The Dark Trinity (Book 1): Shuffle by Steven Till Page B

said. He crumpled onto the tracks, his last
thought was of the woman he was to spend the rest of his life with.
    Nathan Ackland was dead.

PART II
SMOKES, GUNS, AND ORIGINAL SIN
     

 

CHAPTER 14   FILL ‘ER UP
     
     
     
    The 1991 Ford Taurus careened down the curves of Cemetery
Lane. The tires squealed with every turn of the wheel. Evelyn's heart pounded
in her chest and she couldn't stop herself from hyperventilating. The old man
at the wheel glanced between the road and the car mirrors. Neither of them had
spoken a word since they escaped the complex.
    “So um, I guess I should say thank you,” she said as she
gasped for air.
    “No thanks needed, darlin’,” he replied, as he continued to
focus on the road.
    A man of few words. She held on to the door handle as
the car continued to sway back and forth with the turns. They reached the end
of the road and turned left onto Babcock Boulevard.
    "What's your name?"
    "Sam. Sam Lusce," he replied. "Apartment
19."
    "I'm Evelyn, from 46."
    Sam nodded with a grunt. "Pleasure to meet you
Evelyn."
    “Where are we going?” she asked.
    “We need some supplies. Those creepers chased me outta there
before I could grab my bug-out bag,” was his response.
    She looked out the window as the car sped on. Pockets of
people ran this way and that. Large numbers of infected hunted those who fled.
The sight made her think of the creature that attacked her in Julie's
apartment. For the most part, the road was empty, although every now and then,
an abandoned car forced the old man to veer into the oncoming lane.
    She expected to see more people than she did. The various
shops and bars that dotted Babcock appeared to be vacant. Perhaps they were just
locked up, their owners barricading themselves in while they waited for
salvation.
    The car veered into a gas station and came to an abrupt stop.
The old man popped open the glove box and pulled out a small revolver. Looking
over Evelyn with a skeptical look, he handed the pistol to her.
    “You know how to shoot one of these?” he asked.
    “Sure do,” she replied with confidence. "I spent over
three months training with Navy SEALs while I researched my last novel."
    He gave a mixed look of disbelief and admiration. “Well, I
feel safer already.”
    He gave a wink, opened his door and got out of the car. “You.
Get out and pump the gas. I need to run inside for something.”
    “What if more of those things come for us?”
    “Then you point that dangerous pistol at them and pull the
trigger.”
    He slammed the door before she could object, walked around
the car and headed towards the mini-mart. She saw him reach behind his back and
pull out another pistol from his waistband. He opened the door and made his way
inside. Evelyn looked around. Confident that she didn’t see any creatures, she
opened the door and got out of the car. She circled around to the gas pump,
opened the tank, and began to fill it up.
    While she waited, she tried to sort out the jumble of
thoughts that swam in her head. Her fiancé was stuck downtown and she had no
idea if he was okay. A creature from Hell devoured her best friend. She had
abandoned their dog and now she was fighting for survival with a gruff old man
to whom she now owed her life.
    The gas pump snapped, indicating that the tank was full. The
noise jolted her from her thoughts and back to the present. Just then another
noise made her jump. Gunfire. Inside the mini-mart, two shots fired. A moment
later, Sam ran through the door.
    “Get in the car. Now!” he yelled as he limp-ran towards her.
    She yanked the pump out of the tank, replaced the gas cap,
and ran around the car, closing her door as Sam jumped into the driver’s seat.
The car roared to life and he laid about three feet of rubber as they sped out
of the gas station parking lot. Looking back, she saw the gas station attendant
emerge from the mini-mart; two bullet holes seeped dark blood from his chest.
The clerk gave chase. She