Eric gathers everyone up and leads them into a nearby board room while I take my binoculars out and intently study the wyvern's behavior. The thing walks up to the front entrance of the steakhouse and stops. It reaches out with its arms and feels around the doors.

The wyvern balls both of its fists up and slams it into the wooden doors. Panes of glass located around the entrance shatter as it effortlessly barges into the building. Wooden beams and chunks of ceiling tile crumble from above and bounce off the wyvern's spine covered body as it wonders towards some shamblers on the other end of the building.

I adjust the focus and intently watch. The wyvern ducks its right shoulder and charges. The group of shamblers fly in several directions as the wyvern pounces forward. It lands on a shambler and picks him up by the legs. The shambler struggles to get free as the wyvern's mouth splits open.

An uneasy feeling of sickness overcomes me as the top half of the shambler disappears in the creature's massive mouth. Rotting intestines spill out of the exposed torso of the shambler and land in a massive pool of red on the floor. The wyvern pulls the legs apart and splits what's left of the body in half. It tosses the rest of the shambler in its mouth and bends down towards the pile of viscera and blood.

Imaginary pain travels up my legs and swirls around my stomach. I lean back in the chair and rub my stomach to try and work some of the achiness away, but it's not working. That's what will happen to me if something goes wrong.

Fear sets in and doubt fills my mind. Is this really worth it? The debate goes nowhere. I want my group to be well supplied, and I want to bring some stuff back for Jamie and Rebecca, but this could possibly be one of the worst ways to die if that thing gets a hold of me.

Yet, it doesn't stop there. What if the wyvern starts chasing after Kate, or Eric and I'm not able to save them? I couldn't save Samantha, how am I going to save someone from the clutches of that monstrous abomination?

"You okay Matt?" Kate asks as she sits down beside me.

I quickly bring the binoculars up and hide my emotional eyes behind the lens, "Yeah. I'm just…trying to come up with a plan."

"What kind of plan?"

"My group needs supplies, but they can't get in the store because the people inside open fire at anyone that gets too close. So I got this really bad idea."

"Bad idea?"

"You know that thing that was looking for us earlier?"

"Yeah."

"I'm going to lead it up to the front of the store and let it chase after the people inside while my group gathers what they need."

"What about me?" Kate asks.

"I want you to go with Eric and gather what we need. After this, we'll go get Jamie and Rebecca."

"And then what?"

"There's a girl in my group named Melissa that has grandparents that live out in the countryside."

"Is she someone we can trust?"

"Yeah. She's one of the reasons everyone made it as far as we did. Myself included."

The regretful memories of my selfish behavior come back to haunt me. The only reason I wanted to save Melissa was because I needed a way back into my house. It's incredible how stupid that truly was. Treating Melissa like a ticket and hoping my brother would let me back into the house.

I look over at the room everyone is in. Capps and Tavor are drawing on the dry erase board while Eric suggests ideas for their way in. I use to curse that guy every night in my sleep for abandoning me back in my childhood, and now he's doing something that not even I was capable of. Bringing people together for a common cause.

Adam pokes his head out of the room and looks around. He spots me and Kate sitting over by the window. Adam turns around and says something to Capps. He nods and Adam slides out of the room.

"Kate, this is my brother, Adam." I introduce him.

"Pleasure to meet you."

"Same." Kate reluctantly answers without even giving him any eye contact.

Adam pays her no mind and sits down beside me, "I heard about what you were going to do, and I want you to know something. You're crazy if you think you're going to take that thing on."

"I won't be taking it on. I'll be leading it up to the front door. Once all the attention is on the wyvern, I'll sneak in, grab whatever is useful and keep it from the loading dock."

"And you're going to do it alone?" Kate asks.

"Planning to. Less likely to get spotted."

"And what are you going to do if something happens down there?" Kate rages.

"You have a chance to secure everything we need back home with little to no resistance, and you're not about to throw that opportunity away just to be by my side."

"And what am I going to tell Jamie and Rebecca when I get back? That you're dead?"

"Kate?" Adam interjects.

"I've lost too much since all this bullshit started… and I'm not about to…" Kate stutters as she clenches her fists.

"Kate, if it makes you feel any better, I'll keep an eye on him. That way you can get your supplies and have the peace of mind knowing he's not fucking something up." Adam states.

"Adam always has had a bad habit of making sure I stayed in line." I say with a reassuring tone.

"Matt…I only feel…I mean…I don't want to go with them."

"You'll be fine if you just focus at the task at hand."

Kate sighs and looks down at the ground. Some muffled words come out of her mouth, but I can't make out what was said.

Eric comes out of the room while everyone else converses back and forth over the plan, "anything interesting happen while I was gone?"

"Kate's going to go with you while Adam helps me with the wyvern."

"What's your escape plan?" Eric asks.

