Chapter 12: Minus One Gemini Twin

 

On Wednesday, Lori met up with her newfound friends. Their shared interest in being vigilantes creates a strong bond between them. As Lori, Hammer and Lady Lightning chatted, a mysterious woman dressed in a sleek black bodysuit, black flat heeled boots and a mask, walked in. Her blonde hair is tied back into a ponytail. Lady Lightning waved her over. 

“Lori this is Celindra, aka Lady Panther,” Geraldine introduced them. Lori shook her hand and Celindra sat next to her. After some small talk, Lori asked, “I hope you don’t mind me asking but,” she paused, choosing her words carefully, “Do you know who attacked you?”

Celindra hesitated before responding. “Yes.”

“How did it happen,” Lori’s curiosity piqued. 

“I was 22 and I went with friends to a party in Garden Grove. I had no idea that I would meet a man who changed my life forever.” She took a sip from her drink. 

“What I tell you all now must remain secret,” she insisted. 

“While at the party, everyone was drinking, my friends and some classmates from college were there. I hesitated but caved in and started drinking too. Like all parties, it started to get a little wild, I was drunk, and I couldn’t drive. I know that taking a lift from strangers is wrong, but he was a friend of one of my classmates, but he wasn’t enrolled at the college.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, what year did it happen?” Lori wasn’t sure if she should ask that question, but she wanted to know if she was the first one Tim assaulted. Celindra nodded, took a sip from her drink and said, “It was November 1971.”

Lori softly gasped, “I was raped in January 1972.” 

“If you have any information as to his whereabouts, let us know,” Hammer said. He was irritated that a vile disgusting man has not been apprehended yet. “Maybe but I’ve tailed him and lost him but found him again. He dyed his hair a frost blonde, and let it grow a bit and that girl who seems to be hanging out with him, she’s blonde.”

Lori gasped and said, “That would be Kris.” 

“So, what do you think?” Geraldine (Lady Lightning) asked Lori. 

“At the moment, I will take all the information into consideration.”

“Girl, don’t worry, you’ll catch him,” Manuel (Hammer) said with confidence. They finished their meal and left. After Lori got home, she spoke with her uncle. 

“Is there a way we can track Tim?” She asked him as she sipped on her hot coco. 

“Well, I have been working on something I call the Electra Tracker. It’s a quarter size device that can attach itself like a magnet on anything metal. But the range detection is still limited. I would like to test it, so maybe tomorrow I will place it somewhere on your car and we’ll see.” 

After they called it a night, Lori lay awake for a while wondering where Tim and Kris are.  

Meanwhile, Tim invited his sister to go with him to a Soul Food Diner in Los Angeles. Soul food is their favorite. “Come on Kris, it’ll be fun.”

Kris grimaced and smiled, “Okay.” They got dressed and headed out. Kris sported her denim bell-bottom jeans, a snug Dittos blouse with colorful stripes, and wooden Clog shoes. 

Tim rocked his flared denim jeans and a brown, multicolored hippie-style shirt, which he left partly unbuttoned and untucked, on his feet are brown leather Wallabee shoes. His hair has grown a bit, gently resting at the nape of his neck. Kris is sporting a gold 16-inch necklace that she picked up with the cash from the heist they pulled off a few weeks back. They left the car in a parking garage located two blocks from the diner. Tim had bought a pre-owned vehicle just a few days prior, paying in cash exclusively at a used car dealer. The mustang, that belonged to his mother, which he often drove before, is currently stored away and out of sight. He can't take it out now, due to the risk of being tracked down by the authorities. They walked into the Diner and a black woman approached them. 

“Tim, my boy, how have you been?” Her almond shaped coffee-colored eyes smiled warmly. Her hair styled in a short Bob haircut with bangs, framed her face delicately and at the age of 45, she clearly looks ten years younger, she’s a beautiful woman who owns the Diner along with her husband, Fred. Her beautiful purple and white floral printed dress drapes perfectly on her slender graceful figure. Mary Mae embraced Tim and Kris. Kris is meeting her for the first time. Tim enthusiastically announced, "Hey Mary Mae, we’re here for some authentic soul food," while introducing his sister. Mary Mae had a long-standing friendship with their mom, but after her marriage to a man who harbored racist views, their connection had to be kept secret. Despite the husband's disapproval, Tim’s mom would sneak away to visit Mary Mae and even buy takeout from her, never revealing the source of the food to her husband. Tim often accompanied his mom on these visits when he was a child, while Kris was just two years old and was with a babysitter. After enjoying a delicious meal and catching up with Mary Mae, Tim took Kris to a nightclub that featured soul music, eager to share the vibrant culture with her. They had a good time before returning to their temporary hotel room, which featured two twin beds and was quite boring and basic. Although they preferred to buy a house, the risk of being discovered kept them from doing so. "Tim, I’m really tired of bouncing from one hotel to another. We should consider leaving California and starting fresh somewhere else," she said. Tim sighed, his expression pained, "I get it, kid, but for now, this is how it has to be." 

