The boy looked at Arthur and his eyes got wide. “He’s the one that was driving that big gray SUV with the kids,” the boy told the others.
Turning to the boy, “Just how the hell do you know that?” Arthur snapped.
The young woman let the pistol hang at her right side and took a step closer and watched Arthur move the AR in response. “We saw you driving out of a hardware store on the other side of town. We tried to follow, but you kept changing directions. Running through the neighborhoods, we would catch glimpses of you and even found a man pushing a shopping cart. He told us to hide, but said you had passed him,” the young woman said very fast, glancing back to the street.
A ‘whoosh’ sounded and they all jumped and turned to the car as flames erupted from underneath. “I take it, you don’t know the ones chasing you?” Arthur asked, lowering his AR.
“They are trying to kill us!” the young woman shouted with tears streaming down her face.
Watching the other three holding each other as they hid behind the young woman, Arthur took his left hand off the foregrip and motioned the young woman forward. When she was at arm’s length, Arthur held out his hand. “Give me your gun and get inside,” he said, staring at the young woman. She let out a gasp as Arthur continued.
“My kids are inside and they have weapons and two big ass dogs so if you try anything, you won’t live to see if it works. If you have other weapons, don’t pull them out. If your friends show up, I’ll have a chat with them and ask them to leave you alone.”
The four stared at Arthur with gaping mouths as he spoke calmly. “Mister, they are trying to kill us,” the young woman said slowly.
“Then I suggest you hand over that Glock and move inside. If your friends are rowdy, I’ll have to be firm with them,” Arthur told her, still holding out his hand.
Glancing back at the kids with her, the young woman reached down and grabbed the barrel with her left hand, then held the gun out to Arthur. “If you hurt us, I swear you’ll pay,” she said in a trembling voice.
Taking the gun, Arthur ejected the magazine and then racked the slide, catching the bullet in the air. “Little lady, I could’ve done that before you even got out of the car,” Arthur replied, putting the bullet back in the magazine. He slapped the magazine back in the gun and held it out to the young woman.
“Don’t you dare chamber a round in that store or you’ll be shot,” Arthur told her. Not believing Arthur was returning her pistol, the young woman reached out to take the pistol back and visibly relaxed. “Don’t wake the babies, now get inside,” Arthur instructed, hearing tires squealing from the west.
Shoving the Glock in the small of her back, the young woman led the others into the store and Arthur moved back behind the column. Leaning to the side so his left eye could see the road, Arthur tried to relax while hoping he hadn’t made a mistake.
After waiting for what seemed like a year, Arthur glanced at his watch and saw only ten minutes had passed since he’d heard the squealing tires. Dropping his left hand back to the AR, Arthur watched the road in front of the store.
A few minutes later, he heard the thumping of loud music and a small sports car drove along the road and stopped where the young woman had pulled over the curb. There was no entrance to the store off the main road. One had to turn onto the road on the west side to come into the parking lot.
The small sports car stayed stopped in the road and then backed up and pulled down the side road, then into the parking lot. It stopped twenty yards from the smoking car and both doors opened up. Two young men climbed out, both holding AKs. The driver was white and the passenger was black as another young white male climbed out from behind the driver.
“You can’t run and we need some pussy!” the driver shouted, looking around.
As the driver reached up and pulled his forearm across his nose, the black man glanced around. “They couldn’t have gone far,” he said.
“Fuck this, let’s find some more bitches,” the young male that had climbed out last said and then started coughing.
“We are going to fuck every bitch we see until we die!” the driver bellowed and Arthur stepped out from behind the column, aiming his AR.
“Too late, you’re dead,” he said, pulling the trigger twice and watching the driver twitch as the rounds punched through his chest. Swinging over, Arthur shot the black male twice in the chest and then moved his AR to the last one who was watching the driver clutch his chest.
Squeezing the trigger, Arthur watched the young man drop, letting out a wail that ended in a coughing fit. As the three rolled on the asphalt, Arthur calmly walked over to aim his AR like a pistol and shoot each one in the head. When he was done, Arthur aimed his AR inside the car and squeezed the trigger and the music shut off.
