Mad Powers (Tapped In) Read online

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  PART 1 — TAPPED IN

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  PART 2 — REMEMBERED

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  PART 3 — MAD POWERS

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  Epilogue

  Untitled

  Acknoledgments

  Copyright

  MAD POWERS

  Written By

  Mark Wayne McGinnis

  PART 1 — TAPPED IN

  Chapter 1

  Apparently, I had fallen asleep at the wheel. I imagine it was only for an instant—a gentle respite against the endless monotony. It happens. Eyelids got too damn heavy after a thousand miles of sameness and double yellow lines—lines that stretched out towards a distant horizon—a horizon I never reached.

  Just sitting there, I had more than enough time to contemplate my situation. Without a conscious driver at the wheel, my car meandered on down the highway, maybe even for a few hundred yards. Eventually, it found its way onto the soft-sandy shoulder. 80 mph went down to 75 mph or even 65 mph. Then, of course, the inevitable was bound to happen. My car would crash into something. What I didn’t know at the time was there are a variety of wood telephone poles: poles made from southern yellow pine, Douglas fir, jack pine, and western red cedar; the latter is the most commonly used tree pole throughout the country. But, on that one particular late afternoon, driving along a desolate highway somewhere in Arizona, my telephone pole of no-choice was a Douglas fir.

  I awoke to darkness and pain. I tried to move. Nothing happened. So darkness and pain and, apparently, paralysis. Or worse, was I to spend the rest of my life like this? A floppy piece of meat—moved from location to location—akin to a carcass dollied from delivery truck to Vons’ freezer section … nothing more than a burden on society and my family? Did I have a family? I couldn’t remember. Again, I tried to move. But I couldn’t feel my arms, specifically my right one. The one I wanted to use to wipe the blood from my eyes. That’s when I realized I couldn’t possibly be paralyzed—not with this much pain racking every inch of my body. I lost consciousness.

  How long was I out? I wondered. One hour? Two? More? It did seem lighter outside, or perhaps I was just getting used to the darkness. Something was pressed tight against the back of my skull. I tried to move my head. No can do. My visibility was restricted to just how far I could move my eyes within their sockets. I looked around; I had no idea what model my wrecked car was prior to the crash. Nothing all that fancy—must have looked like any other mid-sized economy car on the road. The smell of tar and chemicals permeated the air. My guess, I was right up against a utility pole. Things strewn about: a soda can, junk food wrappers, a lone shoe, blood—lots of blood, and a cream-colored envelope with stylized letters spelling “Rob,” written in a feminine cursive style, with a little red heart added for emphasis. My view to the outside world was limited to the passenger-side window, or what was left of the window—just an open, jagged gap that pointed back down the highway, presumably from the direction I had come. I needed to sleep again.

  * * *

  A scream—my own scream, pulled me back to consciousness. There was something coming. I heard the low rumble of a diesel engine and then it slowly appeared, perfectly centered in the open window gap—a large vehicle heading in my direction. The truck was moving along at a good clip. Perhaps the driver was making up for the time he’d lost spent over scrambled eggs and ham at a greasy spoon in Modesto or Indio or Blythe.

  The big tractor-trailer rig disappeared, falling below the horizon line into one of the subtle contours of the road. Only its two big vertical exhaust pipes stayed visible. If I could move even one iota, this would be the time to start squirming in my seat. Would the rig driver notice my small import tightly wrapped around a telephone pole at the side of the highway?

  As the truck got closer and its exhaust pipes rose above the horizon, the speed of the vehicle seemed to increase. As the rig broke above eye level, I could make out the driver—even from this distance. The truck was close. The inside dome light was on. Perhaps he’d been looking at a map. The driver was a big, meaty-looking fella. He met all the stereotypical checkpoints: brawler-type, wide-brimmed baseball cap, grizzly muttonchops. And he certainly wasn’t looking in my direction as he cleared the rise. No, it looked like something else had grabbed his attention. His eyes, wide open enough for me to see the whites above and below, were looking at something in the middle of the road. Something substantial enough for him to put his entire weight down on the brake pedal. Tires instantly screeched; black smoke poured from vaporized rubber.

  The tractor-trailer began to turn sideways, as if in slow motion, and in a frantic, sickening blur, the rig lost all contact with the highway. It spun in the air—like a child’s weightless toy—before smashing down again onto unyielding pavement. Horrendous sounds cracked across the desert landscape. Tractor, now separated from trailer, continued to slide along the road in a wash of bright yellow sparks. Even after the tractor came to a complete stop, with the driver hanging half in and half out of the front windshield, the trailer continued on down the highway until it hit something. By the sound of it, metal crashing against metal, another car had been hit. Then I saw it. The vehicle had ricocheted off of the long metal trailer, not unlike an aluminum bat hitting a ball, a ball that would find the most vulnerable recipient … me.

