At first glance, the street was void of activity, but the hair on my skin was standing up. Cold chills ran down my spine at every sound. Eddie and Thomas were in hawk mode, scanning every inch of the block we slowly crept down. My senses were on high alert for any threats. If those undead freaks or crazed fanatics ambushed us, there weren't many places we could run to. Stealth was our best option to get to our destination and back safely. The hustle and bustle of New York City at night still played out as if hell hadn't broken loose in the city, and it had terrified me. The moment Thomas threw up his fist, Eddie and I froze in our tracks. A moment later, Thomas pointed to cover, and I damn near leaped to it. Just as I made it out of sight, a patrol car turned onto the block. The patrol unit slowly paced down the street, shining its spotlights on everything. Blue and red lights mixed with the high-beam lights casting eerie shadows. The officers in the cruiser were wide-eyed and looked high on drugs.
We waited a long while for the cruiser to turn off onto another street. I peeked out from my hiding spot and scanned the street. It was clear for now. I waved to Thomas and Eddie and resumed creeping along the road. Now and then, we heard gunfire. Something that most people in this city would usually ignore. The sound wrecks my nerves. People like us were on the firing end of those shots. I had an inkling of what was on the receiving end.
An hour later, the pharmacy was in our sights at the center of a t-section. A locally owned store, different from the chain brands you'd expect to see. The lights were on, and the neon open sign was lit. People were inside, but seeing beyond the barred security shutters was hard. Eddie looked at me, and I shrugged my shoulders. I knew what he was getting at. Seeing the understanding expression written across my face, he patted my back. I looked down both directions of the intersection, then took a peek behind me. It was clear for now. I ran across the street with my shotgun ready. As I slammed into the wall next to the entrance to the building, I was near to breaking my back. I waved, signaling it was safe to cross.
Thomas and Eddie went inside first. I followed behind them, covering the rear. A pumping sound froze me in my tracks. 'Shit, that was a pump shotgun!' Slowly, I turned to see the Hunt brothers facing off with two elderly store clerks. A heavyset gray-haired man and a taller bulky gray-haired man with glasses. The older of the two, the glass-wearing man, lowered his weapon, and soon the other man did too.
"What are you boys doing out at a time like this?" the glass-wearing man asked.
"We're with the police department. What's left of it. Thomas Hunt, my brother Eddie, and Bob were looking for medical supplies," Thomas explained.
"How do we know you aren't with those rioters?" the heavier man asked.
"Sir, those aren't no damn rioters!" I blurted.
"Easy now there, son. Henry just wants to see if you're a threat or not. He's a trigger-happy Vietnam vet," the glass-wearing man said. "I'm Ted Bradford. I own this pharmacy. If you got injured, take what you need," Ted said.
"Bob, Eddie, get to it. I'll cover the door for now," Thomas said.
"Henry here can help too. Or one of my employees in the back. They're pretty shaken up over the riots," Ted said.
"Like I said... these are no riots," I countered.
"Hell, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out, hot head," Henry snapped.
"Calm down, Henry. What my old buddy means is we've seen... things. That isn't normal. Most of my employees think some sort of protest is happening, and I'd like to keep it that way for now. They're just young fellows and gals," Ted said.
I started looking for the items on the list while Thomas talked with Ted. Henry chose me to follow and help me of all people. 'Damn guy reminds me of my old man.' There were enough supplies here to fill up all our packs. That was a good amount to last a few months. The problem was we couldn't stay in the city for months. The list Madison gave all of us was long. Looked like she was planning for the long run. I spotted someone looking in from the back. Four young women and three men were camped out in the back. They didn't look a day over twenty. 'Must be college bound.' I went to continue gathering supplies when the blonde-haired jock-looking guy approached me.
"Hey, sir? Do you know what these riots are about? There's nothing on the news at all. The only two channels even close to mentioning what's going on are telling us to stay put and quiet at night," the jock asked.
I looked at Henry, who was slowly shaking his head. "Listen, buddy. Things are not getting better anytime soon. Best to stay put like the local news says," I said.
"But they're talking about monsters and demons on the internet and social media," A black-haired woman said.
"Yeah, there's pictures and videos of these... things going viral all over the net," a blonde girl said. "It's happening all over the country, even the world," she added.
"It's all fake! Propaganda to keep everyone scared. I'm sure the government or military is handling the situation," Henry countered.
I get why he wasn't telling them. They looked scared shitless, and I didn't blame them. 'Besides, what were they going to do right now anyway?' Everyone normal and sane in the city was in the same boat tonight. Trying to leave the city now was suicide.
"Look, the best thing right now is bunking down for the long haul. This store looks sturdy. As long as you stay in the back, you should be safe," I said.
That tamed their minds, and they returned to the employee area behind the front counter. Henry ensured they were out of earshot before he returned to me.
"Thanks for that, pal. They're just kids trying to get into college. This neighborhood is more affluent than where they live. Whatever is going on, they wouldn't last a second if they ran off to find their families," Henry said.
"Have they heard from them?" I asked, dreading the answer.
"No, not since early this morning when our shift started. The next shift came in right when shit hit the fan," Henry revealed. "A mob of crazies came through, checking every storefront and building they could access. Luckily, we'd closed our doors, and the security gate was down," he added.
I nodded at the news of what happened. The same had and was happening all over the city. Henry got back to helping me with the list. Half an hour later, my pack was full of meds and other supplies. I'd filled Nathan's pack with extra supplies and food the store had at the front. When I returned to the front, Eddie was done with his too, and filled Thomas's pack while he stood watch.
"All done," Eddie said.
"So, where are you guys held up?" Ted asked.
"We're up at Hillcrest Apartments. There's a lot of wounded. The place was assaulted by those... well, you know what I'm getting at," Eddie said.
"Is there room for a few more? We've got three more upstairs that need medical attention. People Henry and I pulled off the streets," Ted said.
Thomas looked at me and Eddie. I thought it over for a minute. We could carry a heck of a lot more back with the extra bodies. That's if the wounded can walk under their own weight. After leaving behind Blossom and Nathan, we'd need to make a second run.
"Let's gather what we can and take it back with us. We can use the extra hands. Better to do it now while we can before the outside situation devolves any faster," I explained.
"Okay, Okay, sounds like a solid plan. Mr. Bradford, have your people gather what they can and get those wounded ready to go. We got a doctor and a few nurses to help out on that end," Thomas said.
"I hope you got some extra firepower tucked away somewhere in here," Eddie stated.
"I'll get my employees on it. Henry, take Faith and Cindy upstairs and get those people ready," Ted said.
Eddie and I waited by the front door as Ted organized his people. Movement caught my eye outside of the store. The three of us took cover, and Eddie waved for everyone to quiet down. A group of people were coming down the middle of the road. I could immediately see they were fucked up. 'Great, more of those undead freaks. Are we in a damn zombie movie or a demonic invasion movie? Why doesn't the world make up its fucking mind?'