Boris struggled to hold onto the defiant Lilo as she continued her attempt to break free from his grip. The frustration on his face was obvious, but the nearby Spades weren't paying enough attention to notice. Both Jeremy and Luther were too focused on the growing aggression of the Zeds outside the mall. The infected slammed their heads and hands against the transparent panels, each hit against the glass making Jeremy and Luther feel increasingly nervous.
Luther stepped back a little, unsure if he should help Boris or do something about the Zeds. "Uh… Boris?"
Annoyed and out of patience, Boris snapped at him. "The fuck do you want?! Just help me with this brat!"
This time, it was Jeremy who spoke. "You might want to take a look…"
Boris followed Jeremy's gaze to see what he was talking about. The sight up ahead made him tense up. "What the fuck?"
The infected were getting more aggressive by the second. Small cracks began to form across the surface of the glass panels, making it seem like they wouldn't last much longer.
Without realizing it, Boris loosened his grip. As a result, Lilo slipped free and sprinted toward the mall's main entrance, where most Zeds had gathered. None of the Spades reacted. They were distracted by the situation outside.
Back in the restroom, Aiden stared at the door handle. He felt terrible for leaving Lilo out there. He wanted to go help her, but the fear of being caught held him back.
"Don't open the door, Aiden. Keep it locked," Lydia warned, watching him closely with concern in her eyes.
Her words caused Aiden to hesitate even more, but he made an effort to build up some courage. "We can't leave her out there."
But their predicament clearly had Lydia on edge. "If you open that door, they'll take us too."
Both of them turned to Julie, hoping she'd be the one to decide. Neither wanted their disagreement to turn into an argument. They figured her choice would settle it. However, rather than making a decision, Julie froze under their gaze, unsure which side to take.
"We can't leave her out there, but we can't let them take us either," Julie said quietly. "I don't know what to do…"
While they were lost in thought, Aiden looked down at the gun he had taken from Jeremy. Julie and Lydia saw it too, but both remained silent, afraid of what he might do.
Aiden clenched his teeth. "I don't like her very much, but I don't want her to die." His grip on the pistol tightened. "I don't want anyone else to die. I'll save her, even if it means that I have to kill them."
Julie and Lydia glanced at each other. The fear hadn't gone away, but Aiden's willingness to help Lilo made them feel like they had to help too.
Lydia wiped her eyes and nodded, showing her approval. "Do you know how to use that?"
Aiden raised the pistol closer to his face. "I just have to pull this thing, right? The trigger?"
"What will you do with it?" Julie asked, trying to make sure he understood what he was getting into.
"I'll…" Aiden paused for a moment as he realized what using lethal force against other people would mean. He took a deep breath and convinced himself that it was necessary. "I'll shoot everyone who tries to hurt her. I'll help her escape."
Lydia then posed one final, haunting question. "Can you do it?"
Aiden stood in silence. The doubt on his face hadn't faded. He reached for the restroom door with one hand while the pistol remained in the other. But before he could make contact with the handle, gunshots rang out, and the feral cries of the Zeds joined in, drowning out the panicked screams of the Spades. It became clear they were too late. Lilo had opened the door.
The kids had never experienced this kind of behavior from the Zeds in the past. Their usual groans had turned into something more vicious. Maybe they behaved like this at night, but the kids had no way of knowing. After all, they hadn't stepped outside the wall of the Golden City since they first arrived a year ago.
Aiden's hand began to tremble as he slowly pulled it away from the handle. Lydia and Julie didn't move either. None of them said anything. All they could do was picture what might've happened to Lilo.
The distant sound of gunfire could be heard inside the shoe store by both the Spades and the captives. Some of the Spades spoke quietly among themselves, uncertain whether the shots fired downstairs were aimed at the children.
Amanda overheard their anxious whispers. She became desperate, concerned about Julie's safety. "No! My daughter!" she shouted as she ran toward the door.
