Absolute Power. Michael Carroll

and padding, you’re still you.”

      “Colin’s never met me face-to-face, and the real Reginald Kinsella was such a recluse that even the people who worked closest with him haven’t been able tell I’ve taken his place.”

      “But even among superhumans Colin is different. We’ve already seen his powers evolve once. Who’s to say that he hasn’t developed telepathy?”

      “I have thought of that, Laurie. I’m willing to take the chance.”

      “We’ve already got superhumans. We have you and Yvonne. Why do we need him?”

      “Because you just said it yourself: Colin is different. For one thing, he can see the blue lights. For another, he’s the child of two superhumans.”

      The jet stopped, and Cross unbuckled his seatbelt. “OK. You know what you’ve got to do?”

      Laurie nodded. “Go to Kiev, then catch the cargo flight to Omsk, and from there to Zaliv Kalinina. And don’t let Yvonne know where I really am.”

      “Good. Keep me posted. I’ll send you the material as soon as I can.”

      “This isn’t going to work, Victor.”

      Victor Cross stood up. “Why the pessimism?”

      Laurie began ticking off on his fingers. “You underestimated the kids and they destroyed your power-damper. Dioxin got caught. Renata Soliz turned down your offer to join the Trutopians…”

      Victor laughed. “That’s true. But we always get the outcome we want. Look at what I’ve already achieved – I’m only twenty-one years old and I’m in charge of the largest and most powerful organisation the world has ever seen. I’ve got more money than I can spend. I’m very definitely the smartest man who ever lived. The only person on this planet who could possibly be a threat to me is Colin Wagner, and I’ll have him on my side in a matter of days.”

      “If Colin realises that you’re the man who killed Solomon Cord, he’ll…Victor, he’s got a very strong sense of justice, but I’m not sure that would stop him from tearing your head off.”

      “It’s his sense of justice that’s going to persuade him to come over to our way of thinking.”

      “I still think it’d be easier to just have Yvonne control his mind.”

      Victor removed his suitcase from the overhead compartment. “It would be easier, yes, but less satisfying.”

      “You’re just doing this to pander to your own ego.”

      Victor sighed. “I don’t know why I let you talk to me like that.”

      “Maybe it’s because…” Laurie shrugged. “Actually, I’ve no idea either, but there must be some part of you that needs me. Otherwise you’d just have me killed, or get Yvonne to control my mind and make me only say what you want to hear.”

      Cross flipped open his suitcase and checked the contents. “Could be…”

      Then Laurie said, “Ah…I’ve just realised why you’re not letting Yvonne take control of Colin.”

      “And why’s that?”

      “Because her mind-control power makes her very dangerous. You’re doing this to prove to Yvonne that you don’t need her for everything. If she starts to think that she doesn’t need you…”

      Victor nodded, and smiled. “Well done, Mr Laurie. And as a reward, you get to spend the next five years in the Arctic.”

      “I really don’t want to go, Victor. I don’t like the cold.”

      “I know that. But the work is important. Or it’s going to be important.”

      “Victor, I was asleep!” Yvonne said. “Do you have any idea what time it is in Wyoming?”

      Cross nodded to the guards at the gate and raised the limousine’s window. “Of course I do. I know everything. What’s your point?”

      Their inspection complete, the guards waved the car through: Victor was pleased to see that even though they knew who he was, and they’d been expecting him, they still ran their scanners over the car and checked his and the driver’s DNA profiles against the database.

      Yvonne said, “My point is that you can’t just phone people in the middle of the night and expect them to be waiting for your call!”

      “Whine, whine, whine. How are things back home?”

      “They’re fine.”

      “No sign of Dioxin breaking through your memory block?”

      “No. And even if he does manage it, it’s not like there’s anyone in Lieberstan who’ll be listening to him.”

      “True. We’ve just arrived in Satu Mare. I’ll be heading back to the States in a couple of days, by which time Colin Wagner will be on our side.”

      “You’re certain you can persuade him?”

      “Absolutely. Now tell me what happened on the island.”

      Yvonne paused. “What island?”

      “Isla del Tonatiuh. Check your computer.” Victor heard Yvonne yawning, then tapping on her keyboard.

      “I see it…” Yvonne said. “We had a huge cache of supplies there. Had being the operative word. The New Heroes destroyed it a couple of hours ago.”

      “Good.”

      “Good? Why is it good? Victor, this is the fifth time they’ve deliberately targeted the Trutopians!”

      “I know. Who do you think is feeding them the information? You really should be keeping an eye on the larger picture, Yvonne. We trick the Sakkarans into going on these little missions, and they’re not going to be around to do normal superhero stuff.”

      “And the point of that is…?”

      “The ordinary people know that there are superhumans again, and they’re beginning to realise that these superhumans aren’t working for them: they’re working for the military. The public backlash will begin very soon.”

      “Spurred on by you, of course.”

      “Naturally…All right, we’re here.” Victor opened the car door and stepped out into the afternoon sunshine. “Time to meet Mr Wagner and start the conversion process.”

      Yvonne said, “Victor, if he kills you, can I take over the organisation?”

      Cross replied, “You may take over the organisation. Whether you actually can, well, that’s a different matter.”

      “I’m thrilled you have so much faith in me.”

      “Go back to sleep, kid. I’ll call you if I need you. Which I won’t.”

      The first thing Colin Wagner did when he arrived at the hotel room was to fill the bath with hot, foamy water, strip off his clothes and lower himself in.

      Now, two hours later, he was still in the bath, eyes closed, listening to Alphaville on his new MP3 player.

      The last track on the album came to an end and Colin popped out the earphones and set the player down on the floor.

      I could get used to this.

      The phone beside the bath rang. Colin grabbed for it with a damp hand. “Hello?”

      “Colin? It’s Harriet. Mr Kinsella has just arrived, and he’d like to talk to you. When you’re ready.”

      “Sure. I’ll be down in a couple of minutes.”

      Colin hung up the phone and stepped out of the bath. He didn’t bother using a towel to dry himself; he just increased his body temperature until all the water evaporated from his skin.