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  The outdoor mall appeared to have escaped the early hours of the infection without too much damage. As night fell, the parking lot wasn’t much different than what would be found in the weeks leading up to a major holiday. Crowds rushing from store to store, grabbing what they could pack into their carts before heading back to their vehicles. Scanning the area, it appeared the infected had already come through the area or they’d be here soon and things were about to get much worse. Either way, the brothers knew what supplies they needed and time was working against them.

  “I’m staying here; I can’t stand to see any more of this… or you,” Savannah said.

  “Your choice,” Jason said. “We’ll be back as soon as we can. Try to stay out of sight.” He slammed the door and the pair headed off toward the stores.

  Rising once again from her position on the floor, she waited until they disappeared into the night and jumped into the front seat. The keys were nowhere to be found, although she wasn’t surprised. While driving off without them would have been nice, she had mentally prepared herself for what she needed to do on the ride over.

  With the hood release pulled, Savannah moved to the front of the car. Popping the hood, she grabbed a handful of spark plug wire and in one motion ripped it from the vehicle. Craning her neck to the left, she checked for any sign of Jason or Lance and slammed the hood back down. Making a beeline for the trees at the far side of the parking lot, she avoided a gathering horde near the street and randomly tossed the wires into the dumpster near the exit.

  Less than a block from Randy’s apartment, the sound of gunfire nearly knocked her from her feet. She slowed to a light jog and scanned the area, searching for its origination. The streets leading to his building were free of the infected as well as any sign of stranded survivors. She was alone and couldn’t have been more relieved. Figuring she had no more than a fifteen minute buffer, Savanah again picked up the pace and headed across the greenbelt leading to the building.

  A third shot rang out as she ducked into the building and made her way to the elevator. Hitting the call button and waiting for it to make its descent, Savannah chewed her nails. “What’s taking so long?”

  Behind, the familiar slow paced footfalls signaled the first time in hours she’d have to face the infected. Not wasting time to confirm her assumption, Savannah turned and ran for the stairwell at the rear of the building. With each passing floor, her heart paced faster. Not only due to the strain of climbing two steps at a time, but also the anticipation of what waited outside the landing to her cousin’s floor.

  Bursting through the stairwell door, she tumbled to the carpet and slid into the wall. Her imagination was beginning to control her every move. Three infected souls occupied the hall twenty feet beyond the entrance to Randy’s apartment. Savannah reacted only seconds before they did and won the footrace to his apartment. With only seconds to spare she was relived his door was unlocked as she twisted sideways into the foyer and slammed it shut behind her.

  Catching her breath and looking around, she only half expected him to still be here. “Randy.”

  Her cousin was already gone.

  25

  The stench of rotting flesh and gun smoke made the air hard to swallow. A candle burned on the empty coffee table in the middle of the room. The faint sound of gunshots grew louder as if it were getting closer.

  Mason opened his eyes and tried to focus; his head pounded and he felt like he was going to be sick. He wasn’t dead and this certainly wasn’t the alley were he blacked out. He had no idea where he was or what was going on. He could tell from the darkness covering the room that sunrise hadn’t come just yet.

  Squinting through the pain, he saw a figure sitting in a chair only six feet away, head back and eyes closed. As he began to regain his vision, he realized he was lying on the couch in his own apartment. Trying to remember how he ended up here, he looked at the person sitting across the room and through the darkness, recognized the man to be his neighbor.

  “Randy, what…”

  Randy opened his eyes and lowered his head to meet Mason’s gaze.

  “Mason! Damn man you had me scared, I thought you were done for.”

  “How did I get here?”

  “I had to drag you here and I mean to tell you it wasn’t easy. I couldn’t just throw you over my shoulder. You’re too tall.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “I was up in my apartment and heard a few gunshots right out there in the alley. I looked out of the window and saw that it was you goin’ all Rambo on those things.”

  “Yeah, I guess I lost.”

  “You never had a chance, there were way too many.”

  “True, I found out the hard way.”

  “I rushed down the stairs and barely made it to you right as the big one was climbing on top of you. He went down quick though; I took out the two others that were there by smashing in their heads and then just started dragging you away.”

  “Thank you, I can’t believe…

  Obviously excited, Randy interrupted.

  “I was only a few steps ahead of them most of the way. They almost caught us a half dozen times.”

  Mason had only known this man for the last three months and they became friends quickly. He had even gotten Randy a job at the gym, maintaining the equipment. Mason knew he was good with tools and had come to trust him in a way that wasn’t easy for others. Randy was only able to hold onto the job for three short weeks before he started showing up late and then not at all. Mason didn’t hold it against him and the two continued their friendship without any discussion of the events.

  Mason knew his neighbor suffered from paranoia and anxiety due to his stint in the military, stationed in the worst possible places on the planet. He never questioned Randy about the tragedy he must have seen or the horrible things he was made to do for our country.

