THIRTY-EIGHT

Hank scrambled out of the car. He was afraid the pieces of the crashed helicopter had damaged the car so much it might blow up.

Katie’s mom and dad came running after him.

“Where are you going?” Marjorie yelled.

“I’m out of here before the car blows up,” Hank said, running towards a bookstore across the street.

Marjorie showed how fit she was, now running next to Hank. “Cars don’t blow up as easily as in the movies.”

“I didn’t want to test that. Let’s get in that bookstore for cover.”

Marjorie pointed to the crashed helicopter. “Shouldn’t we try to help the guys in the helicopter?”

“I don’t think anyone could have survived that,” Katie’s dad, having caught up with them. “And we can’t get to that helicopter unharmed if those bastards start firing at us.”

“It feels wrong,” Marjorie said. “I wish I was as indestructible as Invulnergirl.”

Hank had opened the door of the bookstore. “Quickly, come inside!”

Katie’s mom and dad joined him inside the bookstore. There were three people already in there. An older, gray man, a younger black woman and a middle-aged man with a tweed jacket and a moustache.

The man with the moustache said, “Are you folks okay? I heard a loud explosion.”

“That was a crashing helicopter you heard. But we are fine,” Marjorie said. “Can we hide here until those gunmen leave?”

“Of course. You can stay in my store as long as you want. What a crazy situation. Luckily those creeps are only interested in expensive gadgets and jewelry, not in books so they seem to be happy to leave my store alone,” the man said.

“I haven’t seen that much fire and explosions since my time in Korea,” the old man said. “Brings up some damn bad memories.”

“But how long do we have to stay here? I’m starting to get hungry,” the black woman said.

“Maybe we can quickly head over to the grocery store that’s just around the corner,” the storeowner suggested.

“I’d be willing to make a quick run over there,” Hank said. “I’m hoping they won’t be paying much attention to one young man. I’ll just wait until they don’t seem to be focusing on this street and make a run for it.

“I’m pretty fast. I can do it as well,” Marjorie offered.

“I’m still in trouble for that gun thing, my dad died… I have less to lose then you do. I’ll risk it,” Hank said.

“I’m an old man, I have less years to go then you do. I can make the run,” the old man offered.

“That’s really brave,” Hank said. “But I’m quicker. I’ll go.”

He had a look through the window. He could see three of The Red Raider’s men patrol the street. They walked to the helicopter. They searched it, dragged out dead bodies and took the weapons the deceased F.S.H.R. were wearing.

One of the henchmen turned around. He looked Hank straight in the eye. He walked to the store.

Fear gripped Hank’s heart. “Oh no!”