Free Day One (Book 1): Alive by Michael Mcdonald

chasing it with a sip of her fruit punch, and then we walked hand in hand the last fifty feet to the brownish colored sedan. Once there I put Kember inside and joined her, looking through the obvious places for anything we could use to survive, eat, drink or even wear. A few small blankets were draped over the back seats and I quickly snatched them up and placed into a woman’s large purse. I had gone through it at the previous car and found nothing of value, dumped the contents into the floorboard and would use it as a carry bag.
    At the trunk I pulled the lid open and found a few cans of spray paint, a roll of thin rope and a large jacket. “This will work nicely,” I stated and shut the trunk softly. Even though it was daytime and I could see for what I thought were miles, I still didn’t want to press my luck. When I talked it was in a whisper and when I searched for and through things, I was as quiet as a mouse. Sound traveled and with us being in close proximity to so many vehicles, that sound would be amplified.
    With the trunk shut, I scanned the area in front of us and quickly spotted the moving figure several hundred feet away. I dropped to the pavement and whipped the pistol out, my heart rate increased, my breathing came quicker as if I was not getting enough oxygen and I could hear Kember playing and giggling in the car I was now hiding behind. I was concerned that the thing would hear her playing and come running.
    “Stupid idea, completely stupid! I shouldn’t have brought her with me.”
    From the pavement I tried to see the legs of the thing and determine which direction it was headed. If it wasn’t coming toward us then there would be no need to worry, however, if it was heading our way things were about to get hectic, quickly. I checked behind me to make sure there was no one else around, none of those things creeping up on me.
    For several heart pounding moments I watched helplessly from the pavement as the thing strolled off the interstate and crossed to the woods on the far side. Once I was sure that it was clear, I moved back to the sedan, crawled in and began grabbing the things I had piled in the front seat, missing the second figure, which had been hidden behind the first one.
    “Come on, baby. We have to go,” I told Kember.
    The driver door abruptly opened and I looked to see one of those things coming in at me. I rolled to the passenger side, opened the door, pushing the carry bag and Kember out behind it as the thing came in at me and grabbed my right leg. I spun, brought the Beretta up toward the threat, saw the thing looming in at me with its blank eyes and fired several rounds into it. It stumbled backwards and I exited the car on the opposite side to see it coming for me again. I drew down on the thing once more and fired a single round, hitting it in the head. It dropped instantly and I spun my head right where I’d spotted the thing minutes ago, and then looked right to find nothing in either direction. It was time to leave, as the gunshots would no doubt draw more of them if they were close enough to hear, but were out of my line of sight.
    “Time to go little one,” I grabbed Kember and the carry bag and headed back toward the SUV as quickly as my feet would carry us. The feeling of fear propelled me like never before and as we reached the Pathfinder, I tossed the carry bag into the back seat, put Kember in the front seat and gave her quick instructions. “Stay here, baby. Daddy will be right back.”
    I moved to the closest vehicle and hunkered down beside it, wondering if this was the best plan of action or another stupid mistake? So far I had been full of those, stuck on stupid as someone once told me, and my luck was getting no better. I had to change that immediately. I was the first and last line of defense for stopping anymore of the things that showed up and I intended to put myself, and them, as far away from Kember’s current home as I could. I’d lead them away