Chapter Text
Woods sighed, looking out the window of his room. His knees ached more than usual. He felt older than ever, although he had to be reasonable. It made sense. At 95 years old, everything seemed unreal. He was reviewing his life in his head, from the time he ran away from his family in Philadelphia, until he entered the residence. His achievements, his regrets... Everything seemed so distant and yet so vivid to him. Who would have thought that a man like him would live to such a long age. For someone who has been playing dice with death all his life.
A knock on the door of his room brought him out of his thoughts.
"Do not enter…." He demanded sullenly.
But the door opened.
He shook his head in annoyance and dragged the wheelchair toward the door.
"I swear to god, I will shove this wheelchair right up your...!"
"Ass..." Someone finished the sentence for him."
Frank looked up and raised his eyes in surprise.
A girl was in front of him, smiling. The girl was about 13 years old, brown hair, and green eyes. She looked a lot like her father, and even more like her grandfather.
"You have to change your threats, old man." She advised while she laughed.
"May I know what you are doing here at this hour?" Woods raised an eyebrow at the girl.
Not that He didn’t like her presence. Quite the contrary. He forged a deep friendship with her, the moment her father let him carry her in his arms. Frank still remembered when that little girl was just a baby. So inocent in the arms of the old veteran. He always said that he hated babies, but his heart melted at the first glance. She was the most delicate little thing he had ever held in his hands and now she was on her way to becoming a whole woman.
The girl shrugged and ran her hand down the back of her neck.
"I was passing by... And I thought I'd go visit old Woods." She blurted out with feigned innocence.
"Abby…" Frank called her name. "You live more than two hours away. What have you done this time?"
"I didn't do anything! It was...!" She didn't finish the sentence.
She sighed in frustration and sat on the edge of the bed.
Woods approached with the wheelchair, until he was in front of her. He put his calloused old hand on top of Abby's knee, patting it a couple of times.
"Come on. Tell me what happened."
The girl looked away, towards the drawings that were hanging on the wall. Some were hers, from when she was little. Others from when her father was little. She then returned her gaze to the veteran.
"My aunt Mary thinks she can come home. And turn everything upside down. Thinking she's in charge of everything now.” Abby began to explain. “Dad just told her to come by to pick up mom's last belongings. And as soon as she sets foot in the house she starts giving me meaningless orders and complaining like a embittered sergeant. No offense, sir. You're cool."
Frank chuckled and listened. He knew that she didn't have a good relationship with the family of her mother's side. And it got worse when she passed away.
"Never in over seven years has she deigned to stop by. Not even when Mom was in the hospital!”
She was starting to get more upset as she counted.
"And now she thinks she can come home and give me lessons? She never cared about us. No one in that family has. And now she's bossy and criticizing Dad for being a 'Bad Dad.' of his absence in the army. And because of that I have become an extremely rebellious and unbearable girl"
Abby shook her head.
"Dad's just doing his job, saving the world or whatever he does. At least he cares about us."
Woods understood the girl's situation. A few months had passed since her mother had died of cancer. Shortly after her father had to leave for work, as she said: To save the world. Abby stayed at the neighbors' house, and she didn't have permission to visit old man Woods. For the entire security issue and Menéndez's intrusion into The Vault. So the little girl had a hard time. She didn't have her loved ones near her and all of her pain and frustration was building up inside her.
Until finally her father returned home. He had managed to arrest Raúl Menéndez and had left the army. To spend time with his daughter and finally take care of his wife's mourning.
"So…" Frank pointed at her. "You got mad at your aunt. Because she said all those things about you and your father. And your best idea was to run away from home and come here?"
She shrugged.
"The bus ride isn't that expensive and I was starting to miss you." She justified.
The man looked at the girl for a few seconds. And then he let out a laugh.
"My god, Abby Mason."
Woods affectionately ruffled abbys' hair. She smiled. Who would have thought that her dearest friend could turn out to be a tattooed, grumpy, curmudgeonly old war veteran.
"But for now, call your father. We don't want him to worry and give both of us a hard time." Woods ordered. "I'm going to find the nurse. She always hides the fucking cigarettes from me."
