Amee huddled in the borrowed jacket. It was a chilly fall evening. The darkness clung to the deserted streets. She looked at the dilapidated buildings she passed. This whole section close to the ravine was a shadow of its former self. Once brightly dyed awnings were faded and torn. The fabric whipped in the biting wind. The streetlights where they worked flickered, causing shadows to move. Everywhere she looked signs read foreclosed. It had been that way since the bottom fell out of the real-estate market. She remembered hearing her social studies talking about it. People dreaming of wanting a house, or their own business borrowed money, they got drawn in by low interest rates and then lost everything when their interest skyrocketed. Worse yet, the lenders ended up with so many foreclosures they couldn’t sell what they had, many went out of business. Leaving darkened abandoned houses and shops. Neighborhoods like this were commonplace in American now. She pulled the jacket tighter. It reminded her of a book she read about a plague, every living thing gone, but the buildings remained. She shook the thoughts from her head.

Priority one: food, Priority two: Get home. “I’m thinking in computer-speak now, what next?” She looked at a group of homeless people huddled around drum with a fire in it. They glanced up at her, she nodded politely. One motioned her closer. She approached. She was hesitant. Who knew what they would do to her, but there were a couple of ladies there, it calmed her nerves a bit. She smiled, saying shyly, “Hi.”

“Come on, share the fire.” Said one of the men, he was older, he wore a ratty plaid shirt, he was an African American, he was a big man, quite intimidating at a distance, but one look at his soft eyes, showed he was also a kind man. He looked concerned when Amee got closer. “You have a run in with the gangers?”

Amee shook her head, “No, just some security guards, and some other creeps.” She crept closer to the fire, the warmth felt nice after such a horrible night.

“You’ll be safe her, no one bothers us, Rusty scares em.” One of the women nodded towards the man who first spoke, she was older, she had more than a few teeth missing. Her cheeks were sagged and wrinkled, but her eyes were kindly. Rusty nodded in response.

“We ain’t got much but the fire, you’re welcome to stay with us though.” Rusty said, his voice was surprisingly soft coming from such a big man.

“Girl you’re age shouldn’t be on the streets ain’t nothing should be keepin you here, got a whole life ahead of you.” Said the other woman, she was younger, skinny as a rack, her cloths hung off her. Amee suspected she may have once been a drug user, or still was.

The older woman shook her head and waved her hand at the other dismissively, “Maybe she ran away for good reason, no reason we got to be giving her lectures, you hush Sandra. Ain’t none of us here chose to be here.”

“Violet, you old hag.” Sandra warmed her hands by the fire.

Rusty gave Amee an apologetic look, “They are like an old married couple.” Amee laughed softly, somehow the last few minutes made her night worth it, the people had nothing but they offered her companionship anyway.

“Thanks for letting me warm up, but I need to go, I didn’t run away, I just, well ran into a bit of trouble, my mom’s going to be worried.” Amee said rubbing her hands and soaking up what warmth she could. Also she was afraid if her energy reserves dropped to low she wouldn’t be able to move under her own power. Amee’s face betrayed how scared she really was.

“Stay a bit longer, let Ol’ rusty cheer you up.” Rusty pulled out a harmonica. Amee smiled, she hadn’t seen one of those, ever. He nodded to her and started to play, his foot tapping a beat. His voice was beautiful, Amee was enraptured. Such beauty here of all places.

“Ain’t got no money, ain’t got no car;”

“Ain’t got no worries, ain’t got no cares;”

“Just sittin round the fire doin my thing, singin the blues away.”

“Ain’t got no house, Ain’t got no job;”

“Ain’t got no problems, Ain’t got no boss;”

“Just sittin round the fire doin my thing, singin the blues away.”

Amee listened to Rusty’s song, she was smiling and tapping clapping along by the end of it. “That was amazing, thanks.” Amee patted rusty on the shoulder.

“You come back anytime, Rusty will sing you a song, now if you’re going out there you be careful, pretty girl like you, the gangers might take you for homeless, and well, you just be careful.” Rusty handled his harmonica gingerly, he rubbed it with his gloved hand, polishing it, he then slipped it carefully into his pocket.

“Is there a place to get food around here?” Amee rubbed her hands again, as she huddled close to the fire. She wanted to stay here where it was warm, but it would be foolish, besides she didn’t want the police to disturb the trio.

“There’s a nice diner over on Anderson, and the night waitress, she don’t turn away anyone, long as they have money and cause no trouble. You tell her Rusty sent you.” Rusty pointed southeast. “It’s about six blocks, you be careful it takes you right though Demons territory. They are bad sorts.”

