Chapter 3

The ride to the Monroeville Mall weighed heavily on Ethan Hunt's mind, a looming sense of unease settling in as he contemplated the path ahead. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was stepping into a mess with no way of avoiding it.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" Andre's voice came from behind, seated on the Ducati Scrambler's pillion, "We just took in a group of strangers that we don't know much about."

"You, Michael, Ana, and your wife Luda were also a group of strangers that I didn't know much about." Ethan glanced back, meeting Andre's gaze with determination as he makes a point, "With what's going on to the world right now, we're gonna need everyone to survive. Us, the living got to stick together, not apart."

Andre mulled over Ethan's words, grappling with the logic and reasoning behind it that he couldn't quite bring himself to argue back against it. With a silent nod, he settled into acceptance, acknowledging the truth in Ethan's perspective. He was right. 

"Ethan?" Michael's voice crackled through the walkie talkie nestled in Ethan's combat vest.

Keeping his focus on the road ahead, Ethan retrieved the device and responded promptly, "I'm here."

"You know, I'm not against taking these people with us, but we never mentioned CJ about bringing a large group along. We only said we'd be taking our remaining friends," Michael pointed out.

"I know. That's what I'm counting on. We never specified anything so we're using word play to force CJ's hand of letting everyone inside." Ethan explained, "That is if he can be swayed with word play otherwise I'm gonna have to use plan B."

"What's plan B?" Michael's curiosity piqued.

"You'll know when it's set in motion," Ethan replied cryptically. "By the way, any signs of the undead still tailing us?"

"Ana says she can't spot anything, even with the binoculars. I guess we've lost them," Michael reported.

"Maybe." Ethan acknowledged, "But still, keep an eye out. I don't want any surprises."

"You got it." Michael affirmed before the transmission ended.

~~~

As Terry gazed at the captivating hues of the sunset painting the sky above the mall, he still couldn't ignore the ominous feeling it brought. In these troubled times, dusk meant danger for this is a time when the dead prowled violently and are viciously hungry for the living. Just the thought of encountering the rotting flesh-eaters after nightfall was already enough for him to shiver in fear and give him nightmares for years. The security guard desperately wanted to leave, but CJ's orders kept him rooted in place.

Glancing back to the entrance, Terry fought the urge to run inside, gritting his teeth in frustration. Disobeying CJ right now would only invite trouble for him and his ears.

Yet, just as his patience started to wane, the distant rumble of engines eventually broke the ominous silence he has been facing these past couple hours. Peering through his binoculars, Terry spotted three vehicles, a ten-weeler cargo truck, a motorcycle, and a luxury car approaching. Worry settled into Terry's face, he knew CJ is not gonna like this.

"Shit," Terry muttered under his breath, sensing the impending disaster looming over both parties. He observed as the newcomers emerged from their vehicles, their gazes scanning the surroundings of the mall.

"What the actual fuck?!" An enraged voice interrupted the tense atmosphere, drawing everyone's attention. It was CJ, storming out of the entrance with fury etched on his face. "What the fuck is this?!"

Ethan, the leader of the group, stepped forward from the motorcycle, wearing a disarming smile. "I told you, we were bringing our remaining friends."

"When you said remaining friends, I didn't expect a fucking crowd of 21 idiots!" CJ's voice boomed with anger, his fists clenched as he approached Ethan. "And crowds don't constitute remaining friends."

"We had a deal," Ethan stated firmly, meeting CJ's gaze head-on.

"And I'm canceling that deal, comprende?!" CJ shot back, jabbing a finger at Ethan as if asserting dominance. "Get the hell out of here. Take your damn armor, explosives, and your fancy car with you!"

"Ethan!" Ana's urgent cry pierced the tension, her voice echoing through the air as she peered through her binoculars. "They're here! They've followed us!"

"Followed us?!" CJ's eyebrow shot up in disbelief as he seized Ethan by the collar. "What the hell is she talking about?!"

Ethan sighed, his jaw clenched in frustration. "What else could it be if not the dead? That's why everyone's desperate to get inside the mall. People are dying out here, and that mall could save us."

"Nah, fuck this." CJ released his grip on Ethan, his tone turning cold as he began to retreat, "You and your idiots are on your own. This is my place, not yours so get the fuck away from here!"

Witnessing the chaos and fear in the eyes of the others, Terry was appalled by CJ's callous decision. This was crossing a line.

"Then I'm sorry for this," Ethan's voice was solemn as he uttered those words. Suddenly, CJ's eyes widened in shock before he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

"What the hell?" Terry exclaimed, bewildered by the sudden turn of events. But before he could make sense of it, he suddenly felt a cold barrel pressed against the back of his head.

"Don't move, pal." Peter's voice was low and threatening, "Drop your gun."

Seeing his friends defeated and neutralized, Bart moved to draw his weapon in a desperate attempt to resist, however, Andre swiftly intervened, delivering a decisive blow with the butt of his M9 Beretta, rendering Bart unconscious.

"So, that was plan B?" Michael's incredulous voice cut through the tension, directed at Ethan.

"And it's going rather quite well." Ethan quipped with a casual shrug, his demeanor unfazed. Addressing the group, he continued, "Alright, everyone, with that out of the way, get moving and into the mall now."

