Making their way back out to the trucks, Emma and Graham passed Ruby and Mulan. Ruby looked up from the backseat and saw them with a cart full of hardware supplies and a big box.
"How was shopping?" Ruby smirked.
"Great actually!" Emma smiled. "I surprisingly found just about everything I couldn't find back at the prison."
Ruby nodded and walked over looking in the cart, "Let's load everything up then."
Taking the cart over to the back of Regina's truck, the four of them started to push everything back into the bed of the truck. Pulling the cover over the back and after laying the box down on it's side, Mulan closer it. They looked behind them and saw Jefferson and Kristoff walking back with arms full of white boxes.
Rushing over to help them and get some things out of their hold, the other four looked at everything confused.
"This is everything we needed to find and then some, there's more back at the front of the auto shop. I don't want to take any chances." Kristoff huffed.
Graham and Mulan headed back to the auto shop to get everything else from the front to bring back to the truck. Kristoff leaned back on the side of his truck and threw his head back.
"Did you guys check out the other stores yet?" Emma looked over to Ruby.
"No we were still looting and looking for gas." Ruby sighed.
"I can go check out those two over there?" Emma pointed to her right, "See what I find?"
Ruby sighed and thought about it, looking around the street. "Yeah alright."
"Ruby." Kristoff chastised.
"There are a lot of stores we haven't checked. Splitting up will only make that process go faster. She'll be fine it's just a what? An old ice cream joint and a fireworks store she'll be alright." Ruby reasoned.
Kristoff sighed and reached into the backseat of his truck, pulling out a tool box.
"Ten minutes in each store Little Swan." Kristoff turned and looked at her sternly, "Watch over your shoulders."
Emma nodded, grabbing her assigned backpack from the back of the truck and walked off down the street to the abandoned stores, Kristoff walked down to the bus they'd passed down the street, while Ruby went left to some other stores prying the wooden planks off the front door. Mulan, Jefferson and Graham came back with everything else.
Mulan saw Ruby and went to help get the planks off the doors.
"If we don't break them up too bad, we can salvage these and use for fire wood or something back home." Mulan suggested and Ruby nodded.
Graham and Jefferson walked down to help Kristoff get the back of the bus to open and find the drive belts. They managed to get the back of the bus open after a good few tries, looking up they heard banging at the back window and saw that there was three biters snarling down at them.
Graham sighed and walked around the bus, the banging was causing too much noise. Walking around to the open doors of the bus, Graham stuck his head up and looked over the seats. Gagging at the smell coming from inside, he quietly and harshly whispered to get the demons' attentions. Looking around as they turned and growled at the sounds coming from behind them, they limped down the aisle of the bus, snarling and swinging for Graham's head.
While Kristoff and Jefferson were trying to pull the first belt free, Graham stepped back and watched the biters throw themselves out of the bus and fall to the ground. Graham chuckled as they bounced and tried to get back up, but he was quick, pushing the one who was smart enough to walk down the steps of the bus down. He quickly stabbed that biter up through her chin, and kicked one on the ground in face. Stabbing it in the skull and then the other laying on its back under that one reaching up for him.
Graham pulled back and sighed bending over to wipe his knife clean on the back of one of the biters shirts. With that work done, he took his flashlight and his gun out and climbed up into the bus.
Having already checked the empty ice cream shop, Emma didn't find much in there besides a few birthday candles. She pocketed pack of a blue star candles and managed to find a lighter too. Not finding anything of much use, she put whatever she found in backpack and walked out of the front of the store.
Looking out to the street, Emma looked to her right and saw the guys at the back of the bus with the toolbox open, cranking and opening up a passageway to get further into the back engine. Jefferson had his rifle leaning up against the side of the bus. Looking to her left, Emma saw Ruby walking to the truck with her hands full of tools from a gardening shop, she could see Mulan in the distance pulling boards off the doors.
