“Is Derek very religious?” Rocky said.
“I don’t think so, unless he thinks he’s the next coming of Jesus because of his powers.”
“Hmm... Jesus, yes. Any connection there? Was Jesus born in Nepal or something?” Rocky said. James and Katie both stared at him. He raised his eyebrows and shrugged. “I dunno. I don’t go to church.”
“Jesus was born in Bethlehem,” Katie said.
“Even I knew that, man,” James said.
“Well,” Rocky said, ignoring them, “what religion are the Nepali?”
James shrugged and searched for Nepal Religion.
“Nepal is predominantly Hindu,” he read when it popped up.
“Okay, so... who’s the Hindu Jesus?”
“That’s such an offensive thing to say,” Katie reproached. “But I don’t think there’s one figurehead, as far as I know.”
They lapsed into silence, stuck. Cal came to take their trays away and drop a paper bill on the table before retreating to the counter and settling in his seat.
“You said Nepal is mostly Hindu,” Rocky said after a moment, undeterred. “What other religions do they follow?”
James navigated back to the page. “Looks like Buddhism is the next highest.”
“And who’s the Buddhist Jesus?”
“Please stop saying that,” Katie said. “Buddhism is based off the teachings of the Buddha.”
“You know a lot about religions.”
“These are basic facts.”
“Well, the Buddha is supposed to be wise, right?” Rocky said hopefully.
James shook his head. They were clearly grasping at straws. “We’re missing something. I know it.”
“Either way, can we agree Nepal is the destination?” Rocky said.
“I guess,” James said. “I don’t see why else Derek would point us to it.”
“What do you think, Katie?” Rocky said.
She didn’t respond. James glanced at her. She stared wide-eyed at something across the restaurant. Fearing the sight of more agents, he followed her gaze to the front counter. There, on the small TV in the corner, three pictures were being shown on the local news.
James and Katie stared at images of themselves and Rocky on the TV. On the bottom, the headline read, Wanted for Questioning in Supers’ Disappearance.
James’s mouth fell open. He watched in horror as Cal’s eyes wandered up to the TV. The man did a double take and whipped his head toward them. James met the older man’s eyes, trying to plead, to say, Please look the other way. Cal glanced at the other patrons in the restaurant, then back to James. With a slow movement, he reached under the counter. James gripped the table, ready to bolt at the first sign of the telephone he knew Cal was grabbing...
Cal’s hand returned, holding a remote. Without looking at the TV, he turned it off, their faces disappearing into darkness. The older man nodded toward the door. James didn’t need to be told twice.
“Let’s go,” James said quietly, standing up from the booth. Rocky, who was facing away from the front counter and didn’t see the TV, cocked his head but got up without a word. The three of them walked as casually as possible out the door, the little bell tinkering goodbye. When they were back in the car, James let out a long sigh.
“This isn’t good,” Katie said.
“What is it?” Rocky said, looking between the two of them.
“They put us on the news,” James said. “The whole city will know we’re wanted. We’re not safe here.”
Rocky cursed and hit the steering wheel. “Well, Nepal’s sounding pretty good. Now’s the perfect time to leave, isn’t it?”
“You’re right.” James let out a laugh. They might not know why, but Derek was telling them to go to Nepal. He had to be. “They can search for us all they want. We’ll be nowhere to be found!”
“Can we just fly straight there? And where should we start in Nepal?” Rocky sounded excited, ready for an adventure.
“We should probably go to the biggest city. The capital, maybe?” James said. “What do you think, Katie?”
He turned and looked at Katie. She met his eyes and bit her lip.
“What?” James said.
“It’s just... Do you guys think flying is the best idea right now?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean... our faces are on the news. You don’t think they’ll be monitoring the airports? As soon as we show our IDs, we’ll be arrested.”
James’s stomach sank, but he remained undeterred. It was their only option. “If we go quickly, maybe they won’t expect it. As soon as we’re out of the country, we’re good.”
“Yeah, it’s fine. We’ve just got to keep our heads down,” Rocky said.
“Guys... this isn’t a movie—this is real. They have eyes everywhere. If we step into an airport, we’ll be arrested. If we stay here, we’ll probably be arrested.”
“So what are you saying?” James demanded, feeling anger start to bubble up.
“I’m saying,” Katie said, her cheeks reddening, “maybe we need to give this up. Leave the city, go into hiding somewhere. Maybe up north.”
“Give up?” James said loudly. “We’re not giving up. We’re talking about my brother here. Your boss. He left us those clues for a reason. He needs us.”
“James, listen to yourself! We don’t even know if Nepal is the answer. And Derek is a Super. He doesn’t need us!”
“Then where is he?” James yelled, louder than he intended. His face grew warm. “If he doesn’t need us, then why isn’t he here right now?”
“I don’t know, James! But it seems like you have a delusion of going on some grand adventure and saving him. I know you want to be the hero, but sometimes there’s nothing you can do!”
“There’s always something you can do!” James shouted, his voice cracking. Her words struck too close for comfort. “You just want to give up.”
“I’m not giving up. I’m facing the truth! I’m not about to get arrested on some... on some pipe dream!”
They fell into silence, glaring at each other. James breathed heavily, his cheeks hot. He turned around and stared out the front windshield. Rocky drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, his eyes forward.
“Fine,” James said after a moment. “If you want to run away, then go