"I got a jeep around back. Once Kate gathers her supplies, she's going to meet up with me, and the both of us are going to go back home. What about you?"

"The people here have some vehicles that still have the keys, and they offered us one if we help them out."

"How big is it?"

"It's one of their delivery vans."

"Alright. What will you be doing?" I ask.

"Capps and Tavor are going to lead the way since they carried out several missions similar to what we're doing. Me and a couple other people are going to sneak in the back door and gather as much supplies as possible before coming back here. Once we get everything settled, our group will follow you back to where you and Kate are staying."

"Do you have a spot picked out where you can wait until everything starts?"

"Capps and Tavor do. They said we'll wait there until the wyvern attacks. If we're not in the loading dock when you get there, meet us here on the first floor."

I look back at the door and make sure nobody is listening, "Tell Emily to gather our group and wait on the second floor until we're done."

"What for?" Eric asks.

"Because as nice as these people seem, we can't let our guard down. They want to act like humans, we'll treat them like humans. Otherwise, you keep that barrel pointed at them and smile."

Capps and Tavor exit the room with two other guys that are probably the tributes for their group. Eric stands up and holds out his hand to Kate. She takes a deep breath and stands on her own.

"Matt."

"Yeah Kate?"

"You better be back at the jeep when all this is over."

"The same goes for you." I reply.

Adam does a quick ammo check and adjusts his armor while Capps and Tavor assemble everyone that's going with them. Kate takes a deep breath and makes her way over to the group. My left hand reaches out instinctively to try and stop her from leaving, but I force myself to look the other way.

The front of my skull heats up to the point that it feels like my brain is boiling. Horrible thoughts of everything going wrong eats at what little sanity is left. So much can go wrong, and it's not just Kate's life that's on the line, but Eric's as well.

Capps and Tavor? I hope they make it out because they seem like good people, and the two guys offering themselves as tributes for their group is admirable. It feels like something is rolling down my face. I rub my eyelids, but there are no tears or any signs of wetness. Maybe this means everything will be okay. Since I don't feel anything, there's nothing to be worried about.

"Please be safe." I utter under my breath.

"Be aware of your surroundings. Just because all the attention is supposed to go towards the front of the store doesn't mean it will." Capps states as everyone heads downstairs.

"Watch over each other, and everyone will live to see tomorrow." Tavor adds.

I keep an eye on the wyvern and make predictions on where we should be positioned, and how to get the thing's attention. It seems to be attracted to heat, but I don't really have anything that can be used as a distraction. Not to mention that once we're out in that rain, it's going to make it harder for the wyvern to spot us once our bodies get acclimated to the cold rain. Which means I'm going to have to get closer than I would have hoped.

"You ready Adam?"

"Ready."

I head over to the stairwell and descend to the first floor. Adam keeps his rifle shouldered and brings up the rear. I ease up to the exit of the office complex and make sure it's clear. There are plenty of shamblers out and about, and the wyvern is still occupied in that steakhouse across the street.

"Hey Matt?"

"Yeah?"

"Before we do this, there's something I want to tell you."

"What is it?"

"Those two soldiers, Capps and Tavor."

"Yeah?"

"Well, I was talking to them, and they said that they have been doing business with this quarantine zone…"

"I'm not going to one it that's what you're getting at."

"No, it's not that. Mom and dad are still alive."

His statement causes me to take my attention off the wyvern and look him directly in the eyes. Mixed feelings come over me. Both of rejoice and reluctant anger. The last time I saw dad, he nearly took my head off back at the bridge. The memory almost overrides the ability to be reasonable, but I take a deep breath and listen.

"And?"

"Capps and Tavor said that we could be reunited just as long as we gave them a place to stay."

"And how exactly are they going to accomplish that?"

"Matt, they're special forces. I'm pretty sure there's nothing they can't do. Besides, it's not like anyone is going to question someone who went up and beyond what normal people are capable of."

"So they're just going to walk through the front gates, approach mom and dad and say, 'hey, we'd like for you to come with us. Your sons are alive.' Do you really think they'd believe such a statement? Especially with how the world is now?"

Adam takes a deep breath and regains his confidence, "Matt. We are this close to being a family again. Why are you so against that?"

"Because mom and dad don't give a shit about me. They didn't in the previous life, and they sure as hell won't now. Especially when they learn about everything I had to do to survive in this godforsaken shithole of a world." I sigh as I look back in the direction of the steakhouse.

"Matt…I know there were times in the past mom and dad were wrong. Times you were in the wrong, but most importantly…when I was wrong... You were only doing what you did because our family was so close to losing everything. I understand that now."

"What is this? A family intervention?" I reply.

