Day 3: Beauty and the Beasts II

Nikolai had already dressed for the occasion. He carefully placed another article of clothing on his torso and also made sure that his knee pads were tight. When he left the room Jason could see a real "S.W.A.T." member in front of him.

—What about your handcuffs?

—I'll use those on you... you'll see how you like it.

—Not now... now we must....

Jason looked to his left, and was surprised to see Clark dressed as Nikolai, in a tactical suit that highlighted Kennedy's muscular body.

—All right, ladies, are we going now? I hear we have a young lady to rescue, so... the faster the better. Do we have any information on where the extraction will be?

—W is for Women from Pink Flamingo Plaza. Do you know how to get there?

—Ah, W is for Women... I know that place. That's where Alisson worked... before some scumbag cop blew her head off with a rifle. It's located on the second floor of Pink Flamingo... and if I'm not mistaken... it's probably infested with zombies. I noticed that since this morning your men have already started shooting at the dead... hehehe. They are a very charismatic bunch of... people.

Clark fastened his belt and also finished buckling his boots.

—Since you've been in Pink Flamingo... What's the quickest and safest way to get to the plaza? —Nikolai asked, finishing putting on a black cover-up.

—It depends. We're definitely not going to the elevators. The stairs are probably full of those things, since the last time I saw that godforsaken place, people were crowded around it. Maybe some incentive for the dead... like music or firecrackers might help. —Clark replied.

—It doesn't sound like a bad idea... that's how we rescued two guys. I think we're all set... Since it's only one person, I don't think there's any need to take the vans or call in a whole group. We've already escorted people like this. Right, Jason?

—That's right, Nikolai! We already have our gear and some backpacks in case we need to carry anything.

And so the three of them headed to the rooftop of Grand Mont Plaza and, Nikolai looked around, realizing that there was a camera that was rightly pointed at the spot where he threw the bodies of Kevin and Lawrence. Without further ado, he left the safe zone.

On his way down Grand Mont, Nikolai noticed blood stains on the stairs and a huge puddle on the rooftop. This made him curious and he asked Jason what that was all about, whereupon he told him that on his way he had to kill many dead people, and that left a huge trail of blood. He says that when he decapitated one, the blood started gushing out and stained him completely.

Nikolai asked him if it got in his eyes and mouth, to which Jason replied that it partially did, but that he didn't feel bad and that in fact it was partly good that he got splashed as it was camouflaged as a result. During their walk they could tell how some of the zombies were inside the tents and, the reason they thought they had finished off enough of them was because of the lack of visibility from the rooftop.

As they walked out through the park, Clark commented to them how much he loved being in the mall, especially through the park as it was one of his favorite areas...seeing it in that state depressed him. Clark couldn't believe how what he had fought so hard for had gone to shit.

—So... Clark, What about you? —Jason wanted to start a conversation as they circled the park so they wouldn't be in the middle area where there were more zombies together.

—Well, there's a lot of things, a handsome, confident, vigorous man....

—Speaking of ego...

—And besides, I'm a son of the Kennedy Family. Actually we are not Americans... our roots come directly from Ireland. We have always been great businessmen. The first Kennedy was a big liquor exporter. Eventually all the Kennedys have been men of great lineage, including me.

—So you are part of the richest families in Vallimorth? —Nikolai asked.

—Not only the richest... the most powerful.

—Did you happen to know Mia and Cindy beforehand? —Jason asked as he was curious.

—The Westerfields... yes, I know their daughter. I did a contract with her for the export of a cosmetics brand. Mia is a lovely girl, although you should see her sister, Tess...she's a beast. She has a passion and a fire in her eyes... —Clark smiled.

—And what can you say about Cindy?

—Well, you see, Jason... I wouldn't want Cindy as an enemy. The Milfords are the people who run the oil industry in Vallimorth and their black gold is no joke. Cindy has always kept to herself, she's a pretty girl but a bitch in every way. She inherited her mother's hard, cold and mean demeanor, that's why Cindy is so direct and has a temper... fuck, she scares me.

—Are there any more wealthy families in Vallimorth by any chance?

—Oh, there are, there are, Jason. There's the Velvets, the Steerlings, the Chanels, the Forbes Family is to be respected... but never go near the Gores. If you think I'm bad... —Clark laughed. —I feel sorry for Mia. She was actually a party girl... she liked art... she always wanted to be an artist but as far as she could get in her life was to be a makeup artist... maybe it was in her destiny to make art in other ways. In any case... the Westerfields were humble people. Rick Westerfield always tried to indulge his daughters' whims because he was a single parent. Halley died and ever since then he has been looking for a way to make his daughters not resent her absence?

—That's why Mia is so focused on keeping Tess alive... —Jason analyzed the situation.

—Tess is a beast, so I wouldn't be surprised if she's still alive.

The three of them were already in the middle of the park, having to walk a little further to get to Pink Flamingo Plaza.

—And how did you meet Chris? —Nikolai asked so curious.

—At work... we were sales managers and good salesmen... at first he was my enemy, I hated him to death. Chris had the sensitivity and kindness that I lacked, while I have the determination and coolness that he lacks.

—But how did they go from being enemies to... lovers? —Nikolai said.

—When there is a lot of tension between two people it is released by hitting or sex. Once while I was urinating in the office bathroom... Chris came in. We started arguing, gave each other a few shoves and, the next moment we were locked in a cubicle, bathed in sweat as we undressed and, started fucking in whatever positions we could in such a confined space.

—Now what are you going to do when you see that the world has gone to shit? —Jason questioned, this took Clark by surprise.

—Survive. I'm a Kennedy and it's in my nature to be above everyone else. Eventually I will meet a woman with whom I will have a child... so that my inheritance is not lost. We are blessed and, I want my son to follow in his vigorous father's footsteps.

—I don't think Chris can get pregnant... —Nikolai laughed.

—You idiot! Of course not.

Grimacing, Clark led everyone to the area where the ladies' clothing store was located. Seeing that there were too many zombies, Clark saw that there were a number of flower pots near some fountains and, he loaded them up to assess their weight.

—They're big, but they're not heavy... Who am I kidding? Beat it, dead people! —Clark threw the pot into a room that previously had a window, but the window broke when the pot entered the room through it.

The zombies were attracted by the noise and ran into the store while the trio took advantage of the space and climbed to the second floor. When they reached the clothing store they noticed two groups of zombies devouring the corpses of the men.

What was most curious was that these zombies looked "fresh", which implied that perhaps they were their victims.

Nikolai took out his pistol with silencer and mercilessly killed them one by one, as they were too busy eating that they didn't even bother to look at him. Kalinic took the opportunity to shoot the corpses in case they came back to life.

In front of them was the locker room closed with a golf club.

Nikolai gently removed it.