The Long Road Home

Chapter Eighteen

Page woke with a start. Something was wrong, a noise that was out of place. She looked over to Kidd. He was awake as well and staring toward the front of the store.

'Did you hear that?' He whispered.

'Glass breaking.' She whispered back. Page grabbed her bow and looked to him. 'Go into the bow repair shop. Hide there until I come for you.' He frowned.

'I want to go with you.' He protested as he got up. Page shook her head.

'It could be screamers.' She said. 'Remember what I told you about being on the road?' He sighed.

'Do as you tell me,' he said 'or it could get one of us killed.' Page nodded.

'Take your bat and bow.' She said 'if anyone other than me comes in, you know what to do.' He nodded and Page grabbed her bow and headed for the front of the store. She could not help but to shiver, the closer she drew to the front of the store.

She stayed hidden behind a coat display. A group of five were at the door pushing a counter against it. Page was not happy to see their coats were coated with snow. The wind from outside was blowing a drift through the door they broke to get in. There was more than enough supplies in the store for all of them, but Page did not know these people. She could not have them in here while she was with Kidd.

'This place is occupied.' She called to them. Those in the group jumped startled and turned to look for her. 'Please leave.' The biggest of the group, took a step forward and scanned the store looking for her. Something about the man made her skin crawl. Even if she did not have Kidd to worry about, she would not let these people stay.

'Where are you girl?' he asked taking another step forward. Page fired a warning arrow, and it slammed into the counter to his right.

'I said leave.' Page snapped just before moving to a different hiding spot. A man near the back pulled a gun and fired hitting a mannequin near Page's first hiding spot. She shook her head annoyed.

'Don't kill her.' The leader snapped at the same time Page fired a second arrow hitting the shooter in the arm. He dropped his gun and screamed clutching his wounded arm. The leader cursed and grabbed the counter pushing it from the door. The group fled through the door and out into the night.

'Bitch,' the leader yelled from somewhere outside. 'We were going to take you as peaceful as possible, now I am going to make you hurt.'

'Yeah!' A woman added 'a lot!'

'Come out now!' The leader demanded 'Give up your weapons and we will only hurt you a little.' Page shook her head annoyed.

'Why don't you stick your fat ugly head in the door and we will show you what we think of that suggestion.' Page yelled back just before moving to a new spot. This time she hid behind one of the cashier counters. Outside was the sound of laugher from the group.

'We who girl?' The leader called amused. 'You and the boy? We know it's just you two. We saw you at the police station!'

Page wanted to swear, but she remained silent as she studied the broken door. That was the only way the group could get into the store. She needed to figure out a way to block it off without being shot. She moved to get a better vantage point. Keeping down, she snuck to the counter the group had moved and could see the shadows of the raiders. Page frowned realizing there were at least ten people out there. Even worse, while she and Kidd had been sleeping a big snowstorm had moved in. The snow was already a foot deep. She moved to the side of the door out of the raider's line of sight and listened.

'We did what you said Mason.' A man was saying 'All the other doors are being braced so they can't get out that way. We got two people on each side just in case we missed something.'