"Matt please…I'm not being an asshole. What I'm trying to say is that, what you were doing was wrong, but instead of being there to assure you that everything was going to be okay, mom, dad and myself wanted to take the moral high ground. Instead of helping you find a job so you could help with the debt, we played holier than thou. Instead of saying that we loved you, we wished for a different family member…"

I keep my gaze on the building because I don't want Adam to see that his words are moving me. What he said about me being wrong is correct. There's no point in denying that. The number of lives I ruined by selling oxycodone to students and adults. Those spikes in sexual abuse, unwanted pregnancies and abortions because of all that rohypnol on the streets. Sons and daughters dying to drunk drivers.

As much as I want to blame Blair for everything, I realize that he did nothing but hold the door open for me. I was the one out there making the sells, and when I tried to back out, Blair had me in such a position that he'd come out on top no matter what. Samantha's life was at stake and nobody believed me when it mattered, and it was all my fault.

"Adam, I was destroying lives before this happened, and I've done nothing but destroy lives now. Do you really think mom and dad would ever forgive me?"

"I've forgiven you Matt, and I know mom and dad have forgiven you as well. My hope and prayer is that you can forgive us one day."

"Let's just focus on the task at hand. If we survive this and actually make it to Melissa's, then I'll be able to have time to think about it." I reply.

"I'd like that…"

The tone in Adam's voice sounds so disappointed. Perhaps I should have given a different answer, but I wouldn't have been completely honest with him. There's so much pressing on me right now that it doesn't feel like the time to talk about forgiveness. I got to keep us alive if we want that opportunity to sit down and make everything right.

"Adam, I want you to stay behind. Keep something between you and the wyvern at all times. If something happens to me, tell Eric to call the plan off."

He nods and gets ready. I make sure it's clear and rush out into the parking lot. The frigid cold rain soaks through the fabric of my clothes and waterlogs my backpack. Adam posts up behind an oak tree directly across from the steakhouse and takes aim at the front entrance.

I sprint across the street and duck behind a window sill on the restaurant. Busted glass, overturned bar stools and ceiling tiles that have fallen from above litter the dirty floor. The wyvern is hunched down over the shambler it was eating earlier. It's sickle like tongue laps up a puddle of blood that's pooled around the remains of its victim.

A truly sickening sight, but there's no turning back now. I take a deep breath and carefully step over the ledge and use the booth's cushions to help dampen the noise. Laying on the table is an overturned glass cup that's been knocked over. I come up with a plan and grab the cup. The wyvern still isn't paying any attention to me. Nor are the shamblers.

I hop back out of the window and throw the cup as hard as possible. The glass slams against the corner of a nearby booth and scatters all across the floor. A deep, relentless growl bellows out from where the wyvern is standing as its head snaps in my direction instantly. The wyvern tosses the shambler scrapes in its mouth and heads in the direction of the noise.

Several of the shamblers waddle in front of the wyvern as they attempt to investigate the noise as well. The wyvern raises its arm up and shoves the shamblers out of the way. I back away from the window and pick up a couple smooth stones that decorate the sides of the concrete walkway. The tip of the wyvern's snout sticks out of the window as it looks around for the source of the sound.

I slam a rock into the side of a nearby truck with enough force that it causes the back half to shake. The muffled sound of paint and primer being chipped off surrenders to solid stone striking the brittle aluminum underneath.

The wyvern's snout opens up and lets out a bloodcurdling snarl. It puts both of its arms on the window ledge and crushes a portion of the wood and brick building to dust. The wyvern forces its way outside and stands on two legs. I keep the truck between the both of us and run over to an underpass.

The stone striking the steel and concrete reverberates back and sends out a massive echo. The wyvern turns its head towards me and hisses. I slowly back out of the underpass as it makes its way towards me.

The cold rain pouring down from above hides me behind a curtain of grey as the wyvern picks up the pace. Adam carefully follows the thing and puts anything he possibly can between him, and the wyvern. I rush towards the outside of the store's parking lot and take cover behind a wrecked car.

The wyvern frantically looks around and jogs down the entry road. It must truly rely on seeing heat. If it weren't for the cold rain, then this plan would have been a lot more difficult to pull off. I pull my binoculars out and look around for the guys on the rooftop. There are camouflage tents posted up at the corners of the building. Probably to help them stay dry. Yet, with the rain, it's difficult to see if they're inside. The weather does work in my favor to an extent.

About ten parking spaces away are bags of potting soil, mulch and land scaping bricks that provide enough cover to get to the front. The pallets look like they're placed far enough apart that I can navigate through without any problems. Maybe even draw enough attention that someone might try and shoot at me.

I tap the back of the car's hood with the rock. The wyvern looks around for the source of the sound. It stands up on two legs and opens its mouth. I rush to the land scaping supplies and squeeze between a pallet of mulch and some potting soil. The wyvern drops down on its feet and wonders in the opposite direction of where the sound came from.

