Chapter 12
They arrived at Milford's house, just as the sun dipped below some clouds. The wind had picked up and visibility was very poor.
"Stingy, guard the snowmobile. Robbie, with me," Pixel ordered. Before Stingy could object the two went to the man door which opened into the garage and cleared the doorknob. Using the key, they unlocked it and the door easily swung inward. Quickly the two slid in feet first into the garage.
"Can you raid the pantry while I look for the gas?" Pixel asked.
"On it," Robbie nodded, taking the house keys.
"Actual healthy food, if you can manage it," the Gizmo Guy called after him. Robbie waved his hand and continued walking into the house. Then Pixel searched the garage for anything useful. A snow blower would be handy but it would guzzle gas and they barely had enough to go around as it was. Shovels, flashlights, and batteries however would be very useful. He started piling things up near the man door when Robbie showed up back in the doorway.
"The heat has been off for a while. Pretty much the only things we can salvage are what's in the fridge and freezer," he said as he came out with bags full of food.
"Then that's what we'll take. It won't spoil on the sledge," Pixel told him.
"Find anything good out here?" Robbie asked, there was a hint of nervousness in his voice and the Gizmo Guy looked at him.
"What is it?" He asked.
"I'm more concerned about the roving bands of savages that I saw up the street about a minute ago. They broke into a house up the block," the former villain said.
"Help me get everything on the sledge. We have to go," Pixel told him, not wanting a confrontation with people close to the end of their ropes. That's when they heard Stingy's rifle go off.
"We have to help him!" The Gizmo Guy shouted. The miser was in no way familiar with how to use the weapon as Pixel and Robbie were, so if he was firing there was a good reason. Quickly they left the goods behind and Robbie pushed the Gizmo Guy up over the snow pile and then Pixel pulled him up.
"What's going on?" Robbie asked.
"A warning shot to our friendly neighbors down there," Stingy pointed to the house up the block that Robbie had discussed. They looked to see the men who had climbed into the home's broken windows scrambling for their snowmobiles.
"Wow, maybe that worked," Pixel smirked.
"They won't stay away for long. Let's get the goods and get back to your place. We'll have to make another trip to Trixie and Stingy's," Robbie said, heading for the door before continuing.
"I'll hand stuff up, you load, and then we'll get out of here." It was settled and they worked quickly. Within twenty minutes, they loaded up the sledge and locked up Milford and Bessie's house.
"Let's go," Stingy said; his teeth chattering as he felt the cold seep into every part of his body. Pixel tried the snowmobile's ignition and it didn't start. He tried it again and nothing.
"Third time is the charm," he smirked as he finally got it to fire and they raced off over the snow toward safety. Only problem was, they didn't know just what they were getting themselves into exactly as they raced home.
To Be Continued…