ENDURE [joel miller]

[2]

Chapter Two
Escape through the Night
Warnings: Mention of sexual assault near end, PTSD, vomiting

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NADIA MARTELL WAS STILL FAST ASLEEP by the time Tess Servopoulos pushed open the front door of the quaint apartment, cutting Joel Miller off right before he was about to scold the smug teen sitting in front of him for poking around. Both Joel and Ellie turned their attention to the woman, distracted by the noise. Seeing it was just the smuggler, Joel let his shoulders just barely drop before throwing a stern glare to Ellie—a silent warning to keep the hell out of his business.

"The spot under Landcaster looks good," Tess told them, letting the door swing shut behind her and dropping her bag and jacket down onto the small, wooden table. She quickly surveyed room, brows furrowed slightly as she asked, "Nadia not here yet?"

"She's sleeping," Ellie chimed in, throwing her head toward the entryway of the bedroom.

Tess nodded in acknowledgement, sending a look toward Joel that he skillfully avoided. It was unlike him to let the woman take the bed. Choosing to ignore the odd behavior of the man, she nodded toward Ellie's backpack, "you got a jacket in your pack?"

"Yeah."

"Okay. Get it. It's time to go."

As Ellie moved to do as directed, Tess went to grab Joel's backpack and tan jacket. She tossed it to him as she neared the doorway to the bedroom, eyes softening as she took in the sight of Nadia curled up in the center of the bed. At some point in her sleep, she had twisted around, face pointed toward the opening in the wall instead of her back. Sleep lightened by the chattering of the others, her nose was scrunched up and lips parted as incoherent mumbles left them.

Distracted by the sleeping girl, Tess almost jumped as Joel settled stepped her in front of the doorway. For a moment, he swore he saw the ghost of a girl he had left behind twenty years ago. The man pushed away the thought quickly. Nadia Martell is dead—the couple Tommy and he had left he with had told them so, just a few years after the outbreak when Tommy had run into them in the Boston QZ.

"You trust her?" he quietly questioned, keeping his voice down so neither Ellie nor the sleeping girl would hear him.

"With my life."

Joel grunted, unsure how to feel about the unknown woman but at least at ease with her presence now. Tess was one of the people he trusted most in this world. He knew that she wouldn't lie to him.

With a sigh, almost regretful to break the girl from her rest, Tess raised her voice, "Nadia."

The sleeping girl jolted at the loud noise, eyes flying open and hand reaching for the gun she had tucked under the pillow. Before either smuggler could react, she had shoved herself upward and pointed the weapon at them.

"Woah," Tess exclaimed, hand moving out in front of her in an effort to calm the startled woman. Joel's muscles tensed, ready to shove the woman beside him away if need be. He cursed himself for not having his gun on him in the moment—hand twitching at his side.

It took a split-second for Nadia to gather her bearings, panicked eyes turning apologetic as she lowered the weapon. "Shit, Tess," Nadia swore, catching her breath, "how many times do I gotta tell you not to wake me like that."

"Sorry, Dia," the Servopoulos woman didn't look it, "it's time to go, though. Spot under Landcaster—better wear a jacket."

Recognizing the place from one of the few times Tess had taken Nadia smuggling with her, the auburn-haired woman nodded. She ran her hand over her hair to smooth it down before slipping out of the bed, unaware of Joel's watchful eyes still on her even when Tess had retreated from the doorway.