Chapter 17 – Devastation

A dark red backpack was laid on the floor next to the couch in Ben's room, if it could be called his room at all. It was actually a room where he just slept, but lo and behold, he claimed it as his own. The age-thinned and frayed straps of the backpack dug into his shoulders when he slung it around his arms in a wide motion. Everything he owned was in there. Ammunition, a half-empty plastic water bottle, a bag of almonds and a military knife, all of it being the essential content of his backpack. Truth be told, backpack was actually older than he was and the zip got stuck sometimes, but it was all he had.

The crossbow was on the floor in the corner of the room, but it was practically useless — unless he used it as a club — because he had no bolts to arm it. It was a quality weapon, well built and preserved. It belonged to Abby before she gave it to him when they confronted the monstrosity that dwelled in the depths of the hospital. Abby, who killed Joel. Abby, who is here to kill us all. He had no intention of using it, precisely because it had once been Abby's.

He bumped into Ellie on his way out of the room, clutching his hunting rifle tightly. She wore her denim shirt, unbuttoned with torn sleeves, revealing numerous cuts and bruises on her hands. Short auburn hair, awkwardly trimmed, was tied in a small bun behind her head, while the rest of her hair fell down her neck almost touching her shoulders. Her bright, green eyes now blazed with hatred. Yet she looked surprised to see him, much to Ben's own surprise. Something tickled his stomach, as if he shouldn't be there.

"Your friend Abby's here." she said angrily, "Gonna reminisce on old times?"

Ben rolled his eyes, "Really, Ellie?" Why do you have to be such a damn child? Ugh. As much as she annoyed him, though, he tried not to blame her. Everything she went through very much justified her behavior.

"Whatever." Ellie said in the same angry voice and pushed past him, brushing him away from her path. At that moment, Jesse ran in with his weapons, ready as ever. Two young men nodded to each other, communicating silently, and proceeded downstairs.

"What do we do now?" Ben asked Tommy when they got to the entrance room, panic slowly swirling up inside of him.

It took a while for Tommy to answer that, but he would always find a way. He has to. The blond-haired man with the short ponytail looked thoughtfully into the distance and then shook his head, as if arguing with himself about something Ben wasn't able to hear.

"Find something to barricade the door." Tommy said at last. "Y'all got your weapons?"

"Mm-hmm."

Tommy was nervous and impatient as they barricaded the door with the help of a sofa, pressing it against the door width-wise. Ben found it weird that the sun wasn't rising in the east. The night seemed longer than it should have been, and there was still no sign of the enemy. Tommy paced nervously upstairs from window to window, watching the streets of Seattle carefully. Only pitch darkness could be seen through the windows, and Ben was suddenly tired. Time dragged on so slowly that it caused agony, he felt as if the next dawn would never come. Perhaps it won't for us. Tommy went back over to the main door to check the barricade, testing its strength, then explained the plan for the upcoming battle.

"Ellie." Tommy suddenly appeared before her, pointing his finger towards her face, "Don't do anything stupid. Don't let your feelings get the better of you. Stay calm and composed. Jesse." his finger moved over to the black haired young man. "Post up with Ellie under that counter. When I give you my signal, don't let anyone through that door."

Ben straightened up when Tommy finally turned to face him, "Walker, you're a good shot. Cover us from the flank."

Ben exchanged a short glance with Ellie.

"Scared?" he whispered to her, away from the ears of the others.

"No." Ellie answered, but he could see her body movements becoming tighter. Yet, the coldness towards him radiated out of her. She was never the one to hide her dissatisfaction about something.

"Remember, shoot at my signal. Not before, not after. Well, get on with it y'all, chop chop!" Tommy ordered, already out of patience, reminding them that the enemy was coming. Ben positioned himself behind the wall of the spiral staircase that led upstairs. He had a good view of everything that moved in the entrance room of the theater. The others also settled into their positions, Jesse behind the counter, next to Ellie, and Tommy on the balcony on the second floor, covering them from above, acting as a sniper. All four were evenly distributed throughout the room. Wolves had access to only one entrance to the theater, and whether they should enter, a rain of bullets would fall upon them from all sides. With some luck, the ambush should drive them to retreat and give Ben and the others more time they desperately need. Dina was safe in her room - for now, with Khan acting as her protector. All it took was to utter an order, and the white wolf would stay by Dina's side and protect her with his life. Considering the order would have to be issued by Ben himself. Dina was unable to fight. Pregnancy fever was killing her. She should have returned home to Jackson as soon as possible, where she would be cared for. Everything they could do in such a short period of time to protect themselves - they did. They covered the windows with curtains, covered the door with furniture, divided knives and ammunition.. but none of that made Ben feel safe.

