Chapter 9: An Unpleasant Meeting
"Keep going!" Joel shouted from behind her, more clicking noises and gunshots following shortly after.
Ellie felt her breath coming in gasps, fear letting her run more than she was used to.
She saw the trees open up in front of her, making her assume she was in a clearing. She stopped; wanting to make sure Joel was still following behind her.
She heard the gunshots echo a bit farther behind her, letting her know he was still coming, along with the clickers.
Ellie heard the bushes rustling over to the side, and she reached for her switchblade, knowing that it was definitely not Joel.
A man came rushing out of the bushes, and Ellie wasn't focusing on him; she was focusing on what was in his hands.
He has a bigger knife, Ellie thought with frustration as she stared at the machete in the man's hands.
The man seemed a bit surprised to see her traveling alone, with a smaller knife she guessed, but that surprise soon turned to anger.
"Who are you?" the man interrogated harshly. Ellie instantly didn't like him.
"Why should I tell someone like you?" she retorted, pointing her switchblade at him.
She knew that if he tried to fight her, his machete would win. But if it did come to that, she could try throwing it at him before he reached her.
I don't have the best aim though, she thought in annoyance while she glared at the man.
Rustling in the bushes behind her made her look back in surprise, forgetting Joel was behind her; which was bad when she realized that at the speed he was running, he would run into her.
She quickly scrambled to the side, hoping not to get barreled over by Joel, who was just coming out of the bushes.
Surprise registered on both of the men's faces while Ellie walked over to stand beside Joel.
This is a fairer fight, she thought, wanting to smile at the odds being switched. Joel's pistol was definitely faster than the man's machete.
"Bill?" Joel's question shocked her, making her eyes widen in disbelief.
"Joel," the man acknowledged, but Ellie could see some confusion in his eyes.
"No…" she whispered in disbelief, and then turned to Joel, "You have got to be kidding me."
Joel gave her a confused look, but then realization appeared in his eyes.
"We need to keep moving," he stated to her, "They're still coming."
Ellie nodded, glancing over at the man, who was disbelievingly Bill.
Why? Of all people, why him? She mentally whined, knowing that meeting with Bill was not going to be a pleasant experience.
"We've been looking for you, Bill," Joel said, turning his attention towards the man.
"Sadly," Ellie muttered, but stopped when Joel gave her a look.
"What are you doing way out here?" Bill questioned, and she could tell he was still in a bad mood, "And with a-"
Joel cut Bill off, an annoyed expression on his face.
"I know, I'll explain later, but right now we have a major issue," Joel stated, somewhat annoyed. Ellie wondered if Tess had asked similar questions.
She was about to say something when she heard the familiar clicking noises coming closer, making her feel somewhat frantic.
Joel pulled her to the opposite side of the clearing, hiding in some bushes a few feet away. Bill followed them, but he moved at a much slower pace.
Almost like he's used to this, Ellie thought, glaring at the man. Joel gave her another look.
The clickers came running out of the trees, searching around the area for them. Ellie bit her lip, regretting it when she felt blood start to pool in her mouth.
"Sorry," she mouthed when the Infected turned to look in their direction.
"Run," Joel whispered, his voice tense and then shouted louder when the Infected started to run their way, "Run!"
Ellie instantly turned around and did what he said, following as Bill ran in front of them. Her side was starting to hurt, but as Ellie glanced back and heard more gunshots, she continued to run blindly through the forest.
She saw the landscape open up again; this time being an almost sandy desert texture, and in the middle of piles of junk stood a ramshackle house.
Ellie ignored Bill's angry shouts and continued to run towards the house, but regretted it a moment later when her vision swam.
She felt her feet get tripped up and she then found herself being hung up by a section of rope, hanging upside-down.
Ellie frantically took out her switchblade and started to try and cut through the rope at her feet. She froze when she heard a gunshot coming from the house's direction and felt it whiz past her head.
She took one swing at the rope with the switchblade and it cut, sending her harshly down to the ground below.
From her position on the ground, she felt Joel help her up in her dazed state, and the two of them started to run towards the house. She glanced back and saw an angry expression on Bill's face, but he followed them when he saw the Infected break cover from the trees.
More bullets whizzed past their heads, as well as other pieces of rope and mechanisms tried to stop them before they got to the house.
Joel broke the door down and they ran into a hallway, opening a door on the other end and crowding into a medium-sized room.
Ellie stood panting a few feet away as Joel and Bill shoved the door and locked it. The clicking noises ceased after a few moments.
"That was close," she muttered, feeling her heart hammering in her chest.
She glanced over at Bill to see him throw the machete on a table, an angry expression on his face. He walked over to her, making her anger melt into fear at the murderous expression in his eyes.
"I'm Ellie," she said as she held out her hand, hoping for a greeting. She knew they didn't have the greatest first impression so far, but if they were going to be working together, she at least wanted to make an attempt to repair the damage done already.
Ellie saw Bill reach out to shake her hand, but was then surprised to hear a click as he dragged her over to a pipe.
