One Day Too Late - Skillet

The Promised Land: (Part 23) The Good Life

The owner of Sparrow’s rested his arms on the counter and leaned against them. His moustache twitched as a corner of his mouth turned into a smirk. He tapped the clips and said, “This ain’t gonna get you far, gumdrops.”

“What’ll it get us?” Caden obviously wasn’t pleased, but his tone was almost mocking.

Holding up both index fingers as a sign to wait, Linus went to the back and rummaged around. Eden could see boxes getting thrown around and heard what sounded like marbles spilling out on tile flooring.

“Ouch!” Linus returned, rubbing a spot on his head hidden under his navy blue baseball cap. Reaching under the counter, he pulled out a red pouch with a white cross on the front and three suckers.

Caden’s arms folded into a pretzel against his puffed chest. “That’s ridiculous. I traded in Forte last month for three times that much!”

“Inflation rates, Fireball. Medkits don’t run cheap, you know.” Linus shrugged as he unwrapped one of the suckers and stuck it in his mouth.

Caden ran a hand through his hair. “What’s it going to take to get everything on that list?”

Linus took out the red lollipop and pointed it at the clips with a smirk. “A lot more than this petty cash.”

With his own smirk, Caden turned his bag over above the counter. Bullets, magazines, and ammunition belts in all sizes and for all kinds of firearms spilled out on the wood with dulled tinks and clanks. It was a good thing the lollipop was in his hand because Linus’ mouth dropped open.

“Sugar rush,” he muttered in amazement. Letting out a low whistle, he pushed back the cap on his head and stuck the candy in his mouth. Glancing from the clips, to Eden, Shiloh, then Caden, the shopkeeper began stroking the beard on his chin.

After three long minutes of thought, he took the lollipop out and asked, “Any Bitcoin?”

“Nope. That’s all we have,” Caden replied, motioning to the pile on the counter.

“What we got here,” Linus said with a grin, “is an invaluable opportunity. Not two days ago, Atari lemonheads came through here and wiped out my supply o’ ammo. Nearly robbed me blind. Normally, I’m not the type to trade without Bitcoin credit, but I think I can make an exception.”

“So you supplied the bullets that were sent through the Infected…” Eden said in a voice unintentionally laced with disapproval.

“Sure did, Sugar,” Linus answered. Noting the sour look on her face, he added, “Hence my swift departure.” Taking the list, he retreated to the racks behind the counter and started sorting through them.

Eden came up to the counter and started organizing the ammo by size, mostly to give her hands something to do as her brain mulled a few things over. “So bullets are used as currency in the future?”

“Something like that,” Caden muttered while keeping a suspicious eye on the shopkeeper.

“It’s more of a barter system, Sugar!” exclaimed Linus from behind a shelf. “I’ll trade for anything of value. All depends on supply and demand.”

Eden held up a clip. “High in demand, I take it?”

Caden gave a single nod.

“To lemonheads, at least,” Linus sauntered to the front carrying three large backpacks. They were similar to the one Caden and Shiloh had before, only perhaps a little smaller. When he placed them on the counter, he eyed the organized ammo. Licking his lips, he started hauling the payload into his arms. Caden grabbed hold of Linus’ blue sleeve. “Hold it.”

Without looking away from the man with the mustache, Cay grabbed one of the bags and handed it to Shiloh. “Check them.”

Taking the other two bags, Shiloh plopped on the ground and started sifting through the contents.

“I assure you, Fireball, everything’s in there,” Linus stated, “…for the most part.”

With a look of deep confusion, Shiloh pulled out a fez.

 “I KNOW THAT ONE!” Eden exclaimed when she saw the article. Cay, Shy, and even Linus stared at her like she had just lost her mind.
“S-sorry,” she muttered as a self-conscious flush enveloped her cheeks. “I just… you know what, never mind. Why is that even in there?”

“Misplaced merchandise?” Linus wrenched his arm free.

Looking at his twin, Caden asked, “What’s missing?”

Shiloh proceeded to fingerspell, but he was going too fast for Eden to keep up. Apparently, a lot of the items were omitted.

“I’ll just be going now.” In one motion, Linus grabbed an armful of magazines, spun around, and made a quick getaway.

“You come back here!” Caden hopped over the counter in pursuit. The shopkeeper made it about five feet before getting tackled.

“ACK! Get off, you little sugar monkey!”

Eden and Shiloh both saw clips go flying as they peered over the counter.

“CADEN!” Eden dare not attempt to actually stop the lad, but she hoped he would at least hear her over the struggle. He didn’t. He was working too hard to get Linus in a chokehold. Significantly taller, Linus fought back, jabbing Cay in the ribs with his elbow. The recipient quickly let go with a grunt and hugged his side. As soon as Linus stood up, Cay grabbed his legs and brought the man down again. Eden was about to shout a second time when she felt something tap her shoulder. Shiloh handed her a pair of hearing protectors and waited until she put them on.

“Stop.”

He only uttered one word. Only a whisper, but it was loud enough to sound like an explosion in Eden’s head, even with the ear protection on. The struggle ceased with both opponents covering their eardrums in pain. Caden looked particularly irate as he stood up. Instead of yelling at his brother, as Eden expected, he turned and yelled at Linus. “Quit trying to rip us off!”

“You were the one trying to rip my legs off,” the shop owner shot back. Linus sat up and rested an arm on his propped knee. “Listen, gumdrops, the way I see it, you can do one of two things. You can either take my offer. Or we can throw jawbreakers until the lemonheads come back. Your choice.”