Free The Omega Protocol Chronicles (Book 1): Exodus by Courtney McPhail Page A

oversized purse, she came up empty handed. She frowned, looking around a moment before her eyes lit on the gas station. Maybe they had a couple shelves stocked for travellers in need.
    When she entered the gas station, she found Malcolm behind the counter, going through a stack of maps.
    “Everything alright?” he asked, looking out the windows to the parking lot.
    “Everything is fine,” she assured him. “We’re just in need of some feminine products. I was hoping I might find some in here. The note said to take what we need.”
    “Yeah, that was nice of them to leave the pumps on,” he said, nodding to an identical note taped to the front of the register.
    “Trey thinks they are being passive aggressive. Rubbing in our faces the fact that we were left behind to suffer God’s wrath,” she told him as she began to search the shelves.
    “Now that you mention it, it is a bit of a slap in the face.”
    Kim couldn’t help but laugh at the resentment that tinged his voice. “You and Trey will definitely get along. Cynics at heart.”
    “Maybe, but I’m also practical. Slap in the face or not, I’m more than willing to take their charity.”
    She rounded the shelves, passing by the door that led to what she assumed was a back room, glancing up at the cross that was nailed above it. “But you’ve got to admit that it is easier to take it when you know it was given with kindness.”
    “You might be onto something,” Malcolm said and she stopped her search to look up at him. “We should enjoy it, there’s not going to be much of it left soon. People will begin to compete for resources and places like this will be stripped clean of anything useful.”
    “You know, I’d like to get back all the time I spent teaching Trey how wrong it was to take something that wasn’t yours. Seems like such a waste now,” she said and turned back to her search. She smiled when she spotted the familiar blue and yellow box on the bottom shelf. “Aha, here we go!”
    She knelt down to pull out the half dozen boxes that were covered in a fine layer of dust. Obviously they had few female customers in need pass through this way. Thank God there were no expiration dates on them. Might as well clear the shelf because she didn’t think tampons had made it onto Malcolm’s list of supplies.
    She gathered the boxes up in her arms and went to stand but a sudden warm draft of air behind her had her spinning around in her crouch to see the storeroom door open and a man standing there.
    She wanted to scream but the sound died as her throat closed tight and terror froze her body in place. She could only watch as the man tensed, ready to spring on her. His mouth gaped open, white phlegm curdled at the corners, and a savage growl spilled out.
    From the corner of her eye she saw movement and the infected man’s attention was taken away from her onto Malcolm. He barrelled into it, sending them both crashing to the floor beside her, Malcolm’s hands clamping around its head and slamming it hard into the linoleum. The infected man let out an unearthly howl that was cut short as Malcolm repeated the move, smashing it face first into the ground. He continued to do it again and again until the figure was limp and lifeless beneath him.
    Malcolm sat back on his heels, his chest heaving with exertion as he stared down at his blood covered hands. He wiped them off on the man’s shirt before he turned to focus on her, reaching out to place a hand on her arm.
    As soon as his warm hand settled on her, her body began to tremble and the terror that had constricted her throat released. Pathetic whimpers began to bubble up from between her lips, punctuated by the occasional shuddering sob. Strong arms wrapped around her shoulders and she was pulled into a tight embrace. She buried her face in his chest as the tears began to fall.
    “Kim, I’m sorry. I didn’t see it when I checked the storeroom. I don’t know where it was hiding. I’m so fucking