It's only when we exit the vehicle that I can clearly read the script lettering dotting the gable: Winter Wonderland. The entire two-story structure is paneled in dark wood and it does have a certain mountain cabin style to it. Like the ones in Switzerland or wherever it was in that one James Bond movie. There's also a giant stylized snowflake decorating the facade, which I guess also goes along with the name.
"Why anyone would've opened a ski store in central Florida is beyond me, but I guess it's coming in handy now," Bram observes, rubbing his palms together. Meanwhile, Nate and Jed begin to circle around the building in opposite directions to – I'm assuming – find a way in.
From what I can tell, the door and all of the windows are covered in solid wooden shutters and when they return, Jed confirms this. "The place looks untouched. Since we'll be doing a full haul, let's winch the doors."
"Yes, sir." Freddy agrees with a smile, running to his truck and releasing a hook and cable from a contraption fixed to the bumper. Attaching the end to the door, he reels it back in and quickly makes an opening inside.
"Listen up. We're here to clear this place out. Freddy, take your truck to the back. We'll open up the loading dock and these two." Jed gestures at Bram and Nate. "They can help you load the boxes directly from the storage area. The rest of us will take whatever we can from the display areas. Everyone grab a flashlight and let's get moving."
We do as we're told and split up. Jed and Pam disappear up the staircase in the middle of the store that has a large arrow pointing upward next to the words "Equipment and Gear," while I'm left with the two girls downstairs. I'm still orienting myself and deciding whether to start in "Footwear," "Snow Apparel," or "Accessories," when my sister shrieks out from somewhere in the darkness by the back wall.
Oh, shit! I scramble to get to her in the darkness, running into a couple of racks filled with clothing in the process.
"Ellen! Where are you?" I yell, but before she has a chance to answer, I come across her standing next to a shelf full of colorful garments.
"Oh my God, Will! Proper clothes. They're brand new, and pretty and best of all, they're in my size," she unexpectedly gushes, grinning ear to ear while holding out a pink long-sleeved shirt.
I exhale in relief. "You're kidding me, right? I thought you were being attacked or something. You had me freaked out." I shake my head and decide to start as far away from her as possible, which takes me back to the shoe section. But like my sister, I also get momentarily mesmerized by the variety of styles and colors. From rough, leather boots labeled for hiking, to fur-lined ones made for snow, there's everything. I've never personally had a need for such stuff on Vanguard, but I'm tempted to try one on. WhenI hear a metallic squeak behind me, I turn to see it's Nelly with a wheeled, flat-bed cart.
"I found this in the storage area. I thought it'd come in handy," she says.
Instead of responding, I start to stack the shoe boxes on the cart. There really isn't anything I want to talk about with a murderer.
"I'm surprised we haven't run into each other since you've been back," she presses on, joining me in the packing.
"Yeah, weird huh?" I lie, omitting the fact that I've been purposefully avoiding her.
Picking up four boxes at a time, we quickly fill the cart. Since it's stacked so high, it takes both of us to push it to the loading dock to make sure none of it falls off on the way. After we've unloaded it into the truck, we go back for the rest. Two more rounds of boxes later, we've emptied out the boots section and head toward racks filled with men's jackets. We decide to put a whole rack on the cart and while we're pushing it to the truck, something finally dawns on me.
"Are you expecting a particularly cold winter?" I ask.
Nelly jerks her head toward me, possibly startled by me breaking the long silence. "I don't think so. We haven't even seen a flurry in three years."
I give her a side-eye. "So, what's up with all this gear?"
"I thought maybe you'd know. Since you were supposed to bring our salvation and all. But we have all kinds of things in the warehouse that we'll probably never use." She smiles.
I shrug my shoulders, but her response has me worried because I have a feeling that the timing of this trip is not coincidental, and someone is planning on using this stash. I've automatically assumed that Bradford wanted the ferries so he could get his people to Vanguard. But since no one needs this kind of stuff underwater, and if it doesn't get cold enough here to warrant these supplies, then that means—
"Help! Come to the loading dock NOW!" someone yells through the darkness, interrupting my inner musings.
