Sapphire Angel - Superheroine

Chapter 7 - Debriefing and planning

Beth was more tired than she thought. After packing a change of clothes from her home, including the costume and necklace she had worn to the facility earlier in the night, she collapsed into bed at the hotel across the street from the hospital. Even with - or perhaps because of - all the stress and worry, she fell asleep within seconds.

The sound of her iPhone chirping awoke her. She looked at the screen. It was Stanley. It was 9 a.m. She had slept for seven hours.

"Hi Stanley," she answered.

"We need to talk," he said. "Where are you?"

"Room 426 at the Hilton."

"Can I come see you?"

"Sure."

"I'll be right there."

Beth threw back the covers and climbed out of bed, wearing her light blue cotton pajama pants and a white T-shirt with a blue snowflake on the front. Her blond hair was tossed and unkempt, and her blue eyes dreary.

She rushed to the bathroom to get ready, but less than five minutes later there was a knock at her door. Beth smirked. It took longer than five minutes to get to the hotel from both the hospital, and from Stanley's home. Stanley had known all along where she was staying, probably even the room number. His call had been a formality.

Still in her pajamas, but with her hair pulled up and clipped on top her head, she opened the door. Stanley entered the room carrying a small backpack. He sat on the desk chair, while Beth popped up onto the bed, curling her legs underneath her.

"What's up?" she asked.

"I'm trying to find out if there is a cure for whatever has afflicted John."

Beth squinted her eyes. "Stanley, I've never seen something you couldn't do. But you're not a doctor. What makes you think you can come up with a cure?"

"I didn't say come up with a cure. I said find out if there is a cure. Whatever is affecting him - and affected you - came from that facility. From that cylinder. I need to know more about it. The answer may be there."

"You've told the police the same thing, right?"

"Not in so many words, but yes. I told them John was there, was shot at, and that something happened with that cylinder."

"And?"

"They talked to one of the managers of the place, who welcomed the police inside to look around. No sign of a cylinder anywhere. The big room in the basement was completely empty. And he showed them surveillance footage, of all the exits, that showed nothing around the time you were there."

"But I saw -"

"I know what you saw, Beth. I'm sure these people moved it, or something. Whatever they did, they're now denying the existence of the thing."

"I don't know how they could have moved it so quickly. It was huge, and looked like it was connected to the floor. And they would have had to take it out in pieces, to fit it out any of the exits of that room."

"I know," Stanley nodded. "Which is why the police think the device never existed."

"Maybe if I came forward and confirm that I saw it?"

Stanley shook his head. "It would be two of you, against I'm sure any number of people from the facility claiming it never existed. And the police already searched the place, and reviewed the video footage. What more are they to do? They'd think you're a couple of kids with wild imaginations."

"So what are we going to do, then? There's no way to get in there and check things out?"

"There is a way, Beth."