I chunk the rock at the nearby car and strike the driver's side door. Thundering footsteps toss up waves of water and shake the ground as the wyvern rushes over and pounces on the car. The impact causes the windshield to shatter as the wyvern digs its claws into the hood and rips the entire engine out.

Its posture changes from slow and curious to frantic and irate. The wyvern stands up on two legs and flicks its tongue out of its mouth. The thing looks like it's losing patience. It drops down and rushes over to the edge of the potting soil. The wyvern bumps into a pallet full of mulch.

It ducks its shoulders down and barges forward. Mulch and plastic flies through the air as black dirt mixes with the falling rain. Mud splatters all over the ground, and the front of the wyvern's body. The thing seems aware that it's being toyed with.

I weave in-between the pallets and make my way to the final row of soil. A steady stream of ankle-deep water gushes across the street that separates me from the store. I swing around to the left side of the building and post up at the bay entrance. Inside are two guys having a conversation.

I take the rock and slam it into wall with so much force that a portion of it breaks off. The small spark produced is quickly drowned out by the torrential rain. The faint conversation grows silent as the guys inside go quiet. That must have gotten their attention.

I take a deep breath and step out into the open, "Howdy fuckers!"

The men inside raise up their rifles and take aim. I dive to the other side of the bay door as a thundering blast rockets out towards me. The concussive wave from a bullet flicks the back of my hair as the round punches through the side paneling of a semi-truck parked off to the side.

I hide behind a corner and pat myself to make sure they didn't hit me. There's no blood dripping from my body nor is there any on my hands. An ungodly sound pierces the air and causes my head to shake. It's nothing I have ever heard before, and it's almost indescribable. The closest thing that I can relate it to is standing in front of an unmuffled train horn except there's a deep, gurgling bellow like somebody screaming underwater.

I drop cover my ears and do everything possible to get away from the sound. The earth underneath me trembles like there's an earth quake, and the blaring sound of brick and concrete meeting flesh and bone quells any ability to drown out the deafening noise. What sounds like somebody thumping a skillet with a dinky wooden spatula attempts to overtake the roar, but it fails.

I peek around the corner and see that the wyvern has already let himself into the store. Entire chunks of building lay all over the ground as insulation float down from above. One of the guys from earlier is slumped over.

A perfect outline of where he was slammed into the wall paints a bloody image that he was completely taken off guard. Red droplets drip from wood and metal located all over his body. The wyvern sent him flying back with so much force that the rifle splintered into pieces and impaled their way through him.

Adam keeps his aim trained on the bay door as he makes his way across the street, "You okay Matt?"

"Yeah. Did you see what happened?"

"Other than that thing taking out the entire side of a building, no."

Adam and I carefully enter the store as the wyvern rampages around the building. The sound of metal shelves and aisles being knocked over ring out all over the store as we ease around the corner and progress into what's left of the pharmacy.

"Holy shit…" Adam gulps as he passes the body of the man that hit the wall.

"That man was lucky. I can't say that thing is going to extend its genericity towards us or anyone else if it gets ahold of you."

Adam and I press our backs together and head right since it's easier to cover, but there's less concealment. The wyvern let's out a furious roar and knocks over an aisle as it chases after someone.

The man aims his handgun behind him and fires blindly to try and slow the thing down. Bullets bounce off the wyvern's armor plating as it gets closer and closer. The guy rounds a corner and takes off towards the other side of the store.

Adam and I hop over a pharmacy countertop and check for any threats. "Clear on my end." Adam says.

"Same."

We both crouch down and conceal ourselves behind the counter. Now that it's clear, maybe we'll have a couple moments to scavenge. Adam picks up pill bottles and pharmacy books while I snatch up packages of hemostatic powder, trauma kits and torniquets. Adam shoves numerous bottles into the main compartment of my bag and grabs a handful of bandages.

"Do you know what you're grabbing?" I ask.

"No, but I'm assuming these books will tell us what they treat." Adam replies as he puts the bandages and medical books in with the pills.

"Spare me some room in the second compartment. We still need to go hit sporting goods."

"Sure thing." Adam says.

I readjust my bag and center it on my back. Adam signals that he's ready to go. We've gathered everything we could possibly fit. Onto the next task. I hop over the counter and make sure it's clear. Adam follows behind me, and the both of us head towards the back of the store.

Massive scratches and segments of where the tile was crushed by sheer weight are scattered all over the main path that leads to what would have been the clothing section. Shirts, shorts, pants and shoes lay all over the floor as brass casings skitter across the ground as we press forward.

"NO! GET AW….AHHHHH!"

The sound of bones being smashed and liquid sloshing all over the floor erupts from the left. That was only a couple aisles over. Adam and I run in the opposite direction of the brutal sound and head into the sporting goods.