Amee nodded. “Thanks again Rusty, Sandra, Violet.” She smiled to each in turn. They waved to her as she left. She reluctantly tore herself away from the warmth of the fire and started to make her way down the sidewalk. I hope this is the right choice, maybe I should have stayed. She looked behind her, to the shadows the fire caused to flicker in the alleyway. No, need to be focused and confident, second guessing myself is a bad idea.

Amee hardened herself against her fears. She wasn’t home yet and they wouldn’t get her there. She pushed her hands further into her pockets, pulling her jacket close again. She walked along the sidewalk, keeping her head low. This area of town gave her the chills. She could feel eyes upon her. She glanced around, her enhanced vision saw no one. She started to walk a bit faster. She fought the urge to start to run. She had to conserve energy.

She crossed the street, she followed the path Rusty had suggested precisely. She turned a corner and found herself face to face with a group of gangers. She closed her eyes, Just perfect. They were a motley crew, they looked anywhere from her age, to their early twenties. The only thing that they seemed to have in common were jackets with a stylized demon on the back.

“Hey man.” One of the taller ones, he had long black hair, several piercings in his face elbowed a blonde-haired ganger, with spiked hair.

“What do we have here? A bum trying to cross demons territory?” the blonde looked her up and down. “I don’t recognize her, that means she hasn’t paid the toll.” He licked his lips. Amee frowned. She took a cautious step backwards towards the empty street. “Oh no you don’t you’re here you have to pay, surround her boys.” Amee took another step but she ran into one of the larger gang-members, he laughed and shoved her back towards the rest of the gang. She moved in a slow circle, they had her surrounded. “Hey no worries, we won’t hurt you, we keep this part of town safe, you pay us, we keep you safe, you can come and go as you like.” Said the blonde-haired gang member. “How you gonna pay?” He ogled her.

Amee’s targeting displays came to life, circles formed around each of the gang members. She continued her slow defensive circle. She could see the weapons they carried. The blonde one had a semi-automatic pistol, and a knife. The rest were armed with knives, and one had a baseball bat. You mean the video game got it right? Her computer warned her that this was a fight she shouldn’t get into, energy reserves were too low. You mean if I had full power I could do this? Her body must be capable of some amazing feats than. “You don’t want to do this, anything happens to me in this part of town the police will rip you apart.” It wasn’t exactly a bluff, if she got hurt, or worse, her mother had enough power to have these thugs put away for life. “Just let me by, and I won’t say anything to anyone.” She saw a flash as one of them pulled his knife, it glinted under the streetlights.

“She’s mouthy let me cut her.” The browned haired thug to the right said, his lip curving into a disturbing smile.

“So, what you’re sayin is you ain’t got no cash, and that the boys and I are gonna have some fun with you.” The blonde-haired one reached out his hand to flick her hair, Amee slapped it away. He pulled his arm away rubbing it, “You’re a strong one, you survive our fun, we might ask you to join.” He licked his lips.

Amee heard a familiar voice come from behind her, “Hey what you boys doin, you leave her alone.” It was Rusty’s voice. Amee looked to see him, he was moving up behind the circle of gang-members.

“Piss off old man, this ain’t your concern go back to your gutter.” The blonde-haired one, nodded to the gang-member holding a baseball bat.

Amee silently prayed for Rusty to just leave, these guys weren’t playing around.

“You ain’t scarin me boy now run along, leave this girl alone.” Rusty’s deep voice demanded. Then Amee heard the soft thud of the baseball bat hitting someone. Amee looked over her shoulder. Rusty held his arm out defensivly. The baseball-bat wielding ganger swung the bat again. Rusty grabbed his arms and shoved him into a wall. The baseball bat fell to the ground between them and Rusty bent down and picked it up. He shook it at the group with his good arm. “Now I told you boys to run along, don’t need no more hurtin tonight.”

“Screw you old man, I’m tired of you trying to order us around, Nobody orders the Demons around, nobody!” The blonde-haired ganger pulled out his gun and leveled it at Rusty. “Time to die old man.”

Amee watched in slow motion as the ganger’s finger squeezed the trigger. She watched the bullet leave the barrel of the gun. She shifted to the left, she felt the bullet pierce her shoulder and deflect off her bone. It felt like someone had poured liquid fire on her.

