Dead Life by D. Harrison Schleicher Read Free Book Online Page A

back on the line I was already parked outside the store.
                  “Are you already in the store?”
                  “No, I’m sitting out front.”
                  “Then you can’t go in.”
                  “Why the hell not?”
                  “There’s armed security in the store and they won’t let you enter.”
                  Just then I heard gun shots.  They were close.
                  “What was that?” Marty asked.
                  “Sounded like gunshots.”
                  Two police cruisers went by with their sirens blaring.
                  “What’s going on there?”
                  “I don’t know.  Just let me in the store.  If you don’t, I’m going in anyway.”
                  “Okay, let me call the manager on duty so he can tell the security guards to let you in.  I don’t want them shooting you.  Give me your number and I’ll call you right back.  Don’t go in until I call.”
                  “Thank you.”
                  I gave him my number and hung up.  I wasn’t going to wait long.  I couldn’t see anybody in the store and was getting worried.  If there was security in there, they should have been watching the doors.  My cell phone rang.
                  “Hello?”
                  “Hey Steve, this is Marty.”
                  “Can I go in now?”
                  “I guess.  I think the lines are down.  All I got was a busy signal.  Just go ahead and go in.  I turned off the alarm.  Call me back when you get inside.”
                  “Alright, I’ll call you back.  Thanks.  Bye.”
                  I tried Gina’s cell phone one more time.  It rang and went to voicemail.  I hung up and went in.  The store was too quiet when I got inside.  The Muzak wasn’t playing which was unusual.  It made it eerie.  The only time the Muzak went off was when there was a thunderstorm.  It wasn’t even raining.  I was going to call out and try to get someone’s attention but decided maybe that wasn’t such a good idea.  I’d left my bat in the Hummer but I had my 45.  I drew it from the holster.  I felt ridiculous creeping around the store carrying a pistol but I was scared and having the gun made me feel a little safer.
                  The checkout area was clear so I went to the bakery.  No one was there.  Gina’s purse was there and her cell phone was in it with three missed calls.  I went across the front of the store checking down all the aisles and didn’t see anything. I went over to the produce aisle and couldn’t see anyone there either.  In the back of the store was the dairy section.  I went along the dairy case checking down each of the aisles again and saw nothing out of the ordinary.
                  Next I’d check the backroom.  It would be dark back there.  The lighting was motion activated and I wasn’t looking forward to going back there.  I went through the doors and the first set of lights came on.  There was blood on the floor right inside the doors.  I could smell gun powder mixed with the metallic smell of blood and was overcome with nausea.  Several spent gun casings littered the floor.  There was a gun on the ground and the slide was locked open.  I continued into the darkness.  To the left was the receiving dock.  When I approached the area, the lights came on but it was empty.  Going back the way I came, I could see that the lights were on at the far end of the long hallway that led to the meat coolers.  I could see at least two people down there.  They were the security guards and were bent over the prone figure of Mary the assistant night manager.
                  I held the gun out in front of me and started their