Free The Reckoning - 02 by D. A. Roberts Page A

with 15 rounds in 12 gauge, and I put another fifty rounds of the Winchester Supreme Elite’s in the bag. I also stuck my hammer in my belt.
                  I left the big Army Colt and the Henry in the truck. I’d have plenty of guns and ammo without them. Out in the country this far, I doubted that I’d run into any large packs of zombies. At least, I really hoped I wouldn’t. If I did, I was boned. Once I was loaded up, I turned to Gunny.
                  “Well, I’m as ready as I ever will be,” I said, grinning.
                  “You be careful out there,” he said, seriously. “If you get into trouble, you don’t have any way to call for back-up.”
                  “I know, Guns,” I said. “I’ll be careful.”
                  Then I headed into the front offices. Gunny followed me, and we checked the windows before clearing the front door. Before I could open the door, Gunny stopped me with a hand on my shoulder.
                  “Listen, son,” he said. “Don’t do anything stupid. Just get the fuel and get your ass back here. Don’t take any unnecessary risks. And above all else, watch out for those fucking Trackers .”
                  “Got it,” I said.
                  I opened the door and slipped out. Gunny had to hold Odin back from bounding out the door after me. I crept to the edge of the building and peeked around the corner. It was clear. Behind me, I could hear the sound of Gunny blocking the entrance. Satisfied that the path was clear, I headed across the parking lot at a trot.
                  My pack felt like it weighed nothing, after all the weight I’d been carrying all morning. I made it to the far side of the parking lot and crept along the edge of the other building. I looked in through a window and saw that it was storage for the Tool and Die. There was nothing that I could see that resembled fuel tanks.
    “So much for that idea,” I mumbled.
                  I moved along the back of the building, heading towards the road. I crouched down at the end of the building and looked both ways. I didn’t see movement in either direction. I decided that I’d move out to the edge of the road and follow it, so long as I could see where I was going. I’d have to be careful on hills and corners.
                  I didn’t want to stumble upon a group of dead, but I really didn’t want to get hit by a speeding vehicle full of survivors, either. There was no sound to be heard, other than the whispering of the wind. I was pretty sure I’d hear a car coming long before it got to me. I was willing to take that chance, anyway.
                  Following the tree line would give me better cover, but I wanted to get to the station as fast as possible. The sooner I got the gas, the sooner I could get back and fuel up the truck. I could raid the store for supplies, while I was at it. What I really wanted was a good map of the area. It had been years since I navigated with a map and a compass, but I was pretty sure that I could still do it.
                  I kept the AR-15 at ready-arms. I had already locked and loaded it and just had the safety on. I lengthened my stride to a nice ground eating pace and started off. If my mental map was accurate, the store had to be close to ten miles away. I should be able to cover that in a few hours, so long as I didn’t get attacked.
                  The sun was getting high in the morning sky and the air was turning warm, so I slipped my sunglasses out of my pocket and put them on. I considered marking time with military cadence, but decided against it because of the noise. I remember how cadence helped pass the time on marches in the Army, but we didn’t have roaming zombies to contend with back then.
                  I’d walked for almost an hour without seeing a car or a