  April only met Randy once and was frightened for Mason, even asking him on many occasions to find somewhere else to live.

  Mason wasn’t fearful of Randy and in fact felt quite safe living just down the hall from him. He was more afraid of the eighty year old woman living across the hall burning the building down.

  Now in his early thirties, Randy began acquiring one weapon after another upon returning from active duty just over eight years ago. He had accumulated a large arsenal that lay just two doors down the hall. The neighbors who knew what he had stockpiled inside his apartment avoided eye contact with him and went out of their way to stay clear, often taking the stairs instead of sharing an elevator ride.

  This didn’t bother Mason; in fact it was the only reason for him returning tonight.

  Mason pulled himself to a sitting position, the nausea and pain starting to subside.

  “Randy, you’re a big guy, but it must have been crazy getting me all the way up here and into my apartment. I’m impressed… and still alive because of you.”

  “It really sucked man; took me like almost an hour. I had to keep stopping when those things got close. I would take down a few and then just keep dragging.”

  “Really?”

  “Yep. Once I reached the elevator, it only took a few minutes to get you here.”

  “You used the elevator?”

  “Sure did. Those things get disoriented when it vibrates the building and they actually go in the opposite direction.”

  Mason owed this man his life for going out into that hell and bringing him back here.

  “How did we end up in my apartment?”

  “Those things were lined up in front of my door and yours was closer.”

  “OH…”

  Randy hung his head and looked at the floor.

  “Mason I had to kick your door in to get us away from those things.”

  “No worries buddy, I’m grateful.”

  “I… also… bumped your head again when I threw you on the couch. I needed to get back to the door to close it before they got in.”

  “Randy, don’t think twice a
bout it. You risked your life to get me here and I am as good as new.”

  “Yeah… well you look like hell!”

  “If you hadn’t come to pull me out of that alley, I would literally be IN hell right now.”

  Mason, at six feet two inches tall and weighing two hundred pounds, had the build of a sprinter. He knew it must have been a nightmare for Randy to haul him around, even with all the training he was given in the military. Mason easily had him by a few inches in height and outweighed him by a good twenty pounds.

  “Mason, how’s your head?”

  “Surprisingly enough it isn’t too bad, what is this?”

  “I wrapped it and put an ice pack from your freezer on it. The power went out about an hour ago, but it was still pretty cold.”

  “Randy, I don’t know how to thank you.”

  “No problem man, you’d have done the same for me. You’re a good dude Mason!”

  “Thanks Randy… for everything.”

  He needed to get back to April and Justin. Looking out the window he knew there weren’t more than a few hours until daybreak and if they were still awake, they’d be worried he wasn’t back.

  Mason pulled the dressing from his head and winced in pain looking over at Randy.

  “Mason, why did you come back? There’s nothing here for you.”

  “Randy, we should get out of here.”

  “You don’t know the half of it. We needed to leave like an hour ago, but why did you come back.”

  “I’ll explain on the way, let’s go.”

  “I haven’t even decided where I’m going yet. I don’t really have much family and the ones I do have, I’m trying to avoid.”

  “Randy, you don’t seem to understand. You’re coming with us!”

  26

  The streets had been clear for a few hours. Heat began to rise from the earth, radiating up and creating a thick layer of fog that covered most of the area around their home. April and Justin stared out the bedroom window at the path Mason took on his trip out of the neighborhood.

  Justin looked at his mother.

  “We’re going now? It’s still kind of dark outside and the fog is going to make it pretty hard to find him.”

  “I know, but we have to go.”

  “Alright, what do you need me to do?”

  “Just make sure you have all your stuff and let’s get in the car.”

  “Do you think we will find him? Do you think he is ok?”

  “Your Dad is too smart to get caught by those things; he’s also too fast for them. You’ve seen how slow they walk.”

  “What if he gets surrounded?”

  “Sweetie, he’s fine, I promise you. He’s probably just taking his time. Let’s go get him.”

  She was just as worried as Justin, possibly more. April prayed silently as she gathered the two bags she packed. She hoped Mason was safe and that she would get to him before those things did. Wherever he was, she was determined to find him… no matter what.

  As April made her way downstairs, she cursed herself for not being more insistent on him staying here in the first place.

  Justin ran downstairs, threw the three remaining bags into the rear of the car and went to the living room window. April came in and stood at his side as he cracked the shades, giving them a view of their front yard and street leading out of the neighborhood.

  Groups of Feeders began to form at the far end of the street heading toward their end of the block. April estimated they had less than five minutes to get out of the garage and down the driveway before they had to come face to face with the horde.

  Not wanting to see any more or waste any time, April grabbed Justin’s hand and guided him towards the garage.

  “Let’s go.”

  “Ok mom, where are your bags?”

  “Right here, I’ll throw them in the back. Grab that flashlight and get in the backseat and lie down.”

