Night Lurkers (Apocalypse)

His sentence was cut short by faint sounds of struggle and muffled cries from the west. “Did you hear that?” Zion glanced around, wide-eyed. “Yeah, I heard that dingus,” Rafi groaned, focusing on the distance. Adjusting his weapons, he took off towards the sounds. Zion quickened his pace to catch up, adjusting his gun. “We need to move now.” As they neared a dense cluster of trees, the sounds grew clearer, turning into voices. Emerging from the trees, they saw two young women being dragged by cannibals, struggling futilely. Rafi and Zion exchanged a glance. “Rafi, look, females…” Zion was astonished, having not seen women in years. Rafi smacked his head, “Females that are about to be eaten. Shut the fuck up,” he whispered. Zion winced and rubbed his head, pouting. They refocused on the scene before them. “Get a move on,” one of the cannibals growled, tugging on Amber’s ropes. She stumbled forward, eyes filled with fear and defiance. Beside her, Ana struggled against her bindings, desperate thoughts of escape racing through her mind. Gunfire erupted from the tree line, and the cannibals turned in shock, loosening their grips on Amber and Ana. Taking advantage of the chaos, Rafi and Zion launched their attack. Rafi signaled the start of their assault with a sharp nod. He moved swiftly, his footsteps silent as he approached the first cannibal from behind. In one fluid motion, he swung his rifle butt, connecting with the back of the man’s head. The cannibal crumpled without a sound. Zion crept closer to the second cannibal, who was tugging roughly on Amber's ropes. With lethal efficiency, Zion drew his knife and slashed the man's throat, catching him before he could hit the ground.