by Daniel Smith
“Whoa hold your fire,” the face said with a look of panic on it at the sight of the barrel of the shotgun pointed directly at him.
“We are just looking for food,” the face said Manny motioned with the shotgun for him to enter the store. As the person stood Dan saw another face appear in the opening.
Dan and Manny watched as this group of people started invading their sanctuary. He was unsure of how he felt as Manny stood talking to them calmly as if it was nothing. For his part, he was feeling angry at the intrusion. Watching a patch of hair slowly form into a head and torso as the rest the body wiggled into the opening now created between the bookshelf and the doors followed by another. Dan watched as the men he thought more boys they were the late teens or early twenty’s stood up in front of the door. Manny stood looking at the group of five people standing in front of them now. They were all wearing dirty clothes and looked like they had been in them for several days. Dan thought this because the smell emanating from them. The leader of this new group stood looking at Manny.
“I didn't know anyone else was in here,” he said looking at the barrel of Manny's shotgun.
Manny for his part just smiled and lowered the shotgun slightly so it was not pointing directly at them. Before he began speaking in a calm voice.
“We were not expecting company. The only people around lately have been unfriendly,” he said. This brought what sounded like forced laughter from the group Dan thought.
“We came looking for some food,” one of the young women said from the group. Dan turned his attention to her studying her for a moment. She could not have been more than twenty with rather dirty medium length blonde hair that fell flatly off her head and clump together in places with some unknown substance. The badly stained sneakers and blue jeans she wore complemented the dirty green tank top she was wearing which seemed a size too small. Dan thought nervously as prominent nipples appeared in the fabric on her chest signaling she was not wearing a bra.
Dan turned his attention from her a feeling of embarrassment and discomfort coming over him as he looked at the rest of the group. They were all similarly dressed in the dirty clothes and the other woman was showing off her nipples threw the dirty white T-shirt she was wearing. Manny for his part just nodded at what she had said.
“Well there's food here, you might just want to close the door enough to make sure we get no unexpected guests,” Manny said still smiling.
Dan for some reason felt angry at seeing the new people hesitate at closing the opening they had made when they entered their sanctuary. Both he and Manny watched as the group pushed the metal bookshelf back in front of the broken door with a metallic screech. The moment of awkward silence past as they looked at one another.
“Well,” Manny said calmly.
“Welcome, we are living here in the office. We have been trying to make our way to the safe area. Unfortunately we have run into delays in our attempts to get there,” he said smiling.
Dan watched as the group exchanged some unspoken form of communication as they looked around at one another before their leader spoke. He was about five foot seven with black curly hair and blue eyes he was of medium build not well muscular but not flabby either. He spoke up immediately silencing the others of the group.
“We went to the safe area; it wasn't all that they said. They were having trouble providing food and protection like they said they would,” the man started in atone to Dan seemed rehearsed.
“We had to leave quickly and forge for ourselves,” the man said as a way of an ending. Manny for his part just calmly nodded his head at all this before speaking.
“It is a big store we are living in the manager's office. You are welcome to stay as long as you want. We are planning on heading out soon. Depending on the number of the infected we face outside between us and the safe area.”
The leader for his part just look at his group and watched as they nodded their heads agreeing before turning the to face Manny.
“Is it just the two of you,” he asked something in his tone caused Dan to look at him. Manny for his part just nodded.
“Yes there are three of us but like I said we are planning on leaving soon.”
The leader of the new group slowly nodded at this before looking at his people.
“We should be able to get what we want to eat before we decide what to do next,” he said.
Manny for his part just nodded again as he and Dan watched as the group started wandering down the aisles. Grabbing different food off-the-shelf ripping open the packages and eating before simply discarding the empty wrappers onto the floor. This enraged Dan at least they took the time to at least put the trash they created in to bags. Hauling them up the scaffolding to the roof. Throwing the full bags in the trash cans in alley with the food that spoiled when they lost power. Looking at the empty wrappers on the floor was offensive. Dan turned to see Manny studying the group as they moved off he had a sad smile on his face.
“I have my concerns,” Manny said. “Just try to be understanding with them,” he said in the way of an opening.
“They have been outside, possibly for a longtime let us, see how they adapt to how we live here. Say nothing about the van or any other weapons we have for now,” Manny said calmly.
“Your bow is at the range and your sword is in the office,” Manny asked still sounding calm. This was confusing him making him unsure of what to think. They had pushed a blank shelf with a sheet of drywall in front of the hole they had made into the building housing the minivan with their extra supplies. They had left open the holes leading into the pawnshop and other shops in the strip mall.
“No the sword is with the van,” he said sounding slightly angry. Dan got angry when he heard one of the newcomers yell out.
“I found an old woman over here,” a male voice called out mockingly.
Causing laughter to erupt from more people in the group.
