Noah, hearing the shots, pressed his finger to his lips and cautiously approached the bunker door. Alise moved behind him, trying not to make any noise. Rex was right next to him, moving with surprising calm, as if sensing the gravity of the situation.
Noah opened the door a centimetre and looked outside. Then he stepped back and whispered: 'In the distance... there are people. Armed.
Alise felt her heart quicken. - Who are they?
Noah looked at her gravely. - A gang of highwaymen. They've been around a long time. Brutal, ruthless. They rob, kill for fun... If they notice us, they won't ask any questions.
Alise swallowed her saliva. - So... why the shots?
- They hunt. Probably game, maybe they wanted to shoot for fun. But we can't take any chances.
Rex flicked his tail as if waiting for their decision. Noah closed the bunker door as quietly as he could and locked it from the inside. Then he turned to Alise.
- We have to sneak out of here. Quietly. We go back to the factory, at least we have some protection there.
Alise nodded her head. Even though her legs felt like cotton wool, she tried to walk confidently. The three of them, Rex in the lead, moved towards the ruins of the factory, circling the bunker in a wide arc and sticking to the bushes.
Every rustle of leaves, every snap of a twig under their boots sounded like a gunshot. Alise felt tension in every cell of her body, but she knew she couldn't stop. Not now.
The walk back dragged on in silence, interrupted only by the sound of her cautious footsteps and the rustling of leaves underfoot. The sky was darkening and thick clouds were slowly moving over their heads, heralding the coming rain.
Rex moved first, alert and focused. Every now and then he would stop and sniff, as if to check if they were being followed. Alise stayed close to Noah, feeling her adrenaline rise with every glance over his shoulder, every nervous movement of his arm.
- Just a little further,' Noah whispered, pointing to the familiar outline of the old factory slowly emerging from behind the bushes. - We're close.
They quickened their pace, keeping low and creeping along the abandoned walls and dilapidated vehicles. As soon as they reached the entrance, Noah looked around carefully, then nodded.
- Clear. Let's go in.
Rex jumped through the damaged door first. Alise and Noah followed, and once inside, Noah breathed a sigh of relief and carefully bolted the entrance shut with the metal plate they had used earlier as a makeshift security device.
- It worked," he said quietly.
Alise sat down on the cold floor, her back against the wall. Only now did she realise how much her hands were shaking.
- I thought they were going to notice us... - she whispered. - All the time I had the feeling someone was watching us.
Noah sat down beside her, pulling her knees up to her chin.
- In this world... that impression never really goes away.
Outside the wind was howling, and somewhere in the distance another gunshot could be heard. But inside the factory, though cold and dilapidated, there was relative silence.
They were safe, at least for now.
Alise was silent for a long moment, sitting against the wall and looking at the dark, dusty interior of the factory. Finally she spoke softly: - Why are they doing this? These... bandits. Why do they kill and rob? It's sick.
Noah, leaning his back against a metal beam, looked at her seriously.
- Because they can," he said grimly. - After the collapse of society, there is nothing left to stop them. No rules, no penalties, no accountability. Anyone can do what they want... and some have always wanted one thing - to hurt others.
- But... no one stops them? - She asked, scowling.
- Who would? - Noah shrugged. - There are no police, no courts, no military. If you have a gun, you can defend yourself. If you are alone - you are unlikely to live long.
- So it's just... the law of the jungle? - Alise whispered.
- Yes, it is. And that's why most people either hide... or become a monster to survive.
Silence fell. Only a light wind rumbled somewhere in the cracks of the factory walls. Alise shivered - not just with cold, but with fear.
- This world is terrible," she said at last.
Noah frowned at her.
- I know, but if we want to survive... we have to be stronger.
Alise looked at Noah with uncertainty, as if hesitating whether to ask another question. But finally she spoke, her voice barely audible: "And you... have you ever killed anyone?
Noah did not answer immediately. He shifted his gaze somewhere in the distance, as if images he did not want to remember were running through his mind. After a moment he nodded.
- Yes," he said quietly. - I have killed. More than five... people from that gang. They tried to kill me, they ambushed me, once they even tried to kidnap Rex. I had no choice.
Alise did not speak, but listened intently.
- But beyond her? - Noah went on. - Never. I've never hurt anyone who didn't deserve it. I'm not a killer, Alise. It's just... sometimes in this world you have to fight to survive. And I'm just defending myself.
The girl nodded slowly, without judgement.
- I understand," she said quietly. - I think I would do the same if I were you.
Noah looked at her with a slight smile, relief at not seeing fear or contempt in her eyes.
- It's good you understand," he said. - This is not a world where you can be naive.