No one spoke, the mood was gloomy. All that could be heard was the faint sound of rain coming from the outside. She's out there somewhere, he reminded himself. How did she find us? Ben calculated their chances. How many Wolves were creeping up on them? How well-armed were they?

Waiting was easier for him than Ellie, that was certain. He had all the practice in his hunting trips. Sometimes, he'd be out for several days hunting his prey, stalking it slowly throughout the woods. To her a day is a long time, a week even more. Ben's concept of time was so different, he'd sit, let his mind empty and enjoy the peace. That must be a reason he was such a good hunter, his patience. Yet again, peace was the last thing he had in his mind. Should I speak to her? Should I try to say something. No. Not enough time. Let's finish this and go home.

"Be careful." he managed to utter under his voice, unsure if she had heard it. She didn't react to it, anyway. Must be the distance. But then he caught her looking sideways at him, just for a moment, as if she was checking if he was still there.

The slam of the door came like punctuation. Before it, Ben had hope. After it, he had none. It crackled through the theater as loud as any whip, stinging at his insides, leaving him dying without an injury to show for his pains. One, two, three aggressive slams, as if they announced, We're here.

It was just a question of when the barricade would give way. And when it did, they would come in. The sound of voices, both male and female, followed the slams on the door unevenly. It was impossible to tell what they were saying, but judging by the tone and noise, orders were given away. Ben suddenly forgot what to do, and let the cold creep into his body. Tommy mentioned that he would give a signal when they needed to shoot. But what signal? The barricade would be destroyed in a few moments, and when Wolves enter, bloodshed will follow. Ben wished he was somewhere else. His lips moved saying the prayer, but no sound came out. In the end, it all came down to a realization. It will end here. Kill or be killed. Them or us.

Particleboard flew around the room when the upper part of the door fell apart and overturned over the furniture that was placed underneath. The figures penetrated inside, wearing jackets with the W.L.F. badges. One, two, three, four, Ben began counting, peeking over the edge of the wall, just enough to be able to see, still being invisible to their eyes. Tommy, where's the signal?

Four soldiers cautiously walked through the theater's entrance room, and more of them penetrated inside, crawling through the hole in the door. All of them were young, with hopeful faces. All of them have to be killed. Ben's eyes widened when he saw their leader, a staunch man with black hair tied in a bun, with a full beard that connected to his hair. The night suddenly became unusually quiet, and even the sound of rain or wind could no longer be heard. Behind him followed a soldier, his hair trimmed to a buzz cut Ben would recognize anywhere. Marco.

Manny kept his hands at chest height, clutching his outstretched rifle as he signaled to the others to move. That man doesn't give up! At least one of them had to check behind the counter behind which Jesse and Ellie were hiding, thus exposing to a risk of being shot from the side. But to get to the counter, Wolves would have to bypass many obstacles on the way in the form of old boxes and piles of old furniture, all of which they could use as a potential cover against the bullets. Unless Tommy signaled them to shoot, Jesse and Ellie would be discovered. Wolves moved in even steps, and more of them were coming inside. Five. Six Tommy?

Out of the corner of his eye, Ben managed to notice Ellie stirring impatiently. He raised his palm, signaling her to wait. She noticed him, even from that distance. They were some twenty – twenty five feet apart. He assumed Tommy was waiting for them to go deep enough inside to cut them off from the exit. Yet, more of them were coming inside, crawling through an opening in the door. Six. Seven. Tommy?

Wolves stepped forward with confidence. Perhaps they expected easy pickings, that Ben and the others would give up without a fight? His brain was racing for ways out. There were eight of them now, closer with each passing moment.

Ben gripped the hunting rifle tighter as he waited for Wolves to get even closer, shaking his head to drive away the drowsiness and clear his eyes. He warned himself that Manny and the rest would kill him if he missed and so he gathered all his strength, praying that his body will obey him just a little more. Manny was the second closest to the counter, Ben knew the moment had come.

A single sniper shot broke the stillness of the night. The signal! He jumped from the cover, momentarily shocked at how close Wolves managed to get to them. Manny stared at him in shock, mouth open. Ben pulled the trigger and the rifle exploded in his hands, recoil driving the stock deep into his shoulder. Ben cursed silently when the bullet missed Manny, but it still found the target and hit the soldier behind. Almost simultaneously, Ellie and Jesse opened fire, shooting down another two.

Their formation disintegrated and they scattered around the room. Of those eight, six were either dead or bleeding to death. All of them fell under the element of surprise. Those who survived cried out with raised bloody hands, while blood trickled from the wounds on their hips, chest and shoulders. Broken and unfulfilled, Ben was filled with intense horror and disgust. Above all, shock. Shocked at how swiftly it managed to startle and paralyze him. He stood there frozen, becoming a target wide open. But they seemed to be winning. Is it over? At that moment, Ben realized. Manny wasn't lying on the floor. Neither was Abby. Where is she?