  I didn’t black out this time, but I wish I had. The impact was jarring and violent. A salty metallic taste—blood and something else—permeated the inside of my mouth. My wrecked car spun several feet and was now separate from the telephone pole. I could see the pole in my peripheral vision. Sounds came from above. The separation left just enough space for a high-voltage power line to drop into my car. The line swayed back and forth, like an inky black cobra ready to strike. The big cable finally came to rest mere inches from my forehead.

  There was no mistaking that this line was live, and still connected to a substation somewhere. I strained my eyes in their sockets looking up at the cable. It hummed and vibrated. I tried to inch further away. If anything, I was more jammed into place than before. It didn’t take long for the headaches to start. Blinding pain radiated down from the top of my head and into my eyes. Bile burned at the back of my throat from the nauseous smell of my own singed hair. I’m being radiated! I’m being fucking radiated!

  * * *

  It felt like hours but was probably closer to minutes since the truck crashed in front of me. My view of the accident, the carnage, was slightly different now. I could see
more of the highway and even part of the other vehicle … a bumper, a side-view mirror, and broken safety glass. I’d avoided looking in the direction of the truck and its driver, but now my eyes were drawn there.

  With every glance a wave of guilt and dread passed through me. The high-powered cable continued to stare down at me: a Cyclops, its ionized breath, like tiny needles, caused searing pain to come and go in waves. My vision was now blue-tinted from the cable’s constant humming energy field. Inexplicably, I was drawn to it. And there was—something else … like something forgotten that needed to be remembered, or something that was right there, on the tip of my tongue, or like a familiar song that reconnected the dots to long lost memories or experiences.

  Other sounds from outside encroached into my consciousness—what the hell? Like crying—no, more like wailing. That was it, like eerie sad sounds of women wailing. I’d heard these sounds before. Coyotes. A whole pack of them were out there. They were hungry. How did I know that? They were curious about the smells: fresh meat, blood, feces. Their cries took on a more rhythmic yipping aspect, more frenzied. The pack’s leader was old, but still formidable. The other males feared the older coyote. At first he would investigate alone and get the lion’s share before the others could abscond with the quarry. How did I know that?

  Then I saw him: a scraggly, gray coyote. He took slow tentative steps, sniffing the air as his thin body weaved back and forth. He crouched below the driver’s lifeless, outstretched arm. Carefully, the coyote rose up on its hind legs and sniffed again. I didn’t want to watch this. Just leave the poor bastard alone, I thought to myself. Still up on his hind legs, the coyote froze—as if hearing my thoughts. I wondered, had he maybe sensed me here, deep in the dark recesses of this mangled clump of metal and plastic? Was that possible? Am I next on the menu?

  The coyote’s attention was back on the driver, where he nipped at the man’s blood-drenched shirt, then pulled, tugged, and ripped it. The sleeve came away at the shoulder. The coyote whipped and flailed the sleeve like a puppy with a new toy, only to drop it and return to the driver’s exposed arm. The coyote licked at the skin, almost lovingly. Teeth bit and pulled into flesh, which peeled away in long, bacon-like strips. A wave of nausea came over me. That, and anger too. No, not anger—pure unadulterated rage. My thoughts, first radiating fear of the ever-pulsating high-power line dangling in front of me, were now filled with white-hot rage. Get away from him, you mangy piece of shit! Immediately, the coyote jumped back, seemingly scared, and quickly ran off into the desert.

  Chapter 2

  The pain was less—in fact, I felt almost … good. Something alive, even intelligent, was emanating into the confines of the car. I felt snug and nurtured as I listened to its pulsing language—something that was more like music than actual speech, but a form of communication just the same. My memory was still a total blank but, truth be told, I really didn’t care. It would be hard to imagine life without this connection: this new and strangely intimate relationship. Had I ever felt this close to my own mother, father—a brother or sister? Could I possibly have felt, ever, this same level of belonging—of oneness? Christ! I needed to snap out of this. What was happening to me?

  I awoke to the distorted voice of an Arizona Highway Patrol dispatcher. Blue and red lights bouncing off the pavement flickered on the tractor, the dead trucker, and the hood of a shiny black and white Highway Patrol cruiser. I could hear the patrolman talking on the radio.

  “Yeah, Louise, this is a total clusterfuck here. What a mess. Looks like three vehicles, including an eighteen-wheeler, a minivan, and a small import, probably a Hyundai or a Kia—can’t really tell what the hell it is. No survivors—three DOAs, so just send the wagon, OK? Oh, and let Burt know we’ll need three tows. The tractor and trailer are overturned; it’s going to take some work.”

  “Ten four, Garry … Out.”

  I took a deep breath and yelled, “I’m in here.” My voice was barely a squeak.

  The cop, now off of his radio, walked around to the front of the cruiser. I could see his legs and shoes through the open gap. The beam of his flashlight played over the accident scene. A reflection. Something wet on the pavement. I could smell gasoline.

  I cleared my throat. “Hello, I’m in here … Christ, can’t you hear me?” The problem was I had no saliva; my throat and vocal cords were dry as a bone. Nothing discernible was coming out of my mouth. More like a croak. I heard something else. Actually … thought something else.

