this.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he replied.
They wound around a few tables and made their way to the entrance as the baby continued to cry. Elise began instructing Sheffield. “Don’t get too close to get bit, and don’t use a weapon that makes so much noise like that damn gun. Any sound draws them in immediately, and our biggest danger is being in a small space with a huge crowd of them. That is how everyone died. It’s going to spread extremely fast, and we’ve got to…”
“What?” he asked.
“We’ve got to get out of Mexico. We have to leave the country immediately.”
“Ma’am, we train extensively now for an outbreak scenario. I’m well aware of how to handle the infected. Let’s just get out onto the street.” They moved out double glass doors into the entryway of the mall and paused in front of the next set of doors that opened to the street. People ran in every direction, with all cars in a complete standstill in the road, and up over the sidewalks.
“The car won’t even be able to pull up here,” Elise scoffed.
“No, no they can squeeze in right along the building here.” As soon as he said that, a small car sped past the doors on the sidewalk. “Unless everyone else starts doing it first.”
“The gunmen might be out there,” Elise warned.
“Ma’am,” Sheffield looked over at her, “we can’t be sure of anything except that we’ve got to get in a car and get out of the city.”
“You’re right,” she said.
Annoyed, Sheffield turned around to check the mall behind them, and only saw the empty food court under dull lighting.
A small cry leapt from Elise’s lips. “There’s a weird dog,” she said, grabbing his shoulder, and spinning him back toward the outside doors. A German Shepard stood directly in front of the glass door looking up at them, its tongue hanging from the side of its mouth. It panted heavy as its belly moved briskly in and out with each breath. It had small tufts of fur sprouting out all over its body beneath a thick coating of black mange. Several large ulcerations on its chest had been weeping black fluid down the front of its body. One front paw was missing and several strands of tendons hung in its place. The dog barked, leaned back on its hind legs, and then placed its front paws on the glass door, stretching out its body. It then shook uncontrollably with an erratic bark at the potential victims on the other side of the glass.
“That is not a normal dog,” Sheffield said, a new shakiness in his voice.
“Of course not,” Elise said. Looking up, she saw another dog in the street jump onto the hood of a convertible car, and leap over the windshield into the passenger’s seat. The driver yelled in Spanish as the dog twisted its head and brought its mouth over his ear. With a few brisk jerks of the dog’s head, the man’s ear tore from his scalp. He cried in pain, pressing his palm to his bloodied head.
“We’re not going out there,” Elise said, backing away from the door, cradling the crying baby closer.
Sheffield stood for a moment, looking down at the infected dog in front of them. “Let’s get back into the building,” he said, leading Elise back. He looked past the food court as the people from the infected crowd had begun spreading out through the mall. There were random gunshots and screams echoing throughout the building.
Elise looked back as something thumped against the glass door. She saw the same dog trying to bite through but only managing to hit its muzzle and spread blood on the window.
“We’re going up,” she said. They moved once again through the food court where Elise shifted the baby into one arm while unhooking a fire extinguisher from a column. She held it by her side and ran. Over by the escalator banks, a small number of the infected had spotted them, and were now moving in their direction. Elise felt her nerves grow still as they approached. There was no bubbling anxiety pushing her into a panic attack now.
“Yes, ma’am,” he replied.
They wound around a few tables and made their way to the entrance as the baby continued to cry. Elise began instructing Sheffield. “Don’t get too close to get bit, and don’t use a weapon that makes so much noise like that damn gun. Any sound draws them in immediately, and our biggest danger is being in a small space with a huge crowd of them. That is how everyone died. It’s going to spread extremely fast, and we’ve got to…”
“What?” he asked.
“We’ve got to get out of Mexico. We have to leave the country immediately.”
“Ma’am, we train extensively now for an outbreak scenario. I’m well aware of how to handle the infected. Let’s just get out onto the street.” They moved out double glass doors into the entryway of the mall and paused in front of the next set of doors that opened to the street. People ran in every direction, with all cars in a complete standstill in the road, and up over the sidewalks.
“The car won’t even be able to pull up here,” Elise scoffed.
“No, no they can squeeze in right along the building here.” As soon as he said that, a small car sped past the doors on the sidewalk. “Unless everyone else starts doing it first.”
“The gunmen might be out there,” Elise warned.
“Ma’am,” Sheffield looked over at her, “we can’t be sure of anything except that we’ve got to get in a car and get out of the city.”
“You’re right,” she said.
Annoyed, Sheffield turned around to check the mall behind them, and only saw the empty food court under dull lighting.
A small cry leapt from Elise’s lips. “There’s a weird dog,” she said, grabbing his shoulder, and spinning him back toward the outside doors. A German Shepard stood directly in front of the glass door looking up at them, its tongue hanging from the side of its mouth. It panted heavy as its belly moved briskly in and out with each breath. It had small tufts of fur sprouting out all over its body beneath a thick coating of black mange. Several large ulcerations on its chest had been weeping black fluid down the front of its body. One front paw was missing and several strands of tendons hung in its place. The dog barked, leaned back on its hind legs, and then placed its front paws on the glass door, stretching out its body. It then shook uncontrollably with an erratic bark at the potential victims on the other side of the glass.
“That is not a normal dog,” Sheffield said, a new shakiness in his voice.
“Of course not,” Elise said. Looking up, she saw another dog in the street jump onto the hood of a convertible car, and leap over the windshield into the passenger’s seat. The driver yelled in Spanish as the dog twisted its head and brought its mouth over his ear. With a few brisk jerks of the dog’s head, the man’s ear tore from his scalp. He cried in pain, pressing his palm to his bloodied head.
“We’re not going out there,” Elise said, backing away from the door, cradling the crying baby closer.
Sheffield stood for a moment, looking down at the infected dog in front of them. “Let’s get back into the building,” he said, leading Elise back. He looked past the food court as the people from the infected crowd had begun spreading out through the mall. There were random gunshots and screams echoing throughout the building.
Elise looked back as something thumped against the glass door. She saw the same dog trying to bite through but only managing to hit its muzzle and spread blood on the window.
“We’re going up,” she said. They moved once again through the food court where Elise shifted the baby into one arm while unhooking a fire extinguisher from a column. She held it by her side and ran. Over by the escalator banks, a small number of the infected had spotted them, and were now moving in their direction. Elise felt her nerves grow still as they approached. There was no bubbling anxiety pushing her into a panic attack now.
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