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     TESS IS ABLE TO FIND SOMEONE WHO KNOWS WHERE ROBERT IS. While she sits at a table and discreetly slips the guy some ration cards, Josie and Joel stand off to the side. It was Josie's idea, incase Robert or his guys showed up to try something again.

"Hey friends. Don't worry I don't want anything," a man approaches them and despite what he says, is not at all subtle about eyeing Josie. Not even realizing what he's doing, Joel takes a step in front of her, shielding her from the man's line of sight. "If you're feeling lost—"

Joel is quick to cut the man off. "You tell us to look for the light and I'll break your jaw."

Once the man stalks off in the direction he came, Josie turns to face Joel. "Thanks." When he simply nods in response, eyes never leaving Tess and the man she's talking to, Josie speaks up again. "Do you ever smile?"

Hearing this, Joel faces the woman next to him once again. "No."

"Well we'll be short a few cards," Tess approaches the 2 of them, "but we got him. He's supposedly taking the battery to a red tagged building. We can take the underground tunnel and get into the building from below, maybe take Robert by surprise."







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Later as the 3 make their way through the tunnels, Josie's anxiety slowly creeps up on her. So when they see the dead clicker stuck to the wall, she's almost ready to turn around and run back the way they came. After that, she makes sure to never be more than a foot away from Joel or Tess.

When they finally enter the hallway and see Robert and all of his guys dead, and the battery that was meant to be theirs, Josie feels like she could cry. Instantly, her mind tells her that they're never leaving the QZ. The battery was their one chance, and it's gone.

Hushed voices down another hallway cause Joel to look around the corner, and motion for Josie and Tess to get their guns out.

From what seems like out of nowhere, someone rushes at Josie with a knife. Instant reaction causes Joel to throw the person against the wall.

"Joel?" They all look up to see Marlene slowly lowering her gun.

Tess finally enters the hallway. "So this is who Robert fucked us over with?"

With Josie's foot still on the knife, the young girl reaches for it, demanding the knife back. Again acting on instinct, Joel points his gun at her. "Don't even think about it. And the fuck do you need a car battery for?"

"Hey hey, not at her. You point the gun at me. And to answer your question I need it for a much better reason than you. No offense but Tommy's just one man. Don't look at me like that, it's our job to know things."

"To know things?? You're the cause of it. You turned my own brother against me."

Marlene sighs, not knowing what else to say besides the truth. "We were gonna move Ellie out of the zone tonight but we won't make it like this. Not for a while anyway. So now I'm thinking... you guys will do it."

"The hell we are —"

"Why the fuck would we —"

"I'm not going with them!"

Joel and Josie both turn around to face Tess, who is considering what Marlene just demanded of them.

"Tess," Joel shakes his head. "We don't have time for this."

Ignoring him, Tess looks to Marlene. "Who is she?"

"To you? She's cargo."

Clearly not sorry, Joel interrupts. "We don't smuggle people, sorry."

"There's a team of Fireflies waiting for her at the old State House. There's a reason we were taking her with an entire squadron. But now I'm short a truck and a squadron, FEDRA's gotta be minutes away by now. But what I do have is you. And don't try to bullshit me, I know what you're all capable of. For better or worse."

Josie asks what's been on her mind since Marlene suggested they take Ellie. "If we get her there..."

Marlene nods, "you get her there safely, they will give you what you need. Not just a battery. A whole truck. Guns, supplies, you name it. I swear."

Joel pulls the 2 women aside to discuss whether or not they take Ellie with them.

"Y'all talk it through but please remember that I'm bleeding out," Marlene leans against a wall.

Joel nods at Tess, who then turns to Josie. Once they're all in agreement, Tess tells Marlene that they'll take Ellie on the condition that they'll be given everything they want before she is handed over.

Once back at Joel's place, Tess shuts Ellie inside before discussing the route they'll take. Josie smiles when Joel says they'll stop at Bill and Franks because she hasn't seen them in a while. And the thought of a hot shower doesn't sound too bad either.

Josie offers to take Ellie's shoes and put them in the sun so that they dry faster, quickly putting her in a much better light than Joel.

"So — what do we do now?"

"Kill time," Joel collapses onto the couch, immediately closing his eyes.

"Well what the fuck am I supposed to do?"

"I'm sure you'll figure it out."

Ellie scoffs, going to poke around whatever she can find. "Your watch is broken."

At Joel's insistence, Josie also takes a nap. An unknown amount of time later, they wake up and notice that it's dark out.

"You guys know where to go, right? So we're gonna be okay."

As much as Josie didn't love the idea of having an extra person leave the QZ with them, she knows it's what's necessary for them to get a vehicle and so that Joel can get to his brother. Looking at Ellie, she begins to feel bad. The girl is clearly nervous, having never left the area before.

"The radio came on when you guys were sleeping by the way."

That catches their attention. "What? What was the song?"

"He kept saying like... wake me up before you go go?"

"Shit..."

Ellie grins. "Gotcha. Eighties means trouble. Code broken."

Once Tess finally makes it back, everyone grabs their jackets and puts on their backpacks. No one says it out loud, but the 3 adults are thinking it as they look around. Will we make it out of this alive?

Right before Joel closes the door to his apartment, Josie remembers something she wanted to grab. Tess asks what it is but Josie just runs inside, returning less than 30 seconds later.

Once outside, Ellie looks around in amazement and it becomes very clear that she really never has been outside.

Tess takes the lead, with Ellie and Joel in the middle and Josie bringing up the rear. After crawling under a bus, however, Joel insists that they switch places and he'll go last.

"Motherfucker—" Josie closes her eyes as the same guard Joel sold pills to aims a gun and demands they all get down on the ground.

Joel and Tess attempt to bargain with him, but their attempt at a deal is cut short as Ellie attacks him.

Without thinking about the consequences, Josie steps in front of Ellie and raises her hands. "Hey we can fix this. Lower your gun, please."

"Move out of the fucking way!" The guard slams his gun against Josie's stomach, causing her to stumble backwards.

"Hey!" Joel steps in front of Josie. "Don't fucking touch her. We can fix this man." For a brief moment, Joel panics. He's taken back to that moment where a gun was aimed at him and Sarah, and his life once again flashes before his eyes. Only this time, Josie is the one that takes the shot.

Joel rushes at the guard, tackling him. As he throws punch after punch, imagining Josie or Tess, or even Ellie laying there bleeding out, the 3 watch in complete silence.

When Joel decides he's finished, Ellie reveals her 3-week-old bite mark. Realizing that the adults standing before her are probably ready to kill, Ellie frantically explains that she's not only not infected, but also immune and that's why Marlene is so desperate to get her where she needs to go.

Hesitating for only a few seconds, the group ultimately decide to stick to the plan and keep going. Joel also knows that if that guard isn't dead, he'd probably turn Joel, Tess, and Josie in for dealing and trying to sneak out of the QZ.

Taking one last look before he runs after Josie, Tess, and Ellie, Joel wonders if this is the last time he'll see the QZ.

Meanwhile back at Joel's apartment, a song begins to play on the radio. It's Never Let Me Down Again by Depeche Mode... and it came out in 1987.

'80's means trouble, code broken.

















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