CHAPTER 22: UNSPOKEN AGREEMENT
Hanks silently pushed open the broken building's back door, scanning both sides of the alley before signaling all clear.
Glenn stuck close behind. His frame was built for delivering pizzas, not hauling two fuel cans at a full sprint. He was hitting his limit.
The two moved single file along the wall, quick and quiet toward the drugstore's back door several dozen meters away.
Hanks kept the P226 in ready position, eyes constantly sweeping for threats.
The raiders' flashlight beams and shouting seemed to turn toward another direction, while walker snarls grew steadily closer.
Those few dozen meters felt endless.
Glenn's heartbeat pounded so loud he could hear it. His palms were slick with sweat.
Hanks remained locked in intense focus, allowing him to detect subtle sounds several seconds early.
Finally!
The drugstore's back door—the one they'd reinforced with the crowbar—was right in front of them.
Hanks tapped lightly on the boards. The door immediately cracked open, revealing a gun barrel in the darkness.
Lee and Kenny's tense faces appeared. Seeing who it was, both exhaled with relief and quickly cleared the way.
Hanks and Glenn slipped inside. The door shut immediately, crowbar jammed tight.
Inside the drugstore was pitch black. Only faint moonlight filtered through gaps in the boards, barely outlining figures.
Everyone held their breath. The air was thick with fear and anticipation.
"You get the fuel?" Kenny asked in barely a whisper, eyes burning as they locked onto the cans Glenn set down.
Glenn nodded hard.
Lee pulled out a set of keys. The metal made a soft clink in the darkness. "Officer, the keys."
Hanks took them without asking where they came from, starting to plan the next move. "Lee, Kenny—fuel up the pickup."
"Carley, Katjaa—distribute food to everyone. Gotta eat to have strength to run."
"Glenn, watch Clementine and Duck."
"Doug, look after Larry."
"Lilly, you're with me—stockroom!"
After Hanks delegated tasks, everyone moved silently into action.
Lee and Kenny carefully cracked the back door, confirmed no walkers, then slipped out to the pickup to refuel.
The glug-glug-glug of gasoline pouring into the tank sounded crystal clear in the silent street. Both men's nerves went taut.
Fortunately, most walkers had been drawn away by the earlier gunfire. The street was eerily quiet now.
Carley and Katjaa opened the supply packs, quietly handing out food.
Larry had the hardest attitude, the foulest mouth, but ate the most enthusiastically!
Nobody spoke. Only suppressed chewing and swallowing sounds. The calories and sugars from the food slightly pushed back the cold and fear in their bodies.
Glenn pulled Clementine and Duck into a crouch near the back door, softly comforting the two kids.
He sat on the ground himself, leaning lightly against the wall, breathing quietly.
Compared to Hanks who wasn't even winded, Glenn's nerves were strung tight. His stamina was draining fast.
Now that he could relax, exhaustion hit him hard. Resting while watching the kids was perfect.
Lilly exchanged a few words with Doug, then hurried after Hanks who'd already headed into the drugstore's depths.
The stockroom's heavy iron door stood before them, secured with a solid padlock.
Hanks inserted the key and turned it gently. Mechanical tumblers clicked.
CLACK.
A soft sound. The bolt popped free.
Hanks slowly pushed open the heavy door. Ceiling lights automatically came on, illuminating shelves stacked with medication.
"Quick—find heart medication. Nitroglycerin or anything strong!" He stepped into the stockroom first.
Lilly followed close behind. She quickly found several bottles of nitroglycerin pills and other cardiac medications in a drawer marked for cardiovascular emergencies.
"Got it!" Her voice carried a trace of relief as she stuffed the bottles in her pocket.
Hanks nodded, still searching through medications, planning to grab some common meds.
Then the drugstore alarm went off.
WEEEE-OOOOO-WEEEE-OOOOO!
An incredibly sharp, ear-splitting alarm suddenly exploded without warning!
The source was a corner of the stockroom ceiling—an inconspicuous infrared sensor flashing red frantically!
In the dead silence of night, the sound struck like thunder, instantly piercing everyone's eardrums and completely shattering Macon's quiet!
Lilly screamed at the sudden blast of noise, nearly collapsing.
"Move! NOW!" Hanks's expression changed drastically. He bolted for the exit, grabbing her hand and yanking her along.
Outside the stockroom, everyone in the drugstore froze the instant the alarm sounded, blood draining from their faces!
The raiders' shouts at the intersection cut off abruptly, then whipped toward the drugstore.
They'd obviously been jolted by the commotion and immediately locked onto the sound's source.
All of Macon descended into chaos!
And even worse—
"GRRRAAAHH!"
"UUUAAAHHH!"
Distant. Nearby. Every direction!
Countless walker snarls erupted like a tsunami, instantly activated by the piercing alarm.
The sounds grew from far to near, rapidly becoming dense and terrifying as they poured from every street, alley, and building, swarming toward the drugstore.
"Lee! Kenny! Is the truck fueled?!" Hanks roared over the alarm.
"Just finished!" Lee's voice trembled. The memory of the car graveyard was still fresh.
"Everyone! On the pickup! NOW!" Hanks bellowed the order.
His police authority peaked in that moment—the unquestionable command temporarily overrode everyone's panic.
As he burst from the stockroom, he slammed the iron door shut and twisted the key hard, locking it tight.
He tossed the keys into a corner. They clinked faintly against a shelf.
"Back door! Go!"
Kenny and Lee had already started the pickup. The engine's roar couldn't be helped now.
Glenn and Carley pulled the two kids along. Katjaa and Doug helped a terrified Larry to his feet. Lilly followed close behind. Everyone crammed desperately toward the narrow back exit.
Hanks's gun barked, suppressing several walkers already trying to push inside.
He was the last one out, slamming the drugstore's back door shut behind him.
He vaulted into the truck bed, roaring at the cab: "Drive! Head south! Don't worry about anything else!"
The pickup's bed and cab were instantly packed to capacity.
Kenny floored it. The pickup's tires screamed against the pavement as it shot forward!
As they burst out, they could already see the black mass of the walker vanguard surging from every alley toward the drugstore.
The raiders at the intersection also lit up their headlights. Engines roared. They quickly pulled out of the street.
Though the two groups hadn't met face-to-face, they seemed to have an unspoken agreement—both heading south...
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