“I don’t think she is right in the head,” another member of the group called out. At seeing her wandering down the aisles looking for something to make for dinner ignoring them. She was selecting enough food to feed all of them. The new group seemed interested at the holes punch threw the walls leading into the nail salon, pawnshop and archery shop. They stood looking impressed at the small range Manny had set up for Dan to practice on. Several of them going into the archery shop to remove a couple of bows. Trying them out on the practice range their shots going wild none with the degree of skill that he was starting to show.
This started a new routine for several days causing Dan to feel slightly confused at first when one of the women would come up and talk to him. He did not remember what questions they were asking him. However, they felt along the lines if they had a car or other weapons he remembered what Manny had told him about not answering questions like that. If the young women had realized he was avoiding the questions they did not let on. They enjoyed teasing him when he noticed that they were not wearing a bra under their T-shirts. One even pulling her shirt tight causing the nipples to poke prominently through her shirt.
“They look like spotlights don’t they,” the blond joke. As she used a finger tracing a circle on the T-shirt around her nipple.
When they did this, it would cause him to pause whatever he was saying as he tried to avoid staring at the sight before him.
The young women would just walk away laughing at his discomfort. Dan managed sometimes stumbling for words to tell a smiling Manny about the meetings. He sensed a change in their moods after one evening when Manny had questioned them about the safe areas. Dan was on watch and feeling angry at the time. These new people had shown up and interrupted his life. Every time Manny started to train him in the exercises or archery practice. One or more showing up interrupting them making rude or what they thought were funny comments on what Manny was teaching him. Manny for his part would just, smile and continue as if they had said nothing. Dan was getting angry. His training on firearms had stopped and making matters worse the
newcomers would not even take a turn on watch at night with Dan or Manny. As they sat finishing dinner that night. The group talking between them as if Dan his mother and Manny did not exist. They sat discussing the future and how the store would be a good place for them to start.
Dan wanted to yell at them to say something like that they were here first. However, just about the time he was going to start he caught a warning look from Manny stopping him. He could not be sure if this was real or imagined but he held his tongue as he and Manny talked about the watch schedule.
“Keep an eye on them,” Manny whispered as the group settled down to sleep through the night.
It was the next day slightly before noon that he realized there was trouble. Dan could hear several members of the new group harassing his mother as she looked for something to make for lunch.
Getting angry at this he stormed up to stop them. When one of the young women stepped in front of him with a smile on her face stopping him in his tracks. He started to push her aside, then winced in pain as a knife suddenly pressed into his ribs from behind. He could feel a small trickle of blood start to run down the inside his shirt. He felt angry, frustrated and ashamed at his inability to prevent this from happening. The woman still smiling grab his left arm violently twisting it behind his back as she pushed him forward, the other boy was treating his mother the same way. Slowly moving him and his mother towards the store office where they have been staying. A cold feeling of dread washed over him as he saw Manny standing facing the leader of the group who now had the short black pistol grip shotgun in his hands. Mixed emotions washed over him as he saw his mother who seemed confused.
“I need to start lunch,” Trudy said looking confused.
The blond woman of the group laughing at her comment.
Dan wanted to lash out at everything around him as the grip tightened on his arm as he struggled to move. He stood watching with growing anger as Manny, speaking to the leader as if he was not holding a shotgun.
“It's time for you to leave,” he demanded of Manny.
Manny for his part look calm.
“We would if we could,” he said. His answer making the leader of group angrier as he brandished the shotgun towards Manny, Dan and his mother.
“I don't care, this is our store now;” he screamed almost in panic.
Dan felt the anger growing as his mother seemed oblivious to what was going on and at Manny who was strangely calm.
“Well if that is the way it has to be,” Manny said calmly turning his head slightly making direct eye contact with Dan. The people holding them missed it. Dan looked into those brown eyes watching as they flicked between his eyes and the knee of the man holding the shotgun several times. He stood trying to understand what this meant before he heard.
“What you should know,” Manny started calmly as if no one was pointing a shotgun at him.
“Is the Mossberg 500 shotgun you are holding has two separate built in safeties that you have to release before you can fire it.” Manny said matter-of-factly.
Dan noticed the dumbfounded looks on the group and their leader. As he once again noticed, Manny's brown eyes locked onto his blue and glance down towards the man with the shotgun’s knee. Dan almost shook at the awareness of the signal even though one person was holding his arm behind his back he realized his legs were free. He felt that all eyes were on him as he looked down at the man’s knee. Doing his best to judge the distance. His foot would have to travel to impact with the man’s knee as Manny had taught him. Time stood still as his blue eyes locked with Manny’s brown eyes and signal an understanding.
Before his right leg lashed violently out, he felt the heel of his foot impact on the side of the man's blue jeans at the knee. Feeling the bone crunch suddenly. Knocking the man off balance by the impact. Dan thought he felt the crunch transfer up his leg as he reached his full extension. Dan still feeling time had slowed down swung his foot back bringing it down onto the upper arch of the foot of the woman holding the knife to his ribs. He listened as the woman let go yelling in pain at the impact. Dan looked on shocked with the rest of the group. Watching Manny effortlessly reach out, pulling the shotgun away from the now falling leader as he trained it on several members of the group. Then in a calm voice he told them.