  “Backseat… Why?”

  “I want you safe and you don’t need to see what I’ll have to do if I can’t find a way out of here.”

  “You’re gonna run them over?

  “Well, I’m not going to let them stop me, that’s for sure.”

  “Go Mom!”

  Justin hurried to the passenger side, threw the flashlight in the front seat next to April and jumped into the backseat, knocking over some of the supplies. April moved to the back, opened the rear hatch and tossed her bags next to Justin’s. Looking out of the small windows on the garage door, the streetlights lit up the fog and April could see the crowds getting closer. They needed to get moving.

  April slid into the driver’s seat and sat still for a moment before turning the car over; preparing herself for what she knew was inevitable. She was certain that she would have to run down several of those things on her way out of the area. This was something that wouldn’t be easy even if they were attacking her and Justin. These things were human at some point in the last twenty-four hours and some of them she may even have known.

  She was going to have to set aside her own humanity, at least until they were out of the city. She may have to do unthinkable things to survive and to keep her family safe. That was her priority for now and nothing else mattered.

  “I’m going to open the garage and back down the driveway. Stay down for now… Please.”

  “I will.”

  Justin hoped April would be brave enough to do what she needed to do if any of those things got in their way. She was tough in the way that a mother is when you threaten one of their young. He knew she would give her life for his, although he prayed she also valued her own safety as much.

  He remembered, on occasion, his mother protecting him from things that would be hard for him to endure both physically and mentally. He wondered if that made him a weaker person because he was sheltered. He needed to be strong for both of them, especially if his Dad didn’t return.

  As the garage began to open, Justin peeked out the rear window and could see the Feeders getting closer, although they were still far enough away and in small enough groups that he felt they would easily make it out of the area without any real trouble.

  As the garage door finished its ascent, April put the vehicle into reverse and slowly began backing out of the garage. She felt as though every muscle in her body was tense and the fear of the unknown began to wash over her again. She checked the mirrors every few seconds as tiny beads of sweat started to form at her hairline.

  April didn’t want Justin to know she was temporarily falling apart and tried to compose herself long enough the check on him.

  “Are you okay back there?”

  “Yeah Mom, I’m fine, hurry up!”

  Justin turned back toward the garage and looked out the passenger window as they rolled out into the driveway. He spotted something that caught his eye. April hit the garage door remote and continued down the driveway.

  “STOP!” yelled Justin.

  April slammed on the brakes so hard that even at their slow speed the tires squealed. Her seatbelt tightened, pinning her back against the seat. Frustrated, April tugged at the restraint, trying to free herself as she yelled back at him for startling her.

  “Justin, what’s the matter with you?”

  The words hadn’t even escaped her lips as Justin opened the car door and bolted for the garage. He didn’t say a word as he ran back toward the house. As he breached the entrance to the garage the sensor detected his movement and the door started back up.

  April screamed at him as she put her window down. “Get back here… NOW!”

  Justin ran to the cabinets in the garage and grabbed a plastic container from the shelf. He turned back to exit the garage as April continued to yell.

  Justin wasn’t yet two steps back toward the car when he realized his mistake. Stopping dead in his tracks, he dropped the container at his feet.

  Two Feeders had rounded the corner of the opened garage door and were now coming straight at him.

  27

  The h
allways were littered with corpses at various stages of decomposition and Feeders in search of new victims. The majority of the dead stayed down less than an hour post-mortem and as the minutes passed more of them began to rise. The chances of Mason and Randy getting out of the building alive were slipping away quickly.

  Mason slowly made his way to his feet, and stood motionless for a few seconds, testing his balance. He asked Randy to give him a second and disappeared into the bedroom, emerging minutes later now in jeans, a tee-shirt and boots. “That feels better.”

  Randy also stood and walked towards the door.

  “Mason, how are we gonna get outta here?”

  “I have a plan, but we have to move fast.”

  “Ok, let’s hear it.”

  “Randy, your place is only two doors down…”

  “Yeah, and?”

  Mason motioned toward the door.

  “From the sound of things, going out into the hall would be a death sentence. I say we bust through these walls instead.”

  “Won’t work.”

  “Why?”

  “Those things may be in the other apartments and even if they aren’t it would take hours to get through. These walls are reinforced much more than your average home.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah, for you know… privacy.”

  “Makes sense, well what now? We can’t go out there.”

  Randy stared up at the ceiling, thinking of a way out of this place. He walked over to the window and looked back at Mason and smiled.

  “Sorry bud, we have to go out there. There is absolutely no other way. We need to get to my place. I have stuff we will need.”

  “I know… you asked why I came back?”

  “I did.”

  “Randy, I hope you don’t take this the wrong way, although I came back to get you. I need you. My family needs you and we need your weapons! When this whole thing went down, you were the first person I thought of.”