Abby obeyed. She told her father that she would spend the afternoon with old Frank, after scolding, she got permission to stay. And so she did. She spent the afternoon with him, and they walked through the gardens of The Vault. As always, Woods telling the war stories and stories of him. They played poker, and as always, Abby complained that the old man always cheated.
It was late, it was getting dark, Abby had to go home. But what they did not expect was to find a man waiting for them in the room. He was old too, wearing a uniform and wearing sunglasses. When he took them off, Abby could see that he was missing an eye.
"Now that’s an entrance…" Woods blurted out, slightly surprised.
The girl looked at both men, not understanding anything. Did they know each other?
"Started Thinking you weren’t gonna make it " Frank kept talking.
He nodded at Abby.
"Go home Kid."
"It’s Okay. She can stay." The unknown man raised a hand.
Abby didn't know what to do. She was a spectator in that room. That man turned his attention back to Woods.
"Mi hermana Josefina." He said as he tossed Frank a heart shaped necklace.
Woods nodded as he grabbed the necklace out of the air.
"Yeah… I’ve been waiting for this."
The old Woods looked at Abby again.
"Go away, this has nothing to do with you." The tone he used this time was more dry and distant.
As if he suddenly didn't know the girl anymore.
"She stays." The other man ordered.
Abby didn't like that. She had a bad feeling.
"Josefina survived the fire..." The one-eyed man kept talking "...For me. I didn't leave her."
There were a few seconds of silence.
"You took her from me."
It was a quiet conversation, considering what it was about.
"And what’d you learn from that?" Woods asked, still knowing the answer.
"What did I learn?" he blurted out with irony.
It all happened so fast, Abby didn't have time to react. The man pulled a gun from his uniform and pointed it at the girl. Frank tried to react in time, reaching out to stop him. But the trigger was faster.
The man shot the girl. On her chest. She fell to the ground, the impact knocked the air out of her. She was bleeding too much. She couldn't stop the bleeding. She was lying on it, her cheek flattened on the cold ground.
"You took everything from me." Menendez turned to the girl.
He crouched down in front of her. Abby was terrified, tears were welling up in her eyes, she couldn't breathe, blood was gushing out of her mouth. The man brushed aside a couple of strands that were getting in the way of the girl's delicate face. She was terrified.
"Abby!" Woods was desperate. "This has nothing to do with her!"
"Frank…" The little girl started crying, desperately seeking help, begging to Woods to save her. Even if it was impossible.
"And I…" Menéndez continued with his speech. "I will take it from you. You will suffer with me."
Abby realized that the last sentence was for her.
"No, no, no. Please... Woods!" she pleaded.
Menendez turned and pulled out a knife. And in a blink. He stabbed Woods in the throat.
"NO!"
Abby woke up. She sat up so fast that she even felt dizzy. She was covered in a cold sweat, she was soaked in sweat. Desperate tears rolled down her cheeks, her pulse was racing, her hands were extremely trembling and she had trouble breathing.
It had happened again. A nightmare, no, a memory that had haunted her for five years.
Suddenly the door opened. Showing the face of a worried father.
"Abby. Are you okay?"
David hurried over to his daughter's side.
He sat down next to her.
Abby looked at her father. She was still scared, this time the dream was more vivid than the last one.
“Fuck..” She muttered, rubbing her face with both hands
David smiled to calm her, to let her know that everything was fine. She started managing to lower her heart rate and regulate her breathing.
It had been a long time since that dream had visited her at night, she believed that she had finally gotten rid of it. But it wasn't true, it simply waited for her to lower her guard to attack with more intensity.
"Are you feeling better now?" David asked.
Abby nodded.
“yeah.”
"Same dream?"
She nodded again.
David sighed. It hurt him to see his daughter like this, he felt frustrated for not being able to do anything. He only comforts her until she manages to get out of that hell.
"I thought it wouldn't happen again.” She spoke with her gaze fixed somewhere in the room.
"I know honey. But it's hard to get rid of these things…"
David was hurt by the loss of Woods. He felt guilty about it. He should have killed Menéndez instead of stopping him. And for that mistake, he also almost lost his daughter. The only thing left to him, the only legacy his wife had left him. The last remaining proof of his love for his wife. And he almost lost her because of him. Only she was left. His father Alex, Woods, his mother, his wife. Everything he loved in this world, it had been taken from him. If he lost his daughter as well, he wouldn't be able to recover.
