Free Infected: Die Like Supernovas (The Outlaw Book 2) by Alan Janney Page A

mattered to me. She was really the Outlaw’s only friend.
    I took Highway Two to Interstate Five, pushing the bike close to 100 mph. Tonight I was the Outlaw, and the Outlaw soared. I flew down Natalie’s off ramp near Chinatown, found my favorite hidden parking spot, and climbed up the wall. I didn’t analyze this superhuman feat; just went straight up and over.
    Are you home? I texted her.
    Two minutes later, >> No, but I will be soon. Why?
    Coming to visit.
    >> It’s about time! =) See you soon.
    Her rooftop was monitored. I knew that now. The Outlaw had hoodwinked thousands of people into believing he actually existed, and so they set up cameras to spy on him. Instead of climbing to her roof I hid in the shadows below, on top of the adjacent structure. I crouched down to wait. The ambient city noise filtered up to me and I smiled, enjoying it from above.
    Five minutes later my phone beeped. A new text message. From an unknown number.
    >>Hey moron what r u doin
    What on earth? Only three people knew the Outlaw’s phone number, and I didn’t recognize these digits. Had to be a mistake.
    >>Thats right Im talking 2 u
    Wrong number, I replied.
    >>im savin ur life dummy get the heck out of there
    Could this person really be trying to communicate with
me
? The Outlaw?
    >>u think carter was messin around with u? Shooter gonna burn ur ass
    Whoa! I jumped up. Whoa whoa
whoa
!! Shooter? Carter? Who is this???
    >> y r u wearing ur bike helmet instead of the mask?
    You can see me? I asked, glancing around, completely freaked out.
    >>im everywhere. now move
    Who are you????
    Just then, Natalie texted me. >> I’m coming up the elevator right now!
    Come to the roof, then walk down the fire escape , I told her.
    >>get out of there now idiot , the stranger texted me again. >>b4 natalie north gets there
    Talk to you later , I replied.
    >>wait!!! listen, stoopid!
    >>i don’t know y im even bothering but…
    >>turn your helmet speaker on
    >>pair the helmet’s bluetooth with your phone
    >>trust me
    I sighed but did as he asked. The stranger spooked me too much to ignore. I paired the bluetooth headset with my phone, so all calls would be routed to my helmet.
    Natalie North came hurrying down the stairs. There were several reasons why she made over five million dollars per movie, and one of them was her appearance. She was so pretty it hurt.
    “Hi stranger,” she smiled.
    “Hello Natalie,” I said.
    “Whoa. Your costume is different.” She hugged me and then stayed there.
    “I’m sorry I didn’t text you for two months. That’s not how a good friend acts.”
    “Let us be clear about one thing, Outlaw,” she said into my vest. “I will not fall for you again. I am over you. Well, truthfully, I’m as fascinated by you as the rest of the world, and I’m very covetous of my position as girlfriend of the superhero. But I’ve…matured in my understanding of our relationship.”
    “I understand,” I said, even though I did not. At all.
    “Just kidding, let’s make out.”
    I laughed. That was funny. And made my heart skip a beat. But no. I had Katie. No! I mean, I had a girlfriend. Not Katie. I couldn’t stop
thinking
about Katie, though. At this moment I couldn’t even remember my girlfriend’s name.
    “I was out on the town,” she said. “My publicist states that for the sake of my image and media presence I need to go out, pretend to be a
bon vivant
, frolic merrily and hang out with guys and let the whole world take photographs.”
    “Makes sense,” I said.
    “No it doesn’t. Nothing about my life makes sense. I even brought a boy home with me, just so magazines can gossip,” she said and looked up at me. “I wish you’d take off the helmet, so I can see your face. Or at least your eyes.”
    I flipped up the helmet visor so she could see my eyes and said, “You brought a boy home?”
    “He’s only a close friend. He’s gay, actually. But the tabloids don’t know,” she said and stepped back to