This Would Be Paradise (Book 1)-A Zombie Novel

Chapter 9

Both Ethan and I froze at the sound.

"Now ya'll turn around slowly and don't do anythin stupid ya hear?" A very southern male voice rang out.

Ethan and I shared a look before putting down our haul and turning around slowly. I could hear the blood pumping frantically in my ears and had no doubt that the color had drained from my face. Oh god, what about the others? I didn't hear a gunshot so I hope they were ok.

The man's cowboy hat was the first thing to come into my peripheral and then I could see his whole outfit. He wore blue jeans, a tight plaid button down and a pair of old cowboy boots to finish off the look. Judging by his face, I placed him in his fifties. His lips were set in a grim line and his muscles moved under his sleeves as he kept his gun trained on us.

"Now I don't want no trouble ok?" He said, his voice calm and collected.

If I had to venture a guess, I would say he used to be police or military. There was something about the air around him, the way he carried himself. He was confident holding the revolver in his hand and had no qualms about pointing it at us.

"We don't want any trouble either," Ethan replied in an equally calm voice, "What did you do to the others?"

Confusion washed over the man's face before he answered,

"I didn't do anything to them; only saw you two so far."

Ethan visibly relaxed at the man's words.

"What's your names?" He asked.

I swallowed the lump in my throat before replying,

"I'm Bailey and this is Ethan and we don't mean any harm. Just needed something to protect ourselves."

"Well Bailey, my names John, I'm the owner of this here establishment," After a second, John lowered his pistol and placed it the holster on his belt.

The relief I felt when he lowered his weapon was unparalleled.

"Look we didn't know anyone was in here, we would have never come in otherwise," Ethan reasoned.

"Well a bit late for that isn't it boy?" John said, raising an eyebrow at Ethan.

"Um we don't have the money to pay for the guns but maybe we could work something out?" I said trying to defuse the situation, "We could make a trade or put them on...lay-away?"

I silently cursed myself for making the stupid comment but John cracked a smile.

"Don't think credit works no more," He grinned at me, "I'll tell you what, ya'll can keep the guns and ammo you have if you take us with you."

"How did you know we were going somewhere or that we even had a plan?" Ethan asked suspiciously.

"Ya'll got that truck all loaded up in the back and a map on the dashboard with a part circled," John replied, "Plus last I heard most people were heading into the cities for the refugee areas."

"They're all gone," I said, "Well at least the school we were at is. The city was overrun, infected and shots going off everywhere."

"Wait you said 'us', who else is there?" Ethan eyed John.

"Just me and my son Taylor," John said.

Suddenly a scream rang out and it sounded like Zoe. John looked at us then bolted towards the sound with us right on his heels. In the middle of the sales floor, Zoe had her arms wrapped around Chloe with Darren right beside them. A few feet away was a guy, who looked about our age, holding them at gunpoint.