But he had to be strong, for her. They were alone in that cruel world. They had to keep going and survive.
"What time is it?" she asked, raising her eyes.
The older Mason looked at the watch on his wrist.
"06:30." He answered. "The sun isn't up yet. But we have to get going. We're not safe here."
Abby nodded.
"I'll let you get dressed and get your stuff. Then come to have breakfast, okay?" David continued.
She nodded again as her father placed a soft kiss on her forehead.
"Are you sure you're okay now?" he asked, taking one last look at her face.
"I'm better. Thanks dad."
She raised her corners, leaving a sad smile.
David looked at her for a few seconds, not very convinced, but then he gave up.
"Okay. I'll let you be." He said goodbye.
Mason got up and ruffled the girl's hair. He then left the room, closing the door behind him.
Abby was silent for a few seconds, without moving, looking around the room. It wasn't even hers. That room didn't belong to anyone, not anymore. Things had ceased to belong to people a long time ago. The place was dusty, messy, with some broken windows and broken furniture... That room had seen better days, but those days are gone. Abby didn't care what the place looked like. It was just a shelter for one night. They were just passing by.
She got out of her sleeping bag. And she put her bare feet on the ground. It was cold, her skin felt goosebumps.
"Dad!" She called out to him "Is it really cold outside?"
She raised her voice so he could hear her through the door. She knew that her father had been awake longer, he used to wake up early in the morning before the sun came up. To patrol the area and make sure there was no danger.
"I believe so!” Her father's voice echoed out of the room. “It even snowed!”
"What?" Abby muttered to herself.
Confused, she walked to the window, sealed with cardboard and duct tape. She peeked through a small hole that wasn't covered with cardboard and peered out. It was true. The streets were snowed. Sprinkled in a layer of soft snow, which covered everything.
The little girl inside her was excited. It had snowed! She hadn't seen snow in a long time. She couldn't wait for her boots to touch the snow. She was sure she could get back at him for that time her father put snow inside her jacket. But the more reasonable part of her told her that this was going to complicate the trip. Walking on snow was more exhausting. In addition to a higher energy expenditure due to the cold. This was not good.
Abby sighed knowing there wasn't much she could do. She turned away from the window and started to change her clothes.
She looked around for her backpack. She soon found it lying near where she had slept. She crouched down in front of it and began to search inside.
It was an old one-shoulder backpack, with only one main strap to hang it from her shoulder. It had rips and patches but was a decent size with plenty of pockets and straps to tie various things to the sides. It was useful, considering it was where she kept all of her belongings. They were no longer at home, that house no longer existed, it was destroyed years ago. The life of a nomad demanded light and essential luggage. She was grateful that her father taught her how to fold clothes and put things away like he did in the navy. Taking up as little space as possible.
Abby's eyes traveled to the backpack strap. A knot tightened in her throat when she saw that piece of cloth. Woods' old bandana wrapped around the strap with a knot. The one he had always used in his missions and operations. Woods always said that he couldn't go on a mission without his bandana.
Abby stroked the fabric, it was all she had left of the old veteran. The nightmare replayed in her head.
"How did you deal with your demons, old man?" She whispered into the air.
It was a question for a ghost that now only was resting.
She shook her head and went back to what she should do. She took out of the backpack, the clothes that she had to put on. She dressed quietly, black cargo pants, a basic brown T-shirt, and an old light brown sweatshirt. She made sure to tuck the bottom of the shirt into her pants. Preventing the cold from creeping in. She then sat down on the floor and put on some thick socks and shoes. Combat boots her father got her a couple of years ago. They were sturdy, with thick soles and nearly indestructible laces. It was a good and durable shoe, but that didn't mean calluses and sores would form on Abby's poor feet in the long run.
When she finished dressing she put all of her belongings in her backpack, making sure to fold them correctly so that it didn't take up too much space. When she was done, she took one last look, checking to make sure nothing was left behind. Climbing rope, carabiners, gas mask... Then she walked until she stood in front of a dusty mirror. She reached over to brush the dust off the glass so she could show the reflection of her face.