A couple of days later, Celindra reached out to Lori with some news. "I know where the Gemini Twins are staying." Relieved, Lori agreed to meet her. After work, she made her way to the Night Diner, a popular spot for vigilantes. As Celindra waved her over, Lori walked to the booth, and Celindra initiated the small talk. "How was work?”

"Same old, same old," Lori replied, then asked, "Do you have a job?" 

"I’m a waitress at a Norms restaurant. But at night, I take on the role of a vigilante," she said with a grin, and Lori nodded in acknowledgment. 

"Yeah, I do something similar, but my day job is at a magazine." 

"A magazine? Is it focused on fashion?" 

"Not really, it covers a bit of everything," Lori answered.

"Are you positive that the Gemini Twins are Tim and his sister?" Lori asked.

"I have my hunches, but I can't say for sure.""Well, I've got some details about Tim though," Celindra mentioned. Lori was eager to hear what Celindra would reveal.

"When I'm not out there fighting crime, I've been keeping tabs on Tim. The last time he was spotted, he was at a little Diner in Los Angeles with his sister. It was one of those soulf food restaurants."

"Can you explain how you know this? What methods are you using to track him?" Lori's interest was definitely sparked.

"I have an inside guy," Celindra said, pausing before adding, "Well, it’s my sidekick." Her cheeks turned a little red. 

"You have a sidekick?" 

Celindra nodded, "Yeah, but he’s more like a part-time sidekick." 

"Oh really? How does that work?" 

"It’s a long story, but we’ve been friends since high school. He was there at the party when I left with Tim." 

"I still can’t wrap my head around why you went with him?" Lori asked.

"Honestly, I wasn’t really paying attention, and I was drunk, so you know what they say, foolish is as foolish does." 

Lori shook her head and replied, "No, you weren't foolish, Tim has an issue and we're going to sort it out." She then asked with curiosity, "What’s your sidekick’s name?"

"Don’t laugh but," she hesitated and then said, "It’s Raven."

Lori laughed, "I never considered getting a sidekick, but it has crossed my mind." Lori would love to get a sidekick, but she doesn’t want to put him or her in danger. 

"Well, you should, you never know when you might need some help."

Later in the evening, Lori thought it would be a good idea to head out and check out the crime scene in the big city. She hopped into the Electra car and cruised around the streets, steering clear of the cops. The night felt a bit off, like something was about to go down. After catching a couple of thieves, she made sure to drop them off close to the police station.

Her uncle set up a device that would link potential robberies happening. It operates by detecting a signal when a silent alarm goes off. While she was on her way home, a red light blinked on the dashboard.

 "Whoa, it seems like a robbery is happening. Somewhere in LA." Someone activated the silent alarm in their office to notify the authorities. Lori used the car phone to call Frank.

"Uncle Frank, can you track down where the signal is coming from?"

"Yes." He sent her the location, and she sped off to the shop.She drove to the spot, which was in downtown LA, home to pricey stores. She parked the Electra Car in an alley and activated the alarm system.

"If anyone attempts to steal the car, they'll get an electric shock that will knock them out," she mused. Before she headed out, she fastened her utility belt that had the experimental Electra Net. The alley was filled with trash cans and worn-out wooden crates. On the sides of the buildings were doors that led to various businesses.

As she headed towards the sidewalk, a pair of teens perched on metal boxes noticed her passing by. One of them said, "Hey man, check it out, it’s one of those vigilantes. She’s hot."

"Aren't you boys supposed to be at home? Should I give your parents a call?" She paused for a moment, then looked at them directly. "Did any of you see something strange?"

The blonde boy replied, "Yeah, a guy and a girl dressed completely in black broke into the side entrance of the jewelry store."

"Where?"

"Over there," he said, pointing to a door that was slightly ajar.

