Chapter 13 THE TRAITOR AMONG US

Ethan remained by the broken window for several seconds. The rooftop across the street stood empty beneath the darkness. Wind swept through the abandoned buildings and carried bits of ash into the night sky. He searched the surrounding area one last time before stepping away from the window.

Something felt wrong not  because of the figure.

Because the city had become too quiet.

The distant gunfire that usually echoed through Ashvale had stopped. Even the growls that often drifted through the streets seemed fewer than before. The silence pressed against the building like a warning.

Ethan moved deeper into the police station.

Marcus sat against a wall cleaning his weapon Rachel rested nearby with her eyes closed. Victor remained awake, the older man glanced up.

"You saw something."

Ethan nodded.

"A person."

Victor frowned.

"Bandit?"

"I don't know."

Victor stared toward the window.

"Then assume the worst."

That was how people survived now, assume the worst, trust nothing, sleep lightly. Ethan eventually settled near the entrance and closed his eyes. The night passed slowly. A loud crash woke everyone before sunrise. Marcus jumped to his feet, Rachel grabbed her rifle, Victor rushed toward a window, Another crash followed as glass shattered somewhere outside.

Tyler sat upright in panic.

"What was that?"

Nobody answered, the group moved carefully toward the front of the station. Victor peeked through a narrow opening. His face darkened.

"Trouble."

The word was enough, everyone moved into position. Across the street several people sprinted between abandoned vehicles. Some carried bags while others dragged wounded companions. There were nearly twenty of them.

Survivors.

Behind them came dozens of infected. The creatures poured from side streets and alleyways. A woman stumbled, a man tried to help her. The infected reached them first as a creams filled the street.

The survivors scattered, blood splashed across the pavement. Tyler turned away, Sophia grabbed his shoulder, The infected continued chasing the others. Some reached the police station. Fists slammed against the locked doors.

"Help us!"

"Please!"

"We have children!"

Marcus looked at Victor but Victor looked outside.

The infected were getting closer. If they opened the doors, they risked bringing danger inside. If they refused, innocent people would die. The decision lasted only a few seconds.

Rachel cursed.

"Open it."

Marcus rushed forward and the  barricade came apart.The doors swung inward as people flooded inside.

Men, women, two children and an elderly couple. Everyone scrambled through the entrance. Marcus and Ethan immediately pushed the barricade back into place. A second later infected creatures smashed into the outside of the station.

The entire entrance shook as s someone screamed. Tyler nearly fell backward.

The pounding continued then stopped as a lence returned. Heavy breathing filled the room. The newcomers collapsed against walls and furniture.

Several cried openly one  man clutched a bleeding arm, Sophia hurried over.

The wound wasn't a bite; just a deep cut that  brought relief for the moment. An older woman stepped forward.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Nobody replied, trust was expensive now.

Hours passed the station remained secure. The infected eventually wandered away. The survivors settled down.

Some slept while others shared food; the atmosphere slowly relaxed.

But then Ethan noticed it first. One of the newcomers kept staring at the building's back exit. A young man maybe twenty-five.

Thin and nervous; his eyes moved constantly.

He barely spoke.

Victor noticed him too; the hunter quietly approached Ethan.

"Watch him."

Ethan nodded. As afternoon arrived the stranger slipped away from the main room.

Ethan followed. The man moved through a corridor toward the rear of the station. He stopped beside a side door and unlocked it.

Ethan's eyes widened. The man pushed the door open and fresh air rushed inside.

"So that's what you're doing."

The stranger spun around with fear crossed his face. Then footsteps echoed outside.

Ethan looked beyond the doorway and his stomach dropped.

Dozens of infected stood in the alley; the stranger had led them there.

The man bolted. Ethan lunged his fingers brushed the man's jacket but he missed. The traitor sprinted toward the front of the building. A second later infected creatures burst through the open doorway as chaos exploded.

Rachel opened fire, Marcus charged forward. Victor dropped two creatures before they crossed the hallway as more poured inside.

Ethan slammed one into a wall but another leaped toward him; he ducked. The creature crashed through a desk. Screams echoed from the main room.  People ran in every direction.

A child cried, furniture overturned, glass shattered. The police station had become a battlefield. Marcus swung a metal pipe and crushed an infected skull, Rachel fired short bursts while retreating, Victor guarded the civilians. Sophia pulled the wounded toward safer rooms.

Ethan fought his way through the corridor.

The traitor was escaping; rage pushed him forward. People were dying because of that man.

He couldn't allow it the chase continued through shattered offices, the  stranger jumped through a broken window.

Ethan followed and both landed outside. The man ran across the parking lot. Ethan gained ground and ran after him but  something burst from beneath a nearby vehicle.

A mutated dog.

The creature slammed into the fleeing man.

The scream lasted less than a second as his blood sprayed across the concrete. The beast tore into him violently; Ethan stopped the man never had a chance. The dog lifted its head as dark saliva dripped from its jaws.

One eye hung loose; Its skin stretched tightly over visible ribs, then it charged towards Ethan.

Ethan grabbed a broken metal rod as the  creature lunged he sidestepped the rod pierced its shoulder, the beast twisted and snapped at him. Its teeth missed by inches.

Ethan ripped the rod free the animal attacked again. This time he drove the metal through its throat and the creature collapsed

A distant explosion shook the city, smoke rose beyond the western district.

Ethan looked toward the horizon.

Something was happening, gunfire erupted in the distance as more re explosions followed. The battle sounded enormous. Far larger than anything they had heard recently; back inside the station the fighting had finally ended.

Bodies littered the floor as the survivors gathered quietly; one of the newcomers had died.

An elderly man.

He had been protecting his granddaughter when the infected broke through.

The little girl sat beside his body; She wasn’t crying’ she simply held his hand and stared at the floor.

Nobody knew what to say, the loss settled heavily over the room.

Another reminder, nobody was safe, not children, not families not even heroes. As night approached Victor climbed to the roof, he returned some minutes later;  expression looked grim.

"What is it?" Rachel asked.

Victor looked at everyone then pointed toward the western side of Ashvale.

"There's a convoy."

Military convoys had vanished weeks ago, Marcus frowned.

Are you sure?"

Victor nodded.

"I counted at least thirty vehicles."

Hope appeared on several faces and fr the first time in days people looked excited; maybe rescue had finally arrived, maybe the government still existed or maybe there was somewhere safe. But Victor didn't share their excitement.

Ethan noticed immediately.

"What's wrong?"

Victor remained silent for a moment before speaking up; “They aren't coming into the city."

"What do you mean?" Rachel asked.

Victor looked toward the darkening horizon.

"They stopped outside Ashvale."

Nobody understood what he was saying, then Victor delivered the news that drained every bit of hope from the room.

"They've surrounded the city."

A heavy silence followed; If the military wasn't coming to save them then why were they trapping everyone inside?