by Payne, T. L.
“Panama City,” Raine said.
Scott stopped what he was doing and stared at her.
“What?” Raine asked.
“My daughter is in Tallahassee.”
Raine studied him. She hadn’t taken him for someone’s dad. She imagined her own dad sitting in his lounge chair out by the pool. Was he the least bit worried about her? Probably not.
“How old is she?” Raine finally asked.
“She’s five years old. She lives with her mother and…” Scott said, trailing off.
“That must suck.”
Scott pulled his pant legs down over his boots and stood.
“Yeah. It does.”
“Where are we heading first?” JJ asked.
Raine had yet to figure out if Scott and JJ were a thing. They seemed to have some chemistry between them, but she wasn’t sure what their relationship status was. Raine watched as JJ zipped her coat. There was an indentation on her left ring finger where possibly a wedding or engagement ring once was. Her mother had said it was weird not wearing a ring on that finger after twenty years of marriage. Raine had bought her mom a cheap gold heart to wear, so she wouldn’t feel so naked.
“I think we should check out the Sam’s Club first,” Scott said.
“But Squeaky said they were moving,” JJ said.
“I thought the prisoner didn’t know about them?” Brandon asked.
“We overheard several of their conversations when we were hiding in the stockroom. They were in the process of moving out of the Sam’s Club,” JJ said.
“Why do you think that’s the place to look then?” Raine asked.
“Squeaky said it was taking too long because they had so much stuff,” Scott said.
Raine tightened her ponytail and tugged on her knit hat before pulling up the hood of her thigh-length brown jacket. She wasn’t at all looking forward to going back out in the snow. Not that it was warm inside the Home Depot, but at least it was out of the wind. The windchill outside had to have been around twenty degrees.
They walked single file through a stockroom to the back door they’d entered when they’d arrived there with Rachelle and her injured husband. The space was pitch-black. Raine held JJ’s shoulder as they waited for Scott to open the door. He eased it open and what little light the moon provided shined in. Scott stepped forward. For about the tenth time, he checked the magazine of the pistol he’d taken from Rachelle.
“How many do you have left?” JJ asked.
“Three.”
JJ sucked in a tight breath.
“I know. I’ll just have to make them count.”
“Let’s hope you don’t have to use any of them,” JJ said.
“That’s the plan. Wait here. I’m going to go to the corner of the building and make sure no one is in the parking lot.”
Seconds ticked by like hours as Raine listened to her companions breathe through their scarves and balaclavas. Scott returned, and they followed him behind the Home Depot, over a chain-link fence and through the woods to a gravel road. Raine was sure they must be lost as they wound through residential neighborhoods. She saw no signs that there were still people living in the houses. The snow looked undisturbed from what she could see.
Scott clicked on a flashlight and stared up at a street sign then turned left.
“Do you know where you are going?” Brandon asked.
“Not really. I just know that Sam’s Club is east of the Home Depot. So we keep going east.”
Raine did not find that very comforting. For all she knew, they could end up at the Mississippi River with that strategy.
When they reached a cul-de-sac, Scott stopped.
“Now what?” Raine asked.
“There,” JJ pointed. “That is the Circle K. See it?”
Raine strained to make out the convenience store’s sign between the trees. Without it being lit up, she couldn’t be sure what it was. But any sign meant a business. A business likely meant they’d made their way to Manchester Road. She just hoped they hadn’t missed the Sam’s Club. She was exhausted already.
When they came to the fence bordering the convenience store, they followed the tree line to another shopping center.
“I think Sam’s Club is just over there,” Scott said, pointing east.
“I’m not comfortable walking across this parking lot. If they had sentries watching the area, they could pick us off with one of their rifles,” Brandon said.
“Let’s stay in the tree line and see if we can work our way over there,” Scott said.
They sounded like a herd of elephants walking in the woods behind the strip mall. Raine constantly scanned the parking lot through the trees for any sign of the masked gunman. When they came out onto a side street, Raine thought she heard a generator running in the distance.
“You hear that?” she asked.
Scott stopped and turned his head. “Sounds like an engine of some kind.”
“That’s a generator,” Raine said.
“Risky. They must not be all that smart. That much noise destroys security,” Scott said.
“Maybe they don’t care if anyone hears it. I mean, they think they are the baddest dog on the block. What do they have to be concerned with?” Brandon asked.
“Well, that’s just stupid. There’s always going to be someone bigger and badder. It just shows that they’re arrogant,” JJ said.
“Let’s follow this utility right of way and see how close we can get,” Scott said.
When they came out of the woods, a hill stood between them and the Sam’s Club building. The only thing they could see was the roof and not very well. There could’ve been men posted on the roof and Raine wouldn’t have been able to see them. A knot formed in her chest. Their plan suddenly sounded crazy. They were no match for rifle-toting bad guys. Brandon and Scott were the only one with guns.
“Okay. Let’s continue in the tree line. Try to be as quiet as possible,” Scott said.