Ruby looked over to her and arched her brow, Emma just smiled and gave her a mock thumbs up like 'Hey I'm still alive!' Ruby laughed and nodded, turning back around to go look through the next store.
Emma sighed and turned to her right, looking up at the fireworks sign of the store, this store only had one plank on the door and didn't look as dusty as the others. Taking her machete from its holder on her thigh, Emma gripped the strap of her backpack and crouched to get under the board and into the store.
Tugging on the belt as a means to get it out, Jefferson released a frustrated growl and let go, banging his foot on the side of the bus.
"If you break it this will definitely had all been for nothing. Quit It." Kristoff huffed.
"We've un-tightened and unscrewed everything in way to get to it. It's impossible!" Jefferson groaned.
"No it isn't we just haven't looked at it enough times. We'll look again." Kristoff stepped back and wiped his hands on his now dirty shirt. "Graham!"
Kristoff called out to him. "Yeah I'm coming"
Graham walked out of the bus, holding a few bags in his one hand and a bat in the other.
"What's in those?" Kristoff tipped his chin.
"Bunch of clothes." Graham shrugged, "I found an old piece of gum." he chewed as he smiled showing them the green gum between his teeth.
"Come over here and shine your flashlight on this engine, we needs to get this out before we lose daylight."
Graham nodded and quickly did as he was told, Jefferson huffed and leaned back in as the light was shining on the bottom half of the engine now. Kristoff looked over both of his shoulders for a minute before crouching and leaning in with the tools.
"There's nothing in here Ruby, can we go sit down in the trucks now?" Mulan whined.
"In a minute." Ruby called over her shoulder. "Regina always says you gotta check the back rooms."
They were in an old antic shop, which was surprisingly to only store that looked like it hadn't been touched. Mulan sighed and leaned over the counter putting her head down.
"You were so eager to get out of the prison and now that we're doing that you're complaining about the work?" Ruby scuffed.
"I was fine like two stores ago but now I'm just tired...and I think I might have some splinters." Mulan exaggerated.
Ruby rolled her eyes and snickered, looking through a bunch of big scrolls that were in a bin back there.
"When was the last time you were back home in China?" Ruby called out to her as she looked around.
Mulan blew out a puff of air past her lips and picked at her fingers.
"A long time ago. Maybe 12 years? Shang and I came over here to study abroad. I mostly came to get away from my father."
"How come?...If you want to share..." Ruby called out.
"He was going to force me to marry some man I didn't even know." Mulan huffed.
"What the hell?" Ruby questioned.
"It was a different time and it was normal for father's to arrange things like that." Mulan sighed. "He and I fought the last time I saw him. I applied to every school I could find and chose the one offering the highest scholarships...I only ever spoke to my mother and my grandmother after I left but...I don't know where they could be or if they're even alive..." she said sadly.
"Do you miss him?" Ruby asked next.
"Everyday yeah...he was a soldier. I grew up watching him fight and train...he taught me everything I know."
Mulan looked down at her hands reminiscing on times she spent with her father out in their backyard. The whole time they were talking, she didn't hear two men walking up behind her.
"Daddy isn't here to save you now, Chinagirl." A voice whispered behind her.
Quickly reaching back for her sword and turning around, Mulan unsheathed the weapon and held it in front of her.
Two tall skinny white guys both holding guns aimed at her stood before her.
"Now don't go doing anything stupid, girl." One stepped forward and she stepped back, tightening her grip on the handle of her sword.
"You recognize this here rifle?" The second one was holding Jefferson's rifle. "We got all your little buddies lined up outside so...unless you want to see them get hurt I suggest you put that sword down."
"You used to play swords with your dad?" Ruby called out from behind the curtain.
"Put it down now." The man aimed the rifle at her chest.
Mulan tried to hurry up and think of something to do but couldn't. They had everyone outside, meaning the had Emma. Fear ran down her spine at the thought of the young blonde dead out in the street. Slowly she put sword down on the ground, and put her hands up.
