The Free City

Chapter Eighteen : Could Have Done

Paula woke up a few minutes later, but something was wrong. She couldn't string together more than two sensical words at a time, and mumbled about leaves falling and bugs flying and mud crunching. I was worried about her, but we couldn't do anything more than get her to Johnson City. Hank came around enough to stumble along beside Damien, but he was obviously hurting.

Mr. Sato didn't wake up at all. I was pretty sure that was a bad sign.

The sun set and Kole put some flames in the palm of his hand and held it up and out like a torch. He took the lead, and Anthony took over carrying Paula. I took the rear so I could listen for anyone who might sneak up on us. I put my sunglasses in my backpack, and did my best not to look too closely at Kole's light.

Surprisingly, Sam walked up front with Kole. Emily and Jana wanted to walk with me, but I told them I needed space to hear properly.

It wasn't a total lie. It helped to have space.

But I really just didn't want to be next to anyone. Well, there were one or two people I wouldn't mind checking on me, but they were both at the front of the line.

We'd been walking for close to three and a half hours when I heard a water-engine coming toward us from behind.

"Car coming," I said. We all scrambled off the road and hid in the bushes, except Kole who stayed on the road.

If it was our Supers, they needed to see us. And if it wasn't, they'd be unlucky if they thought Kole was an easy target.

The headlights rounded a corner and Kole flared up the fire in his hand so that it burned bright. The horn honked over and over and I shoved my plugs back into place. We could all hear the sound of yelling over the horn, though.

"Kole!" Jason's relieved voice was music to my ears.

"Jason!" Kole yelled back, and the bus screeched to a stop. In the dim light of Kole's flames and the headlights I saw 'Johnson City SuperCorps' written on the side in blue.

Flashlights clicked on inside the large bus and I saw people coming out. I squinted against the lights but resisted putting my glasses on yet. Jason was already leaping out of the vehicle to run to his brother.

I helped Zuri keep her balance on her way back out of the bushes, since her hands were full with Paula. I saw the SuperCorps leader Hannah come out of the bus and to my surprise, headmaster Abara and the librarian Mrs. Hornbill.

Am I hallucinating?

"Mrs. Hornbill!" Zuri called, making me realize that no, I wasn't hallucinating. The wrinkled old librarian really was on our rescue team. "Mr. Sato's hurt!"

"And Paula!" Anthony came out of the dark, too, and soon enough we were all standing on the road in the light of the headlights. I had to put my glasses back on, then. Headmaster Abara ran to Hank and Zuri and looked at his injured student and faculty member in anguish.

Kole and Jason were hugging, and then Jason pulled Sam in for a hug, too. The three of them spoke quietly for a minute. Kole glanced at me, so I looked away.

"Is everyone here?" Hannah asked quickly.

"All here," Jana confirmed. She didn't wait for permission and climbed into the bus with Emily in tow.

Hannah pulled a walkie-talkie from her waist to her mouth. She pressed a button and a wave of static clicked until she pressed another button and spoke into the device.

"We found them, George."

George. Invisible man. My mind palace didn't really care if I'd been through a traumatic experience and served up information as if that were any help at all.