A Raider Attack

The compound bustled with routine, but there was an unspoken tension in the air—something that stretched thin over the survivors like a wire waiting to snap. Leila felt it the moment she stepped outside, the weight of unseen danger pressing against her chest.

The recent enclave meetings had done little to ease the growing paranoia. Jace and Ellie's presence loomed on the horizon like an encroaching storm, their threat still faceless but no less suffocating. The scouts had seen movement in the distance, shadowy figures slipping between the tree lines, watching, measuring.

It wasn't if an attack was coming.

It was when.

Leila had just finished briefing a group of patrolling watchmen when the first scream cut through the compound.

It was distant—sharp, panicked, carried by the wind from the direction of the farmland.

Her heart clenched.

Mark was already moving when she turned. "That's the fields," he snapped, grabbing his rifle.

Leila didn't hesitate. "Everyone with a weapon, move! Now!"

The compound erupted into controlled chaos. Survivors dashed to their posts, archers scrambling onto higher ground while ground forces bolted toward the perimeter. Darren's voice bellowed orders over the noise, sending groups to secure vital entry points.

Leila and Kai sprinted through the side gate, boots pounding against the dirt path that led toward the cultivated farmland outside the main compound. The sight that met them sent adrenaline crashing through her veins.

The raiders were already inside.

They had come through the eastern woods—fast, quiet, disciplined. Unlike the chaotic bands of desperate survivors they'd encountered before, these weren't just scavengers. These were men and women who knew how to coordinate.

A group of them had broken into the makeshift barn, overturning supply crates, grabbing sacks of dried vegetables, and ripping away newly harvested crops. Others sprinted toward the small irrigation system Fiona and the others had spent weeks building, slashing at water barrels with their knives, spilling precious liquid into the dirt.

Leila didn't think. She raised her rifle, took aim, and fired.

The gunshot cracked like thunder.

The nearest raider staggered mid-run, dropping his stolen goods as a bullet tore through his thigh. He collapsed, howling in pain.

That single shot sent the entire field into a frenzy.

The raiders turned, some drawing pistols, others hefting clubs and machetes. They had expected a soft target, easy pickings. They had expected survivors too afraid to fight back.

They were wrong.

"Take them down!" Mark roared, unloading his shotgun into the nearest threat.

Gunfire erupted, echoing through the trees. Leila ducked behind a fallen cart, reloading in a fluid motion before popping up and taking another shot. The raiders were fast, but they weren't fast enough.

Fiona's group had positioned themselves along the treeline, laying down covering fire while Darren and another squad flanked the enemy's weak points. Kai moved like a shadow, weaving between cover, dispatching targets with deadly precision.

Leila stayed low, scanning the chaos for weak spots. The raiders were skilled, but they weren't trained soldiers. They lacked coordination under pressure. The moment they realized their ambush had turned into a battle, their formation began to fracture.

A sharp whistle cut through the air.

One of the raiders—a lean man with a jagged scar down his cheek—grabbed his wounded comrade and barked a retreat order.

"Fall back!" he shouted, voice raw with frustration. "We got what we came for!"

Leila's eyes narrowed. No, you didn't.

But the raiders didn't seem interested in prolonging the fight. One by one, they bolted, disappearing into the underbrush as fast as they had come.

Leila let out a slow breath, lowering her rifle only when she was sure they were gone.

The battlefield was eerily quiet now, only the sound of heavy breathing and the distant rustling of retreating figures breaking the silence.

Kai stepped up beside her, scanning the retreating forms. "That was too easy."

Leila wiped a hand down her face, exhaling sharply. "Yeah. They didn't expect us to fight back that hard."

Mark kicked over one of the abandoned sacks of stolen supplies, scowling. "They weren't here just for the food."

Leila looked down at the nearest body—a dead raider with an unfamiliar insignia crudely painted onto his leather vest. A stylized J slashed through the middle.

Her stomach dropped.

Jace's mark.

A chill ran through her, tightening around her spine like a vice.

They hadn't just been after food.

They had been testing the compound's defenses.

How fast they responded. How well they fought. How much resistance they would face.

Her fists clenched.

This had been a probe.

"They were scouting us," she said, voice tight with fury. "They wanted to see how we'd react."

Kai picked up a discarded weapon—a rusted machete, its blade coated in something dark and viscous. His jaw tightened. "And now they know."

The realization settled heavily on the group. This wasn't just some wandering gang looking for a quick score.

This was a warning.

A low groan from one of the wounded raiders snapped Leila from her thoughts.

She turned sharply, walking over to the man she'd shot in the leg. He was gripping his thigh, blood seeping through his fingers, his expression twisted in pain.

"Who sent you?" Leila demanded, standing over him.

He coughed, glaring up at her. "Doesn't matter. You're already dead."

She crouched, gripping his jaw and forcing him to look at her. "Try again."

The man spat at her feet. "We're just the first wave. You won't last against the real thing."

Leila's stomach twisted, but she kept her expression blank. "Who's the real thing?"

The man let out a wheezing chuckle. "You already know."

Her fingers tightened around his chin. "Jace."

The raider's grin widened, teeth red with blood. "He's coming. And when he does, you're gonna wish we killed you first."

Leila's pulse pounded in her ears.

The field felt smaller, like the walls of her past were closing in around her, suffocating her with memories she wanted to forget.

Jace.

He wasn't just sending threats. He was coming for them.

And this time, he wasn't alone.

Kai touched her shoulder lightly, grounding her back to the present. She stood swiftly, shaking off the moment of weakness. "Get him out of here," she muttered.

Mark dragged the wounded raider away as Darren started counting the remaining supplies. The group was rattled, but alive.

As they regrouped, Leila turned to Kai. "This was just the beginning."

His expression darkened. "I know."

A heavy silence settled between them before Leila finally looked back toward the treeline.

Jace was coming.

And she would be ready.