The Chimera Vector (The Fifth Column #1)

Chapter 7: What's Your Superpower?

15 years ago

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Jay ducked under a swathe of cables and ran.

An army of do-it-yourself satellite dishes were angled toward the Super Jesus statue perched high on the mountain. Six-year-old Jay checked over his shoulder. His younger brother, Hélio, had fallen behind again, still jogging by the concrete walls and graffiti.

Jay didn't wait. He scaled the tin roof and stepped through a broken window. This place was a recently abandoned hideout, but they'd left more than usual. He hoped to find something interesting, or maybe even valuable enough to sell.

The rooms revealed lots of empty rifle shells and racks that a few days ago would have been brimming with cable television equipment. Probably illegal cable providers who had been raided by BOPE, Rio's Police Special Forces.

A rabbit scurried around a large hole in the floor. Jay ignored it. He was more interested in finding anything BOPE had missed.

Hélio stumbled through the window behind him. Jay ignored him and checked the next room. It was bare except for three empty fireworks cylinders.

'Nothing,' Hélio said, kicking a glass bottle.

Jay heard the bottle drop down the hole. A few seconds later, it smashed onto concrete several floors below.

Jay picked up a fireworks cylinder and inspected it. Empty shells fell out of it, scattering on the floor. But they didn't sound hollow. He picked one up. It wasn't empty at all. He was holding a real bullet! And it was a big one too. As thick as his thumb and as long as his whole hand. He picked up the other bullets, one after another.

Hélio called out to him.

Jay counted thirteen big bullets.

'Jay!'

Jay wondered if he could sell them to a gang member. How much would he demand for them? He'd have to act tough otherwise they'd try to scam him.

A sharp popping sound made him jump. Fireworks.

The gangs used fireworks as a warning when BOPE arrived.

'BOPE!' Hélio screamed.

Then came the cracking sound of bullets. One smashed through a window.

Jay ran back to Hélio. Glass sprinkled over the floor. Close call. Hélio hadn't been hit. More bullets cracked past the building. Jay ducked. Where was his brother?

Hélio's head of matted black hair bobbed just over the edge of the hole. His fingers were clinging to its edge. 'Jay!' He was sobbing.

Jay couldn't move. Shadows of BOPE soldiers moved along the windows. Fear riveted him to the spot.

More bullets cracked past.

Hélio's fingers were white at the tips. He hung there, just his fingers and head visible. Jay could see his eyes. Tears streamed from them.

'Help me!'

The unused bullets slipped from Jay's hands, scattering across the concrete. His heart was racing.

'Jay!' Hélio screamed.

Jay's legs wobbled. But he didn't move.

Instead, he shut his eyes.

*

A year later

Somehow, Jay had passed all the tests.

He was in a mess hall with over seventy other kids, some a bit younger, some older. They were all successful entrants in the Argus Foundation's scholarship program. Jay was sure he wasn't smart enough for that, but he'd made it in. Maybe by mistake?