Chapter 10: Betrayal
It's been about a week since the incident with the St. John's and we haven't had any trouble. We have plenty of food and supplies from the abandoned car, and the only big issue is that we have about 3 beers left.
We still haven't seen our stalker that was videotaping us. When I'm on watch, I try to see where she was taping us. I've found a small ridgeline just above the treeline that might've been the spot, but I'll need to go out and look for myself when I get a free moment to get a definitive answer.
Today is one of the days where I'm not on watch. Ben is stuck on watch today, Kenny and Lee are out on a supply run, and Carley is nowhere to be seen. Lilly has barely gotten out of her room all week, still mourning Larry's death, and Katjaa has taken on responsibility of watching the kids. Lee and Kenny have stepped up in Lilly's place as acting leader, but I'm still wondering what happened in that meat locker. I've asked Lee and Kenny but can't seem to get an answer out of either of them.
Somehow, tensions have gotten higher between us. Kenny and Lilly constantly go at it and it's a miracle neither of them have snapped at each other yet. This continues day in and day out, without fail. I'm not sure if this can last much longer. And frankly I don't know who's in the right at this point. I'll have to weigh my options with Carley.
Time passes by and the afternoon turns to dusk. Kenny and Lee soon come back with as much supplies as they could muster, mostly medicine, and the two of them walk into Lilly's room, likely to show her the supplies. Carley wraps herself around me in a hug.
"There you are. I was looking for you" I remark as she stands next to me.
"Yeah? Why's that?"
"What? I can't just want to see you?"
"Fair point." She kisses me as bickering soon erupts from Lilly's room.
"Do we?" I ask Carley.
"I think we have to." She says with a tone that says she does not want to do this either.
"You're right! You could see one of us sleeping and kill us!" Lilly snarls out at somebody. Was it Lee? Does she know about Lee's past. Or, did Lee kill Larry?
"At it again, are we?" My fiancee says, trying to lighten the mood.
"Can it, Carley." Kenny snaps at her. I open my mouth in protest but close it, not wanting to escalate this situation.
"Well can we cut the bickering at least? Shit it's hard to get anything done when you two are arguing." I shake my head, kicking myself for even getting involved.
"Well what're we going to do for food, for protection, our backup plan when this place falls and goes to shit." Kenny says to Lilly.
"How is this not working? We've been holding up fine."
"It's because of me, Lilly."
"No, it's because Lee knows how to take care of people." Lilly fires back at Kenny.
"I'm not doing this shit" I mutter to Carley. "I'm gonna go for a walk and clear my head. Be back in an hour." I look over towards that ridgeline and see something move for a split second, but I can't tell. Must just be the wind and the bushes.
I walk out of the camp minutes later and judging by the sound of things, it's only getting worse. I hear Lilly shout something about stealing and trust and stuff, but I've gotta block that mess out for a bit.
I find a small clearing on a hill in the woods. This is the spot. This was where the woman from the videotapes was recording us. Evidently, it seems like she was doing more than recording. She had a whole small camp up here. It was a miracle none of us ever spotted her. But there are more important questions. Like, where is she? Who is she? What does she want with us?
I look around her camp. She couldn't be in a group of more than two, maybe three. There just wasn't enough for more than that. My thoughts are interrupted by more movement deeper in the woods. Several men donning ski masks and bandanas slowly creep out, making their way towards me and the camp. It's them. The Bandits. I crouch to get out of view but keep looking to see what they do. They make their ways to the treeline, waiting and then signaling backwards, more people come out.
"Oh shit" I think to myself. "It's an attack." My hunch is correct. A group of six waltz right into the camp and start pointing their guns at my friends.
"Everyone down here!" One yells out, pointing the gun at Ben, "Get on the fuckng ground!" I see everyone that was outside immediately raise their hands in surrender and follow his orders. One by one, he lines them up and has people hold them hostage. I pull out my M4 and aim it, waiting to see what happens.
