Cosmic Girl: Lost & Found: Superhero series for young adults - Book Three.

by R S J Gregory

  I blush and sip my coffee.

  “I told you. She’s my angel.” Abigail says confidently.

  “Where are you going?” Rebecca asks in an almost reverential voice, while she looks at me.

  “Me?” I ask, and she nods her red head.

  “I don’t know. But as long as it’s far from those things, then that’s fine by me.” I reply.

  “Come with us.” Rebecca asks.

  Sam looks at me as well and nods her head. I look at the others, then finally at Max.

  “What do you say?” I ask him.

  “South, huh?” Max says and swirls the coffee in his tin cup.

  “Might be warmer down south.” Jeremy suggests.

  “How much ammo have you got?” Max asks the girls.

  “Ten cases in my backpack. A dozen arrows for our bow.” Samantha replies. “You?” She asks.

  “Enough for now, but we’re going to need more if we go south.”

  “So, are we going?” Abigail asks.

  Max nods his head. Rebecca grins, then rushes over and sits next to me. She touches my arm and face experimentally with her fingers.

  “Becky, what are you doing?” Samantha asks as she gets up and stretches.

  “You feel warm.” Rebecca says quietly to me, then she gazes into my eyes. “Your eyes are glowing.” She says and sighs.

  “Yeah, I know. I’m a freak.” I say and roll my eyes.

  “You’re amazing.” She whispers, before leaning towards me. She plants a gentle kiss on my cheek, then pulls away blushing, and heads over to a yellow backpack and kneels down to rummage inside it, leaving me feeling very strange.

  “Angela?” I hear Abigail’s voice.

  “Hmm?” I ask, turning to look for her.

  “Max wants you.” She says and points to Max, who’s standing near the wall, deep in conversation with Jeremy.

  I wander over as Jeremy nods his head and leaves.

  “You wanted me?” I ask, as Max turns his attention to me.

  “We’re going to scout for supplies. I’d be much obliged if you would join me.” Max says and begins to walk away.

  I follow him as he takes long strides along the sidewalk.

  “Why did she shoot you?” Max asks as we walk.

  “That was my fault. I guess I have a problem with patience.” I reply.

  He chuckles to himself as we walk. This side of town is mostly small simple one story dwellings, trees, some small parks and grocery stores that look like they were ransacked a long time ago.

  “What are we looking for?” I ask as I look up at him.

  “Anything useful. Medical supplies, tools, ammo, weapons.” Max says while he looks left and right as we walk.

  I concentrate and focus on some of the store windows in the distance, and read out some of the store names to Max as we walk.

  “Ace?” Max asks, and I read the sign again.

  “Where is it?” Max asks.

  I focus out and look back at where we are, and judge the distance. “Around a mile, up there.” I say and point.

  “Let’s go.” Max says and picks up the pace.

  “I could get us there real quick.” I offer.

  Max regards me out of the corner of his eye as he strides along the street. “You’re not picking me up.”

  “It won’t hurt.” I say.

  “Not going to happen.” Max growls.

  It takes at least twenty minutes before we arrive outside the building. Red bricks cover one side, where its windows are still intact. Max walks past the windows while glancing in through. I follow him around to the parking lot where the main entrance stands. The main door is ajar.

  The parking lot is littered with wind ravaged corpses, some are still sitting in their half demolished cars, minus their heads.

  Max pulls his revolver free from the holster by his thigh in one fluid move as he steps towards the entrance. He stops after a second and looks down at the ground, then he looks back at me, and steps to one side.

  “After you.” Max says, gesturing towards the door with his gun.

  I shrug, then walk up to the glass doors and push one open. There’s a metallic ping and snap, then the door comes crashing to the floor, shattering the glass. I peer over my shoulder when I hear Max groan.

  “Oops.” I say, then step over the broken door into the shaded interior.

  I stop and listen, honing my senses, and look around slowly. The place is quiet, so I begin to walk down the aisles, checking to see what they have.

