Ground Zero by Rain Stickland Read Free Book Online Page B

stores.”
    “What about the new arrivals?”
    “What? The ‘Spring Collection’ you mean?”
    “No,” Neil said, and snorted out a laugh. “I meant the new arrivals at the farm, doofus. Fashion wasn’t a concern of mine even when it might have mattered to someone, much less now when there’s no one to impress. I was thinking that the kids in particular might be outgrowing some of their clothes sometime soon. Never mind shoes. We could grab a few boxes of cross-trainers from SportChek. They might have some sporting goods that would be useful, too.”
    “Hmm. Maybe. If we’re quiet, and constantly checking to make sure we haven’t attracted any visitors, we should be able to grab some boys’ and girls’ clothes. Pyjamas and underwear, too. Katherine’s got the whole puberty thing going on, so I’ll get some bras for her in different sizes. Seeing as it’ll take a few trips to get stuff, that gives us the opportunity to keep watching for unwanted company. We just have to make sure we do everything together.”
    “Alright,” Neil said, giving a nod.
    “Let’s get the cameras first then, just in case. We can keep going back in for other stuff, but we get only the truly necessary stuff first. And, of course, I’m pretty sure there’s a book store in here, too.”
    “Alright, fine. Let’s go before all my hair falls out from old age.”
    “You’re right. We should go. I’m pretty sure it’s already thinning,” Mac said with a smirk, laughing outright when he growled at her. She slipped out of the truck with a smile on her face, reaching behind her seat for the metal pry-bar. She closed the door as softly as she could, and once Neil had done the same she stood there listening for a few moments.
    “Sounds clear,” she said softly. Putting her free hand on the grip of her Glock, she headed toward the second set of broken doors, Neil walking softly beside her. Once they had stepped through the metal framework of the doors, they both paused to listen again. There was nothing. Not even wild animals had come foraging in the mall, apparently, which meant the humans had cleaned out every scrap of food, including anything in the garbage bins that was fit to eat.
    She glanced questioningly at Neil, who nodded back at her, and without speaking they headed straight for the electronics store. It had originally been a Radio Shack, but they’d been bought out long ago by a big chain conglomerate. The roll-down security bars had been bent, but surprisingly they hadn’t been forced open. Mac figured it was likely people were more concerned with food than diodes, headphones, or circuit boards by that point. Without power to run any of the items, they were nothing more than paperweights to people who were starving.
    The pry-bar made short work of the lock that latched into the floor, though it made a terrible screeching sound that Mac was sure would bring people running. She motioned for Neil to turn off his headlamp, and turned her own off to wait for any response to the noise she’d made. When no one appeared, they cautiously pushed up the roll-down bars and then spent a few minutes listening again, hardly daring to breathe. The silence stretched endlessly, with no echoing footsteps or shuffling feet to intrude upon it.
    When nothing changed, even in the air currents, to indicate that anyone else might be present, Mac stepped past the threshold of the store and turned her headlamp back on. Neil followed suit. The storage room in the back was unlocked, and though there was very little inventory in there, they found plenty of empty boxes they could use to pack things in for carrying. They had a couple in the truck, but they needed those for their trip to the library later.
    “We should grab some circuit boards and electronic components, too,” Neil said.
    “Yeah, it would be good to have extras to repair things. I’m no great shakes at electronics, but I’m sure someone else will find the time to mess around with