"Damnit… they already got all the guns and ammo." Adam states as he points at the empty shelves sitting behind the plexiglass cases. I run down to where the fishing and boating supplies is and look.

"They didn't get these though."

I grab the signal pistols, some spare cartridges and several handheld flares. There are even some hand warmers, and some tannerite. Jesus. These guys had everything, and they used none of it. I grab the small containers of the white beads.

"These guys had tannerite and they didn't use it?"

"Works out for us in the end." I reply as I hand Adam a pack of flares.

"What are these for?"

"I'm almost positive that the wyvern can only see heat signatures. Now I wouldn't bank on it as of now, but if you get in a bind and throw this, it might cause a long enough distraction for an escape or to cover your movement."

"Is that why it couldn't really see you when we were out in the rain?" Adam asks.

"It's a theory, but earlier when Kate and I were exploring, we found a military vehicle that the wyvern had attacked, and there were flares and handwarmers around it. My guess is that it relies on sound unless it can see heat."

"So if this thing is chasing you, toss a flare down?"

"I would use it more for a distraction rather than a means to escape. Not letting it see you would probably be the best time to use it. Throwing it and running away in the opposite direction would be a good way to cover your movement."

I move down the aisle and grab a compound bow off a rack, and a quiver. Now that we have some tannernite, I might be able to fashion something that will be capable of running the wyvern off if worst comes to worst.

Almost all of the food items have already been raked off the shelves, but there are plastic sandwich bags, arrowheads, thumb rings, ammo pouches, water purification tablets and straining straws. There is so much these people could have made off with, but they left it all behind for the basic necessities.

Adam cuts some ammo pouches out of their cardboard boxes and mounts some on his belt while I load the quiver with arrows and stuff my bag with water purification tablets, sandwich bags and a couple of straining straws.

"Alright! Now onto the loading dock!" Adam says.

We head towards the outside of the store and do everything possible to avoid the middle of the store. Gunshots, people yelling, and the wyvern roaring all attempt to overtake one another in volume. There's no other way to explain it other than chaos.

Adam and I duck down behind a bin of dvds and plan a route to the back room. Someone's shoes is slap against the floor with so much force that we can hear it closing in. Adam watches the back while I lay my rifle against the aluminum leg of the bin and take aim.

Some guy bursts out in front of us and takes off in our direction. He's holding a handgun, but he hasn't noticed us yet. The guy turns his head and sees me with my rifle pointed at him. I put my finger on the trigger, and he instinctively tries to raise his gun, but he realizes what's going on. I remember that all three of us will be fucked if anyone shoots.

The guy dives behind a bin in front of me and crawls towards us. I take my sights off him and make sure he isn't carrying something like a knife. Adam keeps his rifle on him as he comes around the corner, but I motion not to fire.

"What the hell is going on?" The guy whispers.

"Trying to outrun whatever that thing is." I lie.

"No shit. One moment, I was looking for some supplies for my family, and next thing I know, there's gunshots, people screaming in agony and aisles being knocked down. Then that's when I saw it."

"Yeah. The thing's got a real shitty attitude." I reply as I peek around the corner.

The wyvern rushes out in the middle of the aisle and stands up on two legs. Bone barely attached by a strand of flesh dangle out of the monster's blood-soaked mouth as it looks for its next victim. I pull out a handheld flare and take the cap off. The wyvern drops back down and wonders down a computer aisle.

"What exactly are you doing?" The guy asks.

"Where's your family?"

"They're up front in the branch bank. Why?"

I lay down on the ground and crawl up to the aisle the wyvern is wondering down. Adam hesitates to follow, but he realizes that the only way to the back room is through the wyvern. The other guy constantly peeks out from behind the corner. His fearful gaze tells me that he has no intentions of leaving that spot.

"Hey…" I whisper. The guy leans over and cups his hand over an ear. "There's a good chance that thing can only see heat, so the moment I pop this and give the signal, you haul ass back to your family and get out of here."

"Are you sure?"

I reach into my bag and slide a pack of boat flares to him, "Positive. If it's looking left, you go right and vice versa."

He snatches up the flares and takes a deep breath. Even though he's supposed to be the enemy, this guy doesn't want to be here anymore than I do. Plus, he's got a family to look after. I make sure the wyvern isn't looking and press the cap next to the flare's head.

The abrasive grain scrapes across the magnesium tip, and an explosive ball of orange blasts out the tip. The wyvern stops moving and stands up on both legs. I angle my throw and chunk it as hard as I can over some aisles. The wyvern screeches and hones in on the flare. It charges directly after the glowing ball of orange. Metal from the aisle frames fly through the air, and plastic frames on televisions bust into pieces as the wyvern pays no attention to the obstacles in its way.

The guy sees his opportunity to run and seizes it. He takes off and disappears into the clothing department. If he's smart, he won't come back. Hopefully he gets his family and leaves while he's still got the chance. Adam catches up, and the both of us make our way to the doors in the very back.

