Average Joe and the Extraordinaires Read Online Free PDF Page A

One that ensured that he wouldn’t even get a
proper burial.
    Joe:
“Dang it!  I don't want to be here…”
    He
continued to press on through his fears and attempted to open any door that he
saw.  None would open.  He looked back and saw that he’d tried at least ten
doors so far.  His stomach sank again.  He thought about how he had touched all
the doors and how his sweat-stained hands had left very noticeable fingerprints
on each and every one of the perfectly polished handles.
    Then he
heard footsteps growing louder and that brought him to attention.  They came
from the front of him, at the end of the hall.  When he looked forward he saw
no one, but the person was getting closer, and with all the doors around him
likely locked he was trapped.  He backpedaled to the previous hallway.  He
wanted to run, but figured that if he could hear whomever’s footsteps as clear
as he could, they would hear the pitter-patter of his running just as well, so
he walked as fast as he could.  He looked back to see if whoever owned those
footsteps had caught him, but saw no one at the end of the hall.  He reached
his end and looked back one more time before turning the corner and suddenly feeling
all the air being crushed from his throat.
    He now couldn’t
see anything but the ceiling, his body flailing against the pressure of a man
far bigger than himself.  What little air he had was nearly gone and his eyes
started to water.  His hands could only yank at the ears of his attacker.  He
was on the verge of giving up when he felt the hands around his neck slacken
and his body fall to the ground.  About two seconds later the body of his
attacker fell next to his.  It was a woman, a huge one, in a uniform with the
word “W-Sec” on it.
    He
struggled to find his lost strength, and looked up. To his surprise, it was
Dahlila’s face. The light above her made it hard to tell.  He slowly stood, and
was even more surprised by what was behind her back.
     

 
    Chapter
6
    Stranger
Danger
     
    Joe
struggled to breathe, and began to cough loudly.
    Joe: “Is
that what we came here for?”
    Dahlila:
“Shutup with all that coughing.  This is not a what, but a ‘she,’ if you hadn’t
noticed. She has a name.  Now come on, we need to get the hell out of here.”
    The air
of the place felt different.  It felt livelier.  He looked down at the little
girl that held Dahlila’s hand ever so gently.  She couldn’t have been any older
than nine; he guessed seven.  Joe had never seen a little girl with as little
hair as she had, or one quite as dark as her.  He couldn’t help but think that
he had misheard Dahlila when she had called the little one a “she.”  After
studying her features, he was convinced of her femininity however.  She looked
calm despite her surroundings, and simply looked at him as if unaware of how
much danger they were in.  Why is she so dang calm? he wondered.  The
little girl looked right at him as if he were talking right to her.
    Joe: “Who
is she?”
    Dahlila:
“Her name’s Melissa.  Melissa, this is Joe.”
    The
little girl knelt down and relieved the unconscious guard of her flashlight.
    Joe: “And
why is she down here?”
    Melissa:
“Because my daddy’s a very important man.”
    She gave
him a reassuring smile, reached out and gently grabbed his trembling hand.  Joe
pulled his hand away from the little girl.  He was too embarrassed to show her
how scared he was.
    Melissa:
“It’s okay to be scared a little, Joe, we all are.  Especially me, since I’m
just a little girl.  But we all have to be smart and work together to get out
of here.”
    Joe was
flabbergasted by the wisdom of that.  If she can be brave, then so can I ,
he thought.
    Dahlila:
“Let’s go, guys.  I’m going back to the stairs.”
    Melissa:
“Bad idea.  They already know you’re here.  There’s another way up.  A safer
way.”
    Dahlila:
“Sounds good.  Lead on, lil’ sister.”
    Joe:
“She’s your