A door from the stair well burst open to flood in four people in U.S. army fatigues. Guns drawn as a red dot hovered above Shawns face. "Don't move! Hands, let me see your hands!" The guy was in his late thirties early forties. He was unshaven and about six foot. His face was thin from lack of food. A .45 caliber semi automatic in his hand. His eyes were blue and slightly red from being on watch for too long. The black hair was greasy and no longer military style if any of them really were at this point. 

This guy was larger, still fit, and wore a sleeveless grey army blouse. He was six foot plus a few inches. Carrying a M-4 with a laser sight. He shouted commands, "Hands! Now asshole!" He had an army day pack on his back. They were well equipped. Moving as a fire team should. Shawn could see one of the group covering the rear as another pointed their gun down the hall. Shawn didn't move. Still chuckling at the shit sandwich he was dealt.  

The one watching the hall was a woman she wore some army pants with a winter coat. She carried a M-4 iron sights and a flashlight on the side rail. She looked back at Shawn briefly before returning her focus to the hall. She had blonde hair and wore army boots too big for her. She was about late twenties. her face showed how thin she was under the bulky coat. 

The final guy was in his early twenties brown hair brown eyes, street clothes, obvious recruit. He had a Ak-47 covering the stairs. He was the dirtiest. Must of stopped bathing as it got cold and just never found a reason to pick the habit of hygen back up. he must of been a buck sixty in the weight class. The way he held the rifle showed he had skill enough to hold his own. Must of what the group saw as well.

Shawn raised his hands only to be shoved face down and a knee to his neck. The bigger guy patted Shawn down and took the gun but not the knife on his arm. It was under the jacket, but the guy didn't do a good search for small weapons. "I'm looking for my daughter. She is lost in the city." 

"Tough shit. I can tell you she isn't in this building if you think she's still alive. Still pinned Shawn heard them search his bag. "You should just be glad you're breathing. More then most in the city. Anything?"

The guy with the greasy black hair searching spoke out. "Mitch, guys not carrying munch just a nine with a half a clip, and some protein bars. He's got a map with a few markings on it." 

The kid pepped up. "Hey Josh give me a few of those." Josh, the large guy tossed the kid one bar then another. 

"I'm gonna let you up. Move real slow if you wanna keep living. What are these markings? You got a camp, or a place where you stashing stuff like some fucken squirrel?" Mitch stayed squatted in front of Shawn as he spoke. 

"No." Shawn was out numbered and out gunned so he decided to play the meek for now. He wanted to keep living and the bullet he caught in November gave Shawn some wisdom about keeping his cool. 

"Well we're going to do a little back track." Mitch pointed to a spot marked on Shawns map. "If it checks out we'll cut you loose. Either way your shits now ours." Standing up Mitch motioned for Shawn to follow with his hands. "All right you take point and if you try to run we'll shoot you. Lets move to the street." 

They made their way to the first floor. Shawn could see and smell the burned rotters. His mind on the fire house. The chill wind from outside on his wet clothes didn't help his mood. He moved into the street. He turned right heading to a store front he already picked through months before when he was stocking the boat. They weren't gonna find munch there. "Y'all looking for a fifth wheel are you? Cause I gotta find my daughter. I dont have time for all these detours."

"Y'all? Shit! You ain't even from the city huh? You some out of place hill billy boy?" Mitch's comment made the group chuckle a little. They kept moving down the side walk. The city was quiet the few trees were still bare from the winter. All the intersection lights were dark. The place was a modern ghost town. The shattering of glass made everyone look up as a rotter fell from a fifth story window. The corpse splattered on impact. The distraction was enough for the group not to notice a stream of bitters rushing from the alley. 

"Shit!" Josh was up first taking his rifle barrel he shoved it into the first face closest to him. Josh's eyes widened at the herd before him. "No good!"  

"Lets move their's too many." Mitch pushed Shawn forward. The swarm of rotters kept moving after them. Shawn knew the location as a point of reference as he looted the water front. Going back his mind tried to recall the exact lay out to try and ditch this group. The rotters were a large group over fifty. The speed of the group showed Shawn they were weaker then he first thought. Still unsure if they would waste a bullet on him verses saving it for the dead was still up for debate in his mind. They were still five blocks away from the store. 

The security gate in the front was still in place but the door was damaged from Shawns crowbar. They would need to rig it some how. Mitch took point and let the others slip inside. Looking at Shawn he shook his head. "No room. Better get going hick." Shutting the door in Shawns face. There was not time for insults. Shawn ran. 

Mitch used him as bait. Shawn wasn't going to quit now. He turned a corner and ran to the intersection. taking his crowbar to a man hole cover Shawn slid it open climbed down and closed the lid. Wasn't the best idea today, it did give him time to catch his breath and regroup his thoughts. He hooked his arm on the metal bar and in the dark he first noticed the smell. "Well Shit." He looked up through the holes in the sewer cover to see the herd moving over the lid trying to find him. For the first time Shawn was glad the shit smell was covering his own. If they could even smell him at all. Truth was Shawn had no idea what separated him from the dead besides the obvious. Why they choose to eat living flesh as opposed to each other he had no idea. To make matters worse His stomach growled. 

Shawn waited the better part of the day before daring to move the lid and look about. A few roamers but the main herd was gone. Shawn rose up and took the alley ways back around to the fire hall. He stopped to finish off the five that followed him from the sewer. Still damp but glad to be in cleaner air he searched the dead in hopes for anything. He found a wallet and a set of keys with a remote. Pressing the button did nothing. tossing the keys and the wallet Shawn didn't see any rotters around the fire house. He moved in.

The door was locked either a good or bad sign. Shawn moved around the building tapping on the garage doors then listening to try and determine the situation. Nothing. Returning to the back door Shawn put the crowbar in and pried the door open. Inside the air was musty but no corpse smell. The alarm didn't go off so Shawn suspected the building was without main power. The flood lights were of as well. He moved a tool chest in front of the door before venturing further in. The light from outside was shining through the garage door windows. Shawn moved up the stairs to the second floor. The beds were still in tact and some were even made. He moved to the kitchen where the fridge was rotten from lack of power. The stove still had gas. When Shawn opened the cabinets he smiled. Cans for days! There was cereal and more! He set out a pot and started cooking raviolis.