Chapter 8 : Betrayal and Revenge

The group settled into their new home in the town, working with Carlos and his people to fortify the area and gather supplies. Miguel's wound had healed, but tensions were high among the group after the battle with the bandits.

One day, as they were scavenging in a nearby abandoned grocery store, they heard a commotion outside. Rushing to investigate, they found that several of Carlos' people had been attacked by a group of infected. The group sprang into action, fighting off the infected and rescuing the survivors.

But as they were getting ready to leave, they noticed something odd. One of Carlos' men, a young man named Juan, had a strange look in his eye. Marcus approached him cautiously, and Juan suddenly pulled out a knife and lunged at him.

The group quickly subdued Juan, but the damage had been done. They realized that Juan had been bitten by one of the infected and was slowly turning. Carlos was devastated, realizing that one of his own had betrayed him and put the entire town at risk.

As they were debating what to do with Juan, they received a message from the bandits. The message was simple: they had captured one of the group's own and would trade him for the group's weapons and supplies.

The group knew that they couldn't risk giving in to the bandits' demands, but they also couldn't leave one of their own in the hands of the enemy. They decided to mount a rescue mission, but they knew that it would be dangerous.

As they approached the bandits' hideout, they saw that the group was heavily armed and ready for a fight. They knew that they were outnumbered, but they had to try.

The battle was fierce, with both sides taking heavy casualties. Olivia's explosives proved to be a powerful weapon, taking out several of the bandits' vehicles and forcing them to take cover. Maya and Miguel provided cover fire, taking out several of the bandits from a distance.

But as the battle raged on, the group realized that they had been betrayed. Juan, who had been left behind with Carlos and the others, had used the chaos of the battle to escape and had joined forces with the bandits.

The group was outraged, realizing that Juan had not only betrayed them but had also put them all at risk. They fought on, fueled by anger and determination, and managed to drive off the bandits and rescue their own.

But the victory was bittersweet. They had lost several of their own, including Carlos, who had been killed in the crossfire. The group mourned his loss, but they also knew that they had to keep fighting to survive in the new world.

As they made their way back to the town, the group realized that they were no longer the same people they had been before the outbreak. They had been tested and had come out stronger, but they also knew that there were more challenges ahead. Betrayal and revenge were constants in the new world, and they knew that they had to stay vigilant if they wanted to survive.