CHAPTER 116: AN ODD SUPERHUMAN.

The search for Alfred took the group to what was still standing of a factory that belonged to a major soft drink manufacturer. It had been built with thick concrete, and it would have been completely fine had it not been for the holes in the roof through which acid rain dripped into the building.

All of this, Major Elio could see, and he described what he was looking at. "There about one fifty people inside. It must be workers that were trapped here after meteors fell. I don’t see any guns, but it doesn’t mean they don’t have weapons. We are going to be outnumbered if we head in."

"We have guns, and we are already here so we might as well head in and take a look." Sunshine told them.

They geared up, kept steady grips on their weapons and forged forward. Their eyes were sharp as they took in their surroundings outside, worried about being ambushed by humans or mutated monsters.

Outside, every bit of carbon steel had been corroded by acid rain. Around a giant glass soda bottle that had been built outside as a decoration, mutated fungi were thriving.

"Watch out for the mushrooms." Sunshine warned the team.

Two soldiers rammed the door open, and the team entered loudly with force.

"Nobody move." Siegfried bellowed through a small microphone in his helmet.

Right from the entrance they found survivors who were just as stunned to see them. Sunshine discovered that they had formed what looked like an organized base of their own. Most children were isolated in one area, and some were sleeping in crates which once held their favorite sodas.

Her hearing was sharp, and she heard the sound of a woman teaching someone or some people about water filtration and the possibility of turning acid rain to drinkable water. Unless she had the superpower of detoxification, Sunshine was sure the woman would fail.

She could also smell herbal medicine coming from syrup tanks that once held juice concentrates.

As she analyzed this group of survivors, the rest of the team was already showing pictures of Alfred around.

A woman broke away from the nervous group of survivors and approached Sunshine. She tapped her on the shoulder and looked at her with hopeful eyes. "Are you soldiers sent by the government to help us?"

Sunshine shook her head.

The woman turned to the others and shook her head. The entire group wilted as they realized that they were still stuck, with no hope.

She turned back to Sunshine and said, "We don’t want trouble, and we don’t have much here. If you want soft drinks and bread, we have plenty although the bread is about to go bad. We don’t have enough water, and we have children here. Please spare the water at least."

Sunshine removed her helmet and smiled warmly at the woman. "Don’t worry, we are not here for your supplies. We are searching for this person; do you happen to have seen him anywhere?"

The woman looked at the picture and shook her head. "No. We are all former workers of the factory, and no strangers have come by. The one you are seeking is not here."

Sunshine sighed. "Thank you. How many children do you have here?"

"Nineteen." The woman told her. "The factory used to provide daycare for working mothers." Her eyes grew watery. "The women whose children were here are the lucky ones. The rest of us don’t know what happened to our families. What is happening outside?"

"Acid rain, animals that mutated....nothing good." Sunshine told her.

She radioed O’Toole and asked him to bring in some grain and a few supplies. Sunshine was doing it for the children. Daycare meant toddlers and babies.

While the supplies were being brought inside on carts, Sunshine told the woman. "This will keep all of you going until the rain stops. When it is over, you have just nine days to find your family and get to a high place or stay indoors somewhere warm.

Winter is coming and it is the kind that will freeze those that are found outside. This place is capable of protecting all of you. Perhaps you should organize it even more and turn it into your base."

The residents in the factory were full of appreciation for the team’s help. Most believed that the soldiers had been sent by the government. The team left the factory as soon as some people started asking to go with them

They continued on to a mini mall that was just thirty minutes ahead of the factory.

"You didn’t give the family in the villa’s any food, but you gave it to these ones. How do you know which people to help?" Nimo asked Sunshine.

"They organized themselves, are researching how to survive and they offered us some of their drinks. Also, one of the babies smiled at me." Sunshine laughed.

Nimo scoffed. "Since when are you a sucker for toothless smiles and milk smells?"

"Hey, I like babies." Sunshine defended herself with a whine in her voice.

Major Elio’s interrupted their conversation. "The mall is ahead, and acid rain has eaten away at most of it. It looks like a section is still standing and there are people inside. Maybe forty of fifty. I also see a few weapons on some of the people that I am guessing were the security guards of the mall."

They approached the mall cautiously, keeping to the shadows of collapsed eroding sign boards and overturned carts. The entry way was barricaded with scorched parts of vending machines.

The guards, young and jittery wore makeshift armor made of pots and pans. They had hurried to the barricade when they heard the sound of the vehicles.

One of the guards held his gun out with trembling hands. "Stop right there! Who are you? How do you have cars that are moving in the acid rain?"

"We are military," Sunshine lied calmly, hand on her own dragonoid gun. "We are not here to hurt anyone, just looking for someone."

The guards hesitated. The second one slightly older, whispered something to the first. A moment passed and then_ "Do you want to come in and talk to Cain?" The younger one asked.

"Cain?" Nimo asked, exchanging a glance with Sunshine.

Sunshine did not hesitate and she lied again. "Oh yes, we have come looking for Cain."

They were led inside the empty mall, passing past shops that were now ghosted with shattered mirrors and fallen dummies. They were taken to what used to be a fancy restaurant once but now a stinking shadow of its former self.

"That is Cain." The younger guard pointed to a man that was standing on a table and barking orders at a group of men.

He was not what the group was expecting to see. He was very short, muscular and shirtless, his skin covered in pale blue pulsing veins.

"Well, he is odd." Nimo mumbled.

"Very." Sunshine replied. "Superhuman."

The group Cain was barking at pointed the way of Sunshine’s group and Cain turned to them. He jumped down from the table and walked towards them.

Five men with weapons flanked him, moving in perfect synchronicity like robots.

When he turned to Sunshine’s squad, Cain smiled. "It is damn time someone came to our rescue. I haven’t been paying my taxes in vain after all."

"Not so fast, we still have questions?" Sunshine Siegfried stopped Cain.

"We are looking for someone." Nimo said firmly, flashing Alfred’s picture. "He is tall with a burn scar on his right hand, have you seen him?" She asked politely.

Cain stroked his chin, with a scent that reeked of exploitation and a hungry smile. "Hmm let-me-see." He took a closer look at the photo. "Maybe I have seen him, maybe not. It depends on what you have to offer."