Free Stranger King by Nadia Hutton

bit.”
    “We should get some plainclothes. We need to blend in with the rest, just in case.”
    “And because our superpowers start running out at midnight?”
    “That too, like a drug-addled Cinderella. Will it be just as before?”
    “Not quite,” Kozol admitted, “A lot of the drugs have changed your chemical makeup. We were born to run in the day, even if we haven’t for decades. Your body will adjust; the drugs just helped with the side effects.”
    “Stiar gave me ginger candies for the first few weeks,” Lena said with a sad smile, “I wish I had some of those again.”
    “You miss her.”
    “She would be better at this than me.”
    “She believed in you,” Kozol said quietly. “She picked you. I didn’t think you could … but when I saw you that first day, I could see what she saw. You are strong enough, Lena. If any of the three of us survive, it will be you.”
    “It should have been her,” Lena admitted, “She was stronger than me, tougher than me. I should have saved her, Daniel. She just died… I didn’t even know. Maybe she asked for help, maybe…”
    Lena met his glance just as the ground beneath them began to shake. They looked at each other with fear. Lena jumped to the window, struggling to see through the grey and she realized she was staring through smoke. She turned, seeing Kozol load his pack with the contents of the footlocker.
    “We need to go,” he said, “Grab what you can and meet me by where we came in.”
    “You’re going after him?”
    “I have to,” Kozol said, “But you can get away. Get out of here, head east.”
    “I’m not leaving you,” she swore.
    As the ground shook again, she shoved the last supplies into her pack. Kozol kicked open the door and preceded her down the stairs, pushing their way through those who tried to flee upward. Lena smelled the smoke first, raising her shirt around her mouth. Kozol faltered and she grabbed his hand to lead him out of the house. Others fled past them and she looked up, seeing the town of Hope ablaze.
    She tossed Kozol a weapon, putting a pistol for herself in her belt. They shuffled through the frosted mud, the icy rain pouring down on them, hissing in competition with the spreading fire, yet the flames roared on.
    Lena sniffed, smelling the odd sweetness in the air, “Propellant. This fire’s manmade.”
    “Another plague purge?” Kozol asked, his voice faltering slightly.
    “Let’s just get Calvin and get out of here,” Lena replied.
    They ran for the edge of camp. In the chaos, there was a crack of rifle fire and Lena heard a thud behind her. She turned her head, seeing Kozol lying in the frosted mud, grabbing his side as he howled. Lena kneeled beside him, pressing a hand against the blood seeping from his gunshot wound. She looked up, seeing one of the camp guards looming over them, rifle in hand.
    “What the hell are you doing?” Lena shouted.
    “This village must be cleansed,” he replied, his voice sturdy and practiced. “No one must leave to infect the others.” On his back Lena could see the round curve of a flamepack. He’d been part of the group lighting the town on fire.
    Lena nodded, as if accepting her fate. As the guard levered the bolt action of his hunting rifle, Lena reached into her holster. She whipped out her pistol and shot him straight through the chest. His body crumpled to the ground.
    She didn’t waste time, she gathered Kozol up and carried him over her shoulder as she made her way to the barbwire fence.
    She slowed as she approached, hearing the repeated pops of gunfire. She glanced around the corner of the last house and swallowed as she watched snipers pick off those who were willing to attempt the fence and rip their hands to shreds to climb over. She paused, trying to think. She looked over, seeing a disheveled Charlotte shooting back at the snipers in the tree line from the cover of a nearby shed.
    Lena called out to her and the woman turned, shaking her head at the