"You don't fuckin' steal from us! Y'all better get your asses out here! We ain't fucking around!" One of them aims a crossbow at my fiancee and I debate shooting him on the spot.
Lee walks out from Lilly's room, also raising his hands in surrender. I can see the two men try to negotiate, but it's hard to hear them. But, I keep my eyes on the one holding Carley hostage. One of them points a gun at Carley's temple. That's it. I squeeze the trigger and pink and crimson explode from his head and his lifeless body drops to the ground.
"What the fuck?" The head Bandit yells out. "Up there! Shoot that asshole!" He points right to me and gunfire erupts all around me.
"Aaaaaargh!" A sharp pain tears its way from my shoulder and I collapse to the ground, holding it. I'm shot. My warm blood is seeping from my wound as I'm met with four bandits holding me at gunpoint. They've got me. I raise my hands in surrender just praying that they won't kill me. Next thing I know, they're walking me over towards the others, and I'm put down next to Carley.
"Well, well, well, look at this asshole." I'm face to face with the leader. Or, well, face to mask technically. Regardless, I look up at him and say nothing, scowl on my face and teeth gritted.
"You got anything to say? Like maybe 'Sorry for killing one of your men' or 'Sorry for screwing us over'? Anything like that?"
"Go to hell" I mutter to him. I'm met with a quick kick to my ribs and I feel one of two crack. And another. And another. I see Lilly standing on a balcony, barely even visible, with a scoped rifle ready to fire. Take the fucking shot, Lilly.
"I'm sorry. I didn't hear that. What do you want to say?" He says, kicking me again and again. I turn to my side and cough up some blood and turn back to him.
"You don't scare me… thieving piece of shit"
He pauses for a moment to stare at me, and it feels like he's looking directly into my soul, like he can see my inside. "Well alright then." He pulls out a glocke and points it at my forehead, ready to execute me. "Last chance. I'll do it."
"Ian, just do it." Carley says through tears. My heart drops. This is the end of the line. I'm done.
"I'm…. I'm sorry, Carley. I love you." I close my eyes. "Do what you're gonna-" I'm cut off by a gunshot.
I open my eyes. I'm not dead. I look up to see the leader clutching his chest with a red stain expanding on his shirt. He drops to his knees, and falls over, his lifeless eyes staring back at mine. I feel everything freeze for a second. Evidently, none of the bandits knew what to do either, as they stand there, stunned. Kenny, Katjaa, and everyone else runs for cover as I see Carley reach for the glocke. She pulls the trigger twice, killing two of them. The two of us fall back behind the RV as more bandits pour in from the woods. Kenny comes out his room, holding two hunting rifles. He hands one to Lee and the other to me.
"Keep these assholes off me while I get this shit started up."
"You got it Ken."
And so we do. I take position behind an old couch and Lee stays behind the RV. Even with my hurt shoulder, I do my best to try to aim and kill them. I pop another one and we get a free moment.
"Keep your heads down and get in the RV!" I yell to Ben and Carley, who quickly dart over amid the gunfire and make it in. Lee moves over to the other side of the RV, where there were also bandits getting in. With them focusing on Lee, I try to make my move to the RV. Bad decision. An even sharper pain shoots up my body from my left ankle, and I look to see an absurd amount of blood pouring out of it. Shit.
"Ah Fuck!" I cry out in pain and hold my ankle. I'm hit. Again. Bullets fly by me as I crawl into the RV, and Carley cries out seeing me shot.
"Come on. Get up!" She helps me onto a seat as Katjaa and Duck follow me on.
"Is that everyone?" I ask, grunting slightly in pain.
"Not everyone. We're still waiting on Lilly" Lee says, signaling to her to get over here.
"Fuck her, we gotta go now!" Kenny yells out, getting closer to starting the RV. Finally, it comes alive.
"Lilly, last chance! Come on!" Lee yells out to her. As Kenny starts driving, Lilly leaps into the RV and closes the door as we hit the road. Everyone is on board now.
