Stevens Street was a small, unremarkable lane in Peachtree City. Though it looked ordinary, the shops on either side were arranged in a chaotic maze of twisting alleys. Entering it felt like stepping into a labyrinth with no clear exit.
"Hannah, are you sure this is the right way? Why can't I see the shopping mall you mentioned yet?"
On the roof of a residential building, a man in his thirties wearing a black tank top and holding a rifle crouched low. He scanned the rows of shops ahead and turned to a young girl beside him, who held a bow in her hands.
"Not quite yet, Uncle Leo," Hannah replied, mentally comparing the surrounding blocks with the location of the mall. "We need to keep moving north for about five more kilometers."
"Still that far…"
Hearing the girl's answer, Leo shifted his gaze to the other woman—Andrea, the red-haired woman who bore a strong resemblance to Hannah.
"Andrea, are you sure your sister actually saw a soldier? What if it's one of them again?"
"I trust what Hannah says," Andrea replied, frowning slightly at Leo's doubt.
"Fine, fine. If you say so."
Leo shrugged, pretending indifference. But deep down, he hoped Hannah was right. If it truly was a soldier, they might finally have a chance to enter the quarantine zone—no more living in constant fear, always wondering when they'd be killed by some unknown group or a horde of infected.
People who had never wandered the outside couldn't understand how cruel the post-apocalyptic world truly was. Survival was far harder than anyone imagined. That's why they were willing to walk for months just to reach the quarantine zone. They were done with this endless, desperate wandering.
If Brian had known their thoughts, he would have laughed out loud. Because of government corruption and ongoing clashes with the Resistance, some residents inside the quarantine zone had grown so tired of the violence that they actually dreamed of escaping.
It was a bitter irony: those outside were desperate to get in, while those inside were desperate to get out.
"Look! There's someone!"
As they were about to move, Hannah—who had been watching the rear—suddenly hissed and pointed behind them.
"Hmm!"
At her warning, Leo and Andrea instantly tensed, lowering their bodies further as they turned to look.
They saw a man in a military combat uniform, carrying two white plastic fuel cans. He looked young, barely twenty.
Their eyes stayed locked on him as he passed by. Then, as if tired, he slowed his pace, walking casually forward.
"It's him!"
Before they could react, Hannah gasped, tugging urgently at her sister's sleeve.
"That's the same man I saw yesterday in the mall!"
"Holy shit, he's really a soldier!"
Leo nearly jumped up in excitement, ready to shout out.
But Andrea grabbed his arm.
"Don't act rashly! What if he's not a real soldier? What if he's working with them?"
Leo paused. That made sense. He glanced at the soldier's retreating figure.
"So what do we do?"
"We follow him. Observe first."
Andrea thought for a moment. She needed to know if he was alone or part of a convoy. Was he truly a soldier from the quarantine zone, or just someone wearing a stolen uniform? That's what mattered.
"Fine."
Leo had no objection. At a moment like this, caution was key.
The three climbed down from the roof and, using overgrown bushes and abandoned cars as cover, began tailing the soldier carrying the two fuel cans.
But after half a block, the soldier suddenly stopped, as if he'd spotted something valuable. He turned left into a side street they couldn't see.
The three had been keeping their distance to avoid detection. Now, startled, they forgot caution and rushed forward.
When they reached the street, the soldier was already gone.
"Where did he go?!"
Leo was frantic, scratching his head, scanning every direction.
Andrea, however, slowly frowned. Something felt off, but she couldn't pinpoint it. She said, "Don't panic. If he went in here, he must be inside one of these shops. Let's split up and search. We'll use the signal to regroup."
"Got it."
The three moved quietly forward, checking the stores. At a three-way intersection, they split—each taking a different path.
Shortly after they left, Brian slowly rose from the rooftop where he'd been watching. He hadn't expected only three people to follow him—and two were women. The younger girl looked about Alan's age, and their gear was extremely basic.
And things were going even better than he'd hoped. Not only had they failed to spot him, but they'd split up—making it easy for him to deal with them one by one.
When he saw the red-haired woman, Brian suddenly felt she looked familiar. Like he'd seen her somewhere before.
But he pushed the thought aside. With a few quick movements, he dropped from the roof and followed the older red-haired woman—the apparent leader. It didn't matter who they were or which group they belonged to. First, he'd capture one and get answers.
He followed her, glancing at her back occasionally, but mostly using his peripheral vision—never staring directly.
After a safe distance, he judged they were far enough that the others couldn't hear. He crouched low and began closing in fast from behind.
On the quiet street, two people moved—but only one set of footsteps echoed.
As he neared, Brian extended his hands, ready to lunge and subdue her.
—Thwip!
But just as he was about to strike, a sharp whoosh cut the air. An arrow slammed into the door of a shop beside him, freezing his movement.
Brian stared at the arrow embedded in front of him. His pupils contracted. He'd been tricked.
He turned his head. Sure enough, the girl with the bow was crouched on a nearby rooftop.
At the same time, Andrea—who had been walking forward—spun around with lightning speed and launched a sweeping kick backward.
Brian dodged with agility, evading the strike. He started to retreat, but then remembered: the third one hasn't appeared yet.
His mind raced. If all three had set this trap, they wouldn't let him escape easily. His eyes flashed. He made a move no one expected: just before reaching the corner, he abruptly crouched down.
At that exact moment, a figure lunged from the corner—Leo, arms outstretched, trying to grab and restrain Brian.
But Brian's sudden move made Leo miss. The momentum threw him off balance, his body lurching forward, feet stumbling.
Brian seized the moment. He grabbed one of Leo's legs, yanked hard, and used his back as a fulcrum. In one explosive motion, he stood up—lifting Leo onto his shoulders.
"Ah~~!"
Leo, now hoisted in the air, thrashed wildly. He kicked, reached for Brian's face, desperate to create an opening for his allies.
But Brian had no intention of carrying a conscious man. As he rose, he drove a brutal elbow into Leo's temple—knocking him out instantly.
Then, using Leo as a human shield, he blocked Hannah's arrows. She couldn't risk shooting—afraid of hitting her friend.
When Andrea rushed in to rescue Leo, Brian smirked—his trap had worked. With force, he hurled the unconscious body toward her.
Andrea couldn't let her comrade fall. She reached out and caught him, but the man's weight sent her stumbling backward, off-balance, unable to see Brian's next move.
But Hannah, on the rooftop, saw everything clearly.
She nocked an arrow, fired—knowing it wouldn't hit, but hoping to slow him—and jumped to the ground. She drew another arrow and charged forward.
When she arrived, she saw Leo unconscious on the ground.
And the soldier standing behind her sister, his right arm locked around her neck, a sharp knife pressed to her throat.
"Don't move," Brian said, voice cold.