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As they finished eating, they heard the sound of the helicopter returning.

Its shadow filled the food court as it flew over the enormous skylight, then it settled down somewhere beyond the mall’s walls.

Jenni stood up to turn in her bowl and spoon to the cleanup crew. She saw movement out of the corner of her eye. Turning, Jenni saw the handsome black soldier walking in with a few other people. The bowl and spoon clattered to the floor when she saw Katie and Travis among them.

“Katie!”

Jenni pushed past people and rushed toward her friend. Katie saw her, called out her name and pulled away from Travis. Like some stupid movie, they ran to each other and flung their arms around each other.

Katie squeezed her so tight Jenni could hardly breathe. Pressing kisses to her best friend’s cheek, Jenni felt her tears falling down her face, hot and fierce.

Then Travis was there, hugging her tight, kissing her cheek while Bill bear hugged Katie and lifted her off the ground. They fell into a sort of fourway hug, tears and laughter spilling out of all of them.

“Juan, how is he?” Jenni asked.

“He’s fine,” Travis answered with a grin Jenni started to sob with relief as Travis kissed her forehead firmly.

“What are you doing here?” she demanded. “It sucks here!”

Katie slid her hand gently over Jenni’s cheek, smiling at her softly. “We came to take you guys home. ”

“And everyone else here,” Travis added.

“We’re game,” Bill exclaimed. “Tell us what to do!”

Jenni became aware of Kevin and the other soldiers watching them and felt a little uncomfortable.

“They’re with us,” Katie assured Jenni, drawing her close again.

Jenni snuggled into her best friend’s arms, trusting her. For the first time since she entered the mall, she felt a sense of hope.

2. The Spider and the Fly

Those around him would make decisions, Lydia had said, and it could lead to their death.

Travis sat solemnly beside Katie in the food court as they waited for Kevin to return with the Senator. Lydia’s words echoed in his mind as he gently stroked the back of his wife’s

neck. Her decision to come to the mall had terrified him, but somehow he knew the moment he had read her father’s letter that she would come here. One of the things he loved about Katie was her strength. He had to respect that no matter how difficult.

She looked at him with her clear, beautiful green eyes and smiled at him reassuringly. He smiled back at her and kissed her temple.

Jenni sat on the other side of Katie. Their fingers were intertwined as they sat hip to hip, watching the escalator Kevin had taken to the upper floor.

Travis was relieved to see that Jenni and Bill were still alive. Not that he didn’t mourn the passing of Roger and Felix, but in this world it was hard to not feel relieved when those closest to you survived.

Behind them the waterfall rumbled and roared. The rushing of the water sounded comforting. Kevin had briefly explained that the waterfall was constantly recycling its own water. It was their reserve water supply. The mall was on rationed water because a recon mission over the water treatment plant showed severe damage to the facility. There was uncertainty as to how long water would continue to flow or even if it was pure. Soon after the survivors had arrived at the mall, half the children and elderly died from a high fever and flu-like symptoms. All the water given to the people in the mall was now boiled before it was passed out.

Even bathing was limited.

Kevin had also solved the mystery of the power at the fort never going down. Evidently a crew was manning the power station with the mall running regular supplies out to them. It was a reminder that the fort was not as cut off as they had originally thought.

The people of the mall kept stealing looks at them. Others just stared openly. Though several people seemed to be working hard at mopping, he noted they were actually spending more time watching them.

The light spilling through the enormous skylight above was somewhat comforting. All the mall doorways were blacked out. Travis supposed it was to keep the people from seeing the hordes of zombies outside. He had been horrified when he had seen the sheer number. How the soldiers had kept them at bay so long was beyond him. As the helicopter had swung over the mall, he had felt his chest tighten with fear. He had gripped Katie’s hand even tighter.

He madly loved her and their baby growing in her womb. They were his life and he realized he would do anything to protect them. Yet, here they were, at the mall, and his rationale not to fight with Katie over her decision was based on his dream about Lydia.

He wasn’t sure if it was the wisest thing to put stock in a dream about a ghost, but somehow he believed it had revealed a vital truth.