Ben shifted from his thoughts to the sound of a metal rattle from the floor. Something flew through the crack in the door and rolled on the floor toward Ben. A white cloud of smoke engulfed the entire room when the smoke bomb exploded. Ben bent over sharply when his throat tightened, preventing him from breathing.

Walking backwards, he stumbled off the steps and fell on his back. At the same time, he raised the collar of his T-shirt above his nose in an attempt to make a mask that would allow him to breathe. He couldn't see anything, everything was so white and gray, and footsteps echoed on the floor. Quick steps and unfamiliar voices. More Wolves were lurking inside.

Senses sharpened with adrenaline. Ben held his breath, straining to hear with every ounce of his concentration. Cool air whispered through the theater's ventilation system. Wind howled on the outside like a wolf in the night of the full moon. Unknown voices called out to each other, giving out orders. "Advance! Advance!"

The wall of smoke cleared out, allowing Ben to see again. As he looked around, all he could see were corpses and stray limbs – who were once fine young men and women, who no longer had a future. Then a gunfire exploded for the second time, this time from both sides. Ellie moved fast in a high squat, switching from cover to cover, between piles of boxes, shooting relentlessly. Jesse held his ground behind the counter, shooting at soldiers coming through the hole in the door just as Tommy instructed him. Tommy was still invisible above them, but the noise of his sniper was very well recognizable. On the other side of the theater, Wolves held their ground and returned fire, dead set on winning this battle. That's what it was. A battle. And the theater became its battlefield.

Wolves were densely packed, following the covers that hung over them in the form of a piles of old boxes and furniture, high enough to protect them from direct bullet to the head. They moved cautiously, as one. The glass bottle flew over the air in a low arc, leaving a trail of fire behind. When it shattered into a thousand pieces, two Wolves burst into flames. The others around them backed away, to avoid the flames that blazed wildly, setting that section of theater on fire. Wolves still outnumbered them, but the group from Jackson managed to retain the advantage and a high ground.

Without a second thought, Ben fired two bullets then left his cover as bullets rained on him, jumping over the counter, landing next to Jesse. Tommy, up on the second floor, didn't hesitate between the shots. Only pause he ever made was during the reload. On his way across to Jesse, Ben was able to see a dozen of Wolves' corpses. Another dozen of them – those still alive – got inside, pressing forward. With a rifle in their hands, Ben and Jesse trained their sights on the soldiers in front of them, steadying the grip by leaning onto the edge of the counter. The sound of gunfire exploded in his ears, but in his mind, he was calm and oblivious to everything else except his targets.

Ellie, who was on the other side of the theater, managed to keep it even, firing at the Wolves' left flank, drawing some attention to herself. Three Wolves, lined up and led by Marco, advanced towards her, cornering her. Together, Ben and Jesse mowed them down. The first's head snapped backwards from the impact, and second stumbled by his side. Marco tried to get in the cover, but Ben put the bullet in his collarbone. Blood jutted out with his scream, and she died when Ben finished him off with a bullet to the head. On the floor, one continued to writhe, incapacitated.

The flame continued to burn with bright colors, yellow on the tips of wild tails that charred everything they touched, changing periodically into the darker shades of red at the bottom. Long red curtains hanging at the windows caught fire and smoked heavily.

Bodies continued to pile on the bloody theater parquet. Stench of stale powder mixed with blood filled the air, with no wind to carry it away. Wolves' advance was halted, allowing Ellie to retreat back towards the two of them.

The air was suddenly filled with the sound of breaking glass. Other than the gunfire, there was nothing that got Ben's attention sooner or heart accelerating faster. Ben was first on his feet, first to be alarmed, back against the cool plaster of the wall. In days gone by they would had assumed the innocent origin of the sound – not anymore. Breaking glass almost never heralded anything good. They're coming in from behind!

His efforts were interrupted by a volley fired in his direction. Forced to get down, he was cut off from his path. Another soldier advanced towards them, weapon outstretched forward. Jesse swapped the rifle with a shotgun and rose from his cover. The recoil of the weapon almost knocked him to his back, but it did the job. Man's head disappeared, his limp body fell lifelessly on the floor. Ellie abandoned her position, rushing towards the hall. Ben's point finger throbbed painfully from the constant pulling of the trigger. Jesse and him restlessly fired at the Wolves, mostly missing, but thus providing cover for Ellie who disappeared behind the double doors that led into the stage room. Fire licked around the theater like it meant to play, spreading with ease. The once pretty first floor was a maze of flame. At first, the parquet resisted, but blaze – fueled by the blood – consumed it, embracing another soldier into fiery death. The walls are soon alight and the black smoke billowed upwards, making it hard to breathe.

