by Marla Monroe
“I don’t see any signs of life,” Stanton said, putting her thoughts into words.
“I know there’s at least one person here,” Stanton told them. “One of the houses about two blocks back had boards over the window on the inside with initials painted on them. It keeps them safer and lets friends or relatives who might be looking for them know where they are.”
“I never would have noticed. Is that the only one you’ve seen so far?” Stanton asked, looking back and forth at the houses and businesses as he avoided stalled vehicles scattered up and down the road.
“So far. That might be the person who keeps watch and warns the others who would live in the deeper neighborhoods, away from where most people will stop and look for supplies.”
Lyssa didn’t take her eyes off the road ahead of them, watching for anything that might be a threat to them. She spotted a large, open parking lot next to a convenience store. There were quite a few cars that looked abandoned since they were covered in dirt and dust.
“Over there. What about that, Wade?”
He followed her pointing finger and leaned forward. Stanton slowed down almost to a stop.
“Drive by it, Stanton, so I can get a good look of everything around it.” Wade watched as they drove by.
She couldn’t see anything dangerous, but she wasn’t the expert here, Wade was. They inched by while he assessed the area. Once they’d passed by the sight, Stanton sped up a little.
“What do you think?” he asked.
“I didn’t see anything that raised a red flag with me. I think it’s okay, but we need to keep our eyes and ears open. Turn around somewhere and go back. Back the truck into the lot with the nose pointing to the entrance. Do you have length of hose to siphon with? What about a gas can?” Wade asked.
“Got both,” Stanton told him.
“Good. It will be better to keep the truck as near the way out as possible and use the gas can. It means making quite a few trips, but it’s the safest way. I don’t want to get blocked in with no way out.” Wade sat back as Stanton found a clear spot to turn the truck around.
Once they reached the parking lot again, Stanton pulled slightly past it then backed in until the nose of the truck was in the drive part. He didn’t turn off the engine but looked over at Wade. Lyssa waited to see what Wade would have them do next.
“Okay. Lyssa, stay in the truck with the doors locked. You’re our eyes. If you see anyone coming up or any dogs or wolves, honk the horn to warn us,” he said.
“What? Dogs or wolves?” Lyssa didn’t understand why he would expect wolves and why would they care about a stray dog?
“The wolves have grown very dangerous. They are taking back over with so few humans in the area now, they aren’t afraid of humans like they used to be and will attack for no reason. The dogs are in packs now as well and will attack. We’ve even seen a few wild dogs traveling with the wolves.” Wade’s explanation horrified her. She’d thought the only threats they had to worry about were Arnold with his posse and the lawmen who searched for women.
She just stared at Wade. The grim expression on his face told her he had firsthand knowledge of how dangerous the wolves and even the stray dogs were. It was obvious it hadn’t been a pleasant experience.
“Stay in the truck no matter what,” he reminded her. Then he looked over at Stanton. “Ready?”
“Yeah. Let’s do this.”
Both men climbed out of the truck with Stanton pulling his seat up to pull out a gas can and about a four foot length of cut off garden hose. They closed the doors with Wade knocking on the window and pointing to the door locks. Lyssa locked the truck and watched them as they walked toward the nearest vehicle.
Reminding herself that she needed to keep watch for any trouble, she began scanning the area all around her, terrified she’d miss something with so much space to cover. The wind blew enough that it picked up leaves and discarded paper drawing her attention and making her heart race before she realized it wasn’t a threat.
The first time the men returned to empty the gas can into the truck’s tank, she nearly screamed. They kept their eyes roaming as well as they emptied the gas into the truck. Then they hurried off once more. It seemed to take hours for them to fill the truck’s tank up again. By the time they finished, Lyssa’s hands were shaking and her neck ached from turning it so much trying to keep an eye on everything around her.
She unlocked the doors as soon as they walked up and Wade tapped on the window above the door lock. Stanton returned the hose and the fuel can behind the seat then climbed back behind the wheel.”
“What about checking the convenience store for food?” she asked as Stanton pulled out of the parking lot.
“There wouldn’t be anything left worth having. The door is busted, so someone has already been through it. We’ll look for a larger store. There’s a better chance we’ll find something in one.” Wade looked over at Stanton. “The next turn you see, take it. We need to find one that’s not on the main drag.”
“Got it.” Stanton made a turn a block later.
They spent the next thirty minutes searching for another store. Finally, they found another quick stop that had the doors and windows intact and no sign that anyone was staying there. Wade had told them that some of the station’s owners had moved in to continue to sell gas until it ran out. Some of them were even able to get more gas delivered by the few fuel trucks still running.
Two small oil companies had managed to continue producing oil since they had generators to help run the pumps. The large companies were run by corporations, so when everything had gone crazy, the employees had either died or weren’t about to go back to work when they had to keep their families safe. The CEOs sure weren’t going to keep them going by themselves.
