A rugged older man.

Laying on the ground you raise your eyes to see who has ceased control over the fire-arm. At first you're a little surprised to see an old man standing over the two of you with the gun now in his hands. On second look you discover that he isn't exactly a weak old man. Instead he is a ruggedly tough looking fellow.

"What are you gonna do old man!" the black guy spouts off.

"Shut up Marcus!" the old man stares through cold eyes a hole in the black man's soul and he is **** to look away first.

Brittney runs over to the older man's side and gives him a big hug, his eyes never leaving the two of you. "Stand up!" he demands, "both of you."

Slowly you manage to get to your feet. With your right hand you reach around to hold the back of your head, hoping it will soothe the pain. There is an awkward silence and during that time you glance to the black guy or Marcus as he was addressed earlier. He too is standing and on his face you can see the fear, he's afraid of this older man.

The stranger with the gun begins to speak with Brittney, first he asks if she is all right, then he asks about Erin and what happened. You watch as the girl tells him that you saved their lives and that you're not a bad guy. After hearing that he relaxes a little, but still keeps his eyes on you. You'll have to earn his trust, and something tells you it won't be easy.

He looks directly at you now and you notice a long scar on the left side of his face.

"Who are you? Explain yourself!" he asks in a calm voice, still pointing the gun.

"My name is Alex Smith. I hid in the mall basement for a couple days and when I came out I heard Brittney screaming and I... I killed the guy," you say trying to explain.

"I see..." he says, "turn around slowly."

Again, you do as your told. At first you don't understand why he has asked you to turn around, then it hits you. The gun is tucked in the back of your pants and he wants to see if you're armed.

"If you want to live, I suggest you calmly take out that gun and place it on the ground, then kick it into the gap in the Earth," says the older man now focusing the shotgun's barrel on you.

Regretfully you kick the gun into the gap and it drops into darkness. You return your gaze to the older man to see a satisfied look on his face.

"Alright, now we talk," he said lowering the shotgun.