Excerpt from Amped (A Kid Sensation Companion Novel)

I’ve mentioned on multiple occasions my intent to write several companion novels to the Kid Sensation series – books that would expound on the background of several recurring characters.  I’m happy to report that work on the novel about Electra – Kid Sensation’s level-headed girlfriend – is close to completion.  For those who might be interested, here’s an excerpt from the book (working title “Amped”), with the usual disclaimer that my editor hasn’t gotten her hands on this yet, so it hasn’t been proofed:

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We were just about to exit the building when something akin to air raid siren sounded from outside for about ten seconds.

Hand on the door, Smokey turned to me and Li in alarm. “What the hell was that?”

“Judging from the decibel range and the sound wave produced, I would surmise it was an air horn,” Li said.

Even with the goggles on, Smokey appeared confused. “Why would anybody be sounding an air horn at this place?”

“Because the security system is down!” I whispered fiercely. When Smokey still didn’t seem to understand, I hissed, “It’s a makeshift alarm, you idiot! They know someone’s here! We gotta go!”

As if to give credence to my words, we heard footsteps coming from the nearby interior, and a second later the wandering beams of flashlights came into view.

Taking the initiative, I pushed the door open and dashed outside. Smokey, remembering his role on this mission, immediately began blanketing the area surrounding us with mist. (As far as I knew, all the cameras were still off, but it didn’t hurt to take extra precautions.)

I was about to start running towards the area where our street clothes were hidden when I felt a couple of familiar bioelectric fields nearby. Looking in their direction, I heard a grunt of pain and saw a man in the uniform of a security guard flop onto the frost-covered ground about twenty feet from us. Lying next to him was another fellow – unconscious – dressed in a similar uniform. Also on the ground around them were a couple of flashlights and, presumably, the air horn we’d just heard.

Standing over the unconscious guards were two people I knew – the sources of the bioelectric fields I had recognized a few seconds earlier: Whipcord and Smiley.

They were dressed somewhat similar to us, although they wore black bodysuits that probably didn’t have a stealth design (and made them look more like burglars). From the way they looked in our direction, however, it seemed that the goggles they wore allowed them to see as well as us. (And if there was any doubt on the subject, it was cleared up when a Cockney accent cut through the night air a moment later.)

“Hello, love,” Whipcord said. “Fancy meeting you here.”

My companions and I turned to face the two men, fanning out as we did so. At the same time, another air horn sounded off to our right; taking a moment to glance in that direction, I saw multiple flashlight beams heading swiftly in our direction.

We didn’t have time to play around; we needed to leave, and fast. With that in mind, I suddenly sent two powerful arcs of electricity, one from each hand, hurtling towards the two men facing us.

Displaying cat-like reflexes, both of my targets dove away, causing me to miss. Whipcord hit the ground and rolled, coming up with his whip in his hand. He flicked his wrist, and the lash came sailing out – far longer than I thought it could – and struck me in the side. I gasped in pain and dropped down to one knee, feeling as though a knife had just sliced me open and someone had stuck a red-hot poker inside.

Whipcord grinned evilly. “Stings a little, don’t it, love?” He drew back his hand to strike again. At the same time, Smiley rushed towards me.

I tried to pull myself together, but the pain in my side was too much. I couldn’t focus enough to bring my power to bear. All I could do was stare as the lash of Whipcord’s weapon headed for me again, while Smiley charged.

All of a sudden, something slammed into Smiley like a freight train, ramming him aside. Before I could get a sense of what it was, however, I received a forceful shove that sent me sprawling onto the ground. Still clutching my side in pain, I rolled over and looked around, trying to get a sense of what was going on.

It wasn’t clear whether Smiley and Whipcord had simply failed to notice my friends or had dismissed them as non-threats. Whatever the reason, they had obviously misjudged the situation, as Li was now wrangling with Smiley, while Smokey – holding the lash of the whip – was in a tug-of-war with Whipcord for the weapon.

It only took a second for me to realize what had happened: Li had obviously been the object that had tackled Smiley. Smokey, on his part, had apparently pushed me out of the way and then – showing more dexterity than I would have given him credit for – caught the lash of the whip as it struck. (The only thing that probably saved his hands was the fact that we were all wearing gloves. Still, judging from the number the whip had done on me, it had to have hurt like the devil.)

Still holding my side, I struggled to get to my feet. Without warning, I saw Smokey arch his back and let out a painful scream as his body seemed to tremble almost spasmodically. I realized then that Whipcord was zapping my friend through the whip as he had tried to do to me at Riley’s shop. Before I could do anything, however, Smokey’s body seemed to vanish in a puff of…well, smoke. His empty stealth suit and goggles flopped to the ground.

“Glory be!” said Whipcord, plainly surprised at what had happened. “Never had one disintegrate on me before.”