Exiting the vehicle, she ran back over to the truck and jumped in.
“Get us the hell out of here. There’s no telling if anyone heard me. The guy had a ton of scripts, either he was a junkie or an idiot. Either way, he’s dead.”
“Christ. I can’t believe he was going to fire on us, you had him and he still raised his weapon.”
“I don’t know what to tell you. He might have been too high to have used his brain, or his brain was just plain mush. Poor bastard paid with his life.” Paadi said darkly, looking back over her shoulder at the body in the road. Her eyes continued to scan the tree line.
“I’m going to drive a lot faster; I want to get the hell to Lancaster. It’s getting late, maybe we can find a hotel and hunker down for the night once we finish at my folk’s house. I don’t think we’ll be able to stay there.”
“I’m there with you sister. Get this baby up to eighty. Once we finish at your parents, we can find a nice place to spend the night. I’m sure there are plenty of empty rooms.”
Emma was quiet now, concentrating on driving. Paadi looked out the window. In her years on the force, she’d never killed anyone. She’d never had to fire her weapon; she’d always used her cunning and her mind and her forceful personality. She’d chased down suspects, helped victims and walked the streets of Boston. She’d arrested drunks, druggies, addicts, homeless, thieves and gangbangers. She’d been kicked, bitten, spit on, puked on and smacked, but she’d taken it all in stride as part of her job.
This however, she knew the idiot was more than likely high and stupid to boot. If the bastard had just let them pass, he’d survived the virus, only to be killed by his stupidity. She sighed heavily and watched the landscape pass by in a blur. She angrily wiped at her eyes; she wasn’t sure why she’d cry over killing a dumbass. Perhaps it was because she knew how few humans there were now, and each life was precious. She thought about her husband and felt more tears slide down her face.
Shane was a sweet man and kind beyond words. He’d gone so fast as had the rest of her family. She’d held Shane in her arms as he bled away. The hospitals had been full, to overflowing and they’d told her to take him home and care for him. He’d either survive or he’d die. Her family had also died, her mother, father and two older brothers and their families. All gone. She’d hung around Boston as long as she could, but it only held the painful memories of lost loved ones. It was no place to stay. It was silent and lonely.
She looked over at Emma, who seemed a good sort. She’d met plenty of nurses in her work. Especially with victims of crimes. It was good to have a nurse handy, in this uncertain world. It was also good to have a friend. She was fairly sure that friends would be few and far between. She only hoped that the two of them wouldn’t run into any more trouble. But, being a realist, she knew that it would only be a matter of time before trouble found them.
Feeling the truck slow down, she looked up as Emma got off the highway and onto a town road. Sitting up and forward, her eyes scanned around. There were small stores, gas stations and restaurants. She didn’t see a soul, no one walked the streets, no vehicles, nothing. She saw dogs roaming the area, and a few cats sitting atop high perches. Those were the lucky animals; she was sure there were dead pets in many of the homes.
Emma turned the truck down a residential street and began to slow down even more. The lawns were all overgrown now, some homes had broken windows and doors. It was odd, why break into a home? There was no telling. Perhaps a desperate person? Or just an angry person? Paadi gave up on trying to figure people out in this new world. The truck turned on several streets and Emma stopped in front of a one story, mid-century ranch. Looking at Emma, she could see the sadness written all over her face.
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Flynn was sweating profusely; he was bringing down the last load of his life. He had shoved all the food he’d foraged into the Honda. He had two cases of water, seven large bags full of various canned foods, eight bags of flour, sugar, coffee, oil and every other box and bag of food he’d scrounged. He’d also packed most of his clothes. He paused a moment and bent at the waist. Going up and down the stairs had been the most exercise he’d done in well over a month. He’d gorged himself on cookies and canned fruit the previous night. He thought perhaps he was suffering from a sugar hangover.
He wiped the dripping sweat away with his forearm and looked around. Remembering again, that there were now four legged predators out there. It wouldn’t do to forget, which he had. At night, he’d heard grunts and groans from strange things in the dark. It had caused the hair on his body to lift in primordial fear. He now heard the occasional screech of some animal or other. Dogs barked furiously at things he couldn’t see. He shivered.
Getting into the car, he pulled out his map. He’d always lived in Philadelphia and had only left the city with his parents, or as a passenger with one of his friends driving. Now, he’d have to find his way to Lancaster. His
