Jon and Ty smashed through the glass of the food court entrance

Jon reached through and pulled out the mop holding the handles in place and they burst in replacing the mop behind them

It was 10PM they had not heard from Tom or Jane since they had left

"TOM!!! JANE!!!" Ty bellowed

"Shut up you moron" Jon hissed "Do you want to attract more of them?" Ty waved his hand in apology

"Shit there is someone over here" On a table with blood dripping off the side was a man sprawled out blood coming from his mouth Ty leaned over him and felt for a pulse the man coughed

He grabbed for Ty's coat and pulled him towards him he could not make out what the man was trying to rasp to him, the man gave up released Ty and slumped back to the table breathed his last breath and lay still

Ty felt for a pulse again

Nothing

"He's de.." The words barely escaped his throat before the man sat up and reached for him

Jon was about to move in to kill him but Ty swung the custom bat Jack had made them 1 each and sliced through it's neck the body dropped and the head fell to the floor Jon quickly scythed it in 2 so it was no longer a threat to anyone

A drop of blood fell on to the head from above

They looked up blood was dripping down the side of the balcony and on to the table

Jon and Ty raced up the stairs

Tom was lying on the ground in pool of blood he wasn't moving Jon reached him 1st and felt for a pulse rolling him on to his back he was pale paler than normal his eyes shut he had a pulse

"Fuck he's been stabbed wheres that 1st aid kit" Ty threw his bag off and rummaged round pulling out the large red bag

Jon had been religiously reading 1st aid manuals and anything else he could find on emergency medicine

Jon fished out a pair of rubber gloves and some alcohol he cleaned the wound and examined it, "How does it look?" Ty was trying to control the emotion in his voice but wasn't doing a good job of hiding it

"It's deep but I don't think it's hit an artery or the kidney or liver" Jon cleaned the wound up again and started to stitch it up Jane had been in training to be a nurse before she gave up on that idea to become a personal trainer he wasn't sure why but she had tried to teach him a few things but where the hell was she now? "JANE!" Jon yelled scooping up Tom

"JANEEE!" Nothing "Fuck! Call her again" Ty tried no answer

Glass smashed not to far away down the corridor and dead hands reached through a doorway

"Dam grab his bag and weapon were leaving" "What about Jane?" "What do you want me to do Ty stand here shouting for her? Attract more dead whilst Tom's dying?" Ty shook his head "We will find her later" Jon said softly "But right now we need to get out of here.

2 Hours earlier 

"Tom get up please get up" Jane ran to Tom's side blood was pooling around her knees as she knelled

"You cant die get up" Tom's eyes flickered open "My side is killing me" He looked down " Oh yeah I got stabbed that would explain it

Help me up" A door opened down the corridor "BOSS! GRAHAM! Where are you?" I froze I knew that voice it was Tooth

"Fuck we gotta go now grab my bag" Jane ran to pick the satchel up whilst I stooped to pickup the baton

"Can you walk I'm fine stop fussing we were on the top floor 2 floors down Graham was sprawled out on a table I couldn't tell if he was alive but I doubt he would be getting up anytime soon

I hobbled down the stairs "THERE AFTER THEM!!" "Shit they've seen us go" Jane insisted in trying to support me as we were pursued she might have gotten away if she would of left me

But she didn't suddenly she was pulled back by her hair she screamed as she flew back

I turned as quick as I could manage and activated the stiletto driving it into her attackers shin he screamed as it hit him I pulled it back reached forward and punched him in the mouth he fell backwards

We turned to run again but something hard and heavy hit me between the shoulders I fell Jane landed next to me I extended the baton and took a swipe at his legs catching them and sending them to the ground

I got back up helping Jane there were 3 more coming

We were not going to be able to out run them "Go" I said "What?" "GO NOW" I pushed her away

"I'm not leaving" "Well you don't have a choice now" She looked they were to close now I stepped in front of Jane

"You don't look to good today dude" Tooth made his way to the front still sneering "Better than never looking good but you wouldn't know anything about that would you?" Tooth smiled his toothless smile "Say what you want you can't upset me you have done me a massive favor" "Oh yeah brushing all those teeth must have been very inconvenient for you" Again that smile "No you have just incapacitated my boss so now I'm in charge and the 1st thing on that list is burning that shit hole of yours to the ground" "Over my dead body" "As you wish" He moved forward amazingly quickly I raised the baton but he knocked it aside and clocked me on the chin I fell

What happened next was a blur all I could see was boots hitting me after the 1st few I couldn't feel it anymore

I looked up and saw Tooth's men dragging Jane away kicking and screaming Tooth knelled beside me careful not to get my blood on his jeans

"It's over just lay there and die like a dog your friends are next" He booted me in the stomach one last time and walked away

My vision faded death embraced me

RIGHT NOW

"What the hell happened to him?" "Someone stabbed him" "Is he O.K?" "He has been stabbed how do you think he is?" "Is he going to make it?" "I don't bloody know I'm not a doctor" "Put him in bed" "Wheres Tom?" "Sky get out" "What happened Tommmm"

1 hour later

Tom seems to be stable Jane is still missing people are with Tom out of commission people are looking to me for leadership and I have no answers for them

Considering the scene we came across at the shopping center we could be attacked at any second we have done what we can to reinforce the downstairs we have boarded up the windows on the ground and 1st floors unless they can throw like mother fuckers they aren't going to be able to throw a petrol bomb through the highest window's

Sky has not left Tom's side and won't eat

We have heard nothing from Jane."So what do we do?" Toby broke the silence

"We wait for Tom to wake up we go from there" Ty chimed in

"We cant sit here with our thumbs up our arses for that long" Jack countered

"We should leave" Lara said Heads turned in her direction

"We cant just stay here they know where we are now were sitting ducks" "And go where?" "Any where" "Jon do you wont to join the discussion here or just stare a hole into the wall?" Jon light a cigarette

"We cant leave we have no where to go we need to reinforce our position do we have any more boards for the windows?" Jack gave the answer "No were out but there is a scrap yard about 30 miles away we load it up with sheet metal bring it back and I can reinforce this place to the hilt" "30 miles is quite away to go man" Toby questioned

"What if something happens while were gone I'm guessing this is more than a 2 man job" "If we want it done this year yeah it would take me you Ty and Jon to load it" "Leaving us vulnerable at home" Jon pondered

"We need to take this chance right now they could be here any time we need to do this now" "I agree with Jack" Jon said

Eyes turned on him

"He who hesitated is lost we move or we die here moping Lara and Jenna will stay but I'll show you how to work the gun's tonight we will be as quick as we can but for a while your on your own" They nodded "Everyone else agree?" They nodded

"O.K go get some sleep big day tomorrow" Jon went and sat with Sky for a bit watching over Tom

"He wont die will he?" "No he wont die he's far to stubborn for that" "Why's his arm in that thing?" "It's a sling I think its fractured that will help support it" "O.K" She feigned understanding

"Come on time to get some sleep" "Cant I stay here?" "No now come on off to bed" Jon tucked Sky in in Jane's room just in case Tom turned during the night

He climbed into bed exhaustion swept over him and the task ahead of him weighed upon him as he slept