Whatever it was that had caught against Marcus’s stare seemed to had slipped from view again, but he maintained his gaze on the horizon for a few moments more before he turned back and walked the few paces back across the front of the car park that led up to the store frontage.  Still cradling the shotgun in his arms; he took some small comfort from it<br/><br/>Though the doorway he saw the slender and uniformed figure of the marine had returned and they exchanged a cursory glance before she stripped something from her backpack and seemed to set about doing something; but he couldn’t quite see what and he had no wish to further irritate her by making enquiries; he thought it better just to let her get on with it.<br/><br/>Marcus neared the door but on his approach something caught his eye; in the faint glimmer of the dipping sun it seemed to posses a glossy sheen;  He ducked down and picked it up; it was a photograph, the edge of it singed a dusky gold from the lick of flames, perhaps from the explosion that had centred on the intersection of highways, more than likely it had floated over here from the heated breeze that had blown across from the inferno.<br/><br/>There was a picture of a young woman that he took to be in her mid twenties; a pretty one with raven hair and passionate eyes, her expression held a rich smile; A snapshot of frozen history; of a timeless place free from the horror that had likely taken the smiling faces in the picture.  He turned it around and saw that they had scrawled something on the back; ‘Sabina on her 23rd’ and it was dated just three days before the initial outbreak.<em>Happy fucking birthday</em>he spoke softly and released the picture, watching it drift from his grip and come to rest against the tarmac again.<br/><br/>He walked through the door and rested against one of the counters as he lay his shotgun down; the barrel facing the open door; he continued watching the young Corporal and said nothing; he thought about taking a swig from his flask, more out of something to do than an actual need; but perhaps that was best saved for a time of real need.