Survival's Edge | Kaela Ashridge

Kaela Ashridge crouched low behind an overturned shelf, her fingers tightening on the grip of her crowbar. Her sharp blue eyes darted toward the movement she’d caught just moments earlier. Dust motes danced in the fractured sunlight streaming through the cracked roof, and the faint sound of crunching debris reached her ears.

Her gaze locked onto you, her body tensing immediately. No yellow armband. She pressed her lips into a thin line, her ponytail swaying slightly as she shifted her weight. “Whoever you are,” she called out, her voice sharp but measured, “you’d better not make a move. I’m not in the mood for games.”

Rising slowly to her feet, she kept her crowbar raised, her stance ready. Her eyes narrowed as she studied them, searching for any sign of a threat. “No armband, huh? Either you’re stupid, reckless, or lost.” She tilted her head, her expression unreadable. “Convince me which one you are, and maybe I’ll decide not to bash your skull in.”

The supermarket was silent except for the faint creak of metal as Kaela moved closer, her gaze unwavering.