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ELLIE USHERS out a family of three, gunshots echoing throughout the street they're on as she leads the hurt family to the back of a van to take them to a hospital in the next town. There are bodies in the street and Ellie's heart tightens as the Mom tries to shield her children's eyes from what is probably their slaughtered neighbor.
Different members of the Company help them in, other families and lots of children already loaded inside. Ellie taps the back of the van once the doors are shut and it starts heading away. She hears Phillip calling over the radio to push through to the bank. Apparently, there are more PMCs there.
She sprints down the road, rifle in hand as she watches more Shadow members bursting through the front doors of the bank, firing round after round at the enemy. Ellie has personally eliminated 12 threats. Each takedown she thought might make the weight on her soul feel lighter. It was always just replaced with the weight of their taken lives by her hands. She's yet to feel better about anything that's happened to her.
When she makes it to the bank, she immediately pops off four rounds, bodies falling to the ground with a thud. Shots ring out as well as screams from the citizens of the town. She lays down over the bodies of a few children, blocking them from any fire coming their way.
"They're heading out the back!" Phillip shouts, Ellie looking up to see more PMCs retreating and peeling away in armored trucks.
They didn't get all of them. It is a crappy feeling.
Ellie helps the children up, the two girls clinging to her tightly. They are asking her questions in their native language. Crying. Ellie can't understand what they're saying. Members of Shadow Company begin to sweep through the town, confirming there are no leftover Konni hostiles there so the authorities and government of Vondel can begin their humanitarian efforts. Ellie begins helping the doctors and nurses set out make-shift stretchers to lay the dying and wounded on. There's a group of alone children being put inside the library, ones who haven't been claimed by any parents.
As Ellie finishes packing a gunshot wound, Phillip comes up to her, patting her back. "You good, Ellie?" he asks, blood crusted on her forehead. She doesn't look much different than him.
"I'm not sure. I was hoping we'd get some closure here. Eradicate them. Guess I was dreaming too big."
"We got a good number, honey. We need to finish up here and move out soon. Word is they're already setting up in Al Mazrah."
"The observatory?" Ellie asks, remembering when she heard about this from Laswell.
"That's right. We are packing up as we speak."
She looks around at the disaster in the town, the horrible air of death permeating. "What about them?"
