Free Whatever It Takes by Mike Staton Page B

fit the door.
    “Shit happens, Percival. Your job is to lead us to acquiring stuff to make sure the guys at home don’t starve or worse.” Karl sounded angry. “Worry about the dead after the living.”
    “Right. Whatever.” Percival wasn’t feeling better after this little motivational talk with Karl. He knew that the man’s heart was in the right place, but didn’t feel much companionship in the way he opted to express himself.
    A key fit and twisted in the lock. Percival felt the bolt slide back and was thankful for the reprieve. “New topic. Locked door, likely untouched by other looters. What do you think’s behind it?”
    “Just get your damned light out again.”
    Percival rolled his eyes and withdrew the keys. He stuffed them back into his pocket and took his flashlight out. He held his gun out and twisted the doorknob with his flashlight hand. He pushed the door open and brought his flashlight up.
    It was more than they could hope for. The room was caked in a layer of dust, with gun lockers arranged around the room. Most of them held only ammunition, and some seemed to have been left open since the building was abandoned by the owner. The owner had been kind enough to leave a single locker stocked and locked with weaponry.
    Percival holstered his pistol and walked straight across the small room to the gun locker with guns still in it. He grinned and began trying keys until one opened it. “Excellent.”
    “Wow. What an awesome find. Is that an M-4?” Karl reached into the locker and lifted the carbine from its perch. “It’ll be difficult to come across ammo for this thing. Be worth it, I think.”
    Percival took a shotgun out of the case. He unfolded the stock and smiled. “Now Sarah won’t be the only one with a shotty.”
    “Let’s loot it all. We’ve got the car to transport it, and ammunition and arms are always useful.” Karl put the carbine back and unloaded the rest of the locker into his duffel bag.
    *
    Karl and Percival carried three loads of ammunition and weaponry out to the car before returning the gun shop to the way they’d found it. The only difference: Percival took the keys to the back storeroom with him. If they were lucky, the remaining ammunition would remain undisturbed until they needed it in the future.
    Percival climbed into the passenger seat of the car. He turned around to look at Sarah and Evan.
    “Seems like you guys got a good haul from this place.” Sarah was still stroking Evan’s hair. She’d taken time to clean the youth’s face up some and hadn’t even looked up when she spoke.
    “Yeah. We shouldn’t have to worry about ammunition for awhile. How’s he doing?” Percival looked from Evan to Sarah.
    “I think he’s got a fever, but no wounds above his neck. The layers of clothing we wear makes it hard to check his core without stripping him down. His clothes are pretty torn up though.” Sarah looked up at Percival.
    “We’ll do that at the safe-house.”
    “What’re we going to do if he’s—“
    “Ask him when he comes to. There’s not much else we can do before he turns if he’s been infected.” Percival turned to face forward as Karl got into the car. “We’ll also talk with Andrina and Roy Joy about the message and what to do about it.”
    “It’s dangerous.” Karl started the car. “We shouldn’t go anywhere near the depot.”
    “Need a better reason than that. If they can help us secure the campus…” Percival trailed off. In his opinion, if the military was willing to help him out, all the better.
    “They’re likely just armed fanatics.” Karl backed the car away from the gun shop and pulled out onto the street.
    “We’ll talk about it with everyone.” Percival looked over his shoulder at Sarah and Evan. “Almost everyone.”
    *
    Percival carried Evan with Roy Joy’s help. Together they carried him to the first apartment in the building. Evan shook slightly as he was laid on the bed.
    “Jimbob did warn you,” Roy