"What-?" she started to ask, startled as she glanced over at Joel, "Joel!"
She glanced down to see she was handcuffed to a pipe, and standing in one place made her realize that she was stuck.
"Bill-" Joel started warily as he started to walk towards her, but stopped when Bill pulled out a pistol.
"On the ground!" Bill shouted, knocking Joel to the ground as he pushed him.
Ellie started to freak out, knowing that he might actually shoot Joel. She heard Bill start to list something, checking Joel for something, and she had the thought that he might be robbing them.
"I'm clean, Bill!" Joel shouted, sounding angry.
Ellie felt her emotions start to go on haywire, pulling frantically at the pipe. She started to tug harder despite the pain it was causing her wrists when she saw the pipe start to loosen. She glanced worriedly over at them.
"Alright, but if I see anything-" Bill started to say, but at that moment the pipe came loose, and Ellie took the opportunity to slam it as hard as she could into his arm.
She brought the pipe over her head for another hit, but Joel grabbed the pipe and gave her a warning glance. He threw the pipe on the ground, standing in front of her.
"You done?" Joel asked, staring at Bill. Ellie wondered if he was going to ask her as well.
"Am I done?" Bill asked in disbelief, "You come into my safe house. You nearly break my good arm. You set off all of my traps and lead the Infected here. And what are you doing with this little-?!"
Ellie cut him off, feeling anger at what he was going to say next. She shoved Joel's arm out of the way, starting to walk up to Bill.
"I am none of your business, and we are here because you owe Joel some favors!" she shouted, holding out her hand-cuffed wrist, "and you can start by removing these."
Joel walked up to them and gave her another glance, making her shut her mouth.
She angrily walked over to a stool at the side of the room, picking up the pipe on the way.
It's not my fault. Fatty's the one who attacked us, Ellie thought in annoyance, messing with something on the stool as Joel and the man talked.
"I need a car," Joel's voice said, perking her interest. She glanced over at them, setting down what she had been messing with and walking over towards them slowly.
"Yeah, Joel needs a car. Is this some kind of joke?" Bill asked, sharpening his machete on the table, "Go ahead Joel, take my car, why don't you take all my food while you're at it too?"
"Looks like you could lose some of that food," Ellie said, the comment bursting out of her mouth.
What surprised her more was when Bill pointed the machete at her, making her eyes widen. Joel stopped him with his arm extended in front of her.
"Why you listen you little-!" Fatty started to yell, which made her anger ignite again.
"You're the one who handcuffed me, Fatty!" she shouted, fighting against Joel when he pulled her away.
She glared at him as he gave her a hard stare, making her force herself to shut her mouth.
"Be quiet," Joel commanded, making her look away. He started to walk back over towards Bill.
"Fatty started it," Ellie muttered, wincing when Joel turned back around to reveal anger on his face. His look was enough, and she stopped talking.
"Whatever you think I owe you, it's not worth that much," she heard Bill say as Joel walked back over to the table.
"Actually, it is," Joel countered, and Ellie had to keep herself from smiling when she thought of the exchange her and Joel had a few days earlier.
"Well, I don't have a car," Bill stated, looking over at Joel. Ellie glanced down quickly to see a map on the table.
"You have something here," Joel answered, but was cut off by Bill before he could say more.
"I have parts, not a working car," he said, cutting Joel off with a look.
Ellie heard Joel sigh, and she knew negotiations weren't going as planned.
"That means you could build something," Joel argued, and Ellie wondered if she shouldn't just threaten to hit Fatty with the pipe again.
Might be more effective, she thought, staring down at it and then at Bill's arm.
Fatty didn't miss the look she gave him, and she didn't miss that he had seen it. She shook her head, feeling frustrated.
She heard their conversation stop; making her wonder if it was a good time to use the pipe. She turned around and saw Bill moving a few things around on the table, making room to show them the map.
"We are going to need to get some parts," she heard him say as she came over, staring at where he was pointing on the map, "They're on the other side of the area."
She heard him pause, taking something out of his pocket.
"But after this, I owe you nothing," he said, and Ellie saw him hand something to Joel, which she then identified as keys.
"That's fine," she heard Joel mumble as he took the handcuffs off of her; "We will probably be dead in a few days either way."
"Good," she heard Fatty say, making her want to hit him again, but stopped when he continued talking, "Now follow me. The whole place is layered with traps, and I can guarantee it that more of those clickers will be around. Follow my rear end if you have to."
Fatty walked past her, and Ellie didn't miss the glint of the machete in his hands.
We're in for a long, hard trip, she thought as she watched him walk in front of them.
"Can't miss it," she mumbled when she was sure that he couldn't hear her. She didn't count on Joel being able to hear her though.
"Knock it off," Joel demanded as he tugged on her arm harshly, making her pull away and follow at a distance.
Ellie sighed, feeling angry and frustrated. Why didn't the horses just survive and then they wouldn't have had to come see Bill.
We could have avoided this whole mess if I would have kept my mouth shut, Ellie thought, then glanced up at Bill, but I won't keep my mouth shut for this.
