The road remained quiet.
Luis kept the engine off while both of them sat inside the armored SUV, watching the empty surroundings carefully. The location matched the place Pablo had described in their earlier conversation, a rural roadside area not far from an abandoned service station and a small cluster of old buildings that looked like they once served travelers passing through the highway.
Now everything was dead.
Broken windows stared back like empty eyes. Rusted gas pumps stood crooked under a faded metal canopy, and weeds had begun pushing through cracks in the pavement. A wind drifted softly across the road, carrying dust and dry leaves that scraped quietly against the asphalt.
But there were no infected. At least, none that they could see.
Luis kept scanning the area with binoculars, slowly turning his head from left to right.
"Still nothing," he murmured.
Mia watched the small buildings across the road. Her crossbow rested across her lap, already loaded. "He said he'd wait here," she said quietly.
Luis nodded.
"I know."
But something felt wrong. Too quiet. The silence in places like this could mean safety, or it could mean danger waiting just out of sight. Minutes passed. Ten then twenty.
Neither of them moved much. Every sound made them tense: the rustle of wind through the grass, the creaking of an old sign hanging loosely above the gas station. Luis lowered the binoculars and glanced at Mia.
"You think he's late?"
Mia frowned slightly.
"Or maybe he's hiding."
Luis followed her gaze toward the buildings again.
"That's possible."
Pablo had warned them before that traveling outside was dangerous. If he had reached the area earlier and spotted infected nearby, he might have decided to hide and wait.
Mia shifted slightly in her seat, still studying the buildings. "If he's here, he might be inside one of those."
Luis considered it.
The gas station convenience store still had most of its walls intact. The windows were shattered, but the door hung partially open.
Beyond that were two small houses and what looked like an old mechanic shop. Plenty of places to hide.
Luis sighed.
"We can't just sit here forever."
Mia knew he was right.
But getting out of the car carried risks. She opened the glove compartment and pulled out two black masks.
"Federick said we should wear these."
Luis took one and nodded.
"Just in case."
They secured the masks over their faces before opening their doors slowly. The quiet outside felt heavier than inside the vehicle.
Luis closed the SUV door carefully, avoiding any unnecessary noise, while Mia stepped beside him with her crossbow ready.
"Let's check the gas station first," Luis said.
They moved cautiously across the cracked pavement, staying close to the vehicle at first before advancing slowly toward the abandoned building. The broken glass crunched softly beneath their boots. Luis paused near the door and listened. Nothing, no movement inside.
He gestured for Mia to stay behind him before pushing the door open slightly. The hinge creaked loudly. Both of them froze, they waited, and still nothing.
Luis stepped inside first. The interior was dark and smelled stale. Shelves had been knocked over, and old snack packages littered the floor. Dust covered everything. But there were no bodies and no infected.
"Clear," Luis whispered.
Mia followed him inside, scanning the corners carefully. "Maybe he already left."
Luis didn't respond immediately. Instead, he walked toward the back room and opened another door. Empty. He returned to the front of the store. "If Pablo was here, he didn't stay long."
Mia stepped back outside, her eyes moving across the quiet street. "Then where is he?"
Luis suddenly raised a hand. "Wait."
Mia turned. "What?"
Luis pointed toward the distant tree line near the road they had driven from. "Movement."
Mia lifted the binoculars quickly. At first she saw nothing. And then... Shapes. Several figures stumbling through the brush. Her stomach tightened. "Infected."
Luis cursed under his breath. "How many?"
Mia counted quickly. "Five… no… seven."
And they were moving toward the road. Towards them.
"Inside the car," Luis said immediately.
They ran back toward the SUV. But as they reached it, Mia noticed something else. More movement behind the buildings.
Her heart sank.
"Luis."
He turned. Three more infected were emerging from behind the mechanic shop.
They must have been hiding there the entire time. The noise from opening the gas station door had attracted them.
Luis swore again.
"That's ten."
And more could be nearby. They jumped inside the SUV and locked the doors quickly.
Luis started the engine immediately.
The infected from the road were now clearly visible, stumbling toward them with twisted movements. One of them suddenly began running.
Mia's pulse spiked. "Runner."
Luis gripped the steering wheel. "If we drive now, they'll all follow us."
Mia nodded. "Which means if Pablo arrives later, they'll attack him."
Luis looked frustrated. "So what do we do?"
The infected were getting closer.
Mia quickly loaded another bolt into the crossbow. "We clear them."
Luis looked at her in disbelief.
"Ten infected?"
"We have the car for protection."
Luis hesitated. Then he nodded. "Alright."
Mia opened the upper hatch again and raised the crossbow. The first infected reached the road. She fired. The bolt struck cleanly through its skull, one down. But the others kept coming.
Luis slowly drove forward, creating distance while Mia reloaded. Another shot, another infected dropped. The runner suddenly sprinted toward the vehicle. Luis accelerated slightly. "Careful!"
Mia leaned out of the hatch again and fired.
The bolt struck the runner in the chest, not enough. The creature kept coming.
Luis swerved slightly, throwing off its path.
"Head!" he shouted.
Mia reloaded quickly. Her hands trembled.
The infected lunged again. She fired. The bolt pierced its eye socket. The body collapsed violently onto the road.
Mia exhaled sharply. Luis didn't stop driving.
Two more infected stumbled into the road ahead. He rammed one directly with the SUV, the armored bumper smashing through its decaying body. The second slammed against the side of the vehicle before falling beneath the wheels. The impact shook the car. "Damn!"
Luis steered away quickly as the remaining infected approached. Mia fired again. Another headshot. Two left, but by now they were both breathing hard. Luis reversed the SUV suddenly, creating more space. Mia leaned out once more and fired the final bolt.
The last infected dropped. Silence returned.
For several seconds neither of them spoke.
Luis finally stopped the vehicle in the middle of the road. His chest rose and fell as he tried to catch his breath. Mia slowly lowered the crossbow and climbed back into the seat.
Her hands were shaking. "That was… too close."
Luis wiped sweat from his forehead. "You okay?"
Mia nodded. "Just tired."
Luis looked at her carefully. "You were amazing back there."
Mia gave a weak smile. "You did most of the work with the car."
Luis laughed softly. "Still counts."
For a moment they simply sat there, letting their hearts calm down. Then Mia leaned her head lightly against Luis's shoulder. "Thanks for protecting me."
Luis froze slightly before relaxing. "I'll always protect you."
The words came out naturally. Mia looked up at him, their eyes met for a quiet moment, then Mia smiled faintly. "Well," she said softly, "let's hope Pablo shows up soon."
Luis glanced down the empty road again. "Yeah."
Because after that fight… They were both exhausted.