“The small companies are mostly run by family and friends. They kept them going, paying their employees in food and gas which are the main form of currency now,” he said.
They backed in once more. This time, Wade let her get out so she could see if the bathroom was usable. When they walked up to the door, Wade tried it, but it didn’t budge. Then he knocked. When no one showed up to either let them in or tell them to leave, he used the crowbar he’d gotten out of the truck to break the glass. Stale air seeped out the broken section before the entire door shattered into tiny pieces that littered the ground.
“Safety glass,” Stanton said.
“Okay, we’re in,” Wade told them after he’d reached around the busted door and unlocked it. “Keep your ears open for noises. We don’t want to get surprised by someone.”
Lyssa’s eyes slowly adjusted to the dim light coming from the dirty storefront windows. They needed flashlights and batteries. She found some shopping bags hanging off a hook near the door and grabbed all of them. It looked like the quick stop carried more than the normal quick grabs that most convenience stores stocked.
She found the two men and handed them each two bags then took an aisle to begin filling her bags. Once she had one full, she set it at the end of the shelves and proceeded to fill the other one. She bypassed the candy and cakes since they’d be long out of date. She had to avert her eyes from the section of breads cakes and pastries since they looked more like a giant science experiment than anything else. The stale, moldy air was enough to keep her gag reflex on active duty as it was.
When that bag was full, Lyssa walked around the front counter and pulled out the plastic bags they used for the customers’ purchases. While she was back there, she located flashlights, and all sorts of great finds. When she moved some folders of paperwork the back of her hand brushed against something above it. She bent lower and looked up under the counter and gasped. There was a gun mounted there.
“Wade, I found a gun mounted under the counter.”
He immediately walked to the where she crouched and peered under as well. He smiled at her.
“Good work. Look for a screwdriver then search for bullets.”
They couldn’t fin
d anything to use to remove the gun, but she found a box of bullets. Wade cursed planting his hands on his hips.
“There should be an office here somewhere. I bet it has tools and maybe more bullets,” she said.
“Good idea. Let’s look for that.” He called out to Stanton and told him what they were doing.
Wade let the way as they walked to the back of the store where the coolers where located. He opened a wood door only to find it stuffed with brooms, mops, and other cleaning supplies. They walked the perimeter of the store but couldn’t find another door.
“What about a bathroom? I mean whoever was working here had to use the bathroom at some point. Were they outside?” she asked.
“Not unless they’re behind the building,” he said with a sigh.
“Then it has to be behind the cooler door somehow,” she decided and turned in that direction.
Wade followed her. Sure enough, when they opened the cooler door, there was actually a small room with another door across from the real cooler door. The other thing they both noticed was the stench of stale air that had essentially been sealed inside for a very long time. She wasn’t sure, but it didn’t smell quite like she expected it to.
“We’re going to need a flashlight to see anything in here,” he said.
She pulled out the small Maglite she’d found under the counter where they gun was and handed to him with a smile.
“You’re really good at breaking and entering and knowing what valuables to take,” Wade teased.
She followed Wade over to the door they assumed was the office. He opened it and she knew why it smelled odd. She gasped and took a step back.
Chapter Four
“My God! How long has he been in there?” Lyssa asked, horrified at the sight of what had once been a man sitting at a desk.
“Long enough for the stench to dissipate thank goodness. With that cooler door closed and the doors to get drinks out shut with seals, he basically mummified,” Wade told her.
“Yuck. I—I don’t think I’ll go in there. I might be used to blood, guts, and gore, but I’m not fond of skeletons or mummies. The dead people I dealt with hadn’t been dead nearly that long.”
He chuckled. “I’ll check it out. Keep the door open and keep an eye on Stanton so no one walks up on him while we’re in here.”
She returned to the door and opened it most of the way to peer out. It took a few seconds to find Stanton. He was filling plastic bags with the medications off the shelves. Most if not all of them would be out of date, but the only ones that might hurt them would be antibiotics that you had to get at the pharmacy. About the only thing over the counter drugs would do was just not work or maybe cause a stomach ache.
She could hear Wade rummaging around in the office and occasionally saw the beam from the Maglite flashing around the room. The thought of that man dying in there all alone bothered her more than she would have imagined. She couldn’t help but wonder how or why he’d died. Had it been from one of the diseases? Surely he would have been at home in bed with the way they had incapacitated people. That left a heart attack or maybe foul play. If it had been foul play, why had the door been locked and why hadn’t it looked like someone had been in there and taken stuff?
Wade appeared at the doorway of the office. “I’ve got some tools, more bullets, and a handgun. He’d evidently used it to kill himself. The other side of his head is pretty mangled.”
“That explains how he died. I was standing here wondering. I guess he probably lost his family and was too depressed to go on,” she said.
“Probably. I’d say he was in his late sixties.” Wade carried his haul as he walked toward her. “Let’s finish up and get out of here. It’s late enough that I think we need to find a place to settle down for the night.”
