what about you? What’s your escape plan?”
And that’s the kicker, Taylor thought. Exactly what is my escape plan?
He walked himself through it in his head, explaining it to them out loud. “The only way out would be through the back. Close the front door, and if there’s time, I’d lock it. Run out the back and shut that door.”
“But the alley dead-ends,” Carl said. “You’d still have to come up the alley to the street.”
“Maybe those things would have made it inside the store by then,” Tina said.
“Maybe. And maybe they would see you coming out of the alley.”
“Then I make a run for it. You two will have gotten away in the car. At the end of the alley, you’ll take a left and when you come to the first intersection, you’ll take another left. Once you get around that corner, leave the car running. Don’t even put it into park. Just keep your foot on the brake. I’ll know where to find you.”
“If there’s running involved, then maybe it should be me that plays the distraction. Between the two of us, we’ve already established that I’m the faster runner.”
“I want you driving the car. You’re faster, but I’ll be fast enough.”
Carl stared at his brother and something unspoken passed between them. A look that traded a thousand words in an instant without either one of them opening their mouth.
Finally, Carl nodded.
“It’s settled then. Let’s do this before I go chicken shit.”
Taylor started for the front of the store.
“Wait,” Carl said. “Take this.” He handed him the machete. “If they get too close you can hack the shit out of them.”
Taylor weighed the blade in his hand. It was lighter than he had thought it would be. He wondered what it would feel like hacking into their flesh.
They’re not people anymore, he thought. Not really. They’ll tear you to shreds if they get the chance. Remember that. If push comes to shove, you can’t hesitate.
Another reason he wanted them out of sight and around the corner was that he was willing to bet that Tina’s father was somewhere in the mob, salivating profusely like all the rest of them. If she spotted him…things could turn ugly quick. She might lock up and shutdown. Logic and emotion. The two often didn’t play well with one another.
“That could get us kilt ,” he said quietly and almost laughed.
“What?”
“Nothing. Talking to myself. So we all have this down, right? I’ll open the door, wait for my go, you guys bolt and get around the corner of the first street. Two lefts. Remember that. Then wait for me. Unless it isn’t safe. Then just keep going.”
“There are parts of this I don’t like,” Carl said.
Taylor shrugged. “I don’t like any part of it. Remember what Dad used to say? About how a person can get old before his time. How a guy had to learn two words to prevent that?”
“Fuck it,” Carl said.
“That’s right,” Taylor said. He pointed the machete at the back door. “Now get back there and be ready. When I give the go, you can’t be fucking around.”
Carl stood there staring at Taylor, looking like he had something to say. After a moment, he turned and headed to the back, Tina following behind him.
Taylor headed to the front of the store, pausing momentarily at the end of the last aisle, double-checking that they hadn’t strayed from the entrance of the alley. When he was close to the window, he could see them. No more than thirty feet away. Some of them swayed back-and-forth rhythmically, as though rocked by a powerful wind.
He removed the key from his pocket and inserted it into the lock. He glanced at the mob and turned the key. He opened the door slowly.
And then he stepped out onto the sidewalk.
Chapter 4: The Escape
Hindsight is twenty-twenty.
It wasn’t until he was on the sidewalk, getting wet in the rain and facing a mob of a
And that’s the kicker, Taylor thought. Exactly what is my escape plan?
He walked himself through it in his head, explaining it to them out loud. “The only way out would be through the back. Close the front door, and if there’s time, I’d lock it. Run out the back and shut that door.”
“But the alley dead-ends,” Carl said. “You’d still have to come up the alley to the street.”
“Maybe those things would have made it inside the store by then,” Tina said.
“Maybe. And maybe they would see you coming out of the alley.”
“Then I make a run for it. You two will have gotten away in the car. At the end of the alley, you’ll take a left and when you come to the first intersection, you’ll take another left. Once you get around that corner, leave the car running. Don’t even put it into park. Just keep your foot on the brake. I’ll know where to find you.”
“If there’s running involved, then maybe it should be me that plays the distraction. Between the two of us, we’ve already established that I’m the faster runner.”
“I want you driving the car. You’re faster, but I’ll be fast enough.”
Carl stared at his brother and something unspoken passed between them. A look that traded a thousand words in an instant without either one of them opening their mouth.
Finally, Carl nodded.
“It’s settled then. Let’s do this before I go chicken shit.”
Taylor started for the front of the store.
“Wait,” Carl said. “Take this.” He handed him the machete. “If they get too close you can hack the shit out of them.”
Taylor weighed the blade in his hand. It was lighter than he had thought it would be. He wondered what it would feel like hacking into their flesh.
They’re not people anymore, he thought. Not really. They’ll tear you to shreds if they get the chance. Remember that. If push comes to shove, you can’t hesitate.
Another reason he wanted them out of sight and around the corner was that he was willing to bet that Tina’s father was somewhere in the mob, salivating profusely like all the rest of them. If she spotted him…things could turn ugly quick. She might lock up and shutdown. Logic and emotion. The two often didn’t play well with one another.
“That could get us kilt ,” he said quietly and almost laughed.
“What?”
“Nothing. Talking to myself. So we all have this down, right? I’ll open the door, wait for my go, you guys bolt and get around the corner of the first street. Two lefts. Remember that. Then wait for me. Unless it isn’t safe. Then just keep going.”
“There are parts of this I don’t like,” Carl said.
Taylor shrugged. “I don’t like any part of it. Remember what Dad used to say? About how a person can get old before his time. How a guy had to learn two words to prevent that?”
“Fuck it,” Carl said.
“That’s right,” Taylor said. He pointed the machete at the back door. “Now get back there and be ready. When I give the go, you can’t be fucking around.”
Carl stood there staring at Taylor, looking like he had something to say. After a moment, he turned and headed to the back, Tina following behind him.
Taylor headed to the front of the store, pausing momentarily at the end of the last aisle, double-checking that they hadn’t strayed from the entrance of the alley. When he was close to the window, he could see them. No more than thirty feet away. Some of them swayed back-and-forth rhythmically, as though rocked by a powerful wind.
He removed the key from his pocket and inserted it into the lock. He glanced at the mob and turned the key. He opened the door slowly.
And then he stepped out onto the sidewalk.
Chapter 4: The Escape
Hindsight is twenty-twenty.
It wasn’t until he was on the sidewalk, getting wet in the rain and facing a mob of a
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