Captain Stellar Read online

  “I can understand that.” But he couldn’t wrap his head around staying with their captor for so many years. What was that syndrome called again?

  Margo paused. “I’m afraid I’ve said too much tonight. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  * * *

  Fernando stood in the kitchen alone. Margo had turned in early, leaving him to clean. His mind flashed to Cal embracing Margo at dinner. It was so simple for her to touch him with her bare hands. What he wouldn’t give to touch Cal without killing him. He wanted to hate her sometimes. But then he reminded himself that she could soar the skies. She could have left him behind years ago. She had stayed despite her powers, and he would always love his sister because of her sacrifice. He would have sold his soul long ago if she hadn’t been there, comforting him as he had mourned the loss of his hands.

  He went to the kitchen sink, removed his gloves, and took a soft yellow sponge to the paella pan, brushing off bits of rice and meat. The pan had been expensive, but not as durable as the one he cooked with growing up in Barcelona. Paella reminded Fernando of his nanny, Lupe. She greeted them every summer when he and Margo returned from boarding school. They always spent a few weeks with Lupe before their parents dragged them to various restaurant business deals in the United States and even as far east as Singapore. As much as Fernando appreciated seeing the world at a young age, he enjoyed being in the kitchen with Lupe even more.

  The summer he turned thirteen had been a memorable one. They had visited San Francisco for a potential restaurant opening and spent three weeks at an upscale hotel. Fernando felt at home, surrounded by the scenic charm of the bay and the ever-present rainbow flags. Back at home, he did his best not to think of his crushes on a few male classmates. But in San Francisco, he saw couples of men holding hands as they walked, and it gave him hope that one day he could do the same.

  Upon returning from their trip, Fernando entered the kitchen with a new sense of confidence. He had savored the cuisine in San Francisco, the greasy cheeseburgers with mayonnaise, but there was nothing like the dishes of his home country.

  “You’re smiling more often, Fernando.” Lupe poured the Bomba rice to measure it.

  “Can I help you with the paella?”

  Lupe nodded. She handed him the vegetables that needed washing.

  “I want to help, too,” Margo pouted.

  “Yes, come and help us, Margo.” Lupe gave her a warm smile, the wrinkles around her eyes deepening.

  “I want to add the saffron,” Fernando insisted, glaring at his younger sister.

  Margo huffed. Fernando knew that was her favorite part. Lupe looked at their faces and chuckled. Fernando was aware that back home in Valencia, she could not have children of her own. Lupe had told him many times that she cherished the time she spent with Fernando and Margo.

  “You can both add saffron. I’ll give you each half.” Lupe took the golden strands from a tiny box in the pantry and handed a few to each of them.

  An hour later, the paella was ready. The aroma had spread from the kitchen throughout the house, beckoning Sr. and Sra. Vasquez from their conference call in their home office.

  “This smells delicious, Lupe, as always.” Sra. Vasquez closed her eyes and inhaled.

  “I see you had help,” Sr. Vazquez noted as Fernando retrieved dishes from the cabinet to set the dining table.

  “We both added the saffron, Papa.” Margo beamed as she looked at the golden rice.

  “You cooked, too, Fernando?”

  Fernando nodded with caution.

  “I thought I told you to stop pestering Lupe in the kitchen. You’re a thirteen-year-old young man. You should be outside playing football, not stuck in the kitchen. That’s a woman’s work,” Sr. Vazquez scolded.

  Fernando rolled his eyes. “Papa, I have plenty of time to play football this evening. And if cooking is women’s work, why are the chefs at your dinner parties men?”

  “Watch your tone. Keep up this insolence and I will no longer allow you to help Lupe in the kitchen.” His father was short in stature, but his deep growl of a voice made him sound six feet tall.

  “You can’t do that. I want to be a chef when I grow up. Lupe is teaching me.” Fernando felt his face grow hot with anger. His father scared him, but not enough to make him be silent. Fernando was growing taller than him by the week, and soon he would tower over him.

  “You’re becoming a businessman, end of discussion.”

