The air felt heavier the closer they got to the safe zone marked on the system's map. The forest surrounding the area was unnervingly quiet, save for the crunch of dead leaves underfoot and the occasional rustle of branches in the wind. August walked at the front of the group, crossbow at the ready, every muscle in his body tense. Cara followed close behind, scanning their surroundings with her rifle. Jude, pale and visibly weakened by his injury, trudged along with his bat resting on his shoulder.

“This better be worth it,” Jude muttered, his voice hoarse. “We’ve been walking for hours.”

“It’s our best shot,” August replied without turning. “The system said this zone is defensible and stocked. We’ll rest and patch you up once we get there.”

“Assuming there’s anything left,” Cara added. She adjusted her rifle strap and looked toward the canopy above, her unease mirrored in her sharp movements. “Feels like a trap.”

“You think everything’s a trap,” Jude said, trying to sound nonchalant but failing to hide the strain in his voice.

Cara glanced at him with a raised eyebrow. “We’ve been ambushed by zombies, warlords, and mutants in the past week. Pardon me for being cautious.”

Before Jude could retort, August raised a hand, signaling them to stop. He crouched low, his eyes narrowing as he focused on the path ahead. The system’s HUD highlighted faint disturbances in the dirt—a series of overlapping footprints leading toward the direction they were heading.

“Someone’s been through here recently,” August murmured. “Stay quiet.”

Cara immediately raised her rifle, scanning the treeline. Jude tightened his grip on his bat, his expression hardening despite his obvious discomfort.

As they moved forward, the tension grew thicker. The system provided no immediate warnings, which only made August more wary. The lack of an alert felt... deliberate, as though it wanted him to walk blindly into whatever awaited them.

Finally, the trees began to thin, and the edge of a clearing came into view. In the distance, a cluster of buildings stood in disrepair, their roofs sagging and walls covered in moss. The system marked it as the safe zone—a former ranger station that had likely served as a refuge during the early days of the outbreak.

“We’re close,” August whispered. “Keep your eyes open.”

They moved cautiously into the clearing, the crunch of their footsteps unnervingly loud in the silence. As they approached the nearest building, August’s HUD suddenly flared to life with a red warning: Danger Detected. Multiple Hostiles Nearby.

“Get down!” he hissed, dropping behind a fallen log. Cara and Jude followed without hesitation, their weapons ready.

Moments later, the sound of footsteps broke the silence, followed by low murmurs. August peered over the log and spotted them—five figures moving through the clearing with practiced precision. They were heavily armed, wearing mismatched gear that suggested scavengers or mercenaries.

One of them, a tall man with a scar running down the side of his face, gestured toward the ranger station. “Sweep the area. They might’ve already gotten inside.”

August’s heart sank. These weren’t ordinary survivors—they moved too efficiently, their weapons too well-maintained. Mercenaries.

“Great,” Jude muttered under his breath. “More of Marcos’s goons?”

“Looks like it,” Cara replied quietly, her voice tight. “What now?”

August assessed the situation quickly. Five of them, armed with rifles and knives. They were outnumbered, and Jude was in no condition for a fight. Running wasn’t an option—they’d be gunned down before they made it ten feet.

The system chimed softly in his mind: Strategic Advice: Ambush. Leverage cover and weak points. Prioritize leader elimination.

August frowned. The system’s suggestions were coldly tactical, but they didn’t account for their lack of firepower—or Jude’s injury.

“We can’t take them head-on,” he whispered. “We need a distraction.”

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

Cara nodded, her sharp eyes scanning the area. “I can flank them, draw their attention. You hit them from behind.”

“I’m not leaving you alone out there,” August said firmly.

“Don’t worry about me,” she shot back. “You’ve got the system. You’re the one they’ll target if they realize who you are.”

Before August could argue, the scarred mercenary’s voice rang out again, louder this time. “We know you’re out there!” he called, his tone calm but menacing. “Come out now, and we’ll make this quick. Resist, and you’ll regret it.”

The mercenaries fanned out, their weapons raised. One of them—a wiry woman with a tattooed neck—moved dangerously close to their hiding spot. August’s HUD highlighted her as the weakest target, her armor minimal compared to the others.