She felt her body take over, as if it had a mind of its own. She lunged towards the blonde-haired ganger. She slipped around him with lightning speed. Her arm wrapped around his shoulders, he tried to pull away but he couldn’t resist her strength. She forced him to his knees. He screamed, she heard a sickening crunch as his legs buckled. She tried to stop herself, but all she could do was watch in horror as she snapped his finger back off the trigger, it hung limply. Her body looked over the gangers. The ganger to her right pulled his knife and moved towards her. The circle around him started to spin and went red. Her body moved the gun up and shot. The bullet pierced the ganger’s forehead, he fell to the ground, dead. Her body then targeted another ganger, and pulled the trigger, the shot was precise, he collapsed to the ground. The blonde-haired ganger started to struggle. Amee knew it was in vein. She screamed silently as his targeting circle went red. She felt her body apply pressure to the choke hold it had him in. Snap. She felt his neck break. No more, no more, please no more. Amee didn’t want to see anymore, but she couldn’t close her eyes. The gang started to scatter. Her body let go of the dead ganger, slipping the knife out of his belt. NO! Her body ignored her. Her body threw the knife. It pierced one of the ganger’s throats. Stop it, stop it! Amee thought furiously trying to get control of her body’s motor functions, but it ignored her. It held the gun up and fired off two more rounds. The final two gangers stumbled and then collapsed on the ground. Her body held the gun up at Rusty. He dropped the baseball bat. Not him, please not him. She felt her heart sink as her body accelerated forward towards Rusty. He shrunk back, he looked terrified. But it wasn’t his circle that was red, it was the ganger on the ground that Rusty had smashed into the wall. The ganger was trying to crawl away unnoticed. Amee’s body looked down at him.

“Ple..please I don’t wanna die.” He begged, as he slide himself backwards away from her on the pavement. Her body leveled the hand gun at him. STOP! Amee screamed but no sound left her lips. The gun fired. The ganger’s head lulled back and hit the pavement with a sickening thud.

Her body popped the gun’s clip out, and checked the ammunition, once it was apparently satisfied it slipped the clip back into the gun. She watched it kneel down by the blonde-haired ganger’s body, and search though his pockets, it pulled out an extra clip and slipped it into her pocket, then it pulled his wallet out and took his cash, then it tossed the wallet into a sewer grate. Her body slipped the gun into the inside pocket of her jacket, and folded the wad of a cash and stuffed it in the front pocket of her jeans.

“Threats eliminated, auto-defense mode deactivated.” Said the disembodied voice in her head. She nearly collapsed as the computer released control of her body. “Required Action: Acquire energy ASAP” Amee turned away from the carnage. She closed her eyes, but all she could see were faces of the gangers. She clutched her stomach. She started to dry heave. Soon sobs were wracking her body.

“You should get going missy, no telling when the police will show up, you best not be here. I ain’t saying what you did was right, but they weren’t good folks. Now go run along get out of here, if they ask I ain’t seen nothing, heard nothing, I know nothing.” Amee turned to look at Rusty. He looked frightened of her. Amee really couldn’t blame him. She was frightened of her body too. She watched him dwindle and finally disappear around a corner.

She crossed her arms, trying to keep her jacket closed. She gasped for air as she sobbed and tried to walk at the same time. She couldn’t erase the picture of the last ganger’s face from her mind. The look of terror on his face was burned into her brain. She shook her nails clawing at her skin. It wasn’t her skin, it wasn’t her body, how could such a vile thing be her. She was trapped inside a monster. Her mind locked in a prison of futuristic alloy and nanowires. She stumbled as she walked down the sidewalk, her energy reserves were falling dangerously low. She felt her shoulder burning still, her body couldn’t heal itself. I don’t deserve to live anyway, should just let myself starve. She leaned on the side of a building. She saw lights in a diner across the street. So hungry, so very hungry. She tried to resist temptation, but she couldn’t. Her body’s natural urges fought against her. She was indeed a pawn to it’s whims. She stumbled across the street. She leaned heavily on the wall that stood beside the door. She could see blood dripping down her fingers in the pink light provided by the diners flickering neon sign. She wiped the blood off her hand on her jeans. She pushed the door open.

Once inside she noticed the diner was mostly deserted. A few street people huddled over bowls of soup. She leaned on the wall just inside the door. A few heads turned at the sound of the door’s bell. Amee looked around the diner, the heads that turned were staring at her. What are you staring at, she thought bitterly. The waitress looked at her with barely concealed disdain. “This ain’t a shelter, if you are a paying customer, sit down, if not get out.” She pointed at the door. Amee reached into her pocket and pulled out the wad of cash her body had taken from the dead ganger. The waitress gave her suspicious look and nodded to a booth in the far corner.

