Oklahoma City was a wasteland. Pike steered the military hummer around the debris of bodies and cars while Mercedes loaded magazines for the handguns. This was becoming an all too familiar sight in major cities. Fewer and fewer survivors were lining the back roads. It had been three months since the infection spread. Things were finally starting to settle into a post-apocalyptic wasteland.
Mercedes fastened her hair back in a tight bun, preparing for her exit from the vehicle. While the librarian look didn’t really suit her, it kept it out of her way and out of the hands of biters. She’d gotten quite good with a gun. She never wasted bullets. Every shot counted.
“There.” Pike’s voice startled her. She had been so used to the silence. He was motioning to a shoe store. The first few places they had stopped, she was surprised. But she soon came to realize that the most secure places were right in front of you, hidden away from prying eyes. He parked around the back, reversing in so that the entire alleyway was blocked from unwanted stragglers.
They slipped into the backdoor, a pistol on each of them and extra clips on their hips. The back room was a sea of tussled shoes and boxes. Briefly, Mercedes felt a pang for a pair of leather boots strained with blood. Pike nodded the go-ahead as she crept to the door leading to the main storeroom, gun drawn. The door opened easily to silence.
The main floor was only slightly tossed. Most of the carnage had taken place in the back room. Quickly, he rushed to the front door and double checked the lock. “Secure.” He holstered his gun. “We can get started.”
Getting started meant accessing his secret passageways and raiding it for supplies. The bastard had a never-ending network across the United States.
A shift to her left caused Mercedes to draw her pistol. A hand slapped down on the counter for stability as a girl pulled herself up. She wasn’t dead but looked like she was knocking on the door. Her hair was shoved into a messy ponytail. Her eyes were slightly sunken and her bones were starting to show through her pale skin. She obviously hadn’t eaten in weeks. She made it to a standing position, locked eyes with Mercedes and promptly fainted.
Pike shrugged. “Leave her.”
“We can’t leave her!” She rushed to the girl. “She’s still breathing.”
“She’s a junkie. I can tell by the eyes.”
“She’s still human.”
“Barely.”
Mercedes narrowed her eyes. “We are not going to leave her. We have more than enough to share.”
“And she’ll take it all.”
She ignored him, lifting the girl up some and patting her face. “Hey…”
He sighed and took to the girl’s other side, getting her down into the passageways and onto a cot. “A protein bar and water would be best. Get her strength up.”
Mercedes nodded and quickly went to fetch the items. The layouts were always the same for easy access. Returning with the items, she sat the girl up. “Come on, sweetie. Wake up.”
She opened her eyes. “Are you an angel? Am I dead?”
“No. You’re not dead. What’s your name?”
“Pru.”
Pike sighed. “From two to Pru.”
Mercedes fastened her hair back in a tight bun, preparing for her exit from the vehicle. While the librarian look didn’t really suit her, it kept it out of her way and out of the hands of biters. She’d gotten quite good with a gun. She never wasted bullets. Every shot counted.
“There.” Pike’s voice startled her. She had been so used to the silence. He was motioning to a shoe store. The first few places they had stopped, she was surprised. But she soon came to realize that the most secure places were right in front of you, hidden away from prying eyes. He parked around the back, reversing in so that the entire alleyway was blocked from unwanted stragglers.
They slipped into the backdoor, a pistol on each of them and extra clips on their hips. The back room was a sea of tussled shoes and boxes. Briefly, Mercedes felt a pang for a pair of leather boots strained with blood. Pike nodded the go-ahead as she crept to the door leading to the main storeroom, gun drawn. The door opened easily to silence.
The main floor was only slightly tossed. Most of the carnage had taken place in the back room. Quickly, he rushed to the front door and double checked the lock. “Secure.” He holstered his gun. “We can get started.”
Getting started meant accessing his secret passageways and raiding it for supplies. The bastard had a never-ending network across the United States.
A shift to her left caused Mercedes to draw her pistol. A hand slapped down on the counter for stability as a girl pulled herself up. She wasn’t dead but looked like she was knocking on the door. Her hair was shoved into a messy ponytail. Her eyes were slightly sunken and her bones were starting to show through her pale skin. She obviously hadn’t eaten in weeks. She made it to a standing position, locked eyes with Mercedes and promptly fainted.
Pike shrugged. “Leave her.”
“We can’t leave her!” She rushed to the girl. “She’s still breathing.”
“She’s a junkie. I can tell by the eyes.”
“She’s still human.”
“Barely.”
Mercedes narrowed her eyes. “We are not going to leave her. We have more than enough to share.”
“And she’ll take it all.”
She ignored him, lifting the girl up some and patting her face. “Hey…”
He sighed and took to the girl’s other side, getting her down into the passageways and onto a cot. “A protein bar and water would be best. Get her strength up.”
Mercedes nodded and quickly went to fetch the items. The layouts were always the same for easy access. Returning with the items, she sat the girl up. “Come on, sweetie. Wake up.”
She opened her eyes. “Are you an angel? Am I dead?”
“No. You’re not dead. What’s your name?”
“Pru.”
Pike sighed. “From two to Pru.”