  I hear Max enter after a while, and he heads to the back of the store. I see some gloves, so find a small and slip them on. In another aisle I see something else which catches my eye. A roll of rope, and some sharp looking wire cutters. The rope is one hundred feet in length, and is tightly coiled. I remove the packaging and slip the wire cutters into my front jean pocket. I remove my damaged jacket and slip the coil of rope over my shoulder.

  “Angela?” Max calls out from the back of the store.

  I wander over and find him holding a chainsaw and a petrol can.

  “Here.” He says as he passes them to me. Then he searches behind the counter. “Yes!” He says, then stands up clutching a rifle. He places it on the counter then crouches again, and stands up holding two boxes of ammo. He puts the boxes into his backpack and shoulders the rifle.

  “We need to find you some clothes.” Max says and points at my top.

  “I thought I saw a place a couple of miles away.” I say as we leave.

  “I’m not walking that far while carrying all of this.” Max says.

  I hand him the chainsaw, can and coil of rope.

  “I’ll be back in a pip.” I say, and accelerate up the street before his mouth is even open.

  I find the store in a couple of seconds, and rip the doors off. I find myself a nice pink smock top, some blue jeans, a bra that actually fits me, and a shiny silver bomber jacket. I get changed in a few seconds, then haul ass back to where Max is frowning.

  “That’s better. Here.” He says and hands me the chainsaw and coil of rope. I sling the rope over my shoulder and carry the chainsaw while we walk back to the sidewalk.

  It takes another twenty minutes before we see the van and station wagon. We find Jeremy sitting on the sidewalk. He gets up as we approach.

  “Have any luck?” Max asks him.

  Jeremy slides his backpack off and opens the flap. Inside are all manner of medical supplies. He then nods to a can of petrol on the ground where he was sitting.

  “Siphoned some gas while I was waiting.” Jeremy says and appraises my new attire with a smile.

  The sky is getting darker as we pack our finds into the van.

  We all decide to find somewhere better to reset tonight. I tell Max about a shopping mall I passed earlier, and we all head over. Max leaves the van in the parking lot, while Andrew parks the station wagon a few feet away. Samantha and Rebecca arrive on their Harley, and Samantha parks her motorcycle near the side of the building. The mall is a one story brick structure, with basic facilities. The entrance smells like decades old garbage, but once inside, the smell dissipates after thirty feet. Max sets up camp near an abandoned ice cream stall, and we stretch out.

  I’m asleep in minutes.

  Eight

  “Shut up.” Max barks at Jeremy, who grins at me, and carries on singing ‘On the road, again’.

  I look out the back of the van at the brown station wagon, and Sam and Rebecca on their Harley following us.

  “So, what’s our next stop?” Jason asks Max.

  “Albuquerque, if it’s still there.” Max replies over his shoulder as he avoids some abandoned cars.

  “What if it’s not there?” Jason asks.

  “Angela?” Max calls out.

  “Yeah?” I reply and make my way to the front of the van.

  “Would you mind getting up top?”

  “The roof of the van?” I ask.

  He nods his head as he swerves to avoid half of
a demolished camper. “I need your sharp eyes on look out.” He says and glances at me over his shoulder briefly. “Would you mind?”

  “Sure.” I say and nod.

  I climb over the seat to get to the passenger door. I open the door, reach up with one hand, then pull myself up. I reach down and close the passenger door, then sit cross-legged on the roof. The stretch of highway before us is littered with cars and skeletons. Some of the cars look like they’ve been ripped in half, most of the bodies look the same.

  The anger begins to build inside me, slowly. I grind my teeth as we pass another twenty miles of death and destruction.

  I focus towards the distance, scanning the horizon for any danger. A crow quarks a mile away to my left, and I swivel my head and see the black bird take flight. Its beak is red with blood. I shiver and look away.

  The van slows down before stopping. I hear the doors open, and Max and Jeremy head to some of the abandoned cars, rubber hoses and gas cans in their hands. I turn and wave at the others behind us. Rebecca gazes at me with her large green eyes, while Samantha sets the bike on its stand and switches the engine off.

