“I still don’t think this is a good idea,” Jack said, trying to look everywhere at once. Ann stuck her key into the door lock and turned the handle.

“Campus is five minutes away, so what’s the difference?” Ann said.

“It’s an unnecessary risk,” he said, following her into the apartment.

“Not taking a shower is an unnecessary risk,” Ann said.

“Fine, where is the coffee?” he asked. Ann pointed behind her, toward a small kitchen, before stepping into a hallway. He rubbed the back of his neck as he opened cabinets, searching for the grounds. He couldn’t remember the last time he slept in a car, but he was sure his body wasn’t this stiff the next morning. They didn’t have cash for a hotel room last night and didn’t want to risk using a credit card or ATM. Darean could have access to their bank accounts and who knew what else.

As he scooped coffee grounds into the filter, he almost didn’t hear the protesting squeak of the floor behind him. He spun quickly, holding the spoon in front of him like a weapon. A blond-headed girl screamed and danced backward.

“Whoa, it’s okay!” he said.

“Who the hell are you?” she said, hand to her heaving chest. “You scared me to death!”

“I’m—”

“Jack?” Ann asked, peaking around the kitchen doorframe. He could make out the top of a blue towel wrapped under her arms. Jack offered a weak smile.

“Kim,” Ann said. “Hey. This is Jack, he’s a friend of mine. Save me some coffee. I’m going to take a shower.”

Ann’s head disappeared. After a moment of silence, Jack asked, “Coffee?” He tried not to notice Kim’s tan midriff under the red cut-off Adina U. t-shirt or her tiny gray shorts.

“Where were you two last night?” Kim asked.

Jack finished loading the filter, shoved it into the coffeemaker, and pushed the button.

“We were doing research.”

“What kind of research?” Kim asked.

“Ann’s helping me with a project.”

“What kind of project?” she asked.

The persistent hiss and sound of dripping coffee filled the cramped kitchen.

“It’s about mythology. Where are the cups?”

“Second cabinet from the sink,” she said. “What kind of mythology?”

Jack reached in and took two cups down. One was plain black, and another had Marvin the Martian staring up from the surface of the moon. He hoped Ann wouldn’t take long in the shower. Kim moved out of the room and perched on a stool at the bar separating the small kitchen from the living room.

“I’m not sure yet, that’s why she’s helping me,” Jack said, grabbing the half-filled carafe and pouring coffee into the mugs. He handed the Marvin cup to Kim, raising his eyes to her face for just a moment before lowering them back to his own cup. Thankfully, he heard the shower shut off.

“Two minutes,” Ann said from the doorway. Jack saw the blue streak of a towel and heard the bedroom door slam.

“Do you mind if I take a quick shower?” Jack asked.

Kim shrugged her approval, and he set his coffee mug down on the counter. He knew she didn’t believe him, and he didn’t blame her. She had been studying him closely, but he didn’t feel any aggression from her, just curiosity. After finding a towel under the bathroom sink, Jack shed his clothes and stepped into the still warm shower. The stress flowed out of his muscles as the hot water pounded into his flesh. He let his mind focus on the present.

The flowery decals on the floor of the tub gripped his feet, and the soap felt clean and fresh in his grasp. He reached out with his emotions but couldn’t feel Ann or her roommate. The realization left a sudden hole in his awareness and a brief moment of vertigo set in. Had he felt Ann while she was in the shower? With all the questions from Kim, he couldn’t recall. Maybe water negated the effects of their new abilities. He closed his eyes and lifted his face to the stream, realizing that at least for a few moments, he was normal again.

“Our project?” Ann asked as Jack walked into the living room, once again wearing the black cargo pants and blue sweatshirt from the night before. Ann was sitting on a stool at the bar next to Kim. She wore a green lantern t-shirt and low riding jeans. He ran his fingers through his short damp hair and felt Ann’s confusion in the back of his mind. Her emotions had settled into his awareness as soon as the water stopped flowing. Kim spun on her stool to look at him.

“Do you even go to our school?” she asked.

“I’m pretty sure we’ve had a class together,” Jack said.

Kim narrowed her eyes.

“I think I would have remembered you, you’re old like her.” Kim tilted her head toward Ann.

“Twenty-seven is old?” he asked.

“You shut up,” Ann said, jabbing a finger into Kim’s leg.

Kim must be about twenty-one or twenty-two, Jack thought. He reached back for memories of his early twenties, but it was a blur of deployments. His first job had been with Air Force Special Reconnaissance. Back then, with the wars in full swing, deployments were non-stop, and he never took a break if he could help it. After serving with the special reconnaissance teams, he joined the Office of Special Investigation as an agent. He enjoyed intelligence work, moving into a community, making connections, and rooting out the enemy. But without as much action, the voice became stronger. And as soon as his commanders discovered his knack for interrogation, he spent most of his time on terrorist investigations and joint task forces with the CIA and FBI, which slowed his pace down even more.

