Read Murphy's Law (Roads Less Traveled Book 2) for Free Online

and try our luck, or simply wait and hope we would eventually find ammunition in another town. Too many ifs. It pissed me off.
    “You okay?”
    I chose not to answer and kept my eyes on the buildings around us.
    “We’ll find something, don’t worry,” he said, then lapsed back into silence. I glanced at him, at the road ahead, and grunted.
    “Only thing I can figure is everyone here got the hell out of dodge when it all happened. There’s no cars, so that backs up my theory. No dead activity, which could mean there were no people here when the inevitable swarm of zombies passed through. You know they’re migrating now, looking for food. So these people were gone before that started. What do you think?”
    It was my turn to fall silent while he considered my theory. We’d reached the end of our search and were turning to go back when he pulled his reins in and came to a stop. His brow was wrinkled and his eyes narrowed, like his brain was chewing over some unpleasant thought. I mirrored his face and looked around, suddenly aware again of the dead silence. When I looked back at him he was staring at me with an arched eyebrow. Other than that he was calm.
    “What? What is it?” The strange look he wore had me wondering if I’d overlooked something important again. Damned if I knew what it was.
    “Stop looking at me like that and tell me what the hell is wrong!”
    The corner of his mouth twitched. He looked down, took a deep breath, and when he looked up again it wasn’t at me, but over my left shoulder. He stared like that so long I finally twisted in the saddle to find what he was trying to show me. Just as I was about to turn on him and unleash my annoyed aggravation, I saw it.
    It only took a moment for me to realize what he had been wanting to say.
    “Holy shit…”
    On the hill above us sat a church. Its parking lot was full of vehicles. We were close enough to see a padlock on the door and a crucified zombie displayed on the small front yard. There was also a homemade wooden sign next to the deadhead. We couldn’t read all the words, but we could definitely make out the first line.
    Dead Inside.
     
    * * *
     
    Nancy had been chitchatting with her grandson the entire time they’d searched, hoping something she would say would open him up and she’d finally be able to figure out what was wrong with him. What had been eating at him since leaving Crousley’s. She’d had no luck. Jake had offered a few words here and there, but she couldn’t seem to keep his attention. He was constantly getting lost in his own thoughts, as he’d been almost this entire trip. She’d been so focused on talking to Jake she hadn’t even noticed any of the shops they’d passed. That is, until he finally spoke up and told her to be quiet.
    “What?” Nancy’s eyes automatically scanned around for danger.
    Jake pointed ahead of them and to their right, at the last store on the block. Her eyes followed until she found the dilapidated building at the end of his finger. She made a face and looked back at Jake, repeating her initial question.
    Jake sighed and closed his eyes, seemingly impatient with her, before answering.
    “That’s a sporting goods shop, Grandma. Read the sign out front.”
    He jerked his chin in the direction of the store, continuing at a slow walk down the street. Nancy looked down the road and this time noticed the sign: Hartley’s Guns and Ammo. In smaller letters underneath, Fishing Tackle and Bait. She grinned and clapped her hands together.
    “This is great, Jake! Let’s go back and tell the others.” She snapped the reins and started to turn her horse around. Jake kept moving however, and called back over his shoulder.
    “Go ahead, I’m gonna check it out.”
     
    * * *
     
    “So what do you want to do about it?” Mia asked.
    We’d filled her in on what we’d seen, and had been waiting for Nancy and Jake to return. The hour was almost up and I’d already decided if they weren’t back