"You sure this is going to work?" Ellie asked skeptically.
Matthew reached into his backpack and took out a couple of papers. He placed the papers in his back pocket. "I haven't done it before if that's what you're asking. But I don't see why not."
Ellie was about to offer a sarcastic reply when they heard another set of voices on the other side of the house.
Matthew took a deep breath and nodded. "Get their attention," he said. He retreated around the other side of the house.
Ellie pushed over a stack of wood and quickly hid behind a tree, purposefully keeping her right leg in view.
Two of the soldiers ran around the corner. One pointed his handgun at the tree. "I see you!" he shouted. "Step out now!"
Ellie stepped out from behind the tree, her hands raised. "Don't shoot!" she shouted in mock fear. "I'm not infected! I'm not a Hunter!"
"Shut up!" the other soldier shouted. He spoke into his walkie-talkie. "Captain, we got a live one over here."
Matthew came running around a house behind the soldiers. They immediately turned and pointed their weapons at him.
Matthew raised his hands. "Woah! Woah!" he exclaimed, keeping his hands clear of his crossbow. "Don't shoot! We're FEDRA! Don't shoot!"
The Captain arrived with the rest of the squad and walked up to Matthew. He had close-cut, graying hair. "Like we haven't heard that one before," he said gruffly. "Who are you really?"
"My name is Matthias. I've been in the military for five years," Matthew said, lowering his hands slightly and glancing at Ellie.
Ellie gave him a small nod.
Matthew continued. "Our squad got ambushed by a group of Hunters. They took everything. Killed everyone. We're all that's left."
The Captain took out another cigarette. "Prove it."
Matthew nodded, his hands still raised in the air.
Two of the men flanked Ellie.
Ellie remained still.
Matthew slowly reached around behind him.
All of the soldiers raised their weapons.
Matthew brought his hand back into view. "My papers are in my back pocket," he explained calmly. "I'm just going to reach back very slowly, okay?"
The Captain nodded.
Matthew slowly withdrew the papers. He showed them to the two men next to Ellie. They lowered their weapons. Matthew turned to the Captain and offered him the papers. The Captain grabbed the papers impatiently and examined them.
After a few seconds, the Captain nodded at his squad. They all lowered their weapons.
Ellie and Matthew let out audible breaths of relief.
The Captain handed the papers back to Matthew. "Shit's faded. Get an update next time you reach a zone."
"You got it," Matthew replied.
The Captain turned to Ellie. "What about your papers?"
"I lost them," Ellie answered.
"Damn rookies," the Captain spat. He turned to Matthew. "What's her name?"
"I don't need someone else to answer for me," Ellie said. All eyes turned to her. She made no effort to conceal her annoyance. "My name is Riley."
Ellie saw Matthew raise his eyebrows. She ignored him.
The Captain took a step toward Ellie and raised a hand.
Matthew took a small step forward, ready for anything.
Ellie's hand drifted near the pocket containing her knife.
The Captain lowered his hand and took another puff of the cigarette before blowing smoke in Ellie's face. "You have a problem with authority," he growled.
"I lost my Goddamn papers," Ellie said, her face inches from his. "Deal with it."
The Captain grunted and turned toward Matthew. "Alright, tell me exactly what happened here."
Matthew laid it all out. Their fabricated battle with the Hunters that annihilated most of their squad, the run in with Infected in the forest, their arrival at the town, the three nights of supposed hell, and their attempt to clear the town and use the church to call for help.
The Captain lit another cigarette. "You two did all that on your own, did you?"
"Yes," Ellie groaned. "Can we get moving? This town is starting to bore me."
"Not yet," the Captain grunted. He stood and addressed the rest of the squad. "Alright, we found two of our own and a church filled with Infected. Suggestions?"
"We still have some spray paint in the truck," one soldier said. "Should we make a warning?"
"No, that would be a waste of our time," said another soldier. "We should just leave it."
"Not an option," the Captain said. "Command's not going to be happy if we just leave a whole bunch of Infected trapped when they could be dealt with."
"We burn it," Matthew said.
Ellie looked at him, surprised.
Matthew shook his head slightly.
Ellie gave him a look that said they would discuss it later.
"And how do you suggest we go about that?" the Captain asked.
"Do you have a rubber hose?" Ellie asked.
Everyone turned to her.
"If you have a rubber hose with you, we could push a car into the church and light it up," Ellie said. She snapped her fingers. "No more Infected."
…
Matthew and three other soldiers got to work on moving the dumpster away from the door.
Ellie found a suitable car nearby. She placed the hose into the gas tank and inhaled, spilling gas to the ground. She stood and motioned to the rest of the squad.
They began to push the car across the street. When the car rested just outside the door of the church, Matthew and Ellie joined the rest of the squad behind the car.
The Captain pointed toward the pair of soldiers leaning against the car. "You two, be ready to open those doors," he ordered. "The rest of us will provide cover fire while the two rooks push the car into the church."
Ellie and Matthew donned the gas masks provided by the soldiers and took position behind the car.
"I didn't think they'd believe us when we told them the spores weren't there earlier," Ellie whispered.
"I'm not complaining," Matthew replied, anxious to finish their task.
"Move," the Captain ordered.
Ellie and Matthew began to push the car toward the entrance of the church.
Ellie let out a grunt and glanced at Matthew. "Why are we doing this?" she asked. "We should just get going."
"Nobody deserves to live an Infected," Matthew said. "To be reduced to mindless beings with only one objective. Sustenance."
"You think these things are alive?" Ellie asked.
Matthew stopped for a moment and looked at her. "I don't know," he admitted. "But I wouldn't want to be left to rot away."
"What's the hold up?" demanded the Captain.
"Sorry, sir," Matthew said.
They stopped the car directly in front of the church doors.
Ellie and Matthew looked at the men on either side of the doors and nodded.
The two soldiers opened the doors. Ellie and Matthew pushed the car with a renewed effort. Suddenly, Infected began charging toward them. Gunfire rang out as the soldiers began to mow down the Infected. Ellie and Matthew pushed for another three seconds before retreating back outside.
A Bloater pushed its way toward them.
The Captain stood by the start of the fuel trail. "Everybody out!"
Everyone ran as far from the church as they could.
The Captain lit the fuel with his cigarette.
Matthew and Ellie vaulted over a fence and crouched, covering their heads.
The raging fire reached the fuel car's fuel tank. The resulting explosion blew out the windows of the church and sent flames everywhere. The rotted wood that wasn't destroyed in the blast soon caught on fire.
The Infected staggered around, flailing. One by one, they began to fall to the ground. In seconds, the Infected lay still.
Ellie let out a relieved sigh. "Can we get the fuck out of here now?"