The cold night air bit into Evelyn's skin as she crouched behind the rusted remains of an overturned vehicle. The moans of the infected echoed from the broken windows of a collapsed convenience store, not far from where she and the others had set up camp. A flickering streetlamp buzzed above, casting jittery shadows that danced like ghosts across the blood-streaked pavement.
She gripped her makeshift spear tighter. Every muscle in her body was tense, ready to spring.
Aiden crouched beside her, his eyes focused on the street. "You hear that?" he whispered.
Evelyn nodded. "Too many of them. They're migrating again."
"Towards the refinery?"
"Looks like it."
The refinery had become their best chance for shelter—a fortified structure with working generators and sealed doors. But word of its safety had spread through the survivor networks. Now, not just the infected were heading there—other people were too. And not all of them came in peace.
Behind them, Theo tightened the straps on his salvaged armor. "We can't stay out here much longer. They'll cut us off."
Evelyn took a slow breath. "Then we move now."
They emerged silently from the wreckage, keeping low as they made their way across the ruined parking lot. Each step crunched glass and gravel underfoot, but the infected—thankfully—remained fixated on the lights in the distance. The smell of gasoline and rotting meat filled their nostrils, making each breath a test of willpower.
They'd almost made it past the edge of the horde when a scream pierced the air.
It was distant—female—sharp and desperate.
They all froze.
Evelyn's jaw clenched. "That came from the alley."
Theo swore under his breath. "We can't help them. Not now."
Aiden looked at Evelyn, eyes conflicted. "We don't even know who it is."
"But we know what happens if we leave them," she replied.
A beat passed.
Then Evelyn turned and ran toward the alley.
The others followed.
The alley was narrow, lit only by the pale moonlight filtering through holes in the fire escapes above. The smell of blood was strong—fresh.
In the corner, a teenage girl was backed against a dumpster, a bloodied wrench in her hands. Two infected—one missing half a jaw, the other with its guts dragging on the ground—were closing in fast.
Evelyn didn't hesitate. She lunged forward, driving her spear straight into the skull of the jawless one. The impact cracked bone, and the creature fell twitching. Aiden swung his crowbar at the second one, knocking it aside before Theo finished it with a hunting knife to the base of the skull.
The silence afterward was deafening.
The girl gasped for breath, clutching the wrench like it was a lifeline. "T-Thank you," she stammered. "I thought I was… I thought I was dead."
Evelyn crouched beside her. "What's your name?"
"Sophie. I was with a group, but they… they left me behind when I twisted my ankle. I've been hiding all day."
Aiden helped her up gently. "You're lucky we were nearby."
Sophie limped but managed to stand. "Are you heading to the refinery?"
Evelyn nodded. "Come with us. But stay close."
They moved quickly, cutting through the ruins of the city block. Sophie slowed them down, but not enough to risk their survival. When the refinery came into view—tall, rusted towers surrounded by reinforced gates—hope flared in Evelyn's chest.
But something was wrong.
The gates were open.
And smoke billowed from inside.
They rushed forward.
Inside the walls, chaos reigned. Fires burned unchecked across oil drums and barricades. Dead bodies—some infected, some human—littered the walkways. Gunfire cracked from the far end of the refinery.
Aiden ducked behind a crate. "We're too late."
Theo gritted his teeth. "Looks like someone else tried to take it."
Evelyn surveyed the carnage. "Not just someone. A group. Maybe scavengers or raiders."
They advanced cautiously, staying in the shadows. They passed a man slumped against the wall, blood leaking from a hole in his chest. His eyes still flickered with life.
Evelyn knelt beside him. "Who did this?"
His lips trembled. "Reds… red scarves… took control. Killed anyone who resisted…"
His breath rattled, then stopped.
Evelyn stood, her fists clenched. The Red Scarves. A ruthless faction known for burning their way through safe zones. She thought they were still miles away.
"We need to get Sophie out of here," Aiden said.
"No," Sophie interrupted, trembling. "I have to find my brother. He was taken by them."
Theo shook his head. "If they're inside, it's suicide."
Evelyn looked at the burning tower, her mind racing. The refinery was the only real shelter for miles. If they lost it, they'd be out in the open again, running from the infected and worse.
She made a decision.
"We're taking it back."
Aiden blinked. "You mean… attack them?"
"With what army?" Theo snapped.
"We don't need an army," Evelyn replied. "Just surprise. And fire."
She pointed to the fuel lines running through the base of the refinery.
"We overload the pressure. Trigger a small detonation to force them into the open. Pick them off from the high ground."
Theo grunted. "That's madness."
"It's the only chance we have."
Aiden looked around, then nodded slowly. "I'm with you."
Theo muttered something about suicide, but fell in line. Sophie, despite her limp, held her wrench tighter and gave a determined nod.
They split up.
Evelyn and Theo headed to the pressure controls while Aiden and Sophie snuck toward the catwalks. The refinery was a labyrinth, filled with shadows and danger at every turn. At one point, they passed a room where Red Scarves were interrogating a captive. Evelyn forced herself not to look.
Time was short.
She reached the valve control and twisted it hard. The pipes groaned, the gauges spiked.
"We've got thirty seconds," she told Theo. "Move!"
They bolted back toward the rendezvous point.
The explosion rocked the refinery. Flames burst from the central tower, sending Red Scarves scrambling in panic. Evelyn could hear them yelling, confused and blind in the smoke.
Then the ambush began.
Aiden rained gunfire from above, precise and brutal. Theo used his bow to pick off stragglers. Evelyn rushed in with her spear, taking out a leader who was barking orders near a burning oil drum.
The Red Scarves, disoriented and caught off guard, broke ranks.
Some fled.
Some burned.
Some didn't get the chance.
When the smoke cleared, silence returned.
The refinery was theirs.
Bodies lay still across the concrete, and the fires were dying down.
Sophie rushed to one of the cages, sobbing with relief when she found her brother alive. Theo tended to the wounded, while Aiden rigged the gates shut again.
Evelyn climbed to the highest point of the tower and looked out over the city.
The infected were still there, still wandering.
But now, they had a real stronghold.
A place to fight back from.
A place to survive.
The crimson glow of the fire flickered in her eyes as the moon rose above the broken world.