by Walker, Jack
“I was just thinking that our little group has two leaders now, myself and you, Dawson.” he said quietly, looking at each of them in turn. “What do you think Phil?”
“Well I reckon so far you have been pretty good, but a little bit impulsive in my opinion. You need to think more before you just react,” he stated plainly. “For all of that you have a pretty sweet spot next door with all that water as a start.” Phil said slowly, rubbing his stubble.
“Phil is right Simon; we need to strategize better before we react to the next crisis. We need to look for better weapons. I have an idea that we could possibly go down the street to the gun shop; break in and get some firepower.” said Dawson, “I will gladly help with my military background to get us outfitted with decent firearms. It will be a far better bet than using machetes, baseball bats and other odds and ends.”
“Dawson, I think you are absolutely correct. I reckon we need to go and have a look at that gun shop. Now taking into consideration what all of you just mentioned; we need to make a plan of attack.” he said simply. “We can use your experience, as you are ex-military. Do you have any ideas of how we can get into the gun shop?”
“I do Simon, that I do.” Dawson chuckled. “My lock picks will come in handy for opening the door. Then we can ‘shop’ for some hardware.”
“Lock picks? What the hell do you have lock picks for?” asked Simon incredulously.
“Well as a security specialist I sometimes need to B+E, to access files and other things.” she stated matter-of-factly. “Right now, we need to think how we can approach the building carefully to avoid being spotted and not draw attention to ourselves.”
They all looked at her as she laid out her plan. They would try approach from the alleyway next to the building, but would need to possibly get into the alley at dusk. That way they could be pretty quiet. They all agreed that it was a pretty good plan and would head back to the coffee shop for now. They looked around inside the shop, and gathered up a few materials, after gathering tools that they found in a toolbox. They made their way back to the shop, taking the supplies back with them. Ella was introduced to the rest of the group back at the shop, and was welcomed by nearly everyone. The only person who did not exactly smile was Judith, when Ella was introduced to her. Judith had obviously already found a soft spot for Simon, and she was disgusted by the fawning of Ella over Simon. Ella had not strayed far from Simon’s side since arriving in the coffee shop. Judith had given her the cold shoulder, not wanting to speak to the new ‘girl’ even though she was so much younger than Simon. The green-eyed monster was rearing its ugly head in their presence. Simon had noticed this shift in the group dynamic, and was worried that this could cause friction in their group. He wanted to get together with the two girls, and get them to thrash it out with them as he did not want to have them bitching at each other. He liked Judith, and was pretty sure that Ella had a massive crush on him due to the rescue earlier. Shaking his head he sighed and looked at how they had moved to opposite sides of the coffee shop. He vowed they would have a talk about the dynamics of the group before they headed out to the gun shop.
Chapter Six
They busied themselves the rest of the day trying to use what little they had scavenged from the shop next door to create a safer haven in the coffee shop. Most people had helped, with a few that grumbled and did not want to help. Once that task had been completed, they relaxed; had a bite to eat to build up their strength a little, Simon grabbed the opportunity to gather everyone and discuss their next step as to them securing themselves from further attacks from the infected. He walked around the shop, checking that everything was in place, and if there was somebody trying to break in; it would be more difficult to actually make any egress into the shop. It looked more like a fort now that they had fortified the doors and windows in the shop. Simon felt reasonably secure now that they had completed the task of securing the shop. The next thing on his agenda was to get the girls together and sort out the simmering animosity that was bubbling between them. He walked over to Judith first, and spoke to her softly, noting how Ella watched him the whole time. Judith nodded and agreed to try and have a discussion with Ella about the situation they found themselves in. Ella was not exactly welcoming when Simon and Judith walked over. Her demeanour was chilly, she did not want to really get involved but Simon gave her no option.
Finally they managed to work out a solution, but they were still not exactly friends. Judith and Ella still eyed each other suspiciously and avoided each other as much as possible, but Simon had explained that as much as he liked both of them that he could not get involved with Ella as she was still a teenager; and she started sulking then. Judith did not help much by smiling then, and Simon glared at her. Her look immediately said it all, that she was embarrassed that she would react so childishly. Ella started to cry and Simon had to try to get them to sort it out between them. Simon knew that Judith was interested in him as she was closer to his age; and that her making it a bit more obvious in front of Ella was a little embarrassing, but finally Simon had said that they would sort out this little debacle later, once they had managed to get their situation they found themselves in under control. Simon was just worried that Ella might not be able to let it go without causing more emotional damage. Simon sighed, looking over at the two of them as they reluctantly worked together serving food to everyone in the shop. They were still not quite comfortable working together, but were at least making an effort to try being civil to each other. Grudgingly he admitted that they might actually be able to sort out this minor debacle that could potentially cause problems. Only later would Simon learn that their animosity toward each other had only been reprieved.
