“Thank you,” Max said, turning to them and sounding awed, as though he never expected anyone to try to come to his rescue.
“You’re welcome,” Jade said. “Now can we please get me back to the hotel to patch up this wound? I’m starting to feel a little woozy. Matt, I might just have to take you up on your offer to stay a little longer. Looks like I’ll be out of commission for a bit.”
“You’re in luck,” Matthew said. “We just had a vacancy. The best room, just for you.”
31
Matthew lent a hand to help Jade brace herself against the metal door of the freezer just outside the gas station’s front door. On the freezer’s side, white and light blue lettering advertised that they sold bags of ice for two bucks. Shaking his head, he knew that if he opened up that freezer he’d find nothing but plastic bags floating in a sea of water. Max rested against the freezer beside Jade. The two of them looked the worse for wear, and Matthew knew it was important to head back to the hotel, but he had to make sure they didn’t overexert themselves in the process. At least Jade’s wound wasn’t mortal.
Matthew walked back over to Wyatt, who was crouched next to Colin and inspecting his pockets. As Matthew got closer, Wyatt held his hand out and dropped a handful of unused bullets into Matthew’s palm. Matthew paused before voicing the concern growing inside of him.
“Can we do this? I mean, scavenge from these people like this?” Matthew asked as he inspected the bullets. Some were stained with blood but others looked to be in tip-top condition. He felt a little uneasy about taking things off of the dead cartel members, but at the same time, he didn’t want to pass up usable items that would help make their lives easier in the future.
Wyatt shrugged and handed Matthew the handgun Colin had carried. “In my opinion, I wouldn’t usually do such a thing, but in times like these, resources are and will be difficult to come by. We should start thinking of our items as things that should be passed down to others instead of kept with us when it’s our time.” He paused and surveyed the rest of the gas station. “Plus, I don’t think I could leave all this ammo and weaponry for someone else to take. Puts me on edge. Don’t you feel the same?”
Matthew laughed. “I do, unfortunately. At least our priorities are aligned.”
Wyatt grinned as he stood. “Glad to hear it, Riley. I heard a couple of good guns going off while we were fighting. You take one side of the gas station and I’ll take the other and we can divvy up what we find. How’s that sound?”
Matthew nodded and again felt that sensation of partnership fill him. It was the same feeling he’d experienced while they were walking to the gas station. As if he was finally in the presence of people he could learn to trust and have that invaluable respect returned. Maybe they could create something special. Maybe they wouldn’t have to get through the apocalypse alone.
Walking over to other fallen cartel members, Matthew checked all their pockets and the surrounding area, keeping his eyes averted from the worst of the injuries. He felt remorse for what he had done, but at the same time, it felt as though it was a necessary evil. He hadn’t wanted to hurt or kill these people, but the life of his son was far too important to have those kinds of thoughts get in the way. “I wish we could have worked something out,” he said out loud as he pocketed a fresh supply of ammunition and a pocket knife along with a new handgun. He stripped holsters off the bodies and took anything that might be helpful. Standing up, he surveyed the area and imagined how things could easily have gone sideways and not in their favor.
The gas station looked horrible. The onslaught of bullets had left the concrete pillars with a gnawed appearance. Holes pockmarked the ground. The plastic and glass displays had been shattered, leaving the pieces glittering on the ground and crunching underfoot. The shadows cast by the setting sun gave it an ominous ambiance. Behind him, the shield of cars that had protected their lives looked like dented and blasted hunks of metal. The glass windshields looked as though they’d gone through an asteroid field, leaving white crater impacts across them. Side mirrors dangled off the doors, barely held on by wires. The gas station itself had suffered immense damage as well, its bulletproof front windows dented and marred. The front door had been busted in at some point and now sat off-kilter in the frame. Matthew saw Patton moving inside the gas station, looking for any kind of supplies they could bring back to the hotel with them as well as items that could help treat Jade.
Matthew hauled his newfound supplies over to Wyatt, who had spread out his finds on the dented hood of a car that had been caught in the middle of their gunfire. The mirrors and lights had been shattered, but the bumps on the hood allowed Wyatt to create two separate piles that wouldn’t roll off. Matthew dumped his stuff down.
Wyatt nodded in appreciation. “Lots of good stuff here,” he said as he began to inspect everything.
Matthew grunted in response and watched the Marine work, hoping to learn something. Wyatt eyed the bullets, looking for any imperfections that might make them backfire
