| Empty Graves Part Sixteen: One Stop Shopping Jake and Mary had the keys to the small shopping mart in the heart of the city and jumping on that chance, Saul decided to embark on a shopping trip with the two new members of the survival group. The three of them would also be joined by another, one of the watch guards, his name was Gareth. "Are we all ready to go?" asked Saul as he paced back and forwards. "Yeah I think so," replied Gareth who was just checking the fuel tank gauge on the car. "Well, we'd better be off soon then, get us some food." As Gareth started the car up, Jake and Mary appeared from the darkest end of the building and walked up to their transportation. "I'll drive," said Jake. "I know the way to the place." "But you're only a young kid," said Gareth who was only young himself, just a few years older than Jake. "How do you think Mary and I got down here with the car? Who do you think drove the way?" Gareth remained quiet for a moment, realising his mistake. "Sorry, it's just that." "Yeah, I know," replied Jake as he leapt into the driver's seat. Mary followed Jake into the car and placed herself in the passenger seat right beside Jake. "Well, are you guys coming along or not?" she asked impatiently. "The longer you hang around the less there's gonna be on the sales shelves!" laughed Jake. Grinning, Saul leapt into the back to be closely followed by Gareth. "What about weapons?" asked Saul. "We don't have any, do you?" "We don't need weapons. It's just a run in and run out job. Besides, there ain't any of them things out there, and if there are, they move so damn slow that you can either run past them, or knock them to the ground!" replied Jake. "Hell, you could punch a hole in their faces if you did it hard enough!" shouted Gareth who was beginning to gear himself up for what was planned as a smooth, faultless trip to the shopping mart. Jake pulled the car into gear and proceeded to drive it out onto the docks, the sunlight hitting their faces through the glass. It made them all flinch, having been hiding in the warehouse for a good couple of days now, getting accustomed to the dullness they were so confronted with most of the time. A single guard stood at the gate and proceeded to open up the lock, swinging the fencing open as the carload approached. "Good luck," said the guard as he motioned for a salute to his leader and his comrades. Saul returned the gesture as the car left the compound, the gates being shut behind them while they drove off towards the dense city. "Sure is quiet out isn't it?" said Gareth who had not ventured out of the dock lands for quite some time. "That it is, but is it too quiet?" asked Saul. "Oh don't give me that suspicious shit, this place is as dead than everywhere else. There's nothing here except these buildings and us. There's nothing to worry about," replied Jake. Saul sighed and looked out of his window. Jake was right, there was nothing around and it all seemed to perfect. "Hell, we could just have gotten out and walked to the store if it we knew it was going to be like this." "Yeah, but how would you have gotten the food back?" asked Mary. "Well that is the one drawback. But it certainly is a nice day for a walk." Jake shook his head as he smirked. Saul was so desperate to return to normality he seemed somewhat disconnected from it all, but he did seem to worry a little too much for Jake's liking. Jake was now used to the situation they were in; it was like second nature now. That was a horrible feeling though, how could anyone get used to this? Soon the store came into view and sure enough, the place was still deserted and locked up. Retrieving the key from her pocket, Mary positioned herself to leap out of the car and unlock the place as Jake parked the car in front of the doorway. She did as she had planned and leapt out, inserted the key into the lock and sliding the doors back, the squeak ringing out into the still air and bouncing off the surrounding structures. Swinging the car into a parking spot and then reversing it over to the door so that the trunk was directly in front of the entrance, Jake maneuvered the car as if he had been driving all his life, when he had only been driving for a little while, he didn't even have a license, but in Fort Severn they weren't too picky, as long as you could drive safely they didn't really mind. If they knew you and liked you, then you were okay. It was that simple life that Jake so wanted to regain right now, but he knew it would never be the same, he didn't even know if his parents were still alive, all he had now was hope. The remaining shoppers proceeded into the store and gazed around at the bounty waiting to be plucked and loaded. "It's like Christmas," said Saul. "Well, then Christmas it shall be for today," replied Jake, even though it was summer. |