Stay hidden

You crouch as low as you can behind the bushes, the branches scratching at your exposed flesh. With no way of telling if these men are friendly, you can't risk exposing yourself. Your hands tighten around the handle of the sledgehammer, knuckles turning white as you squeeze it, ready for anything. Your heart hammers in your chest, each beat sounding, and feeling, like a gunshot in your chest, one which you're sure anyone nearby can hear.

A few minutes later, after the engines have turned off, you hear footsteps, followed by voices, as a few men walk towards the door. "Hopefully Eddie's got another bitch or two for us." "Yeah, no shit. The last few are getting pretty worn out. The Colonel says we need more, anyway."

Your heart sinks. These men are definitely not friends. This mysterious Colonel seems to be running some sort of women's slavery ring, something not wholly unexpected in this vision of hell, but not something you desire to be a part of. The biggest problem you have now is they're between you and your gear.

As their footsteps and voices recede into the mall, you risk a quick peek over the bushes. You can see two pickup trucks and two buses parked in the lot, with a few armed men hanging around them. They're obviously guarding the vehicles and their contents. There seems to be a few people on the buses, too. While you can't make out their features, they're presumably women these men have captured. You duck back down, with no signs that any of the guards noticed you.

You're left with scant few options. Going back into the mall after your gear is downright risky, as you'd have to find a way to deal with the men. They're going to know something is up when they find Eddie missing, and your things in his office. You'd have to deal with them, and the crazies you know are in the mall, if you are to have a chance of reclaiming your gear and getting out. You could try and wait them out, too, but there's no telling how long they'll be here, and you're going to need water sometime soon. There's also a chance you could escape through the parking lot, too, but a glance at your barely-clothed form and bare feet tells you that would be an extremely risky choice, too.

One thing is for certain: You want more information on this Colonel and his operations. There's no way you want to be ensnared in his grasp, and, if there's a chance you could free some of the women he's holding, you'd be remiss not to try.