The camping goods store was, thankfully, just as empty as the group had left it. Once inside, Oliver told Ayako, Madoka, and Vianney to get the sleeping-quarters ready while the rest of them checked the building to make sure it was really safe.

Ayako was glad for the mundane task. As she walked Madoka and Vianney to the fitting rooms, she noticed that she had taken to following along a wall. She supposed that this made her feel more safe, but it was strange how she had started doing it without thinking about it.

"This is really strange," Madoka stopped at the fitting room doorway, furrowing her brow at the rows of empty cots. "Why would people just up and leave this place?"

"Maybe they wanted a change of scenery," Vianney chuckled. "I've never been one for shopping, myself."

Ayako shook her head, not wanting to think about what could have driven the people away.

"Wait, Ayako," Madoka bent over to pick something up off the ground. "Look at this."

She held up an orange bottle of pills and shook it. It still had medication inside.

"If anyone just left, I'm sure they would have taken these with them," she studied the label. "Antipsychotics."

"Oh god," Ayako took the bottle to look. "Yeah, I've heard these are pretty brutal to come off of. No one would just leave these if they weren't in a hurry."

"Or maybe they're coming back."

"Hey!" Yasuhara appeared in the doorway, panting. "We've got a situation."

Ayako gulped.

"What kind of situation?"

Yasuhara jerked his head back, directing them to follow him before turning and leading them out of the fitting rooms.

"Come on."

Waiting in the main lobby of the store was a large group of men and women in pristine clothes. They looked as though they had just been at an early morning worship service.

To be more accurate, they all looked like they were asked to speak at an early morning worship service.

A man in a tan suit jacket spoke up. He had a stern look on his face that seemed a mismatch for his clean pastoral getup.

"This all of you?" His voice had a hint of a European accent that Ayako could not quite place.

Oliver nodded. His arms were crossed in a way that made him look ten feet tall. Ayako wondered how much Oliver's confidence let him get away with.

The man scowled.

"I asked you a question."

"Yes. This is all of us."

"I must say," His stern look turned into an insincere grin. "I'm impressed you have lived this long alone. Small groups are not safe."

"Well." Oliver shrugged. "I like to think that we're a competent team."

The man laughed heartily. His tan skin was pulled so tightly around the mouth that it looked as if it were about to crack.

"Alright, smartass. Get your competent team in a line so we can make note of all useful skills and belongings. I want your weapons with Candace." He pointed a thumb to a young woman standing to his right. "John?"

"Y-yes sir?" The young man on his left stood to attention.

"Interview our new brothers and sisters. I trust you can place them in the right jobs."

John nodded.

"Yes sir."

"I'm sorry," Oliver took a step towards the large group and their leader, puffing out his chest. "When did we agree to join you?"

"Son," The man was struggling to keep his smile in tact. "I don't reckon you have a choice."

"I would like to at least know who you are before I hand over my weapons," Oliver's voice was level and demanding.

"Reverend Sotelo," The man spat out. "Now give your weapons to Candace."

Oliver set his rifle and knife at Candace's feet and the rest of the group followed suit. Madoka stood behind awkwardly, as she had nothing to give up.

"Pinkie," Sotelo waved her over. "You gonna give it up?"

Ayako got the impression that he wanted her to 'give up' more than just her weapons.

"Leave her alone," she hissed. "She doesn't have any weapons."

"If John finds anything," Sotelo began.

"He won't," Madoka promised. "I don't have anything."

Sotelo shrugged and straightened his tan jacket.

"John," he directed. "They're all yours."

John, a slight young man with blonde hair and a genuine smile motioned for them to follow him. He lead the group to another aisle in the store so that he could talk to them in private.

"Alright," he smiled at Oliver. "If you would, tell me your name and any skills you have that would be useful to us."

"Oliver Davis," Oliver huffed. "And I'm not sure I know exactly what skills you're looking for."

John's smile did not falter.

"What did you do before this, Oliver?"

"Physics."

"So I'll wager you're good at solving problems, then?"

"Sure."

John nodded and moved on to the next person in line. Monk.

"Name?"

"Houshou Takigawa. Call me Monk."

John laughed, "Why are you called Monk?"

"Because I used to be one. Came down off the mountain and moved here to pursue a different kind of life."

"Fair. What do you do, Monk?"

"I was a firefighter. To pay the bills, that is. By night I served shit-hot bass licks."

The humor of Monk's syntax was lost on the innocent John.

"I was in a band," he claryfied. "Not that it matters."