At that moment, time became a mystery, Ben lost the track of it. He lost the track of everything. He repeated same actions over and over. Breathe. Rise. Shoot. Duck. Breathe. Rise. Shoot. Duck. Breathe. Breathe. Breathe. On and on. Over and over again. Two Wolves emanaged to get to the counter, forcing the two young men from Jackson into the melee. Ben almost lost his eye when the knife flashed right before his face. Jesse and him prevailed only because Wolves attacked one at the time. Two more on the body count. Ben had only but a moment to glance at the theater that had been turned into the battlefield. There were fewer Wolves than a couple minutes ago. At least, less of those who were still alive. Manny was nowhere to be found, nor dead or alive. It troubled him. Manny was the craftiest and probably the best of all soldiers that were assaulting them. Cut off the head of a snake, and the body will die.

"Go!" Jesse screamed at Ben, overpowering the explosions of gunfire. "I'll cover you! She might need help back there!"

Jesse didn't have to say anything more. With a quick nod, Ben abandoned his position and ran off after Ellie, dodging the long tongues of fire that went wild, swallowing everything in their path. Bullets followed in his path, but Jesse managed to provide a crucial cover that allowed him to pass through the door unharmed. He ran across the slightly sloping floor - breathing deep as if every breath was his last - between rows of red folding chairs. As he ran, he built up enough momentum to easily jump on the stage. The weight of the backpack was dragging him down, but his legs were still strong. With a sharp movement of his hand, he parted the red curtain that led to the backstage, intending to find the girls, alive and well.

He stopped abruptly in his step when he saw a head on the floor, behind the old prop that was once used in the shows. The rest of the body was invisible, but a small lake of blood covered that part of the floor. Ben quickly switched to his pistol when he realized he was out of rifle rounds, and pressed on in a slower pace. Another dead body. The woman was shot right in the cheek, she was Asian, just like Jesse. Every time he'd see a body, his heart would skip a beat. Any of those could be Ellie or Dina. But they weren't. He spotted two more. Instead of bullet wounds, their throats were torn out. Khan did this. Where is he? His back pressed against the wall, he slid to his right, rolling one leg over the other. The wind blew through the open backstage door with a powerful passion, scattering old papers around as if they were leaves of fall. Theater had three possible entrances that Ben knew of. The front door, backstage exit and fire escape. Backstage door was wide open. How the hell did we forget about it?, he was angry at himself and the others. This could've been a deadly mistake if Ellie and Khan didn't stop those who sneaked from behind.

"Drop your fucking weapon!"

"Okay, okay! Fuck!"

Upon hearing this, he left the safety of caution and ran forward, between the huge props covered with curtains, and into the make-up room where Dina was. His eyes noticed Ellie's figure through the door, her hands raised. Revolver she used was dropped on the floor beneath her.

Whoever it is.. if you hurt her, I'll.. he ran in and raised his 9mm pistol at two women on the other side of the room. One clutched the other tightly around her neck, her pistol aimed at Ellie. Ben's eyes widened.

"You..?" woman's voice trembled. Black sleeveless shirt she wore revealed muscular arms any boy would envy her for. Long brown braid, damp from the rain, was slung over her shoulder, falling on her chest. "You're one of them?"

Out of the corner of his eyes, he noticed Ellie looking sideways at him, her hands still raised. Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!

"Abby." he said, surprised at the calmness of his voice, "Let her go."

Dina was as pale as a vampire. Sweat damped her whole face, and her knees were shaky. She was barely standing on her legs. Fever was killing her. Abby looked surprised to even see him there. Her mouth was wide open as if she couldn't believe the sight in front of her eyes.

"Let her go, Abby. She got nothing to do with this!" Khan's not here. Did she kill him? I can't see his body. Where is he?

Abby smiled, but there was no happiness in her smile. "Like you let my friends go?" her face, once the one of shock and disgust, turned into angry, hateful grimace. Her eyes were filled with hatred. Just like Ellie's. "Nora's the reason you're still alive, you fucker!"

Ben felt the sting of guilt once again.

"Put your gun down, Ben." she threatened, her arm pulling up, pressing the pistol against Dina's head. "Or I'll blow her head off."

Goddamn it all! What should I do? I could try to shoot her, but I'm risking Dina's life. What should I do? Think, Benjamin. Think!

"Put it down!" her voice was the storm.

Ben felt all the pressure of the world, as if the fate of it was on his back. The gun was slippery in his fists because of his sweaty palms. In a slow motion, he lowered his gun. His eyes were fixed on Abby, looking for any weakness he might take advantage of. Abby looked slightly, almost indistinguishably for a shortest, single moment, at Ellie. Found it! One blink was enough for Ben to raise his pistol again and pull the trigger. The bullet spat out of the barrel, invisible to the naked eye. It sliced the skin off Abby's neck, knocking her backwards more because of the sheer surprise than of the force. Dina collapsed on the floor, free of her grasp. Abby fell, but not before firing back in an awkward motion. Awkward, but still precise enough.

