Apokalypsis | Book 6 | Apokalypsis 6 Morris, Kate (cheapest way to read ebooks TXT) 📖

considerably lighter from the windows and two skylights. One of the front windows was broken, which had permitted quite a mound of snow to pile up beneath it. He perused the area, making sure he was alone, and when Elijah realized he was, he went to the area behind the counter with Dixie at his side this time. She was off her leash and padding along.

Strangely, the register drawer was left open, and the slots were still full of money. It was odd, but he supposed people probably didn’t think paper money meant much now, either. He knew it didn’t.

There were rolls of paper towels, toilet paper in surplus, and napkins which he stacked in cardboard boxes he found by the back door.

“Hey, good finds, Elijah,” Roman said behind him and hefted one heavy box into his arms as Elijah balanced another plus his rifle.

“Let’s raid the walk-in,” Wren suggested as Abraham took another box out.

“Wouldn’t everything be spoiled?” he asked.

“Not sure. Who knows how long this place has been closed down? Up by us, some of the businesses were trying to stay open as long as they could. Maybe this one did, too. Or maybe that generator was running the electric here, as well as the laundromat.”

He instinctually raised her weapon to his shoulder when her hand poised above the handle of the deep freeze. Elijah looked at her once and then had her pull the lever. Nothing came running out at them, but it did smell like pepperoni, spices, and cheese. They both went inside and scanned the food items. Some were wilted and old like the vegetables, but the cheese, pepperoni, and bags of flour were fine. The others soon came in and helped them clear it all out. The bed of the truck was stacked full when they were done.

“Let’s get some of those clothes from the dry cleaner next door,” Roman said. “We got two bags from Jeff’s place, but those girls may need more. Others might, too. Think they have shoes?”

“I don’t know,” she said with a shrug.

She went with Elijah to check it out while Roman and Abraham cleaned out the rest of the restaurant and then were going to do the same in the Chinese food joint.

Without exiting the building, they were able to cross through a hallway and into the dry-cleaning business. They were brought right into the operation side of the place where pressing machines, steamers, and dryers were located. It was dimly lit, and dust particles floated in the air through the light filaments care of the scant few windows near the top of the painted cement block walls.

Elijah went around one large machine while she went around the other and down an aisle of hanging clothing, all packed tightly together on an apparatus that looked like it once moved to bring clothes forward or backward so the people working at the front desk could find the item they needed to hand out to the customer.

He couldn’t really see over the clothing moving machine because it was mounted to the ceiling. The apparatus with the chain mechanism was around six feet high while the clothing hung down from there. Wren wasn’t that tall, so he knew if he couldn’t see over it, then she definitely couldn’t.

Elijah was out of his element looking for women’s clothing but quickly located some women’s clothing and took a warm coat off a hanger. It was wool, probably a little too dressy for what they needed for outerwear right now, but it would be warm. Next, he located some expensive-looking sweaters, probably wool or cashmere since they had been dry-cleaned, and again not practical, but he took a few anyway and stuffed them, along with the coat, into a duffle bag he found nearby on the ground. There were stacks of sweaters and shirts on a nearby table, so he slung his rifle over his shoulder and carried the bag. Pants went in next. The girls wouldn’t have jeans, but if they wanted casual Friday at the office style pants, they were set. His bag would soon be stuffed very full.

“Running this out,” he called over to her.

“’Kay!” she tossed back through the myriad of clothing labyrinths.

Elijah jogged the bags of clothing out and set them by the back door. When he went back, he spotted Wren near the end of the aisle lugging a heavy bag of her own. He sent a wave her way, which she paused to return.

Then she just disappeared. Literally. Her scream pierced the concrete block walls and left a deafening ring. Something, a hand and arm from under the clothing rack latched onto her ankle and tugged so hard that she fell backward. Her legs were taken out beneath her, and she landed on her back and hit her head on the concrete floor. The sound alone made him cringe. She cried out loudly, but it was cut off as she got the wind knocked out of her. Breathing in at all was impossible, Elijah knew, from being hit like that in football.

“Wren?” Elijah shouted and took off in her direction. She was gone from sight, having been dragged away by her ankle.

He could hear her wrestling and fighting for her life. There just wasn’t enough light in this building, but Elijah sprinted anyway, bringing his rifle up as he went. When he got to her, Elijah could see what was going on better.

Eyes that nearly glowed greenish-gray in the dim, dark space under the rack were staring back at him. Then it growled as if angry he was being interrupted by Elijah. Still clutching her ankle was a human hand but also wasn’t any longer human at all.

“Shit!” she exclaimed and kicked at it.

Her kick was ineffectual, so she tried to leverage backward by digging her free heel into the concrete and pushing as hard as she could. Elijah grabbed under her armpits and pulled to no effect. Their struggle only served to anger it, and the