A Little More Dead by Sean Thomas Fisher Read Free Book Online Page A

just take it easy,” Paul told her.
“And keep that thing holstered for now. Do not shoot me.”
    “Looks like we’re definitely going to
have company,” Dan said glumly, peering through the glasses.
    Paul sighed, a sinking feeling in the
pit of his stomach. “Let’s just get there before we freeze to death.”
    The snow made it a much longer walk than
it appeared. The quiet didn’t help matters either. It was too quiet. No cars,
no planes, and no snowmobiles racing up and down the white countryside. The
woods crowded both sides of the interstate now, pressing against Paul’s lungs.
    “I wish I could talk to my mom,” Sophia
muttered, concentrating on her footing.
    “I know you do.”
    Her watery gaze swung over to him. “I’m
sorry, Paul. I don’t why I said that.”
    “It’s okay. I’m sure she’s fine.”
    Sophia studied him for a moment and
could tell he was lying. “I just really miss her.” She turned her attention
back to where she was stepping and Paul didn’t respond. Two years ago, her mom
took a job in Chicago and Paul knew she didn’t stand a chance in a city that
size. Not without guns. Sophia knew it as well.
    “I don’t even have a picture,” she said
distantly, her sniffles multiplying like wet Gremlins. “Sometimes I think I’m
starting to forget what she even looks like.”
    Paul blew out a long breath. She
couldn’t have picked a worse time to throw a pity party. They needed to stay on
point. Anything could happen at any second. His heart ached for her as he
searched the woods for the perfect words to make everything better. But there
was nothing to find. Right now someone had to focus because another scream just
came from the gas station gradually getting closer.

 
 
 
 
    Chapter Nine

 
 
 
 
 
    Paul passed the binoculars back to Dan,
who peered through them again. They stood at the beginning of an exit ramp with
an old Shell station sitting on the other end and a new McDonald’s across the
street.
    “He’s just doing circles,” Dan whispered,
rotating the dial in the middle.
    “Just the one?”
    “Hard to tell. There’re two
cars at the pumps but that’s all I can see from here.”
    “I say we cut through this field and
sneak up from behind,” Paul said. “Come around the front and start blasting
until we find some car keys in somebody’s pocket.” He looked back to the others
for any better ideas. No one spoke and, in his book, silence was consent.
    He eyed Carla and the boys. “You guys
ready for this?”
    They nodded with chattering teeth,
looking like they were about to skydive for the very first time.
    Dan stuffed the binoculars into his coat
pocket as Paul double-checked his weapons for the umpteenth time before quietly
leading them into the snow-covered field basking in the sunlight. A pheasant
fluttered into the air from a nearby patch of thickets. Everyone drew on it in
a heartbeat. Cooing, the game bird stopped flapping its wings and glided across
the field ahead of them, scouting out their bumpy path.
    Dan lowered his shotgun, watching the
ring-neck disappear into a distant tree line. “We should’ve shot it. Could’ve had pheasant McNuggets for
lunch.”
    “Gross,” Matt groaned.
    Paul trudged onward. “Let’s keep
moving.”
    “Hey, shouldn’t I have a gun or
something?” Mike whispered to Paul, plodding through the deep snow.
    “Maybe we’ll get you a knife instead.
How does that sound?”
    His eyes lit up. “Really?”
    “Yeah, maybe a
Rambo knife or something.”
    Mike frowned. “What’s a Rambo knife?”
    “ Ya know, from
the movie.”
    His eyes narrowed. “What movie?”
    “Never mind. We’ll get you
something later, big-timer. I promise.”
    “What about me?” Matt piped in, trying
to keep up. “I’m a Cub Scout!”
    “You are?”
    “And this one time I helped an old lady
cross the street.”
    “Wow,” Paul smiled. “That was really
nice of you, Matt.”
    “Yeah, but she smelled like