Free A New World: Return by John O'Brien

constantly move about the area around checking for movement.   I wave Horace and the other three inside.   Our hemisphere of sunlight becomes very crowded.
    “Okay, here’s the deal.   Teams of two will cover the end of each aisle and we’ll move forward one by one until we reach the aisle with the water.   At that point, Horace, you four will proceed to the aisle and start carting the water out.   Silence is key.   If we aren’t disturbed by then, we’ll go after other non-perishables.   It’s essential that the cover teams stay abreast.   Maintain your situational awareness so we don’t have friendly fire in case things turn ugly.   A round is no longer friendly once it leaves the barrel,” I say in a whisper only loud enough for all to hear.
    “Gonzalez, McCafferty, you have the far end of the aisle.   Henderson and Denton, the near end.   Robert and I will cover the rear and the flank for Gonzalez and McCafferty.   Rogers and Bartel, do the same for Henderson and Denton on this end,” I continue.
    I would normally place myself in front but I find myself making slightly different decisions as Robert is with me.   Having him with me is more than dipping a toe in the water but it isn’t quite jumping in yet.
    “Folks, there are night runners in here.   Let’s do our best not to disturb them and let them get their beauty rest.”
    “How do you know they’re in here, sir?” Denton asks.
    “Smell that faint musty odor?” I ask in return.
    “Yes, sir,” he responds.
    “Remind you of anything?”
    “A little like a locker room,” Denton says.
    “Exactly.   That is the smell of unwashed bodies and sweaty clothes.   They’re in here so everyone keep on their toes.   Gonzalez, McCafferty, move out,” I say quietly.
    The two rise and begin moving down the closest aisle.   Their lights pan out ahead and around as they step into the darkness.   Henderson and Denton move behind them and take position at the near end focusing to our right.   As Gonzalez and McCafferty reach a point half way down the aisle, I reach out and grab Robert’s shoulder.
    “Okay, stay close by me and do what I tell you.   Understand?”
    “Yeah, Dad,” he answers.
    We step across the linoleum floor and the darkness surrounds us.   It feels like a cloak suddenly drapes around us.   The farther in we get, the more the cloak envelops, a weight pressing in.   The only vision we have are the lights from Gonzalez and McCafferty ahead and where ours shine.   There is a feeling in the air.   That calm, quiet feeling with an underlying tension that says something is about to happen.   I am very acquainted with that tension and adrenaline and know this feeling well.   It’s like a coiled spring just before it releases.   I have the feeling our presence is known.   I glance back at Robert about to send him back to the door but something inside makes me hesitates.
    “What?”   He asks.
    “Uh, nothing,” I respond.
    Gonzalez and McCafferty reach the end of the aisle and focus their lights down the far end to our right.   Robert and I continue quietly up behind them.   I tap Gonzalez on the shoulder and she moves up to the next aisle with McCafferty.   Looking back towards the entrance, I see the lights from Henderson and Denton disappear as they move forward as well.   I have a good team here , I think watching Rogers and Bartel take their place.
    The combined lights on our end reveal a cooler section against the wall to our immediate left and what seems to be a small deli counter just past that.   The lane in front of us is broken only by the aisles branching off to our right and what appears to be a hallway or entrance to our left just past the deli counter ahead.   I move up with Robert behind and shoulder tap Gonzalez again.   They move up another aisle.   This process repeated as I check down each aisle until we are four aisles down.   At that point my light reveals beverages located on the