Read Online The Ugly Beginning - 01 by T. W. Brown - Free Book Online

no sense making unnecessary noise, he began loading up.
    As the last box of food was fit into place, he heard a distant scream followed by gunshots. He considered seeking out the source, but decided that there would be lots of bad things happening in the next few days…weeks…forevers…and he couldn’t stop them all. The best thing would be to just go and meet up with his friends.
    Safety in numbers.
    A few moments later, he was on the freeway. While the roads were still mostly empty, there was definitely more traffic than normal for this hour. Every passing police car had lights flashing and seemed to be in a big hurry to get someplace.
    Darrin considered things as he saw them. A completely unprepared for, only-in-the-movies scenario was unfolding. Most of the initial responders to the crisis would be police, fire, andmaybe military. They would die in large numbers, at least early on. This would eliminate most of the authority figures. So what would be left?
    His exit came, and eventually he found himself pulling into the Trashmore Park parking lot. He was the first to arrive. A slow drive-through revealed that, by appearances at least, there was no immediate danger. Nothing shambling about looking to take a bite out of him.
     
    ***
    Kevin slowed as the neon lights of the pawn shop came into view. He knew for certain that the guys would be waiting, but he also knew that things were about to get crazy. He’d be damned if he was going to wait for absolute chaos to set in. Somebody was going to have to break the first egg. Or, in this case, window. Pawn shops had guns. He had considered going to an actual gun shop. But, most likely, there would be pretty intricate security. In a couple days, when all hell had broken loose, they could hit one of those places. Tonight would be like practice. How fast could he get in and out?
    He pulled into the empty parking lot. The place was dark inside; a good sign. He parked in front of the large, plate-glass window.
    King’s Pawn .
    Clever.
    Grabbing the brick that sat on the passenger’s seat, Kevin took one more look around. All was still clear. Leaving the engine running, he walked up and cupped his hand to the window to take a look in. The cash register was to the left. Directly behind it was his prize.
    A sword collection.
    Two crossbows.
    Four rifles.
    One shotgun.
    Pistols would probably be under glass in the display counter by the register. Taking a few steps back, Kevin hurled the brick as hard as he could.
    There was a crash, followed by a loud, ringing alarm bell. Lights flashed inside like strobes. He climbed through the jagged hole and dashed for his prize. Or, as was the case…prizes.
    In three trips, he had the swords, crossbows, rifles, and shotgun. On the fourth time in, he grabbed a baseball bat from a stand and attacked the glass counter. As he had suspected, the handguns were right there. His plan worked flawlessly with one exception: no bullets.
    Well, nothing could be done for that now. He scooped up his prizes: five guns. He had no idea what any of them were, they could worry about that later. A case of bolts for the crossbow was the last item he grabbed before running to his car.
    Throwing everything into the front seat of his Ford Escort wagon—well, actually the title was still in his mom’s name and he owed four more payments—he took one more look around. Across the street, in one of those coin-eating, do-it-yourself car washes, a lone figure stood under the fluorescent lighting in the middle of bay five.
    Kevin climbed into the car and grabbed one of the swords. He turned the car around and stopped in the exit drive to the pawn shop. He flipped on his high beams and turned the car at an angle that lit up whoever, or whatever, this person was.
    The head jerked around to face him, followed awkwardly by the body. It was what had once been a young woman. Her long, blonde hair was matted with something dark that Kevin figured was most certainly blood. She