Sitting with Dawson and Phil, he had asked them for their advice about their weapons knowledge, and Phil had surprised him by telling them of his criminal record. He had gone to prison for armed robbery as an accomplice in a minor store robbery. In the robbery he had been the driver, and had actually fired at a policeman but fortunately not killed anyone. His sentence had been much lighter due to that fact, and he had spent his time inside doing weights and had managed to get himself his a degree while in prison. Shaking his head Simon was a bit taken aback, but had said that his past was ancient history, and he had so far been pretty good with their group, and in the help he had so far provided. Dawson clapped him on the back and said that his past really did not matter, as long as he was prepared to do his bit. Phil beamed at this, and agreed that he would do his best to help out with the group. They had not judged him on his past, and he had fitted in with the group without causing any upsets and had agreed to keep this information from the rest of the group so that there would not be any future problems. Simon had had relatively little experience with firearms, but had been hunting a few times up in New Hampshire. He knew the difference between a rifle and a pistol, and where the safety was. He admitted that he was not very good with a pistol or a rifle, but would gladly learn. Dawson just smiled at that, saying that she would help them to become more proficient with the weapons that they would hopefully be able to liberate from the gun shop. She explained the differences; and also how to clean and service the weapons they would choose. She told them that she would also check each weapon and ensure that there would hopefully be enough weapons and ammunition for everybody. She then gathered the group of survivors and asked how many of them had previously had any experience with weapons. A few people mentioned that they had weapons at home, but had not been able to carry them in the city. Simon nodded and asked them to list the types of guns they had used so that when they obtained the weapons, they would be comfortable using familiar weapons. Dawson nodded sagely at this proposal, saying that it made sense to try to obtain more familiar weapons. The group had spoken amongst each other while they had been at the shop next door, and they had come to a loose agreement that Simon and Dawson should be the group leaders. Dawson nodded at this with a smile, and looked at Simon. She knew that as he owned the shop, he would have th
e majority of decisions to make about their future inside. Eventually they all stood, and gathered their interim weapons so that they could head out to the gun shop. Simon had asked the people in the shop about volunteering, and he had received a lukewarm response, but had garnered a few people who wanted to join in the teams. So far he had himself, Dawson, Phil, Edgar, Mo and George. Edgar, Mo and George were friends who were working early in their accident repair business when everything had happened. They still wore their overall, and were roughly 5 feet 8 inches tall. Edgar was the bald one, and the other two had black hair. Dawson had decided the three of them would be one group, while Edgar Mo and George would be the second group as they worked together, and would know each other’s habits and movements. Everybody agreed that that was the best pairing up they could manage right now. They gathered up their different weapons, they had, and headed out.
Chapter Seven
They crept down the silent almost deserted streets, heading away from Simons shop toward the gun shop; about three blocks away. The destruction in the streets was incredible, with bodies strewn all over, and they heard occasional explosions far off in the distance, nowhere near them fortunately. Their movements were careful and deliberate, and they tried to avoid being near doorways and alleyways as much as possible, rather employing the tactic of being out in the open. Dawson had thrashed this out before they had left; arguing that if they were too close to open doorways they could be attacked easier and not have a clear line of sight. Out in the open, they had a far better chance of seeing anybody approaching, and could at least try to make their defence. Yes, cover would be an issue, but they had abandoned vehicles that were relatively close by if they needed. Their progress was relatively slow as they made their way down the road, trying to avoid the blood and body parts that lay scattered across the wide street. Finally after an hour of slowly making their way down they arrived at the gun shop; it’s door standing slightly ajar. There was no noise coming from inside the shop, but that did not mean that there was no-one in there. They just had to be careful in their egress to avoid making noise. Dawson decided to get the two groups huddled together to plan their entrance, when she noticed that There was a soft noise from across the street. That made her nervous, and she decided to get everybody inside as soon as possible, while keeping as still as possible. They slowly approached the doorway, opening it carefully and lifting the door by the handle to try and eliminate squeaks. Finally they managed to get inside; safely with very little noise made by any of them. Making her way over to the racks and cabinets, she had decided to leave Edgar and Mo to watch the front, while they moved toward their goal. Fortunately the cabinets had not been looted, but the open door had left them a little puzzled, hence their caution in entering the store as silently as possible. Dawson was the one looking for the cabinet keys and she cursed softly, trying not to make any noise. Finally Dawson located a set of keys, and opened the display case containing some glocks. She quickly checked them, ensuring that they all functioned smoothly, she retried ammunition from the cabinet below the counter. Quickly she filled the magazines from a box of ammo, and had in a couple of minutes stacked a nice collection of filled magazines next to the weapons. Simon breathed easier now that they had decent weapons to use if attacked and they were all allocated a pistol to use if it came down to it. They were also handed a few spare magazines which Dawson had filled. She explained the basics of the weapons to each of them, and also showed them briefly how to best hold the weapons in case of an attack. She also explained firing lanes to them, which they nodded at and realised she was indeed a genuine veteran. They appreciated her knowledge and thanked them for their brief lesson. She smiled at the group, and went to locate the other keys to get into the cabinets with shotguns and the semi-automatic rifles.