“The first safety,” he moved with an audible click of a finger. “The second is this slide release,” he said pushing it up with another finger.
“And now if I flex this finger,” he said wiggling his index finger slightly in the trigger guard.
“It will go off and you will die,” a hard-edge replacing the calmness of his voice.
The young woman holding Dan’s mothers arm let go at seeing this as he wasted no time moving his mother away from the group to stand slightly behind Manny.
“Do me a favor,” Manny said to Dan. “Grabbed my rifle.”
He went into the office to reemerge with Manny’s Ruger model 7736 the stainless steel barrel sitting on top of the black synthetic stock. Handing the rifle to Manny to the horrified looks of the group. Taking it one-handed to point the rifle at the group. Before handing the shotgun to Dan. The group looked annoyed at their leader who was sobbing on the ground holding his leg that was sitting at an odd angle to his body.
“You,” Manny said motioning with the rifle to one man.
“Go grab your stuff from your corner. And If you think you can run away the bullet from this rifle is faster than you,” he said. Motioning with the rifle towards the corner they had be using.
“What are you going to do,” the young woman with the dirty blonde hair asked with a note of fear and panic in her voice.
Manny didn't answer her question instead he looked at Trudy and said.
“If you want to get something ready for lunch go right ahead their will only be the three of us,” Trudy just looked up.
“Okay,” she said moving off down the aisle searching for something to make for lunch.
The man returned dragging and carrying the group possessions plus several items taken from the store and pawnshop. Including a crossbow and some arrows from the archery shop. Manny motion with the rifle barrel for him to start dividing the items to the rest of the group.
“What are you going to do,” the blond woman asked again.
“You're leaving,” he said none too pleasantly. Dan watched as looks of horror crossed their faces.
“I can't walk you broke my leg,” the leader said almost crying as he looked up from the ground. Manny shook his head.
“That's your problem. Now you two pick him up and head to the back door,” he told them.
The group carrying their injured leader covered by Manny and Dan moved to the back door. Stopping the group looked at the two of them fear obvious on their faces.
“You can't do this the infected are out there we will not get far,” one young womon started stopping at the look on Manny's face. Dan looked at Manny the calm and easygoing look that he always had gone. Now a hard unfriendly look was on his face instead.
“If you expect mercy you should be willing to show it. You were going to throw us out there and I don't think you would've let us take our weapons with us,” he stated coldly before speaking to Dan but not sounding so cold.
“Dan go to the roof and when I send them out if they try to get back in the store shoot them,” Manny told Dan.
He just nodded his head as he moved away from them heading for the scaffolding.
Making his way onto the roof to look down into the alleyway seeing it clear. Then he saw the door open.
“Now go,” He heard Manny say. Then he saw the first of the group come out. They said nothing as they entered the alley with their fallen leader. One of the young women looking up at Dan on the roof a pleading look on her face as the door slammed shut. Causing a second of misgiving crossing over him replaced as anger flared in him at what they had tried stamping it out.
Dan just shook his head slightly watching her face lose all hope. The others making half
hearted pleads for them to open the door before Manny made it to the roof. At seeing him still holding the rifle the group resided themselves to their fate. Dan watched the alleyway realizing the group did not notice as three zombies rounded the corner of the minimart. Dan watched in silence as the group turned to see the zombies who had started that pitiful moan of theirs. One of the young women started screaming and pounding on the door.
“Please let me back in there, please,” she wailed as she looked up at Dan who was starting to feel sorrow and regret as he saw her and did nothing. The women broke into a frantic run heading for the trees past the open field behind the store. Before the two people holding their leader dropped him on the ground and took off running after the women. Dan watched as the man tried crawling after them as he looked at the approaching zombies then up to the roof where Dan and Manny stood watching.
He could clearly hear the man screaming hysterically.
“Don’t leave me please don't leave me.”
Dan looked away as the first of the zombies fell onto the man tearing at him with teeth and hands to see Manny standing behind him. A sad look on his face clearing as he spoke.
“Let's go.”
Dan looked at him as the man’s screams stopped. The confusion on his face clearly visible.
“It's my fault he’s dead. I broke his leg,” Dan choked out as emotion flooded his throat. Manny shook his head as he put a slim hand on his shoulder.
“No, it’s theirs. They bought this on them self’s. They decided to do this. You just did what you had to do to protect yourself, and your Mother,” he said calmly as he shook Dan’s shoulder.
“Why,” he asked still feeling torn.
The moment of silence between them, seemingly drawing out forever before Manny spoke with a sigh.
“If you ever want to know what a person is truly like. Do not judge them on how they act when there are rules and other people watching. Judge their actions when no one is watching. With the only person they answer to is themselves, you will learn their true nature,” Manny simply stated. Dan looked at him not fully understanding what he said but just followed Manny back into the store.