It was amazing how much she had changed in five years. Physically and psychologically.
So much had happened in that period of time...
Discarding the obvious physical change due to age. Abby's skin was more damaged. She had scars, bruises and marks...Scattered all over her body. Signs of a hard and dangerous life. But the one that stood out the most was a gunshot wound to her chest, near her right shoulder.
Her complexion had changed as well. Her shoulders were broader, as were her arms and legs. She had built muscle over those years. Not because she wanted to. This way of life simply demanded great physical effort from her. And if she wasn't up to the task, it could be fatal.
Her face changed too. Abby’s jaw had widened a little. Her features were no longer so smooth. But she still had the face of an 18-year-old girl. Her green eyes, now wrapped in a slight red tint from the lack of sleep. Her hair was no longer what it used to be. Those long brown locks had been cut off. Her hair was very short. It was shaved on the sides and back of the neck, and cut short on top, the strands sticking out in all directions.
Her father used to cut it with scissors and a blade. She had to admit that over time he had gained practice and was getting better at it. Abby decided to cut it off when she realized that her long hair was impractical. She didn't have time to take care of it and she already lost all her hair ties. She now didn't have to worry about any of that.
With her hands she tried to put some order in her hair. But it seemed that those strands were not willing to cooperate. She gave in with a sigh and let it go. She was ready to go. She believed until she remembered one last thing.
She walked over to the backpack again and picked it up, picking up what was under it and looking at it for a few seconds. Between her hands was a pistol holster, with the respective weapon stored. It had several straps so it could be tied around her waist and thigh.
The world is no longer what it was. Now everything is hostile and it tries to kill you so it can keep your things. It’s eat or be eaten. Abby had to use it more times than she would like. Her father taught her how to use it when she was 14, though there wasn't much of a mystery.
She tied the gun sheath on her thigh. She adjusted the straps well. The weight of the gun on her thigh was a reminder that sometimes you had to kill to survive. A feeling she didn't like at all.
"Hurry up Abby!" Her father's voice outside her room brought her out of her thoughts.
"I'm coming!" she answered.
She slung her backpack over her shoulder and took one last look around the place before grabbing the doorknob and leaving. She came across a scene similar to the one in the room. An abandoned apartment, with broken furniture and glass. All wrapped in the silence and mist of the morning. There was hardly any sunlight, the sun had not risen but the first rays began to show up.
She walked down the hall until she reached the living room. Her father was getting ready and putting away his things.
"Come on. Have some breakfast." He told her pointing with his chin at the food on the table.
Abby put her backpack down on one chair and sat down on another.
"Dry meet? Again?"
She looked at the food with a bored expression.
"Oh, excuse me miss. Do you want me to make you some pancakes? And some bacon?" David blurted out ironically.
The girl just rolled her eyes. To which Mason smirked.
Abby took some of the cured sausage and started her breakfast. She couldn't really complain, supplies were hard to come by. Getting long shelf life food was even more difficult. More than one night she had to go to sleep with an empty stomach, and even resort to hunting if the opportunity arose.
David ended up packing his backpack as well. He approached the table carrying two rifles. Abby watched as she finished her portion of food.
"Yesterday I cleaned them." the elder explained.
He rested one of the rifles on the side of the table, next to Abby. That was hers. The other rifle was a sniper rifle, with a telescopic sight, that was used by her father.
"Tie it to your backpack when you're done. We'll head out as soon as you're done."
She nodded.
When she finished, she did as her father told her, loading the rifle into one of the sides of the backpack, making sure it was securely fastened.
"Come on, wrap up."
When Abby looked up to her father, he handed her a jacket. A big old denim jacket, and lined with thick wool on the inside. Abby had used it countless times, it was her favorite, it had a couple of small holes but nothing serious. What she liked most about that jacket was a small badge that adorned one of her chest pockets. That ornament was very crappy, it was a beer cap attached to a safety pin. It had written in bold letters: "Congrats! You've won a Free Beer!" Her father made it for her on her last birthday as a gift.
She accepted the jacket and draped it over her, making sure to tuck the hood of the sweatshirt over her shoulders.