"Oh my goodness. Let me have a look at that" Katjaa points to the bullet wound in my leg. I look at it and it's still bleeding, albeit much less so than earlier. My shoulder hurts like hell, too, but I only got grazed and I think it's done bleeding.
"Well, there was an exit wound. So that's good. The bleeding is slowing down. I'll wrap it up but you'll need to stay off it as much as possible.
"We need to figure out how this happened." Lilly sternly says.
"What're you talking about?" I ask her.
"Someone stole supplies to give to those assholes. And now we've lost everything."
"Well, we're lucky as shit to have this RV!" Kenny rejoiced semi-sarcastically.
"And no one died." Carley says, looking at me.
"Well, I came pretty close." I shrug, smiling lightly but wincing as more pain shoots up my leg.
"Somebody caused this. Somebody was working with was doing this was slipping them our meds. They didn't get their last package, so they attacked." Lilly is starting to sound like a deranged conspiracy theorist. Who could be giving them supplies?
"Settle down! That's crazy talk." Kenny is having none of this, either.
"Lee found a bag of our supplies hidden outside the wall."
All eyes turn to Lee. "It's true."
Dead Silence.
Lilly turns to my fiancee and crosses her arms. "So, Carley, is there anything you want to say?" That bitch. Accusing my fiancee of stealing shit.
"It can't be Carley!" I tell her. "That's impossible. She's been with me most of the time."
"Shocker, the husband comes to his wife's rescue." Lilly rolls her eyes. "Come on, she is clearly a top suspect here."
Carley scoffs. "Please."
"Do we have to get it out of you, then?" She threatens my fiancee.
"Back off, Lilly" I warn her.
"Neither of you are in any position to make demands. For all we know it could've been both of you. Yeah, maybe that was it"
"You're wasting your time. It wasn't me and it wasn't her." I fire back.
"You're just pointing fingers at this point." Carley protests.
"Why her? It seems like you're stabbing in the dark right now." Lee asks of her.
"No, no, no I've had my suspicions. She's always so eager to see what we've got. She's never mentioned family, so maybe she's related to those guys."
"Don't be ridiculous. I knew her family well. They were the nicest fucking people. They'd never associate with those asshats." I say in defense of my would-be in-laws.
"Yeah, my family is not a bunch of meth-riddled forest people. They're fucking Lutheran!" That, I did not know. Guess you do learn something new every day.
"Hey can we just chill out?" Ben starts sweating nervously. I'm in no position to be pointing fingers, but maybe he has something to do with it.
"Maybe it was both of you. You guys have spent an awful lot of time together." Lilly accuses the timid teen.
"Look, just let me out. I didn't do it, but I don't like this. I don't like where it's headed." The kid is about to cry.
"Look me and the eyes and tell me it wasn't you" she continues to fiercely berate him. He isn't going to last much longer at this rate. Lilly is gonna make him crack, whether or not it was him.
"Shit!" Kenny swerves and we hear the 'Thunk' of the RV hitting something. We come to a complete halt. "I hit something!"
"Alright, we can deal with this now then." Lilly looks at Carley and Ben even more maliciously. "Everybody out. Now."
Everybody except Katjaa, Duck, and Clementine, steps out of the RV, myself gingerly walking on my non-injured foot. A quiet groan escapes from a pinned walker that Kenny had hit, forcing us here.
"Before we kick you out, let's hear what everybody thinks" Lilly turns to everybody.
"I'm not fucking doing this!" Carley yells at Lilly. "You can push Ben around but you can't push me around!"
"Yeah, now I'm starting to think it was the both of you."
"No!" Ben pleads.
"There's no way it could've been Carley. It had to have been someone else. It could've even eben someone sneaking into the camp" There's no secret who Lee sides with.
"Thank you, Lee."
"Kenny?" Lilly impatiently asks him as he works to get the walker out.
"I don't know! Fuck! Just stop, would ya?"
"Ben. You have until that walker is dealt with to tell me it was her and not you."
"Please! I'll do watches for a month, anything!" Ben starts crying. Yep. Lilly broke him.
"The Hell you will." She knows it.
