Men in black tactical gear stormed out of the SUVs, their boots splashing through puddles outside. Red laser dots slid across the store windows.
The cashier ducked behind the counter.
The girl froze in terror.
“Who are they?!” she cried.
The man grabbed her wrist. “If they take the baby, everyone dies.”
The words hit harder than the sound of thunder outside.
The front doors BURST open.
“DON’T MOVE!” one of the armed men shouted.
The baby started screaming.
The suited man shoved the girl toward the back hallway. “Run!”
Gunshots shattered glass behind them.
The girl sprinted through the storage room, clutching the baby against her chest while shelves crashed around them. Her breathing became ragged. The baby cried harder.
“What’s happening?!” she screamed.
The man finally answered.
“Your brother isn’t your brother.”
She stopped dead.
“What?”
The man looked at the child in her arms with fear—real fear.
“Your mother worked for a classified genetic program. Before she disappeared, she hid the only successful subject.”
The girl slowly looked down at the baby.
“No…”
“He isn’t ordinary,” the man whispered. “And they’ll kill anyone protecting him.”
Suddenly, the lights went out.
Darkness swallowed the hallway.
Heavy footsteps approached from behind.
Closer.
Closer.
Then—
A small glow appeared from the baby’s tiny hand.
The girl stared in horror as blue light spread across his skin like electricity beneath glass.
The armed men outside began screaming.
Metal twisted.
Walls shook violently.
The suited man’s face drained of color.
“Oh God…” he whispered.
The baby lifted his eyes toward the girl—
And every light in the building exploded at once.
