Chapter 20

Michael

"Not much farther,” Zack’s voice said through my headphones. “Look for the big abandoned horse racing track off the side of the road.”

“All its lights are off, so it might be hard to find,” Sarah’s voice added.

“Fortunately,” I said. “I can see in the dark now.” Even though I had Zack’s motorcycle helmet on with the tinted visor down, the world still seemed just as bright to me as a cloudy day. I glanced down at the GPS on my phone, following its directions while I ran through the city. I tried to take a roundabout way in order to avoid busy roads. It was shocking to see how fast I was moving on the GPS. I had to zoom way out on the map, so I could keep track of my position.

Zack had envisioned this as some kind of undercover rescue mission and wanted it to be done with invisible earpieces, high tech computers that could hack into anything, and dart guns. Unfortunately for him, the best we could do with our limited resources was communicate through cell phones. He and Sarah listened in on the other line with Zack’s phone on speakerphone, while I wore my headphones—with microphone—under my helmet.

“I think I found it,” I said. A tall, futuristic building loomed before me. It looked too big to be a racetrack, but I could tell by how it slanted on one side that it was built to support large crowds. No glass remained on the building, just dark, gaping holes that used to be windows. From the outside, it definitely looked abandoned, like its only inhabitants were ghosts. “This place gives me the creeps,” I muttered. “You’re sure the Scorpions live here?”

“Hang out there,” Zack corrected. “Nobody’s dumb enough to live there.”

“How are you so sure the gang is there, Zack?” Sarah asked. “Who is your reliable source you mentioned earlier?”

“It’s uh… one of my cousins”

“We are your cousins.”

“A cousin from my dad’s side, the Larson side, not the Stone side. He used to be in the Scorpion gang and he told me all about it. Gave me nightmares.”

“That’s comforting,” I said. “Remind me, why are we on the phone again? If you wanted to communicate just so you could give me emotional support, then you’re failing miserably.”

“I’ll help you find your way around the building,” Zack answered.

“And how are you going to do that?” Sarah asked. “We don’t have any schematics of the building.”

“I’ve been there before,” Zack said.

The line was silent for a while.

“My cousin showed me their hideout once, okay? It was freaky.”

“Wonderful,” I murmured. “Alright, tell me where to go.”

“Jump the fence and go through the side door on the left. If you hear a generator running, then you know they’re there.”

I did as he said. Jumping the fence was easy with superpowers. I noticed the door was unlocked. I opened it and stuck my head inside. I couldn’t see any lights. There was a faint mechanic rumbling coming from deeper in the building. “I think I hear the generator.”

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“Good,” Zack said. “The rest of the way is dark; you might need to use your phone’s flashlight.”

“No, I think I can see just fine.” I entered the building and started walking toward the sound of the generator. It was noticeably darker in the building than outside. But, there were enough holes and glassless windows in the building to allow the moonlight to enter. Just enough light for my extra-sensitive eyes to pick up.

“Better to go without a flashlight,” Zack said. “They won’t see you coming. Make sure you keep to the left.”

I followed Zack’s instructions as he led me closer to the sound of the generator. I went around a few dark corridors, the walls made of cold concrete, and then I entered a big open area. The ground was simply dirt; the ceiling was built at a slant. I was underneath the stadium, near the spot where the stands met ground level. It was darker here, but a few beams of moonlight gave me enough light to see. Junk, trash, and scrap metal littered the ground. Graffiti was on every wall. I could see a bright light on the far side of the open area.

“I think I found them,” I said. “There’s a light in the distance.”

“Okay. Be stealthy,” Zack instructed. “They’ve got guns.”

“Guns?” Sarah stammered. “Can Michael handle guns?”

“I don’t know,” Zack and I said simultaneously.

I surged my power, feeling its tingling strength flow through my body. “I guess we’ll find out,” I said, trying to sound confident as I moved quietly toward the light on the other side of the stadium.

Graffiti decorated almost every wall. The most frequent symbol was a capital S with a stinger coming out of the top arch, and claws protruding out of the bottom. A scorpion in the shape of an S. The symbol of the Scorpion gang. Something seemed familiar about it. Where had I seen it before? It gave me chills. Wasn’t it a scorpion that had killed Orion?

I could hear laughter up ahead. It was hard to hear over the sound of the generator. I crept closer and peered around a concrete wall.

Four men were sitting on a sofa playing a first-person shooter videogame, their backs to me. All the electronics were powered by the generator: the TV and videogame console, a few camping lights attached to the slanted ceiling, a mini fridge, a microwave, and even a lava lamp. Their hideout was surprisingly homey, if you ignored the dirt floor, the cold concrete, and the dark spooky surroundings. They had several torn couches, a couple beds, and two tables. Pizza boxes, water bottles, and beer cans littered the floor.

“Wow,” I whispered into the microphone in my helmet. “You’re sure they don’t live here?”

“You found the hideout?” Zack asked.

“Yep. And four Scorpions playing videogames.”

“Do you see the missing girl?”

I scanned the makeshift living space. A human-sized lump was under the covers on one of the beds, a hand reaching out from under the covers with something metal attached to it. “I think she’s handcuffed to one of the beds.”

I quietly rushed over to the bed, trying not to alert the gangsters.

“Be careful…” Sarah pled.

I approached the dusty bed where the handcuff was attached to the headboard. The person under the covers was sound asleep. The hand within the handcuffs looked feminine. This had to be her. “I’m going to break the handcuff,” I whispered.

I glanced at the Scorpions. They were entranced in their game, smack talking and threatening to kill each other. I grabbed the chain, surged my powers, and pulled. The chain broke apart as easily as yarn. The girl stirred; the movement had awoken her. She pulled off her blanket and looked up at me groggily. It was her! Mary Sanchez! Her hair was a mess and she had a few scratches on her face, but I recognized her from her picture. I smiled reassuringly and was about to say, “I’m here to rescue you.” But before I could, she jumped away from me and screamed bloody murder.

“Oh crap….” I ducked behind the headboard, out of view from the Scorpions, my heart thumping.

“What?” Zack prodded. “What’s going on?”

“Can’t talk.” What was I thinking? I still had my motorcycle helmet on. She probably thought I was one of them.

I heard one of the Scorpions swear as he approached the bed. “Shut up!” he shouted.

Mary stopped screaming but was still frantic. “He—he’s over there,” she whimpered.

“Who?” The Scorpion sounded annoyed, his footsteps rounding the bed, getting closer to me.

“I don’t know,” she said. “He…”

His footsteps were right around the corner. I knew they were going to find me. There was no getting out of this without a fight. So, I held my breath and stood up, my hands raised. Mary gasped. The Scorpion, a skinny guy with a mustache, swore in alarm, raised his gun—a shotgun—and pulled the trigger.