Ben was pushed back by an invisible force that pierced the right side of his hip. He closed, then opened his eyes in shock, realizing that he was falling. Ben's perception of time distorted, everything slowed down until Ben found himself on his knees. His eyes darted downwards in panic, noticing the blood soaking into his t-shirt, radiating outwards. Pulling the fabric up, he noticed a dark hole in his hip. Pain seared through his side better than a branding iron, his mind conceding to the torment, unable to bring any thought to completion. He pressed the left fist against the floor, using it as support not to fall over on his head.

Vision became blurred, but he could still hear well. Ellie screamed next to him, in fury, lunging forward at Abby who tried to regain her footing. Ben tried to stand up. He failed, and fell right back onto the floor. Grunts, screams, threats, curses all filled up the air in the room. I gotta help her, his mind reminded him. I have to help her.

A set of arms tried to pull him back on his feet. Ben cried in pain that paralyzed him, unable to stand up.

"Hold onto the wound." Dina's voice was unusually calm, even though it was trembling. Abby and Ellie were brawling on the other side of the room. Ellie charged forward, switchblade flashing in her hand like a poisonous snake as she sliced at Abby's arms which she raised to defend herself. Small red lines appeared on her forearm when she gripped the wrist of Ellie's right hand before punching her straight to the nose. Ben pressed the right hand against the wound, trying to prevent bleeding. "Stay here, I have to help her."

Ellie was thrown over the bed, falling in front of Ben. Ben could swear he saw a white ball of fur flashing in front of his eyes. He had to close his eyes for a moment, for his head was throbbing and pounding, like a toothache in the brain, right between the eyes, migraine, visual disturbances, excruciating, soaring. When he opened his eyes, Abby, Ellie and Dina were gone. But Khan remained, licking the wound on Ben's hip in an attempt to make it heal faster. Where's everyone? Did I lose my consciousness?

Ben twitched and tried to stand up, as if he had forgotten about the bleeding wound on his hip. He was reminded by another rush of pain that almost knocked him out cold. The wound was bad. The sweat dripped down his forehead, trickling down the left cheek.

The wolf by his side was as white as snow. Fur, short over his body and longer at the neck, was smooth and shiny. Khan's stance was confident and body muscular. Though hurt, wolf knew how to take care of himself.

"We have to find them, Khan." he uttered and tried to stand up once again. His left and right gripped the edges of the desk next to him, pulling upwards. Another wave of pain coursed through his side, but he was rising, slowly but surely. He still had to lean onto the desk for a few moments to retain the balance once he got back to his feet. "Come on. We have to find them."

First step was the hardest. After each, he had to force himself to make another one, praying that his knees wouldn't give in. A ghastly orange grin tore through the backstage, setting everything ablaze. Unfettered flames were devouring everything hungrily, first glowing red before cooling to black. The atmosphere was different, though. Not because of the black smoke that made it hard to breathe. The gunfire subsided. Corpses still remained, at least those that had not yet caught fire, but the battle seemed to have ended. Muffled screams entered through the open backstage exit. Or the battle is taking place somewhere else. Where is everyone? Please don't be dead. Ben reached for the backstage exit, entering the ruined outdoors of the city.

Ben turned around to look at the structure he had left behind him. The theater burned like a bonfire set with gasoline. A window blew out sending hot shards of glass into the unkempt streets. It was an inferno that would burn itself out. He turned his back to it, there was no going back inside.

The sun rose as a canopy of gold, bright amid the grey clouds. As darkness surrendered, every color changed from tinges of charcoal to a vibrancy. The dawn had come, driving the night away. The wind had remained, though, howling between the structures of Seattle. Behind the theater were side streets, separated from the avenue on the other side of the building. Many smaller streets branched off from the larger ones, half of which were completely covered with green grass and the overgrowth. A rain of bullets thundered through the air in one of the smaller streets, and then another weapon rang out some two hundred feet on the other side. A woman's scream sounded in that direction. The voice was more than familiar. Ellie.

With a pistol in his hand and just but a couple of bullets inside, Ben staggered towards the source of the voice. Khan followed in his pace. White wolf was unusually obedient. Even though Ben trained him since day he found him, Khan was still a wild animal. Upon hearing a crack behind him, he spun, almost falling in the process, seeing a figure with an outstretched gun on the other side of the street.

"Walker!" Tommy called out his name, lowering his pistol while approaching. He eyed the wound on Ben's hip closely, his face wrinkling up. "Seems bad. Not that bad since you're walking. But bad."

"Barely." Ben replied, thinking of Tommy's comment on walking. "Could use the help, though."

