“You gotta be kidding me! Grace!” Mark slammed his fists against the door. The sound of the mechanism breaking came from the other side. His head whipped back. The first zombie turned the corner.
Ethel went dashing past.
“No time it's a fire door, lined with steel, keep moving!”
Mark was beyond pissed, he knew she would end up being a problem. He’d have to kick himself about it later. Right now they had to survive.
He jumped back and went after Ethel and Daphne.
“We have to loop around and go deeper into the mall. Our best bet right now is to go through the underground parking lot. I’m not sure how the situation is there but it's our only move.” Ethel said.
They continued down the passage until they hit a staff canteen. Slamming the door shut, Mark looked for something to block the door. The apocalypse gods must have been smiling down on them this day because right next to the door were huge metal cabinets.
“Help me with this!” he shouted.
Daphne grabbed the corner and heaved it right into the doorway. A loud metal clang echoed as the cabinet fell in place.
No sooner had it fallen when the sounds of bodies slamming up against the door.
“Not sure how long that will stop them,” Daphne said as she went to get more items.
Mark surveyed the room for any threats. It looked deserted like a lot of people had left suddenly. They probably had. There is no way Mark would have stuck around for minimum wage. The room only had two doors. The one they came through and another leading back into the main mall area. It was probably overrun by now, but they had to at least try.
“Any idea why your friend would do that to you,” Ethel asked while scratching under Boe’s chin.
Mark had caught his breath by now. So he answered.
“We never really got along, but if I had to guess it was because she noticed that the Corrupted were targeting me and didn't want that near her,” he said.
“Yeah, what the hell is that all about?” Daphne asked.
Mark thought back to the red message.
You have been marked for 24 hours
He told them about the message he got after killing the Corrupted tree.
“Well then we should hunker down here and wait it out,” Daphne said.
Mark shook his head.
“I’m worried that won’t be an option, if we get found in here there is no way out. We need to escape from this mall.”
He’d only had a short amount of time to think about this and even he knew this was a rash idea, but at this point, he didn't see a better option.
Mark took a breath.
“And then I think we should split up and meet at the park,” he said calmly.
“What?! No! We're not leaving you alone when these things have it out for you,” Daphne responded right away.
“Daph, think about it, if I'm with you, both of you are in much greater danger.” he reasoned.
“There's no one to watch you back, you’ll be completely alone,” she countered.
“Ethel tell him” she pleaded with her.
Ethel pursed her lips and said.
“You both make good points but I’d be damned if I just walked away after trying so hard to rescue these people.
So perhaps a compromise.
I know a couple of good hiding places nearby, Daphne and I will remain here to search for the survivors and then make our way to the safe zone. Mark, you escape, luring as many of them away with you as possible, But Mark, you take Boe with you, ” she said. Boe had been resting his head in her lap until he heard this, cocking his head in confusion.
“Ethel, I can't do that, you need him for protection,” Mark said.
“Hah! I’m plenty strong without him, and you said so yourself they won't be focusing on us, just you,” she said while patting her new bow and grinning.
“Besides, this is the only way we all get what we want. Daphne will be able to keep tabs on you through Boe, I’ll be able to rescue the survivors, and your leaving will give us a fighting chance,” Ethel said.
Mark didn't like the thought of leaving them in such a dangerous position, but she was right, he could lure them away. He had to admit it wasn't a bad idea, if a little dangerous for Boe.
Now they just had to get Daphne to agree. Mark was about to speak when he saw her face.
Daphne didn’t say anything for a long while.
Then finally she spoke bearly above a whisper.
“I just got left to die by someone I called a friend, please don't make me lose two in one day.”
Mark’s breath caught, it felt like she had just punched him in the gut him.
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Over the last couple of days, Daphne had grown as a person faster than any of them. She had shown a willingness to adapt to this new world. She had been the one willing to trust him when others hadn't. They had lost the status of acquaintances the moment she’d punched a zombie to save his life.
Mark didn't know what to say, anything he could say would just sound like an excuse.
His eye flickered over to Ethel for help.
She was stone-faced, offering him nothing.
After staring a Daphne for a moment, he found his answer. There was one thing he knew she wouldn't be able to accept.
He raised his guard and set his shoulders and said coldly.
“Then don’t. Daphne, we have only known each another for the last five days, you’re a friend of a friend to me. I’m sorry that you thought this was more than it was, but I don't see you as anything more than a fellow survivor. When we got to the safe zone I fully intended to split the group. Now it will just be a little bit earlier.”
“No, you’re just saying that, you already showed me the type of person you are. The type of healer you are ” She raised her voice above the rattling door.
“Oh course I healed you all, but that didn't mean I liked it. You all worked me half to death”
“But we-”
“Are not friends” he interrupted
“And right now you are a burden,” he whispered, driving the point home.
Daphne’s face flickered from shock to heartbreak finally coming to rest on anger.
Mark tried to keep his face as neutral as possible.
“You and Grace are both the same” she spat.
“Fine, do whatever you want!” She turned toward the door on the other side of the room and walked away.
Mark swallowed the golf ball lodged in his throat while her back was turned and glanced to Ethel.
She looked at Mark softly while gently patting Boe on the head.
“Remember what I said about that heart of yours?” She whispered.