That gave her something else to have to worry about. Where would they sleep—the truck, the bed of the truck? She didn’t like either of those ideas. Maybe they could find an abandoned house somewhere. She’d have to ask Wade once they were finished and on their way again.
Thoughts of Wade and Stanton sleeping next to her plagued her thoughts as she hurried around filling the plastic bags with items they could use. She couldn’t help but be attracted to both men. They were each honorable, exceptional handsome men. She’d have to be a saint not to find herself wondering about them sexually. It wasn’t like she was going to act on her thoughts or that they would even be interested. Still, she couldn’t help but think about how muscular Wade appeared under the T-shirt stretched tightly across his chest, and his ass made her want to squeeze it or better yet, sink her teeth into it.
Stanton had the face of Adonis and a body shaped like a swimmer or maybe a cyclist with strong, thick thighs that she couldn’t help but admire as her left leg had been pressed so tightly against his earlier in the truck. Since he hadn’t been able to shave, he had a light brushing of dark whiskers across his face. With his long black hair, he looked like a rogue that would be at home with a saber in one hand and a cavalier complete with feather on his head.
She doubted the attraction was mutual since neither of them appeared the least bit aware of her as more than the dirty, scraggly woman they’d rescued from a jail cell. It made her long for a hot bath and a change of clothes. The jeans and blouse she had on now were filthy, not to mention how they smelled.
Once everything they could find of any use had been loaded into the truck, the three of them climbed back into the vehicle with Wade driving this time. Stanton had brought of the issue of finding a place to spend the night and Stanton agreed.
“We’ll look for a place away from the main section of town to cut down on the possibility of someone coming in on us,” he said.
As they drove through the streets she felt more and more aware of the two men with every passing block. Was it her imagination, or was Wade’s hand deliberately brushing intimately along the inside of her thigh? The sensation was arousing, causing her blood to heat and her pussy to moisten. She’d never felt this way before and wasn’t sure what to do.
As they drove through neighborhoods, Wade dismissed each area, saying the houses were too close. He said it was safer to find one a ways away from other residences to give them room to run if they needed to. With her focus divided between looking for a suitable place to spend the night and how hot and wet she’d gotten over the way Wade’s hand brushed against her, Lyssa missed when Stanton had draped an arm along the back of the truck’s seat. Now she felt the heat from his arm against the back of her neck and her breasts began to tingle. She felt as if her skin wasn’t her own. What was happening to her?
“There we go,” Wade said jerking her thoughts back to the road.
He pulled down a long lane that led to a small house set way back off the road. When she looked around, there weren’t any houses close by. It looked as if at least two acres separated it from the two on either side. As they stopped in the back where a carport stood hidden from the road, she watched Wade’s face as he looked through the windshield at the structure with a critical eye.
“Looks empty based on how nothing’s been done to the grass and shrubs in a long time and that the windows are all intact. With no car in the drive, it would suggest that the owners fled or just never made it back home for some reason,” he said.
“Do we go in to check it out?” Stanton asked.
“Since no one’s come to the door, I think it’s safe enough. Let me back the truck around into the carport. We’ll all go in to check it out.” Wade turned the truck around and slowly backed it up until it was completely hidden from the road out front. Then all three of them got out, making their way through the overgrown grass and spreading bushes.
Wade climbed the steps, but Stanton held her back with a hand on each shoulder. His nearness set her nerve endings on fire. She wanted to lean against him, but she refrained. She had to get her body under control.
Like back at the store, Wade knocked on the door. He banged with his fist several more times, t
hen turned to them and shrugged.
“Looks like we break in,” he said.
“Wait. The store wouldn’t have, but they might have a key hidden for emergencies. A lot of people do that. Let’s look first,” she suggested.
“You and Stanton go around to the front door in case it’s up there instead of back here. I’ll check here and the garage. I’d rather not break a window that would let the elements in when it rains. Someone else might pass through here and need a place to stay.” Wade reached up and started checking over the door frame.
Stanton grabbed her hand to turn her around and the two of them tromped through the weeds toward the front. She could feel beggar’s lice sticking to her clothes and dreaded the chore of removing them later. Then she thought about chiggers and almost moaned. She’d have to make up something to get rid of them and stop the itch if they got them.
They started looking as soon as they got to the front porch. Lyssa checked under every rock she found then checked inside the mailbox hanging sideways next to the door. There wasn’t one in the mailbox or under the flower pots and Wade didn’t find one around the casing of the door frame either. They were just about to give up and tromp back around to the back again when the front door suddenly swung inward, startling Lyssa so that she let out a short scream.
Stanton immediately put a hand over her mouth. “Shh. We don’t need to broadcast where we are, darling.” He let go of her mouth when she nodded.
“Sorry. Wade opening the door scared me. I wasn’t expecting it.” She started to turn away but stopped and frowned back up at him. “Why do you keep calling me darling?”