"Take out your weapon," Nelly instructs as we leave the cart behind and rush through a door marked "Employees Only". Running across the storage area full of nearly empty shelves, we finally get outside onto a concrete platform. Straight in front of us, a truck is backed up and its rear flap is open, revealing that it's almost jammed to the brim with brown, cardboard boxes.
As we stand there in the darkness, Ellen catches up with us. Shining our flashlights in multiple directions, we don't immediately see anyone, until a voice calls to us from below, "Down here."
Looking down, I see Freddy sprawled on the ground, lying motionless on his back among a handful of scattered boxes. Bram is crouching next to him, while Nate is sitting at the base of the five foot drop, cradling his right foot.
"What the hell happened?" Nelly asks, preparing to jump down to the men.
However, Bram raises his hand in protest. "Careful. That's how he almost broke his ankle." He points at Nate.
Nelly heeds his advice and gently lowers herself down. "How hurt is he?" she asks squatting next to Freddy.
"We're not sure. He says he can't feel his legs." For the first time, I hear fear in his voice.
"What's going on?" Jed comes up behind me, finally arriving from upstairs.
"This dumbass didn't look where he was going and stepped off the ledge instead of into the truck," Bram explains, pointing to Freddy. "And that dumbass jumped off after him and landed on his ankle, instead." He nods toward Nate. "We're going to have to get them both back to O-town right now to see a doctor."
"Shit," Jed curses, jumping down to personally examine the two men's status. Not finding anything to counter Bram's suggestion, he informs us of his plans. "We'll have to load Freddy into the back of the truck. He'll have to stay horizontal 'cause who knows what all he's broken. Pam, you'll have to ride with him just to make sure he's okay."
I didn't even hear Pam come out, but she's standing behind me and now we're all here.
"You'll have to drive the truck back." Jed turns to Bram, but the man is already shaking his head.
"No can do. I don't know the way. And Freddy can't navigate if he's going to be in the back," he says.
Jed rubs his temples. "You're right. None of you have been out here before tonight. I guess I have no choice, but to take ya'll in and then come back for the rest of you. Can you manage without me?" he asks Nelly, dangling a set of keys in front of her.
She in turn looks at me, Ellen, and finally, at Bram before grabbing the keys. "Not a problem."
We help load the injured Nate and Freddy into the truck before Pam and Jed also get in. After they drive away, Nelly takes over and under her direction, we continue to pack up the second truck. At first, it's pretty obvious that she's keeping an eye on me and Ellen, but eventually we all get so engrossed in what we're doing that we find ourselves in different parts of the store. When Nelly and Bram disappear toward the truck carrying a bunch of long, narrow objects, Ellen runs at me from out of the darkness.
"This is it, Will. It's our chance to escape," she urges breathlessly, however, I'm distracted by the small, blue piece of fabric she's waving around.
"What is that?" I ask.
Puzzled by my query, she holds it up. "It's a bathing suit. Why's that important right now?"
"It's not, it's just weird they'd have that here when everything else is for the winter."
She purses her lips impatiently and points to a large, colorful picture on the wall. It shows a bunch of smiling, attractive people sitting in a steaming tub outside while being surrounded by a snowy landscape.
"Oh," I say, trying to imagine the appeal of taking a hot soak in freezing weather.
My sister throws the suit to the ground and grabs my arms. "Were you even listening to what I said?"
"Yes, I heard you." I nod. "But here I thought you were the smart one."
"I am the smart one! That's why I'm telling you that we have to take this shot and leave." She tugs for me to follow.
"Oh, yeah?" I plant my feet. With my size advantage, it's not hard to stall her protest. "So you don't find it even a little bit curious why we're here emptying out a whole store that has nothing but clothes and sporting equipment that you need for snow? That's the type of weather – which I may add – that you'll never find in this part of the country, even now that the climate is screwed up."
She hesitates, giving up and crossing her arms. "What do you think is going on, then?"
I sigh, looking around. It's futile. The answer isn't about to drop out of the sky. "I don't know yet. But that's exactly why we can't leave now. We have to find out what Bradford is planning because if it has any implications for the people back home, we have to warn Lamer about it."