All Is Silence - Deserted Lands #1

Chapter 13 - Part I

ZACH CLIMBED INTO THE TANK. He started the engine and revved it. The big V8 rumbled and the hood of the truck see-sawed as the engine torqued. “Sure you don’t want to learn to drive?”

Nev grimaced. “This beast? No way.”

“It’s an automatic.” The Tank lurched forward as Zach stepped on the gas. “Not too fast, but it is powerful.”

They drove up driveways. Zach wasn’t certain what he was looking for. How can you tell from the outside of a house that there are guns inside? “Maybe we should go to Wal Mart.”

Nev laughed. “Yeah. We can pick up a flame-thrower while we’re at it.”

“I’m serious.” He pulled back onto the main road and headed for town. “You can get major firepower at Wal Mart.”

“Okay. Anything else we need? Maybe a mega-pack of diapers.”

Zach contemplated the new world order while he drove. Were they really in danger? Nev flipped through the radio stations, but gave up. Oldies and three-week-old recorded Emergency bulletins weren’t good listening.

When they got to Wal Mart they found a truck-sized hole in the glass front. Zach rolled down the windows and they sat outside for a while listening, in case anyone was still in there.

After five minutes Zach opened the door and jumped down. “Should have brought Lizzie’s shotgun.”

“Yeah,” Nev hissed, following him. “Brilliant. So you can get your head shot off.”

Zach stepped in onto the broken glass. It crunched under his feet. The lights were all on. He sidled around the store sticking close to the walls. At the sporting goods counter he realized someone else had had the same idea. The cabinet glass was broken, shelving units sat askew. Anything that could shoot a bullet or a pellet was gone. “Damn.” He kicked through the garbage, glad he had on his heavy steel-toed boots. He found a couple boxes of ammo, two of .22 and one of 9mm. Probably the thieves were nervous and in a hurry. He stuffed them in his jacket pocket.

“Let’s go, Zach.” Nev glanced around.

She looked jittery. A compound bow box on the top of a shelving unit caught his eye. He climbed the shelves and knocked it off with a bang.

“Zach.” Her tone was sharp and her voice a whisper. “Come on.”

“Okay.” He picked up the box. He glanced around, but could see no arrows. The box said there were two included. “Let’s go.” He worked his way back the way they had come. Nev had him wound up. He peeked around each corner before stepping into view. Nev stayed close behind.

As they neared the front of the store, Zach thought he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. He froze and, then spun. Nev rammed into him. He knocked a bunch of vases on the floor. They shattered in the stillness. A box fell from a high shelf with a flutter of black wings. Half a dozen angry, cawing crows scolded them.

“Hell, Zach.” Nev’s face was white, her eyes wide. “I nearly peed my pants. I hate crows. Can we leave?”

The birds returned to their roost, still chittering at them.

“Yeah.” Zach laughed. “Hey, everybody. We’re here. If you somehow missed that.” He smiled at Nev and waited a few seconds; there were no more sounds.

Back in the car, Zach headed south from the shopping area. “Let’s try Yeager’s.”

“That old place with all those old record player things hanging from the ceilings?”

Zach nodded. They drove past a pack of dogs, mutts of various sizes. Clustered together, they chased the Tank.

When he got to Yeager’s, Zach drove around back. The door had a piece of plywood covering it with a dumpster rolled up against it. So, whoever had done it was probably back outside. “You wanna stay in the Tank?”

Nev shook her head, “No way.”

Zach pushed the dumpster aside and lifted the plywood away from the door to the side. “Always loved this place,” Zach whispered.

Someone had filled a cart with camping gear and freeze dried food. It was quiet. The lights were off, but there was a decent amount of light to see by.

Inside he did not find the mass destruction he expected. “Somebody else loved it, too. It’s clean.” He grasped Nev’s hand and they walked together through the aisles. He motioned toward the front of the store. “Would you go that way and keep an eye on the street?”

Nev nodded and headed for the windows, seeming less nervous here. Zach was glad she had come along. Though she didn’t have Lizzie’s toughness, she also didn’t have the bad attitude.

Zach picked out a Bushmaster AR-15 and a smaller, simple bolt-action .22 caliber. He grabbed ammo for both and Lizzie’s shotgun and left the box of 9mm from Wal Mart. “Okay. We can go.”

Nev hustled toward him.

“This one’s for you. It’s a beginner. .22. Mostly to scare people.”

Nev stared like it was a live snake. “No. I don’t want one.”

Zach acknowledged her discomfort. “Okay. Maybe later.”

“Not likely.” She shook her head. “Let’s go.”