Dying Time Read Free

for five blocks.
     
    Chuck jumped back from the door, and signaled that a person was inside. Bob jogged over to him, his Glock 18, a 9mm, at the ready.  He pointed it at the young woman who was walking to the doorway only to point it slightly away from her, she was obviously human from the way she moved.
     
    He lowered his gun, as she smiled and waved at them. Both her hands were in view, so he wasn’t to worried about any weapons she might have. She unlocked the door and opened it standing aside to let them in. 
     
    “ Hello, sirs,” she said.
     
    “ Uh, hello ma’am,” Bob replied, confused. He’d met a few lone survivors, none of them had ever reacted quite so formally. She had probably been alone for five weeks, he tightened his grip on the Glock.
     
    “ Please come in. What I have I’m willing to share, just as God wishes us to.”
     
    “ Thank you ma’am,” Bob said again. Chuck grunted in acknowledgment. Bob suppressed a sigh, Chuck refused to talk unless absolutely necessary during raids. “I’m Bob, and this is Chuck.”
     
    She smiled and nodded at each of them, “I’m Mrs. Adams, pleased to meet you.”
     
    He looked around quickly inventorying the entire store. Very little had actually been taken it looked like.  Mrs. Adams must have been rationing everything, the shelves were too full of food if she had been eating regularly. Considering how thin the lady was, she looked like she was starving herself.  He couldn’t make out much of her body, her dress looked more like a potato sack with flowers on it then a dress. But her hands and face were thin. She looked like some of the hungriest people back at base.
     
    “ Mrs. Adams,” he said carefully, “we’re going to have to take all of this stuff. We have a base with four hundred people in it, and they need everything you have,” the lady looked shocked. “But don’t worry, we’ll take you with us. Lots of people to talk to, entertainment, food.  Not as much as you have here, but no one starves. And protection. We haven’t had any break ins since we set up the camp four weeks ago,” She seemed to calm down a little, but no much.
     
    “ But, what about my children?” she asked.
     
    “ You have kids here to?” she nodded. “We’ll bring them along. We have about fifty kids at the base, we could set you up as one of the care takers for them.  You won’t have to leave you’re kids, and we could use all the help you can give us,” Bob said cheerfully.
     
    The base could use more kids to brighten it up, and if the lady was willing to help it would definitely keep things from being so chaotic. Hell, with all of this stuff she’d be considered a hero.  The lady seemed to be warming up to the idea as well.
     
    “ I’ll get the children ready, but you will probably want to see the freezer first. I’ve been able to keep it running, barely.  It’s holding all the milk and things that can be frozen. Not as good as when its fresh, but it hasn’t gone bad. Follow me to the back.” She turned and walked away, obviously expecting them to follow.
     
    Chuck pulled out his radio. “This is Chuck and Bob at the convenience store. Get the APC over here.  We have survivors, and the store is full.”
     
    “ Will do Chuck,” Tom the team leader said. “Everyone finish up your search, and get over to the convenience store in ten.”
     
    Bob and Chuck hurried to catch up to Mrs. Adams. “Hey ma’am,” Bob said as they caught up. “How many kids do you have?”
     
    “ I have two children, Martha and Bobby.  There’s also my husband John, he’s been sick for the last three weeks,” her voice softened a little as she spoke. “Here we are. Just give me a moment, this door sticks unless you open it just so.”
     
    The two men stepped aside as she opened up the large freezer door. It was pitch black in the freezer, and they felt the cold air rush out at them.  Mrs. Adams walked over to the fuse box. “I’ll turn on