I clutched my side, blood running in rivulets between my fingers as I hobbled down the tool aisle, a Silencer stalking close behind, enjoying my distress, stopping to lap at a particularly large drop of my vital fluids on the ground. I grabbed at tools and pulled them from racks, tossing them behind me, to no avail. The creature side stepped them easily, alternating between hissing and purring.

I tripped, and I heard the purring grow louder, the creature pleased with my misstep. I closed my eyes and pressed my face into the floor, waiting for the pain that would inevitably come. What would it feel like, having my skull drilled into? My memories raced to that first girl's eyes, rolling into the back of her head so deeply that I could see her optic nerve, the foaming blood that erupted from her mouth. No. I wouldn't.

I reached for my ankle, drew the tiny Derringer I kept there, and raised it tremblingly. I could not decide if I should use it on the Silencer, or myself. I felt a soft step on the back of my calf and felt the vibration of the Silencer's purring on my skin, such a gentle sound to be warning me of such incredible agony. I attempted to roll over, only to be met by a fresh wave of searing, burning pain as it extended its claws and pierced into my leg muscles.

"Not so fast, little one," it rasped, the forked tongue flicking out to taste the air. My heart pounded in my chest. They could speak? "We want you alive."

Images leapt to my mind again, families cowering in fear as their loved ones taunted them and lured them to their deaths. I lunged backward with all my remaining strength, driving my elbow into its snout and flipping onto my back. The thing rocked back on its haunches, growling deeply as violet blood spattered on my visor, but it didn't slow down. Its leathery skin was tougher than even the thickest Kevlar.

I could hear the pop pop pop of gunfire from outside, the familiar sound of Bravo and Charlie fighting their way to us. But they couldn't get through the horde fast enough. "Hold your ground," Finn ordered over the coms, just as a hail of bullets sounded. The screeches turned to yelps of pain that faded swiftly under his assault.

More hisses and screeches erupted around me as the Turned closed in, drawn by the scent of fresh meat and fear. The Silencer returned his gaze to mine and licked its lips slowly, baring its teeth in a predatory smile.

I pressed the barrel to my temple.

A gout of heat and light blinded me, and I covered my face. "NOT TODAY MOTHER FUCKER!" Kendall shouted as he threw fire down the aisle. The Silencer squealed, darting away between the shelves into the next aisle, deliberately kicking off as hard as it could. I screamed as its claws ripped into my legs as it dashed across me.

Kendall released the trigger, and I heard the canister give a burst of air, and one last flare of heat leapt from the tip of the nozzle before sputtering out. He held out a hand to me. He paused as he noticed the Derringer in my hand.

"Bro, no!" He knelt down. "You put that fucking LR away. No Last Resorts today! Don't you fucking dare!"

I had been a bad influence on the kid, his mouth was almost worse than mine.

I reached up and grabbed his hand, wincing as he stood and pulled me to my feet.

A loud bang erupted from somewhere else in the store, followed by the roar of Reavers in pain. I checked myself over. My side had been lacerated, a glancing blow from a Prowler during our mad dash into the store. Looking at it made me woozy, something that hadn't happened in years. My leg was shredded, I couldn't put any weight on it.

"C'mere," Kendall said, and put my arm around his shoulders. I stepped gingerly and winced hard as my leg cried out in protest, but I pushed through it. Together, we limped to the end of the aisle.

The gunfire from Bravo and Charlie was getting closer. I could only hope they hadn't lost as many as we had on their way in. Mia, Grant, John and Lance were dead in the parking lot. It was just me, Kendall and Mathis in the store.

I heard a scream from outside as someone went down. My heart clenched at the sound, it was a woman's scream and all I could think was of my darling Lilly dead on the pavement.

Pop!

Pop pop!

Bam! I heard the front doors slam open and Finn's voice came through my helmet mic much more strongly, "Bar the doors, back those fuckers up! Chuck, carts, Amanda, help him, Danny, with me! Lilly get that -"

THUD

I heard the glass shatter and screams in my helmet as the team was sent flying.

I felt what little blood was left in my face drain from it. At least one of the Turned outside was armed. We were fucked. "What was that," Kendall shouted, ears still ringing from the blow.

"Weapons," I shouted back. "They brought their guns!"

"They have weapons?"

"They have fucking spaceships, Kendall, of course they have fucking guns!"

Kendall and I rounded the corner, hobbling as quickly as we could towards the front of the store. A Prowler stood in our way, snapping and snarling. As it arched its back, the spines that ran its length bristled, seeming to grow longer.

BOOM

The Prowler flinched and looked up as the massive shelves above it toppled. It tried to dodge, but too late, it was crushed like a grape beneath the pallets that rained upon it. Kendall and I fell back in surprise. I hopped on one foot as I lost my grip on Kendall's shoulders.

I peered through the dust to see a forklift in the midst of the fallen shelves, and a glimpse of long blonde hair.

"Lilly?"

"Alec!" She shouted, running towards me while tossing her helmet to the side and crashing into me, her arms wrapping around me tightly. The force of the impact nearly sent me crashing to the floor, but she held me sturdy as I wobbled. She pulled away and noticed the wetness on her left arm, blanching as she found it covered in blood from my wounds. Dismay crossed her face as she looked at me. "We've got to get you out of here."

I reached out my clean hand and cupped her face softly, tracing her bottom lip with my thumb. "I don't think we're getting out of here, love. I'm definitely not. Prowler got me. Pretty sure it cut open some stuff that didn't come in a resealable package." I glanced down at my side, as I could no longer feel the liquid seeping between my fingers. Unfortunately, it still was, more slowly now. I just could no longer feel my hand. I could sense blackness around the edges of my vision.

"Don't say -" she started.

I coughed abruptly and tasted blood. Lilly flinched and I saw red specks spattered across her cheek and the back of my hand. I grimaced and wiped it away with my fingertips, leaving small smears across her freckles before withdrawing my hand. She grabbed my wrist and held my palm against her face for a moment longer. I smiled at her.

"Alec, I..."

"Don't love. Save it. C'mon, while I've still got some left in me."

Tears welled up in her big green eyes, but she set her chin and nodded. As she did, I felt numbness creeping into my arm and could no longer hold her cheek, and it slipped away. I winced as it dropped to my side, smacking against my wound, knocking my already dead hand away and letting it fall. Lilly grabbed it, squeezing tight and ignoring the blood. Our rings clinked together softly. She looked at Kendall, trying to distract herself. "How you doing buddy," she asked.

Kendall said nothing, staring at me, a hollowness in his eyes. I released Lilly's hand for a moment and smacked him in the chest, smearing crimson across his gray jacket. "Hey, c'mon, what's that look for."

"How am I going to tell... We just found you. How am I supposed to -" his voice cracked. "We just found you," he whispered again.

"Yeah, you sure did, and..." I pantomimed checking a watch. "You've got another ten minutes with me, so let's make the best of it."

He barked a laugh, but there was no mirth in it. Lilly walked over to retrieve her helmet and snapped it on, then took me by the crook of the arm, and Kendall stood on my other side, lifting my now dead arm up and over his shoulders once more.

"Finn," I spoke into the comms.

"Yeah," came his reply, muted by gunfire.

"You been listening?"

"We all have, you bastard," Mathis cut in, choking a little, stifling his emotion. "You bastard."

"Yeah," Finn replied again. "Left side, left side!"

Pop pop pop.

A Turned screamed.

"We're gonna retreat to the back. I want you to shove as much shit in front of that door as you can. Then meet us back there. We'll discuss your orders past that point."

Static.

"Finn."

"Yessir," he said somberly.