Kicking the guns away from the bodies, Arthur gave a sigh while looking at the red noses and knew none of the kids were over twenty-five. “Should’ve played nice, cocksuckers,” Arthur said and then headed to the door. “Motherfuckers better realize I’m a dangerous son of a bitch.”
Chapter Twenty Two
No place like home
Before walking inside, Arthur glanced back feeling very satisfied as he looked at the bodies of the three he’d shot. Then he turned and saw the young woman’s car still smoking as the flames continued to grow. Giving a sigh, Arthur stepped into the store as the young woman and kids stared at him in shock and awe. Not paying them any attention, Arthur walked over to the wall and grabbed a fire extinguisher and headed back outside.
Keeping his rifle low but covering the new group, Shawn stayed behind the group as they watched Arthur spray under the car and up into the engine. When he was done, the flames were gone and very little smoke was coming from the car. Tossing the fire extinguisher away, Arthur headed back to the door as it landed with a loud ‘clank’ and rolled over toward the three bodies.
The group parted as Arthur walked toward them and watched him step over to Shawn. Taking the baby sling, Arthur looked down and saw Nicole was awake. Speaking in a baby tone, Arthur winked at Nicole. “Did you see me teach those mean boys a lesson?”
Putting the sling over his head, Arthur adjusted Nicole across his abdomen and spoke without looking up. “I talked to your asshole friends and they promised to leave you alone.”
Turning away, Arthur grabbed the stroller as the young woman ran up and stopped beside the stroller. “Thank you, sir,” she said with sincerity.
“You’re welcome, ma’am,” Arthur said and strolled past her, pushing the stroller. “Kirk, back on guard and Shawn get Beth outfitted. Start the war with Robin again.”
“Sir,” the young woman called out and ran up to the stroller and walked backwards as Arthur moved down the aisle. “Do you have room for a few more?” she asked, coming to a stop and Arthur walked past her and stopped.
Giving a long mournful sigh, Arthur’s head dropped with his chin touching his chest. “I’m kind of busy with the kids I got,” Arthur mumbled. It made Arthur feel bad but he had taken pictures of each kid and printed their names on each picture just so he could learn all the names. A part of him wanted everyone to wear name tags for a few weeks but thought that might hurt the kids’ feelings so he never brought it up.
Darting over, the young woman looked up at Arthur with pleading eyes. “Please?” she begged as her eyes teared up and then pointed at the other three. “If nothing else, take them.”
Biting her bottom lip, the young woman watched Arthur pull a pacifier from his pocket as the baby gave a complaining grunt. “You would willingly do that?” Arthur asked after Nicole took the pacifier and the young woman nodded. “If you stay with us, you all stay. I’m the boss and what I say goes. Everyone here has to learn to work.”
Like the weight of the world had been taken off her shoulders, the young woman staggered back to sit down on a small table. “Thank you,” she panted as relief that she had help filled her being.
“Names, ages,” Arthur stated, looking at the young woman. “We�
��ll get to the rest later.”
Nodding as she stood up, “I’m Andrea and I’m eighteen,” the young woman told him and then pointed at the redheaded teenaged girl. “That is Shelia and she’s thirteen and the next young lady is Betty, she’s ten. The last is Tony, he’s eleven.”
“Very good, Andrea,” Arthur said, grabbing the stroller. “Find Shawn and he has a list of what you need and since you’re now the oldest, you get to double check that the younger ones have their list filled,” Arthur told her, and then walked away. “You know how to use any other weapon besides that Glock?”
“No, sir,” Andrea answered. “It’s the only gun I’ve ever shot.”
Hearing that, Arthur stopped and gave another long sigh. “My son learned guns at the age of five. What is the problem?” he grumbled. Hearing the clatter of running feet, Arthur turned to see Robin stopping beside him, wearing only the pink cowboy boots they’d put on her.
“How in the fuck did you get your pants off over cowboy boots?” Arthur whined. Robin let out a squeal and took off.
Holding his right hand flat, Arthur pointed up at the ceiling with his hand. “You can ease up on the challenges anytime! You give someone an easy one like make bricks without straw; any idiot could do that!” Arthur shouted. “I’ll take parting the fucking sea compared to a nudist toddler that’s not potty trained!”
