Day One (Book 1): Alive by Michael Mcdonald

fired back defiantly.
    Man Two suddenly found humor in my words and shook his head a few times. It was the look of a man trying to keep his cool when all he wanted to do was create havoc to whoever was in front of him. “Ah, man. You are making this so much harder than it really has to be.”
    “For who? You or me?” I asked tightening my grip on an unopened can of soda. It wasn’t a bullet, although if I was able to hit one of them square in the nose with it, it would be more than enough to even the odds.
    “You want to drive, fine. You drive and we’ll ride in the back… how’s that sound?”
    I needed no time to thank about his answer. “No. Find your own damn car!”
    “I knew that was your SUV the moment I saw you,” Man Two said. “I tell you what I’ll do since I’m still in a good mood and I kind of like you. How about you just give us the keys and let us be on our way. That way no one gets hurt and you can use one of those cars out there on the interstate.”
    “No one gets hurt?” I asked.
    “Yeah,” Man Two said and smiled. “But know that I won’t ask nicely again. I’ll take them from you if I have too.”
    Up until then, Man Two’s hands had been visible to me and that had kept me from showing any real signs of fear. His left hand slowly moved from the shelf and disappeared from sight, which to me was a blatant threat and without thinking I thrust my hand behind me and dropped my voice several levels. “Put your hand back on the shelf where I can see them!”
    “And if I don’t?” Man Two asked.
    “If I lied about the SUV, then wouldn’t it be safe to assume that I lied about being armed as well?” I asked, feeling a sense of accomplishment in creating doubt in their minds. Doubt was usually a bad thing to have to deal with, yet in certain situations, this one to be exact, doubt could be a powerful weapon.
    Man One felt the situation quickly decaying and knew a gunfight was emanating, to which he wanted no part of. The noise would be deafening in the narrow confines of the store, not to mention that fact that it would bring that thing running toward them, and maybe more that they could not see.
    “I’m losing my patients, man.”
    “Put your fucking hand back where I can see it!” I demanded, still holding the belt loop on the rear of my pants. It was a fake move to throw them off guard, however, the consequences that ran with such an action could easily turn against me if either of them had lied and were armed as well. A hand contorted into a fake gun was no match for a real one.
    “Okay, just calm down,” Man Two said and put his hand back where it could be seen. “There, it’s back on the shelf. Are you happy now?”
    “Both of you get up slowly and head toward the coolers.”
    “Why?” Man Two asked.
    “Do it!” I demanded. My bluff had worked and they feared I was armed and had the advantage over them. I moved the opposite direction toward the register as they moved slowly toward the coolers. Moving around the corner I slid behind the counter, keeping an eye on both of them, placed my four bags on the counter and grabbed several packs of smokes to shove into as many pockets as I could.
    “I say we rush him. He can’t get both of us,” Man Two whispered to his accomplice.
    “And what if he can?”
    With the store being as quiet as it was I had heard the comment and quickly wanted out of the store, even if it meant running out the front door. The thing surely couldn’t get me before I got to the SUV and the two assholes would not be stupid enough to give chase.
    “Listen to your buddy, asshole. You rush me and I’ll pop both of you.”
    I was about to grab my bags when something just under the counter on a small shelf caught my attention. It was a sign that I took as a guarantee that I would at least live through the encounter and when I looked up I saw both of them moving slowly toward him. “Stop where you are!”
    “Or what?” Man Two asked. “I don’t