“My face is easy to forget,” Jack said.

“He is quiet,” Ann said.

Kim looked from Ann to Jack. “Maybe you two are researching biology?”

Ann slapped her arm. “Not everyone is like you,” Ann said.

“Yes, you are, you just don’t admit it,” Kim said, studying Jack with an appraising eye. “He would probably make a good research partner.” Jack’s cheeks grew hot under her scrutiny.

“Shut up!” Ann said.

“I’m just saying.” Kim bounced off the stool and strode into the hallway, laughing.

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

Ann put her cup down and walked into the living room, shaking her head. She picked up her dark purple backpack from the couch. “We have to get to campus,” she said.

The doorbell rang. Ann looked at Jack, who shrugged. “If they were here to kill us, they probably wouldn’t ring the doorbell,” he said.

“Who is that? It’s seven in the morning!” Kim called from her bedroom.

Ann moved to the front door and peeked out the small half-moon-shaped window at the top. Jack squeezed next to her. A man stood on the landing in a black suit and tie. He held a worn leather satchel in one hand and a pamphlet in the other.

“Looks like he’s selling something,” Ann said.

She pulled the door open a crack, letting it catch against the chain. The man studied them but said nothing.

“Can I help you?” she asked.

Jack reached out with his emotions but couldn’t sense the man.

“Ann, something is wrong,” he said.

“Oh, yes, yes ma’am,” the man said finally. “I’m with the Mission of Christian World Salvation, MCWS for short, and we have an important message to share. The end times are here, and we are striving to,” he held up his pamphlet, “save the world.”

Jack could feel Kim’s curiosity as she stepped up behind them. Ann was annoyed. But he still couldn’t feel the missionary’s presence.

“Ann,” Jack touched her arm, and she glanced at him. He shook his head.

“It’s a little early to save the world,” Ann said. She pushed the door, but the man slapped his hand against it before it closed, wrapping thick fingers around the edge of the wood.

“If I could just step inside for a moment of your time. Just one moment.” His tone evolved into a passionate plea. “There is so much at stake.” Emotion slammed into Jack as the man finished speaking. The sudden mind-numbing pressure at his temples made his vision blur. He put his hand on the wall to steady himself.

“Look, we’re not interested,” Ann said. She tried to push the man’s hand out of the way, but Jack clutched her waist and yanked her backward with more force than he intended. She yelped as she slammed into Kim, and they both struggled to keep their footing. Jack focused on the man and tried to block out the pressure building at his temples.

“Time to go,” Jack said. He reached for the man’s wrist, trying to dislodge his fingers, but the man reared back and kicked the door. It exploded toward them with a crack as the chain snapped. Jack leaped backward into the girls. The man took a slow, deliberate step over the threshold and closed the door behind him.

“What kind of bible salesman are you?” Ann asked as she and Jack backed into the living room. Kim ran for her bedroom.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Jack asked.

The missionary didn’t answer. He stepped forward, reaching into his worn satchel. But instead of pulling out a pamphlet this time, he brought out what looked like a Taser.

“Okay, we’ll read your pamphlet,” Ann said.

“We’ll go to church,” Jack said, stepping in front of Ann with his palms out.

The missionary followed them into the living room, keeping them in easy range of the Taser. Jack and Ann shuffled backward until Ann was pressed against the sliding glass door, which led to the deck beyond.

“You have to come with me,” the man said, taking another step toward them. “You must take the trial. The Anti-Christ is-”

Jack launched himself feet first at the man’s ankles. “Down!” he roared.

He hoped Ann understood because the man pulled the trigger. Taser barbs flew over his head and electricity filled the air. There was a loud pop from the man’s ankle as the bottom of Jack’s thick-soled hiking boot made contact. The bible salesman collapsed toward him, but Jack rolled to the side. Springing to his feet, he delivered a hard right hook. Jack’s knuckles connected with the man’s jaw and slammed his head into the floor. He jumped over the body and kneeled beside Ann, who was lying on her stomach. Rolling her over, he sighed with relief as she opened her eyes.

“Good job,” he said, sitting back on his heels. He drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. The Taser’s barbs were laying just beside her head. The small cords stretched along the brown carpet, leading back to the limp hand of the missionary in the black suit. His satchel lay open beside him.

“You’re lucky those didn’t hit me,” Ann said, glaring at him.

“Not possible, we’re connected,” Jack said, tapping the side of his head. “I knew you’d duck.”

She sat up and stared at the man on the floor. “Uh-huh,” she said.

“How did you do that?” Kim asked from the doorway. Her eyes were wide, and Jack felt panic simmering below the surface.

“Do what?” Jack asked.

“Move so fast?”

“I don’t know, I used to play soccer,” Jack said, looking at Ann who shrugged. Kim was staring down at the missionary.

“The cops are on the way,” she said.