----------------------------------------
Mark had wanted to wait longer to regain some Mana. Unfortunately, the hinges on the door they came through, disagreed at the five-minute mark, unable to stop the horde anymore.
Moving to the other door Daphne didn't even look at him. They left the room and traveled down a dark narrow corridor. When they got to a single door Daphne cracked it and looked out. Daylight spilled in.
“Damn, there are at least ten in our direct path, but I can see the entrance to the parking garage”
“Okay, now Boe you remember to stay close to Mark okay?” Ethel was showering Boe with kisses.
“Good luck both of you” Mark whispered.
Daphne didn't respond. Ethel just nodded.
Their plan was to have Daphne and Ethel go first and Mark and Boe would follow closely behind. The idea was that any attention would be directed at him during the dash. They were worried because there was only one way out. The corrupted were most likely going to go for him. So If they got caught up in the stampede and Mark managed to escape they would be trapped amongst them. Ethel’s solution to that was a head start. Mark just hoped it was enough.
So Daphne and Ethel got ready, waiting. Then with a single word from her, they were gone.
The sounds of groans could be heard and a quick scuffle and then nothing. Mark waited less than a Minute. He heard the sound of the door breaking in the other room. It was time to go.
As he stood at the dark threshold Mark felt like a gladiator about to step into the arena, the war cries of the dead rose as he entered into the light. Heads turned, and screams sounded out. Placing his thumb and middle finger in his mouth he whistled at the top of his lungs.
Mark hit the ground running. Right away the seven or so zombies in front of him turned to meet him. He saw a gap and went for it. The closest one lunged for him and got a bullet in the eye for its troubles. He had not been idle during his time in the canteen, choosing to load up and keep backup shells in his pockets.
Dashing straight into the main area dozens of eyes fell on him, he turned and made straight for the broken glass window leading to the underground parking. He cleared it and for a moment he looked back. A tide of Corrupted poured towards him.
Out in the lot, cars were haphazardly abandoned. Left in queues that would never move again. The foundations were cracked and crumbling. Some pillars of concrete had collapsed, while others showed the steel beams beneath. Carts and debris cluttered the space.
Movement amongst the cars warned Mark that the area was not peaceful.
Corrupted moved to engage.
Mark looked for Daphne and Ethel. They were stopped near the lower exit, trying to make their way out into the road. A decent size pack was surrounding them. Boe barked to get his attention.
They were closing in.
Mark looked to the tops of the cars and got a very bad idea.
Moving amongst that chaotic maze was just asking to get jumped.
The car looked close enough.
“Fuck it.”
He holstered his Glock and grabbed Boe clutching him to his chest. Taking a running jump he vaulted to the first car, a Subaru, then with the resulting momentum jumped to the next one, and the next, and the next. Moving through the parking lot at great speeds. This also caught a lot of attention. The group swarming Daphne and Ethel froze, then completely abandoned them in favor of Mark. The jumps were getting harder and he had to focus to make sure he got his footing right.
However not hard enough that he couldn’t stomp extra violently on a Pontiac Aztek as he landed.
Zombies had started taking swipes at him. He glanced up for just a second to see if they had escaped.
They were just exiting when Mark reached the three-quarter point.
After one last look, Mark tore his eyes away and changed direction to the upper level. The Corrupted now ran parallel with him, snapping at his heels. Literally.
The flat road quickly became a steep incline as he climbed past ground level and right to the first upper level. He could feel himself flagging. Jumping from roof to roof across an entire parking lot and the equivalent of two floors would do that to you, carrying a dog at the same time, doubly so.
With a thought, he moved some of his Prana into his muscles. Trying to squeeze more out of them. Right away he felt that it wasn't going to work. That was not Prana's domain.
What did help was circulating Prana throughout his body, and his exhaustion began to fade.
A ping sounded out.
With renewed stamina, he lept to the next car easily.
He quickly saw a problem, he was running out of cars and almost surrounded. Putting on a burst of speed he committed to one last jump. Landing ahead of the pack on the hood of a Honda, he dropped to the ground running. Screams of excitement raged behind him.
He didn't put Boe down yet if this plan was going to work he’d need to keep holding him. Boe had been really good so far, not even moving while Mark had made the jumps.
Cresting the hill, Mark ran to the concrete barrier that separated the garage from the parking lot below. He began moving what was left of his Prana to his legs. This was going to hurt, best to get it there now. As quick as a flash he jumped feet-first over the barrier. Suspended in the air for a second before gravity took hold and he began to plummet to the ground.
This was really not how he had wanted to test this. He cast [Shape Mana] and poured 10 Mana in. Directing it straight to the ground in the form of a panel. Angling it like a makeshift ramp. He dropped through the air for another second and then crashed into the edge of his construct.
It held. For about two seconds.
But that was a lot when you were in mid-air.
He slid straight down, slowing his fall and giving himself time to correct his landing.
It faded just as his feet crashed into the ground. Pain shot up his legs, but Mark was already running. He looked back to the almost two-story drop in time to see the Corrupted charging over the edge too, smashing into the ground. He kept moving but deposited Boe on the ground next to him.
Together they sprinted away, Mark trying to kick out the pins and needles from his legs and joints.