“The snow is crunchy, making it loud when we step,” Raine said.
“We should walk single file and make sure we step in each other’s tracks. That should be a little quieter,” JJ said.
“Good idea,” Brandon said.
They came out across from the corner of the Sam’s. Raine could see the side and the front of the building as well as most of the parking lot.
Scott crouched and motioned for the others to get down. Now that they were close to the building, it was clear that they were running a generator. Someone was still in there at least. Was it the boss? Would they be able to learn how many people they had? If they did, how would that information help her group get away from them?
Across the parking lot, a man was sitting on the tailgate of a newer model pickup truck. He was so bundled up that Raine couldn’t tell what he looked like. The man swung his legs and hummed a tune like he didn’t have a care in the world. If he was their lookout, he wasn’t very good at it.
“Brandon, you and Raine stay here and watch him. JJ and I will make our away around to the back of the building and watch for anyone coming and going that way,” Scott said.
“How will we let you know if something happens?” Raine asked. She wasn’t at all comfortable splitting up.
“Just hold tight here. Wrap up in your sleeping bag and just observe. It should be daylight soon and maybe we’ll have movement by then. We will meet back here in an hour,” Scott said.
Raine nodded. Just stay hidden and observe. She could do that without getting shot, right?
Brandon located a fallen log, and they set up the observation post there. With her sleeping bag wrapped loosely around her torso, she wasn’t as warm as she’d be inside it, but she wanted to be prepared to run if necessary.
Raine and Brandon sat in silence for most of the hour. Raine struggled to keep her eyes open as they stared out over the snow-covered parking lot. She couldn’t recall the last time she’d slept through the night.
“Where’s your family?” Raine asked, immediately regrett
ing it. She didn’t want him to think she was nosy or prying into his personal business.
“I’m not sure. My mom lives in Dallas. I couldn’t convince my dad to go to the shelter. His new wife wouldn’t leave her two dogs, and my dad refused to leave her.”
“Maybe they made it out of the fire, or their house didn’t burn,” Raine said, trying to sound positive.
It took everything she had to stay positive. How long would any of them make it? She just couldn’t see any way to survive in this cold, brutal world. She wondered how long she could go on like this before she broke down from exhaustion or succumbed to some illness due to lack of food. They all needed rest. The sleepier she got, the melancholier she felt. She was so tired of being cold and hungry.
“Do you have brothers and sisters?” Raine asked.
“I have a little sister. She lives with my mom. My stepdad is a cop, so I think they’ll be fine. At least that’s what I keep telling myself.”
“Are you going to try to make your way to Dallas and find them?” Raine asked.
“I’m going to try. It just seems impossible without a car and gasoline. Even if I find one, how long before someone sticks a gun in my face and takes it?”
Raine sighed.
“Not long, I don’t think.”
“What about you? You said you’re from Florida. You gonna try to make it home?”
Raine hadn’t really given much thought past getting to safety. The thought of traveling all the way to Florida scared her. “I don’t know,” she said finally.
“Won’t your family be worried?” Brandon asked.
“My mom probably will.”
“Probably? What about the rest of your family? Do you have brothers or sisters?”
Raine didn’t answer right away. She never knew how to answer that question. She had a brother. In her heart, she still had a brother. But inevitably, the next question would be where he was, and she didn’t like talking about that. She hated that look on people’s faces when she told them her brother was dead. It was that look of pity mixed with gratitude that they hadn’t experienced such a thing. Even people who’d lost loved ones sometimes didn’t know how to respond. Gage had had the best response of anyone she’d told so far. He’d just said, “that sucks,” which was exactly how she felt about it. It sucked and nothing anyone said or did could change that.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to pry,” Brandon said after she didn’t respond.
“No. It’s okay. I asked you first. I just… My family is complicated,” she said.
“Aren’t they all,” Brandon said.
Raine wondered about that. She’d observed all types of families at the hospital. Unfortunately, she’d seen several like her own that had been torn apart by the experience. She didn’t think Brandon would understand, and she didn’t want to burden him with her problems. They had enough to cope with. If only they could make it to Alicia’s house. At least they’d be warm. As long as her firewood held out, anyway.
“What did you do before this happened?” Brandon asked.
“I was in my sophomore year at WashU.”
“Pricey,” he said.
“I was on scholarship,” Raine said.
Was. How long would it be before things returned to normal and she could continue her education? Would the world be the same after all this? Could it be?
“What did you do…before?”
“I was in sales. I was a sales consultant for AT&T,” Brandon said.
“That sounds like a good job. Did you get free phones and stuff?” Raine asked.
“No.”
An awkward silence fell between them. Raine sucked at small talk. She was always worried that she would say something that would offend someone. Her brother had been the talkative one. He could carry on long conversations with complete strangers. She’d envied him that.
Raine was staring up at the sky and dreaming of a roaring fire when an engine roared in the distance.
“Is that a car starting up?” Brandon asked.