  That’s when I hear it.

  A car, no wait, cars.

  I close my eyes and focus on the sound. I hear the crunch of the tires, and count them. Five vehicles. Two of them are heavy by the sounds of them. I open my eyes and stand up quickly and look behind us. I focus my attention towards the distance and zoom in. I see some dots moving along the road, and zoom in more.

  “Uh, oh.” I grumble when I see the occupants. The driver of one of the Humvees has a shaved head. He has strange markings on his face.

  I got a really bad feeling.

  “What is it?” Samantha asks as she climbs from her Harley and looks behind us.

  “People are coming.” I say as I continue to check the occupants.

  “Where are they?” Samantha asks and I hear her pull her shotgun from her bike.

  “Five miles, that way.” I reply and point.

  “You can see them?” She asks, incredulous.

  “What’s going on?” I hear Max’s voice call up.

  “We got a problem.” I say. “Men are approaching. They’re armed to the teeth, and they don’t look friendly.”

  “How long until they get here?” Max asks.

  “At their current speed, I’d say we got about ten minutes.”

  “How many?”

  “Three pick-up trucks and two Humvees. Five men in each Humvee, and three men in each pick-up.” I reply as I count them.

  “Everybody out!” Max calls out, as I focus back on where I am.

  I hop down as Andrew and Theresa climb out of the station wagon.

  “What do we do?” Jason asks.

  “Off the road, now. Come on, let’s go.” Max says and begins to open the rear door of the station wagon.

  I help grab some supplies, then help Abigail over the highway barrier. Samantha and Rebecca run on ahead as our group makes its way across the grass toward some brush. I can still hear the roaring engines in the distance as I hurry Abigail ahead of me toward the bushes. There’s still more flat land and a road between us and the safety of the brush.

  “Come on. Run.” I call out and head over the road and aim for the overgrown bushes.

  “Shit!” Andrew blurts out behind me.

  “Sssshhhh!” Max hisses behind me.

  “Stubbed my toe.” I hear Andrew complain.

  “Shut up.” Max growls, and I hear a soft thwack.

  The engines are so close now. Only a mile away.

  I carve a path through the brush with my arms, while Abigail follows closely. In a few more seconds, I’m through the brush and emerge on the other side. Samantha and Rebecca are lying on the grass. Sam has her shotgun raised. I crouch on the grass near Rebecca, and put my finger to my lips to Abigail, as she crouches breathlessly next to me. The others soon emerge. I cock my head to one side as I listen. The engines are so close now, that everyone can hear them.

  “They’re here.” I say as quietly as I can.

  Max looks at me with a grave expression, as he pulls his revolver free. I shake my head and put my finger to my lips. I motion for Sam to lower her shotgun.

  The roar of the engines suddenly stop, one by one. They’ve stopped. I begin to hear their voices drift towards us.

  “Look at all of this shit.”

  “Anything useful?”

  “There’s some gas.”

  “Damn it.” Max growls.

  “Hey. This car’s still warm.”

  “This bike feels warm too.”

  “Oh, shit.” Jeremy groans.

  “Fan out. They can’t be too far.”

  My mouth feels dry as I hear their booted feet on the highway.

  “Come on out. We know you’re here.” A man shouts. I hear him cock his gun.

  I look at Max. He sees my expression, and nods his head.

  “Stay here, no matter what you hear.” I tell them, then get up and walk towards the bushes. I stop and look over my shoulder at Abigail. I smile nervously, then head through the brush.

  “Hey, over here.” A man calls out, as I emerge from the bushes and make my way towards the highway.

  The man closest to me is wearing army fatigues, and has an assault rifle aimed at me. His bronze face is covered in tattoos.

  “Hi.” I say amiably as I saunter towards the man.

  “Stop right there. Turn out your pockets. What have you got?”

  “There’s no need to be scared fellas.” I say as I keep walking.

