by Dawn, M. K.
“I’m in,” Shifter said. “I can’t stand waiting around.”
“If Shifter is going, I think the two of you should stay here,” Axel addressed Mac and Gus.
Mac yawned. “I wasn’t planning on volunteering. Suicide ain’t my thing.”
“We’re not planning on dying out there.” Shifter puffed out his chest.
“No one ever does.” Mac’s face softened. “Gus and I will stay here, keep an eye on the girls. Maybe they can convince the crazy lady to let us stay.”
“Guess we have a plan.” Axel’s insides turned. “Okay. Let’s get some rest.” He checked his watch. “Only have a few hours before we head out.”
They climbed back into the SUV. It didn’t take but a few minutes before everyone was out. Everyone but Axel. He had silently volunteered to keep the first and only watch. With the windows busted out, they were exposed in the worst kind of way.
If all went well tomorrow, they’d come back with a shitload of supplies and hopefully convince Britney they were worth keeping around.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Britney woke early the next morning to the sound of tires against gravel. She popped off the couch and rushed to the window.
They were leaving, thank God. Axel seemed like a nice guy from the few encounters she’d had with him, but that didn’t mean she’d just automatically allow them to stay on her farm. Now that it was just her and the kids, there was no such thing as being too cautious.
The sight of them leaving relieved her and made her tense all in the same breath.
“Mommy?” Molly called out.
Britney jumped and turned around to find all three kids standing behind her. How long had they been there?
Carson moved closer to the window. “Was someone here?”
“No,” Britney said too quickly.
“You’re lying,” Carson spat. “I saw a white car driving away.”
“Fine.” She couldn’t continue to lie to them when they had already spotted the truth. “Yes, a few people showed up, but I sent them away.”
“You’re still lying!” Blake shouted.
Britney bent down so they were face-to-face. “That’s not nice, and I’m not lyin’. They showed up last night, and I told them they had to leave.”
Blake pointed out the window. “I can see four people out there!”
“What?” Britney popped up and her jaw dropped. “Why are they still here?”
“They look weird.” Molly cocked her head. “Who are they?”
Carson leaned against the window. “They look like those bikers!”
Britney grabbed her shotgun. “Stay inside. I need to go talk to them.”
“Mommy?” Molly whimpered.
“Stay here.” She slammed the door behind her and marched over to where the four stood huddled underneath the tree. “I thought I told you to get off my property!”
“Hold your horses.” The African American woman with braids down to her waist held up her hands in defense. “We had nowhere else to go.”
“Nowhere else to go?” Britney bordered on hysterics. “How about anywhere else but here? Each town, whichever direction you go, has a hotel. What’s wrong with one of those?”
The large and intimidating African American man gawked. “I can’t tell if you’re being serious.”
Britney raised the shotgun. “I’m serious.”
“Listen.” An older man with a black beard stepped forward. “I think we got off on the wrong foot here. I’m Gus. This is Mac, Angie and the woman who’s kept her mouth shut is Rainey.”
Britney didn’t reply.
“And you’re Britney, right?” Gus continued, not bothered by her silence.
“Yes.” She gave each of them a once-over. “Now answer my question. Why here?”
Rainey moved in front of the group. “The town—your town—it’s gone.”
“What do you mean, gone?” Sweat dampened her hands.
“Those things—Axel calls them the infected—they’ve taken over.” Gus yawned.
Britney lowered the gun. Even though Axel had told her the same thing last night, she still had a hard time believing it. “That’s impossible. We were just in town yesterday mornin’.”
“Hey.” Gus lowered himself to the ground and leaned against the trunk of the tree. “I’m not saying everyone is dead, or has turned into one of those things. I’m just saying, when we left, there wasn’t a live person in sight.”
Britney’s body trembled. “This can’t be happenin’.”
Mac glanced over Britney’s shoulder and smiled. “Looks like we have company.”
Britney whirled around and glared at all three kids running toward them. “I told you to stay in the house!”
“But—” Molly started, but Carson silenced her with a hand across her mouth.
“Let me. You don’t know how to say it right.” She’d never seen Carson so adult-like. “The electricity went out.”
“What?” Britney peered back at the house. “Are you sure?”
Molly stepped forward. “The TV won’t turn on.”
“And there’s no internet,” Blake added.
Britney sighed. “That doesn’t mean the electricity is out.”
“Mom.” Carson rolled his eyes. “The lights won’t turn on either. And the microwave isn’t working.”
She threw back her head and groaned. “Go back inside. I’ll be right in.”
They didn’t move.
Carson pointed to Gus. “Hey, aren’t you those bikers? Axel’s friends?”
Britney couldn’t believe Carson remembered his name.
“That’s right, kid.”
Blake spun around. “Where’s your bike?”
Gus’s eyes met Britney’s. “You better do what your mama said. Head back inside and maybe, if your mama says it's okay, we can talk bikes later.”
Carson threw back his shoulders. “That would awesome. I mean, I would like that very much. Come on.” He placed a hand on each of Molly’s and Blake’s shoulders. “Let’s go inside. I’ll get you both a bowl of cereal.”
