Evelyn kept her eyes on the woman as they moved through the trees, her instincts on high alert. Something felt off. The way the woman kept glancing back, the way she clutched her arms like she was hiding something, it didn’t sit right with her.  
Sarah walked beside Evelyn, whispering, “Are you sure about this? We don’t even know her name.”  
Evelyn exhaled. “We’ll figure it out soon enough.”  
Eli, who had been walking ahead, finally stopped. He turned to the woman and crossed his arms. “Alright, talk. Who are you? And why are slavers after you?”  
The woman hesitated, shifting on her feet. She was trembling, but whether it was from fear or something else, Evelyn couldn’t tell.  
“My name is Claire,” she said finally, her voice shaky. “I escaped from them… they took me weeks ago. I was part of a group traveling south, but we were ambushed. Most of us didn’t survive.”  
Evelyn studied her face, looking for any sign of a lie. She wanted to believe her, but trust was a dangerous thing in this world.  
Sarah narrowed her eyes. “How did you escape?”  
Claire swallowed hard. “One of them… he helped me. I don’t know why. He just let me go and told me to run.”  
Eli didn’t look convinced. “That doesn’t make sense. Slavers don’t just let people go.”  
Claire looked down. “I know. I don’t understand it either. Maybe he felt guilty. Maybe he wanted to use me to lead them to other survivors. I don’t know.”  
Evelyn glanced at Eli, who still looked suspicious. She didn’t blame him. They had been tricked before.  
A rustling in the trees made everyone freeze.  
Claire tensed, her breath catching. “They found us.”  
Eli pulled out his rifle, his eyes scanning the trees. Evelyn gripped her knife, her heart pounding.  
Then, a voice called out from the darkness.  
“You can stop running now, Claire.”  
A man stepped out of the trees. He was tall, with a rough beard and a scar running down his left cheek. He wore a leather jacket, his rifle slung lazily over his shoulder.  
Behind him, two more figures emerged, both armed.  
Claire’s entire body went rigid.  
“Liam,” she whispered.  
Evelyn’s stomach dropped.  
The man smirked. “Didn’t think you’d get far, did you?” His eyes flicked to Evelyn and the others. “And you found new friends. How nice.”  
Eli stepped forward, gun raised. “Back off.”  
Liam chuckled, shaking his head. “Now, now. No need for that. We just want Claire. The rest of you can walk away.”  
Evelyn clenched her fists. “That’s not happening.”  
Liam sighed, as if he had expected that answer. He glanced at Claire. “Tell them the truth, Claire. Or should I?”  
Claire’s breathing turned shallow. She looked at Evelyn, something desperate in her eyes.  
“What is he talking about?” Sarah asked.  
Claire’s lips parted, but no words came out.  
Liam grinned. “She’s one of us.”  
Silence fell over them like a thick fog.  
Evelyn’s mind reeled. She looked at Claire, searching for any sign of denial, but Claire wouldn’t meet her eyes.  
Sarah’s voice was barely a whisper. “Is it true?”  
Claire finally nodded, her shoulders slumping. “Yes… but I didn’t want to be.”  
Liam clapped his hands together. “That’s not how I remember it.”  
Eli’s grip on his rifle tightened. “So she’s a slaver?”  
Claire turned to them, her eyes pleading. “I was forced into it! I never wanted to be part of them, but they didn’t give me a choice.”  
Liam shook his head. “That’s a cute story.” He stepped forward, his voice turning sharp. “But let’s not pretend, Claire. You hunted people for us. You dragged them in. You earned your place.”  
Evelyn’s blood ran cold.  
Sarah took a step back. “You… you captured people?”  
Claire’s eyes filled with tears. “I had no choice! If I refused, they would’ve killed me. I did what I had to do to survive.”  
Evelyn felt sick. She had helped Claire, defended her. And now she wasn’t sure if she had just let a monster into their group.  
Liam sighed. “This is taking too long.” He raised his rifle. “Hand her over, or I start shooting.”  
Eli didn’t hesitate. He fired first.  
Liam dove to the side as the shot rang out, cursing. The other two slavers immediately raised their weapons.  
Evelyn grabbed Claire’s arm and yanked her back. “Run!”  
Gunfire exploded around them.  
Sarah ducked behind a tree, pulling out her machete. Eli was already moving, taking cover behind a boulder, reloading his rifle.  
Evelyn didn’t know what to think anymore. All she knew was that if they didn’t move now, they were dead.  
Claire was panting beside her. “I didn’t want this.”  
Evelyn looked at her, her mind a whirlwind of emotions.  
Then she turned back to the fight.  
One way or another, this was going to end tonight.