“Put the shovel down.”
“Not going to do that, either kid. And stop yelling. Your voice is going to attract zombies, all right.”
“I’ll raise me voice and you can’t do shit about it.”
“I can’t,” I said. “Not from here. Not with you aiming your gun at me. But he can.”
“He can, who?”
“Behind you.”
The kid laughed. “I look like a fucking moron?”
“I don’t want to see you get hurt. We want nothing from you. We just want to pass by. But if you don’t lower the gun, you’re going to get hurt.”
“I’m not turning around. You’ll charge me.”
“From here?” I laughed, quietly, shook my head. “I don’t think so. But then again, I don’t need to charge you.”
“Oh, right. Because, ‘he’ is going to stop me,” he said.
“That’s right.”
“Why don’t you go f--”
Dave swung in a swooping arc the handle of the pitchfork. It slammed onto the kid’s forearm.
I worried the kid might misfire.
Instead, the Glock fell from his hand.
The kid screamed, cradled the limp wrist close to his body. “The fuck,” he said.
Josh tackled him. Threw a hand over the kid’s mouth.
Yeah. I’d lied to him about how many we were. But not about just wanting to pass by, not about not wanting anything from him. It didn’t have to go down this way. “Get up,” I said.
Josh pushed off the kid and stood up.
“You, too,” I said. “Up.”
He’d stopped yelling, but still clung to his hand. “He broke my wrist.”
“I don’t think so,” Dave said.
I knelt by the kid. “Let me see.”
He held out his arm. His hand dangled. His wrist was red, swollen. I felt around the bones. He winced.
“Might have,” I said.
“I’m right handed. What the hell am I supposed to do now?” the kid said. I helped him sit up.
“Why did you point a gun at us?” Allison knelt next to me.
“I don’t know who you guys are,” he said. Nothing tough about his voice. “I lost everyone. Those things, those zombies killed my parents and my little brother. I barely got out of the house. I tried to help them; I grabbed my dad’s gun out of the desk in his study. But he never kept it loaded. So I had to find the key to unlock the box in the closet that had the ammo. By then. . .”
The kid cried. Lowered his head to his knees and cried.
Allison touched his shoulder. He shrugged away her hand. She moved closer, sat beside him and wrapped an arm around him. He leaned into her, cried with his head against her chest.
I looked at Josh and Dave, who both stared at Allison and the kid.
I checked the Glock. Had 2 bullets in it. It was one of the newer clips, following the laws that made it illegal to have more than 5 bullets in a handgun. Five bullets would help about as much as the two in this one.
“You can come with us,” I said. “We can’t leave you alone. Not with a broken wrist. You’ll be defenseless. And this,” I set the gun down next to the kid. “This will not save you from much. Take down two zombies with head-shots if you’ve got awesome aim.”
The kid sniffled, lifted his head off my girlfriend’s breasts and drew the sleeve of his jean jacket under his nose. “Where are you guys going?”
Chapter Twenty-Five
The kid decided to join us. We were up to five, with me. I didn’t mind, but there were issues with growing. We’d be louder. We were more obvious. There was a chance for more bickering, head-butting, and arguments. It would be easier for one of them to slow us down. The kid was already injured. He had the Glock, with two shots left, but he wasn’t going to be able to swing a shovel, or baseball bat, or anything. As it was now, we didn’t just have to get past the Tops parking lot, we had to enter the grocery store. Allison wanted to splint the kid’s wrist.
I started to argue, but stopped. It was me that asked him to join us. I can’t then complain that we’ll help fix the broken bones we caused. It was his fault; I’m not apologizing for that. He had the gun trained on me. A splint was the least we could do. And the most.
“We’re going into the store. Those doors don’t lock. It’s open twenty-four hours. So there’s bound to be zombies inside,” I said, thinking of the mall.
“Parking lot looks clear,” Allison said.
We were huddled close together at the edge of the shallow woods. Thick brush kept us hidden. We had a clear view of the parking lot. A few cars were in an array of spaces. Allison was right, though. No sign of zombies. Didn’t mean they weren’t close. Best I could tell though, we had a straight shot for the entrance without hurdles.
Thing that came to mind was whether we should all go, or just two of us. Once inside, we could easily be challenged, and wind up trapped. Needless to get everyone killed. At the same time, I did not want to be killed. Seemed I was the only one with somewhere to be, somewhere to go. It was my idea to get a splint and gauze. I had to be one of those entering the store.
“I’m going to go,” I said. “I want you guys to wait here.”
“I’m going with you,” Allison said.
“Us, too,” Josh volunteered.
“I’m not staying out here alone,” the kid said.
“What’s your name,” I said.
“Me?” the kid pointed at himself. “Jay. Jason.”
“All right, Jay. We’re all going to stay close. Josh, I’ll take point. I want you to follow us, but stay outside the store. Looks clear enough. But if a big group of zombies comes this way, I want you to be able to warn us with enough time to get out of the store. Know what I mean? Watch our backs.”
Josh nodded.
“Allison, I want Jay behind me. You behind him. Dave, you follow Allison.” I scanned the parking lot again. Still looked good. “We are going to run close to the building, right through the automated doors. Good?”
We left cover and crossed the delivery road that led to the back of the grocery store. My eyes felt like they were seizing, looking everywhere all at once. Surprised I didn’t get dizzy.
I’d seen Zombieland. And while it was funny seeing the two main guys banjo-playing while checking a grocery store for Zingers, I was not enjoying myself. I knew the Tops layout. Knew the First Aid supplies would be near the M&T Bank, all the way to the left. Past the checkout stations, by the beer.
We reached the entrance. “You got us?”
Josh nodded. “Go, go.”
We went through the automated doors, into the foyer with the rows of metal shopping carts, and newspaper racks, we stopped. Quick pow-wow.
“If it looks safe, Alley, I want you to hit the school supply aisle. See if you can’t grab a couple of back backs. If we can load up on some essentials while we’re here, then we should.” I was staring into her eyes. They weren’t the same as before. I wouldn’t believe it, if I wasn’t seeing it. They’d hardened. Looked cold. She was a different, stronger person. I trusted her. She’d proven herself time and again.
“I’ll take Dave,” she said.
Was a good call.
“Kid, you come with me.”
“Jay,” he said.
“Whatever. Just stay close. Right behind me, and not a sound. Alley, you make as much noise as you have to if something goes wrong,” I said.
“Got it.”
“We’ll meet back at the first check out. The one closest to the exit. Okay? Turn your radio on, Alley. Just keep the volume low.” I switched mine on, as well.
“It’s for emergencies only,” Dave said.
“Right,” I said, “let’s be quick about this.”
Around the corner was the huge shopping center. Produce and meats to the right. General groceries and seasonal items straight ahead. Frozen foods, refrigerated items and beverages, pet supplies, snacks, paper goods, health and beauty, and First Aid stuff to the left.