Amee walked slowly to the booth. Every moment brought more searing pain from her shoulder. She leaned heavily on several chairs as she moved across the diner. She collapsed into the bench seat of the booth. She glanced down at the stained ugly red-orange colored vinyl. This place was a dive. It might have been something in the seventies. She looked down at her hands, they were filthy. Beggars can’t be choosers. The waitress walked over to the table. Amee pulled her hands under the table they were shaking. The waitress tossed the menu down onto the table, with her cigarette stained fingers. “Want anything to drink?” The waitress’s voice was like nails on a chalkboard, and she was chewing her gum loudly. Amee closed her eyes to calm her nerves.

“Coke please. And bring me five of the king sized breakfast specials, please.” Amee said as calmly as possible.

“Five king sized breakfast specials?” The waitress asked. Amee shivered again at the voice, and looked up at the waitress. She was an older woman, with hollow eyes, she looked like she’d worked here for far too long.

“Yes.” Amee said.

“Okay, just remember if you can’t pay we don’t call the cops, Vinnie just takes you outback and beats it out of your hide, got me?” The waitress looked down her nose at Amee.

Amee shivered again at that voice, pulled out the wad of cash and slammed five twenties on the table with the hand of her good arm. It made a loud thud, a few of the patrons, and the waitress jumped. Her voice was terse as she spoke, “Look lady, that’s a hundred dollars, I’ve had a really bad night, just get me my food, and shut the hell up, anything left over after I finish eating is yours, now stay away from until you have my food, got me?” Amee glared up at the waitress, all her frustration, anger, resentment, self-loathing oozed at the waitress.

“Sure…sure I’ll put your order in it will just be a few minutes.” The waitress looked disturbed as she back peddled away from Amee.

The waitress came out with two plates at a time, they were heaping with food. At least when the diner said king sized, they meant it. Amee started tearing into the food ravenously. She didn’t even taste it she was so hungry. She glared around at the other patrons when the stared at her. She went back to eating. She couldn’t help it, she was like a savage animal that was in a corner and trying to survive.

The waitress came over gingerly began cleaning up the plates. Amee looked up at her, “More, bring five more.” The waitress just nodded in response and retreated. Amee’s hands were still shaking, but at least the pain in her shoulder was dulling rapidly. Soon Amee had a full spread of overflowing plates in front of her and she started to devour them as well. She started to slow down when she reached the tenth plate of food, eating more slowly. The eggs were actually pretty good.

She twisted her fork in the remnants of her last plate of food. Need to make a plan, need to get some distance from here, that’s for sure. She glanced out the window towards the side street. Won’t be long until the cops get here. The waitress stopped by again.

“You want anything else?” Amee cringed, that voice could shatter Tupperware.

“Ya, some more coke please, you have a bathroom?” The waitress pointed in the direction of a flickering light. “Thanks” Amee kept her jacket tugged closed as she made her way to the washroom. She wrinkled her nose as the door swung shut. This place is one big health violation. She looked in the mirror at herself. Her hair was a mess, twigs, leaves sticking out at all angles. Her face was filthy. She laughed in spite of herself. She looked like homeless kid. She did her best to clear her hair out, still chuckling. She looked down at her hands, and frowned as she saw dried blood caked on them. I’m too dangerous, I can’t go home, or to school might hurt someone. She turned the taps on and started to wash her hands off. Not my hands, no, this isn’t my body, it looks like it, but it’s not me. She splashed water on her face and started to rub it until her pale skin showed through. She gently pulled off her jacket and looked down at her shoulder. She rubbed her fingers over the smooth unblemished skin where a bullet had been not twenty minutes ago. Be a lot more handy if the bullets bounced off, least it wouldn’t hurt like that. She cleaned off some of the blood from her wound. What I need is a shower. She closed her eyes and sighed. I’m too young for this, I should be at home playing video games and avoiding homework. She sighed and pulled the jacket on, she felt something heavy hit her hip and she put her hand in the pocket. The gun…I gotta get rid of this, Amee looked around the bathroom and finally her eyes landed on the back of the toilet, she pulled the gun out of her pocket and wiped it down. This is disgusting, she wrinkled her noses as she used the sleeves of her coat to move the top off the toilet, and dropped the gun in and closed it back up. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath and went back into the restaurant.

Amee sat back down, and started to play with her eggs again. She waived the waitress back. “Is there a hotel nearby?” She asked.

“Depends, you paying by the hour or by the night.” The waitress gave a snide laugh.

“Whatever, is there one or not?” Amee frowned and glanced down at her eggs trying to hide her annoyance.

“When you leave go left down the road, couple blocks, The Empire’s there, looking for the pink neon.” The waitress shook her head and strolled away.

