to the house. Parking the trailer by the roadside, he approached the mailbox slowly, shotgun cocked and loaded in his hands. “Campbell” was printed on the side.
Roman could see the dark outline of the house. There was faint candlelight showing through one of the windows. Most likely, they didn’t have a guard posted, but Roman was in no particular hurry, so he took plenty of time to check the outside area. Ghosting from dark spot to dark spot without making noise, Roman circled the entire house, looking, listening, and smelling. He had noticed the four men he shot had not bathed in a long time and were rancid. Roman and Sarah bathed every day. Roman knew that he would smell them, probably before seeing them, in the dark.
Moving to the window next, he peered in. Two men were sitting at a small table playing cards, a candle between them. They were ten feet from the window. Roman watched a moment, then circled the house once more. He saw no light anywhere else in the house. That didn’t mean that there couldn’t be someone else in there sleeping, but there was no good way to find out either.
Roman returned to the lighted window. The men were still playing cards. They were talking but Roman couldn’t make out the words—and anyway, he didn’t care what they were saying. He raised the shotgun to his shoulder, drew a bead on the man to the left, fired, racked the slide as he swung to the right and fired again as the bead centered on the second man’s head. Headshots with a shotgun at that range were well within his capability. The double-ought-buck-shot took both men’s heads off, leaving only ragged stringy messes above their shoulders. Unlike their buddies, these two went down without a twitch.
Roman faded back into the brush at the perimeter of the yard and waited. If there was anyone else in the house, he wanted to give them a chance to give themselves away by moving around. No one could have slept through that uproar. After ten minutes of absolute silence, Roman walked back to the house and opened the unlocked front door quietly. Using his flashlight, he checked the house from end to end. There was no one. After that he checked the outside, but still found nothing.
Bringing the trailer up to the house, Roman went into the kitchen and checked the pantry. As the man had said, there was a good bit of food here. A lot of it home canned food. Roman loaded all the food onto the wagon and searched the house for anything else useful. He found clothes and shoes, which he put in the wagon, and took the dead men’s guns and ammunition and added them to the trailer. He didn’t hurry; he still had plenty of time before daybreak.
Just as before, he felt no different. These men were just snakes. There was satisfaction in knowing that these snakes would never bite Sarah.
Chapter 12
Jerry froze, then reached out and touched Karen on the shoulder, gently guiding her to follow him by touch. They felt their way to the back of the store. By now their eyes were more attuned to the darkness and they had learned where things were at, so they moved more freely. As they retreated, they could hear someone moving around the front of the store. Whoever it was did not act as if he knew anyone else was there.
Jerry could make out the rear door as a rectangle of slightly lighter color. When they reached it, Jerry held Karen still with a touch. He wasn’t anxious to just barge out the door, in case someone was waiting for them to do just that. It wasn’t impossible that the person moving around up front was trying to get them to leave by the rear in a panic. They could be walking into a deliberate trap. Unlikely, but not impossible.
Jerry exited first, moving out by slipping around the doorjamb, keeping his back in contact with the wall. He stood outside the door a long time. He didn’t see or hear anything. Finally, he guided Karen out. They waited a bit longer, then began walking away from the store, staying near fences and
Roman could see the dark outline of the house. There was faint candlelight showing through one of the windows. Most likely, they didn’t have a guard posted, but Roman was in no particular hurry, so he took plenty of time to check the outside area. Ghosting from dark spot to dark spot without making noise, Roman circled the entire house, looking, listening, and smelling. He had noticed the four men he shot had not bathed in a long time and were rancid. Roman and Sarah bathed every day. Roman knew that he would smell them, probably before seeing them, in the dark.
Moving to the window next, he peered in. Two men were sitting at a small table playing cards, a candle between them. They were ten feet from the window. Roman watched a moment, then circled the house once more. He saw no light anywhere else in the house. That didn’t mean that there couldn’t be someone else in there sleeping, but there was no good way to find out either.
Roman returned to the lighted window. The men were still playing cards. They were talking but Roman couldn’t make out the words—and anyway, he didn’t care what they were saying. He raised the shotgun to his shoulder, drew a bead on the man to the left, fired, racked the slide as he swung to the right and fired again as the bead centered on the second man’s head. Headshots with a shotgun at that range were well within his capability. The double-ought-buck-shot took both men’s heads off, leaving only ragged stringy messes above their shoulders. Unlike their buddies, these two went down without a twitch.
Roman faded back into the brush at the perimeter of the yard and waited. If there was anyone else in the house, he wanted to give them a chance to give themselves away by moving around. No one could have slept through that uproar. After ten minutes of absolute silence, Roman walked back to the house and opened the unlocked front door quietly. Using his flashlight, he checked the house from end to end. There was no one. After that he checked the outside, but still found nothing.
Bringing the trailer up to the house, Roman went into the kitchen and checked the pantry. As the man had said, there was a good bit of food here. A lot of it home canned food. Roman loaded all the food onto the wagon and searched the house for anything else useful. He found clothes and shoes, which he put in the wagon, and took the dead men’s guns and ammunition and added them to the trailer. He didn’t hurry; he still had plenty of time before daybreak.
Just as before, he felt no different. These men were just snakes. There was satisfaction in knowing that these snakes would never bite Sarah.
Chapter 12
Jerry froze, then reached out and touched Karen on the shoulder, gently guiding her to follow him by touch. They felt their way to the back of the store. By now their eyes were more attuned to the darkness and they had learned where things were at, so they moved more freely. As they retreated, they could hear someone moving around the front of the store. Whoever it was did not act as if he knew anyone else was there.
Jerry could make out the rear door as a rectangle of slightly lighter color. When they reached it, Jerry held Karen still with a touch. He wasn’t anxious to just barge out the door, in case someone was waiting for them to do just that. It wasn’t impossible that the person moving around up front was trying to get them to leave by the rear in a panic. They could be walking into a deliberate trap. Unlikely, but not impossible.
Jerry exited first, moving out by slipping around the doorjamb, keeping his back in contact with the wall. He stood outside the door a long time. He didn’t see or hear anything. Finally, he guided Karen out. They waited a bit longer, then began walking away from the store, staying near fences and
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