Chapter 22
Sam’s Club
Manchester, Missouri
February 22nd
As an older SUV pulled into the Sam’s Club parking lot and pulled up next to the man at the pickup, Raine and Brandon moved to a large oak tree to get a better view of its occupants.
“I see two,” Raine said.
Brandon leaned to the right and peered around the trunk of the tree.
“There’s two more in the back seat.”
“What are they doing?” Raine asked.
Brandon squatted down and crawled to a bush nearby. He pressed his body flat against the ground. Raine didn’t think the men would be able to see him there.
“Talking,” Brandon said. “They’re moving toward the front doors now.”
Raine leaned to her left to get a look at them.
“Where is the lookout?”
“He’s off the tailgate. He’s walking towards the street,” Brandon said.
“You think he’s leaving on foot?”
Brandon shifted positions. Raine hoped the sound of the crunching snow couldn’t be heard over the SUV’s engine.
“They’re loading boxes in the back,” Brandon said.
“In the dark?”
Brandon looked over his shoulder.
“Maybe they’re in a hurry to get out of here.”
“I wonder why they're moving out in the first place. This location looks as good as any.”
“Maybe it’s too hard to defend,” Brandon said.
“They have more lookouts on the road than around their headquarters. I don’t think they feel there’s any threat.”
Brandon straightened his arms and looked over the top of the bush to his right.
“You’ve got a point. I expected to see sentries posted around the building, but as yet, those three guys are the only ones I’ve seen.”
The two men finished loading the SUV and hopped back in the vehicle.
“They’re leaving. I wish we could follow them,” Raine said.
“We’ll be able to follow their tire tracks. It’s not like there are a lot of vehicles on the road.”
Brandon was right. The SUV’s tires would leave distinct tracks in the snow. They could be almost certain it was them, but in order to follow the tracks, they’d have to be out on the street and exposed to anyone watching the stores.
Raine watched them pull out of the parking lot and continue toward Manchester. She wouldn’t be able to see which way they turned once they reached it. She hoped they could see the tracks from the tree line along the road.
“Brandon. Raine,” Scott whispered.
The sun was just peeking over the horizon. If they hurried, they might be able to follow the SUV.
“Did you see anyone?” Raine asked as the two of them reached her position.
“No. We heard the Suburban pull in,” Scott said.
“Yeah. They pulled up to the front and loaded some boxes. Should we follow them?” Raine asked.
“I think so, but we should stick to the tree line as much as possible. They’ll be able to see us now that it’s getting light out,” Scott said.
“Their lookout took off walking after the guys in the Suburban showed up,” Brandon said.
“Did you see which way he went?” Scott asked.
“No, but we should be able to see his tracks in the snow,” Brandon said.
Scott looked to JJ. “You think we should have a little talk with him?”
“Can’t hurt,” JJ said.
“Wait! What? You're just going to walk up and start asking him questions about his group? He’s not going to tell you anything,” Brandon said.
“Depends how you ask,” JJ said as she turned toward the street.
“Are you going to take him back to Abbey’s for the conversation?” Raine asked.
Scott pursed his lips.
“Probably not a good idea. We wouldn’t want any of this to lead back to her group. Besides, she wasn�
��t thrilled to have us question that other dude, and this conversation might get a little more intense,” Scott said.
Brandon furrowed his brow.“Won’t that just escalate things? What do you intend to do with him after your conversation?”
“That’s a bridge we’ll cross when we come to it.”
Scott hurried to catch up with JJ, who was doing her best to stay in the previous tracks they’d made on their way to the wholesale store.
Raine took a step forward, but Brandon caught her by the arm. She looked down at his gloved hand. He slowly pulled it away.
“Are you comfortable with this?”
“We need to get out of the city. This place is a powder keg. There’s nothing but trouble around every corner. If we can get information from that dude that will help us then I’m for it,” Raine said.
“Even if Scott has to hurt him to get it?”
Raine shrugged. She’d seen Scott perform an interrogation. Brandon hadn’t been there. Raine didn’t think Scott was capable of violence. Not that kind. They’d find a way to trick the guy into talking. At least she hoped they could.
“I don’t think it will come to that,” Raine said as she stepped into the tracks that Scott and JJ had left in the snow.
They hugged the tree line all the way back to the street in front of the store. Footprints led across the road to the parking lot of a small, brick building.
“Are we going to follow him?” Raine asked.
Scott nodded and held a fist in the air. He stepped out onto the sidewalk and looked up and down the street before waving them to follow him. Out of habit, Raine stopped at the curb and looked both ways for traffic. Life had changed so much since the lights went out. Her mind still struggled to catch up.
They rushed across and through the parking lot, following the man’s prints. At the next street, his footprints continued up to the concrete center divider. Raine frowned. They would have to cross three lanes just to reach the divider and then another two lanes to reach any concealment on the opposite side of the street. She didn’t like being that exposed. Not when there were men with rifles running around shooting at people for no reason. She supposed they did have a reason. They were protecting their little kingdom.