Grabbing the stroller, Arthur walked off grumbling. Feeling a tap, Andrea turned. “I’m Shawn,” Shawn introduced himself and then held out a sheet of paper. “I suggest moving,” Shawn advised Andrea. “When Arthur starts cursing at God, he’s really cranky.”
“Shawn, could you point out and name everyone?” Andrea asked and Shawn nodded and pointed around the store, naming their group. He stopped as Robin, still only wearing her cowboy boots, ran from Vicki.
Hearing an electric motor, Andrea and her group turned to see Arthur driving a standup forklift. As Arthur passed them, they noticed a pallet full of welders was on the forks and Arthur was holding onto the stroller with his left hand. The stroller was following along like a trailer and from the squeals of Pam and Lucas still in the stroller, it seemed fun.
Andrea felt Shawn grab her arm and she turned to look at him. “I’m serious, you need to move. Arthur moves all the time and expects us to do the same,” Shawn told her in a low voice.
Hearing the forklift returning, everyone turned to see the stroller up in the air on the forks and heard the babies now laughing as Arthur headed to the front of the store. As he drove past, Andrea saw Arthur was feeding a bottle to Nicole in the sling. “That can’t be safe,” Andrea said, looking at the stroller.
Shaking the shock off, Andrea moved over to her group and pulled them to the work clothes. When Andrea picked up a pair of women’s Carhartt pants, she gasped doing a double take at the price tag. “These cost as much as my designer jeans!”
“Yeah, but they will last twice as long until you can make your own,” Arthur said, driving past her very slowly on the forklift. Lowering the pants, Andrea saw Arthur had loaded up a stack of green John Deere bunkbeds. In awe, Andrea’s eyes widened at seeing Arthur still feeding Nicole and driving along. Arthur had his left foot out and hooked under the handle of the stroller, pulling it behind him.
“Make my own?” Andrea asked, but Arthur was already past her. “Now that’s multitasking,” Andrea mumbled as Vicki walked past.
Carrying Robin under one arm, “All the clothes Arthur has on, he and his wife made,” Vicki told her and then put Robin down.
“Robin!” Vicki snapped and Robin stopped fighting and looked up at Vicki. “You stay beside me and I won’t put your clothes on but leave, and I’ll glue them on.”
Robin just looked at Vicki with an innocent smile.
Looking at her list, “Am I supposed to try them on?” Andrea asked.
“If you do, do it fast,” Shawn answered and Andrea turned to see him pulling up a pair of pants on Beth.
Turning to her group, Andrea looked at the list Shawn had given her. “Everyone, get one pair of cowboy boots, but make sure they have grips on the bottom. Next, get lace up work boots, one tall lace ups and the other short. If you can, get some tennis shoes. When you find your size, get another pair that’s one size larger.”
Looking up, Andrea saw her group was gone. Turning around, she saw them digging through the boxes. Folding her jeans up, Andrea moved over to the boots, finding her size and kicking off her shoes. Hearing the forklift stop, Andrea looked up to see Arthur getting off and the forklift was loaded with large storage bins.
“Each of you, load your stuff in these and use the markers to put your name on it,” Arthur said, pulling off the bins and setting two at each new person. “If you have room get extra boots, pants and shirts until the bins are full.”
As Arthur climbed back on the forklift, Andrea saw the others had put their bins in shopping carts. Running to the front of the store, Andrea came back pushing four carts.
Driving to the front of the store, Arthur stopped the forklift and climbed off. “Kirk, I’ll take watch, go load up,” Arthur told him. As Kirk moved to leave, “Will you take the stroller? I’ll come and get the babies in a minute,” Arthur asked. “I’m going to glance around outside.”
With a big smile, Kirk nodded as he grabbed the stroller. “Pam and Lucas are easy compared to Robin,” Kirk declared, pushing the stroller to the back of the store.
Glancing outside, Arthur saw Andrea’s car was barely smoking and he didn’t see anything else noteworthy. He turned to the pickup trucks in the parking lot. “Daisy,” Arthur called out, lifting Nicole to his shoulder and putting the empty bottle in his cargo pocket.
When Daisy sat down beside Arthur, Nicole let out a loud burp that the others heard back in the store. Lowering Nicole down, Arthur let her hang in the sling and lifted his AR up. Ejecting the magazine, Arthur pulled another one out and slapped it home. Putting the partial magazine in the magazine pouch, Arthur stepped through the door. “Daisy, heel up,” Arthur said and Daisy followed him out.
