Odd realizes Robertson had multiple accomplices. He remembers the lack of bodachs around Eckles and Varner, and suspects they manipulated him somehow. Odd binds Eckles’s hands and feet and secures him in the security room. He uncovers Eckles is in his police uniform beneath the black jumpsuit. He speculates that Varner and Eckles knew each other before joining the police force. Varner was hired first, paving the way for Eckles. The two were part of a plan that targeted Pico Mundo. He wonders if it is driven by religious beliefs or a desire for chaos. Odd arms himself with Eckles’s pistol before facing Varner, resolved to protect innocent lives despite his aversion to violence. As he advances through the mall, guided by PMS, he runs into Viola.

Odd realizes that although Viola is at the mall, her daughters are not. She explains she left them behind with her sister and came to get a birthday present. Odd tells her he made a mistake about the location of the attack and tells her to go and hide in the nearby stockroom. Once she goes to hide, he heads out into the mall promenade.