Yasuhara chuckled, "Bet you have some strong hands, though. I love a man with strong hands."

John continued down the line like this, interviewing Yasuhara, then Mai, Masako, Madoka, and Vianney. Ayako learned that Yasuhara had been in his final year of law school and worked as a clerk for a local attorney. Mai and Masako were students as well, and were roommates. Mai was studying psychology and Masako was a commercial actress and was studying social sciences with a minor in theatre arts.

"So you're a nurse as well?" John asked, once he had finally gotten to Ayako.

Ayako nodded.

"I was in school for my doctorate. Radiology."

"You're comfortable with treating wounds?"

Ayako scoffed, "Of course."

"Alright," John smiled. "I think I have all I need."

"Wait!" Mai stopped him. "Can you at least tell us what's going on?"

Yasuhara jumped in, "Who is that Sotelo guy and why are you all dressed like you're in church?"

"Sotelo is a minister. God has smiled upon us as a group of survivors and has gifted us life under Sotelo's guidance."

"Dude," Monk blurted. "That sounds creepy as hell."

"I mean!" John stammered. "That's what he says! I don't…"

Oliver raised an eyebrow, the judgement in his gaze effectively stopping John mid-sentence.

"Do you really believe what he's doing is right?"

"I believe that he's helping people. No one is perfect, but I'm alive because of him."

"I don't trust him," Madoka stepped in. "The whole group gives me the creeps."

"I have to go." John straightened. Madoka had obviously hit a nerve. "Stay here."

"I can tell you're not like them, John," Mai whispered. "I trust you."

John's smile fell as he turned away and left them alone.

The group was silent while John was away. Mai's words hung in the air. Her sweet voice had been desperate. Something in Mai had sensed that John was their way out.

When John returned, he looked filled with a new confidence. Behind him was another man, wearing a dark leather jacket and a wicked grin.

"Ayako, Madoka, Monk, and Oliver come with me," John directed. "The rest of you go with Adam."

"Why are you splitting us up?" Oliver demanded. "Where are they going?"

John gave him a pained grin, "Those without useful skills cannot join us."

"I'm sorry?"

Ayako saw Mai reach out and grab Oliver's hand. Oliver looked startled for a moment but then wrapped his fingers tightly around hers.

"If I recall," Oliver spat. "We didn't want to join you in the first place."

"And as I recall," Adam crossed his arms. He towered over Oliver. "You don't have a choice."

"What are we gonna do?" Mai cried out. "Are you just going to throw us out?"

"Don't worry, Adam will give you some supplies." Maybe at some other time and in some other place, John would have been a comfort to them. Here he seemed like he was pushing his friendly nature away, his tone was more cold than it was calm.

"That's right," Adam laughed. "Supplies."

John turned and began walking. They had no choice but to follow, leaving Mai, Yasuhara, Masako, and Vianney behind with an intimidating stranger.

Sotelo was waiting to meet the new members of his group. John led them to a back storage room that had been converted into their leader's sleeping quarters. The shelves that once held extra stock of hiking boots and camping gear had been moved to form three walls around an air mattress. The shelves also blocked off an area where food was kept.

Sotelo was in full control of the group's rations.

"Sir," John lowered his head reverently as he stepped into the makeshift room. "I've brought the new recruits."

"Nice to meet you," Sotelo smiled at each person in turn as if he were seeing them for the first time. "I'm Reverend Manuel Luis Sotelo, and I hope you will be happy here."

Oliver stared dumbfounded at the man.

John coughed pointedly.

Oliver blinked.

"If you would introduce yourselves," John sighed.

"I'm Madoka Mori!" Madoka quickly held out a hand for Sotelo to shake. He ignored her. "I'm a nurse."

"Ayako Matsuzaki, also a nurse." Ayako gave him a tight-lipped smile.

Sotelo quirked an eyebrow and turned to John.

"You brought me two nurses?"

Instinctively, Ayako reached out and grabbed Madoka's hand. She was prepared for the worst.

"I thought," John laughed nervously. "We could use two."

Sotelo's face settled back into a severe frown. "We could use one."

"I'll go," Ayako dropped Madoka's hand. "Madoka's better than I am anyways." She glanced at Madoka, daring her to say anything different.

Sotelo nodded and sent Ayako away with a wave of his hand. John followed so that he could take her to Adam and the others.

"Adam is supposed to take people back here for supplies," He ushered Ayako into a small office space in the of the store that had been turned into a makeshift storage area. "I believe it's right to give everyone a fair chance."