Blitz lost his patience and knocked Amanda down with a kick. "Stay where you are!" he yelled. Skyler rushed over to the crying Amanda and hugged her tightly. She then glared at Blitz, but he paid no attention to her. He was annoyed for an entirely different reason, wondering if his men had ignored his orders. He rubbed his temples and let out a sigh. "Enough. Unlike Leonard over here, the rest of you know better than to disobey me after I clearly told you not to hurt those kids. If anything, they're probably just trying to scare them. The kids are most likely unharmed."
Though tears were still flowing from Amanda's eyes, Blitz's words, even if not meant for her, gave her a bit of relief. She stopped sobbing and wiped away her tears, finding some comfort in his unintentional reassurance.
As the conflict outside moved closer, the sound of gunfire grew louder. On top of that, the feral cries of the Zeds that had entered the mall began to reach the shoe store. That's when Blitz finally understood what was going on. "So that's it… That explains the gunshots. It looks like those zombies managed to break into the mall."
Amanda's eyes widened in fear as she worried about the kids. Seeing her reaction, Blitz grinned and crushed her hope with his next words. "How unfortunate. Those kids must truly be dead this time."
Skyler hugged Amanda and glared at Blitz once again. This time, he acknowledged her hostility. Her eyes were full of anger and sadness, but he didn't care. He just smirked at her and kept going. "Oh, don't look at me like that. It's the harsh truth, isn't it?"
In reality, Blitz wasn't convinced that the children were dead. He and the others remained fixated on the door, expecting their people to return with the kids. The merchandise, as they referred to them, was too valuable to lose, and they clung to the possibility that the kids had somehow survived the chaos below. Eventually, the gunfire and screams ceased, and so did the vicious cries of the infected.
The mall suddenly went quiet, making the tension worse. Blitz considered the silence to be more disturbing than all the noise that came before. He knew they couldn't stand around and wait. If the kids and their comrades weren't dead yet, they had to act now. The longer they waited, the less chance they had of finding them alive. That thought was enough for Blitz to make his decision.
"Let's take a look outside to see what's happening out there," Blitz ordered as he walked toward the exit of the shoe store. "The zombies shouldn't even be able to come up here anyway." He didn't even look back when he spoke to Leonard. "Leonard, stay here and keep an eye on the captives. The rest of you, with me."
Felix, Chris, and Isaiah followed Blitz out of the store. They stayed close to him with their weapons drawn, ready to confront the infected. Whatever had happened downstairs was already over, but the suspense hadn't gone away.
Blitz felt increasingly worried as he checked his surroundings on the second floor. He couldn't see anyone nearby, which made him even more concerned about the kids. He was afraid they might have been killed, but he wanted to believe they managed to hide somewhere on the first floor. Maybe Boris, Luther, and Jeremy had survived as well and were with the kids, trying to figure out how to escape.
Blitz raised a finger to his lips, signaling the other Spades to be quiet. He then proceeded cautiously toward the staircase with his comrades. The faint moans and guttural growls of the infected, who had gone back to normal, could be heard from the first floor, reminding them of the threat beneath their feet.
Back in the shoe store, Leonard was growing impatient. "Fuck this shit. I ain't gonna wait here and do nothing." He glared at Jordan with irritation in his eyes. "You better not move, dipshit. I'll fucking shoot your ass if you try anything. Don't forget you're just a hostage to us, unlike those two."
Bored and curious, Leonard abandoned his post and headed toward the door to find out what was occurring outside. That distraction left him oblivious to the danger that was now creeping up behind him. Moving like a trained professional, Jordan closed in without making a sound. In one fluid motion, he took Leonard's knife from its sheath, covered his mouth to prevent him from calling for help, and slit his throat like someone who had done it many times before. Jordan then carefully lowered Leonard's body to the floor, making sure not to alert the other Spades.
With Leonard's corpse now lying motionless on the carpet, Jordan quickly shifted his focus to the breached wall. He approached the opening and peeked outside. To his surprise, the street below, which had previously been filled with infected, was empty. Not a single Zed was in sight.