“The what?” Ann asked.

“You called the cops?” Jack asked.

“Um, yes,” Kim said, pointing at the unconscious man on the living room floor. Jack and Ann had discussed the police but decided against it. There was no way to explain what was happening, and they didn’t know who Darean was.

“It’s fine,” Jack said. He walked to the front door. “We’ll just leave out the unexplainable parts.”

“So, most of it?” Ann said.

“I mean, just about the missionary here,” Jack motioned to the man on the floor. “They don’t need to know about last night,” Jack said.

“Right,” Ann said.

“What about last night?” Kim asked. “Did you rob a bank?”

“What? No, why would a bible salesman come after us if we robbed a bank?” Ann said.

“Nothing about last night,” Jack said, opening the front door to see if anyone had noticed the commotion. Three men with determined looks were marching across the parking lot. They wore plain black suits and carried worn leather satchels.

“Change of plans, we have to go,” Jack said. He pushed the door closed and slammed the deadbolt home. He ran into the living room and kneeled beside the unconscious man. He placed a hand on his chest to make sure it was still moving.

“Wait, you can’t leave!” Kim said. “The cops are coming.”

“We have to,” Jack said, standing up. He gestured toward the fallen man. “His friends will get here first.”

Ann crossed the room and took Kim’s hands in hers. “Kim—”

“We don’t have much time,” Jack said urgently, moving to the sliding glass door.

Ann glanced at him and back to Kim. She said, “You have to get out of here too. Follow us and then run to your car. I’ll call you when it’s safe, okay?”

“But-”

“Kim, just do it, I’ll explain later,” Ann said.

“We can’t go out the front door,” Jack said.

Ann ran into Kim’s bedroom and came out with sandals and car keys. She pressed them into her friend’s hands. Jack pulled the sliding glass door open and stepped out onto the deck.

“What are you doing?” Kim asked, tugging on her sandals.

“We’re on the second floor,” Ann said.

“I know, but it’s either this or fight three more of them,” Jack said.

The front door shuddered as someone delivered a kick from the other side.

“Okay, let’s go,” Ann said, stepping past him.

He might be able to make the jump down to the lawn and roll out of it, but he didn’t think it was worth the risk. There were a few trees within jumping distance, but they were not big enough to hold much weight. The neighbor’s deck was in reach, though. A short jump would put them over the railing and onto it. Maybe the door was unlocked, or they could climb down the thick drainpipe on the other side.

“Come on!” Jack said. Ann and Kim stepped out and shivered in the crisp morning air. “We jump to your neighbor’s deck and see if the door is unlocked,” Jack said.

“Ms. Roland hates us,” Kim said.

“Who cares,” Ann said.

The deck vibrated from the impact of another blow to the front door. It wouldn’t survive another hit like that. He grabbed Kim by her waist and hoisted her up onto the railing. She let out a yelp and leaned forward to grab the next railing over, scrambling to find her footing. Ann leaped up to the railing and over to the next as soon as Kim was clear. Jack was right behind her. Through the sliding glass door, he turned to find a short gray-haired woman in a blue nightgown staring at him with narrowed eyes and thin angry lips. She held a phone to her ear.

“Good morning, Ms. Roland,” Jack said with a half-smile.

“On the phone with the police, I’m sure,” Ann said.

“The pipe then,” he said, staring at the angry old woman, “we’ll climb down the pipe.”

He shrugged toward Ms. Roland with what he hoped was an apologetic look before he pushed Ann toward the side of the deck. She slung her backpack over both shoulders and grabbed the cool metal of the pipe. Hauling herself up onto the railing first, she made her way down much faster than Jack had expected. She moved hand over hand with ease. Kim tucked her car keys and phone into the edge of her tiny shorts and climbed up on the rail next, grabbing the pipe as soon as Ann was clear. The muscles in her arms and legs snapped to attention in well-defined synchronization. She climbed down almost as fast as Ann. He imagined each of them on the volleyball court, running, and diving. Ann had mentioned something about them playing together for Adina.

Jack looked back and saw Ms. Roland speaking into her phone, no doubt describing him to a police dispatcher. He vaulted onto the railing and grabbed the pipe, working his way down. As the three of them sprinted around the building, he heard men burst onto the deck above.

“There,” one of them shouted as Jack rounded the corner and was out of sight.

“Stay away until I call,” Ann yelled to Kim as they sprinted in opposite directions. Jack saw Kim dive into a small gray hatchback as they ran to his Mustang. Just after pulling out of the parking lot, three police cruisers screamed past them with lights blazing. Ann twisted in her seat, watching the patrol cars pull into the apartment complex.

“I hope Kim made it,” Jack said.

“She did,” Ann said.

Jack looked at her sideways. “How do you know?”

“Thoughts, Jack.” She tapped the side of her head with her index finger. “You have the emotions and I have the thoughts.”