Chapter 4: Between Thin Lines Part II

The men celebrate their first victory against the dead. They use the heads of some as a warning to those who dare to climb the top floor of Grand Mont Plaza. With the help of Jason and his men they were barricading the escalators which was one of the two places they could use to go up, and the other steps leading to the plaza were sealed off by the group who blocked off the site with furniture and couches so no one could go up. On the other hand, they made sure to go place by place to finish off the lives of those fallen who were hidden and did not die during the first massacre.

The hunt was much easier because the bloodthirsty civilians were stained with blood and fluids that allowed them to disguise their characteristic stench and confuse the dead. Jason was rewarded with the fruit of a job well done when he saw that the fourth floor was being cleansed of that stench that roamed with apparent immunity.

Many hours had to pass to get rid of the remaining dead, and they even needed help from the rest of the men like Jamal and Byron who joined in the carnage and supported in their own way in the cleanup operation. Jason approached Malcolm who was using the blood of a fallen man as paint for a sheet. "Get out of here," said the threatening sign that when placed beside the stakes with heads seemed to take on all the meaning in the world.

Jason's group was getting constant calls from Megan about the dead left in some of the tents on the fourth floor which really made the job easier as no one was going in unsuspecting, as in the case of Markus who extended Jason his arm guard that was bitten off, which saved Thompson's life.

Jason knew they had taken too long since they had started at about seven in the morning and were finishing at about five in the afternoon. After making several tours of the stores and those that had warehouses, Jason could finally say with certainty that the fourth floor of Grand Mont Plaza was clean.

However, it was still uninhabitable because he wanted to make sure that there were really no casualties in the area that could present a danger to civilians. After the cleanup was complete Jason returned to the shelter to the infirmary area where George was arguing with Nikolai.

"You can't do this! It's too dangerous for you and the others, you're not even fit to do this!" George was trying unsuccessfully to stop Nikolai who was dressing in his uniform.

"What's going on? What the fuck is going on?"

"Nikolai wants to leave! I told him he can't do it! But he insists".

"Shut up... George." Nikolai finished putting on leather gloves. "I don't feel anything."

"What do you mean, nothing? You have been badly burned! I order you at this moment not to take another step, Nikolai."

"You... order... me?" Nikolai approached George to the point of cornering him, all this in front of the eyes of Jason and other wounded civilians who remained silent, however they kept looking at each other, confused looks.

"Stay away..."

"And if I don't want to, what are you going to do to me?" Nikolai stood face to face with George. Jason could see George and Nikolai struggling in the cramped space between the medicine cabinets and some filing cabinets.

"Hey, Nikolai. If you want to leave we can do that, but there's no need to make this spectacle. Everyone's looking at you, and so am I. Is that the example you want to set for people?"

"As if I give a fuck about what people think. You shut up too, Jason. I didn't ask for your opinion."

"Well, then you're gonna listen to me! You let George go right now. I'm not asking you, I'm ordering you."

Nikolai stared at George for quite a while until he finally fixed his gaze on Jason who instead of backing down decided to face Nikolai and look him in the eye.

"Stop this circus, Nikolai Kalinic, don't make me stop you by force!"

Kalinic laughed at Jason's words and his witticisms. What a charismatic guy, and so funny.

"Are you going to stop me the same way you stop me when I stick it in your ass and you start screaming?" Nikolai whispered in Jason's ear and smiled. "Are you going to stop me? Come on, Jason, you're my little bitch, you don't give me orders, and if you do, it's because you ask me to fuck you harder or where you want me to cum. Have you forgotten already?"

Jason was perplexed when he heard Nikolai's words. His body felt hot, he felt short of breath because the mere act of inhaling and exhaling was torturous. Jason felt a lump in his throat and his eyes soon connected with George's. Tennyson could see a singular gleam form in Slater's eyes who looked back at Nikolai but this time his submissive look made it all clear.

Jason turned red and walked out of the infirmary and headed for the rooftop area. Nikolai got angry.

"Now he's going with his fucking crying." Kalinic sighed wearily. "And I should go after him because he's that stupid that he's sure to kill himself."

Nikolai took his orc mask and looked at all the civilians with disgust.

"What the fuck are you people looking at? Look away, there's nothing to see here."

Nikolai came out after leaving the infirmary and looked for Jason. He asked the civilians around him if they had seen him, but they all said they lost track of him when he went up to the rooftops. Kalinic saw that many of the civilians were gathered on the fourth floor, as he could see them from the roof.

As Nikolai went downstairs he continued to ask about Slater, however no one present confirmed exactly where he went. Everyone who saw him said he went down to the lower floors of Grand Mont Plaza, but they lost track of him.

By the time Nikolai called Megan she told him she didn't know where Jason went since she was focused on other things, but she would gladly help him find him.

But then Megan said one of the last things Megan expected him to say.

"Nikolai... I've seen a group of civilians hiding in the Sweet Tooth candy store, if you could go..."

"Are you seriously asking me to go looking for strangers instead of Jason, woman?"

"Didn't you hear right when I said I'd look for him? That I'd keep an eye on the cameras for him."

"Modulate your tone with me."

"Well, fuck you then".

Megan hung up leaving Nikolai with the word in his mouth. Kalinic was perplexed as he watched Greg and Matthew.

"Can you believe that bitch? She talks to me like I'm her whore."

"Where I come from women were taught where their place was." Matthew started laughing. "Maybe you should show her how to behave."

Nikolai remained silent. He decided to look at one of the maps that were posted near the stairs to see what the fourth floor had to offer, and when he saw that there was a wine and liquor store, his smile soon appeared.

Nikolai opted to go for a few bottles as he had something in mind. He entered the store and saw the walls with some pictures hanging, others were broken, lying on the floor. Nikolai noticed the stools knocked over, some tables in disarray and what he could identify as blood on the ceiling.

Kalinic took bottles of rum and after putting them in a basket he left the place quite happy.

Great was his surprise when he saw that woman on the roof. He could see her anklets and also the white shoulder protection, how someone had put bandages on her arms and legs and she also had what appeared to be a bulletproof vest that had been stolen from the gun store, only that it had been spray-painted pink. She was armed with a pistol that was placed in a holster above her knee.

And that pink bunny mask.

Some of the men smiled at the peculiarity of the scene.