"That's strange. There are no Zeds out there," Jordan said, furrowing his brow in confusion. After surveying the area outside a bit longer, he pulled his head back in and turned to Skyler. "It looks like the coast is clear. The bushes below should somewhat cushion our fall."
Skyler furrowed her brow the same way Jordan had a few seconds earlier. What he said didn't make sense. The infected were known to avoid the sunlight, and night was when they usually roamed the streets. "Wait, what? No Zeds? What do you mean? They should be swarming the streets right now."
"There's no time to dwell on it. We have to go now."
Skyler nodded, knowing they had no time to waste. She grabbed Amanda's arm and guided her to the breach. Meanwhile, Jordan retrieved their weapons from Leonard's body. The tension lingered, but regardless of that, Skyler smiled at Amanda to reassure her. No words were exchanged between them. None were needed.
Skyler examined the breach to calculate her jump. The opening was tight, but it was just wide enough for her to position herself for a controlled leap. She crouched low, coiling her body like a spring, and with all her strength, she launched herself through the gap. Her left arm and leg extended to adjust her fall, helping guide her away from the bushes below. She hit the ground and rolled over her shoulder. It still hurt, but the damage was minor.
Amanda was next. She hesitated briefly, taking a deep breath as she prepared herself. She was fully aware that the drop, though cushioned by the bushes below, would injure her. But it had to be done. There was no other choice. She hurled herself through the breach, and the bushes below broke her fall, though not without consequence. She felt an intense pain in her legs when she landed, causing her to cry out so loudly that the Spades could hear her from inside the mall.
Blitz and his men, already on their way to the staircase, stopped the moment they heard the scream. It had obviously come from the nurse they had captured. The Spades glanced at each other, now certain that their captives were attempting to flee. They immediately turned around and headed back to the shoe store. Though they hurried, they kept their steps quiet so they wouldn't alert the Zeds below.
Seconds later, the Spades reached the store and entered. Jordan raised his rifle right away and aimed it at them. The Spades reacted instantly, doing the same. The tension grew as both sides stood locked in place. Blitz looked around and realized Amanda and Skyler were missing. His gaze then drifted to the breach before settling on Leonard's corpse, recognizing what had happened. He was clearly displeased.
"You've really done it now, haven't you?" Blitz asked, not expecting a reply.
Jordan observed every gun pointed at him and concluded that even if he killed one of them, the rest would respond with a hail of bullets. Just when it seemed hopeless, a chance to escape came when the sound of distant footsteps interrupted the standoff. Someone was sprinting in their direction, slightly distracting the Spades. Shortly afterward, Luther burst through the door, pulling their attention away from Jordan. With the Spades now focused on Luther, Jordan seized the opportunity to run toward the breach and jumped through it.
Blitz didn't notice until it was too late. "Damn it! After him!"
Blitz was about to rush to the breach when his men suddenly called for him. Luther was hyperventilating and barely able to speak. Most of what he said was incoherent, but he finally managed to shout something they could comprehend.
"Close the door! Hurry! Close it! Do it!"
Chris and Isaiah quickly complied with Luther's panicked request and shut the door behind them. But closing the door did nothing to calm Luther down. Blitz did not understand why he was this scared. He had never seen him act like this before, not even when fighting off a horde of Zeds at close range. Blitz glanced at the breach, frustrated that their captives had escaped, but he decided to deal with Luther first. He knelt beside him and sought an explanation.
"What happened back there?"
"I… W-we… Th-that girl…"
"Girl? Which one?"
"The one with the white hair…"
Blitz narrowed his eyes as he remembered her name. "Lilo? What about her?"
Luther hesitated, unsure how to explain what happened. "Sh-she… opened the door, and…" He went quiet for a few seconds, like he was replaying it in his head, before admitting what they had done. "We shot her…"
Chris and Isaiah looked at each other, wondering what consequences awaited Luther. After all, Blitz had instructed them not to harm the children.
