Part V

Heroes and Villains

Chapter 19 — End of the World, Redux

"The greatest strength we hold is trust. To give yourself over to another, to become one mind with each other, that is the true potential of the human soul. Let those in whom you hold absolute faith fill the weaknesses of your own spirit. For those who would break trust: give them no quarter, for they shatter that which can never be truly repaired."

~Cinza, The Rallsburg Diaries

Hailey dove out of the sky, landing on the concrete in front of the glass double-doors. Quite a few people shrieked. She didn't care. Quickly letting Jessica go, Hailey wrenched open the front door of the building and marched up to the receptionist desk.

The terrified young woman behind the counter stood up straight, her knees visibly knocking together.

"W-welcome to Luther, R-Renalds an—"

"Where is he?" Hailey asked. Jessica finally caught up to her, tapping her on the shoulder, but Hailey quickly shook her head before returning to the receptionist.

"...W-who?"

"The author of your Diaries," Hailey snapped.

Her voice dripped with venom. She could feel rage boiling over in her face, like she were in the middle of a blazing fire. They'd flown almost non-stop from Ohio all the way back to Redmond, stopping once for food and finally arriving just past lunch. Jessica was looking a little light-headed, since she'd supplied Hailey with a lot of energy to keep them flying fast the whole way.

"I don't know who that is," said the receptionist meekly, cowering under her glare.

Jessica grabbed Hailey's arm and pulled her back. Hailey glanced over. Jessica looked angry. Her hand came up. She lightly slapped Hailey in the face, just enough to really get her attention.

Hailey stopped. Jessica glared at her, pointing at the young woman behind the desk, utterly terrified. Hailey took a deep breath, forcing herself to be calm.

"Whatever you have to do, please," she forced through rigid teeth. "Whoever's representing him. Call them."

"R-right away." She fumbled for the phone. "Mr. Portman? Yes, this is Julie. Yes, reception. No, don't hang up. I need you down here right now. It's an emergency."

"Tell him Hailey Winscombe is here to see him," Hailey growled.

"...Yes, sir. Hailey Winscombe." She paused, while whoever was on the other end spoke something very quickly. Hailey was about to try and listen in, but they stopped. Julie looked back up at her. "Mr. Portman is on his way down right now." She hesitated, looking anywhere but at Hailey herself. "C-can I get you anything?"

"No."

Hailey stayed right where she was, still breathing heavily. The flight hadn't exactly been easy, but she still felt too pumped up on adrenaline to even stand still. She started pacing, fully aware of the sea of eyes watching her every move.

She'd just dropped out of the sky in the middle of the day. She was surprised there wasn't more of a fuss going on. At the moment, no one seemed to want to move. They were all waiting to see what happened next — what she'd do next.

Hailey wasn't going to give them a show. She was here to shut down the show.

The elevator doors pinged. A sharp-dressed man with a poorly-shaved goatee stepped out. His eyes lit up as he spotted Hailey. He walked forward, extending his hand in greeting.

Hailey walked straight ahead, brushing right past him and stepping into the elevator. "Not here," she snapped over her shoulder. To his credit, Portman recovered remarkably fast, turning on a dime and joining her in the elevator.

One silent elevator ride with Portman and a bewildered Jessica later, they arrived in what she assumed was the nicest suite in the building. Tasteful minimalist artwork surrounded soft comfortable office chairs, with wide tables perfect for piles of paperwork to sign. All points of a high-powered law firm experienced with high-profile clients.

Hailey had been in a couple of these rooms before, back when she'd actually still been interested in her mother's career. Usually they were full of people. This room was totally empty.

Portman took a seat on one side, gesturing for them to take the opposite. Hailey finally sat down, though she still couldn't stop fidgeting. Throughout the conversation, she was gently moving her chair back and forth, tapping her feet on the legs, anything.

"The famous Hailey Winscombe, I presume?" he started, with a wry smile. She returned it with a stony glare.

