The plan had been to be out of the city and into the national forest that lay about 30 miles away by the time it was dark.

With the way Jack was struggling to ride, they were not going to make it.

Their passive looking around for a sports store had been useless for hours. The only things they passed where residences and restaurants. It was objective B of their plan. Find someplace to gear up and get more supplies. The loot from the cars was already running out.

This turned out to be much harder done then said. Every where they looked was destruction. The fires had spread and turned most of the city to ruins. Some buildings still smoldering, some had been shaken to pieces. The larger structures that were still standing were either burnt from the inside out or looted bare.

Remnants of buildings were plentyfull, but people where not.

A few times, Jack spotted people slinking around buildings, some hiding behind windows. Some people gave them fearful looks, some had eyes filled with greed. Jack and the others just kept peddling, staying in their formation. All in all, the amount of people was frighteningly small.

The smell was what bothered them all the most.

Puddles of backed up sewage lined the streets in places, man hole covers nowhere to be found. Worse then the smells of an old never cleaned porta potty, was the smell of death. It was worse then anything any of them had ever smelled. The iron smell of blood, mixed with the rot and feces. They each had thrown up multiple times. Finally having enough, Bryan stopped everyone and pulled over to quickly cut up a spare shirt to make masks for everyone before setting out again.

Riding down the fractured grungy streets, they passed bodies far more frequently then living people. Out front of a few Apartment buildings where stacks of dead that where taller then Jack just laying in the street.

Someone had unloaded all the residents that had passed away unceremoniously and out in the open for scavengers to come pick away at what was left.

Rats where rampant, fighting with crows over the stacked remains. On the few breaks the group took, they made sure not to touch anything, sure that disease was rampart in the conditions around them.

From time to time the sound of gun shots ringing out in the distance kept them all on edge. As the group was passing a well preserved large outdoor shopping center, shots from an automatic wepon rang through the air. Unlike the previous shots, these where close.

Very close.

“Lets head towards the shopping center. Maybe we can finally find somewhere that will have a better bike for Jack so we can get the hell out of here,” Bryan said.

With all in agreement, the group headed into the mostly empty parking lot. There where a few cars toward the closest stores, but for the most part it was empty. The cars had all been ransacked, the windows smashed, and spray painted.

The buildings in the shopping center looked to be in decent shape. Shattered windows, and cracked walls, but still standing.

Walls four stories high for one of the big box stores were cracked from ground to ceiling. But the roof appeared to still be intact.

The group road past, trying to get toward the center of the complex.

As they explored, they found it was more of a outdoor mall then a shopping center. After leaving the parking lot behind they road the side walk past all kinds of restaurants and small shops.

All of them had been obviously locked down tight before the meteor appeared.

Any store that could hold anything helpful had broken windows, obviously ransacked and had been looted down to bare shelves.

Rachel stopped her bike out front of a fancy kitchen ware store only to find it half burned out with the knife display case shattered on the floor by the door. Plenty of broken dishes lines the floors, now useless appliances strewn Kicked to the corners of the thousand square foot store. Even with a cursory glance, Rachel knew there was nothing of use left.

Bryan had road ahead, breaking formation for the first time since they set out for the day and came across a shopping center map sitting in the middle of a plaza like clearing.

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Coming to a stop, bryan looked around.

Something he’d been doing all morning, checking for anyone or anything that moved. Finding nothing and noticing they where out of site of the road they had been traveling, Bryan let out a relaxing sigh and studied the map. “I don’t see any place that might have a bike guys.”

Jack had caught up with the girls and they all took a turn studying the guide. Jack road around to the other side, hopeing there might be more.

His hope was for nothing though as the other side was the same map.

Feeling defeated, Jack pulled out his water bottle and finished what was left.

Bryan looked to Jack with a frown, “you know we only have one more water bottle for each of us don’t you?”

“Yea I know, but you try pedeling this dam thing as fast as you guys and not working up a thirst. I’m surprised I got it to last this long.” Jack replied.

Sara had wandered to a message board posted a few yards away from the map.

“Yes!,” She yelped.

The others all rushed to her as best they could on their bike to see what she was so excited about.

