Day 3: A Glimpse into the Past II

George was attending to the newly arrived "Gladiators", noticing that they had some wounds such as scrapes and cuts, probably from the friction of the armor. Tennyson seemed quite focused as he inspected Byron since he asked the man to turn around and show him his back as he wanted to check if he had injuries that Byron himself could not see or could not notice due to the adrenaline.

—So... you were workers at the mall. —George commented after feeling the subject's arms.

—That's right. —Jamal answered. —Byron and I used to run the Time Traveler antique store at Dark Horse Plaza. We worked here for about five years.

—It must have been quite a shock for you guys to see your customers turn into the walking dead. —George commented, receiving an affirmative thumbs up from Byron.

—It was fucking crazy, man. Jamal and I decided to take over the antique shop... since we have the keys to the establishment and we nailed boards to the walls, specifically in the areas where the windows were, it was possible for us to have a safe place to rest... to get food we stole from the restaurants. I won't lie to you if I tell you that we got a little drunk, at least the wine from those expensive restaurants tastes good.

—Is that so, Byron? We didn't have it easy either... The first day of the massacre we robbed the pharmacy in Spring Plaza. People were up in arms against us because we had medicines we stole from the shelves. —George told part of his story to the workers who could only imagine how horrible it could have been.

—It's funny. Byron and I were supposed to leave the mall early but couldn't because of several things, including some attacks in the city. Since Byron and I live near the Financial District we couldn't leave, we saw on TV that it was complete chaos and people were asked to stay in their homes and work areas instead of going out on the streets due to the riots that originated in different areas of Vallimorth. —Jamal finished being checked by George and soon Michael gave him new clothes, leaving behind the armor he had at the beginning.

—We saw some of that on the TV at the restaurant where we were eating... in fact as I am a paramedic I received multiple messages asking for my assistance at the general hospital due to the huge amount of wounded civilians that were coming in. —Tennyson concluded with the review of both men who felt a slight shiver.

—What about the police? We saw a man with you. I guess help is on the way... Am I wrong? —Byron became aware of the presence of police activity in the shelter, this from the officer who rescued him and who remembered mentioning two of his other colleagues.

—There will be no help. We are on our own. The zombies invaded the police stations, let alone the hospital... There is no sign of the military, I doubt very much that they will do anything considering that not much is known about the method of transmission and how the zombies were created. —George finished throwing some blood-stained gauze into the trash can, as well as the gloves he used for the procedure.

—Well, that's a problem. —Jamal sighed. —I need to go home. I need to see my family, man... my mom, my little sis. I can't stay here while they're out there...

—Look, Jamal, there's nothing you can do to get out of the mall. All the streets are infested with these... zombies, the police tried to set up roadblocks but it's made every alley a death trap. I've already gone outside and we saw how bad the situation is. All you have left is to hold on to the hope that they are still alive, okay? —George's words tried to reassure Jamal who began to get agitated by the thought that something very bad might have happened to his family.

—Shit... if I'd gotten out...

—You'd be dead. —George interrupted him. —One of the civilians we rescued actually came to the mall to seek shelter from the zombies... The outbreak didn't even get him in the mall like it did to all of us, he came from outside. Now do you understand the seriousness of it?

—And what's the plan? —Byron questioned.

—We will take Grand Mont Plaza, make it zombie free and eventually take over part of the park and the rooftop to start growing our own food, we have a farmer with us who knows how to help us. We can promise you a roof over your heads, a shelter... a place to rest and some food, but that's all we can offer.

—This is unbelievable... —Byron crossed his arms in shock. —My family is out of the mall too... they're somewhere... and I feel so helpless not being able to do anything.

—If you want to stay alive to have a hope of having an answer tomorrow, then cooperate with us, work with us. Help us annihilate those shits, and now that we checked with you the Smell Theory things will be easier. —George explained to the civilians how they had unconsciously proven that zombies recognize each other by smells.

—Hey, George! Close the rooftop entrance, I'll take Jason and two others to the weapons stores to get more of those police suits, or in your case something useful to protect us from those fucking scumbags. —Nikolai exclaimed after entering the room and telling those present about his new moves.

—Be careful, Kalinic... —George expressed genuinely, generating a smile on Nikolai's face.

—We will, George. Thank you. And about what happened... *I'm sorry*. I know you're just as stressed as I am, I'd even say a lot more because you and Lilly are in charge of treating the wounded, so... good job. I really mean it... I'm not that kind of guy and I want the best for all of you, including you too, Gladiators. So... I hope you can forgive me, George. Do you need anything? We'll be out for a while.

Michael couldn't believe how Nikolai's tone of voice had changed drastically.

—Oh... Oh! Thank you, Nikolai... it's a pleasure to work for you. And... I will need white cloths, try to get me cotton please... I also need a lot of bleach to disinfect.

—I think we already have some bleach... Megan put the women to check the warehouses and they are already separating the products, so you can ask them for the bleach and they will give it to you. Cotton and fabrics and clothes... Anything else?

—I'll need a video camera and a tape recorder, also battery packs. Lilly and I will make some tapes regarding our progress on the infection... plus any anomalies or discoveries that come to light.

—Perfect! What about you guys? Won't you need anything?

Michael raised his hand.

—Could you get us some alcohol, please? I think we could use it to calm our nerves and make people... less upset. That woman, Asha, has constantly complained about how much she'd like a few drinks.

—With pleasure! I'll bring it right away.

Nikolai left quite happy.

—Now you see? We don't have time to have a grudge on members of our community.