"By taking all of the skilled people for yourself and letting a couple college kids and an old man fight for their lives alone?"

John gave her a tight-lipped smile. "I do the best I can to help people."

"You'd really like to believe that, wouldn't you?"

As soon as she said this, Ayako felt bad. John seemed genuinely sweet, even if he was caught up in the wrong crowd, it seemed that he really wanted to be helpful.

"That's weird." John stopped and looked around the room. They had walked all the way to the end of the hallway and had not seen Adam in any of the former offices. "He should still be in here."

"John!"

Ayako turned to see a short, young girl with blonde hair that reached almost to her knees. She was dressed modestly in a long jean skirt and a light pink sweatshirt.

"John," she repeated. "Adam has already left with the other dregs. You'll have to go catch him."

Ayako cringed at the word 'dregs'. That is what she and her rescuers had become. The undrinkable teaspoon of liquid at the bottom of a poorly blended latte.

John smiled.

"Thank you, Olivia."

She nodded to him politely and took her leave.

"Right," John laughed as if any of this were funny. "I suppose we can catch him if we go out the back door."

Ayako rolled her eyes.

"Does he escort the 'dregs' away? Why not just let them go?"

"Not sure," John shrugged. "It's all Adam's deal. We all have specific jobs and that's what keeps us alive. I do my job and I don't ask questions."

Ayako sensed that John did not want to talk on the subject any longer so she elected to keep quiet and follow. John led her out the back door into an alleyway behind the shopping center. This was the kind of place that would be creepy even before a zombie infestation.

Up ahead, they spotted Adam escorting the 'dregs' into another store via the back entrance.

"That's not right," John whispered.

Ayako was certain that this was not directed at her, so she said nothing in return.

"He's not supposed to…" Rather than finishing his thought, John broke out into a run towards Adam. Ayako reluctantly followed, quickly realizing or, rather, feeling how long it had been since she had run. Before all this, Ayako went for a jog almost every morning before work. She hardly had that option when she was holed up in Madoka's house awaiting rescue.

"John?" Adam was startled when John and Ayako burst in the door after him. "What are you doing?"

"What are you doing?" John was red in the face, from the running or from anger Ayako was not sure. "You're supposed to give them supplies and let them leave."

Adam gave a terrible grin and Ayako felt her skin crawl. There was something very clearly wrong with Adam.

"You don't really believe that, do you John?"

Ayako knew that John wanted to believe it. He wanted to believe that everyone was good and trustworthy. It was obvious that Adam was neither of these things.

"What do you do with them?" John's voice shook with anger. "I've sent away good people, Adam. What do you do with them?" Timid John was shouting now. Tears were forming in his eyes.

"I get rid of them," Adam said through gritted teeth. "That is the job Sotelo gave me." Adam smiled another sickly smile. "Getting rid of people is the gift that I was given, John. Wouldn't you hate to see a good gift from the Lord wasted?"

"Y-you're," John stammered. Tears were falling freely now as he came to face the fact that he had been freely sending people to their deaths. "You're wasting human life."

Adam laughed, "I'm wasting dregs."

Before John could reply, Yasuhara rose up behind Adam and knocked him clean out with the back of a chair.

"Dreg on that, bitch."

"Yasu!" Mai ran to Yasuhara's side, helping him set the chair safely back down on the ground. "What were you thinking?"

"You heard him, Mai! He was gonna kill us!"

Masako held a hand up as she stepped between them.

"Please, Mai. Calm down."

"Oh right I should just calm down. You didn't see what I saw, Masako, I know what this man is capable of!"

Ayako felt lightheaded as her mind made the connection. Adam must have been responsible for hurting the woman in the cafe.

"He's still breathing," She observed. "A blow to the head would have to be a lot stronger to kill him."

Yasuhara put his hands on his hips.

"Well I'm sorry I haven't exactly been hitting the gym every week."

"I have a gun," John's voice was barely a whisper. "But I can't do it." He pulled a small handgun from his back pocket and held it out in front of him.

Without a second thought, Ayako took it. She thought of the woman in the cafe. She thought of how Adam must have laughed as he cut the woman's jaw. Click. She turned the safety off. Adam must have smirked as the woman's blood pooled at her feet. She took her shot.

Adam was dead.

I really don't want to even write an author's note to follow that.

I'm sorry for this?

thanks to Hannah (as always) for beta-ing (as well as Kel and Toa this story)

please rate and review!

Bee