"Of course." Tommy said and helped him walk. Tommy grabbed Ben's arm over his shoulder with his left and held him under his arm with his right. Every step was painful.

"Over there." Ben pointed towards the street where he heard Ellie's scream. Please be alive. "Others?"

"Jesse ran out to help y'all in the back. I stayed to clear out the rest of 'em fuckers. Couldn't get them all before fire took 'em. Can't say I feel sorry for it. Managed to save a couple of bullets that way. " Tommy explained, his eyes darting around their surroundings, scanning for any signs of potential danger. His right still held the gun, even though he was helping Ben walk. Sniper, that usually hung around his shoulder at all times, was nowhere to be seen.

The crossroad they came upon wasn't particularly a big one, only three streets intertwined on it. But the middle section of it had collapsed into the tunnel below. The rhythmic clicking seemed to echo through the entirety of the tunnel below them. The clicking was joined in by the moaning and aggressive screaming. So many voices. Too many. God, how many of them are in there? A whole horde? He dreaded the thought of seeing that many infected in one place. Then he remembered. The gunfire from before was enough to draw the infected from the whole city.

Speaking of the infected, two runners charged at them, almost taking them off-guard. Ben grunted in pain when Tommy dropped him on the road to shoot at the runners. Once they were dealt with, the two of them proceeded into the street that branched off the larger one. Apartment buildings could be seen on both sides of the street, some of them collapsed completely. At the end of it, there was Abby, sitting atop Ellie, attempting to push Ellie's switchblade right into Ellie's neck. Ellie resisted, squirming like a fish on dry.

Tommy growled in rage, dropping Ben once again, shooting a barrage of bullets at Abby. From that distance, it was hard to hit. Most of the bullets missed, but the last one hit Abby in the shoulder, knocking her off Ellie. Attempting to finish the job, Tommy pulled the trigger for one last time, but the gun clicked, out of bullets. Older man cursed under his breath, reaching for a reserve clip tucked into his belt. By time he reloaded, Abby ran off into the one of the buildings, returning fire through the broken window of the first floor. Khan growled, revealing his teeth.

"Stay, Khan!" Ben ordered, unwilling to send the white wolf into his death. Abby was a hell of a shooter, Ben didn't want to risk it. Ben didn't notice Ellie who ran towards them. Her eyes widened and jaw dropped when she saw a wound on Ben's hip.

"Take him-" Tommy attempted to say something before being cut off by a bullet that swished right past his head, "-behind that car!"

Pain throbbed and tortured from his side as Ellie helped him walk to the safety of a cover, all while Tommy covered for them. Resting his back against the door of the car, Ben closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Shit, shit." Ellie cursed, leaning forward to inspect the wound, "How bad it is?"

Tommy cursed when he had to reload his pistol again, mentioning something about using the last clip.

"Bad." Ben said and smiled weakly, grinning in pain. "Could've been worse."

"You're so pale." she said, placing her fist on his forehead as if checking the temperature. Her eyes stared at him with concern, her face close to his, perhaps too close. "I can try to get the bullet out."

Her hand reached for his shirt, but he grabbed her by the wrist. "No. No time. Help Tommy."

She nodded shortly and looked at him for one last time before standing up. He could swear he noticed a tear forming in her eyes. Then, under the cover Tommy provided for her, she leaped out of the shelter in the form of an old rusty car and disappeared in the tall grass. End it, Ellie. End it, and let's go home at last. For a while, he just sat there, waiting for torment to end. Torment of pain or torment of wait? I don't know anymore. Khan stood tight next to him, ready to leap at any attacker that might surprise them. His blue piercing eyes stared right in Ben's soul. With a smile, Ben stroked his head. "I'm glad you're with me, bud."

What pained Ben the most was that he was useless in this fight, the final fight. He was afraid, now more than ever. Everything depends on the outcome of this fight.

There was a crack between the buildings, almost an inaudible sound. Ben turned his head to look at it instinctively, seeing a figure with an outstretched gun, some fifty feet away. Manny held his rifle steadily, aiming with one eye closed.

"Tommy!" Ben screamed in panic. Tommy twitched and turned around. His eyes widened when he spotted the soldier styling a manbun, but there was no time to react.

Bang.

Tommy's head snapped back from the impact, and he fell to his back. A puddle of black blood appeared under his head after he collapsed, almost within reach of Ben's hand.

"Noooo!" a voice cried out at the other end of the street. It was Ellie, no doubt. Ben's ears rang as he watched the older man lying on the ground, motionless on the grass that was painted red.

"Motherfucker!" was followed by two wild shots, both of which missed Wolf with a manbun. Ben looked up at Manny, frozen in horror. His face was smug and satisfied. There was even a hint of a smile on his face.