“Those are some kids you have there.” Mac’s face lit up. “That older one taking care of the younger ones, that's real mature.”
Britney spun back around. “Please leave my children out of this.”
Mac’s eyes widened. “You think we want to hurt your children?”
“I don’t know what to think,” Britney snapped. “I don’t know you.”
Mac puffed up his chest. “I’m the proud father of two girls—eighteen and twenty-one—both in college and getting straight As.”
Gus patted Mac on the shoulder. “I have five grandchildren.”
“I’m a former elementary school teacher,” Rainey said. “Taught for fifteen years until my daddy passed away. I left teaching to run his motorcycle shop.”
Angie squeezed Rainey’s hand. “I have no kids, but I ran the youth group at my church. Loved those kids like my own.”
Britney didn’t expect these bikers with their many tattoos and leather vests to be so… family oriented.
“Then why are you here?” She couldn’t help herself. They still hadn’t explained how they ended up on her farm. “Why not go home?”
Mac clenched his jaw. “You think we want to be here? That we haven’t been trying for days to contact our families?”
Britney’s heart contracted. “You can’t get a hold of them?”
Rainey sniffled and turned away. “Not a single one answered.”
“Don’t mean nothing.” Angie pulled Rainey into a tight hug. “Just means the phone lines are down.”
“The roads have gone to shit,” Gus explained. “Abandoned cars everywhere. Stores, gas stations, all closed. Those things—the infected—coming out of nowhere. It’s not safe.”
“But Axel and the two others, they left, didn’t they?”
“They went into town to get supplies,” Mac said. “For you.”
“For me?” Britney huffed. “Wh
y would they do that?”
Angie released Rainey. “We thought that, after your reaction to us showing up unannounced last night, maybe coming here empty-handed wasn’t the smartest idea. And that maybe if we had something to offer, you’d let us stay.”
Britney rubbed at her eyes. “That is the stupidest damn thing I’ve ever heard. If things are as bad as you say they are—”
“Probably worse,” Mac interrupted.
“What a fuckin’ idiot,” she mumbled and then headed back toward the house. “Goin, to get himself killed.”
Before she got too far, she paused and turned back around to face four confused bikers. Damn her mother’s southern hospitality she’d instilled in them growing up. “I’m going to make some coffee and then some breakfast if anyone is interested.”
“Um”—Angie cocked her head—“I thought the kid said the electricity was out?”
“I have an old-ass gas stove, one I’ve tried talkin’ my husband into gettin’ rid of for years. But if it still works, why get rid of it?”
Gus moved closer to her with a fatherly expression tugging at his eyes. “My dear, I have to ask, not only for our safety but that of your children. Is your husband sick? Is that why we haven’t seen him?”
Britney knew the question would come up again. “He was sick and turned into one of those things. I did what I had to do to protect my children. Don’t go in the big barn. I’ve locked the door, but he’s already come back once.”
She left them standing there with their mouths hung open and headed inside. Maybe now they believed her when she said she’d do anything to protect her family.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Axel didn’t bother masking the yawn tugging at his lips. He’d spent the entire night awake and on guard, afraid of what might happen if he closed his eyes for even a second.
Every time the dogs barked or the leaves rustled, he’d readied his gun and prepared for the worst.
He had no idea how smart the infected were or what kind of fences surrounded Britney’s property. From what he could tell when they drove up, the fencing couldn’t keep a deer out.
“So, do we have a shopping list?” Shifter kept a close eye on the road as he drove toward town. “Or is it just a free-for-all?”
His training in the military had taught him more than just basic survival skills. In his twenties, if asked the same question, he could have rattled off a hundred different items and how many they’d need of each one per person, per day. But the fog clouding Axel’s brain made it difficult to think in the moment.
“Maybe they have one of those survival guidebooks,” Gunner suggested. “You know the ones: ‘how to use household items in case of the end of the world.’”
“I hadn’t thought of that.” Axel considered the idea for a minute. “Maybe other books might be useful as well. Family medical guides, stuff like that.”
“Books aren’t going to keep us alive.” Shifter never minced words and always said what was on his mind. Most of the time Axel didn’t mind, but in times like this, he wished the man would keep his opinions to himself.
“Keep your eyes peeled,” Axel changed the subject. “We’re coming into town. And maybe keep the noise to a minimum. Their eyesight might be shit, but their hearing more than makes up for it.”
Shifter slowed the SUV. “Fuck. Looks like a damn tornado went through here.”
“Yeah.” Axel stared out the window as Shifter maneuvered around the abandoned vehicles and other crap that lay scattered in the road. “What the hell happened here?”
Gunner leaned in from the back seat. “A whole bunch of people lost their damn minds.”
Axel gave him a once-over. “After the gas station, where did you all go?”
“Back to the hotel to regroup,” Gunner said. “The ones who left didn’t stick around for more than an hour. The rest of us just hung out in our hotel rooms. We wanted to make sure you got out all right. We were about to walk over to the bar for dinner and saw people running around screaming and being chased. Gus decided to head over to the police station to check on you, and we followed.”
Axel wanted to hug him. “Glad you did.” Without them he would still be stuck in that cell, or worse.
“Back it up to the front?” Shifter pulled into the parking lot of the general store.
