You don't outrun danger, you outthink it and if you hesitate, you don't get a second chance.
"You made it further than most." The man smiled.
Looking relaxed and unbothered, like he wasn't facing a group of armed survivors but observing something already caught. No one fired because something felt wrong, it felt too easy and exposed because of his confidence and lack of urgency.
"That makes you interesting." He added.
The man took a slow step forward with his weapons lowered.
"Stay where you are." Stacy's voice cuts in firmly.
"I've been exactly where I need to be this whole time." The man chuckled softly.
The line hitted hard because it confirmed everything, they were already surrounded.
Jasper moved backwards first in a very slow and yet intentional manner. The group followed instinctively without words. As the man noticed it his eyes narrowed slightly.
"Careful," he said calmly
"You don't want to run."
Jasper didn't because he knew for certain that running is what
Running is exactly what they needed to do. The first signal canes as a faint whistle which was heard from somewhere unseen and then another and suddenly everywhere was filled with figures stepping out and weapons raised, immediately the trap snaps shut, Jasper's voice cutted through everything.
"RUN."
There was no hesitation as the chase began and gunfire erupts instantly into different directions in a very chaotic manner, a bullet teared past Stacy's shoulder too closely. One of the weaker survivor stumbled hard and someone shouted.
"GET UP!"
And just in time Jasper made a split-second decision and grabbed him mid-fall and dragged him forward without slowing down. The pathways became tight with unstable ground, which was perfect for the hunter and worse for the hunted. The raiders a moved differently like they were herding the group, Jasper saw what just happened.
"BREAK LEFT!" He shouted
The group splitted instantly as confusion bought them seconds, Stacy kept his pace behind him breathing hard.
"Where are we going?!" She asked.
Jasper didn't answer because he didn't even know where they were headed. As he saw a narrow descent, a hidden steep which was dangerous yet perfect, he shouted.
"DOWN!"
They all slided catching themselves on the jagged rock, the pain was heavy on every side but they all ignored it. The raiders reached the edge and didn't follow immediately, they all repositioned themselves cutting off to the exits.
"They know this terrain," STAN muttered.
Jasper's reply was sharp
"Then we stop playing on it."
At the bottom was a new terrain which was dense and less visible and as well better for hideouts. As the chase became worse, branches snapped behind them too close. Suddenly, Jasper changed direction toward his right, left and then straight again, the group struggled to keep up with him as hunger slowed them down and fear pushed them. One of the survivors fell down again, a different one this time.
"Leave me! He shouted
Buy no one listened and Stacy grabbed him forward, the gunfire from the raiders was closer now and more aggressive.
"They're done playing." Jasper Said.
Which meant that to me was up, He stopped suddenly and the group all crashed into him
"What are you doing?!" someone snaps
He was simply looking for a cover and then he found one which was a split in the ground, narrow, dark and deep.
"In there, he said
"We can't see…"
"It could be a dead end!" A group member said
"So is this." He told them
While the were still talking they heard another gunshot and made a quick decision, one by one they jumped sliding on to the darkness. The raiders butted into a view above with their weapons ready with eyes locked on Jasper now, it was the same man from before and now he was not smiling as he raised his weapon, Jasper dropped and the bullet hitted the rock where he stood. Bodies hitted the ground with pain flairing, they were still alive. They could hear voices echo as the raiders searched but didn't follow immediately. A faint sound echoed from deeper inside the darkness ahead .
As the group turned toward the unseen presence in the dark…one terrifying truth settled in: They didn't escape the raiders. They just ran into something waiting for them.