Dannie entered the storage closet. The light from the entrance flowed into the room as he stepped away from the door. He approached the crate nestled in the corner. It was resting vertically on the dolly. He grabbed the handle and tilted it back, lowering the crate down flat. He looked at the girl. Her black hair hung past her shoulders. Her dark blue eyes caught his attention. "How long have you been cuffed to that pipe?" he asked.
The girl responded with confusion on her face. "I don't know, since this morning, I guess. I told Dan I wouldn't run. I have nowhere to go."
Her response put Dannie on guard, "Is someone looking for you?" The girl shook her head at his question.
"No. I was half dead when the guys found me." Suspicion grew on the girls face. "Did the guys send you, Why else would you have the key?"
Dannie gauged her reaction as he responded. "No. They tried to kill me this morning. One of the slavers mentioned this gas station before bleeding out."
The girl laid her head against the pipe and sighed. "I told them I was bad luck, just like my mama always said. Good thing they was bad."
Dannie found her behavior odd. It could just be shock, he thought. The girl spoke after a pause. "What happens to me now?"
Dannie looked at her and answered honestly. "I came looking for supplies. I didn't know I would find you." Dannie looked behind him and then back at the girl. "You don't seem bothered there dead."
The girl raised her shoulders. "I got food, they gots their dicks sucked. But we wasn't close or anything. I don't feel any type of way about em."
Her answer made Dannie vigilant. This girl might be trouble. "So what's your name?" The girl looked at Dannie and said, "Nira. You?"
Dannie focused on opening the crate after talking with Nira. She observed him in silence. He popped the two latches holding the top closed. He lifted the lid. And to his utter shock, the crate was a jackpot. It was packed with all kinds of food: canned beans, tuna, jerky, and soups. A 9MM was also in the crate. And boxes of ammo. Dannie could not believe it. Bullets were very rare. He took out the gun and popped out the magazine; it was filled. Dannie smiled as he looked upon his discovery. He closed the lid and placed the gun in his pants. He got up and walked to the front of the gas station. He peered out the glass entrance and saw the dozens of zombies shuffling outside. The day had already grown darker, as the sun was low in the sky.
Dannie would have to stay the night here and make his way back in the morning. He returned to the closet and asked Nira, "Are you hungry?"
Nira nodded her head at Dannie, "Ya, Im starvin. But first I need the bathroom." Nira pointed at the counter. "They left the key next to the money thing." She lifted her hand and shook her cuff. "Unless you wanna watch?"
Dannie removed the cuffs and handed her a flashlight. She left for the bathroom to do her business. He wheeled the box out of the storage room and placed it near the entrance. He threw the cuffs onto the crate. Dannie had a few taper candles in his bag, so he removed one. The glow would be enough to allow both of them to eat without sitting in the dark. Dannie opened two cans of tuna and sat next to the candle, waiting for Nira to return.
