Liquor store leads 8-2 to Jack in the Box. Tremendously doubtful 7 people will suddenly decide to vote against.
1. Go in the liquor store.
The entrance is locked, but you're able to step carefully through one of the shattered plate glass windows. A defunct neon sign reading BUDWEISER SOLD HERE still hangs haphazardly by one chain, tilted into a diamond. It sways as you brush past.
Jesse steps in gingerly after you, and Max sits outside, whining softly. You slap your leg once and he leaps inside.
The interior is in ruins. Shelves overturned, random garbage and smashed items everywhere. The cases in the back are all standing open, the beer inside mostly missing, the few samples left torn open and left to spill out onto the shelves and ground. You notice a bunch of matches on display and grab some.
Jesse heads to the back and looks up and down the row at the formerly cold shelves. "The little bit of soda left is untouched," she says. "Who would come in here and destroy the beer?"
You walk up behind her. "They do. The infested. They seem to have caught on that it fights off the infection. Or maybe they just are instinctively drawn to destroy it. It does smell terrible to them/us."
Jesse shakes her head. "This isn't good. There's nothing left."
"There might be some in the back," you say, hopping the counter. "Come on."
Max is sniffing around the shop. He finds an open bag of chips and sticks his snout inside, making soft munching sounds. "Come on, Max," you say. "We'll find you some food later."
Max looks up briefly at you, then snatches the bag in his teeth before sliding under the counter to stand by you. Behind the counter, at the back of the store, is a large metal freezer door. Jesse comes up behind you and tries the handle.
"Locked," she says.
"It probably leads back behind the shelves, and maybe to the back exit for loading," you say, searching around the cash register for a key.
Max continues to snarf down his chips, finally finishing the bag and licking his chops. He sadly paws at the bag and looks up at you.
"I know, buddy," you say. "We'll get you something to eat soon, I promise."
Jesse joins you in your search, looking on the shelves behind the register. Most of them are cleaned out. From outside, you hear a faint Faceless scream.
"It's gotta be here somewhere," you say. "Maybe it got knocked down onto the floor."
The two of you look dismally down at the mess at your feet. It would take forever to search it all.
Suddenly something occurs to you.
"Jesse, do you still have the car keys?"
She raises an eyebrow and reaches into a pocket. "Yeah, why?"
"Give them to me."
She hands them over, looking puzzled. You smile at her, and turn to Max.
"Hey, come here, boy."
Max cocks his head at you, responding to your tone, and trots over. You put the keys in front of his face and his sniffs curiously, then looks back up at you, puzzled.
"Max. Can you understand me? We need to find more of these," you say, gesturing to the mess on the ground. "Can you do that? Can you help us? Find the keys. Find the keys, Max."
Max's tail wags once, back and forth, and he seems to be searching your face, still wondering what you could want.
"Keys, Max. Keys! Find the keys!" you say, jingling the car keys in front of his face.
"Uh, I don't think he understands you," Jesse says.
You kneel down on the floor, and make a sweeping motion with your hand, brushing some of the junk aside. "Find the keys, Max."
Max looks at you, at the floor, whines once, and turns and begins sniffing.
"I'll be damned," Jesse says. "You weren't kidding about them being smart dogs."
You smile at her and stand. "Didn't you ever have a dog when you were growing up?"
"Just little ones," she says. "Mom had allergies."
The two of you watch as Max sniffs in strange circles, moving away from you behind the counter.
Another Cavine howl from outside. Closer.
"The question is," Jesse says, "Is he doing what we think he's doing? And do we even have the time to wait for him to find them if he is?"
**************************************
1. "Let's barricade the windows with some shelves. I can take out the first few who show up with the shotgun. We've got to give Max some time."
2. "You're right. He might not even be looking for the keys. He's hungry. He might get sidetracked even if he is looking. Let's go while we still can."
**************************************