The taller of the two men died before the sound of the shot reached him. To Joel the entire scene was moving in slow motion. He moved the still smoking rifle barrel towards Carl. He could see that it had taken the shorter scavenger a second to react, but even so he was now taking cover behind the nearest tree. The body of the man Joel shot had not yet finished falling. In the confusion it seemed as though it had been the last to realise it had been hit. Joel aimed and fired another shot. The bullet spraying wood fragments where it had imbedded into the tree behind where Carls head had been a second earlier. Joel had missed the shot and the world sped up again.
Joel cursed to himself. One bullet left. He kept low and still. He could hear branches snapping ahead of him, moving away. Joel could feel the panic rising in his chest. If the attacker got away now, there was no way of knowing how many men would be decending on the camp; no way of knowing when it would happen. He knew he couldn't, he wouldn't, put Ellie in that sort of danger. He knew the time for being cautious had passed.
Joel started to blindly run in the direction of the noise he could hear. He quickly closed the gap to where Carl and the other man had been talking not even a minute ago. He didn't even pause as he jumped over the body the newly fallen tall man. He ran on for a few more seconds then stopped. Listened. The undergrowth here was thinning out and although there were less trees it was still tough to see very far. He paused and listened.
Crack.
He turned his head to the right. Tracking the noise. His assailant was definitely heading out of the forest. Joel didn't have much time left to find him. He set off at a pace again; ran for another minute and then he slowed. He'd reached the edge of the trees. Stretching out before him was a large empty field. Carl was not there. He took a few steps into the field, slowly turning completely around as he listened. There was no noise. He looked again across the empty expanse in front of him wondering how Carl had gotten away. Joel dropped his rifle and bent over to fully catch his breath after running. I'm getting too old for this, he thought to himself. Joel knew he needed a new plan. He had to find the man called Carl. Joel straightened up, lost in thought.
The sudden blow into his back took Joel completely by suprise. It felt like he'd been hit by a car, rather than by Carl diving into him.
The force of the impact sent Joel rolling across the grass. He was dazed; the wind knocked out of him. He got to his knees as he looked around. Carl's momentum had also sent him to the ground after the collision. Joel could see him getting back to his feet. Joel looked in the other direction, his rifle was out of reach now. Joel looked back at Carl who was now standing up; looking back at him. Carl was grimly smiling at him. The scavenger was much closer than the rifle. Joel could feel his head clearing. As he locked his gaze at Carl he could feel his muscles tightening.
Joel's world slowed down again as he launched himself at Carl.