The women and teenage boy hiding in their vehicle were startled by the sudden smash, staring in awe as a race car crashed through the mall entrance and tore onto the road, swerving into the milling horde before taking off down the street.

So distracted they were, they almost didn't notice their other three teammates come tearing out of the broken doors and race towards them, loaded with gas and supplies. The driver's side door was wrenched open, Paige climbing in and starting the ignition, rolling down her window to shoot at the infected.

"Hi mum, we're back! We got the gas, help cover Kirby and then we can get the hell out of here!", she called out, blowing the head off of a hazmat suited zombie.

Jane and Poe complied, rolling their windows and picking off the approaching infected.

"Ali, 4 o'clock!", Kirby yelled, bashing away an infected and tipping the rest of can number three into the gas tank.

Ali, spun around, swinging her new crowbar at the oddly dressed zombie, rearing back as it grabbed her with an oil covered hand.

"What the fuck, he's covered in motor oil?", she did a double take as she looked at the zombie, recognising him from the posters hung everywhere in the atrium.

"JIMMY GIBBS!?"


"Ellis, pull over here.", Coach ordered, the young man nodding and slowing the vehicle to a halt.

Rochelle looked up from where she was wrapping her cut leg, securing the bandages and leaning forwards.

"So now we wait, right? Tell us more about these people, Coach, I'm in the dark here."

Ellis decided to pipe up.

"Aw man, they're cool! I was gettin' choked out by a smoker when that Kirby dude was all like 'BLAM' an' shot the sumbitch right in the-"

"Ellis, calm down boy. I don't know much Ro, but it's those three, the girls' moms and a teenager from their hotel. They don't seem to like the kid, especially Ali, the one in the cowboy hat.", Coach added thoughtfully, rubbing the top of his head with a tired sigh.

Nick glanced up from his lap, where he was reloading his magnum.

"From their introduction, Kirby's the jock kid, Paige is the one with the lesbian plaid shirt and Ali is the cowboy. The moms' names are Jane and Poe and the kid is Julian.", he muttered, just loud enough to be heard clearly.

This got looks of impressed surprise from his three teammates.

"Well damn, Nick, you 'member all that from your first meeting? No wonder you were a conman.", Ellis drawled from the front seat, leaning up to adjust the rear view mirror. The suited man shot him a mild look of annoyance, resuming his reloading.

"Now we just gotta wait for 'em to catch up, then we can all get movin'.", Coach yawned, pulling out a candy bar he had grabbed from the mall.

Ellis' eyes lit up, spinning around in his seat to face the rest of his team.

"Hey, we can play I-spy while we wait for 'em! I'll go first! I spy with my little-"

The other three groaned.

This was gonna be a long wait.


"Oy, zombies! Eat pipe-bomb!", Paige yelled as she lit the fuse and hurled the bomb from the open window, drawing the infected away from her friends.

"Paige, pop the trunk, we're almost done!", Kirby hollered, picking up the final fuel can. Paige did so, turning back and shooting a zombie that ran for the side of the car.

Meanwhile, Ali was behind the car, out of range of the team's cover fire, wrestling with the undead Jimmy Gibbs Jr. She looked up briefly as she heard the trunk fly open, momentarily locking eyes with Julian, who smirked before turning away to shoot out of his window.

She growled, but was cut off as the famous racer snarled and sank his teeth into her forearm. Ali howled out in pain, swinging her crowbar into his head, knocking him down and taking a chunk of her arm with him. She used the moment of freedom to bring up her duel pistols and emptied the clips into his skull, finally killing him. She glared down at her bitten arm, her hoodie torn open and stained with her own blood.

"Shit..."

Hearing Kirby's yell of triumph, she dove into the trunk, pulling the door shut behind her and climbing over the supplies into the free seat.

Kirby ripped the back door open and threw himself onto the seat, whirling around and grabbing the door handle as Paige hit the accelerator.

They sped forwards, mowing down any infected in their path. As they hit a clear spot at the start of the highway, Ali piped up.

"Anyone mind if I swipe a medkit? Georgia's own Jimmy Gibbs took a chunk out of my arm and I need to patch it up."

The car screeched to a halt and several heads whipped around in alarm.

"WHAT? He bit you!?", Paige yelped as she twisted around in her seat. Jane and Poe looked almost ill, while Kirby wore a horrified expression. Julian continued to stare out of his window, hiding a small smirk.

Ali shrugged, pulling a roll of bandages into her lap. Rolling up her sleeve, she presented her bite mark.

"I mean, it hurts, but mainly 'cause I have a chunk of flesh missing. Look, I'll make a deal with you all, okay? If I patch it up and I don't turn, then we're all good. I say that because I saw a bite mark on that dude Ellis that looked a few days old at least, and he's still fine. If I go all 28 days later, Paige, I want you to light my ass up like a christmas tree."

The girl looked at her friend, clearly disturbed, but nodded. She shifted gears and continued to drive them onto the highway, Ali focused on wrapping up her injured arm.

At least they weren't still stuck in Savannah.