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

Chapter 9

"Pop, I found three," The guy said to John.

John raised his arm and made a motion to put down the gun, "It's alright Taylor, they ain't gunna hurt us."

"But they stole a bunch of our guns," He said, with his eyes quickly darting to Ethan and I behind his father.

"Not like we can use 'em all," John said, staring Taylor down until he lower his own pistol.

Chloe unlatched herself form Zoe and ran to Ethan, who grabbed her. I glared at this Taylor asshole who had the nerve to hold a kid at gunpoint.

"What's your problem? You broke into our store," He sneered at me.

"Just wondering what kind of asshole would point a gun at a child," I sneered right back at him.

He had the good graces to look ashamed and I hoped he felt it.

"Now nothing happened, Taylor was just doing what he thought was right," John reasoned, "We had no idea who broke in."

"Well what now?" Darren asked, still giving Taylor the accessing eye.

"We were going to make a deal," I said.

"What kind of deal?" Zoe looked at me, questioningly.

"John said we could keep the guns and ammo if we let them come with us," Ethan re-stated the terms.

"Hell no, this guy just pointed a gun at us!" Darren yelled and gestured towards Taylor.

"How was I to know ya weren't gunna hurt us?" Taylor yelled back.

"What did you think we were going to send the eight year old after you?" Darren retorted.

"I'm nine and a half!" Chloe piped in and Taylor look stunned that she even spoke.

John chuckled at that and got in the middle of the two.

"That will be enough. We're all keyed up from all that's been happening, let's calm down," John look at both of them.

Darren reluctantly nodded at him while Taylor placed his gun in his own holster.

"Alright then how to you suggest we do this?" Darren asked.

"Do what?" John asked.

"We don't have enough room in the truck or even enough supplies for ourselves," Darren answered.

"We got a car and there's a small grocery store down the road some," John said, "It's like our own small community this far out. There's even a gas station in the same parking lot."

"Alright, grab your things and we'll meet outside," Ethan said, tugging Chloe towards the door.

"We'll only be 'bout five minutes," John said motioning for Taylor to follow him.

Once we were back to the truck, we all tossed our duffels into the back.

"This is a bad idea Ethan," Darren said running his hand through his hair, "We should just take off before they get out."

"We can't do that, they let us keep the guns," Ethan said back.

"They just held us at gunpoint; you really think we can trust them?" Darren kept trying to make his case.

"Plus we will need them to show us where the grocery store and gas station is," I added.

Darren looked away defeated knowing he was alone on this issue.

"Look I agree that we can't just blindly trust them but we owe them and extra bodies could come in handy," Ethan sighed, leaning his arm against the truck.