Chapter 5

Today is their scavenging day to their next destination. There is a big mall that looks like no one has entered since the apocalypse.

Claire went out of the Hummer and looked at the mall from the outside. She's holding a pistol. Her favorite pistol that she always used whenever they do hunting.

Carlos went to her and tapped her shoulder.

"Shall we go in?" the soldier asked.

"Get LJ, and Chase. We'll gonna search for the mall if it's safe." the redhead said.

"Copy that ma'am." And Carlos went to get their friends.

Claire looked back inside the Hummer and saw Kmart reading a book.

"You stay here and never follow us. Do you hear me?" Claire's voice wasn't high nor angry. In fact there was a little concern in it.

"I know the drill Claire. I'll stay right here and wait for you to come back." Kmart said without looking at Claire.

"Good, then we're settled." Claire said and started to walk out from the Hummer upon seeing her companions.

Kmart watched and Claire and the group walked to the mall.

It was just accident. She left it.

Claire and the gang searched carefully the mall. They are all looking for the same thing. Undead.

"Claire it looks quiet." Carlos said.

"Just keep on searching. They might bee there lurking." Claire whispered.

Kmart ran as fast as she can towards the mall so she could get Claire quickly. She's holding something. She knows she's not allowed to go outside the Hummer but she needs to.

On the other hand, Otto, Mikey and Betty looked at each other. There's only one thing in their minds. "Trouble." the three said in unison but hurriedly followed Kmart.

She's all alone in the mall. She's on the first floor looking for Claire. He's holding a magazine of Claire's pistol because Kmart thought she might need it.

"Claire?" Kmart called out in a low tone.

She went inside and searched for Claire. Then upon searching for Claire she heard something dropped. She went there and saw a closed door. The room was used to be the comfort room of the mall.

Though she knew she will get in trouble if Claire found her inside the mall, she still continued to look for her. She needed to.

Kmart tried hard to open the door but she couldn't do it. "Claire?" Kmart called out again upon thinking that Claire is inside the cr. Then she tried to open the door again and luckily she did it.

But to her surprise it wasn't Claire she found inside, instead she found five undead and the one nearest to her plunge into her and ready to eat her.

Kmart screamed so loud and dropped the magazine she's holding. She tried to resist though she's still screaming and her force is dropping down.

Then she heard a shot and the blood of the infected above her splattered all around her face. But then another infected plunge onto her then another shot. And the infected dropped dead again.

"Fuck it Kmart!" the redhead screamed as she shoot the remaining infected inside the comfort room.

The others went to their area upon hearing the gunshots.

"What the hell happened here?" Carlos asked.

Claire is breathing heavily. Her heart is beating fast when she saw Kmart is struggling to get away from the infected.

The redhead shot Kmart a dark glare and the latter knew that she's in great trouble.

"WHAT .ARE .YOU. DOING. HERE?" Claire almost shouted at Kmart while LJ helped the little blonde to get up.

"I-I just thought..." Kmart began.

"Thought what?!" Claire growled.

"Claire calm down." Carlos said.

"Calm down? She almost got killed by those bitches! And you want me just to calm down?" Claire turned to Carlos.

"But she's alive. Nothing bad happened to her." Carlos countered.

"Fuck it Carlos! You want to happen something bad first to Kmart? Is that what you're trying to say?" Claire hissed.

"That's not why I'm saying. I just want you..." Carlos was cut off.

"And you!" Claire turned to Kmart. "Why are you so stubborn? How many times do I have to tell you to follow my orders?!"

Kmart got scared because of Claire. She never saw the redhead that way. This is the first time.

"I'm sorry." Kmart said teary eyed as she ran away from the mall.

"You got her scared Claire." Carlos said.

"She's gonna cry." LJ added.

Claire didn't say anything but shot the two a death glare.

"I think she's gonna give this to you."Chase handed Claire the magazine Kmart dropped.

Everything is settled. They got what they need from the mall; food, clothes, water, medicines and everything that they can use. Everything they think is necessary.

They also set the perimeter that will alert if ever there is danger. Betty already arranged the new drugs they got from the mall and Otto already cooked lunch.

Everything is set. Claire went back to the Hummer to place her pistol on its carriage.

To her surprise, Kmart is not there. Claire slammed the door shut and went back to the camp. "Where is Kmart?"

Claire asked the first person she saw. "I'm right here." Kmart said from the back coldly.

