Outbreak: A Survival Thriller by Richard Denoncourt

Author:Richard Denoncourt [Denoncourt, Richard]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Self Land Publishing
Published: 2014-07-23T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 10

On my way out of the warehouse, I see why the entire place reeks of gasoline.

The Colonel and his men have gathered a stockpile of it in the center of the main storage area. There are entire stacks of shelves loaded with red, five-gallon polyethylene cans. I see them only briefly in what little light Bandanna casts from the lantern as we walk by, but I can tell there are at least four full stacks holding twenty or more cans on each shelf.

It’s a rough estimate, but at the very least—assuming the cans are full—we’re talking about a few hundred gallons of gasoline. It’s the equivalent of a treasure chest full of gold coins for someone in pre-Outbreak society.

I dwell on these numbers as the Colonel leads me across the main storage area. My wrists are bound together by twine at the small of my back. More of it ties my ankles together, giving me enough slack so I can walk but not run. I shuffle along, taking in every detail I can, expecting to emerge into sunlight soon. Then maybe I’ll find out where this place is located.

Instead of leading me to the exit, the Colonel takes me to see Melanie.

She’s sitting on the floor in the corner, her back against the wall and her knees drawn up to her chest. In front of her is an empty stack. Sandwiched between the two, she looks tiny and vulnerable, like a homeless girl out on a cold night begging for change.

“Melanie,” I say.

Bandanna blows out the lantern, sets it on the floor, and turns on a pocket flashlight. He shines the beam in her eyes, making her wince. Her face looks puffy and her hair is a ratty, sweat-soaked mess that hangs in shreds over her eyes. Her right hand is suspended above her shoulder, dangling from a pair of handcuffs attached to a metal loop embedded in the wall.

“Kip?” she says.

“Are you okay? Did they hurt you?”

“I’ll live,” she says.

The Colonel puts a hand on my shoulder to discourage me from getting any closer. I twist away from his grasp. He responds by grabbing the neck of my coverall and yanking me back.

“Not so fast, Kipper.”

I imagine sticking the barrel of my Glock into his mouth and pulling the trigger.

“Melanie is going to need a babysitter while we’re out shopping,” the Colonel tells me with a pat on the shoulder. “Lucky for us, Wheels has volunteered to keep an eye on her. Isn’t that right, Wheels?”

“Fuckin’ right it’s right,” Wheels says, fixing his soulless eyes on mine. The words fatten her up hit me again with their ominous meaning.

“I thought Olin was supposed to be first,” I say, looking at Bandanna.

“Now that’s a damned good point,” Bandanna says. “Why don’t I stay behind with her?”

The Colonel smacks me hard against the back of my head. Melanie whimpers at the sight of me stumbling to regain my balance.

“That’ll teach you to mess around,” the Colonel says before addressing Bandanna.

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