Betrayal

She pulled the dagger from Tu Ran's hands and gave it a little wave.

"I'll use this one."

Tu Ran felt a surge of gratitude and accepted the curved saber. "Thanks."

"No problem."

The woman walked over to the other corner.

Everyone pressed themselves tightly against the walls of the carriage, making themselves as small as possible, while drawing their weapons in readiness.

Tu Ran stepped back a few paces until she stood at the very end of the carriage.

She gave a slight nod.

The burly man reached out and yanked open the carriage door.

The aberrants that had been relentlessly pounding on the door suddenly met no resistance and tumbled to the ground.

Before they could scramble up, the ones behind trampled over them and surged forward.

Layer upon layer, seemingly endless.

The creatures at the bottom were crushed, their skulls split open, brains and blood smearing across the floor.

Just as Tu Ran had predicted, the aberrants rushed only toward her, completely ignoring the four humans hidden at their sides.

Tu Ran raised the curved saber, waiting for their approach.

Blood sprayed from severed limbs and mutilated bodies.

Corpses piled up like mountains, layer upon layer.

Aberrants came from all sides, surrounding Tu Ran in a tight, suffocating mass.

"Thunk!"

A row of aberrant heads rolled to the ground in unison.

Blood gushed out in torrents.

Some aberrants stepped on their dead companions and leaped into the air, aiming to bring Tu Ran down from above.

Tu Ran bent her knees and sprang upward. Her curved saber swept horizontally, flashing a cold glint, leaving a line of blood that soared into the air and splattered across the top of the carriage, also covering the surveillance camera inside.

The federal staff member who had been watching the feed was entranced. He flinched backward as the sudden spray of blood splashed across the screen.

It took him a moment to remember he was sitting at a computer desk, not at the scene.

He murmured under his breath, "Badass."

All the aberrants had their targets locked on Tu Ran, and the people hidden behind the door took the chance to slip into the third carriage.

The people in the second carriage had no idea what was happening outside.

The blood of the aberrants had obscured the glass into a red smear, making everything impossible to see.

They only knew that the aberrants had suddenly disappeared.

The ones that had been pounding on the door were gone.

They tried to call out through the cracks. "Is that the rescue team? Are you here to save us?"

"Yes, we're here. Open the door," the burly man said hastily, glancing at the battle behind him.

The people inside didn't open the door immediately. Instead, they asked cautiously, "Are any of you injured?"

"No!" the burly man roared. "Open the damn door! Our teammate is still out there buying us time!"

The door remained shut.

"You can just stay in that carriage outside," a voice said from within. "We don't need you in here right now."

The burly man's anger exploded. He slammed his fist against the glass door. "What the hell did you just say?! Who do you think I came all this way for, risking my life?! It's for you ungrateful bastards! And now you say you don't need us?! What were you doing before, then?! I helped lure the aberrants away, and only now do you say you don't need me?! Do you think I'm some pushover?!"

The people inside shouted back, "How do we know you're not infected?! What if you're infected and won't admit it?! Letting you in would be irresponsible to everyone in this carriage! Anyway, you're so capable—the aberrants wouldn't stand a chance against you! Just hold out for another half hour, and we'll reach Mitner Square soon."

"You bastards!" The burly man slammed his fist against the glass door again.

The door groaned under the impact.