Chapter two

The Parking garage at the Mall was still kind of quiet after noon movies were not as popular since most kids were still in school and most parents at work. Jess parked his black Trans Am on the top floor, as it was always the last place most people would park and he didn't want it to get scratched up. 

"You do realize it will be a hundred degrees inside this thing when we get out of the movie." Brennan moaned as he unfolded himself from the classic car and assisted Shalimar out of the back seats

"Hey sometimes you gotta make choices I choose to protect my car." He objected.

"Even if it means parboiling your friends when they try to get in it afterwards." Emma added. 

"This is why I love my bike" Shalimar interrupted, as they headed down the stairwell of the complex "no parking problems."

"Hey people pay big bucks to local Gyms for use of the saunas. " Jess, defended "I don't charge you a thing."

Before anyone could say anything could say a word a child maybe 7 or 8 years of age ran through them nearly knocking Emma off the steps. Jesse grabs the kid only to find himself kicked in the shin by another kid who seemed to come out of nowhere.

"Hey, what the… ouch" he yelp quickly releasing the child in protection of his shin. The kid looked past him then turned to run, but before anyone knew what happen a team of black clad men and women came out of the elevator and up the stairwell.

You could tell that neither side had expected this run-in but luckily Brennan didn't wait for introductions he zapped the two men on the stair well watching them fall back into a field of more agents attempting to make their way up the stairs.

"Let the games begin." Shalimar shouted as she and Jesse headed for the elevator and Emma took off after the two kids.

Agents seem to come out of the woodwork. No sooner did one go down two more come up to fight.  Shalimar seemed to truly be enjoying herself no sooner did she deftly slam her foot in one mans face than she'd pounce on another.  Jesse blocked punch after punch then would retaliate with a series of kicks.  There seem to be no end to these guys and gals At one point Jesse found himself surrounded by women which he noted might have been a good thing if they were not all sporting stun clubs and really nasty smiles. Before he met Shalimar he really hated to hit women, but you can only take so many beatings before it just becomes a mater of self-defense. Jesse just smiled as all three of them swung at him at once, so he phased. He felt the electricity slide through him club and all it tickled when two of them made contact and zapped them selves the third was so caught off guard that she never saw him solidify and hit her in the nose.

Emma fallowed the two children but when she reached where they had gone she could only find one. It was the little girl with eyes as dark as night that nearly ran her off the stairs but something was different about this child.

 "Its ok " she whispered, "I promise I wont hurt you."

She tried to read the little girl but there was a wall up. a wall as solid as Jesse when he would 'mass'. This child was some form of psionic she surmised a powerful psionic for someone her age, which would make sense considering the amount of people were after her. She suddenly sensed another presence quickly turning to find a large man swinging at her. She quickly ducked and grabbed the little girl who struggled against her grip as she ran them both into dark corner. The man came around the corner, and despite the fact he was looking right at them he didn't seem to see them. The man stumbled after them, the woman was of no use to him but his boss would not be happy if he lost that child a second time. He was so busy looking under cars and in garbage cans he never saw Emma and the little girl walk past him.

The fight on his side of the garage seem to be thinning out" Brennan thought as he looked around at the others Sometime during the battle he had presents of mind to contact Adam.

"Shal, Adams on his way. find Emma and kids and 'lets get the hell out of Dodge!'"  He glanced over the ledge to see if they had attracted too much attention. There were a few cars lined on the side of the garage tower but it was still relatively early and not a lot of mall rats yet mostly employees and a few elderly. He then looked up in hope that he would sense the double helix with a moment of vertigo than a flash of de`javu he suddenly felt really uncomfortable in his skin and was ready to go home.  Jesse nearly scared the crap out of him when he came up from behind.

"Bren." Jesse announced "let's head to the roof Adam can meet us there and I will take the car home."

Brennan just gave a quick nod when he heard Shalimar scream out  "Jesse your six!"

Instinctively Jesse turned and phased allowing the club and the man to pass right through him but he had forgotten that Brennan was behind him. Bren saw the club coming at him but it happen so fast he was unable to move the volt sent waves of pain through him as he fell backwards. The sky seemed to open up and swallow him and he thought he heard someone screaming his name, then his world exploded as darkness seem to envelope him. Shalamar was able to take down the very large man who came up behind Jesse and Bren but it was too late. The impact of the club hitting Bren was so powerful it sent him up and over the ledge she heard Emma scream as Brennan fell from view.  As if in slow motion she ran to the edge knowing that there was nothing she could do but watch as his body impacted with one of the cars below.