Khan revealed his teeth, growling at the wolf in human shape. White wolf lunged forward in an attempt to avenge Tommy's death for all of them. Khan leaped off his back feet, jumping high in the air, aiming for Manny's throat.

Bang.

It was as if the wolf had been pulled backwards with a tight rope. Animal almost made a backflip in midair, changing the direction completely. Ben gasped when the white fur hit the ground with a thud, blood leaking through Khan's mouth.

"Abby!" Manny suddenly screamed and another shot exploded in the street. Then he threw his gun away, which was presumably empty, and ran right past Ben with a knife in his hand. It didn't matter to Ben, though. His eyes were fixated on the white wolf some ten feet away. Ben crawled in the grass, leaving a red stain behind. It hurt. It hurt a lot. The wound on his hip was killing him, and he was aware of it. But the white wolf was right there in front of him, motionless.

"Khan.." he whispered, calling out for his friend. Wolf's white head was now red, his piercing blue eyes turned glossy. Ben saw an entry wound between his eyes. Tongue was stuck out through bloody teeth. Ben embraced the corpse, feeling a rush of tears in his eyes, sobbing. A part of him was praying. Please, Khan! Just move. Come on, bud! This is not the end.. God, no!

When he finally became aware of the fact that Khan wasn't going to move, look up at him, or tilt his head the way only he would, Ben let the body touch the grass, releasing the grip. With his left, he wiped the runny nose and tears off his cheeks, turning arou nd to face the man that killed his best friend. Dina and Jesse weren't there to help them, but it didn't matter anyway. Abby was lying on the grass on the other end of the street, seemingly motionless. Dead? Maybe. Maybe not. That must've provoked Manny's furious reaction. Ellie ran towards the collapsed crossroad, where Manny caught up to her and knocked her on the ground, sitting on her with his fingers encircled around her neck. Ben's life suddenly flashed right before his eyes.

Responsibility and guilt.

Tom was his younger brother, the one he had to protect. The one with life and future ahead of him. Tom was dead because of him. Because of Ben's recklessness, he got bit. Because of himself, Ben lost the most important person in his life. It was impossible to go back in time, to reverse what happened. But Ellie was still there, and he swore he'd bring her back home, alive and well. She was still alive, with life and future ahead of her.

Every thought stung, only fueling the fire that burned inside him. Every violated memory was like a gasoline to it, his fists began to clench and his jaw rooted. He rose to his feet, ignorant of the pain he felt as if there wasn't none at all. Primal instincts took over, and he ran, growling like a wild animal. Like a wolf that was about to hunt down his prey, fueled by fury and hatred. Ben's fingers gripped the collar of Manny's jacket and pulled him away from Ellie, who coughed and spat blood when the hands of death released her neck.

Ben felt the warmth on his hip, where the wound was, but not pain. He revealed his teeth as he stared daggers at Manny, intent on killing him.

"I will kill you for that!"

Manny looked back at him, taking a defensive stance, daring him to attack first.I will kill you! I'll rip your heart out and eat it!, voice screamed in his mind, and he lunged forward.

Manny dodged and threw his body weight behind the fist that edged closer to Ben's face. It hit his face with such force that blood pooled into his mouth. Pain erupted from the point of impact. With his own two hands, Ben grasped Manny's head and brought his knee cap up to his nose, there was a blunt crack, and he released his dark-haired head. Crimson leaked from both his nostrils and his nose was twisted right. He drew his fist back again and it ploughed into Ben's stomach, it was like hitting a train head on. His guts smashed together, blood vessels bursting. Ben repaid this by punching into his jaw. Two of them continued this battering until they both collapsed on the grass. Ben's chest gently rose and sank with each shallow breath he drew in.

The pain throbbed in his guts. It was deep and warm, but not in a nice way. He could move if it went away, but it wasn't. Ben could only hold still and breathe, breathe slow and deep, hoping the pain would go away. Blood covered his face like a paint, some of it went into his mouth. With the tip of his tongue, Ben tasted iron. If it weren't for the hole in his hip, he'd curl up right there in the grass and let it take him away to the next life, but he promised he'd bring Ellie home, so he had the fulfill his promise.

A set of voices sounded in the neighboring street, then a gunshot, followed by another one. Must be Jesse, Ben concluded, finding himself trying to get back to his feet to finish what Manny and him started. I hope Dina and Jesse are okay. They have to be. Getting back up was a struggle in itself. Manny had it much easier than him. He wasn't shot in the damn hip, damn it! While Ben struggled, Manny was already standing, staggering around him to pick the knife he dropped in the grass. Knife was the length of a forearm, the same as the one Ben used to kill Owen. A disturbing memory.

"You fucking trespassers.." he heard Manny curse under his breath, "..you had to fucking come and just fucking ruin everything!"

Manny's Hispanic accent was heavy. Ben looked up to see his bloody face, a broken nose. It looked as if he was missing a tooth as well.