  Just what I need—and at the end of a long shift, too. Shit. Now I’ll be here all night. What I should do is have Burt pick me up something to eat. Maybe pizza. God, I could eat a horse right now. Wonder if Domino’s delivers way the hell out here. That would be sweet.

  Wait a minute. Those aren’t my thoughts. What’s going on in my head? I must have a serious concussion or something. Thoughts … why am I picking up this guy’s thoughts? It’s like the coyote thing, again. It’s probably my imagination. Maybe I’ve lost my mind. I don’t care. At this point I’ll try anything. Need to concentrate …

  Hey, you, policeman! I’m down here—I’m alive! In the Kia or Hyundai, just bend the hell down and look inside. I’m alive!

  Through the open gap I could see the patrolman stop in his tracks. He hesitated and slowly bent down.

  That’s right, you heard me … down here!

  He got all the way down on his hands and knees and used his flashlight to peer inside the car. Since I was pinned upside down, he seemed to have a hard time finding my face. Then the beam found my eyes—my open, blinking, alive eyes.

  Startled, the cop fumbled his flashlight. “Holy shit, man, hold on … just hold on, we’ll get you out of there. I’m officer Garry Sullivan, and I’m not going anywhere.” With that he stood up and disappeared from view. I could hear him back on the radio, excited and out of breath.

  “Louise! One of our DOAs is actually alive; get EMT out here—hurry!”

  How could I have missed that? Shit! Look at his car—he should be dead, that’s why.

  I could hear his thoughts—which had been kicked into overtime—a rapid-fire, machine gun spray of questions no one could answer.

  He was back and looking at me again through the open gap. He was saying something to me. I answered him without actually talking.

  Listen up. I’m wedged in here tight as a cork in a bottle and I can’t move a muscle. I’m injured—not sure where exactly or how bad, and I have a hot 30,000 volt power line dangling inches from my head. Oh, and I think you’re squatting in a pool of gasoline—probably from that truck right behind you.

  Officer Sullivan’s forced-smile dropped its pretense, now showing total alarm. For a large man, Garry could move quickly. He was up and back at his cruiser, rifling around in its trunk. He returned a few moments later with a small fire extinguisher. He pulled the pin on the nozzle and began spraying down the street with a layer of thick white foam. Then he was back on the radio. “Hey, Louise?”

  “Go ahead, Garry,” the dispatcher replied, now with cool efficiency.

  “Yeah, we need Edison out here pronto—we’ve got a live power line hanging off a utility pole. It’s hanging right into the vic’s car. We also have a major diesel leak.” Garry’s voice was filled with tension.

  “OK, I’m on it, Garry. Sounds like you’re having a real night. I’ll see if I can light a fire and get people moving.”

  I could only see Garry’s legs, but he was obviously moving with far more purpose and urgency. And why shouldn’t he? The scene had gone from a three vehicle, three-fatality pileup—one where any rushing around would have little effect on the unfortunate victims—to something far more immediate. Not only was someone alive … he was injured, with a live, high-voltage power line hanging just inches from his forehead. Oh, and just to complicate things, diesel fuel was leaking all over the fucking place. Yeah, without a doubt, Garry was having a night. I heard sirens blaring in the distance.

  * * *

  The
feeling of loss was profound. It had only been ten minutes or so since the power had been shut off, but I needed them to turn it back on. Someone needed to turn it back on. Tears welled-up in my eyes as I saw the power line pulled and heaved upward and away, and disappear somewhere above and behind me—such a loss, such a shame. Wow, I really need to get a grip. Seriously, what the hell’s wrong with me?

  The next face I saw was a young fireman. His oversized yellow helmet cast a deep shadow across his face, making his features hard to discern. As with Garry, clear as a bell, I could hear his thoughts even before he spoke.

  You make it through this, man, and you’re truly lucky. I’ve never seen this much blood. You should be stacked in the coroner’s wagon with the other guy …

  They used the Jaws of Life to pry open my misshapen automobile. Three firefighters grabbed hold of the door and peeled and twisted it back, creating an opening large enough for an Hispanic-looking EMT worker to wiggle in next to me.

  “How you doing, sir?” he inquired, while checking my pupils with a small pen light. I tried to talk but couldn’t. “My name is Juan. I just need to do a quick assessment before we transport you. You’re going to be fine,” he said.

  I need water …

  He nodded, but furrowed his brow, seemingly confused how I’d conveyed that information. He positioned the straw-end of a plastic water bottle between my lips and gently squeezed. A small amount of wonderfully cool water filled my mouth and burned its way down my throat. Desperate for more, I inhaled some into my lungs, which only made me gag and cough.

  “Easy man, just sip it … just a little at a time, okay?” he said, letting my coughing subside before offering me more. Looking down, he assessed the condition of my body.

  Multiple lacerations to the lower extremities, some pretty deep. Severe trauma to right arm; that needs to come off. Top of head is red and blistered. Scarification above left eye … I’ll need to clean off some of this blood …