I barge in and point my rifle down the left hallway while Adam clears the right. On both sides of the corridor, there are several closed doors that have tinted windows. Which means there's a possibility there are people hiding inside. If that's the case, we won't bother them if they don't bother us.

Adam and I pick up the pace and sprint as carefully as we can down the long corridor. Unopened boxes and carts full of supplies wrapped in plastic start to become more and more common the further we go. That must mean we aren't far from the loading dock.

There is another set of double doors up ahead. Adam grabs hold of the bar and pushes. His shoulder plows into the door as it slightly opens. A surprised look comes across his face as he attempts to open it again. Adam puts a little more weight into it, but the door pushes him back.

"Matt, see if we can open this."

We both brace up against the door and push. The door barely opens up, but it catches on something heavy on the other side. Either the people who set up shop here barricaded the door, or Eric and the others did.

"Son of a bitch…what did they block this off with?" Adam swears as he slams his weight into it.

"I don't know but maybe if we hit it at the same time several times, it will give us enough room to squeeze through. You ready?"

"Yeah."

"One, two, three."

Adam and I slam into the door as hard as we possibly can. The object on the other end buckles, but we didn't gain much. Maybe half an inch.

"One, two, three."

The gap opens up a little further, but neither of us can fit through. "Here, I'll constantly push, and you try to knock it open." Adam says.

He braces up against the door and presses all his weight into the door. I step back and slam into it. The gap slowly opens up as Adam and I put everything we got into opening the door. The progress is slow, but it's coming along. Adam pushes his body halfway and peeks in.

"Eric!"

"Adam!"

The sound of footsteps running over erupts from the other side as a series of hands reach over and help Adam get through the gap.

"Where's Matt?" Kate asks.

"Don't worry. I'm right here." I say as I peek through the gap.

Kate breathes a sigh of relief and holds out her hand, "Glad to see you're still alive."

"The same could be said for you." I reply as I press up against the door and suck my gut in.

Kate and Eric grab a hold of me and help guide me through the tight gap. Blocking the way of the double doors was a pallet of cleaning supplies that's been guided over with a jack. Capps and Tavor are watching the bay doors while the two guys that came with us pack up the last of their supplies.

Several bodies of the people that were guarding the loading dock have bullet wounds to the head. I never heard any gunshots back here, so it must have been Capps and Tavor that did most of the killing since they have suppressors on their weapons. It's a good thing too. Otherwise, the wyvern would have been back here harassing them if they were firing unsuppressed guns.

"We've got everything we need. Now all we have to do is head back to the building and get our vehicle." Eric says as he finishes packing a duffle bag filled with food, water and boxes of ammo.

"Hey Matt, you didn't throw down a flare before squeezing through, did you?" Kate asks.

"No."

I look back at the door and notice that there's an orange glow seeping underneath the threshold. A sick feeling swells in my gut, and every nerve within me goes numb. I peek through the glass and see that there's a flare sitting right at the other end of the building as well as one at the entrance of the barricaded doors.

Looking right back at me is the guy from earlier, a middle-aged man and woman as well as a malnourished little girl that's hiding in a nearby room. However, they're not the only ones with eyes on me.

"FUCK! RUN!" I yell as I take off in a dead sprint away from the door.

Heavy footsteps pick up in speed. What sounds like two cars crashing into each other erupts from behind me. Cardboard boxes, water bottles, cans of food and wood rain down from above.

A shower of sparks trail behind the pallet jack flies into pieces. I don't dare look behind me because it's already coming.

"Run you sons of bitches! RUN!" Adam yells at the top of his lungs.

Eric catches up with me as Kate outruns both of us. I have no idea where Capps and Tavor are, or where everyone else is, but Adam runs along Eric's side as we try and keep up with Kate. I glance over my shoulder to see what's going on. The others that came along are a couple steps behind us while the wyvern picks up two dead bodies and devours them both in one bite.

The wyvern pounds its fist into the concrete floor and launches itself in our direction. Its legs balance out as the thing regains speed and pursues us. Kate rips open the back fire exit and holds the door open. Eric picks up the pace and makes it outside first. I slow down and let Adam get through.

"We don't have all fucking day people! MOVE IT!" Kate yells.

What little warmth my body rekindled inside the store is sucked away by the falling rain. A lightning bolt strikes the top of a distant skyscraper and emits a powerful flash of blue light that bleeds through the dark grey sky. The wind lets out a howl, and a torrent of water whips up from the ground. It collides with falling rain and throws a handful of water into my face. What tastes like liquefied raw fish and gravel seeps into my tongue and causes me to instinctively spit it out.