"Hey boys, don’t even think about touching my car," she said firmly. The three boys walked away, feeling the tension in the air. Lori carefully opened the door and saw that the lock was broken. 

"I wonder who could have done this," she pondered. Her uncle attempted to reach her via the Electra-com, but she chose to ignore it. 

As Lori made her way inside, she heard muffled cries. She lifted her arm, ready to press the button to unleash the Electra beam. She did not want to use it, for fear she’d kill the person who would attack her, but she had to be ready for anything. She spotted a man tied up to a chair in his office. 

“Oh my god, what happened,” she whispered as she cut the rope that tied him to the chair. His mouth had masking tape on it, a reminder of when Tim tapped her mouth while he assaulted her. She removed it.  “They’re in there,” he whispered, shifting his eyes toward the door that leads to the front of the main room of the shop. Lori gave him a nod.  “Listen, run out and go to the nearest phone booth, call the authorities,” she urged as she untied him. He nodded and left. She approached the thieves vigilantly as they busted the glass that concealed the expensive jewelry. 

“What do you think sis, you like this necklace?”  Lori’s mouth dropped and she let out a soft gasp, “It sounds like Tim. It can’t be them.”

As she navigates towards them, she readies the Electra Net. She probably won’t be able to net both but if her aim is right, she’ll get Tim. 

“Come on, let’s go,” he said.

“I should check and see if that man is still tied up,” the woman said. Lori quickly made her way to the back office. She waited for her to show up.  Kris entered and her jaw dropped. 

"Tim," she shouted, but Lori swiftly deployed the Electra Net, wrapping Kris in its grasp. She fought to escape, but the harder she struggled, the tighter the net became. "Stop it, it will only get tighter," Lori advised her.

"Oh, so I see you’re here as Electra Woman," she paused. "I warned you to stay away from us. What on earth are you doing in LA anyway? I thought you preferred to stay in your hometown."

Lori felt completely let down by Kris and didn't reply. She contacted her uncle through the Electra Com, she said that she caught one of the thieves, and it was Kris.

"Tim!" Kris yelled. Lori positioned herself as Tim rushed in.

"What are you doing here, Electra Woman!" he exclaimed, anger shadowed his face.

"Forget about what she's doing here, just help me get out of this thing," Kris shouted at him.

Tim’s eyes narrowed, then he lunged at Lori. They fought, both equally matched. However, Tim held a slight edge over Lori and landed several swift blows that caught her off guard. She considered using the Electra Beam, but it was still in the experimental phase, similar to the Electra Net. Kris continued to fight against the net, but with each struggle, it only grew tighter. 

"Please, Kris, stay still; every movement will make it worse," Lori urged, observing the frustration etched on Kris's face and her desperate breaths. "You're going to suffocate her! Let my sister go right now!" Tim yelled as they blocked each other’s fists. Tim threw a few high kicks, Lori blocked them.

Going through was unsure how to loosen it, so she pleaded with Kris to stay still, and Kris ceased his struggles. "Run, Tim, forget about me, just run," she urged. In the background, sirens wailed. 

"Damn it," Tim shot a furious look at Lori. 

"This isn’t over, bitch," a chilling expression crossed his face as he cast a glance at Lori.

He dashed out through the back door. Lori glanced down at Kris. 

"I’m sorry," she said, giving her a disappointed look. 

Lori contacted her uncle via the Electra Com. 

"Is there any way I can ease the net a little?" 

"You actually used it?" 

"Yes, but I'm concerned it might keep tightening."

"It likely has already molded to her body by now," he said. Lori examined the net.

"You make a good point, but how will the police manage to extract her when they get here?"

"Inside your pouch, there is a unique finger blade that will slice through it effortlessly. Keep it out of her reach and place it where they can find it but make sure to leave a note for them.”  Lori discovered a notepad on the desk and informed the authorities about the finger blade and its usage.

"Signed, Electra Woman," she whispered.

"You can't treat me like this, damn it!" Kris yelled as Lori cast one final look back at her before leaving the building. She felt bad that she had to apprehend Kris, but it had to be done. She jumped into her car, which sped off in an instant before the police could show up. Tim was headed to Lori's house. He is aware that it would be her next destination. Tears flowed down his face as memories of his sister flooded his mind. A wave of intense anger rose up inside him. He brushed away his tears and braced himself for the upcoming confrontation with Electra Woman.

Chapter 13: Retribution

Chapter 14: Dyna Girl

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