Blitz's mood plummeted. "Surely you mean that you shot in her direction just to scare her, right?" Though he suspected they had shot at her directly, he desperately hoped for a different answer.
Luther began to tremble, tightening his grip on his knees. "She… sh-she's not…" he said with a shaky voice, unable to finish the sentence. He curled into a ball, covering his head with both hands, and mumbled things no one could comprehend.
The rest of the Spades remained silent, knowing how serious the situation was. While disobedience from newcomers like Leonard was one thing, Jeremy, Boris, and Luther had been with Blitz for the longest time. Blitz hadn't expected them to defy him in such a manner. He clenched his fists, struggling to control his frustration.
"What a blunder," Blitz commented, loud enough for the other Spades to hear. His words conveyed just how badly they had messed up.
After having escaped the mall, the Wolves lifted Amanda to her feet. Jordan stood on her left and Skyler on her right, each holding one of her arms to keep her upright and make sure she didn't put too much weight on her injured legs.
Amanda thanked them sincerely. "Thank you for the help. Sorry for being such a burden."
"Don't worry about it," Jordan replied. "We'll help you walk."
Amanda smiled, feeling grateful for their support. "Thank you, Jordan. You too, Skyler. I appreciate you both."
Skyler started to worry about how they would get back to the Golden City. She glanced at Jordan and asked, "So, how are we getting back? Any ideas?"
Jordan didn't have a plan at first, but one quickly came to mind. "Hmm, we should take one of the vehicles parked near the entrance of the mall."
"Won't we need the keys?"
Jordan thought about it for a short while, then answered. "The Spades probably have them, but I don't think going back in there is a good idea. Take a good look around us."
Skyler looked around, trying to figure out what he meant. She didn't have to wait long for an explanation.
"There are still no Zeds around here," Jordan pointed out. "Do you know what that means?"
At that moment, Skyler understood what Jordan was implying. "They're inside the mall?"
"That's my assumption. You heard them earlier, didn't you? Even if a few initially made it in, the gunshots would've attracted even more. The mall must be swarming with them by now."
Skyler's concern grew stronger. "What do you suggest we do, then?"
"We can always try to hot-wire their cars," Jordan suggested, though he wasn't sure it would work.
A tense silence followed as Skyler processed his idea. After a brief pause, she nodded reluctantly. "I guess that's worth a shot."
As they slowly made their way down the street, Amanda decided to make one last plea. Her voice trembled as she spoke, unwilling to accept what might have happened to the children. "Hey, do you think we could check one last time? For the kids, I mean."
Skyler lowered her gaze, her expression full of sadness. "Amanda, we talked about this. As hard as it is to accept, the kids can't possibly be alive anymore."
Amanda looked at her with teary eyes. "Julie… She's my daughter. Aiden is like a son to me too. He's been living with us this past year. My husband's gone, so I'm all they have left…"
"We know…" Skyler said gently, empathizing with Amanda's grief.
Amanda didn't stop. "And Lydia… Logan and Hayley are waiting for her at home. I told them not to come. I promised them I would bring their daughter back. They trusted me…"
"Amanda, stop…" Skyler pleaded softly, not wanting her to blame herself.
But Amanda wouldn't let it go. "They've been good to us. They take care of Julie and Aiden when I go to work. They're like family to me. My daughter, Aiden, Lydia… We can't forget about Lilo too… They can't be dead…"
Skyler and Jordan quietly glanced at each other. They both felt sorry for Amanda, but deep down, they knew there was nothing more they could do.
Meanwhile, back in the shoe store, the remaining Spades stayed focused on Luther, attempting to decipher his incoherent mumbling.
"Focus, Luther," Blitz ordered. "If you want to say something, say it slower and louder."
Blitz's tone was firm enough to get through to him. But before Luther could respond, a young girl's voice suddenly came from the other side of the door.
"Hello?"