"Th… w…"

It sounds like Eric is trying to tell us where to go, but I can barely hear him over the sound of the thunder and rain slapping the concrete. His outline is still visible, but there's no way we can hear one another. Everyone else that came along catches up, but the black outline of the wyvern is barely visible. Which means he's still way too close.

I let the rest of the group get ahead and guard the back with Adam. The wyvern seems confused because the cold rain is making everyone harder to detect, but he's still following our trail without wondering too far.

That motherfucker. He took what I taught him and used it against me. I knew I should have stabbed him back there. Otherwise, we wouldn't be in this situation. It's not worth doing something about though. If everyone can all make it out and get what they were promised, then I'll be satisfied, but it still pisses me off that things just got so much more difficult.

I can see the outline of the building off in the distance. Finally. This actually went a lot better than anticipated. Maybe if nobody tries anything stupid, everyone will make it out of here in one piece.

Once everything's all settled, we'll head back to Black Breech and get Rebecca and Jamie. Then we'll be off to Melissa's place. In all honesty. It's something I'm really looking forward to. Even though the world has gone to hell, and there's really no chance things will ever go back to normal, maybe Eric and I can build a society for our group. It would only be for us, and anyone that was willing to abide by our principals, but it makes me feel good to know that there's a chance everyone in my group can all live happy lives.

The front entrance to the building is in sight. Eric rushes forward, and the group picks up the pace. The wyvern is still having problems finding us, so we should all be fine since everyone is sopping wet.

Capps and Tavor are hiding behind the receptionist's desk but because so little of them are exposed, the wyvern shouldn't be able to sense them. Kate and I carefully tip a table over and hide behind it as Adam joins up with Eric.

"You get everything?" Capps asks.

"Yeah. Now we go do a little trading for those keys and we'll be on our way to Melissa's in no time." Eric states.

The wyvern is wondering around in the front of the building. It's intently staring in our direction but because of all the mind games I've been playing on it, it seems like it's trying to determine whether to investigate or look elsewhere.

"Just go away asshole. Nobody wants you here." Kate scoffs under her breath.

I pull out a flare and get ready for the next phase. The plan is that once everything is settled, and the keys are in our possession, I'll pop this and lead the wyvern away from the building before tossing it and escaping with Kate.

"Hey Eric?"

"Yeah Matt?"

"Kate and I have some people we need to go get before we head to Melissa's. So just meet us at my house."

"Alright. Sounds good."

The wyvern's posture changes from curious to a more aggressive stance. It slams its arms into the ground and walks in our direction. Eric, Capps and Tavor duck down behind the receptionist's desk as everyone else hides in the nearby conference rooms. Kate and I scrunch up and try to make ourselves as small as possible.

"What is this thing's problem?" Kate whispers.

"I don't know, but it's getting way too close for comfort."

There is some movement out of the corner of my eye. Down the hallway that leads up to the stairwell stands a person that's slowly approaching the lobby, and they are completely unaware of what's lurking behind that curtain of rain. I furiously wave my hands around and try to motion not to come any closer. She pays me no mind and picks up the pace.

"Matt? What are you doing?" Lauren states as the sound of claws scraping against the wet concrete are somewhat masked by the falling rain.

"Oh fuck…"

I pop the flare and throw it in the direction of the entrance. The entire front end of the building collapses into a pile of twisted metal and broken glass as the wyvern lands right in front of the flare. I snatch Lauren up and make a break for the stairwell.

Doors, drywall and insulation crumble to dust as the sheer size of the wyvern tears the sides of the hallway out. The sounds of its hulking footsteps grow with intensity. Lauren looks over my shoulder but quickly sinks back down to try and hide. Her arms constrict around me, and she tries to overcome her rapidly growing fear.

I rush through the entrance of the stairwell and head up. Several gunshots erupt, and the wyvern's footsteps suddenly stop.

"Come get me you motherfucker!" Kate yells.

The shaking ground fades away as it turns around and runs back in Kate's direction. I head on up to the second floor and put Lauren down. Several people including Melissa and Fleming rush over in our direction.

"What the hell's going on?" Emily asks.

"There's a serious problem that's come up, but the plan remains the same. Do you have the keys?"

"Right here." Emily states as she pulls out a key that has the company's logo on it.

"Everything is downstairs. Grab what you can carry and wait for us at the vans."

"What is going on Matt? Tell us!" Emily snaps.

I don't have time! Kate and the others are in trouble, and I need to get back in the fight!" I reply as I rush downstairs.

Emily and Melissa chase after me, but they stop at the very sight of the destruction within the building. The good thing is the wyvern didn't notice any of the people hiding in the side rooms. Fleming rushes over to the people hiding underneath the tables and rubble and checks to see if any of them need medical assistance.

