Free Stone Soldiers 1: Mythical by C. E. Martin

contact.”
    “10-4, Dispatch.” Lee responded. “532, 10-8.”
    Feds. They always did things so differently.
    ***
     
    In the busy mall, Mark had surprisingly blended in, drawing only occasional glances. Josie got far more attention, in her leather jacket, short-shorts and sandals.
    Josie knew the mall layout well. She led Mark and Jimmy directly to a men’s Big & Tall clothing store.
    “What size are you?” Josie asked Mark.
    “I don’t remember,” Mark replied. He did remember he hated shopping.
    Josie took a short sleeve shirt down off a rack and held it up to Mark.
    “I think this 3X Tall looks about right,” she said.
    Jimmy felt awkward, standing around with nothing to do. He too hated shopping- something Josie was always making him do. Two of his least favorite things, Mark and the mall, combined in one trip. Great.
    Mark felt at the thin fabric of the shirt. It was silky and delicate feeling.
    “I prefer cotton,” Mark said unhappily.
    “Okay,” Josie said, putting the shirt back. This was going to be difficult.
    Josie suddenly had an idea. If Mark was really born in 1928, he would probably dress like her grandpa. She swiftly went around the store, picking out several shirts, some pants and finally a pair of white tennis shoes. Not that her grandpa would wear sneakers. But it turned out those were the only shoes large enough for Mark. It seemed he wore a size fourteen. Wide.
    Mark went into a dressing room to try on the clothes Josie had selected.
    Once more, Jimmy wanted to question what they were doing. He stood close to Josie while they waited outside the dressing rooms.
    “Josie, we need to really rethink this,” Jimmy said.
    “Rethink what?” Josie asked. Jimmy wasn’t exactly the best shopper- surely he wasn’t talking about her choice of clothes.
    “Helping this guy,” Jimmy explained. “Did you see what he did to those rednecks?”
    Josie sighed. Jimmy was at it again. “He was protecting me.”
    “I think he has anger issues,” Jimmy suggested. It was all he could come up with. Even he thought it was weak. Those two idiots had definitely deserved the thrashing they got.
    “Why are you so against helping him?” Josie asked.
    Jimmy briefly considered telling Josie how he felt about her. But he just couldn’t do it. “I just don't want to see you get hurt.”
    Josie missed the meaning of Jimmy’s statement. “He's fine. Really.”
    “I think you like him,” Jimmy said, spelling it out for her. Oh, did he hope he was wrong.
    Josie was taken aback by Jimmy’s accusation. “That is so gross! He’s old enough to be my dad!”
    Josie felt her cheeks flushing in embarrassment. She had to admit Mark was attractive. But that was not why she was helping him.
    “I think you mean your great grand-dad,” Jimmy corrected.
    “I trust him, Jimmy,” Josie explained. “I can't explain it, but I feel perfectly safe around him.
    “He's not going to hurt us.”
    “Great. You do like him,” Jimmy said. He felt sick to his stomach. How could he compete with a super hero?
    Before Josie could respond, Mark stepped out of the dressing room.
    Josie had picked him out a dark green, cotton, polo shirt and tan cargo-pocket pants. He’d selected his own underwear and socks, and Josie wondered if he’d chosen boxers or briefs. The new clothes were a great improvement.
    “Feel better now?” Josie asked.
    Mark looked down at his clothes and shifted his weight back and forth in the tennis shoes. They were leather, with air soles and arch supports. Nothing like the canvas high tops he’d worn in the ‘50s.
    “I’d prefer boots,” Mark said.
    Mark’s old pants were folded up and put in a bag, and Josie picked him out an extra pair of pants and two more shirts. She made him go get an extra couple of pairs of socks and underwear, pointing out he didn’t know how long it’d be before his memory recovered and could go home. Wherever that might be.
    The trio took all of the clothes to the front