The Infected (Book 1): Jim's First Day by Joseph Zuko Page B

going outside without sunglasses. On
the first page of the book it lists the Ten Commandments of Firearm Safety.
    Number
one. Always keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction. I notice as I read it
that I have the muzzle pointed right at Devon. I move the gun away from him.
    Number
two: Firearms should be unloaded when not actually in use. I look at the gun.
How do I tell if it’s loaded?
    Number
three: Do not rely on your gun’s safety. I do not see where the safety is. Oh,
here on the side by the trigger. I can’t tell if it is on or off.
    Number
four: Be sure of your target and what is beyond it. I didn’t even think about
that. What if I shoot this gun at one of the infected and hit someone else?
    Number
five: Use proper ammunition. I think this is a twelve gauge. I look on the shelf
and grab a box of rounds.
    Number
six: If your gun fails to fire when the trigger is pulled, handle with care. I
didn’t know that could happen. I could be facing down a pack of infected people
and the gun doesn’t fire. Then what? I throw the gun at them?
    Number
seven: Always wear eye and ear protection when shooting. Check, I already have
a nice pair of sunglasses I just helped myself to. I look over at Devon and he
has the same pair on. Damn it.
    Number
eight: Be sure the barrel is clear of obstructions before shooting. Does it
want me to look down the barrel? Rule one was to point muzzle in a safe
direction, that doesn’t sound safe.
    Number
nine: Do not alter or modify your gun and have it serviced regularly. Well I
don’t have to worry about that since I don’t know how to modify or service.
    Number
ten: Learn the mechanics and handling characteristics of your firearm.
    The
more I think about it this gun might not be a good idea. It is loud, that will
draw attention. Someone might shoot me for carrying a gun down the street. It
only holds six shots and if I run into a large group of them I will not be able
to reload it fast enough. I read a little further and see that red sticking out
on the safety means it is ready to fire and that there is a locking button I
have to press to get the pump thing to move. I press the button and pull on the
pump and it slides back. Now I see where the rounds go so I try to load one. It
is really hard to get them in there. You have to really push it into the bottom
of the gun. I load the six shots that it holds and pull the pump part back and
forth. It loads a round into the chamber. It feels really cool when I do it. I
feel how heavy the gun is and how heavy the box of twelve rounds feel in my
hand. I could maybe carry sixty rounds and feel completely weighed down by it.
Plus, I need to fill the backpack with some food and water.
    “I
don’t think this shotgun is a good idea. We need another plan,”
    “No
shotguns. That’s weak.”
    “They’re
just too heavy and hard to reload.”
    “Yeah.
I guess. It’s still weak.”
    I
look around for a better idea and see the display case with the knives in it. I
see it. A few racks over is a wooden walking stick. It is about five and a half
feet tall and has a nice polished finish. I pull one off the rack. It feels
good in my hands. It is a solid piece of wood. It has a lanyard so I slip my
hand through the string and hold the walking stick with both hands.
    “You’re
going to take a stick over a shotgun? Double weak,” Devon shakes his head.
    “No.
I’m going old school,” I grab a roll of black athletic tape from a rack on my
way back to the knife display. I use the manager’s key to open the case and
pull out the most expensive knife in there. This thing is ten inches and the
blade feels razor sharp. I lay the walking stick on the counter and start to
wrap the athletic tape around the tip of the walking stick and the handle of
the knife.
    “Grab
one for yourself,” I get the knife wrapped up tight and it feels solid. I push
the blade down into the carpet and it does not move or wiggle at all. I wrap
some of the tape around the base and