Read Online Revenge of the Giant Robot Chickens by Alex McCall - Free Book Online
Authors: Alex McCall
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mind. “Are you copying Jesse, but with ducks instead of chickens?”
Blake went bright red and started walking faster. “No. Why would I want to do that?”
I let him draw away. A wannabe Jesse. Who’d have thought it? The last thing we needed was more awful puns. Jesse had a lot to answer for.
***
It was almost midday when we decided to take a break. So far the walk had been mostly uphill. We’d actually passed very close to the chickens’ old base in Beechgrove Terrace. There wasn’t much left there now. The bomb I’d set off combined with the falling debris had pretty much flattened it. In the few weeks before the chickens came back Glen had poked around in there looking for useful stuff but he hadn’t found anything. I know the Brotherhood had taken some things from there as well, though I didn’t know what.
We sat by the side of the road and ate our sandwiches. They were all in little packets with our names on them. Kyle had probably made them specially. He usually did. He wasn’t only good at organising rations, he was a fantastic chef. He even checked on people’s allergies and preferences, hence the names on our sandwiches. I got corned beef and sweetcorn. It was oddly delicious.
All told it was mid-afternoon before we reached the Asda.
The plan was simple: while everyone else was busy rummaging through stock, Blake, Glen and I would split off and go to the university campus, which was right up the hill. We should make it back in time to help load up trolleys and push them back. Even if we were missed it wasn’t that unusual for people to wander off. We could just say we’d gone to the B&Q across the road and no one would bat an eyelid.
The interior of the Asda was dark. We crowded around the entrance, like thieves before a cave. Jeremy stood and turned, addressing us.
“OK, guys, you know the drill. Once we’re inside it’s going to be dark so everyone put on your head torches. We need tins, chocolate and batteries. They’re the most important things. After that get bottled drinks, anything that looks interesting. I want as much stuff as you can grab in the next hour then we’re heading back.”
He looked at me, Blake and Glen and pointed towards the B&Q.
“There’s another store over there,” he told uscheerfully. “I’ll send you guys to check it out later, if you don’t mind.”
We didn’t need the huge wink he gave us, but I felt grateful nonetheless. He was giving us a good backstory for when we had to slip away.
Once inside the Asda, we switched on our torches. The playpen to the side of the entrance was spooky, abandoned when it should have been full of kids. I’d been in there a few times myself. It was a fun place to spend an afternoon while Mum did the grocery shopping. Blake turned to one of his guys.
“Stay by the door,” he muttered. “Make sure nothing comes in or out.”
“What’s that smell?” Glen asked, wrinkling his nose. I could smell it too, mould and rotten things, like a gym bag that had been lying forgotten in a cupboard all summer.
“That’s the fruit, vegetables, milk, bread. Just about anything that can decay really,” Jeremy replied cheerfully. He handed us a mouth protector each. “Wear these, it helps. When all this is over someone’s going to have an awful time cleaning up this mess and it’s not going to be me.”
We found the tins and Jeremy walked about with a clipboard, making notes of what was there, what we were taking and what had to be left behind. There was a good haul in this place. There can’t have been many kids living around here and the stores had hardly been touched. A happy clinking filledthe air as tins were piled into trolleys and people began cracking jokes. Everything was going really well and I was just thinking about heading up to the university…
When we heard the scream.
We all fell silent. The darkness suddenly seemed a lot more oppressive than it had a moment ago, and the torchlight no longer looked
Blake went bright red and started walking faster. “No. Why would I want to do that?”
I let him draw away. A wannabe Jesse. Who’d have thought it? The last thing we needed was more awful puns. Jesse had a lot to answer for.
***
It was almost midday when we decided to take a break. So far the walk had been mostly uphill. We’d actually passed very close to the chickens’ old base in Beechgrove Terrace. There wasn’t much left there now. The bomb I’d set off combined with the falling debris had pretty much flattened it. In the few weeks before the chickens came back Glen had poked around in there looking for useful stuff but he hadn’t found anything. I know the Brotherhood had taken some things from there as well, though I didn’t know what.
We sat by the side of the road and ate our sandwiches. They were all in little packets with our names on them. Kyle had probably made them specially. He usually did. He wasn’t only good at organising rations, he was a fantastic chef. He even checked on people’s allergies and preferences, hence the names on our sandwiches. I got corned beef and sweetcorn. It was oddly delicious.
All told it was mid-afternoon before we reached the Asda.
The plan was simple: while everyone else was busy rummaging through stock, Blake, Glen and I would split off and go to the university campus, which was right up the hill. We should make it back in time to help load up trolleys and push them back. Even if we were missed it wasn’t that unusual for people to wander off. We could just say we’d gone to the B&Q across the road and no one would bat an eyelid.
The interior of the Asda was dark. We crowded around the entrance, like thieves before a cave. Jeremy stood and turned, addressing us.
“OK, guys, you know the drill. Once we’re inside it’s going to be dark so everyone put on your head torches. We need tins, chocolate and batteries. They’re the most important things. After that get bottled drinks, anything that looks interesting. I want as much stuff as you can grab in the next hour then we’re heading back.”
He looked at me, Blake and Glen and pointed towards the B&Q.
“There’s another store over there,” he told uscheerfully. “I’ll send you guys to check it out later, if you don’t mind.”
We didn’t need the huge wink he gave us, but I felt grateful nonetheless. He was giving us a good backstory for when we had to slip away.
Once inside the Asda, we switched on our torches. The playpen to the side of the entrance was spooky, abandoned when it should have been full of kids. I’d been in there a few times myself. It was a fun place to spend an afternoon while Mum did the grocery shopping. Blake turned to one of his guys.
“Stay by the door,” he muttered. “Make sure nothing comes in or out.”
“What’s that smell?” Glen asked, wrinkling his nose. I could smell it too, mould and rotten things, like a gym bag that had been lying forgotten in a cupboard all summer.
“That’s the fruit, vegetables, milk, bread. Just about anything that can decay really,” Jeremy replied cheerfully. He handed us a mouth protector each. “Wear these, it helps. When all this is over someone’s going to have an awful time cleaning up this mess and it’s not going to be me.”
We found the tins and Jeremy walked about with a clipboard, making notes of what was there, what we were taking and what had to be left behind. There was a good haul in this place. There can’t have been many kids living around here and the stores had hardly been touched. A happy clinking filledthe air as tins were piled into trolleys and people began cracking jokes. Everything was going really well and I was just thinking about heading up to the university…
When we heard the scream.
We all fell silent. The darkness suddenly seemed a lot more oppressive than it had a moment ago, and the torchlight no longer looked
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