Graves Davis was in a spot of trouble. His truck had overheated in the worst possible place at the worst possible time: the middle of Nevada, 15 miles from anywhere, with the late-summer sun on the rise. Cell phones weren't worth owning out here, and Graves hadn't seen the need for an expensive satellite phone, since he'd lived 50-odd years without one. He was prepared for this emergency, of course: no fool he. With the sun shade up in his windshield and the doors open, he could rest in shade in the cab of his truck without suffocating. He had a big thermos full of water, beef jerky if he needed it, and even emergency flares to convince passersby to stop even if all they saw was an empty car. And State Road 140 wasn't as isolated as all that: he could reasonably expect to be rescued, so to speak, within an hour. But it would be an unpleasant hour, and he'd lose the rest of the day getting a tow, let alone getting a repair done. This was definitely not the best day of his life.
He lit his second flare, turned around to head back to the truck, and there was a woman standing by the truck. Exceptionally thick build, but obviously female, even apart from the long black hair. Absurdly, she was wearing what looked like a bathing suit, a plain black one-piece. Her skin was fair enough it was a wonder she wasn't getting burnt before his eyes. Even more incredibly, she was barefoot. Yet she was standing on the gravel-littered asphalt like it was... well, like it was anything but gravel-littered asphalt in Nevada summer heat.
Graves Davis figured he was hallucinating. He tried not to trip over his own feet as he walked along the rocky shoulder toward the mirage.
"Hi," the woman called, as he approached within conversational distance. "Want a lift?"
Graves swallowed dry and said, "I sure could use one, ma'am, if it's not too much trouble."
Closer now, he could there was no other vehicle parked behind his dusty old red pickup. Not even a motorcycle. This woman had come out of nowhere. And she was the most remarkable woman he had ever seen. Her beauty was flawless, like a touched-up photograph of a supermodel. Yet her build was so muscular it would have been remarkable for a man, let alone a woman. Yet, again, her figure was indisputably, eminently feminine, with attractive curves and a pert and ample bust.
"I'm a paranormal," she said. "I can carry you wherever you want to go. You and the truck, I mean."
He only half heard most of that. The first sentence had reoriented him with explosive force. In hindsight it seemed obvious: even under the effects of heatstroke, he could never have imagined such an astonishing young woman. What else could she have been but a "paranormal", one of the mysterious superhumans who had somehow begun to appear over the past few months? Some folks around here still insisted that the whole thing was a hoax, but Graves Davis was canny enough to be skeptical even of skepticism. Other folks believed that new paranormals should be killed immediately to forestall another disaster like Wichita, but Graves knew better than that, too. And now, as if to reward him for his magnanimity, a paranormal had shown up to help him out of a spot. It didn't quite balance the scales against mass murder, but it was something.
He finished processing what she had said. "If you can bring the truck along," he said, "I was headed for Winnemucca," he said. He tried to keep his eyes on her face. It was hard. Her eyes were too intense, her chest too prominent, her shoulders and arms too spectacular.
The woman didn't complain. "No problem," she said. "Anywhere in particular, or just the first decent mechanic? It's a crack in your coolant hose, by the way, if you hadn't found it yet."
He wasn't about to ask how she knew that. He wasn't about to doubt it, either. He nodded. "Better the hose than anywhere else," he said. "I usually go to Manzo's, right on Winnemucca east. Jim Manzo is an honest man."
The woman nodded acknowledgment. "Good to know." And then she bent slightly at the waist, reached her left hand beneath the side of Graves's truck, and lifted the whole thing off the ground, easy as if she were passing a dinner plate. She held it off to her side and held out her other hand toward Graves. "If you don't mind holding my hand for a second...."
Graves swallowed dry again and very gingerly took her hand. Her gentle grip felt all the smoother against his own rough, calloused skin.
A literal second was all it took, if even that. He felt only the slightest acceleration, and saw only a vague blur, mostly blue and a little reddish brown. Then he was standing in the lot behind Manzo's. His truck--doors and windows still wide open, sun shield and everything else still in place--was already wheels to pavement in a parking space. Belatedly Graves realized that the woman had already released her grip on his hand. He let go of hers and drew back his arm.
"Oh," she said, before he was composed enough to thank her. "I didn't think to bring the flares. I'll be right back." She was gone less time than she'd needed to say the words. She returned holding his two flares, extinguished. She set them down in the back of the truck. "Anything else I can help you with?"
"Ah, no, can't see what else would need doing. I'm mighty grateful, ma'am--you've saved me hours of trouble, not to mention standing out on that road. Thanks." More by instinct than intention, he offered his hand.
"My pleasure," the young superwoman replied, shaking his hand with the same gentle grip. Then: "I'd appreciate it if you don't tell anyone I helped you. I'm not really supposed to yet. When you see me on the news you can tell this story. Thanks."
Her smile alone would have been payment enough for that little favor. He couldn't help smiling a little in return. "Not a problem, ma'am. Our little secret."
He kicked himself: that sounded utterly childish. But it made the woman's smile grow. "Thanks," she said again. "Take care, Mr Davis." And then she vanished.
* * *
"I helped someone just now," said Sarah Marshall.
Few other people would have noticed the subtle changes in James Ryan's expression: the almost microscopic twitches of small muscles at the left corners of his mouth and left eye. General Ryan was out of uniform, and at the moment even sans coat and tie, but everything about him shouted "soldier".
Sarah had expected no response; she continued without pause. "I asked him not to tell anyone, and I think he won't. And I don't think anyone else saw me. I'm just telling you in case I'm wrong."
The general nodded. His keen blue-gray eyes turned toward the floor. After a moment he said, "Do you want me to report it?"
"Do you think it would help?"
He thought about it. He answered honestly, as he had learned he must with Sarah. That had been very liberating. "It would probably give them a push. Can't guess what direction."
"Then no," Sarah decided. She was running out of patience with the government, but if she chose to act without approval, her action had to be grand and public, to move public opinion toward her side.
General Ryan nodded. They both knew his feelings: he was as frustrated as she with the government's dithering, but he felt it unwise to attempt to rock the boat. Sarah, on the other hand, measured the delay in lives she might have saved. How long, O Lord?
They had no need to repeat that conversation. They were as close to the same side as the general's duties allowed. "Thank you, General," said Sarah, signaling an end to her visit.
"Thank *you*, Ms Marshall," said General Ryan.
She vanished. He returned to his paperwork.