The sound of the gun so close nearly tears out her eardrums, it feels like, but she stays still and trusts Joel, as she has a million times before. The second she feels the grip go slack, she leans on him and hauls herself up, gasping for air.

There's blood on the front of her shirt, and it stings in a sharp, annoying sort of way that she knows isn't going to be particularly dangerous to her health unless it gets infected. But there's no time to worry about it. Not now.

"On your left," she gasps, and tugs him as she dives down for cover. Bullets spray over their heads, but they haven't got a good enough angle. Her eyes flicker to Joel, trusting him to lead. He knows this place like the back of his hand, and Ellie is only rarely up here.