Free Into the Badlands by Brian J. Jarrett

scavenging off this exit because Ed wasn't sure how long until the next one. They could calculate miles by the map, but the time it took to actually walk those miles was difficult to estimate.
    There were other things they needed; boots, coats, pants, and socks, to name a few. They needed to find a department store, if possible, or maybe another sporting goods store. Ed stood up, then gazed at the multitude of buildings off the exit to determine their options. He saw a somewhat dilapidated Target department store that might be able to provide some of what they needed, provided it hadn't already been cleaned out.
    Ed also saw a grocery store, some gas stations, some fast food restaurants, and some other stores he couldn't easily identify. The grocery store might still have some canned goods left and the restaurants might have some packaged food they could take along with them.
    Some of the buildings looked very run down; it was likely that they'd been raided or had just succumbed to the elements after several years of neglect. Nature worked quickly and efficiently on Man's empire, retaking the land stolen from Her with ferocious intensity. Behind the commercial buildings were rows of residential area, subdivisions with hundreds upon hundreds of houses. Houses were dangerous, but a last-ditch option if the stores didn't play out. Given that, the Target store seemed to be the best place to start. One-stop shopping made even more sense now.
    Ed looked back at the boys. They were both sitting on the ground in their mismatched winter garb, arms folded, waiting for their instructions. He smiled to help alleviate their fear. They smiled back, and Ed was struck by just how lucky he was to have them.
    “Let's go.”

    Ed felt his stomach tighten into a knot as they walked down the exit ramp toward the strip mall, dodging abandoned cars and bodies along the way. Visibility was good; the undergrowth was dormant due to the cold weather, but once summer came it would take off like wildfire. He wondered briefly how many years it would take for the road to disappear completely back into the wild.
    The Target sat at the back of a large parking lot. The lot was only half-full of cars. They were all parked haphazardly in the lot, many with their doors and trunks still open. They walked through a four-way intersection toward the store; the unlit stoplight swung back and forth in the cold breeze. Road signs squeaked as they moved in the wind.
    Ed and Zach drew their pistols and walked along either side of Jeremy. Jeremy carried the machete. They had their goggles, masks, and gloves on, as usual. They walked slowly and carefully toward the building, looking everywhere for movement.
    Ed wasn't comfortable being so open and exposed in carrier-friendly locations; if they were attacked they'd likely have to use their guns. That would only attract more. There was nowhere to hide; they needed to get in and out as quickly as possible.
    As they crossed the Target parking lot they passed scores of bones and darkened lumps that had once been human beings. They skirted these without much thought and continued walking steadily. Ed hated that the boys had to see things in such a disastrous state. They had seen so many dead bodies that they barely noticed anymore. He wasn't sure if he should be thankful for that or disturbed by it. Truth was, he was a little of both.
    When they arrived at the front doors Ed stopped the boys. The glass in the doors was broken; the place looked as if it had been raided hard. Chances were there was little left behind. Still, little was better than nothing.
    “Keep your eyes peeled,” he told them. They nodded, their eyes glowing green through the lenses of the goggles.
    Ed peered into the store through the broken windows. Aisles were ransacked, trash and other debris littered the floor. The weather seemed to have only gotten in just past the broken doors, so Ed hoped much of whatever was left behind would be in reasonably good