Cara motioned for him to stay put, then began to creep away, her movements silent and precise. August watched her go, his gut twisting. He hated splitting up, but she was right—she could handle herself, and they needed every advantage they could get.

The wiry woman suddenly paused, her head tilting as though she’d heard something. August tensed, his finger hovering over the trigger of his crossbow.

But before she could investigate further, a sharp crack echoed through the clearing—a deliberate noise Cara had made to lure them away. The mercenary turned sharply, signaling to her comrades. “Over there!”

The group moved toward the sound, their attention momentarily diverted. August took the opportunity to act, rising silently from his cover and aiming his crossbow at the scarred leader. The system highlighted a weak point at the base of his neck, just below his helmet.

Before he could fire, the system chimed with an unexpected update: Profile Match Found: Target Linked to Sabrina’s Abduction.

August’s breath caught. His hands wavered slightly as he stared at the man through the crossbow’s sight. Linked to Sabrina? The implications hit him like a freight train—this man might know where she was, or at least what had happened to her.

His hesitation cost him. The scarred man suddenly turned, his sharp eyes locking onto August.

“Contact!” he shouted, raising his rifle.

August fired instinctively, the bolt grazing the man’s shoulder but failing to bring him down. The clearing erupted into chaos as the mercenaries turned their attention back toward him.

Cara opened fire from the treeline, her shots precise and well-aimed. One of the mercenaries dropped with a scream, clutching his leg. Jude, despite his injury, rose from his hiding spot and swung his bat with all his strength, catching the wiry woman across the head. She crumpled to the ground, unconscious or worse.

Bullets zipped through the air, forcing August to dive behind a rusted truck. The scarred man barked orders, his voice cutting through the chaos. “Flush them out! Don’t let them escape!”

August’s mind raced. The system was feeding him data—tactical suggestions, enemy positions, and potential escape routes—but none of it guaranteed their survival. They were outnumbered and outgunned, and every second they spent fighting decreased their chances of making it out alive.

He peeked out from cover, his eyes locking onto the scarred man again. The system’s earlier notification replayed in his mind: Target Linked to Sabrina’s Abduction.

He couldn’t let this man get away—not without answers.

“Cara! Cover me!” he shouted, loading another bolt into his crossbow.

Cara’s rifle barked, forcing the mercenaries to take cover. August seized the moment, breaking from his position and sprinting toward the scarred man. The mercenary turned, raising his rifle, but August was faster. He fired a bolt at point-blank range, the projectile burying itself in the man’s thigh.

The scarred man fell with a grunt, his weapon clattering to the ground. August tackled him, pinning him to the dirt.

“Where is Sabrina?” he demanded, his voice a low growl.

The man’s eyes widened slightly, surprise flickering across his face. But then he smirked, blood staining his teeth. “You’re too late,” he rasped. “She’s already gone.”

“Gone where?” August pressed, shaking him. “Tell me!”

The man coughed, a harsh, wet sound. “You’ll never—”

A sudden gunshot rang out, and the man’s head snapped back, his body going limp. August froze, stunned, as blood pooled beneath him. He turned sharply, his heart sinking as he saw another mercenary lowering their rifle.

The shooter didn’t get a chance to fire again—Cara’s rifle cracked, dropping them with a single shot.

The clearing fell silent, the remaining mercenaries either dead or fleeing into the woods. August knelt beside the scarred man’s body, frustration and despair swirling in his chest. The only lead to Sabrina’s whereabouts was now a corpse.

Cara approached, her expression grim. “Are you okay?”

“No,” August muttered, rising to his feet. “He knew something about Sabrina. He was my only chance to find her.”

Cara placed a hand on his shoulder, but he shrugged it off. He couldn’t afford comfort—not when the stakes were this high.

As they regrouped with Jude, who was nursing a fresh bruise but otherwise intact, the system chimed again:

New Objective: Track Marcos’s Network. Clues to Sabrina’s location may remain.

The notification brought little solace. If Sabrina was already gone, their path forward was only growing more perilous. And August couldn’t shake the feeling that the mercenaries’ presence here was only the beginning.

As the group prepared to leave, the system flashed an urgent warning: Sabrina’s signal detected. Location: Unknown. Immediate Extraction Required.