Then David handed her some gloves and a black beanie. She accepted them too, pulling the gloves and beanie over her head, making sure to cover her ears. She buttoned her jacket and slung the backpack over her shoulder, across her back. She waited for her father to bundle up properly as well. It was not good to have pneumonia in those days.
David put on his well-known greenish-brown jacket, beanie, and gloves. He placed his pack properly and the rifle strap over one of her shoulders. He also had a pistol strapped to his thigh.
"Ready?"
Abby nodded.
They both left the apartment, went down the stairs of the apartment block, some parts of the stairs were down. So they had to jump over them.
"Watch where you step." advised David.
They managed to get out of the building, finally reaching the street. The cold was the first thing to reach them. Then there was the incredible view of the city of Washington DC. Those big buildings, the skyscrapers, streets full of billboards. Everything made Abby open her mouth in astonishment.
But that big city was silent. There was no one on the streets, everything was desolate, not a single soul was walking around except for the little family of two. The great skyscrapers threatened to fall at some point, the abandoned buildings and streets, many of them destroyed or in very bad condition. There were wrecked or abandoned cars on the road. Storefronts were smashed, and nearly every subway entrance was demolished.
They were the echoes of a war. A war that was no longer being waged but people still suffered its consequences.
Five years ago, after Menéndez escaped from his prison and culminated his revenge on Frank Woods, a new threat appeared. it was not known where they had appeared from, a group of terrorists called The New Perseus. Cordis Die was child's game compared to what was to come later. Perseus put the whole world under their feet, took control of the combat drones and bombs of the most powerful countries, the United States, Russia and China, causing tensions and fights between countries, starting another world war. Perseus unleashed global pandemics, and released Nova 6 throughout the world's major cities.
Hell came to the world, more than half of the human population died in those five years, and the few that remained lost control. Governments disappeared or were overthrown, there were very violent riots. Presidents and politicians were killed. The remaining governments vanished. The world became anarchic, showing how cruel humanity can become when there is no longer order or law. And the only thing that remains is panic.
The main cities of the countries and the first world fell. Everything was left in a post-apocalyptic world.
Luckily, after the first three years, everything began to calm down, one day surprisingly there were no more massive terrorist acts. People began to think that they should group together to survive, restore order a little, they formed groups, alliances among themselves. Little by little, calm returned to a destroyed world, which was trying to get up again, but would never be the same again. No countries, no borders, no society.
Washington DC, like the rest of the big cities, had become a ghost town. The silence of the streets was proof of that. Abby and David walked through the city, watching windows, corners, and alleys.
At any moment they could be ambushed. People began to organize themselves into different alliances. Groups that fought against other groups for survival. Civil wars were the usual. That is why every time they went to a new city, they had to know which organizations controlled the city, which territories were neutral and which were not. Look for allies in the groups that could give them information, find the alliances that were peaceful and those that were hostile. But that did not remove the risk of being attacked by one of those organizations. They were an easy target, just two travelers. They were like a piece of meat in a cage full of lions. That is why they had to be very careful.
"Are you sure that guy was telling the truth?" Abby asked, not very convinced.
She walked beside her father, jumping over the odd barricade of rubble.
“What other option do we have? It's the only lead we have.” He replied.
"Of course, why trust a fucking drunk man who says that we will find a pilot willing to travel to Alaska when we find the ... What is their name again?"
"Wolves."
"Wolves? What kind of a name is that for an alliance? They don't have a lot of imagination if I’m honest…" Abby complained.
David chuckled and glanced at his daughter.
"According to that guy, they're peaceful people and the biggest organization around here, they sit inside the White House."
"Inside the White House?!"
"It seems so"
"Well, yes, they did a great job I guess…" assured the youngest.
Abby kicked a rock as they walked, and David didn't take his eyes off the broken windows. He had a bad feeling.
"And that pilot is supposed to have a plane or a helicopter with enough fuel to cross half the United States and then all of Canada? And he'll be willing to fly us?" She asked, not very sure.
David sighed.
"We won't know until we get there. That guy told us that he was a smuggler pilot and would soon be flying to Alaska for supplies."
"Of course... Sorry if I don't fucking trust him very much. Our luck hasn't been very good lately." Said Abby "Who knows, maybe we'll get shot before we can set foot in the White House."
"Technically they aren’t very hostile people and they are dedicated to welcoming refugees."