  “Take it easy on him.” Sra. Vazquez touched her husband’s shoulder. “Fernando loves to cook, and he’s fantastic at it.”

  “Here, Mama.” Fernando handed a forkful of rice with a small piece of chicken to his mother.

  Sra. Vazquez ate the small bite of food and smiled. “I think you’ll make a fine chef one day, Fernando.”

  The water had gone cold, disrupting his thoughts, as he finished rinsing the paella pan. He pushed down the faucet handle before grabbing a thick white towel.

  He dried the pan, setting it on the kitchen island. He liked displaying it, a reminder of home and of Lupe, whom he missed. It was too risky to involve her in the tangled web Ted had created, but Fernando wished he could tell her he was alive.

  Little by little, strand by strand, he would tear his way out.

  Chapter 10

  Cal woke up early. Staring at the ceiling, he remembered he was at Almighty Labs, this time by choice. The cool shades of blue that surrounded him were a welcome change compared to the bleak whiteness of the tiny cell from yesterday.

  He rolled over on the smooth bed sheet, reaching for his phone. Tuesday morning, a few minutes after six…his usual time to get ready for work if he wasn’t at a hidden lab. He texted his boss to say he was too sick today. He would need a better excuse tomorrow.

  Within seconds, Rick sent his reply: “YOU’RE FIRED!”

  In an instant, he was unemployed. Despite the crappy tasks he had been given to keep the job, none of it mattered. Cal shrugged. One less jerk to deal with in life. He needed his energy for whatever came his way at the lab.

  There was a knock at the bedroom door. Cal crawled out of bed, the morning air cool on his bare skin. He threw on a terry cloth robe from the nearby chair. He didn’t want to make Margo uncomfortable by answering the door in his underwear.

  “Yes?” he opened the door.

  It was Fernando. “Oh, uh, you’re not ready yet? I’ll let you finish.” Cal noticed that the other man quickly averted his eyes to the wooden floor instead of looking at him.

  “Dude, I’m not naked,” Cal assured him. Apparently it didn’t help since Fernando’s eyes continued to shift back and forth.

  “Pues, I wanted to let you know I made breakfast in the kitchen. And we can’t have you walking around in your underwear, so take this money to buy new clothes.” He reached into his wallet and handed Cal a wad of cash.

  Cal stared at the money, hesitant to accept it. He was capable of earning his own money. Before he could protest, Fernando pushed the fistful of cash closer, his stubbled jaw clenched.

  “Thanks?” He took the money, his fingers brushing against Fernando’s smooth glove.

  “I don’t have a problem with it, but Margo wouldn’t approve.” Fernando cleared his throat.

  Cal noticed his robe had come undone, revealing his black boxers. It was his turn to blush. “I’ll eat with you two after I take a shower.”

  Fernando smiled as he walked away.

  * * *

  After a delicious and filling breakfast of fried eggs and jamón ibérico, Cal followed Margo and Fernando into the warehouse.

  “Lucky for us, Ted’s at a conference this week. He left for Los Angeles late last night.” Fernando paused as if lost in thought. “We have a week to train in the mornings. When he returns, we’ll only be able to train you at night, or he’ll get suspicious.”

  “The other recruits don’t like this warehouse. It’s not the flashy training studio Dr. Almighty built six months ago,” Margo added.

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nbsp; Cal nodded, trying to act as if he understood. But this was a whole new world, and he hadn’t even left Chicago.

  “I’ll help you with flying,” Margo continued, pointing to herself. “And Funesto’s in charge of strength training.”

  “So where do we start?”

  “Show me how you fly,” Margo suggested.

  Cal sprinted across the warehouse, his feet lifting off the ground, and flew as high as he could, touching the large ceiling fans.

  “Impressive!” Margo clapped. “That’s higher than I could go my first time.”

  “Yeah, but, the hard part is landing,” Cal said between gritted teeth as he braced himself for a fall, approaching the west wall of the warehouse.

  “Close your eyes, Cal, and imagine your body is landing as an eagle or a hawk.”

