Chapter 52: A Hidden Threat
A day of walking didn't get them too far away; Ellie kept having 'headaches' and they had to stop more often because her energy would deplete quicker.
Early the next morning found them hiding behind a slab of rock; their temporary camp only a ways behind them. US military guards were scouring the area below them, and Joel had no idea how they were going to get through.
There's too many of them, and if we try and go around, they'll catch us, he glanced at Ellie, who was trying to also find a solution to their problem.
"What if we just wait until they move on?" she asked, and he shook his head.
"That would take too long. We don't want anyone tracking us," she saw the truth in his explanation.
Her eyes narrowed for a moment as she looked out across the landscape, and he followed her gaze, seeing flecks of yellow mixed in with the landscape.
That can't be… he thought, his eyes widening when the answer popped into his head.
"The Fireflies?" Ellie asked, and he nodded to confirm, "But what are they doing all the way out here?"
"Phil said there was going to be a battle, so either he gave us the wrong place, or the military was relocated," he explained, and she looked down at the Fireflies and then at the military.
"Why would the military come here though? There's nothing here they could be interested in," she mumbled, and he knew she was right.
"What if the spy could have told them of the attack, but scouts from the Fireflies could have found their new location?" he suggested, and she nodded, figuring they would go with that.
"We might just have to wait them out," Joel sighed, knowing how time consuming it would be, "Either that, or wait until they start fighting."
Ellie took a deep breath beside him, and he glanced over to see her start to rummage through her backpack. Her eyes widened and she looked over at him.
"What?" he asked, not understanding her alarm. She hesitated for a moment before answering.
"I forgot the pistol back at the last camp site," she answered, and he sighed, not sure of how to react.
Of course the pistol was special to him since it was his brother's, but he couldn't hold onto it forever.
"It's alright," he stated, but she shook her head, standing up.
"I'm going to go get it," she announced, starting to walk back towards the tree-filled area where their last camp was, "I'll be back soon."
He stopped her when he grabbed her wrist.
"I don't think it's a good idea for you to go alone," he said, looking her in the eyes. She looked away, pulling her switchblade out of her pocket.
"Here, to help keep you safe while I'm gone," the gesture was somewhat of a joke, but he knew she meant it, "I won't be gone long."
Joel watched her figure retreat back into the trees, and then set his sights on the coming battle.
Ellie walked through the trees, somewhat happy that Joel let her go alone.
I know he cares, but I'll be fine, she thought, glancing at the trees as she walked.
She came to the camp and smiled, seeing the pistol lying beside the now-burnt out fire they had built the night before.
She bent down and picked it up, checking for ammo. Her eyes widened when she realized that the gun was empty.
I could have sworn I at least had a few bullets; she frowned, but stood up, starting to walk back towards Joel.
She didn't know whether to trust her memory or not this time; her memory had seemed to start to be affected again when they had set out of the quarantine zone. She wouldn't tell Joel for fear of him worrying.
Pain sliced through her arm, and she stifled a scream, not wanting to alert the other groups that they were near. She looked over and her eyes widened when she saw a needle lodged in one of the trees.
Her hand went to her arm and was instantly red when she pulled it away. She glanced around; knowing a gun with no bullets wouldn't help much, especially if someone was attacking her from the shadows.
Although my attacker doesn't need to know that I don't have any bullets, she thought, holding tight onto the pistol as she looked around.
She didn't see anyone, and had just started to relax when something hard hit the back of her head, sending her to the ground.
The edges of her vision were just turning black as she held onto the pistol, feeling herself being dragged away before she lost consciousness.
Ellie is now separated from Joel again, but by whom? Was it a Firefly who attacked her, or the military? Or is it someone completely apart from the two groups? The next chapter will reveal the main antagonist, as well as more information about Ellie and Joel's pasts. This fanfiction will be ending very soon (so you can expect the epilogue at midnight). Please tell me your thoughts and ideas in a review!
-AnimeWolfGirl9