"Get ahold of yourself man!" Lee says to him.
"Do we need anymore evidence than this?" Lilly looks ready to kill him.
"Fuck evidence! Stop treating him like this." my fiancee admirably steps up to defend him once again.
"Shut up Carley!" snaps Lilly. "I've heard enough out of you. Kenny?"
"Give me a damn minute! Jesus."
"Lilly, come on. This isn't solving anything. Let's get back on the RV and let this simmer down."
"Fuck that! Someone here is a backstabbing piece of shit and we are not leaving until we figure it out. I will take all night if that's what it takes."
"Lilly. Lay off. Like Ian said, this accomplishes nothing." Lee says sternly.
"No. We're finding out who did this, no matter what it takes." She snarls back at him.
"You think you're just some tough bitch, don't you? Like nothing can hurt you. But you're just a scared little girl. Get the fuck over it. Take a page from Lee, Ian, or literally anybody else in this group, and try helping somebody for once." My God, I have never seen someone angrier than Lilly. Her eyes literally screamed bloody murder, but her signature scowl indicates that this is not over.
It all feels like slow-motion from that point. Kenny finally unhinges the walker from under the car, and after a brief moment, he stomps on it, crushing its skull and destroying the brain. I see Lilly reach into her back pocket. No. She isn't.
My hand swats at her extended arm, and I hear the 'pop' of a gunshot ring out into the quiet night. Her gun clatters off into the grass, and my fiancee's body hits the ground.
"NO!" I cry out, rushing to her side. "CARLEY! KATJAA GET OUT HERE! FuckFuckFuckFuckFuckFuck. Katjaa! I need you out here now with any medical supplies you have!"
"I'm here, what happened? Oh my gosh. What happened?"
"Lilly fucking shot her!" I yell out. My chest pounds and my breathing lightens. "Fuck where's the wound? Oh fuck where's the wound?"
"I found it." Katjaa shines a light at a wound in her shoulder or chest area, I can't really tell because of her jacket, but blood is profusely spilling out of her.
"I'm going to get her back in the RV, see what I can do. I'll need some space."
"Thank you, Katjaa. If you need anything else just tell me." My stomach churns at the thought of me potentially losing my fiancee to anyone, much less Lilly.
"You're not coming with us." I hear Lee say to someone. I turn to see Lilly's dejected expression.
"But I'll die out here!" She pleads to Lee. Frankly I couldn't give a damn at this point what happens to her.
"I don't care" He says coldly and turns back to the RV. "Come on, Ian. We're going."
"Not yet. I've got unfinished business here."
"I understand. Try to make it fast."
"I'll only need a minute."
I pick up Lilly's gun and walk towards her.
"What, you're going to kill me? Cause I killed her?" She asks, crying.
"No. I'm not. Frankly, I don't think you're worth the bullet. So, I'm going to let you live out your life to see if it was worth it. Maybe you'll get lucky and make it. Maybe you won't. Doesn't matter to me. You've already taken everything that matters to me. Now go."
"Ian. I know I hurt you but you're still that same nice kid from high school. Please, don't do this."
"No."
"Ian! At least," she sniffs once "At least give me a gun. Give me a fighting chance out here." I almost want to tell her she's out of her damn mind. One one side, she could shoot us. On the other side, I can't just decide who lives and who doesn't. Everyone deserves a fighting chance.
"Fine, you want a weapon?" I eject the magazine and throw it deep into the woods, effectively gone forever. I then eject the round still in the chamber and kick it away. I toss the empty gun at her feet, and her shocked expression is priceless. I turn and walk back to the RV as I hear her ask me one last question.
"What was that for?"
"You said you wanted a weapon, you didn't say anything about bullets." I step into the RV and shut the door. "Let's go Kenny." The RV's engine roars as we take off into the night.
A rather eventful chapter, I'd say. This semester is looking to be more difficult than I assumed, so I'm going to try to keep this pace but don't be surprised if I miss a week or two because of schoolwork. Anyways hope you guy enjoyed.