Capps, Tavor, Eric, Adam and Kate are nowhere to be found. All of the supplies we gathered are sitting behind the receptionist's desk. A trail of brass casings from Eric's 30-30 and Kate's rifle lead outside. I peek outside and see Capps, Tavor and Adam taking cover behind a junction box while yellow muzzle flashes erupt from the grey distance.

"You okay Matt?" Capps asks.

"Yeah. How about y'all?"

"We're fine. Just trying to figure out a plan." Tavor replies as he looks through his rifle's scope and trains it on a sudden flash of light.

"Adam? I want you to go get the girls and get out of here. Capps? Tavor? Go with them and make sure nobody goes back on their word."

"What are you going to do?" Capps asks.

"I have to go help Kate and Eric, but we'll make our own escape since I have a vehicle. When this is all over, head to my house in West Side. Adam will show you where it's at. I'll meet you there once we go get Kate's group." I reply.

Adam takes a deep breath and sighs. He grabs the strap on my backpack and gives it a firm shake that nearly causes me to tip over, "You better make it back in one piece."

"Sure thing. Now go."

Tavor keeps his rifle aimed forward while Capps and Adam retreat back into the building. "Tavor! Move!" Capps yells.

Tavor stays low and moves towards the entrance while Capps and Adam keep him covered. It's all up to them now. Capps and Tavor took care of Eric, and the others, so here's to hoping they'll all make it out.

I rush back into the downpour and keep my rifle up. The gunshots from Eric and Kate have attracted some shamblers. None of them are aware of my presence though, and if I can keep myself concealed, the shamblers should take me to the last place Eric and Kate fired their shots.

A trail of diluted blood washes down a nearby drain as the body of a dead shambler lays in front of a jewelry store. There's a huge chunk of her stomach missing as well. Which means shortly after being shot, the wyvern took a big bite.

I look around and study my surroundings. The back of the jewelry store looks like it leads to an alleyway. The parking lot of the office complex lines up with the alleyway. Either way, a terrible idea is brewing. I make sure I'm not surrounded and line up my sights on a shambler.

The rifle stock rockets into my shoulder with enough force that it kicks me off target and prevents an accurate follow up shot. Brain matter blasts out the shambler's skull as it takes a step and slumps to the ground. The back of his head looks about like a cracked eggshell as a red fountain pools around its body. I take a couple steps back, make sure it's clear and take aim again.

The round hits a shambler in the chest and punches all the way through. It knocks her down to the ground while the shambler standing behind her staggers around and lets out a high-pitched scream of frustration. I make another follow up shot and drop another shambler closing in. My right foot senses the ground quaking. I swing wide and hide behind a billboard that's fallen onto the pavement.

The wyvern bowls through a crowd of shamblers and examines all the corpses on the ground. Despite it catching onto my little flare trick, it still can't resist its primal desires for an easy meal. Regardless if the living tastes better. The wyvern picks the body of a shambler and bites down.

The outline of Kate and Eric takes form as they peek out from behind the corner of a nearby liquor store. The both of them ease onto the street and head directly towards the sound of my gunshots. Kate notices where I am and points. Eric lets out a silent gesture of joy as the both of them take off in my direction.

"Matt! Glad you're still alive!" Eric gently cheers.

"Likewise, but there's no time to celebrate."

Eric and Kate nod and follow me towards the jewelry store. The wyvern is still occupied with the shamblers that it pays no attention. The alleyway provides enough cover that we're in the clear. A surge of energy rushes through my body and gives me that extra push to pick up the pace. The steakhouse from earlier is in sight which means the vehicle is just on the other side of the street.

The three of us rush across the street and head straight for the jeep. Kate opens her door and makes sure it's clear. Eric climbs in and sits in the back seat as I shove the key in and force the engine to turn over. Kate shuts her door as Eric vigorously rubs stress out of his face. I waste no time and shift into gear. Immense relief fills my body as the office complex, the steak house, and the store all disappear from the rear-view mirror.

The fact we just survived all that bullshit leaves me awestruck. Despite how grim the situation got, everyone else is alive. Kate reaches over and pats my shoulder. Her eyes look like they're emotionally heavy, and it looks like the moment she tries to say something, she'll burst into tears. I take my hand off the gearshift and hold onto Kate's hand to acknowledge her grateful gesture.

"Eric?"

"Yeah Matt?"

"I can't tell you how happy I am that you're alive."

"Yeah…I could say the same…Thank you..." He struggles to hold back his grief.

I let Kate's hand go and lean back in the driver's seat. As bad as that one guy made it for us, everyone survived. Even the two guys that went with us. The thought still angers me, but I'm not feeling the urge to actively seek him and his family out.

The only thing I should be concerned about now is keeping Kate, Eric, Jamie and Rebecca alive. After all, they'll finally have a place to call home if I can get them to Melissa's. As for me? Well, I have a conversation to have with Adam and my parents once I've fulfilled my responsibility…