Ellie continued to stay right behind Joel, not wanting to get any closer. Thoughts floated in her head, distracting her.
When she nearly bumped into Joel however, her mood soured.
"What-?" she started to asked, feeling irritated, but Bill's voice cut her off.
"How did the Infected find us in the bushes anyway?" Bill demanded angrily, "Unless she sneezed or something-"
Ellie cut him off when he started to point at her.
"I bet I'm a lot stealthier than you," she retorted, feeling some satisfaction when she saw him get angry.
"Are you really that sure?" Bill asked her, and Ellie thought of the perfect comment.
"I'd bet my life on it, Fatty," she said, smiling a bit.
She personally hadn't traded words with someone since back at the old boarding school she had been at, so she felt it was time to get started again.
"We can bet that right here if you want-" Fatty stated, starting to walk towards her.
Ellie started to realize that this wasn't such a good idea any more.
He has a bigger knife, she reminded herself as she pulled out her switchblade.
"Enough," Joel stated, and she could tell he was angry, "We already have everything else in the world trying to kill us, so I don't need you two to go at each other's throats every two seconds."
Ellie opened her mouth to comment, but then shut it at the glare Joel was giving her. She had personally never seen him so angry before.
It's almost scary, she thought, feeling the urge to shiver.
"Anyway, I thought you would have known that the infected can sense blood," Ellie muttered, loud enough for them to hear.
Joel turned around, looking like he was about ready to smack her, but then she saw something dawn on him.
"Where in the world did you hear something like that?" Bill asked her in a taunting voice.
"Wow, you must be dumber than I thought," Ellie stated and then pointed at Joel, who by now was most likely developing a headache, "and I heard it from him."
Bill gave Joel a look, and then looked back at her.
"The Infected can't sense blood," Bill stated, making her somewhat angry, "but that is weird. If it wouldn't cause so much trouble, I would test out your theory right now."
Ellie started to walk toward Bill, ready to smack him with the pipe again. Joel stopped her, giving her a look that made her suddenly want to smack him too.
She turned around, starting to walk in the opposite direction. She could feel Joel's confusion from where she was. His hand on her shoulder stopped her.
"Ellie, I can explain later," Joel stated, not making her feel any better.
"You lied. You could have just told me the truth from the beginning," she said, not looking at him, "So, what is the real reason that the Infected in Boston was following us?"
She heard Joel sigh and not answer for a moment, and she guessed he was having a hard time coming up with the answer.
"That is the real reason," Joel said slowly, making her turn around.
"But Fatty just said-" she started, but was cut off by Joel.
Bill looked like he wanted to murder her again, but Joel stopped him with a look.
"So, the Infected can sense my blood," she said and at Joel's nod continued, "but how, when they can't sense anyone else's."
"That's the hard part, I don't know yet," Joel answered with a sigh, "but we need to keep moving. We can talk about this later."
Sure we can, Ellie thought, feeling bitter, but you'll either clam up or get mad at me if I do mention it.
Ellie could tell by the light up ahead that they were getting close to the exit of the safe house.
Thankfully, it reeks in here, she thought, resisting the urge to plug her nose.
Ellie froze when she heard the clicking sounds coming from outside the door. She followed Joel as he ducked down, trying to avoid being seen.
"See, this is the problem with them knowing where I live now," Bill whispered his complaint.
"You're scared that they know where you live? You think it would be obvious that someone lived in a house layered with traps in a junkyard that-" Ellie never got to finish her sentence since Joel put his hand over her mouth.
She glared at him, which made him sigh.
"I'll tell you later," Joel stated, which seemed to make Bill angry.
"Why, is it not appropriate to say with me here?" Bill asked in a mocking tone, which made Joel shake his head.
"No, it's just an inside joke," Ellie stated sarcastically, wanting to roll her eyes. She didn't really know what Joel wanted to tell her, but she was coming up with a few guesses.
Joel gave her a look, which she interpreted as "shut up", and instantly wanted to laugh. She kept it in though, knowing how much trouble she would cause if she did start to laugh.
"How are we going to get past them?" Ellie asked, trying to map the place out in her head. She only had a rough sketch though, since she wasn't even sure if they had seen the whole safe house.
"You mean, how are you two going to get past them," Bill corrected her, making her eyes widen.
"You aren't coming?" she questioned, and the look on Joel's face made her think he wasn't surprised by this.
"You want the car, you're going to have to get the parts," Bill stated, sneaking back towards where they had come.
"Lazy-" she started to mutter, but stopped when Joel gave her another look.
"Come on," Joel said with a shake of his head, starting to creak the door open.
She followed him when it was open wide enough, taking cover behind some of the piles of junk.
This is going to be a long trip, Ellie thought as she followed Joel, sneaking past the Infected and towards their objective.
So, here we introduced Bill (whom Ellie doesn't like so much). I had a lot of fun writing this for some reason (maybe it was the fights). Either way, please tell me any thoughts or ideas in a review!
-AnimeWolfGirl9