David and his daughter had been looking for transportation to travel to Alaska. To the place where David grew up with his father. There the situation seemed to be calmer, it would be a better place to settle down and start again.
Abby kicked the rock harder and shoved it under a burned-out car. She winced that her fun was over.
They walked for a long time through the abandoned streets. Little by little the wind grew, howling between the buildings. The sky clouded over as the morning passed. Abby put her hands under her armpits to try to keep them warm.
"This weather is fucking crazy…" she murmured.
"Yeah... These snowstorms aren't normal." David answered. "Stay close."
There was something in the environment that he didn't like. He felt as if someone was watching them.
David pointed to the entrance to an abandoned shopping center.
"Let's go inside and see what we find." he advised. "We'd better leave the streets for now."
Abby nodded, agreeing with him. She didn’t like the situation either.
They both entered. The building was large, there was rubble everywhere, the windows were broken and the walls were cracked. The view of a dilapidated shopping mall. The place was eerily silent. Sunlight streamed in through skylights in the roof, most of them broken, and bits of window litter scattered across the mall's polished floor.
"Stay alert." David ordered pulling out the gun.
Abby did the same as her father.
The silence kept all of Abby's senses on guard. She followed David very close. They walked looking at the shop windows, the abandoned shops and restaurants.
"Maybe we can find something useful around here." David said, looking at his daughter, showing a slight smile.
Abby knew there was something more.
"Did you find any snipers watching us from a rooftop?"
she asked.
David shook his head.
"No, but I had a feeling something bad was going to happen if we stayed that exposed. The sun is up already, there must be patrols around here." David explained
Abby didn't answer.
They continued exploring the mall. They searched the shops looking for something that could be useful for the trip. But almost all the stores had already been looted. They searched the first floor, found some duct tape and batteries for the flashlights. Then they went up the broken escalator, to the second floor.
Abby was rummaging through the drawers of a store cash register. She found a good amount of money. She let out a light chuckle.
"Hey dad."
David turned to see his daughter. Who showed him a wad of bills.
"Do you mind if we buy some souvenirs?"
David chuckled and walked over to Abby. He took the money and played with it for a while. The money had lost all value. It was no longer used anymore. Everything began to have a different price after the fall of governments. Now it was traded with barter and exchange of goods.
"Sure, we can go to the movies too. What was the name of that movie you liked so much? The one about space."
"Interstellar?"
"Yeah, that one. Would you like to watch it again?"
"Fuck yes. I miss going to the movies."
David chuckled.
"Although I like Star Trek more."
"My god dad... I still don't understand why mom married a man who likes Star Trek." Abby rolled her eyes.
"What's wrong with it?"
"Nothing, just that Star Wars is better."
David raised an eyebrow.
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah! Bad guys are cooler. Darth Vader is the best villain."
Abby cleared her throat and faked Darth Vader's artificial breathing.
"Luke, I am your father." She said in a slightly deeper voice.
David laughed and shook his head.
"Someday I'll use that phrase with you."
"Okay, but don't cut my hand off with a lightsaber."
"I don’t promise anything."
Abby put her hand on her chest pretending to be offended.
"My God... Betrayed by my own father..."
This time it was David who rolled his eyes.
"Come on. Let's not waste any more time."
Abby started to answer but the sound of breaking glass stopped her. They both fell silent, not moving a single muscle.
"We aren’t alone."
David reached for the rifle that hung from the side of his daughter's backpack. He made sure the gun was loaded.
"Don't get away from me." David whispered.
Abby nodded and kept her index finger on the trigger of the gun. They both left the store in silence, watching their steps. Trying not to step on broken glass or trip over any debris.
David took a look before leaving the store. He motioned for Abby to follow him.
"We'll try to get out without attracting attention."
They heard voices downstairs. David looked over the railing that led to the floor below. He found a patrol of five men. They seemed to be alert, as if they were looking for someone. They were probably looking for the two of them.
"There are five armed men." David informed when he returned with his daughter.
"What do we do?" Abby frowned.
David didn't have time to answer because the sound of a gunshot interrupted him. The bullet grazed Abby's cheek, leaving a superficial cut on her cheek, a small part of her ear was missing too. Blood Started running on her cheek.
