Free The Last Orphans by N.W. Harris Page B

were unlocked and the lights were on. Shane entered, fearing he’d find the attendant dead behind the counter. To his relief, no one was inside. Shane retrieved some sports drinks for everyone from the cooler. Thinking about taking the school buses, cleaning out the hardware store, and now breaking into the gas station, he felt a sudden flash of shame. They were doing it to survive, and nobody was around to take money anyway, but all the same, it was thievery in a sense. The moment passed, and he almost laughed at his absurdness.
    “We need to distribute the weapons between the buses evenly, so we can defend ourselves if we are attacked by the animals, or worse, people looking for a target,” Tracy suggested. She lifted the last of the fueled-up jerry cans into the bus and accepted a sports drink from Shane.
    “You should probably be in charge of that, and Aaron can help you find people who can shoot,” Shane said, passing drinks out to everyone else. He picked up a bow and slung it over his shoulder, not sure if he’d be effective with it. Although he didn’t like the idea of shooting at someone, he sure as heck wasn’t going to allow anyone near him to be harmed. He’d seen enough of that.
    “The bus drivers should have crossbows,” Aaron said, handing one to Shane and taking his bow. “These babies can be left cocked and loaded so you can use them in a hurry if need be.”
    “How do you get a new arrow in it once it’s been shot?” Shane asked, liking the simple point-and-shoot ability of the crossbow better, though he always thought of crossbows as outdated wooden weapons from the middle ages. This one however, had a carbon-fiber frame and a scope on it like a high-powered sniper rifle.
    “They ain’t called arrows,” Aaron replied, demonstrating how to load one. “With crossbows, the projectiles are called bolts.”
    “Try not to sound like you’re enjoying this so much,” Kelly scoffed, dropping the end of a hose next to the water cans and walking back over to the spigot to turn it on.
    “Hey, you have to admit— they are kinda sexy,” Aaron called after her.
    Shane felt a smile creep across his face. Everyone had been so depressed and down to business, it refreshed him to hear Aaron acting like his normal comedic self. For the first time, he felt like maybe they had a chance, that maybe they could all get through this if they stuck together and used their heads.
     

 

     
    “Let’s get this convoy back down to the school and try to get some rest,” Tracy said in the slightly condescending way in which she always spoke. All the buses were fueled up, and the water cans were loaded. “It’ll be easier to drive to Atlanta if we wait ’til the morning.”
    Al though Shane suspected no one cared to have Tracy barking orders at them, everyone obeyed, climbing into the buses and looking too tired to respond. The diesels rumbled to life. They pulled out of the gas station one at a time, swerving around the body of a woman who lay dead in the street. Her neck was missing a huge chunk where her windpipe should be. Shivering at the thought of how bad it must’ve hurt to be killed that way, Shane wondered what kind of animal had attacked the poor woman. She wore a torn, flowery sundress and one shoe, and Shane guessed she’d lost the other one while being chased down by the animal like prey. He couldn’t imagine a worse way to die.
    Aaron put bolts on several more crossbows and stacked them on the front seats while Shane drove. This time, Kelly rode with Steve in the other passenger bus, and Tracy and Matt took the supply bus. Shane realized he felt more depressed in Kelly’s absence. By needing him, she’d pulled him out of the numbness that sunk in after his aunt died and gave him a reason to keep going. If Kelly hadn’t come up the driveway asking for his help, he might’ve just lay down in the road and waited for death.
    “Seems a little excessive, having so many loaded,” Shane said,