  “I’ve never paid much attention to how birds land. Kinda wish I had now.” Cal tumbled to the hard floor onto his back. Flying was not as much fun as he thought it could be back when he was a child admiring Peter Pan and Superman.

  Fernando and Margo ran over to him after he crashed onto the concrete.

  Cal groaned as he sat up, rubbing at his lower back.

  Margo patted him on the shoulder. “Your homework is to watch videos of eagles and hawks landing on your phone this afternoon. Let’s not worry about flying anymore today.”

  Cal raised an eyebrow. “How am I going to learn how to fly if I don’t practice?”

  “Trust me,” she said, smiling. “First, you must observe. The birds of prey are great teachers. When I imitated them, I learned the best way to use my power. We have plenty of time to practice.”

  “If you say so.”

  “Don’t believe me?” Margo ran and flew into the air. She touched the ceiling fan with ease and made a soft landing beside Cal.

  “Eagles flying, birds of prey landing, got it.”

  “If you’re up to it, I have strength training for you to do.” Fernando pointed to a car in the corner.

  “Really? I’m still sore from yesterday.”

  “Why don’t you start with the tires?”

  “Taking it easy on him? You’re always so strict with the others,” Margo teased her brother.

  Cal covered a smile with his hand. He wasn’t used to getting special treatment, especially from someone as tough as Fernando.

  “He fell onto the concrete on his back. You saw it, too. I’m tough but not heartless, hermanita.”

  Cal walked over and squatted as he lifted one tire with ease. He raised it over his head and threw it at the wall.

  Fernando clapped his hands in approval. “How do you feel?”

  “Sore,” Cal grimaced. “I’m already strong. But with this new power, I can hurt myself more.”

  “Yes, because you’re using too much of it.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, we can use powers in degrees. Margo, bring me that dandelion.” Fernando took off his gloves. She picked up the dandelion swept in with the boxes and placed it near Fernando’s feet. It was vibrant and yellow with roots attached to its stem.

  “If I concentrate, I can use a little of my power at first.” He picked up the dandelion, and it smoked. “When I use all of it…” Fernando squeezed the plant in his hand, and it turned to dust.

  “Oh,” Cal shivered. His throat tightened as he eyed the dark ash on pale fingers.

  “Start small with your powers. Don’t overdo it even though you are strong. Keep some in reserve to protect your body and others. There may be times when you need to injure someone only slightly in a fight. You don’t want to kill someone by accident because you underestimated your own strength.”

  Cal nodded. He hadn’t even considered that his super strength had the potential to be lethal.

  “Move those tires to the other side of the warehouse without hurting yourself. And then you can take a nap, so we can teach you more tonight.”

  * * *

  Fernando was more than impressed by Cal’s potential, an attentive student, hanging on every word. He was reluctant to be hopeful, waiting for all he cared for to turn to dust just as that dandelion had in his hands.

  “Buena suerte.” Fernando followed his sister, leaving Cal alone in the expansive warehouse.

  Chapter 11

  A persistent knock interrupted Cal’s slumber. He stretched his arms over his head and winced, his back tender from yesterday’s clumsy landing. He snatched his phone and saw it was 4:30 in the morning, an ideal time to be asleep in his warm bed. Cal threw on his robe, tied it tightly this time, and staggered to the door.

  “What?” Cal opened the door, rubbing his eyes.

  Fernando stared at him. He was already showered and dressed for the day, his hair dripping beads of water onto his forehead and jaw. Cal ignored the impulse to wipe away the water on his face. No touching was a good rule for Fernando, but it tempted Cal.

  It was a good rule for Cal, too. He was mad at himself for wanting to touch Fernando, when he had Jin in his life. And Fernando wasn’t some guy he met at a bar. He was Cal’s mentor, hidden away from the world because of his dangerous power.

  “Why were you still in bed?” Fernando folded his arms.

  “Because it’s dark out, I guess. No windows in this crazy place.” Cal rubbed his forehead. “This is sleep time.”

  “Not when we’re training. You need to learn how to set an alarm on that extension of your hand. Make it useful at least.” He pointed to Cal’s cell phone.

  “It’s too early to train,” Cal complained, scrunching up his face.