Okay so get a room, get a shower, maybe some sleep, but then what. Amee leaned back and glanced around. This crap is always so much better in games and movies. She ate another fork full of eggs. I just killed six people and I’m worried about what I’m gonna do? She was immediately distracted by the news. She looked up at the TV, she was greeted with a picture of herself. Mom why did you have to use my school picture. Her cheeks grew red.

“An Amber Alert has been released for Amee Morris. She is described as 15 years old, with blonde hair, and brown eyes. She is approximately 5 foot, 6 inches. Authorities indicate that she is the victim of a kidnapping. She was at the Saint Augustus Hospital, there were four suspected kidnappers. They are to be considered armed and dangerous. The kidnapper’s vehicle was described as a black ford cargo van. Sources say this may be related to the attempt on Senator Morris’s life in which her daughter was injured. If you have any information please contact your local authorities. When approached for comment, Senator Morris, said, Our family is praying for the safe return of Amee. Our prayers are with you too Senator. In other news…”

Amee shrunk down into her seat and pulled the beat up baseball cap out of her pocket and pulled it down low. I can’t go home, I’m too dangerous to everyone. Should have known I couldn’t be missing for long without the army being called out. She glanced around, everyone seemed to be minding their own business. She breathed a small sigh of relief.

She sat, her finger silently tapped on the table. Hotel for shelter, and shower. Get some rest, then get out of town. She pulled the money she had taken from the dead ganger. It was in a tight roll. She counted it under the table, her eyes slowly widened, as she finished the count. Almost a thousand dollars, that will get me some cloths and a good start on getting out of here. Hmm, her train of thought was broken by the scream of sirens. She glanced out the window, and watched as three police cruisers drove by towards the street where she had met the Demons. She huddled deeper into her seat, her eyes peaking underneath the open sign in the diner’s window. She watched a couple of officers get out of their cruiser, flashing lights around the area. I wish I knew what they were saying.

As if by a miracle suddenly she could hear the conversation between the officer and the dispatcher. “At the scene of the reported gunshots, seems like we had a gang fight down here, suspects are long gone, we have six bodies, better send a coroner.”

She looked up as she heard the bell on the door tingle, a couple of the police officers walked in and looked over the patronage. She lost the radio signal, but she barely noticed. She pulled her hood up casually, and took another fork full of her now cold eggs.

“Excuse me, did you hear, or see anything strange recently?” One of the officers asked the waitress.

“You ever been down her? That’s a daily occurence.” The waitress fixed her hair absently. The officer didn’t seem too pleased either with the woman’s voice either.

“Well thank you, ma’am.” He glanced at his partner, and looked at the coffee maker. “Give us a couple of coffee’s.” The waitress poured the coffee into take out cups and put them down. “How much?”

“For boys in blue, on the house.” The waitress smiled.

“Thanks.” He picked the coffee’s up and went over to his partner. The pair glanced around the diner again, but didn’t pay Amee much notice. They walked out and went back towards the crime scene.

Amee remembered to breath again as the tension that had been building oozed out of her. She glanced out the window again, and more and more police were showing up. Crap, I’m stuck in here. She nursed her coke pondering how to make good her escape.

*****

Epilogue - Chapter 16

Douglas was in his Jaguar heading towards the hospital when his cell phone rang. He reached into his jacket pocket and flipped it open. “Talk.”

“Sir, there’s been another situation.” It was Nick, Douglas gripped the steering wheel more tightly, Nick never seemed to have good news.

“You lost the girl?” Douglas kept his voice level and business like.

“Yes, sir. There was some sort of gang war where she came up from the ravine. There are six people dead, police are everywhere. Any further searches in the area would jeopardize the secrecy of the mission.” Douglas sighed, Well at least he isn’t being an idiot about it.

“Do you know if the girl was involved?” Douglas tapped the steering wheel with his finger.

“Well one of the locals claims it was a single girl who did it, but it seems unlikely, six against her, even if she can run fast and jump, one girl that size can’t take out six grown men, not like this.” Nick got quite for a moment.

“Nick, what is going on?” Douglas grew impatient.

“I’m sorry sir, apparently someone caught it on video, says it’s for sale.” Nick relayed over the line.

“Tell the man your employer will be happy to purchase it, pick somewhere secluded. Find out what he knows, and I mean everything, take the video and kill him, if she did it and she’s in police custody it’s going to make it very hard for us to get our hands on her.” Douglas was a pragmatist, protecting the girl, protected his investment.

“Yes, sir.” Nick hung up the phone. Douglas replaced his phone in his pocket.

Impressive, she managed to evade a highly trained tactical team, and possibly six armed gangers on her on. McDonald may have been right. Douglas tapped his fingers on his steering wheel.