The Beginning of the End (Book2): Road to Damnation by Sean Kidd Read Free Book Online

glass roof structures
letting in the sun and trapping the heat.
    All the stores security
metal gates were pulled down and locked. Judging from the looks of
it, the place closed down weeks ago. This would create a problem. I
still had Chevy’s tomahawk, but that wasn’t going to help if
Target’s metal gate was down.
    Target was just beyond
the food court, and still out of our sight. On any normal day it
would only take two or three minutes to walk there. But I wasn’t
about to take any chances enjoying a Sunday stroll down the middle
off the mall. Luther and I stayed low using the numerous alcoves and
planters for cover. More than halfway to Target things were going
well. I turned back to Luther, “I think we’re going to get lucky.
It seems quiet.” I stepped out from the alcove and was staring at
the back of a zombie. Of course, I had to say the Q word.
    The zombie had no idea
I was behind him. He was too fixated on the lock to the frozen yogurt
shop. Holding a set of keys in his hand, he kept slamming them
against the locking mechanism. Judging from the white button shirt
and black striped law enforcement pants, it was safe to assume he was
mall security before he died.
    I didn’t want to take
a chance he’d hear us and attack when we didn’t expect it. So my
only other choice was to end his misery. I reached behind my head and
pulled one of the Ronin swords from its sheath. I went slow making
sure the metal rubbing against the sheath was silent.
    In my best baseball
stance, I pulled back cocking my arms, and swung the blade. With a
single swipe, I had taken off everything above the zombie’s ears.
For a brief second, I didn’t think it worked. The creature just
stood there. I drew my sword back a second time, and before I could
swing he collapsed.
    “What the hell was
that about, Luther.”
    Luther shrugged his
shoulders, “I don’t know. I thought maybe he forgot to die or
something.”
    We didn’t have time
to discuss it now, we had to get our supplies, and we only had
thirteen minutes left.
    “Screw it, Luther.
We’re running out of time. Let’s just go for it.”
    I sheathed my sword,
lifted my M4, and took off running; Luther’s footsteps let me know
he followed close behind.
    Thirty seconds later,
we were standing in front of Target. I couldn’t believe it. No
metal gate, no glass doors, and no closed signs. The place was wide
open. Go figure. There’s nothing better than being stuck in the
middle of a zombie apocalypse, and somebody forgot to lock the door.
    I positioned myself
against the cinderblock wall beyond the entrance, and sized up the
interior while Luther caught his breath, “Luther do you know your
way around this place?”
    “Yeah, pretty much,”
he said looking over my shoulder into the store.
    “You grab a few
shopping carts and fill them with blankets, jackets, and warm
clothes. Remember bigger is better. I’m going to fill up as many
carts as I can with food. After you fill a couple carts, park them by
the doors leading to the parking lot,” I said pointing to the wall
of sliding glass doors. “Cowboy should be there in about eleven
minutes.”
    I grabbed two carts
from the cart bay and headed in the direction of the food isle as
fast as I could. My jog turned into a walk as I neared the food
aisles. The deeper I got in the store, the stronger the smell of
rotting flesh. I needed to be on high alert.
    My M4 was slung from
earlier when I grabbed the carts, so I pulled one of my swords out
and laid it across the top of the shopping cart for faster access.
The food aisle was a few feet away, and the smell of festering flesh
became overpowering.
    I turned the final
corner into the aisle and was standing face to face with the smell.
The rotting meat didn’t attack because it was in the form of
spoiled steaks and decaying burgers resting in the warm incubating
coolers. I covered my nose and stared at the open refrigerated cases
full of maggot-infested beef.
    This was turning