Three days Later

Mark and Nate stumbled through the alley, their breaths coming in ragged gasps. Mark leaned heavily on Nate, his leg throbbing where Ellie's bullet had grazed him.

"That kid is insane," Mark hissed, wincing as they ducked behind a dumpster.

"She's not just a kid," Nate said grimly, scanning the area. "Did you see how calm she was? How precise?"

Mark shook his head in disbelief. "This doesn't make sense. She was just a scared little girl a few days ago!"

"Think," Nate urged, his voice low but firm. "She mentioned scientists. Experiments. Whoever she's working for, they must've planned this from the start."

Mark's jaw tightened. "She didn't even hesitate. She shot Ray like—" He stopped, the words catching in his throat. "Do you think she's...?"

Nate's expression darkened, but he didn't answer.

Mark slammed his fist against the dumpster, his voice rising in frustration. "We should've seen it! The way she barely flinched around the zombies, how she acted so calm when we found her—she played us, man!"

Nate grabbed Mark's shoulder, steadying him. "Focus. We need to figure out our next move. If Ellie's working with someone, they'll be coming after us, and we can't outrun them like this."

Mark nodded reluctantly, his breaths slowing. "Fine. But if we find her again, I'm not holding back."

Nate didn't reply, his eyes scanning the horizon. "We need to find shelter first. Somewhere to regroup and patch you up." Back in the warehouse, Ellie stood on the roof, her small figure silhouetted against the rising sun. She held the radio to her ear as a voice crackled through.

"Status?"

"They're on the move," Ellie replied, her tone flat. "The girl might be dead. The others won't get far in his condition."

There was a pause on the other end before the voice responded. "Good. Stay on them. We need more data."

Ellie frowned slightly, a flicker of something human crossing her face. "Why bother? They're just like the others—weak, scared, predictable."

"Because the experiment isn't finished," the voice replied sharply. "You have your orders. Do not deviate."

Ellie's hand tightened on the radio, but her voice remained calm. "Understood." She clipped the device to her belt, her eyes scanning the streets below. Meanwhile, back in the warehouse, Ray's fingers twitched against the cold floor. Her chest burned with every shallow breath, but she was alive. Barely.

The bullet wounds had missed anything vital, though not by much. The pain was excruciating, and her vision swam as she tried to move.

"Not... yet," she whispered to herself, teeth gritted. She couldn't die here—not after everything.

She dragged herself toward the shattered door, leaving a faint trail of blood in her wake. Every movement sent fresh waves of agony through her body, but she refused to stop.

Ray's mind raced, replaying Ellie's betrayal. The cold detachment in her voice, the precision of her shots—it didn't add up. A child couldn't be that skilled, that emotionless.

"Scientists," she muttered, her voice hoarse. "What... do they want?"

Reaching the doorway, she collapsed against the frame, her breathing ragged. She needed to find Mark and Nate, to warn them. Ellie wasn't working alone, and whoever was behind this was far more dangerous than she'd imagined. Mark and Nate had holed up in an old convenience store, barricading the doors with whatever they could find. Mark sat on the floor, his leg hastily bandaged with scraps of cloth.