Holding the red-haired woman's right arm tightly twisted behind her back, Brian watched with mild amusement as the young girl with the bow rushed forward, her face tense with caution.
He looked at her own slightly curled red hair and, half-jokingly, asked,
"Are you two sisters?"
Hannah gripped her bow tightly, not answering. Her mind raced, searching for a way to save her sister.
She couldn't believe how skilled this soldier was. They had set a trap for him—and now he had turned the tables, capturing them.
Perhaps from tension, sweat quickly dampened Hannah's cheeks. Usually, it was her sister who found solutions. This situation—being the one who had to act—was something entirely new in her life.
Andrea, of course, knew her sister's state of mind better than anyone. She was also thinking fast, even considering a sudden move—using the soldier's focus on Hannah to break free.
But then she remembered his sharp reflexes and the knife at her throat. She abandoned the idea. Even if she escaped, she and Hannah wouldn't stand a chance against him. And Leo was still unconscious.
So she decided to try negotiation. Calmly, she said,
"We mean no harm. We just want to talk."
"No harm?" Brian raised an eyebrow, glancing at the two arrows still embedded in the shop door. "Are you sure?"
Andrea felt a flush of embarrassment. She hadn't expected things to go this way. They'd only meant to confirm his identity. When they sensed his intentions, they decided to turn the trap around—capture him. But they hadn't counted on this…
Before she could respond, Brian continued,
"If you really mean no harm, tell your sister to lower her bow. Then we can talk."
His tone was conversational, but the slight pressure of the knife against her neck and the cold edge in his voice made it clear—it was a threat.
They were the knife. She was the fish.
What could Andrea do? She looked at her sister and said,
"Hannah, put the bow down."
"But…"
Hannah clearly hesitated, unwilling. But with her sister's life at stake, she only paused a moment before slowly releasing the tension on the bowstring and lowering it.
"Throw it over."
Seeing that Hannah was still in a combat stance, clearly looking for an opening, Brian didn't waste words.
Hannah stiffened, her fingers trembling slightly as she gripped the bow. But she finally threw it aside.
—Clack!
The bow landed with a sharp sound, several meters away.
Brian glanced at it, confirmed it was no longer a threat, and slowly lowered the knife. With his other hand, he gently pushed the red-haired woman forward, releasing her.
Then he stepped back and sat on a chair beside the shop, watching the two women.
"Talk. Why were you following me?"
But he paused mid-sentence. After the fight and the struggle, he hadn't paid attention to the others' faces. Now, as he looked at the woman he'd just released, something clicked in his mind.
"…Andrea?"
The woman, rubbing her sore wrist, froze at the sound of her name.
"You… you know me?"
"Whoa! It is you!"
Brian remembered the sketchbook he'd found in the mall. The woman in the drawing. The note: For my beloved: Andrea.
"Is your boyfriend named Ed?"
"E… Ed?"
At the name, Andrea's expression lit up with emotion. Her heart raced. She forced herself to stay calm, but her voice trembled.
"Did… did you see him? Where is he?"
"He's in the shopping mall," Brian said, showing no pity. He'd seen too many deaths to be moved. "But he's already a corpse."
"Wh… what?"
Andrea felt like lightning had struck her. Her body froze. Then, like a deflated balloon, she collapsed. Only Hannah's arm kept her from falling to the ground.
She'd had no news for so long. Deep down, she'd already suspected the worst. But she didn't want to accept it. She'd clung to hope.
Now, that hope was shattered.
Tears burst forth uncontrollably. She covered her face and sobbed quietly.
Brian looked away, indifferent. He waited in silence for her to finish, though deep down, he regretted asking such a pointless question.
Hannah held her grieving sister, comforting her. But her eyes never left Brian—filled with distrust.
—Ugh!
Suddenly, Leo, who had been lying unconscious, sat up, clutching his head in pain.
"An… Andrea… Hannah… what…?"
"That guy! Did he hurt you?!"
As he lifted his head, he saw Andrea crying and Hannah consoling her. At first confused, then remembering, he shot to his feet and scanned the area.
When he saw Brian sitting calmly nearby, he shouted and lunged forward.
"Stop!"
Andrea's voice snapped him back. She had regained some composure.
Leo froze, looking at her in confusion. But seeing her expression, he stepped back and moved behind her.
Andrea wiped her tears, took a deep breath, and steadied herself. She looked at Brian.
"Thank you… for telling me about Ed."
Then she glanced at the assault rifle on his backpack and the pistol at his waist.
"And thank you… for not killing us."
"I didn't kill you because you didn't try to kill me," Brian said, eyeing Leo's rifle and Hannah's arrows. "You only tried to stop me."
Then he returned to the conversation.
"Don't waste time. Why were you following me?"
"Because of your uniform," Andrea said. "We wanted to know if you were a soldier from the quarantine zone… or just someone who found military gear."
Brian remembered the note he'd found in the mall.
"You want to go to the Atlanta Quarantine Zone?"
"Yes!"
Before Andrea could answer, Leo burst in, excited.
"That's why we had to confirm your identity! Your movements, your reflexes—they're clearly trained! And you know about the quarantine zone! You are a soldier, right?!"
Brian gave a noncommittal smile.
"Judging by your condition, you've been here for days, haven't you? Why haven't you left? Aren't you afraid the locals will capture you?"
The question hung in the air, freezing the moment.
Andrea stared at Brian, surprised.
"You… you know there are other survivors here?"
"Of course. And I know they're many."
Andrea studied him. She'd underestimated the soldier. She thought, since he'd just arrived, he couldn't know much. But he seemed to know everything.
After a pause, she decided not to hide anything. She told him everything—their origins, what had happened, why they came, why they stayed, even where they were hiding now.
Even if Brian didn't admit it, Andrea felt he was from the quarantine zone. If she wanted his help, she had to earn his trust first. Only then would they have a chance to rescue their captured comrades.