“Might as well.” Axel kept a close eye on their surroundings. “Not like anyone’s going to arrest us for breaking in.”
“Nah,” Gunner gaffed. “Probably more like shoot first, ask questions later.”
Axel reached for the handle of the passenger door but paused when neither Shifter nor Gunner attempted to get out. “What’s wrong?” Hadn’t they just discussed getting in and out as quickly as possible? “Do you see something?”
“That’s the problem,” Shifter said. “I don’t see anything. There’s nobody roaming the streets or driving around or trying to flag us down for help. There aren’t even any dead bodies.”
Gunner sucked in a sharp breath. “You want to see dead bodies?”
Shifter looked at him from over his shoulder. “Better than the alternative. Dead bodies mean not everyone has turned into one of those monsters. No dead bodies, lots more monsters.”
Axel’s stomach rolled. “All the more reason to get the shit we need and get out.”
“Which we still haven’t decided on.” Shifter tapped his thumb against the steering wheel. They could probably use nearly everything in this store, but no way the back of the SUV would hold that much. Essentials would have to do for now.
“Nonperishable food items and water. Batteries, all sizes. Flashlights and matches. Anything for camping. Medical supplies.” Axel leaned closer, trying to get a better look inside. “Whatever you can grab and fit in here.”
“What if…?” Gunner’s voice trailed off.
Axel knew exactly where Gunner’s train of thought was headed. “First we need to scope the place out, make sure none of the infected are inside. Then we check all the exits. Once we’re certain the place is secure, we start loading the SUV.”
“Let's get this over with.” Shifter hit the button to unlock the doors. “Jesus, I hope we don’t have to break down the front door.”
Axel climbed out of the SUV and scanned the area. “Whatever we have to do, we do it quietly.”
Gunner moved close to his side. “God, I hate this.”
Axel patted him on the back. “So do I. Once inside, we’ll be less at risk.”
“Well, lookie there.” Shifter opened the front door. “Looks like lady luck is on our side.”
Axel followed him inside, gun held in front of him, ready for whatever waited. “I wouldn’t go that far.”
Gunner stayed close behind, keeping his eyes toward the outside. “See anything?”
“Nope.” Axel broke from the group and headed right. “I’ll take these aisles. Shifter, take the left. Gunner, you got the door?”
“Yep.”
Aisle by aisle they searched the small store, then circled back to the front.
“Well?” Gunner asked.
Axel lowered his gun. “Good news is there’s no infected.”
Gunner lifted a brow. “And the bad news?”
Shifter pulled a handkerchief from his back pocket and wiped the sweat off his forehead. “Someone’s already been here.”
“Fuck,” Gunner groaned. “What’d they get?”
“A shit ton.” Shifter tugged at his beard. “There ain’t a whole hell of a lot left, unless Axel’s side looks any different.”
“I saw a few things.” Meaning two boxes of rice and some toilet paper. “Guess we should gather up everything we can and—”
“What about the back?” Gunner interrupted.
It took a second for Axel to realize where he was going with this. “You mean like a storage room?”
A smile tugged the corner of Shifter’s mouth. “That’s a damn fine idea. They got to keep extra stuff somewhere to restock.”
Axel wasn�
��t as excited as the other two. Whoever had raided the place knew what they were doing. Chances were good they’d hit up the back as well. “I saw an ‘employee’s only’ door. It’s locked, so I didn’t check it out.”
Shifter lifted his ax. “I think we can take care of that.”
“Maybe we can find a key, try not to draw any attention to ourselves?” Metal hitting against metal would make a hell of a lot of noise.
“Maybe I can use the axe to pry it open, not hit it.” Shifter headed toward the back.
“You want to stay here, keep an eye out?” Axel asked Gunner.
“Yep.” Gunner returned to his previous position. “Yell if you need help.”
“Thanks.” Axel jogged to the back and found Shifter. “Any luck?”
Shifter stepped aside. “I can wedge the blade between the door and frame. If I tug on the handle a little”—Shifter pulled on the ax—“the door should just pop open.”
Axel watched in silence as Shifter tried his hardest to pry open the door. “Must be one hell of a lock.”
“Screw this.” Shifter yanked the axe out of the doorframe. “Let’s just bust this open so we can get the hell out of here.”
“I don’t know if that’s such—”
Shifter slammed the butt of the axe into the door handle, knocking it loose. “Now we’re getting somewhere.”
“Wait a minute, man.” Axel moved closer. He could have sworn he heard something. “We don’t know what’s behind that door or why they kept it locked.”
“They locked it “because they didn’t want anybody taking what’s in there.” Shifter hit the handle again.
Axel readied his gun. Shifter was a hardheaded son of a bitch. Nothing Axel said would get him to stop trying to break open the door. Being ready for whatever waited on the other side was his only option.
“One more hard hit and we’re in.”
Axel took a step back to give him some room. “Maybe don’t kick the door in until we know what we’re dealing with.”
The clang of the metal handle hitting the floor reverberated in Axel’s ears. The door swung on its hinges for a moment, then stilled.
Shifter dropped the axe to his side. “See. Nothing. Feel better?”
