Chapter 38
Chapter 38
Since we lost two days because of the storm, we decide to make up for it by sending two extra groups. Ebon and Chris were leading exclusively werewolf groups but that isn't exactly a good thing. If we don't show the other people what to do then if they run into trouble they will end up dead. So Ebon and Chris split their group, giving Maddie and Nick lead positions in the two new groups. Then each of the four groups gained three older teens to train. The teens are only armed with knives and javelin spears so there's less likely to be any accidents. This will allow us to rotate runners and get more of our people trained. Merle is also planning a shooting test for anyone wanting or needing to use guns. He wants to use bb guns or paintball guns to let them practice so we don't waste bullets but until we find them it isn't a priority. It's our hope that everyone physically able will be able to defend themselves if they need to.
Not to be excluded, our group gains two teens too. Star and Cody asked to join us when the plan was brought up at breakfast. They will each shadow Merle and Daryl since I can't exactly teach them magic. They climb up into the bed of the truck while I take my usual spot between the brothers.
Mr. George waits at the gate with Asher, Gabe, and his twin Hunter. They wave us through and close the gate behind the last car. As our run is to the animal feed store, we split off from the others.
The feed store isn't far from our base so it doesnt take a half hour to reach it. It's a large store with some tractors and farming equipment, some sheds and building supplies, a large garden center, and rows and rows of bagged animal feed. Merle circles the lot, slowing down as we reach the store entrance to see it's metal gate locked down.
There are Biters wandering around but it isn't many. Daryl hops out, calling to Cody to join him. He downs the Biter closest to them.
"Get you one," Daryl orders, downing a second one and moving back to encourage Cody forward.
Cody steps forward, spear held tight in white knuckled hands. He shuffles back and forth, raising the spear only to shuffle back when the Biter turns to follow him. He raises the spear again and jabs it's foward but drops it when it glances off of the biters cheek.
"Never drop yer weapon!" Merle barks, climbing out of the truck and waiting for Star to jump down before moving closer. "You gotta be fast but don't lose yer weapon. If ya drop yer weapon then yer dead."
Cody actually steps forward to pick it up but Daryl grabs his arm, pulling him back before the Biter can lunge. Merle claps Star on the shoulder, gently shoving her forward while moving to the side so he can keep a line of sight if he has to shoot. She keeps to the side of the Biter which is still focused on Cody. With quick steps, she jabs the spear forward and it jabs into the temple with a wet squelching sound.
"Atta Girl!" Merle cheers, clapping her on the back and nudging her to face the lot where several biters are hungrily approaching. "Now get ya some, girly."
Daryl shoves Cody towards his spear with a sharp, "Get yer weapon and get at it."
I leave the biters to them. The front double doors are shielded by a metal blind grate. A simple vanishing spell gets rid of it. The inside is dark but the glass doors are clean and the inside looks undisturbed. An unlocking spell gets the doors to open. Then I prop one door open with a large cinderblock that was nearby.
I look back at the others to see Merle and Star stepping further into the lot while Cody and Daryl stay nearby. Cody approaches a Biter, shuffles closer and jabs at it but it bats the spear away. It's too close and I raise my wand to cast but Daryl releases an arrow, taking it down.
"I'm heading inside," I call out loudly, getting distracted waves from the brothers.
The inside is dark but the store is clean and well organized. It looks like someone closed it up and just didn't come back which is good for us. I have two bottomless bags that I plan to use for this. They're not truly bottomless. Instead they have spells to expand the inside to hold an enormous amount of stuff. It's useful to have on a run but it is a bugger to organize because everything you put into it just gets dumped together.
I decide to start on one side and collect everything. I can give it to people on base to sort through later. The important thing is just to get the stuff now so it isn't damaged or lost. There are registers directly in front of the door. Each has a small fridge of drinks and various snacks. I start with shrinking the fridges, tossing them in my pack and throwing the snacks in the bottomless bag. If there are things big enough that I can shrink then I will.
To the right is a clothing area with shoes and boots along the wall and numerous racks of clothes. Past that is an isle for home decorating items such as mirrors, clocks, and decorative signs and pictures. The following isle has items for a kitchen such as a cow shaped cookie jar. The next has dishes and skillets.
To the left is an area with dog beds against the wall followed by isles with leashes, bowls, and food. The third and fourth isles are for cats. Then birds and other household pets. Past that is a fridge with medicine for animals including little vials of vaccines. Then it's large bags of chicken feed followed by grain for horses.
It takes a while, tossing handfuls of items into the bag. I get all of the clothes and most of the kitchenwares before Daryl and Cody catch up. Cody is flustered, head down and pouting. He stomps past with a buggy, grabbing items at random and tossing them in the basket.
Daryl comes over to lean against the end of the isle, facing the front of the store. He offers a quiet, "He didn't get one."
I nod even though he isn't looking, "It's okay, we can put him on gate or watch. Nothing wrong with not being able to handle the biters."
"S'what I told em but he's butt-hurt on account of tha girl getting a few."
It takes a few hours but we get nearly everything from the store. I even shrink down the shelves which we can use to organize everything back at base. I wish I could've shrunken the shelves with the items still on them but they would've fallen off into the bag and it would've been a bigger mess. At least the items in the bottomless bag couldn't accidentally be crushed.
Once we finish the inside, we move on to the garden center. I can't just shrink this stuff down since living things, even plants, don't do well when shrunken. Instead we have move the trays into the truck bed. We don't need the flowers but we do grab all of the fruits and vegetables. There are even trees.
I vanish the fence blocking in the garden center so we don't have to go back through the store. Merle has Star teasing biters into the lot and taking them out. There's several that she's already taken out that Merle has been dragging into piles.
Since the parking lot is clear, I go ahead and shrink down the group of sheds taking up several parking spots along one side. The tractors, mowers, fancy grills, and farming equipment have chains looping them together. I vanish the chains and shrink them all down. The back bed of the truck is full of plant trays and the trees are tied down to one side.
Cody climbs into the truck, still grumpy and pouting but quiet. His spear gets tossed in the back. Star hops in next, climbing into his lap nearly glowing with pride. He summons up a smile for her, hooking his chin on her shoulder and telling her that she did great. At least he isn't holding it against her.
Daryl hesitates at the door, looking between the small seat and me. I shrug back helplessly, "Either we can find another car or I can sit on your lap. Your choice."
He huffs a half laugh, "Come on, may as well hop in."
It takes a bit of shuffling around but we get settled. We're all squashed in but we make it back to base before any of the others.