~~~

Blades and his men stood in disbelief, staring at the lifeless bodies of their fallen comrades on the bloodied lifeless street. Jack, their elder statesman and advisor, seethed with a mixture of fury and grief. Who could have done this? It was evident that the assailant was highly skilled.

Having served in the military, Jack recognized the precision of the shots. These were not done by some amateur or some average schmuck. The methodical nature of the headshots and the proximity of the spent casings indicated a calculated and proficient shooter. The audacity to charge into their midst and open fire suggested either madness or supreme confidence in their abilities.

Nevertheless, Blades and Jack were determined not to let this act go unpunished. They will find the one who did this and they will pay.

"Me and the guys can spread out now and start looking?" Blades suggested, gripping his machete tightly.

Jack, however, shook his head solemnly, "No, not yet. We'll bury our men first, regroup, then we'll start hunting the ones responsible for this."

~~~

"Thank god, I couldn't finally stay inside that fucking truck anymore." A sigh of relief escaped the lips of a red-headed teenage girl as she approached the gathering Ethan had just arranged. Her scant attire drew disapproving glances from almost everyone nearby; she wore nothing more than a ragged pink sleeveless shirt, thin grey stockings, and was standing around bare foot.

Turning to the only woman present who had been to the mall, Ethan asked, "Fran, could you please take her to the dressing room and find her some clothes?"

"I'll go with them," Stephen volunteered, stepping forward.

"It's alright, Stephen. There's no need for that." Fran declined, shaking her head before turning to the girl, "Let's go, young lady. What's your name?"

"Trash." The girl replied casually, prompting raised eyebrows from everyone except the accompanying group of punks.

"Alright, Trash, let's get you sorted," Fran said, gently leading Trash away.

"Don't worry about missing anything, you two; Stephen will fill you in," Ethan assured the departing pair before refocusing on the remaining group. "As I was saying, I'll be assigning roles to ensure safety, efficiency, and order within this mall. Forcefully taking over this place from the security guards may have been morally questionable, but it was either that or we end up outside and getting eaten alive by the ghouls."

"You did what you have to do, we get it, man." One of the punks nodded in understanding, "Fuck those guys anyway."

"I wonder what we'll do with them," Norma mused, her tone reflecting concern. "Because killing them would be no different from the other scum out there raiding and killing."

"Don't worry about them." Ethan reassured with a calm smile before addressing the only two SWAT officers in the room, "Roger and Peter here know of a place in the mall where we can put them for the safety and comfort of everyone including themselves."

"I have a question." Another punk stepped forward, his tone confrontational. "Who died and made you leader, jackass? Who the hell are you to give us orders?!"

"Hey, Scuz. This is not the time and place for this." One of the other punks interjected and grabbed the other's arm, attempting to defuse the tension.

"No, I'm fucking serious!" The punk supposedly named Scuz snapped and shakes off the other punk's hand before glaring at Ethan, "Why the hell are we listening from this pig that have obviously gone AWOL?!"

"Because if not for him, you would still be inside that truck twiddling your thumbs and doing nothing but whine and complain." Barbara reprimanded Scuz, "So, shut the hell up!"

"It's alright, Barb." Ethan said, acknowledging her support with a nod before turning to face the group, "He has a point. I'm not really a leader. Nobody appointed me here. But I assure, I'm not here trying to be a leader and just order you around. I'm here to tell you what needs to be done for us to live and survive while making sure all of us are safe and secure. I don't care who's truly in charge. But if we don't get our shit together and start working together for the good of everyone, we won't make it long."

"Instead of focusing who's in charge, start focusing on what you can do to help and make this place better for everyone." Peter chimed in, "Because that's what really matters rights now."

"Exactly." Ethan affirmed, smiling faintly as he nodded at Peter. "What matters is that we work together for the greater good."