"Found them!" The man who had fired the shot yelled.
"Take cover!" David pushed his daughter behind a large stone planter that must have served as a decoration for the mall. David also took coverage with his daughter.
"Don't you dare raise your head."
In just the blink of an eye the mall was filled with gunfire. David aimed accurately and fired. Trying to use as few bullets as possible. They were short of ammunition. David killed two men. Abby kept her head down, just as her father had ordered, with the gun ready.
The other three men went up to the second floor without stopping shooting.
"Stay here. Don't move." David ordered.
He took advantage of the moment when the enemies were reloading their weapons to advance. He jumped over the stone planter and ran to take cover behind a pillar.
"You little piece of shit!" The voice of a sixth man echoed through the mall.
David turned toward the voice. Abby found herself wrestling with a man twice her size. He had a knife in one hand, swinging from side to side. Abby dodged as best she could. She had lost the gun at some point in the fight. Whenever she got the chance, she would throw a punch into the man's ribs.
David wanted to intervene but the rest of the enemies wouldn’t let him move from the site. If he moved an inch, they would shoot him.
Abby was nimble and quick, but a carelessness caused her to lose her rhythm. The man grabbed her by the collar of her jacket and threw her several meters into the air. Abby landed so hard the air was forced out of her lungs. She didn't have time to recover as the man lunged at her with the knife pointed at her throat. Abby used all her strength to push the knife away from her, but the man was stronger and the blade kept getting closer. Suddenly Abby kicked the man's balls with her knee. She took advantage of that moment of weakness to take the knife from the man and with a quick movement, she plunged it into his throat. Abby could see how life drained from the man's face, how the blood came out of his neck and mouth. As soon as she pulled the knife out of her neck, she kicked the man's body as far away from her as possible. Abby backed away. She watched as that man was surrounded by a pool of blood.
The two men fired again. The bullets blew off pieces of the column. David took the right opportunity, took aim and fired. With two clean shots that went through the heads of both men.
When the silence returned David ran to his daughter.
"Abby!"
The girl spit out some blood on the floor. Her hands were shaking due to adrenaline.
“Fucking bastard.”
David knelt in front of her, blocking her view of the bleeding man on the ground.
"Are you okay? Are you hurt?"
David began to inspect his daughter. He was very worried.
"I’m ok. The ribs hurt but that’s all” She sighed. She clenched her jaw.
"Hey."
David took the girl's face with both hands, checking that wound made by that bullet.
It wasn’t the first time that she had killed someone, but she never got used to the feeling.
David noticed that she was lost in her thoughts.
"Close your heart." David said in a soft voice. "He would have killed you if you hadn't done it first."
Abby nodded with her eyes fixed on that dead man.
"Can you continue?"
Abby nodded and sighed, closing her eyes.
"Yeah... Let's get out of here."
David nodded and got up. He grabbed the knife that was on the ground and wiped the blade on the man's corpse's clothing. He looked at the knife. It was a steel butterfly knife. It seemed of good quality. He folded the knife away, hiding the blade, and handed it to Abby.
"You're going to need it. This won't be the last time." David said. Abby had lost her knife a couple months ago, it was a good opportunity to get a new one.
Abby looked at the knife for a few seconds and grabbed it. She played with it a little bit. Then she went to pick up her gun that was lying somewhere.
David took it upon himself to search the bodies for anything that might be useful. Abby helped.
"Hey, look at this." David called her.
Abby walked over to where her father was. Near David's feet was the dead body of one of the men who attacked them.
"What is it about?" she asked
"Look at their jackets. They all have the same patch."
David pointed to a little drawing of an animal etched into one of the corpse's shoulders.
"It's a dog?"
"No, it's a hyena. And they all have the same animal."
"Do you think they are part of a larger group?"
He nodded.
David looked up and looked around until he found some stairs that led to the upper floors.
"I think we can go up to the roof over there. Let's take a look at the city."
They went up to the roof in silence..
When they got to the roof. They both got to see a view of Washington D.C. Abby was looking at the buildings until David pointed to something in the distance. She tried to focus her eyes, until she finally saw a large white building with a large dome and no building around it.
"That's where we're going. The White House."