Simon was getting a bit anxious as it was starting to get a late in the day, and they had been inside the shop for about half an hour. The open door bothered Simon and spoke to the group to see if he could get somebody to search the rest of the building. He asked Phil to take George and do a bit of a search to see if there was any clue as to why the door was open; and see if there was a larger gun safe in the back of the store. They nodded and the two of them headed toward the back of the shop, out to where the shelves were probably located. Opening the door to the back room carefully, Phil held open the door and looked in quickly, and saw nothing unusual as he motioned George to follow and watch his back. Together they slowly moved down the aisles of the ammunition crates, and noticed there was the distinct coppery scent in the air. Moving slower, they approached the far rear of the store; looking for the body they suspected lay in the back somewhere. Finally after rounding a corner, they came upon the body, a small woman who was very clearly dead, and had been shot in the forehead by somebody. Her brains were splattered all over the back wall, in a disturbing Rorschach pattern. That was when they noticed the rear door was standing open. They moved quickly toward it, and looked out into an alley behind the shop, and quickly closed and locked it. Looking around they saw the gun safe tucked away in the corner, with an old style combination lock. Phil and George grinned at each other, and turned to head back to the others when they saw what looked like a large tarp covered object on a shelf. Curious, they approached and lifted the tarp, to reveal a pile of bullet proof vests. They grabbed one each, and quickly figured out the straps, fitting them on. Making their way back to the others they walked slowly and carefully forward, not making noise. Coming out of the back, they saw Dawson glance at them in surprise, and nod in approval. They told her of their gruesome discovery and also of the gun safe nestled in the back. She had been busy with the help of Simon and they had managed to liberate some shotguns from the cabinets, as well as several boxes of 12 gauge shells.
Leaving George with Edgar and Mo, The three of them decided to investigate the gun safe in the back. They made their way down and Dawson soon had them kitted out with bullet proof vests as well, and made her way over to the gun safe. She had found the combination hidden in a folder in the front of the store, and had it open in no time. Hauling open the heavy safe door, they revealed several AR-15 rifles, and several ammo boxes and magazines. Dawson grinned at each in turn; taking out the rifles and getting the magazines lined up so she could show Phil and Simon how to load the rounds. They quickly followed her lead, and soon they had a rather impressive pile of magazines stacked neatly on the floor. Again Dawson showed them the basics, and they each took one rifle, with several magazines to reload if necessary. Looking around Dawson spotted her next target, some ammunition vests, and quickly grabbed them and showed how to fill the various pockets with their newly acquired weapons and ammunition. She had also gathered holsters for their hand-guns, and they had each strapped one on to keep their guns handy. Gathering up the remainder of the magazines and AR-15’s they used a small garden trolley the gun shop owner had used to cart things around in. It was perfect for storing the newly acquired weapons in, and the extra ammunition could be carried as well. They discovered the best bounty under another tarp in the corner, and Dawson laughed softly when they discovered the MRE’s stacked neatly on a wooden pallet. “This will keep us going for a while at least,” she had said, chuckling, “It is bland, but nutritious enough to provide us with good food and enough calories to survive. With your water supply and the food we have found we can be reasonably comfortable for a while Simon.” Simon had nodded and agreed they should try getting as much of it back to the shop as possible.
“We need to locate a pickup, and then we can try getting it into the alley behind the gun shop, load up all the bounty and get it back to my place.” Simon said, “Otherwise we will need to make multiple trips with this cart. That will be too much work I think, unless you have any other ideas?”
Dawson looked at him, nodding at his suggestion, but stopped him there. “A pickup will make too much noise, we need something quieter.” she suggested, “Hopefully there is a Prius close by, as that could be used in electric mode, to provide us wi
th a silent way of getting things back.”
“Good idea Dawson, I like that. Maybe we need to get that looked into right away.” Simon said. Looking at Phil, then spoke, “Phil, can you take one of the others and find us a Prius?” Phil nodded and started to move toward the door leading to the front of the shop. He spoke to George asking him to accompany him out into the street to look for a Prius.
Chapter Eight
Dawson and Simon were meanwhile looking at loading the rest of the weapons into the cart, so they could get them moved across to the shop easier. They packed the ammunition into the bottom, layering it with the AR-15’s on top, and started to pull the cart toward the front of the shop. That was when all hell broke loose with gunfire erupting from across the street. Simon and Dawson dropped the handle of the trolley they were pulling and ran to the front door. They had their glocks out and were ready for action as they approached the spot where Mo and Edgar were crouching down behind a cabinet near the front. Dawson asked the two of them where they thought the shots were coming from as well as what or who was being shot at. Mo spoke saying that he had heard the gunshots from across the street, and they had immediately ducked to get out of the way. He quickly explained to them without making himself an immediate target, stayed down and described where he saw the flashes from the gunfire erupt. Dawson looked worriedly at Simon, motioned for him to follow her to the back where they could have a decent conversation without getting their asses shot off. Dawson pointed out her plan to Simon, saying she would head out the back, and Simon was to give her 5 minutes then lay down intermittent fire in the direction Mo had explained to them. Simon agreed to move to the front next to Mo, and letting him know Dawson would be attacking the shooter he had pointed out.
