The Great Search, Part Four

Continued from Part Three

The sleek dark blue Justicemobile stopped outside a federal office building.

Captain Justice smiled. “This car han-dles like a dream.”

“Too bad it’s an environmental night-mare,” Junior said.

“Are you trying to take the joy out of everyone’s lives or just mine?”

“I just want to make sure we have a planet to enjoy our lives on.”

“This car gets twenty-five miles to the gallon. That’s better than the last. The first got eleven miles. It was so bad, during the Carter administration, we had to take the subway.”

“Now, that set a good example! Let’s do that, Grandpa!”

“Son, we’re the Justice family, not the Planeteers.”

They got out of the car.

“Hello, Captain Justice.”

They turned. Janus’s gold body paint shimmered in the eleven o’ clock sun.

Captain Justice said, “Yes?”

Janus posed like the Sword would at a photo-op. “Behold, I am Janus! Earth’s greatest superhero. I admire your work as one of earth’s great old time heroes from years gone by.”

Junior glared and stepped forward. “Maybe you think robbing a Maybelline counter makes you top dog, but Captain Justice is still the world’s greatest hero.”

“Prove it.” Janus struck a fighting stance.

“Janus, that as in Janet Jackson or Janis Joplin?”

“No, J-A-N-U-S, Janus!”

Captain Justice said, “The Roman god with two faces.”

Junior punched his right fist into his left palm. “Good thing you have a spare. I have to mess this face up.”

Captain Justice raised a hand. “Son, there’s nothing heroic about an adoles-cent fight. We’re going in. Now.”

“We’ll meet again, Coward.”

Junior screamed, “Count on it!” He glared one last time and followed Captain Justice inside.

Captain Justice perused the direct-ory. His fingers stopped on the listing for SIB. Third floor.

The two got in the elevator. Captain Justice said, “You handled that well.”

“Thanks.”

“That was sarcasm.”

“Oh. It’s just that punk was attacking you as over the hill and out of touch.”

“So? It doesn’t matter what people say. It matters what God knows and what I know. And I know that I could take that guy if I had to.”

“But he doesn’t know.”

“If he find out, it’ll be the hard way.”

The elevator dinged. The Justices stepped out into the hall. A young man walked out. “Can I help you?”

“Yeah, I’m looking for the Super-natural Intelligence Bureau.”

“I’m sorry. You’re at the wrong location.”

Junior frowned. “But it said SIB on the sign downstairs.”

“SIB could stand for a lot of things.”

“Like what?”

“Um  …Small Intestine Bureau.”

An older man came out. “Way to think on your feet, Jaden.” The older man’s eyes lit up. “Captain!” He ran over to Captain Justice and hugged him. “It’s been years!”

The older agent began to sing “An-chors Away.” Captain joined in.

Junior and Jaden exchanged puzzled frowns.

After finishing the last verse, the older agent said, “We served together in the Navy.”

Captain Justice said, “Yeah, while I was on active duty.”

The older agent smiled. “The big one. Grenada.”

Junior asked, “What’s Grenada?”

“A small island nation. Reagan sent troops to stop the communists from taking over. Cardin here was one of my officers. I saw in him the makings of a great SIB agent.”

“And now I’m the director, though there’s only four of us to start. But I take it this isn’t a social call?”

Captain Justice shook his head. “We have reason to believe the missing heroes may still be alive. Commander Justice ap-peared and helped me out in a fight in Pitts-burgh. Junior did some research, and found a professor Charles Squall had put in a pat-ent application on an inter-dimensional por-tal. From the drawings he sent in, I believe it could work.”

“Why don’t you go talk to him?”

“He doesn’t have a phone. And some-body bought him a piece of property in the mountains of New Hampshire worth four million.”

“Maybe he couldn’t afford the pay-ments.”

“There are no payments. Paid for cash on the barrelhead.”

“Must’ve had some powerful friends.”

“Maybe some of yours.”

“We’ll come.”

Continued next Monday

Subscribe to Laser & Sword by Email to get the next part and all the rest of our free offerings delivered to you. To find out what happens sooner, visit the Laser and Sword Online store and download  Issue 1 for free or purchase the Annual Editioncontaining 11 action packed