Book 1 Chapter 17

                                    

                                          
The Gathering of the Clans
Book 1 Chapter 17
<<<Pepepski >>>
Raymond's Apartment
"That's our place right there Brian." Brian pulled the van over to the curb. "You guys got your keys?" "Right in our hands." Todd turned in the front seat and looked at the three men in the backseat. "Okay guys, this is how this works. Brian and I make sure we're clear of threats. We escort you in as a group and back out as a group. No one and I mean no one leaves the group."
"We get you in, you pack what you need then we all leave. Simple enough. Any questions?" The three men shook their heads. "You all live on the second floor a few doors apart from each other, there is no one else left in the building, and the dead have been cleared from this building correct?" The three men nodded their heads.
"Anything, Brian?" "Looks clear, down and across the block." Todd and Brian got out of the van and Todd opened the van door. "Let's go." They crossed the lawn and into the building. The block was totally silent there weren't even bird calls. Charles shivered. "I'll be so glad when we are out of here." Raymond nodded "The sooner the better as far as I am concerned."
Todd opened the stairwell door and looked up and down the hallway. He motioned for them to follow. They got each of the men into Raymond's apartment where, the men assured them, their stuff was. Raymond took his luggage from the bedroom closet, threw them on the bed, and started packing.
"HeyTodd, we transferred all the food we had here when we started sharing one place. Do we need to pack that? There isn't much left." Todd looked in the refrigerator and cupboards. He pulled out four large cloth grocery bags and loaded the remaining food into them setting them by the door.
Charles started stuffing clothes into a large rolling duffel bag padding his laptop with them. "Do we need to bring our bedding?" Brian shrugged "Let me call Ben, He should know what they got over there."
Miles practically ran into the second bedroom. He yanked a pair of rolling suitcases out of the closet and started throwing his clothes into them. He ran out and got his laptop off the coffee table. "Don't forget your computer, Charles." "Already got it but thanks, Miles."
Raymond walked into the bathroom and scooped everything in there into a box."I got the bathroom stuff." He reached into the little closet in there and yanked out a 32-roll bag of toilet paper and handed it to Todd. "Can't forget this." He laughed.
Todd was staring at the little puppy that had exited the bathroom when Raymond entered it. He pointed down "What is that?" Raymond laughed "Oh man we almost forgot Buddy. " He set the box by the door and went into the kitchen. "Buddy is, well was, Mrs. Parkinson's puppy. When she got sick so did Buddy." We promised her we'd take care of him, when she passed, I brought all his things here."
Ramond duck taped a bag of puppy chow closed and stuck it into a duffle bag he pulled out from under the sink. He threw in a 12-pack of canned puppy food and two boxes of small dog biscuits. Todd looked down at the small creature that was wiggling around at his feet and falling down. His tail was going a mile a minute and kept tipping him over.
Raymond walked over and stuffed the puppy's toys into the bag. He held up a blue ball and squeezed it making it squeak. "Can't leave this behind it's his favorite." He grabbed a large bag of little rawhide bones from the coffee table and managed to barely cram a small dog bed in there. "Come here buddy, come get your ball, little fella." Raymond tossed the ball into a little dog carrier and Buddy ran in after it. Raymond shut and latched the door.
Todd scratched his head. "I don't know if the other guys are going to go for a puppy, remember animals are attacking people lately. Raymond frowned. "Hayes said he was fine after he recovered from being sick."