The sun hung low in the sky, painting the city in hues of orange and pink. Mallory, Greg, Alex, Harper, and their new "guest," Ryder, sat around a makeshift table in the living room. The silence was thick enough to cut with a knife as everyone mulled over the events of the day.
Ryder, tied securely to a chair, stared at them with the intensity of a caged tiger. "You can't keep me here forever," he growled.
Mallory leaned back in her chair, sipping from a chipped mug. "Forever? Nah. Just until we figure out if you're going to stab us in the back or not."
"I'm not the backstabbing type," Ryder said indignantly.
"No, you're the ambush-in-an-abandoned-gas-station type," Mallory retorted.
Alex chuckled, earning a glare from Ryder.
"Enough," Greg said, his tone sharp. "We need to focus. We've got bigger problems than arguing over Ryder's questionable morals."
Ryder scoffed. "You're one to talk, scavengers."