"Look, I'm in a hurry. You guys are the ones publishing the book, right?"

"We represent the client. Pro Paradigm is the publisher."

"Okay, so you're definitely who I want to talk to." She leaned forward slightly, putting her elbows on the table. "Where's Nate Price?"

If he was surprised she knew who their client was, he gave no sign. "I'm not at liberty to divulge that information."

"Wrong answer." She rolled her hand over, and a ball of flame flickered into life in mid-air above it. His eyes got wide. Jessica tensed up too, and Hailey saw her murmuring something under her breath just in case.

"Oh my god…" he murmured.

"What, he didn't show you any magic?"

"I've never met the client. We have a strict policy with our clientele who require anonymity."

"But you knew his name."

The man puffed up his chest, just a little. "Well, I am a senior partner at the firm."

"The only one still here for lunch on a Friday," Hailey noted aloud. She let the fire dissipate into the air, realizing how little the guy actually knew. He wasn't who she needed to talk to after all.

Portman frowned. "That's not—"

She stood up, feeling too impatient to keep dealing with him. "Where's the guy above you?" Jessica got up too, following her lead.

"I'm sorry?"

"Who's in charge of Nate's case?"

"I can't disclose that inform—"

"Are you serious right now?" Hailey growled. Her arm started to move upward again, but Jessica grabbed her. Hailey twisted around.

Jessica was pointing out the window, where a sizeable crowd was starting to gather down below. Several news vans had pulled up, and guys with cameras were positioning themselves around the front doors. They were way up on the fifth floor, but even so, it was pretty obvious what was happening.

"Someone must have called them in," Portman commented mildly, also watching out the windows.

"One of your people?"

"Of course not. It's much easier to let publicity happen naturally these days. If people think anything's manufactured, they're less likely to engage with it." He glanced over at her. "You're a public figure now, Miss Winscombe. They're going to be all over you."

"They already were," Hailey muttered.

"The FBI as well, and local police. You've got a lot to answer for." The phone on the desk rang, but Portman ignored it. He was watching her instead.

Hailey murmured a quick spell, and suddenly everyone on the ground was thrown into sharp focus. She could see all of them perfectly. Some of the anchors she even recognized. One of them had interviewed her mom once, a piece on some charity work she did for her company years back. They were all staring right back up at her, though none of them could actually see her through the tinted glass on the fifth story.

"How long do I have?" she asked, turning back to Portman.

"Well, this is private property, and it could easily be argued you're meeting with counsel." He shrugged. "The federal agents will only be delayed until they can get in touch with their favorite local judge to issue a warrant. If you were to make us your official legal representation, I'm sure we could delay the press indefinitely. "

She laughed. "Are you really trying to give me a sales pitch right now?"

"Can't fault me for trying, can you?"

Hailey ignored him, looking at Jessica next to her. It's time. No more running and hiding. I have to beat Nate at his own game. She pointed out the window, making a motion with her hand like a waterfall.

Jessica shook her head. She held up her hands to her face, as if to hide, punctuating it as a question.

Hailey shrugged. "I think that's done now," she added, feeling a rush of excitement. With another murmured spell, one she'd practiced and refined so many times that she could do it without thinking, Hailey's hair and face rearranged themselves back to normal. She took off the fake glasses and dropped them in her bag.

Ignoring the gawking Portman, Hailey gestured at her face, then down at the crowd again.

Jessica hesitated. She looked down at the crowd, muttering under her breath words Hailey couldn't understand. Finally, she looked back up. Jessica pointed at herself and shook her head, her blue-brown hair flying wildly.

"You sure?" Hailey asked, tilting her head slightly.

She nodded. She gave Hailey a small smile and pointed out of the window, nodding.

Hailey hugged her tight, releasing the spell on her appearance as she did. "Hey, Mr. Portman?"

"Y-yes?" he spluttered, as if coming out of a stupor.

"Got a bathroom I can use?"