"Tell your friend to come out here with her hands up. She tries anything and I'll shoot you down." The man sneered pushing the rifle back on his shoulder.
"Mulan?" Ruby called out.
"Ruby c-come out here." Mulan called back.
Ruby stopped her looting and paused at the sound of Mulan's voice. Reaching back for the gun at her hip, Ruby inched forward.
"There are two men out here." Mulan looked at them and licked her lips, "They have guns pointed at me...One of them is holding Jefferson's rifle." Mulan gulped. "He says to come out, with your hands up. Not to try anything or else he will kill me. They have everyone else outside Ruby." she shuddered.
"Come on out from back there girl! I'm not going to say it a third time!"
Ruby heard the man's voice and tightened her grip on her handgun.
"I will shoot each and every one of you!"
Ruby eyes showed her frustration as she silently cursed and bent down put her hands to her head.
"I'm going to count to three and better start steppin'!" The man called out and the other man stepped forward motioning his gun to get Mulan down on her knees.
"1!"
Ruby wanted to cry and scream and curse, they had everyone outside. They have Graham and Emma...her family! They had her people! Regina wouldn't have let this happen.
"2!"
Regina would've kept them all safe! Regina would've seen them coming!
"3!"
"Ok! Ok! Just-. I'm coming out! Don't shoot anyone." Ruby stressed and put her hands up.
Walking out slowly passed the black curtains, Ruby felt fear and anger as she saw Mulan on her knees with her sword held to close to her throat. Looking up she saw a tall enough white guy with brown hair, brown eyes and a long face.
"Well aren't you just a sight for sore eyes." The man smirked and licked his lips.
"Who are you?" Ruby questioned as he stepped forward.
"Names Christopher Walsh, but...everybody calls me Walsh." The man revealed.
"What do you want Walsh?" Ruby sneered.
Walsh chuckled hauntingly and licked his bottom lip, smiling showing his teeth.
"What do I want?" Walsh walked up got close, reaching up he gently took the handgun from between Ruby's fingers.
Up close Ruby could see all the little moles on his face and noticed how chapped his lips were. Turning her head as he got up in her face, Walsh smiled and looked her over. Chuckling as he saw her flinching away from his touch, he stopped and turned her face with the end of Jefferson's rifle, looking her straight in eye.
"Babe, I want everything you got."
Walking around the fireworks store, the little light shining through the boarded up windows was enough for her to see everything in the store, some spots were still dark though.
The store wasn't that big but she still managed to find some spots untouched. During the apocalypse there wasn't really a need for fireworks, unless you wanted to make a lot of noise which was a bad thing to do. Noise meant either attracting unwanted attention from people or unwanted attention from dead people, both were bad in some situations.
There wasn't much out in the front a few firecrackers, some bottle rockets, but Emma knew you should always check the back to see what you could find. With her machete raised, Emma walked to the back and heard snarling.
Taking a breath and inching forward Emma turned the corner and peaked her head around. Seeing a biter, he looked like he wasn't that old a teenager at best. He was handcuffed to a pipe along the wall so he couldn't get out. Emma sighed and stepped forward looking at the young boy, he looked really skinny, maybe he starved back there and didn't want to walk around as one of the dead.
Emma put her backpack down and stepped forward, moving his swinging boney arm out of her face and plunged her machete into the front of his head. The biter gurgles on the blood coming from it's rotting mouth and immediately stopped moving, slumping down against the wall. Sighing Emma looked back over her shoulder to make sure she didn't see anyone and as she was turned back she saw a black strap coming from inside a cabinet.
Scooting towards it and opening the doors to the cabinet, Emma pulled a black duffle bag from it and zipped it open.
"Well I'll be damned." Emma scuffed.
There were all sorts of cherry bombs in the duffle bag. The regular diameter 1 cherry bombs, red M-80's, silver salutes, and a few pipe bombs that looked like they were homemade.
