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 the man was now taking cover, diving behind the nearest tree.

The body of the man Joel had shot had not yet finished falling. In the confusion it seemed as though it had been the last to realise that it had been hit. In the place Joel found himself in, where milliseconds seemed to stretch to minutes, Joel ignored everything else. There was just the rifle barrel and Carl.

Joel aimed and fired another shot.

The bullet sprayed wood fragments from a tree, impending itself deeply, directly behind where Carl's head had been a fraction of a second earlier.

Joel had missed the shot and the world sped up again.

Joel cursed to himself as he checked the rifle.

Only one bullet left.

Now with no possibility of stealth and surprise he kept low and still, awaiting the return of bullets he was certain would imminently follow. None came. Instead he heard branches snapping ahead of him mixed with the sounds of footsteps moving away. Joel could feel the panic rising in his chest. If the attacker got away now, there was no way of knowing if he had radioed back to Boston; no way of knowing if Tess was in danger. He knew he couldn't take any chances.

He knew the time for being cautious had passed.

Can't let this guy get away.

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 less than 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. He Listened. The undergrowth here was thinning out and although there were less trees it was still tough to see very far, the trees replaced by thick bushes and tall forest plants. He paused and listened.

Crack.

He turned his head to the right. Tracking the noise. His assailant was definitely moving away from him, trying to head out of the forest. Joel knew he didn't have much time left.

If Carl leaves this wood and heads into the area beyond then I won't be able to track him so easily.

He set off at a pace again in the direction he had heard the noise; he 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.

I should be able to see him. He wasn't that quick, surely...

Joel 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. He had to stop him before he could radio back to Boston. He had to do it now.

Joel straightened up, lost in thought.

The sudden blow into his neck and back took Joel completely by surprise.

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. His head spun as he slowly got to his knees. He looked around. Carl's momentum had also sent him to the ground after the collision, he could now see the other man getting back to his feet. Joel looked in the other direction, his rifle was out of reach. 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.

Guess we'll do this the old fashioned way then...

Joel's world slowed down again as he launched himself at Carl.