“Looks like we might have hit a gold mine,” She said before anyone could ask, “There Is and Bass Pro shop that was supposed to open in a week that’s up against the parking lot on the other side of the mall.”

Rachel looked confused, “Bass Pro what?”

Bryan looked at her in shock, “Really? You’re an environmental science major and you don’t know what an Bass Pro is? It’s a really awesome camping store. We had one back in New York that our dad used to take us to all the time. Even if someine has found it I’m sure we can get plenty of gear.”

Rachel face burned red with embarrassment, she said nothing in reply to Bryans condescending tone.

With her eyes welling with tears, she road off ahead of everyone heading towards the Bass pro.

Bryan called after her, realizing his mistake but it was all to little to late.

Jack and Sara exchanged concerned glances and chased after them. It didn’t take them all long to get there, but coming around the corner towards the store front that was facing the parking lot, everyone froze again hearing gun shots ring out.

Jack ordered everyone back around the corner. It was a silly thing to watch everyone with their packs and weapons waddling back and forth trying to scoot backwards, but Jack was to concerned to laugh.

Across the parking lot next to the main road was a group of at least two dozen people.

The yelling and gunshots in the air continued as they all stood around something.

Jack took the rifle out and droped his bag on the ground. Laying down, he peered through the scope to get a better look at the group. What he saw was terrifying.

All of the people jumping around and whooping where heavly tattooed and most had automatic weapons of some sort. In the center of the group where the bodies of two people in uniform.

Police officers, he realized.

A cold shiver ran up his spine that had nothing to do with his powers. How could the world fall so far so quickly? He asked himself.

No, these people where already this sort of people when the meteor hit, he assured himself, these people where inherently evil long before any of this happened.

Taking a quick head count, Jack pushed himself up and sat with legs crossed. “Well, it looks like we have found some trouble.”

“Ok captin obvious, care to explain some more?” Bryan cut.

“Well, there are twenty seven of them, most with automatic weapons. They appear to be burning cars for a bonfire and they recently brutalized and murdered two uniformed police officers. Any more questions Lieutenant Richard?” Jack spat back.

Rachel quickly hung onto Sara in surprise, needing her to keep standing. Sara just stood in shock barely noticing her cousin clinging to her.

Bryans jaw hit the floor in surprise and just how much trouble they had found.

“The good news is, they have no camping gear. Which means either the store next to us here is empty, or they have no idea what is inside. Either way we still have to check. We’re just going to have to do this right.” Jack said, trying to cheer everyone back up with limited success. “Here, Bryan, you stay here and protect the girls and I’ll go see if I can get the doors open. Their on the far side of the parking lot so I should be able to slip in and get it open with out them noticing a thing. When I do, I’ll wave you over and you bring all the gear and bikes in and we’ll relock it.”

Everyone was either still digesting what Jack had said or found no faults in his plan for all he received where nods in agreement from everyone as they all positioned themselves and the bikes.

Jack ran as quickly as he could while staying low, as not to be seen by the gang in the parking lot. He kneeled in front of the lock, wishing he still had his second sight, Jack closed his eyes and concentrated on his power.

He was surprised how readily it came and turned into the river of power he had made it to be earlier.

With his eyes still closed, Jack put his finger on the lock and willed his power into it, all the while picturing a key in his mind.

Try as he might, after five separate tries and turns it wasn’t working. He knew he needed to wrk faster. Getting spotted by the gang could be the last thing they ever did.

Realizing he was wasting time, Jack remembered a trick from one of his favorite books. Picturing a shield shaped like a blade coming out of his finger, Jack let the magic flow back to his hand.

Thankful that it was light out, The blade glowed a sparkling gold. It was the size of a small letter opener but Jack hoped it would be enough.

Turning back to the lock, he swiped his finger in-between the lock and then the top and bottoms of the door, with the third swipe he fell forward into the door way, having not realized how much he had been leaning on it.

Rolling back to a kneel, half way in the door, Jack motioned for the others to come.

With suprising speed, the others of the group were in the store and the door was closed. Jack sealed the door this time using the same visualization as before only adding heat to it to melt everything back in place.

It took a few tries, the first of which Jack managed to burn himself so bad, he had to switch hands he was using to complete the spellwork.

While Jack was sealing them in, the others had already started exploring.