Taking It Back by Joseph Talluto Read Free Book Online Page A

were smashed. I had a hunch this raid was going to be a bust, but I decided to give it a roll anyway. You never knew. Back in the old complex, I once went into a convenience store that had its windows caved in, but apart from some stuff on the floor, the place was nearly untouched.
    We parked the vehicles near the front of the store, facing outwards. I did this so much out of habit that if things ever got back to normal I’d be backing into my garage for the rest of my life.
    We all got out of our vehicles and Charlie and Sarah immediately swept the front of the store. Sarah nodded to me and I smiled, turning my attention to the five guys we had brought with.
    “Well, gents we need to secure a perimeter before we head into this store to look for supplies. Take those cars and move them into a barricade.” I indicated the abandoned cars in the lot. “Leave a space for us to get our cars out, but do it fast.”
    I smiled as several glares focused on Carl, but they managed to keep their complaining to themselves. I went over to the shopping carts and started moving them out to the parking lot. I had a string of about sixteen of them and I pushed them around, leaving one here and there and turning them on their sides. I went back twice and left another thirty or so around the lot, then went back to where the guys had arranged the cars. They had made a semi-circle around the front of the building, leaving a space barely wide enough for the trucks. I was actually impressed and said so.
    “Thanks,” said Jim. He looked at the shopping cart minefield. “What’s with the carts?” he asked.
    I smiled. “If we need to bug out on foot, Z’s will be slowed down trying to get through that,” I said. “They don’t really look where they’re going.”
    Jim smiled and said. “I’ll need to remember that one.”
    “Let’s go,” I said.
    The interior of the grocery store was a mess. There was stuff all over the floor and the shelves were cluttered and disheveled. But a cursory glance indicated there was enough stuff here to make the trip worthwhile. I moved towards the canned section while Charlie headed for the dry goods. Sarah moved towards the drink section and we each had a follower. Jim and Kyle went with Charlie and Sarah and Steve came with me. Carl and Bryce moved towards the gloom of the interior of the building, the morning light not casting enough brightness to see farther.
    I moved quickly, gathering what I could and handing it to Steve, who took it out to the trucks. I focused on stuff we could use and stuff that had the highest potential of staying fresh. I could hear other trips being made as other supplies were scrounged and brought out to the trucks. I could hear Carl and Bryce talking as they moved along the back of the store towards the store room. I took an armful of soup cans and headed towards the front. I bumped into Charlie as he came out with an armload of baby supplies and diapers for both Jake and Julia.
    “Good call,” I said.
    Charlie nodded, then stiffened. I followed his gaze and saw what amounted to about thirty zombies headed our way. They hadn’t reached the parking lot yet, but they were coming.
    I sighed. “This is not a fight I needed today.” I said dropping my soup in the truck bed.
    Charlie dumped his supplies. “Nobody lives forever.”
    I ran back to the store and bumped into Sarah and Kyle. “Zombies are outside, we need to get out very soon.”
    Sarah nodded and ran to the truck, Kyle right behind. They immediately turned around and ran back in. “They’re at the barricade!”
    I spun around. “What? How the hell did they move that fast?” I said to Charlie as we moved to look.
    Charlie pointed. “Your originals are still out there. These must have come from around the building.”
    “Great. Let’s see if there’s another way out of here.” I ran towards the back where Carl and Bryce were supposed to be. I stopped as Carl came out of the back storage area, his arms