Part 2

Two days later.
The blast door unlocks with the long growl of the buzzer and ends with metallic thump. Two guards push the door open as the others stand in guard behind sand bag wall with their weapons drawn. Not to push them out, but to prevent those mutants coming in just in case. Sebastian checks his gas mask, Carsten loads his MP5 and they walk out behind Oliver and Aleksei.
"Hey, Carsten. When you left your home that day, did you ever think we'd end up in a place like this. Not knowing that we ever going to survive or burn to death."
"I try not to, Sebastian."
"I still think about it though, when I left my wife and daughter to go to work only to see them die, when the mortar hit the apartment complex minutes after I left that building." Says Aleksei through the comms.
"That's fucked up. I can't think how bad was it for you to see it."
"A lot of people lost someone that day. Stay focused, we don't want another surprise to land on us." Said Oliver.
They walked into the night lit by cold moon light. The city looks like alien world, ruins covered with large plants, ice and snow of nuclear winter. Silence is breaked by quiet squeaks and loud howls of nosaleses nearby. Ruins stand like jagged teeth, streets are torn up and littered with rusty skeletons of the cars, some with human remains inside. Walking is difficult, a lot of time they needed to jump over cracks and climbed over obstacles.
"Look out!"
Part of the wall from old apartment building collapses onto the street, tearing a large gap onto the sidewalk.
"We have to go around, there's no way to get over here." Said Oliver, looking around.
"There! Through that building we can get to the Tulika street and go to the shopping center from there." Said Andrey, pointing at the large apartment building across the street.
"Are you sure, Aleksei?"
"Yes of course. Just keep an eye on any lone nosaleses."
"Let's go then." Said Sebastian who grips his MP-5.
They crossed the street and entered the dark building, Oliver and Aleksei turned on their flashlights to light the way as they walked on broken glass and debris. Wind howls through the hallway. Street at the other side of the apartment complex is as scattered as before. There's a large green bus with half of it crushed by a wall. Half crushed airplane turbine engine stands among the rubble, a large nosales standing on top of it.
"Stop. Nosales on top of the engine to the right."
"Take a shot?"
"Use silencer. Noise attracts them."
Aleksei takes aim with his Sig SG 552 and shoots the creature, who falls off the engine and runs away.
"Fuck. He didn't die. Damn those persistent mutants."
"Let's move, hurry. Sebastian, Carsten, don't fall behind."
They start to run and soon made it to the mall. Most of the windows are covered with security curtains and the front door safety glass windows are partly cracked. Automatic doors open and they walk in fast. The mall, partly lit by night lights, stands quiet. Most of the stores are looted empty but the main shopping area are still partially filled with goods. Box offices stand empty, mold and decay has reached the building, some lights hang from the ceiling, one has fallen onto one of the box office conveyor belt. Their steps echo in the darkness.