The End of Days: Chapter 10

Chapter Index
Chapter 1: A New End
Chapter 2: What Family?
Chapter 3: Hope
Chapter 4: Chivalry is Dead
Chapter 5: A Different World
Chapter 6: Beginning at Death
Chapter 7: Debt
Chapter 8: The Good Ones Last
Chapter 9: First Blood

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Chapter 10

Disobedience

Ben and I approached the Wal Mart entrance with Adam hidden behind us, I had been going over what to say in my head the entire walk over but I couldn't think of an outcome that didn't involve conflict with Frank. I had watched him, order his own father to cut a man's throat just to protect his "under ten people" rule but, I couldn't imagine he would do that same to a child. Still, I was ready for anything, patting the back of my jeans to fill the 10mm.

Ben made his way to the entrance and slammed his fist into the glass, and immedietely the sight of Pete, the ginger man who was one of the first people to converse with me in the group popped his head up. He quickly fiddled with the chain and unlocked it pushing the door open to allow us access.

"Jeeze, Ben. Really stuck your neck out on the line for this one, have you seen the Walkers in the Home Depot parking lot?" Asked Pete, sticking his head out of the door to peer over to the parking lot, more than a dozen Walkers struggling to get over the car blockade.

"We need to get inside now and lock down for awhile. If that many Walkers see us in here, its gonna be a pain in the ass to mantain this place. Come on." Pete gestured for me to come in, but I was frozen, a hand behind my back to feel Adam's shoulder to still make sure he was there.

"Hey... uh.. Newbie? You coming inside, or are you going to sit out there and be eaten by Walkers?" Pete asked impatiently, holding onto the door ready to shut it and begin locking the place up right after I went inside.

"I need to talk to Frank." I blurted out, standing completely still peering past Pete to see if I could see Frank inside.

"Need to talk to... what? You can talk to Frank inside! Come on!" Pete snapped, becoming more stern as more and more Walkers began to pile over the blockade into the parking lot.

"Please, just get me Frank quick!" I asked again, not wanting to explain to Pete the situation with Adam before I covered it with Frank.

Pete stared at me for a moment, before looking me over and cocking his head to the side to see past me. I quickly stepped in his trail of sight, but a look of annoyance following by a smirk let me know he already knew what I was hiding. Pete quickly retreated into the Wal Mart, Ben taking watch at the entrance to make sure the Walkers weren't too close. After a moment, Frank appeared in the entrance his face flushed as though he had just been yelling, and an icey glare from Pete being stabbed into his back.

"Oh look! Its our new hero, did you find your Walker best friend?" Asked Frank, sarcastically glancing toward the Walkers and eyes becoming large with fear before stepping into the parking lot and pulling me toward the entrance forcing me to reveal Adam.

"What the hell..." Frank mumbled, obviously shocked by the sight of the boy and at a loss of words for the moment.

"I'm not coming inside if this boy isn't allowed as well." I spoked out sternly, deciding that the best course of action would be to back Frank into a corner, and force him to let Adam inside and break his own rule. I crossed my fingers in one hand, hoping Frank would give up easily.

"You kidding? You think I give two shits about you Nate? Or your little charity case behind you? This is my store, these are my people. The way I see it... You have two options. You can either come in here and leave the boy to fend for himself, or you can both die out there." Frank stared at me for a few seconds, before turning and grabbing the door to shut it only to have the much larger Ben stand in his way, holding the door open.

"Damnit Ben! What the hell do you think your doing?" Snapped Frank, letting go of the door and getting right in Ben's face, Ben towering over his form.

"He's a kid. What sick bastard is going to let a kid get killed right outside our camp, our home? That'll be something for morale." Ben said calmly, peering over to myself and Adam and then back to Frank.

"Are we just going to let a random bus of kindergardeners in here too? Feed every scared child in the world?! No! This Wal Mart could supply us for the long haul, but if we let too many in then it won't last! I'm not letting that happen! Less than 10!" Yelled Frank in Ben's face, getting increasingly angry very quickly causing the rest of the survivors to crowd around the door, the Walkers were no more than a hundred feet away from me beginning to rush forward.

"We need to go inside now Frank! What's it gonna be? You gonna let us die or let a little boy in? Clocks ticking!" Ben said sternly, as Frank whipped around and looked at the herd of Walkers rushing toward them before letting out mumbled cusses and pushing past Ben into the Wal Mart.

A grin molded onto my lips and I quickly pulled Adam into the Wal Mart, Ben slamming the door behind me and quickly hooking up the padlock as Pete made his way up a ladder and began to drop large blankets over the windows. I only got a few feet from the door before I heard groans, and scratches at the glass of the door I had just entered. I let out a loud sigh of relief, I had made it inside, with Adam, and just in time.

"What's his name?" A voice called out behind me, and I turned my head to peer over my shoulder to see the girl I had met before in the bathroom when I had first arrive, her husband called her Molly.

"Uhh... Adam... I think." I stuttered, I still had explained about the other group of people we had encountered that Adam's father was part of and we were forced to kill Adam's father. I was so concentrated on getting Adam into the Wal Mart that I didn't think to bring it up and the more I thought about it, I think its a good thing they don't know. Not yet.

"Adam... Any sign of his parents where you found him?" Asked Molly, my mind immedietely flashing back to seeing the machete pierce Adam's father's chest inches from me.

"Uhm... I... No." I stuttered once more, turning my back and Molly and making my way over to one of the aisles, Adam following me but lagging behind slightly.

"I can't have kids... I mean, Harry... my husband is steril. So... Uhm... I could look after him. I mean, somebody has to." Molly said, running her hand through her hair leaning his shoulder into the wall as if trying to be convincing. I recalled when I had met Molly's husband and his threatening and violent nature.

"I don't think its a good idea, with your husband." I blurted out, as I took a seat in one of the aisles leaning against the check out station, pulling the gun from my back pocket and setting it on a shelf it growing uncomfortable in the back of my jeans.

"My husband is a good man! He just has a bit of a temper! But, he has kept me alive through all of this! If I have to take a hit or two to stay alive... its better than dead. He would protect Adam!" Cried Molly, her face a mixture of sorrow and anger. The look on her face sparked something inside me, and I began to get angry as well.

"You shouldn't have to take a hit or two. Or do you like being a savag..." I was cut off by Molly slapping me across the cross, tears in her eyes. I was shocked, eye wide unsure what had just happened. I looked forward to see Molly shoot up and run off into the Wal Mart leaving me sitting in the aisle with Adam.

I rubbed my cheek, and then looked down at Adam who was staring blankly at the wall as if the slap hadn't even effected it. He was in shock from the events that had just transpired before him. I glanced up the aisle, and noticed Harry and Pete standing by the bathrooms at the end of the aisle, Harry staring at me and making the occasional comment to Pete. His stare was like ice, as if he was hunting his prey and shot a shiver down my spine. A stare full of pure hatred.

"That one might cause you trouble boy..." Sven called out from the other side of the aisle, and I turned my head to look at Sven and then back to Harry staring back at him with fearful eyes.