Then a little boy approached Kmart. "K, can you tell us story again?" the little boy asked.

"No. I can't. I'm busy." Kmart smiled a little at the kid though the sadness is visible to her eyes.

Without saying anything to Claire, Kmart went to Otto to help him serve lunch.

Claire is cleaning her guns while she sits at the back of the Hummer. She was cleaning the same gun for the fifth time for her mind is pre occupied.

Then someone approached her. It's Carlos; bringing a bottle of water and lunch.

"I brought you some food. You might want to eat lunch then?" Carlos said and placed the plate and mineral water beside Claire.

"Thanks." Claire muttered but didn't look at Carlos.

"You okay? You seemed pre occupied."

There was a moment of silence between them. Claire is polishing her gun while Carlos stared at her.

"I don't know what's wrong with her!" the redhead suddenly burst out.

"With whom?" Carlos frowned.

"Kmart."

"Oh yeah Kmart." Carlos grinned. "Why? What's wrong with her?"

"She's...she's..."

"Not talking to you? I see." Carlos finished. "Well Claire, you couldn't blame her. You yelled at her like she did something bad. Something criminal." Carlos explained and sat beside the redhead.

"Well, she did. She almost got killed by those bitches because she didn't listen to me." Claire snapped.

"Well you're right. But you got her scared. Maybe you should try to be a little soft towards her." Carlos suggested.

"She's just like Angie." Claire muttered and left Carlos sitting at the back of the Hummer.

"And she's still the same." Carlos said to no one in particular.

Kmart is sitting on the log near outside the perimeter. Her chores are already done. So she took a little time first before doing something but she doesn't want to go back to the Hummer because she's avoiding Claire Redfield.

Kmart doesn't know how long she was sitting there when she felt someone sat beside her. Carlos Olivera.

"Hey there kiddo." Carlos smiled.

"Hey Carlos." Kmart greeted.

"What are you doing here?"

"We, I'm resting. I just need to relax."

"Why don't you rest in the Hummer?" Carlos asked.

"I need to be alone. And I don't want to go back there." Kmart replied.

"Avoiding Claire Redfield are we?"

"Well. I caused her headache again. I think it would be better if she won't see me. And I think it would be better if I will stop making her happy." Kmart said.

"And what are you gonna do? Where are you going to sleep later?"

"I don't know. Maybe in the bus. Or maybe in Betty's if it's okay with her." Kmart shrugged. "I'm not that thinking of that yet. I just want Claire to be in peace so she will not be mad anymore at me."

Carlos sighed. A heavy sigh. He can see how Kmart was hurt because of what happened earlier. "Let me tell you a story. Once there was a kid in this convoy, few years younger than you. She survived the apocalypse together with LJ and me. Then Claire found us. She took us in her convoy and the little girl whose name was Angie was in your place. Claire treated her as a sister actually as a daughter. She's always keeping an eye on her. She loved her so much. She took care of her. Then there was an incident like what happened earlier. Angie wasn't allowed to go on scavenging with us. But she did what you did earlier. She also brought like what you brought thinking that Claire needed it. But there was a little difference."

"What is it?" Kmart asked curiously.

"She died." Carlos muttered.

"What happened?"

"An undead attacked her but she didn't die because of that. Actually she wasn't contagious." Carlos answered.

"How did you know?"

"Long story. All I can say is that, the virus was really made for her."

"What was the cause of her death?" Kmart asked again.

"She fell from second floor when the undead attacked her. Claire blamed herself because she didn't make it on time. She wasn't able to help Angie that time." Carlos said.

"She's still blaming herself up to this day?"

"I guess so."

"By the way, what is the connection of that story to me?"

"Don't you see it Kmart? Claire cares for you. She was protecting you. She's just not showing any emotion. She was afraid to lose you."

"How can you say that?"

"I just know. I know her too well and I'm telling you what I see."

Then there was a moment of silence. "Anyway I have to go back to my work. I'll see you around." Carlos said and stood up.

Kmart just nodded.

After a moment of thinking, Kmart finally decided to go back to the Hummer. And there she saw Claire, staring at nowhere.

Kmart breathed heavily before jumping in the Hummer. "Claire." The teen called out as the redhead looked at her emotionlessly.

AN: I know it's been a long time since I updated this. I got a job so I need to work. Anyway thank you for those who are still reading this and there's only one left chapter for this story. Thank you and happy reading.