communication is collapsing, the internet and social media is still going strong. It’s my belief that there’s a crucial window of opportunity for someone to make a statement and rally hearts and minds.”

“Hearts and minds,” said Delvecchio. “Lady, you sound like a general.”

“You’re talking about me,” said James quietly.

“I am.” Jessica’s intensity was fierce. “You’ve featured in two TikTok videos and both have over two hundred million views. Paradoxically, the rarity of your postings has elevated you to a mythical status. People speculate about who you are and sightings in the city are immediately celebrated. You’ve agreed to head the new department. Tonight isn’t just about defeating Nemesis 2. It’s an absolutely vital PR opportunity.”

“Oh, give me a break,” said Serenity. “We’re going to be fighting for our lives, honey. Not doing make-up before walking on stage.”

“That’s actually wrong.” Jessica’s certainty was breath taking. “You’re fighting for the soul of this city. The mayor’s posts are endlessly attacked. All our official outreach channels are seeing dropping rates of engagement as faith in government and its ability to handle the crisis plummets. What is needed is an outside agent who can demonstrate new powers, miraculous powers, and give people something to rally around. And I’m not talking just about the people on the street. I’m talking the deputies, the assistants, the office managers, the accountants and clerks and everyone who keep the lights on.”

James straightened. “That’s why you came here tonight with steak and new clothing.”

“Partly.” Jessica raised her chin. “I genuinely wanted to make sure you were all fed and ready for tonight. But I won’t deny my hopes for more. James, for whatever reason, you’re positioned as our best bet in holding back the panic that’s about to sweep this city. If it hits, there will be no turning it back. People will flood across the bridges and tunnels, and it will be a massive humanitarian disaster. We need to keep the city calm. You can do that. Tonight.”

James wanted to protest. He crossed his arms over his chest, then looked down at his new gear. “You’re good.”

Singh was studying Jessica. “What are you thinking?”

“Fight Nemesis 2. Obviously that’s your first priority. But as soon as it’s dead, somebody has to start filming. James, you need to show that Nemesis 2 can be defeated, that you’re still alive, and tell them you’re starting a new department of super powered individuals to turn back the tide. Ask people to contact you directly on your TikTok channel -”

“I don’t have one.”

“You do. I registered one for you.”

“You don’t have access to my email.”

“I made you a new one. Gmail. Look, the point is you should ask people who have achieved at least Level 5 to reach out. They can either comment on your video or click on the link in your bio that takes them to a Google Form. The first step lies in collecting contact info. Tomorrow we can decide on next steps.”

“Damn, girl.” Serenity looked her up and down. “How are you just an executive assistant and not running this city?”

Jessica met her gaze calmly. “I had a ten-year plan. It’s been interrupted.”

“No shit,” said Delvecchio. “I dig this. We can pose it just right, James with his foot on the demon’s head, looking all bad ass with Smite activated. Love it.”

“James?” Jessica raised an eyebrow. “Your thoughts?”

“Well done,” he said at last. “How could I say no after that sales pitch? But you lied before.”

She frowned. “Excuse me?”

“You said there were dozens of assistants as good as you are at the NYCEM. I sincerely doubt it.”

“Oh.” She flushed, but only a little. “Thank you for the compliment. I’ve texted you your TikTok login information, as well as your logins for Twitter, Facebook, and Reddit, where I’ve had you join key subreddits. But don’t worry about that. I’ll be monitoring your TikTok, and once your video is live, I’ll populate the other networks with links and manage your comments. Hopefully by this time tomorrow we’ll have a robust list of contacts to work with and see a rise in morale.”

“How much you paying her?” asked Serenity in mock outrage. “Because I’m not getting paid shit.”

“Actually,” said Jessica, “I was going to address that tomorrow. One of my suggestions is the creation of a stipend for every new department member -”

“OK, seriously, enough,” said Serenity. “You’re starting to weird me out. Nobody should be this efficient.”

Jessica smiled tightly. “Fine. We can discuss the details tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow,” agreed James. He pulled up his countdown timer:

1 Hour till Nemesis 2 Released

“It’s go time,” he said. “You guys ready to head to the warehouse?”

“I’ll check on the sarge,” said Delvecchio, grabbing a bread roll and heading out the door.

“I’ll see you downstairs,” said Singh. “Thank you, Ms. Miles. This meal was very considerate.”

“You’re welcome,” said Jessica.

James waited for Singh to leave, then looked at Jessica. “I want to thank you, too. If this whole thing works, it’ll be because of your foresight and hard work.”

“Not at all. You’re the one making this possible. I’m just taking advantage of the opportunity you’ve created.”

“No.” James let the word hang in the air. “You’re doing a fantastic job under impossible circumstances. I won’t ask how you got steak and clean clothing with everything going on, but it’s obvious you’re an incredibly intelligent and capable person. I’m really grateful the mayor decided to assign you to help us out. We couldn’t do this without you.”

Jessica opened her mouth to deflect, then ducked her chin so that strands of blonde hair fell before her face. She took a moment, then met his gaze and gave a sharp nod. “Thank you for that. Good luck tonight.”

“What about me?” demanded Serenity. “What am I, chopped liver? Where’s my good luck wishes?”

Jessica laughed breathlessly, releasing some of her pent-up emotion, and raked her hair back. “It was meant to include both of you.”

“Good,” said Serenity with mock indignity. “That’s better.”

“Time to go.” James fetched his skillet from where it lay propped against the couch. “We’ve demons to kill.”

“Finally,” said Serenity, moving back into her bedroom to collect her guns.

“I’ll be watching for that video,” said Jessica. “Make it good.”

“I’ll do my best,” said James heavily. He paused at the front door, grimaced, then smiled brokenly at her. “I’ll do my best.”

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