Even When the World Comes Down (Sequel to Always & Forever)

Chapter 53 - Joel

Waking up without Ellie was the last thing that would have ever crossed my mind. Knowing her, she was probably giving whoever it was that took her hell right now. She just had to keep that up until we got there. As Beth and I kept going further and further into the neighborhood, the sound of a gate opening in front of us caused me to leave my thoughts behind.

"Beth..." I said.

Before I could say any more, there was a single gunshot that rang out. We all went down and I groaned as Fiona collapsed on top of us.

"Beth? Beth?" I said.

"I'm good. Dammit. They got Fiona," she said.

She moved from under her and quickly helped me out.

"Are you okay?" she asked placing her hands on either side of my face.

"I'm fine," I said.

There was some more gunshots that came our way but luckily we had fallen right by a car that gave us cover.

"Where is she?!" I shouted at them.

"I'm gonna need you to stay crouched down okay?" Beth said.

"Yeah," I said with a nod.

She pulled out her gun and we moved behind a piece of concrete.

"How many are there?" I asked.

"I don't know," she said.

She waited a few seconds before she peeked over and fired a few times.

"Hard to tell. Just took out two of them," she said.

I pulled out my gun and did just as she had. Getting another one of them, they started to retreat.

"Fall back! Don't let them get you," one of them said.

"Let's move," Beth said.

She reloaded her gun and I followed her to where the assholes had come from.

"You're gonna tell us where she is, assholes!" she shouted when we reached a wooden fence.

She peeked over the side and some more shots were fired.

"Assholes. You go left and I go right," she turned to me and said.

"Got it," I said.

Holding up her gun, she moved in, quickly firing before any of them had the chance to. There was three of them and she took out two while I took out the last one.

"Well, that seems to be the last of them," she said looking around.

"These assholes are relentless," I said.

"You're telling me. Let's get out of here. The town should be in this direction," she said.

I followed her down a gap between two houses. As soon as we were out of there, a couple of them popped out of nowhere. One of them got a hold of Beth and then the other a hold of me.

"Let me go you piece of shit!" she shouted as she struggled to get free.

"This is gonna be fun," one of them said.

"Let her go!" I shouted.

I elbowed the one that had me, right in the face and he let me go. Beth had managed to get free from the other by kicking the hell out of his shin. She swung at him once and he was out cold.

"You assholes are coming with us," she said as she started dragging the one who had her into the house to the left of us.

I grabbed the other one and did the same.