Ghosts

Chapter 10

"Someone help please!" Mai cried out.

Her hands hovered over her father's body, unsure if it was even safe to touch him. He was still conscious which was good, but the way he cried and writhed about was making the entire situation unbearable to watch.

It wasn't too long until Nick and Grace were by her side, examining the fallen soldier. Grace did not need her sight to know that he needed help immediately. She made a sniffing nose, no doubt the scent of burnt flesh was leaving quite the lasting impression

"Infirmary. Now. Help me lift him." Grace ordered to Nick.

Mai backed away as she watched the two lift the aging man, his cries piercing through the air as they were forced to press against his burns. The Captain attempted to follow after them but Carmina and her mother Kim stepped into her path, blocking her from proceeding.

"What are you doing?" Mai began to panic as she attempted to push through, "He needs me."

"Hey, hey he's going to be okay." Kim cooed as she tried to settle her down.

Carmina spoke next, "I think it's best if we stay out here. Let the other's handle it."

"Are you fucking kidding me, Car? That's my dad. He's all I got right now." she mewled.

"You've got us Mai." Carmina almost looked hurt by her comment, placing her hand over hers, "I promise he'll be okay."

Mai broke off from Carmina's grasp, pacing as she ran her fingers wildly through her hair. She wanted to scream the top of her lungs. Why did she freeze like that? She had plenty of time to move but then the woman in white appeared and she suddenly just felt paralyzed. Even now she stood frozen, assessing the destruction the Highwaymen had caused. Everything they had done over the course of the last few days, undone in the matter of an hour.

"I don't know, just do what you can."

The sound of Thomas' voice speaking to another Prosperity resident broke her away from her inner turmoil. He approached the three women, a look of uncertainty on his face. It made Mai's chest tighten. Even during their first encounter with the Twins, Thomas had remained cool and collected, never once showing his own fear. This time, however, he just could not keep up that same brave facade.

Kim was the first to speak as he approached, "How bad is it?"

Rush, seeing no way to sugar coat it got straight to the point, "We're in big trouble. We lost a lot of people. The wounded are in bad shape."

Rush continued, "If the twins come back we can't stop them."

Kim, sounding almost annoyed huffed, "There's nobody left."

Rush did this thing where he rolled his head he would often do like what he was about to say would stir up controversy, and boy did it, "What about that group to the North? New Eden?"

Mai watched as a fire lit up in Kim's eyes. Her own heart began to erupt like a jackhammer had just gone haywire. Just the mention of New Eden made her tense up, anticipating the appearances of her Aunt and Uncle at an second. They seemed to be giving her some sort of reprieve for now though, which she was grateful for. Both Mai and Carmina glanced at one another as they prepared for the fire show about to erupt.

"Wait...is that a joke?" Kim seethed as she got in Thomas' face.

Mai was half-tempted to step in, but she was so shaken up by what had just happened with her father she found herself just remaining in the spot where she stood with Carmina.

"I've seen them in action." Rush tried to encourage.

"They hit the camp I was being held in multiple nights in a row...just two of them. Took more bullets than is humanly possible and vanished into the forest. The Highwaymen call them ghosts but I know what I saw. Those people were doped to the fucking gills, we need what they have--"