  Fernando shook his head. “No, we train early before the others are awake. It’s for your own protection.”

  “But I thought you said Dr. Almighty was out of town.”

  “He is, but the recruits have eyes, ears, and mouths. They won’t hesitate to use them when he returns.”

  “Fine. Is the shower open?”

  “Yes. Margo is waiting for us in the kitchen.”

  “You’re both crazy.” Cal pushed past Fernando and headed for the bathroom.

  Cal took a quick shower, setting the water to warm instead of hot to avoid lingering in the steam. His thoughts returned to Fernando’s wavy hair and how he looked like a movie star under the bright lights of the hallway. Warmth fluttered in his belly as he fantasized what Fernando would look like in this very shower, water streaming down his muscled thighs. Cal squeezed his eyes shut as he scrubbed his scalp. His thoughts were beyond his control, but he had at least stopped himself from touching Fernando’s wet jawline, as tempting as it was. His chest tightened, the guilt weighing heavy on his heart. His head swam with desire for Fernando when he should be wondering how Jin was doing. He had to think of him as a mentor only.

  After dressing in his room, Cal hurried to the kitchen. Fernando had left him a plate of eggs, bacon, and hash browns. Beside it was a note written in ketchup on a small white dish: “Hurry!”

  How early had Fernando woken up to cook this?

  Cal wolfed down his food. He wanted to take more time to savor it, especially the bacon which was crispy without being burnt, but he did not want to keep his trainers waiting. Sliding what little remained of the hash browns across the ketchup, he made Fernando’s message blur and disappear. He downed a glass of milk and headed to the warehouse.

  “Mira, he’s here.” Margo smiled. “Good morning.”

  “Thanks for breakfast. It was very-”

  “No time for small talk.” Fernando slid a gloved hand across his throat.

  “That’s rude.” Margo glared at her brother. “You worked hard so early in the morning, peeling potatoes to make a nice American breakfast for Cal.”

  “Hermanita, cállate la boca,” Fernando narrowed his eyes.

  Cal smiled to himself, imagining Fernando using a potato peeler at three in the morning.

  Margo slapped her brother’s shoulder.

  Cal winced. Did these two ever get along? He figured Margo wouldn’t appreciate being told to shut up,
but he felt uncomfortable being in the middle of their quarrels. It reminded him of his parents fighting at the dinner table, in the car, or at restaurants.

  She clapped her hands together. “Let’s start the training.”

  “Today we work on combat skills. You’re strong, you can fly, but can you fight someone?”

  “I don’t want to fight anyone.” Cal had never been the confrontational type. Even as a child he never understood why the other kids would break out into fights over the smallest things. As he grew taller and stronger, he avoided fights, not wanting to hurt anyone. Mostly, he never felt like he had a reason to fight.

  “You won’t always have a choice.”

  “We want you to be ready for anything,” Margo added.

  “How will I learn?”

  “I won’t fight you.” Margo’s eyes widened when she looked him over. “You’re still learning how to manage your strength.”

  “And it’s too much of a risk for me to do it.” Fernando held up his gloved hands as an explanation. “But I had an idea while I was peeling potatoes.” Margo laughed and he ignored her. “I borrowed one of these.” Fernando held out a virtual reality headset from the training studio. “We need to get started before someone notices it’s missing.”

  “That’s too risky.” Margo blinked at Fernando, clearly surprised. “No one saw you?”

  “Life is risky, hermanita.” He handed it to Cal.

  The headset was more lightweight than Cal expected. He turned the silver device over in his hands for a quick examination and then placed it over his head. He blinked his eyes as he adjusted to the dark.

  “The simulation software.” Fernando pulled out a laptop from his black bag.

  “Ay!” Margo put a hand to her face. “You stole a computer, too?”

  Cal gulped. How terrible was this Dr. Almighty to worry Margo so much?

  “The headset is useless without it. Ted was so excited about the new tech that he showed me how it works. I acted unimpressed, of course, but it is muy guay, very cool. I’m setting up the fight simulation now. Get ready, Cal.”