life, he was also protecting his own by doing so. Therefore, I couldn’t allow it to have an effect on my necessary distrust. I picked up the 9mm. “Sorry, Allen. But I need you to put that down.”
He took a deep breath and shook his head, then turned it sideways so I could see the ejection port and pulled the action back. “Look, it’s empty. Just like he said.”
The moment the entrance came into sight, I could see that Brian had lost the pack and was flying toward us. I said “Walt, get out to the main road, then get Brian to stop.”
“What?”
“I don’t feel comfortable having to watch over three people at once. Lee can go with them.”
Allen scoffed “Oh, come on. I just saved your ass.”
“You saved your own ass. I just happened to benefit from it.”
“What about Clara?” Walt whispered.
“Jenny won’t let anything happen. And we’ll make sure he’s unarmed before he gets in.”
Lee turned away and blankly stared through the window for a few moments before he said “Is it really that bad out there? That you have to be this scared of us?”
“When we have time to tell you the whole story, you’ll understand.” I tried to appear apologetic when my eye moved to Allen. It appeared as though he wanted to hit me… Guess I can’t blame him. Having a gun pointed in my face would piss me off too… Especially if Walt was with me…
Since the shredders were far back, but still visible in the rear view mirror, Walt drove about a hundred yards once he turned out of the complex. The tired brakes of the Volvo sounded off like nails on chalkboard when he came to a stop so we could wait for Brian and the others to catch up.
I said “We can’t keep this car. The shredders can probably hear those brakes squeal from a quarter-mile away.”
Veronica tilted her head, and mockingly said “Shredders? Sounds like something from a bad horror movie.”
“I didn’t come up with it…”
“Eh, I guess it makes sense. Have to call them something.”
After a quick look around to make sure it was safe to get out, I turned the gun on Lee. “Sorry, but I need you to step out so I can search you.”
Lee seemed to understand why we were being so cautious, even though he was still intensely nervous. Without hesitation, he quickly opened the door and stepped out.
Lee looked so young, even more so than Walt. I could tell by the way he carried himself that he was at least twenty-one, but his soft features and reddish cheeks suggested otherwise. He was tense, and it seemed as though he was currently struggling to stave away a panic attack.
When I approached him, he put his hands in the air and turned around. As I felt around his belt line and checked all of his pockets, I said “Thank you for understanding.”
“You have no idea how happy I am to see other people. No idea... I had a machete and an axe too, but I totally forgot about them when I saw you through the window.”
“Don’t worry about it. Once we have larger numbers we’ll be able to clear out stores during the day and get whatever the hell we want.”
I continued down his legs to ensure he wasn’t hiding a knife or a small pistol. “We were in the same position not too long ago. My brother and I ran into a few people over the first couple of days, but after that we didn’t see a soul for almost a week… That’s another story.”
Brian and the others pulled up in the Cadillac, and Jenny got out. “What’s going on?”
“This is Lee. He was hiding out in another one of the apartments. I’d feel more comfortable if I didn’t have to keep an eye on all three of them… Just in case.”
“Understood.” Jenny said as she walked over and took his arm. “I’m Jenny, nice to meet you.” She apologetically smiled. “Sorry for the treatment… I’m sure James explained it to you.”
Lee nodded and
He took a deep breath and shook his head, then turned it sideways so I could see the ejection port and pulled the action back. “Look, it’s empty. Just like he said.”
The moment the entrance came into sight, I could see that Brian had lost the pack and was flying toward us. I said “Walt, get out to the main road, then get Brian to stop.”
“What?”
“I don’t feel comfortable having to watch over three people at once. Lee can go with them.”
Allen scoffed “Oh, come on. I just saved your ass.”
“You saved your own ass. I just happened to benefit from it.”
“What about Clara?” Walt whispered.
“Jenny won’t let anything happen. And we’ll make sure he’s unarmed before he gets in.”
Lee turned away and blankly stared through the window for a few moments before he said “Is it really that bad out there? That you have to be this scared of us?”
“When we have time to tell you the whole story, you’ll understand.” I tried to appear apologetic when my eye moved to Allen. It appeared as though he wanted to hit me… Guess I can’t blame him. Having a gun pointed in my face would piss me off too… Especially if Walt was with me…
Since the shredders were far back, but still visible in the rear view mirror, Walt drove about a hundred yards once he turned out of the complex. The tired brakes of the Volvo sounded off like nails on chalkboard when he came to a stop so we could wait for Brian and the others to catch up.
I said “We can’t keep this car. The shredders can probably hear those brakes squeal from a quarter-mile away.”
Veronica tilted her head, and mockingly said “Shredders? Sounds like something from a bad horror movie.”
“I didn’t come up with it…”
“Eh, I guess it makes sense. Have to call them something.”
After a quick look around to make sure it was safe to get out, I turned the gun on Lee. “Sorry, but I need you to step out so I can search you.”
Lee seemed to understand why we were being so cautious, even though he was still intensely nervous. Without hesitation, he quickly opened the door and stepped out.
Lee looked so young, even more so than Walt. I could tell by the way he carried himself that he was at least twenty-one, but his soft features and reddish cheeks suggested otherwise. He was tense, and it seemed as though he was currently struggling to stave away a panic attack.
When I approached him, he put his hands in the air and turned around. As I felt around his belt line and checked all of his pockets, I said “Thank you for understanding.”
“You have no idea how happy I am to see other people. No idea... I had a machete and an axe too, but I totally forgot about them when I saw you through the window.”
“Don’t worry about it. Once we have larger numbers we’ll be able to clear out stores during the day and get whatever the hell we want.”
I continued down his legs to ensure he wasn’t hiding a knife or a small pistol. “We were in the same position not too long ago. My brother and I ran into a few people over the first couple of days, but after that we didn’t see a soul for almost a week… That’s another story.”
Brian and the others pulled up in the Cadillac, and Jenny got out. “What’s going on?”
“This is Lee. He was hiding out in another one of the apartments. I’d feel more comfortable if I didn’t have to keep an eye on all three of them… Just in case.”
“Understood.” Jenny said as she walked over and took his arm. “I’m Jenny, nice to meet you.” She apologetically smiled. “Sorry for the treatment… I’m sure James explained it to you.”
Lee nodded and
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