Ghosts

Chapter 3

Sometime later.

There was a clicking noise - just barely out of hearing range. Mai groaned as the continuous noise stirred her. She opened her eyes, unsure of at what point she had passed out. She only remembered the phantom's kiss and her ensuing struggle with her ongoing struggle with the debris that lay atop of her. The room was filled with darkness, the only light-emitting coming from the cracks of the cabin door.

She heard shuffling not too far off, piquing her curiosity. There was a large silhouette standing a few feet off. The events leading to her prior predicament began to flash through her head. Her father, Thomas, the ghost...

"Dad?" she whined, hoping to hear his voice respond before she was thrust into another forced conversation with the figment of her mind. There was one last click as the flame of light came into view, illuminating the second occupant. Mai's optimism slipped away, realizing it was just Barnes. In contrast to her, he seemed relieved to see her still kicking.

"Captain- Captain you're alive?" Barnes spoke excitedly.

"Of course I am-" she spoke before getting cut off at the sound of a commotion outside the door.

Barnes' head whipped so fast towards the door she thought he was gonna snap his own neck, " Jesus...they're headed this way..." he turned back to her, "Get up, Captain. C'mon, get up!"

Easier said than done Barnes she thought to herself as she pushed up on the rack that kept her pinned. There was a loud crash just outside the door. As Barnes began to panic, he seemed to lose all common sense as he began to scurry about the room to a hiding spot, leaving her still pinned.

"It's the fucking highwaymen! They're gonna kill us! Get up Captain, get up!"

"Barnes I fucking swear to God-" she began to hiss as the door pushed open.

Mai peeked her head up, ready to finally face these mysterious Highwaymen she kept hearing about. Much to her relief, and saving her from a humiliating death, was a lone silhouette, his voice unmistakable.

"Jesus Barnes, you keep screaming like that you're gonna bring them all down on us." the voice of Rush lectured.

Barnes darted up from his hiding spot, " Rush! You're alive!"

Thomas, passing by Barnes immediately began an attempt at lifting the rack of his Captain of security. Mai took the brief moment to inhale a gust of breath, momentarily able to breathe normally before Rush was forced to lay the rack back down. His head snapped to Barnes, speaking urgently, "Help me."

"No, we have no time, we gotta go." Barnes spoke, his fear and survival instincts kicking in.

Thanks Barnes, I'll remember that. Mai thought as she struggled under the rack. Barnes had joined up with Rush roughly about five months before they found her Despite his "supposed" military experience, Mai was left underwhelmed by his performance leading up to this moment in time. Even more so, that he was willing to leave her here to die to save his own skin.

Thomas appeared to become more agitated with the man with each passing second, "Barnes, we are not leaving the Captain behind."

It was just a matter of seconds before Mai was free to move once again, her lungs thanking Rush internally as he helped her up. She glanced behind him to the doorway, half-expecting her father to appear at any second seeing as how he had been with Rush prior to the crash. Thomas must have caught her eyes lingering as he handed her his radio.

"Your father is fine. But we got separated. He's got a radio though, scouting up ahead last I heard, giving us a bit of an advantage."

Mai nodded. She was overjoyed to hear her father survived the crash but she could not linger on it for long. There was no time for sentiment in this moment so she simply kept her mouth shut, waiting for Rush to give his orders.