Nick blew air into his cheeks and then let it out in one big huff. “God, you’re negative. You don’t have a lot of faith in people, do you?”
“When you’ve been a bus driver for twenty years, the one thing you start to know well is people. Especially desperate people with nothing to lose.”
“Okay, well, let’s just play things by ear for now.”
“Of course. I’m just being prepared. Now, how bout’s we go take a look in those fridges?”
Nick glanced over at the refrigerator units and nodded. “Sounds good.”
Inside, he was beginning to feel claustrophobic.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Annaliese didn’t know what to make of the newcomers. Two of them were prisoners and one of them was a complete arsehole, but Nick seemed to be on the level, and the women in the group seemed to trust him. Still, she had a bad feeling that she couldn’t quite put her finger on.
She hadn’t objected to Nick and Dave heading into the kitchen alone, but now she wondered if it had been such a good idea. She decided it would probably be wise if she went and joined them.
Keep any eye on them.
Before heading off, she glanced at Eve, Michelle, Greg, and Alan. They were all standing around aimlessly. They needed something to do.
“Maybe you lot can gather up the furniture and make some sort of living space. It might be worth us having a barricade as well, just in case, you know?”
The four of them nodded and got to work. Annaliese headed behind the bar and entered through the kitchen door. Nick and Dave were at the far end with their head in the fridges.
“Found anything?” she asked them.
Both of them spun around. Nick answered, “There’s not much we can use. Just some condensed milk and big jars of mayonnaise. Most of the food here is probably frozen.”
Annaliese headed deeper into the room and pulled open a metal door against the far wall. She thought about the last time she had opened a freezer unit, and shuddered.
Hopefully this one won’t be full of sick people.
Inside was plenty of food to keep them going. Mostly burger patties, fries, and frozen hotdogs, but also boxes of artificial cheese and other odds and ends.
“Well,” said Nick. “It’s not Michelin star, but it will do.”
Annaliese closed the door again and turned around. “Best leaving it where it is for now. We’ll have to make a list of it all and plan out rations.”
“I agree,” said Dave. “You’re a clever girl, you. I can tell.”
“Thanks,” she said. “Must have been all those years at university.”
“So, what’s next on the to-do list?” Nick asked her.
“We’ll have to check with Shawcross. No doubt he’ll have an opinion on what to do next, but to be honest there’s not a lot we can do other than wait. When everyone is feeling up to it, we should start making a perimeter around the park, in case any infected people arrive.”
Nick nodded. “Yeah, I like the sound of having fences between us and them. We should maybe look around for stuff to keep us warm as well. If the power goes off, it’s going to get cold.”
“Good point. I’m not sure we’re going to come across any blankets, though.”
“Let’s get to it, then,” said Dave. “No point hanging around.”
The three of them exited the kitchen and re-entered the restaurant. Michelle, Alan, Greg, and Eve were moving the tables and chairs up against the windows and doors. They had also turned some sideways, creating private berths for people to lie down in. All in all, it was a job well done.