The Last of Us

Chapter X

Joel's POV

I land on all fours and rub my head in pain.

"Don't do anything stupid." I hear.

"Move." I hear again. I struggle to get up.

"Turn around. On your knees."

"You scan 'em. I'll call it in."

"Alright." We all get on our knees.

"Put your hands on your head." I hear a patrol. The two of them circle around us and we all obey. I hear the woman say;

"This is Ramirez at Sector Twelve. Requesting pickup for three stragglers. Understood." The man has his gun at Tess in one hand and a scanner in the other. I hear her speak up.

"Look the other way. We can make this worth your while." He finishes scanning.

"Shut up." I hear him say and he does the same to me. "I'm getting tired of this shit."

"Um-Hmm." He scans Ellie and asks the woman.

"What's the ETA."

"Couple a minutes."

"Oh, man. Oh, man." I hear Ellie say frantically. She reaches into her pocket, pulling out a switchblade and stabs the guy in the knee. "Sorry." He grunts and she grabs his arm but he hits her making her fall back.

I attack him and he shoots his gun. I hear Tess shoot the other and I hold the guys hand so his gun is aimed at his head. I pull the trigger and drop the gun. Ellie backs up.

"Oh.... Oh, fuck." She says. "I thought we were just gonna hold them up or something." Tess picks up the scanner and looks at it.

"Oh, shit." Tess says. "Look." She throws the scanner at me. I look at it and there's a blinking red word. INFECTED.

"Jesus Christ." I say and look at Ellie. "Marlene set us up?" I walk to Tess and look at Ellie again. "Why the hell are we smuggling an infected girl?" Ellie shakes her head her eyes big.

"I'm not infected."

"No?" I throw the scanner at her. "So was this lyin'?" She looks at it.

"I can explain."

"You better explain fast." Tess says walking next to me holding her gun.

Ellie pulls her sleeve showing the bite.

"Look at this!"

"I don't care how you got infected." I wave my hand, dismissing it.

"It's three weeks old."

"No. Everyone turns within two days." Tess interrupts. "So you stop bullshitting."

"It's three weeks. I swear. Why would she set you up?"

I dismiss it again and walk away a bit. "I ain't buying it."