Read Online A Little More Dead by Sean Thomas Fisher - Free Book Online
Authors: Sean Thomas Fisher
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determined to
focus for Sophia’s sake. She was still here and he would not forget.
Dan glanced at him in the rearview
mirror, a dejected look pulling on his face. “It’s full.”
Paul leaned back and released a pent-up
breath. It was another break. It just as easily could’ve been empty. He
swallowed dryly, imagining the state trooper removing the gas nozzle from the
patrol car and returning it to the pump just before all hell broke loose inside
the station, drawing him closer.
Occasionally, Dan glanced back at them
in the mirror but didn’t speak. He looked so alone up there, like the driver of
a horse drawn carriage traveling through the woods on a cool foggy night. Whether
or not Dan would become the eternal third-wheel randomly slipped through Paul’s tired mind. How would Dan ever meet someone
now? He could barely talk to a pretty girl before all of this. Were there even
any pretty girls left? The image of the old lady popping out of the restroom
knocked those trivial thoughts to the ground like she did Carla and Matt.
“Fuck!” Paul punched the cage, making
Sophia and Dan jump.
“Hello? Is anyone out there?” Dan let up
on the radio’s handset button, keeping the car at a smooth thirty miles per
hour. “Can anyone hear me?” He released the button and Paul leaned forward. The
lights were on but the radio remained quiet.
Not even static.
Sophia stared at her black gloves,
flexing her hands like she couldn’t shake the gunfire still ringing in her
fingers.
“I repeat, is anybody out there? Hello?
We are north of Kansas City. Copy that!”
They waited, hoping for another break,
like the gun store and the full tank of gas.
Dan swore and gave up, jamming the handset
back into its cradle but leaving the radio on just in case. The bright lights
were almost soothing. At least something still worked, even if it was just
those tiny little lights. They drove forever, a somber silence filling the car
as the miles slipped beneath them, the setting sun brushing the clouds with orange
and purple strokes. Normally, it would have been a beautiful winter day, the
kind where your car seats are already warm before you get inside, but they
would have to clear another house soon and there was nothing normal about it.
“I’ve gotta go.”
Paul met Dan’s eyes in the mirror,
crimping his brow. “Go where?”
Dan glanced at Sophia. “You know.”
Paul rolled his eyes and groaned. “Stop
someplace out in the open.”
Chapter Twelve
Paul stood look out while Dan did his
business on the other side of the car. This was literally no time to get caught with your pants down. They were so out in the
open, however, that Paul probably didn’t need to be out here freezing his ass
off but after the gas station, better safe than sorry. Occasionally, Sophia
checked on them from the backseat and it was good to see her look up.
“This really sucks,” Dan said, squatting
in the snow like a yellow lab.
“I bet.”
Dan peeked over the trunk. “Where’d you
go?”
“What do you mean?”
“This morning,
back at the house.”
Paul snorted, inspecting the short
barrel shotgun he’d taken from the dash. According to the etching in the side,
it was a Benelli tactical shotgun, flat black with a
collapsible buttstock – five in the tube, one in the
chamber. “The bathtub in the master bedroom,” he replied, bringing the gun into
his shoulder and staring down the barrel, surveying the white fields stretching
into the distance around them.
“You’re so lucky. I couldn’t go.”
“You should’ve eaten breakfast, works
every time.”
“Wasn’t hungry.”
Paul lowered the weapon. “Remember when
you got stuck with a bad stomach ache out on the boat one time?”
Dan grunted. “Don’t remind me.”
“And you ended up having to go in the
water.”
“At least the water was warm. My balls
are tea-bagging the snow right now.”
Paul laughed and it felt wrong after
what
focus for Sophia’s sake. She was still here and he would not forget.
Dan glanced at him in the rearview
mirror, a dejected look pulling on his face. “It’s full.”
Paul leaned back and released a pent-up
breath. It was another break. It just as easily could’ve been empty. He
swallowed dryly, imagining the state trooper removing the gas nozzle from the
patrol car and returning it to the pump just before all hell broke loose inside
the station, drawing him closer.
Occasionally, Dan glanced back at them
in the mirror but didn’t speak. He looked so alone up there, like the driver of
a horse drawn carriage traveling through the woods on a cool foggy night. Whether
or not Dan would become the eternal third-wheel randomly slipped through Paul’s tired mind. How would Dan ever meet someone
now? He could barely talk to a pretty girl before all of this. Were there even
any pretty girls left? The image of the old lady popping out of the restroom
knocked those trivial thoughts to the ground like she did Carla and Matt.
“Fuck!” Paul punched the cage, making
Sophia and Dan jump.
“Hello? Is anyone out there?” Dan let up
on the radio’s handset button, keeping the car at a smooth thirty miles per
hour. “Can anyone hear me?” He released the button and Paul leaned forward. The
lights were on but the radio remained quiet.
Not even static.
Sophia stared at her black gloves,
flexing her hands like she couldn’t shake the gunfire still ringing in her
fingers.
“I repeat, is anybody out there? Hello?
We are north of Kansas City. Copy that!”
They waited, hoping for another break,
like the gun store and the full tank of gas.
Dan swore and gave up, jamming the handset
back into its cradle but leaving the radio on just in case. The bright lights
were almost soothing. At least something still worked, even if it was just
those tiny little lights. They drove forever, a somber silence filling the car
as the miles slipped beneath them, the setting sun brushing the clouds with orange
and purple strokes. Normally, it would have been a beautiful winter day, the
kind where your car seats are already warm before you get inside, but they
would have to clear another house soon and there was nothing normal about it.
“I’ve gotta go.”
Paul met Dan’s eyes in the mirror,
crimping his brow. “Go where?”
Dan glanced at Sophia. “You know.”
Paul rolled his eyes and groaned. “Stop
someplace out in the open.”
Chapter Twelve
Paul stood look out while Dan did his
business on the other side of the car. This was literally no time to get caught with your pants down. They were so out in the
open, however, that Paul probably didn’t need to be out here freezing his ass
off but after the gas station, better safe than sorry. Occasionally, Sophia
checked on them from the backseat and it was good to see her look up.
“This really sucks,” Dan said, squatting
in the snow like a yellow lab.
“I bet.”
Dan peeked over the trunk. “Where’d you
go?”
“What do you mean?”
“This morning,
back at the house.”
Paul snorted, inspecting the short
barrel shotgun he’d taken from the dash. According to the etching in the side,
it was a Benelli tactical shotgun, flat black with a
collapsible buttstock – five in the tube, one in the
chamber. “The bathtub in the master bedroom,” he replied, bringing the gun into
his shoulder and staring down the barrel, surveying the white fields stretching
into the distance around them.
“You’re so lucky. I couldn’t go.”
“You should’ve eaten breakfast, works
every time.”
“Wasn’t hungry.”
Paul lowered the weapon. “Remember when
you got stuck with a bad stomach ache out on the boat one time?”
Dan grunted. “Don’t remind me.”
“And you ended up having to go in the
water.”
“At least the water was warm. My balls
are tea-bagging the snow right now.”
Paul laughed and it felt wrong after
what
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