"You were hiding all these back here?" Emma looked back at the limp biter and tsked. "I'm sure they will come in handy at some point." She closed the bag back, "You don't need them anymore so I hope you don't mind."
Picking up the bag of explosives, Emma got here backpack and walked back to the front of the store. Looking out the window and stopping in her tracks, Emma's eyes got big and she immediately ducked. Peaking up and out to the street, she could see some men out by this big black truck. Jefferson was pushed up on the hood, being punched and Kristoff and Graham were on the ground with their heads being pushed down, guns aimed at their backs.
"Oh shit!" Emma harshly whispered as she saw one of the men headed towards the store she was in.
Quickly moving back in a crouched position, Emma made her way back to the back room. Ducking past the door as soon as the man straightened up from crouching under the boarded dood and entered the fireworks store. Looking around all he saw was the dead bodies that were down on the ground, he turned his gaze to the back and smirked, walking to the back room.
"I know you're back here." The man sang as he inched around the corner of the door.
With his gun held out in his hand he quickly turned the corner and rushed into the room, but only saw the limp biter handcuffed to the wall. He spotted a pretty big cabinet and walked over to it, yanking the door back with his gun aimed at it.
But it was completely empty.
Looking around the room the man huffed as he turned his head, Emma was no where to be found.
After ducking around the corner Emma quickly scanned the room and pulled back a sheet and saw a back door. Pushing at the handle to test if it would make noise she pushed again after it didn't, slipping out of the door and making sure there was no one back there, Emma let the door close gently and quickly pulled a crate out in front of the door.
Rushing back between the buildings, Emma dodged a biter and quickly moved undetected till she was on the other street near the auto repair shop was. She could hear shouting and punches being thrown out in the quiet area but she kept moving until she was behind the auto shop.
Breathing quickly and pushing herself up against a wall Emma hearts was beating through her chest.
"Oh Fuck! Oh fuck!" Emma wanted to cry. "Universe seriously?! What the fuck!" she whispered harshly.
She didn't know what to do! She didn't see Ruby and Mulan, maybe the got away? What was the plan for something like this?! What could she do? She could not just leave and run away.
Emma shook her head no and gulped, a determined look on her face, "I'm not leaving them. I'm not running."
Looking around the back of the auto shop, Emma couldn't see anything but old dusty tool racks and buckets. Looking down at the black bag, Emma looked up and quickly rushed toward the racks digging in and looking for tape.
"Come on. Come on. Come on!" Emma opened each drawer to the red rack, the first one being completely empty. Until she checked the second one and found duct tape. "Yes!" she whispered victoriously.
Quickly opening up the black duffle bag, Emma carefully took out the three homemade pipe bombs and taped them all together. Taking out a few of the Red cherry bombs, she put them all down on a long strip of tape and wrapped them up into a big messy ball. Taking a few silver salutes she tied those all together too.
Completely out of breath Emma closed her eyes an willed her hands to stop shaking, bracing herself against the ground. Opening her eyes and looking up and to her her right, behind some stacked up boxes Emma saw a big brown tarp thrown over something, she saw a wheel at end where it didn't cover it. Pulling back and standing up, Emma walked over and moved the boxes out of the way. Walking through and yanking the tarp back, revealed an all black Yamaha Bolt Sport Heritage Cruiser in perfect shape.
Emma looked down and hurriedly looked through the boxes, finding a helmet and inside the helmet were the keys to the bike. Biting her lip and taking a deep shaky breath, Emma put the helmet on over her head and grabbed everything she made.
Maneuvering the heavy bike out of the back of the auto shop and around to the front street. Emma took another breath and closed her eyes, silently praying to every God there was that she made it out of this alive. She was scared she wasn't going to lie, nowadays you had to fear the living more than you could the dead. Opening her eyes again with a determined look in her eyes, she clenched her jaw.
"I'm not running."