Read Online The Dead Road: The Complete Collection by Robert Paine - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Robert Paine
Ads: Link
going strong up north. We sat around the radio, drinking beer, listening, not saying a word. By four A.M. there was no more yelling. No more calls for help. We could see smoke rising from the town. See the glow of fires beyond the trees. We knew Stockton was gone. Parker started talking about how anyone would come through there, looking for help. That we had to warn people somehow, so they would go around, head south, or come to Maybridge instead, catch the highway here."
"So you went up to the radio station?"
She nodded. "My uncle Karl used to work up there, as some sort of engineer. He showed me the place one when I was a kid, showed me how things worked. I figured I could go up there, record a message, and put it on to repeat. I didn't think I'd get surrounded."
"Did you drive up there?"
She nodded, "My car was parked behind the building, but I was low on gas anyway. I was already worried about not making it all the way home. I don't care that it's still up there."
"How'd they surround you like that? I mean, didn't you seem them coming?"
She shook her head, her eyes filling with tears again. "I was too busy trying to make the equipment work. I didn't know what I was doing. I was in there for hours, pushing buttons, flipping switches. It's a miracle you heard anything at all. I put the headphones on and could barely hear myself."
"We heard you, but it was really faint. Your message saved our asses though. We were planning to go right into Stockton."
She smiled crookedly and shrugged, "Thank heaven for small favors I guess. I was up there for three days. I don't know what happened to Parker or his friends. I'm hoping they're still at home, but... I tried calling from the radio station but the phones didn't work, and my cell phone isn't getting service anymore." Her smile faded as quickly as it appeared.
"Where's home?"
She pointed, "A few miles that way, maybe ten. I'll make it on foot."
Eli scoffed, "Like hell. We'll take you there, man."
Amy shook her head, "I can't ask that. I don't know what the situation is at home. I can't ask you to go in to another group of those things. Not if home is overrun."
I stood, pushing myself up against the car to lean against the trunk next to Roger. "Things are shit everywhere, Amy, you said so yourself. We're better off grouping up, supporting one another. You said Parker and two friends are home, then we should go there. Seven is better than three. Besides, we need supplies. Food, water, ammo, gas... we can gather all of that better in a bigger group. Maybe go into Maybridge and see what's left, then make our way to one of the bigger towns, maybe even Stockton."
She shook her head almost frantically, "We can't go to Stockton. There's five thousand people in Stockton. If they all got turned..."
Roger held a hand out towards her, "Easy. We just need a plan. We need food first and foremost."
I nodded, "Exactly. Besides, what are you going to do on foot if your house is surrounded? Run away? How far will you run before they catch up without any food in your stomach?"
Amy slumped. "I don't know. I just don't want to put you guys through any more trouble. You already did enough."
"I don't think we've really even gotten started, Amy. There's a lot of bad shit going on right now, and I think there's going to be a lot of situations where we help one another, so why don't we stop worrying about the score, and start focusing on surviving another night."
She nodded. I could see her reluctance. Part of her wanted to run, wanted to turn on her heels and take off into the wilderness, to make her way home and never see us three again, but she took one step, then another, and walked to the car. She looked at Eli, "Keep heading down this road. I'll tell you when to turn."
We looked at one another with a nod, then climbed into the car.
*****
Amy's house was only a few miles away, but through the
"So you went up to the radio station?"
She nodded. "My uncle Karl used to work up there, as some sort of engineer. He showed me the place one when I was a kid, showed me how things worked. I figured I could go up there, record a message, and put it on to repeat. I didn't think I'd get surrounded."
"Did you drive up there?"
She nodded, "My car was parked behind the building, but I was low on gas anyway. I was already worried about not making it all the way home. I don't care that it's still up there."
"How'd they surround you like that? I mean, didn't you seem them coming?"
She shook her head, her eyes filling with tears again. "I was too busy trying to make the equipment work. I didn't know what I was doing. I was in there for hours, pushing buttons, flipping switches. It's a miracle you heard anything at all. I put the headphones on and could barely hear myself."
"We heard you, but it was really faint. Your message saved our asses though. We were planning to go right into Stockton."
She smiled crookedly and shrugged, "Thank heaven for small favors I guess. I was up there for three days. I don't know what happened to Parker or his friends. I'm hoping they're still at home, but... I tried calling from the radio station but the phones didn't work, and my cell phone isn't getting service anymore." Her smile faded as quickly as it appeared.
"Where's home?"
She pointed, "A few miles that way, maybe ten. I'll make it on foot."
Eli scoffed, "Like hell. We'll take you there, man."
Amy shook her head, "I can't ask that. I don't know what the situation is at home. I can't ask you to go in to another group of those things. Not if home is overrun."
I stood, pushing myself up against the car to lean against the trunk next to Roger. "Things are shit everywhere, Amy, you said so yourself. We're better off grouping up, supporting one another. You said Parker and two friends are home, then we should go there. Seven is better than three. Besides, we need supplies. Food, water, ammo, gas... we can gather all of that better in a bigger group. Maybe go into Maybridge and see what's left, then make our way to one of the bigger towns, maybe even Stockton."
She shook her head almost frantically, "We can't go to Stockton. There's five thousand people in Stockton. If they all got turned..."
Roger held a hand out towards her, "Easy. We just need a plan. We need food first and foremost."
I nodded, "Exactly. Besides, what are you going to do on foot if your house is surrounded? Run away? How far will you run before they catch up without any food in your stomach?"
Amy slumped. "I don't know. I just don't want to put you guys through any more trouble. You already did enough."
"I don't think we've really even gotten started, Amy. There's a lot of bad shit going on right now, and I think there's going to be a lot of situations where we help one another, so why don't we stop worrying about the score, and start focusing on surviving another night."
She nodded. I could see her reluctance. Part of her wanted to run, wanted to turn on her heels and take off into the wilderness, to make her way home and never see us three again, but she took one step, then another, and walked to the car. She looked at Eli, "Keep heading down this road. I'll tell you when to turn."
We looked at one another with a nod, then climbed into the car.
*****
Amy's house was only a few miles away, but through the
Similar Books
