Disclaimer: I don't own one, Dawn Of The Dead, and two, the stores or the mall.
A/N: Uh, well...um, hi? (sheepish grin) Soooo... long time no see everybody. Heh, how's everybody been doing? Well, I finally remembered that I had left you all waiting for me to continue my story (dodges sharp objects being thrown) I'm sorry! Really I am! Dun hurt meeeee! If you do, I can't finish this right? So, let's get right back into the story, shall we? (you: Stop stalling! me: (dodges more deadly weapons) eep!)
Chapter 4: Moving In"Stop shootin' already! I'll run 'em down!" Kent shouted over the squealing the van was making and Zander's gunshots.
Zander obediently pulled his head back in and reloaded his gun. Jerry was trembling in Kimberly's arms as she tried to stay balanced in the rocking vehicle. Kent was driving like a maniac, running down groups of Deadlings as the mall came into view, determined to keep them all safe. He was an excellent driver in the current situation and remained calm and collected throughout the rough ride.
"Here's the plan!" he said, skidding around a tight corner, "I'll bring her up to the loading dock at the back of the mall 'n' get out first to cover you. Stacey, you're out first with Dan, then Kimberly with the shells, then Chloe with Jerry. Zander will cover you as you make fer the door. Boy, when I come 'round the front, jump out and keep them zombies at bay. I'll hurry to the front and break down the door if needed. Everyone got it?"
They all nodded silently. Kimberly reluctantly passed Jerry over to Chloe at the back.
"Mama?"
"Don't worry Jerry, I'll be right in front of you, okay?" she said reassuringly.
Jerry nodded just as the bloodstained van screeched to a stop. Kent kicked open his door and tensed himself, guns raised and ready to fire. Zander yanked open the side door and Dan hobbled out supported by his colleague. Kimberly grabbed the small duffel bag containing two more pistols and a few bullet magazines. Hoisting it over her shoulder, she ran after the officers ahead. She heard shooting and Jerry crying again.
"Go, go, go!" Kent shouted.
Zander leaped out from the van and they all bolted for the peeling metal door leading inside. Kent got there first and blasted the lock off the door. He smashed through with his shoulder and Zander ushered everyone through before hurrying himself, shooting down Deadlings in the process.
On the way there, the roads seemed calm and clear of all rancid corpses. But somewhere along the way, an inhuman and otherworldly shriek sounded and then Deadlings came stumbling out into the streets. Kent's instincts took over as he maneuvered through the masses, keeping a straight path towards their destination.
No one made him the leader. He just assumed that position. They all wanted someone to depend on, to help them out of this disaster and help them survive. He seemed to have the most experience and they all instinctively looked up to him for advice. He didn't care. The situation was far too deadly to start an argument about who should be leading everyone.
So now there they were, a small group of ordinary people trying to run from certain destruction through a loading dock at a mall. Zander was knocking off Deadling after Deadling while Kent searched for the way into the main part of the mall. They weaved in between towering stacks of merchandise before Kimberly finally spotted a hallway off to the left.
"Over there!" she said, pointing.
Kent made his way over to it and peered down the hall. There was a door at the end of it and another on the right. Kent looked over his shoulder. The zombies were gaining fast.
"Zander", he said, "Keep the hallway empty. These might not be the way out. The rest o' you, let's go."
They ran down the hallway and reached the two doors. Kent tried the first one. It was unlocked but led into a janitor's closet. He tried the other one. It was locked.
"Everyone stand back!" he warned and blew the handle off.
He kicked open the door and beckoned for Zander to follow. Once everyone was through, he stopped them.
"Alright, Kimberly, you pass the equipment to Chloe and get yerself a gun. Dan, can you walk on yer own?" Kent said.
"Yeah but not fast", he answered.
"Good enough", Kent said, "Stacey you're gonna stay behind with me. We're locking up these bastards."
She didn't move. "What good will that do?" she asked, "What if they break through?"
"It's the only plan we have right now", Kent said to her. He turned his attention to everyone else, "The rest o' you, get somewhere safe. Stacey 'n' I will catch up once we're done here 'n' check all the doors."
Everyone hurried off to find refuge. Stacey reluctantly made her way over to Kent. She pushed the door closed, listening to the grunts and growls of the zombies on the other side. Kent quickly scanned his surroundings and the electronics department.
