Dying Days 5 by Armand Rosamilia Page A

like he was going to be shot at any moment, and lumbered across the parking lot. Mitchell waited until he was almost at the back door before he got up and ran at full sprint, nearly catching up with Red Shirt. The guy was even slower than he looked.
    "I don't see anyone inside," the loud guy said.
    "Why is the back door just open? This is definitely a trap," Mitchell said.
    "Then what do you want to do?" Red Shirt asked. The look on his face told Mitchell he wanted to be told they were abandoning this course of action and going back to Main Street. That wasn't an option.
    "We spring the trap and hope we don't die," Mitchell said.
    Mitchell motioned for the two men to walk but they hesitated. When Mitchell raised his weapon and aimed it at both of them, they got the message.
    "You go first, fat boy," the loud guy said to Red Shirt.
    "You can both go first. We're in a side hallway in Sears. I'm sure this leads to the offices. But the longer we argue about marching order the more chance we have of being caught and killed. So start marching," Mitchell said.
    The three men headed down the hallway, one eye looking for danger and the other on the men with them.
    If we get into a firefight, I need to make sure I don't get hit with friendly fire , Mitchell thought. He also needed to be in a position to return friendly fire and kill both of these men, too.
    Sears was a mess, with ripped clothing littering the floor and the displays torn apart. Mitchell shook his head as they made their way over and around the destruction. It was one thing to loot and take everything, but this seemed senseless to him. If he had time, he would search the store for anything of value, but right now they were heading into the main corridor of the mall.
    He motioned for them to stop as they got outside the Sears entrance.
    "Where is the food court, to the left?" Mitchell asked the annoying guy.
    Annoying guy nodded.
    The roof to the right had collapsed, crushing a shoe store underneath. Orange sneaker boxes spilled out into the main hallway but they could move around it with ease.
    Mitchell kept watching for movement. He hoped they could sneak up on the group holed up in this mall and get the jump on them.
    They got to the main intersection, annoying guy and Red Shirt a few steps ahead of Mitchell, when the shot rang out, deafening in the enclosed area and the broken silence.
    But it wasn't an attack from a hidden enemy.
    Annoying guy had shot Red Shirt in the stomach before running down the dark corridor of the mall.
    Mitchell sighed and began the pursuit.
     
    *   *   *   *   *
     
    Darlene dreamed of running on the beach with John, the baby in her arms as they laughed and kicked sand. The couple, smiling, was trying to find a suitable name for the baby boy.
    "I say John and we can call him Junior," Darlene said, lightly touching the baby's nose.
    "When he gets older, we'll call him Murph like my dad," John said.
    Darlene grinned. "I like it." The baby scrunched his face and began to cry. "I think his gums hurt." She put her finger into his mouth, running it across his swollen gums. Did she already feel teeth trying to poke through?
    The baby bit her, teeth appearing like daggers. The pain was excruciating. His eyes glowed red and the baby began to feast on her finger.
    "Are you alright?" Taylor asked Darlene as she woke, jumping up out of the bed.
    "What? Huh?" Darlene was disoriented and wobbled on her feet.
    Taylor helped her sit down on the bed.
    "I had a bad dream again," Darlene said. She was sweating and wiped her arms and neck off with the bed sheet.
    "Are you nauseous?" Taylor asked.
    Darlene shook her head. She stretched her arms over her head. "I actually feel fine. I need to stand up."
    Taylor stood with Darlene and shadowed her around the room, but she didn't need to. Darlene felt great. She had energy and felt well-rested. She turned to Taylor. "Am I a prisoner in this room?"
    "I don't really know," Taylor said. "I'll go ask The Lich