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this situation you have to be brutal, emotionless. The boy had been bitten. He would have turned any minute. If I shot him now it meant I didn’t have to shoot him when he’s sprinting at me.” They seemed to understand a bit more. “I would expect the same from any one of you. Even if it was me that was bitten. I wouldn’t think twice about killing one of you if it meant my safety ok?” They both nodded. He handed Paula the rifle and the pellets and showed her how to use it. Jim had used an air rifle several times and they’re fairly simple. He had gone rabbit shooting once and even won a plaque at a game fair for knocking down metal targets with one. Paula absorbed it all and he decided to let her fire it a few times to check it was zeroed correctly.
    He got her to lay down just inside her door and aim for the security alarm over the road. The first shot hit the wall to the right and she reloaded and tried again. The second hit the same spot so Jim adjusted the sight. This time it hit the very top of the alarm.
    “Right show me exactly where you’re aiming.” He wanted to get it as accurate as possible.
    “Right in the middle of the alarm.” She pointed at it as if it would make it any clearer.
    “OK try aiming for the bottom of it in the middle.” If it was firing high he wanted to be able to bring it down easier. She lined it up and fired again. It hit the same spot again.
    “OK no worries. You’re snatching the trigger.” Snatching was were you pull the trigger too fast and in doing so pull the rifle up slightly. “Try taking a few deep breaths and then breathe in and hold it. Pull the trigger slowly so that when it goes off it should almost be a shock.” Jim had taught this lesson to his recruits. She tried again and put into play everything Jim had mentioned. This time it landed about 2/3rds up. Jim adjusted slightly and she reshot. It just caught the bottom of the alarm.
    “OK, now try the middle again.” She did and it landed perfectly. “Good looks like your set to go.”
    Behind them Dan had been moving all the food out of the kitchen. They didn’t want Paula having to step around her dead mutt. They stood up and Paula pulled the attached sling over her head and moved the weapon behind her back. Dan slipped out to move the car again as Paula grabbed her keys and pulled hers forward to let him in. She drove an old Fiat Punto 3 door. As Jim heard the car door slam he picked up an armful of ready meals and tins and took them out. They half-filled the mini with food from their houses so they had another half a car for more food at Tesco. He wanted half of each car for ammo.
    “Right, how are we going to do this then?” asked Dan.
    “Well I’ll ride with you down to Tesco and Paula can follow.”
    “I don’t want to be alone.” Paula chirped up looking somewhat embarrassed.
    “OK no worries.” Jim replied putting a hand on her shoulder to comfort her. “Well I want to be up front to deal with anything that happens so I’ll take Dan’s Mini and he can ride in with you ok?” Paula nodded. Reluctantly Dan handed over his keys and they all stepped outside. Paula locked the front door and headed over to her car with Dan following. Jim jumped in Dan’s Mini and buckled himself in, adjusting the seat so he wasn’t trying to drive with his knees up his nose and checked the mirrors. Jim didn’t have his licence but he didn’t really think that mattered anymore. If there were any police left he would just flash the deployment papers he now had in a traveller’s wallet with his passport and birth certificate under his shirt.
    Paula was already in the car with Dan waiting to go by the time Jim was ready so he pulled out. As he drove round the boy’s body he started to sing to himself.
    “ On the road again. I can’t wait to be on the road again. ”

Chapter 6
     
    Jim took a right at the end of the street, keeping his eyes peeled for any movement. There was a zombie scratching at the