Glancing in the minivan, Arthur didn’t see the keys so he stopped and again stared at the pickup trucks. Two were three quarter ton with hitch trailers; a Chevy and a Ford. The last was a black Dodge quad cab dually, with a thirty-foot heavy duty triple-axle goose-neck trailer.
Getting closer, Arthur saw it was a brand new Dodge 3500. “Damn, even four-wheel drive,” Arthur mumbled and then a grin spread across his face, seeing it was gas powered. He loved diesel but they made too much noise, that’s why he wasn’t in his truck. Stepping up to the door and glancing in, Arthur saw it was locked and a small flashing light was blinking. Knowing that car alarms were good for a long time, Arthur moved over to the Chevy and Ford trucks and found them locked as well.
Looking around and then down at Daisy to see she was relaxed, Arthur had an idea and went back inside. Pulling out his flashlight as he moved to the office and taking a deep breath, Arthur looked at the two male bodies lying on the floor. Feeling Nicole squirm as the smell filled her tiny nose, Arthur shined the light around the room and saw Ford and Chevy keys on the wall.
Shining his light on the bodies, Arthur saw keys clipped to the belt of one of the bodies and quickly darted in, seeing they belonged to a Dodge. Stepping out of the office, Arthur patted Nicole back to sleep as he moved away from the door and noticed Daisy had stayed back.
“Oh, some guard dog you are,” Arthur snorted, trying to clear his nose. Seeing Arthur heading for the door, Daisy followed. When he reached the door, Arthur raised the massive key fob and pressed unlock and saw the lights flash on the massive truck.
With a huge grin, Arthur pressed the start button and heard the Dodge crank up. “I like the automatic start,” he mumbled, walking over to the truck. When he opened the door, Arthur stepped back as a blast of heat hit him in the face.
Reaching in, Arthur turned the A/C on full blast and glanced at the instrument panel and saw the truck only had three thousand miles on it. “If
that Suburban cost six figures, I don’t even want to know what this one would set you back,” Arthur said, looking around.
Far to the west, he saw a column of smoke in the air. “That is near the river,” Arthur noted, looking down at Daisy. Seeing Daisy just looking around panting, “I know they call it Lake Dardanelle, but they just put a dam on the Arkansas River and the backed-up water they called a lake,” Arthur huffed at Daisy.
Daisy just looked around, apparently not wanting to get into the argument Arthur was having with himself.
When the inside of the truck had cooled off, Arthur pulled it over to the front of the store. Putting the shifter in park, Arthur groaned to see the gas gauge at a quarter of a tank. Then he noticed that the meter read ‘Auxiliary’. Looking around, Arthur found the switch on the dash and flipped it to primary.
“Suck my ass!” he said, hitting the steering wheel as the gas gauge dipped to ‘Empty.’ Feeling Nicole squirm in the sling, Arthur cringed realizing he had shouted. “Sorry, puddin’,” Arthur whispered, patting Nicole and turning the truck off.
Climbing out, Arthur headed back in and found the kids still packing storage bins. Jogging to the office, Arthur grabbed the truck keys and patted the other body down to find the keys to the minivan. “Wondered who the minivan belonged to,” he mumbled after running back out of the office.
Checking the trucks, Arthur found both had half a tank and the minivan had a full tank. Moving back into the store, Arthur grabbed some supplies and a fifteen-gallon rolling fuel can that pumped fuel. Pulling the stuff outside, Arthur hooked up a small pump and fed a hose into the first tank.
Turning on the pump, Arthur grinned as the gas flowed out into the rolling can. He turned to see Daisy sitting down and looking up at him. “Yeah, the other way is faster, but I really don’t want to destroy the trucks unless we have to. We might need them,” he told Daisy and then waved at the trailers. “If nothing else, we can get the trailers.”
After all the fuel had been put in the new truck, Arthur sighed to see he now had a tank and a half. He almost put the stuff he’d used back in the store but instead, loaded it in the bed of the truck. Walking to the back of the trailer, Arthur pressed a switch and watched the ramp lower. “Yeah, I love that,” he said and then headed to the store.
Viral Misery (Book 1) Page 24