You.." his face turned into a grimace of disgust. There were hints of regret even. Ellie was on her knees next to him, fighting it hard to get up. Her face was swollen and red. Blood leaked in small rills out of her nostrils, down at her lips, dripping off her chin. Ben couldn't get to her in time when Manny grabbed a piece of her hair and pulled up, getting into her face, placing the tip of his knife against her cheek.

"Oh, I'm gonna fucking kill you. For what you did to Abby and others." he threatened in a calmer voice, then cursed something in Spanish and pointed his knife at Ben, "You. I'm not going to kill you. Not yet, pendejo."

Then he looked back at Ellie, raising his knife. Behind him stretched the hole in the street, a part that had collapsed into the tunnels below, probably sewers judging by the stench. The rhythmic clicking continued to echo in the tunnels, conjoined with the other noises that the infected usually made. Runners, clickers, stalkers.. who knew exactly how many of them were down there?

Gray clouds of the overcast sky began to part, letting in the golden rays of sunlight, illuminating the world in a bit better light. Ellie screamed in pain as Manny dragged her by her head, over to the edge of the collapsed street. She was hovering over the edge, pressing her arms against the concrete, resisting to allow him to throw her down there.

"Don't do it!" Ben screamed at Manny, tears gathering already in his eyes. He knew it was futile, yet he tried to plead again. His voice gave in and no sound came out. Don't kill her!, he could still scream in his thoughts, and screamed he did. Manny could kill Ellie right there and then by slicing her throat open with a single move of his hand. But no, he wanted her to suffer for killing his friends. There was no doubt, he wanted to throw her into the pit full of infected just to watch her being ripped apart.

Jesse! Where the fuck are you?

Slowly, inch by inch, Ellie was closer to her doom. She resisted, clawing, grabbing, squirming, but Manny was stronger and bigger.

Please don't kill her! You mustn't!, he screamed internally, and the loudness of that mind-scream threatened to burst his head. Voices, dozens of different voices spoke in his mind. He could recognize several of them. Accusing voice of his sister Emily, disappointed voice of Ellie, but most important of all, voices of Nora, Owen, Mel and several others that were asking Why? Why did you kill us? He couldn't move, he couldn't think. He was crippled and paralyzed by them.

Is it raining, Ben?

One voice suddenly silenced the others. Tom asked him that same question once again. The last words he ever said to him. Little Tom asked about rain even though the day was as clear of clouds as ever. Sun was high in the sky back then, no clouds. It was warm, and bright. An image flashed before Ben's eyes. A child with blonde hair, younger version of himself. Wide smile adorned Tom's face as he ran towards Ben, older brother that he adored. I'm so sorry, Tom. Ben had never forgiven himself for that sin. The guilt he felt was eating him from the inside all these years. But it was time to put an end to it. The image was swapped with another one. Elliestanding on a porch, her back turned to him. She was looking into the distance, a landscape bathed orange by the setting sun. Ellie turned her head and looked at him sideways. A corner of her mouth turned upwards as she smiled at him. It was a sad smile.

Redemption.

Ben rose unsteadily to his feet. It would be against any doctor's order to be moving right in his condition, but there was no doctor to order him around and higher bids were at stake. Ben was staring at Manny who had his back turned on him, but Manny wasn't the only one Ben saw. Dad, mom, Tom, Khan, Joel, Tommy and countless others were transparent, but still visible. All of those he had lost. All of those he'd never see again. Maybe in the afterlife? Pfft, I'm going mad, he thought and smiled sadly. I hope all of you will forgive me. You too, Ellie.

With the last atom of strength, he rushed forward at the man who was killing the only girl Ben had ever loved. Manny looked up, shocked and terrified of what he'd seen. He knew well he had no time to dodge the charge of a raging bull. All he could do was to absorb the hit, and hope to resist the impact. Ben lowered his upper body, aiming for Manny's waist. He was aware that he had enough strength just for that one attempt. One last attack.

In an outburst of strength and adrenaline, Ben connected with Manny, his arms encircling around his waist. If he had tried anything else, Manny would have enough time to recover and counter the attack. Soldier was that good of a fighter. But even he wasn't immune to the element of surprise.

One moment Ben was rushing forward, eyes on Manny ahead and face showing his anger that radiated outwards. The next he was falling into the pit below, yet his expression was one of shock and horror. Ben closed his eyes, trying to make peace with himself. One part of him was satisfied. He saved Ellie, she was free to go home. Another part of him was filled with grief and regret. I just wish we had more time together.

Ellie's scream broke out as she stared at him from below, her right tattooed arm reaching out for him as if trying to grab him. She couldn't, but he didn't blame her. She was alive, and he did what he swore he'd do.

"Ben!" she heard her voice for one last time before everything turned black.