  “I’m not scared of shit!”

  “Sure you’re not. That’s why you’re hiding behind those big guns of yours. Because you’re not scared, right?”

  “Fuck you.” He says and squeezes his trigger.

  I focus all of my attention on the first man as the muzzle flashes. I race toward him, while I snatch the bullets from the air. I grab the gun and crush the gun barrel with one hand, while I let the bullets fall to the ground.

  “Holy shit!” The man blurts out, before I flick his shaved head with my finger. He drops to the ground, then the other men begin to open fire. Three men stand near the lead Humvee, their semi-automatic rifles rattling off a barrage of bullets.

  There goes my clothes again.

  The bullets hit and bounce off while I pick my next target. I choose the large guy with the shotgun, who’s off to my left near our van. I zip over and knock him out, then turn and race over to the other three shooters. In seconds, five men are drooling into the asphalt.

  “What the hell are you?” A man asks as he climbs from the back of one of the pick-ups. He pulls a three foot machete from a leather sheath that hangs from his left hip.

  “Really?” I ask and fold my arms.

  He rushes at me with a mad scream, and swings his machete at my face with all of his strength. I blink as it arrives, and feel a slight impact. The blade snaps, and the man runs into the blade as it bounces off in his direction. The man had put too much weight into his swing and can’t stop in time. The blade enters his face through his right eye, as he falls on it with all of his weight.

  The man screams and pulls the metal from his face, before curling up into a fetal position, clutching his wound.

  I hear the door open of one of the Humvees, and a man climbs down. His cold eyes stare blankly at me from a scarred face, as he walks calmly towards me. He pulls a gun from his side, aims, and shoots the crying man in the head. His eyes flick up to mine briefly, then he walks past me and begins to shoot the other men in the head, one at a time.

  “What the hell are you doing?” I call out, and rush forward as he is about to kill the last man. I take the bullet to the chest, and glare at him.

  He moves to the side and tries to shoot his man again. I grab the gun from his hand.

  “Go.” I sneer at him and shatter his gun with one hand.

  He returns my look, then leans forward until his face is only an inch away from mine. He inhales slowly
through his nose and closes his eyes.

  “Smell that?” He asks in a calm voice.

  “That’s the smell of death.” He opens his eyes and leans back. “You better get used to that smell.” He slaps my left cheek playfully, then walks away.

  He pulls another handgun from a holster near his left shoulder, then fires another round at one of his dead men as he strolls casually by. He holsters his gun before climbing into a Humvee.

  The engine roars to life, and he drives along the highway, smashing cars out of the way as he goes. The other Humvee and two pickups follow him, leaving a pickup behind.

  When they are finally out of hearing, the shaking starts. I swallow back some bile, and take some deep breaths.

  “Unngh.” I hear a moan behind me.

  I turn as the gunman leans on one elbow and rubs his shaved head. When he notices me standing over him, he reaches for his gun at his side.

  “Why do you wanna shoot me?” I ask and fold my arms.

  “You attacked me.” He replies and raises his gun, aiming at my face.

  “You attacked me first.”

  “That’s how the world works now. We take what we want. Survival of the fittest.” He grins and pulls the trigger.

  The bullet pings harmlessly from my left cheek.

  “Only the strong survive, huh?” I ask as he lets off another pointless round.

  “So, what does that make you?” I ask, lean down, grab him by his belt, and lift him easily into the air above my head.

  “What the hell are you?”

  “A survivor,” I say and shake him a little to get his attention. “And I have a problem. You.” I add and throw him up into the air.

  He spits out obscenities as he falls back down to earth. I catch him and grab his face with my other hand and turn his head to look at me.

  “Do I let you live?” I ask. “Do I risk that?”

  He looks at me coldly, and doesn’t respond. I carry him over to his comrades.

  “Take a look at what your leader did?” I tell him and set him down on the grass.

  He staggers over to one of the dead bodies.

  “Richter did this?” He asks as he checks each one.

  “He tried to do the same to you.”