Open Roads by Zach Bohannon Read Free Book Online

haven’t seen anyone around. You’d think with as much shit that’s gone that we would’ve seen more people,” Will said.
    “Maybe they all retreated back into the mountains.”
    Will chuckled. “If they’re smart.”
    Gabriel looked over to the right and saw the entrance to the garden center.
    “Come on,” he said, and he stepped over an empty display rack to begin making his way to the outdoor area.
    They moved with caution, listening for the snarls of the beasts, or even the murmurs of humans. So far, they’d heard nothing but their own steady footsteps and breaths. They reached the entrance to the garden center and moved to the fenced-in, outdoor area.
    To no surprise, most of this section had been left alone. The middle of the space was filled with concrete fountains, yard gnomes, and flowers. The displays all seemed to be in tact.
    “Doesn’t look like this place has been touched,” Gabriel said.
    “Might get lucky and find a hose out here.”
    Gabriel turned when he heard a strange noise, and saw far across the room a shape lumbering along the edge. He put his arm around Will and threw them both down to the ground.
    “Shit,” Will said, and Gabriel put his finger up to his mouth.
    “I saw something over there,” Gabriel whispered, pointing across the large, open enclosure. “Over there where those few aisles of racking are, I saw something moving. I think it was an Empty.”
    “Toward or away from us?” Will asked.
    “Away.”
    “Alright,” Will said. “I’m gonna see if I can sneak around behind it. Go cut it off and be ready to get its attention. Hopefully, it’s alone.”
    Will pushed up from his stomach and started down the perimeter of the room in a crouch. Gabriel got up onto one knee and crouched down behind a concrete garden fountain. He watched Will move to the wall on the other side of the large garden center, sneaking down one of the aisles. Will looked back to Gabriel, and gave him the signal to move.
    Gabriel stood and jogged through the middle of the room, being sure to keep low and mostly hidden out of sight.  
    The last aisle came into view, and the figure appeared. It was, indeed, an Empty. It wore the patented orange apron of an employee, and hissed when it caught sight of Gabriel. Plenty of distance separated Gabriel from the Empty, and he figured he wouldn’t have to move too close before Will came up behind the thing and took care of it.
    “Over here, you ugly piece of shit!” Gabriel shouted. “Think you can show me where the hoses are?” He laughed.
    The beast snarled.
    Gabriel turned, pointing the rifle toward the main part of the store when he heard a scream. Not the snarl of a beast, but the distinct cry of a person. He heard quick footsteps and saw a flash in his peripheral of someone running toward the scream.
    It was Will.
    “Will!”

CHAPTER SEVEN

    Jessica sat with her hands firmly on the steering wheel. A handgun sat in the seat beside her, loaded and ready in case any threat showed up around them. She peeked into the rearview mirror and saw the two children doing their part to help, Dylan looking out his side of the van, Mary Beth looking out of hers. Holly sat in between the two children, checking outside the rear window. Not wanting to scare the children any further, she didn’t hold a gun, but she had a slew of them in the seat behind her. The two women caught each other’s gazes when Holly looked into the front seat.
    “How long’s it been?” Holly asked.
    “Almost ten minutes,” Jessica said.
    Holly let out a deep sigh.
    “Just give them a little time,” Jessica said. “It’s a big store.”
    Jessica froze when she heard a noise. It sounded like it may have come from the inside of the store. Her face was blank of any emotion, giving off the signal that something concerned her.
    “What?” Holly asked.
    Jessica could have sworn the noise she’d heard was a scream, but Holly didn’t seem to have heard it. And to tell Holly about it