"Come on!" he said and the two of them hurried over to a few giant screen TVs.
In less than a minute, they had somehow managed to push one against the door. But it wasn't enough. The Deadlings' pounding was making it wobble.
"We need another one", Stacey panted.
They brought back another, a little smaller but it worked. For a little more insurance they piled two more TVs on top of one another before they left the zombies to their useless pounding.
Their first stop was the main entrance to Sears. They broke into some stores and barricaded the doors with odds and ends they found, like crowbars and chains, before leaving and doing the same with all the other entrances. It was a long trek but hopefully, it would be worth it and buy them some time to think of a way out of this mess.
On their way back to look for the others, Kent picked up three sets of walkie-talkies, one for all the adults and Zander. That way they could keep in touch if they got separated.
"Where do you think they'll be?" Stacey asked.
"Probably a gun store fer supplies and better weapons er the food court", Kent answered, "The control room is right above it."
"How do you know?" she asked.
"'Cause, my son worked here as a guard 'fore all this crap happened", he said harshly.
At this, Stacey shut her mouth the rest of the way to the food court. They were successful. The rest of the gang was lounging around on the tables. Zander was playing with his gun, Kimberly nervously bouncing Jerry on her knee, Chloe fiddling with a loose strand of hair and Dan was checking his injury. They all looked up when Stacey and Kent appeared.
"Well? What's our situation?" Dan asked.
"Pretty good considering there are blood thirsty monsters waiting to tear us limb from limb outside", Stacey said, "We checked the doors and there's no sign of any zombies. They're all in the loading dock."
"So what now?" Zander asked, returning to his gun.
"We relax fer now 'n' prepare fer the long haul", Kent replied, taking a seat, "We can get to the control room from here if worse comes to worse."
He pointed to a door sitting in between KFC and Burger King.
"'N' 'fore I forget, I got somethin' fer everyone", he added and tossed everyone a walkie-talkie, "Everyone keep yours at the same setting. We'll use these to keep track o' one another. No one goes to the bathroom alone, gets supplies alone er goes on a walk alone. Understand?"
"Uh, bathroom?" Zander said, raising an eyebrow.
Stacey slapped him upside his head. "You know what he means!" she hissed.
"Ow! Must you be so violent!" he cried, rubbing his head.
She glared at him. "I can be much worse", she growled.
"Knock it off!" Kent bellowed and kept them quiet, "This ain't the time to fight! Unless you wanna become zombie chow I suggest we all get along and fast!"
Kimberly sighed as everyone fell silent. She began to stare out into space, wondering what was going to happen to everyone. She wondered if they would make it alive and how they were going to last on fast food and limited nerves. She felt Jerry fall asleep in her arms and set him down on a chair. Somewhere along the ride, she forgot her stomach, and now it returned to her.
She grabbed her walkie-talkie and gun. "I'm going to the bathroom", she said. Chloe stood up and Kent nodded to them.
They set off to the washrooms down the large hallway towards The Bay. It was an uneventful walk. Nothing special, just total emptiness. After washing her hands, Kimberly came out of the bathroom to find Chloe gone.
"Chloe?" she said. No one answered. "Chloe?" she said louder this time. Still silence.
Worrying a little, she hurried out of the corridor and into the store-lined hall. She looking both ways. "Chloe?" she shouted, her voice echoing. A gunshot answered her call.
"Shit!" she said to herself.
Kimberly fumbled for her walkie-talkie. She rang up Kent first.
"Kent here, what the hell was that? Over", he answered.
"Kent, it's Kimberly. Chloe's gone missing! I just heard a gunshot! I think it's her! Um, over" she shouted into the speaker.
"Ring her up! I'm comin' with Stacey! Over and out", he said.
Kimberly quickly did as she was told. "Chloe? Chloe where are you? It's Kimberly! Answer!" she said, beginning to panic as another gunshot sounded.
She almost dropped the walkie-talkie when she heard a scream followed by a crash coming from deep within The Bay.
"No time to wait for Kent and Stacey!" she said and took off, hoping that she wasn't too late to save Chloe.
A/N: Hah! Cliffhanger! I know, I'm evil for doing this to you guys after making you wait so long but just keep your pants on! I'm working on the next chapter as we speak!