As soon as the firing started, everyone dispersed and tried to avoid the firing.  Ethan was able to take down two with his gun, but he in turn took the blunt of the enemy fire as he was shot down and killed almost instantly.  Kenjen and Elizabeth ran off to return fire, with Elizabeth being minorly wounded in the process.  Steven gunned down quite a few, but he quickly ran out of bullets as the cultists charged in without fear.  They tackled the former security guard and each shoved their knives deep into the young man; his death was quick but he suffered before it.

Kenjen fired shots back as he and Elizabeth ran to the back of the mall, back to the warehouse doors.  He unlocked the hinges and used the pull chain to open the large rolling door, on the other side was the mall's parking lot which was quickly filling with the undead.  "We either die by them, or die by the undead..." Kenjen said, noting their nearly impossible to survive situation.  

The remaining cultists showed behind them, all of them stopping and forming a line to block them from returning into the mall.  The ammo was all gone, as the cultists just stood there, waiting for the dead to take them.

"We have to take our chances," Kenjen said, assuring himself moreso than Elizabeth.  "Come on!"

They went into the lot, with dozens of walkers approaching from the gates.  Suddenly the gate itself crashed down as the large military truck drove through it, driving over and flattening many of the walkers in the process.  The truck stopped just before Kenjen and Elizabeth, as Dallen jumped out of the driver seat with Erin sitting in the passenger side.  Dallen carried out a rocket launcher with him as he took aim at the cultists.  [color=steelblue] "Get in." [/color]

He fired a rocket, as the cultists tried to turn to flee, but it struck in the center of them all, erupting in a large explosion.  Their arms and legs scattered and spread in the aftermath, leaving nothing but fire and blood behind.

When they were all in the truck, Dallen tossed the launcher in the back and got in himself.  Kenjen hit the gas and they sped off, easily toppling over walkers and obstacles until they reached the streets again.

"Where are the others!?" Kenjen asked, even if he already knew the answer.  

[color=steelblue] "Everyone's dead," [/color] Dallen told him. 

"Not us," Erin added.  Her, Elizabeth, Kenjen, and Dallen were the only survivors left.  Erin wrapped her arms around Elizabeth as they made their escape.  

"How about, no more cities," Kenjen said.  "No more fucking cities!  No more military!  No more stations or malls...there's nothing left."

[color=steelblue] "Just keep driving," [/color] Dallen said, noticing that they had still half a tank of diesel fuel left.  He knew Kenjen was right, but there weren't many options open to them.  With the rogue military after them, and all of their group dead now besides themselves, there was little hope left in any of them.  Still, they pressed on.


[b][u]CHAPTER 3:  The Unknown[/u][/b]
[i]One Week Later...[/i]