Chapter 24-Deciding Randalls fate
Merle was in the shed with Randall Merle punches Randall. "I told you-," Randall starts to say.
"You told me shit," Merle says to the teen.
"I barely knew those guys. I met 'em on the road," Randall tells Merle.
"How many in your group?" Merle asks Randall.
"no no no, come on man," Randall cries.
"How many?" Merle asks again.
"I don't know now you killed some of them. I don't know," Randall tells Merle.
"Where?" Merle asks.
"I don't know we're never in a place more than a night," Randall tells Merle.
"What kind of weapons?" Merle asks him.
"They have heavy weapons automatic," Randall tells him.
"Your boys shot at my family, tried to take this farm. You just went along for the ride? You're trying to tell me you're innocent," Merle says to Randall.
"Yes, these people took me in. Not just guys a whole group of 'em. Men and women, kids too just like you people. Thought I'd have a better chance with them, you know? But we go out, scavenge just the men. One night we found this little campsite. A man and his two daughters teenagers, you know? Real young real cute. Their daddy had to watch while these guys they and they didn't even kill him afterward. They just made him watch as his daughters; they just left him there. No, but I didn't touch those girls. No, I swear I didn't to Please. Please. You gotta believe me, man. I'm not like that. I ain't like that. Please. Please. You gotta believe me," Randall begs Merle.
Outside everybody was waiting for Merle. "So what you gonna do? We'd all feel better if we knew the plan," Morgan asks.
"Is there a plan?" Victor asks.
"We gonna keep him here?" Chris asks.
"I guess we'll know soon enough," Shane tells them. Merle then walks up to them.
"Boy, there's got a gang, under 30 men. They have heavy artillery and they ain't looking to make friends. They roll through here. Our boys are dead. And our women, they're gonna wish they were," Merle tells the group who looks around.
"What did you do?" Carol asks.
"Had a little chat," Merle tells her.
"No one goes near this guy," Daryl tells the group.
"Daryl Shane, what are we going to do?" Lori asks Shane and Daryl look at each other and nod.
"We have no choice. He's a threat. We have to eliminate the threat," Shane tells the group.
"You're just gonna kill him?" Otis and Dale ask.
"It's settled I'll do it today," Daryl says before he and Shane walk away Dale and Otis following him.
"You two can't do this. You don't wanna do this I know you two don't," Dale says to them.
"I thought about for the past two days, after Adam. Knowing what we know now for sure, I don't see a way out of this," Daryl tells Dale and Otis.
"But you two can't just decide on your own to take someone's life," Otis says to the two leaders.
"He's right, Daryl. We have always had the group vote," Shane says to his friend.
"Ok, you two have till tonight to talk to people tonight. We will decide Randall's fate," Daryl tells the two men who nod. John leaves Rick's side and goes over to Sam, who was by himself.
"What do you think about Randall?" John asks Sam.
"I think he should be killed," Sam tells John.
"Good because I got a feeling that Dale and Otis will somehow talk them out of it," John tells Sam.
"If they do, then you can deal with it. Right?" Sam asks John, who nods. Neither of them knew that Dale heard their conversation. Dale walks to the RV. Dale walks inside and sees Andrea.
"I need a favor," Dale says to Andrea.
"Did you move the gun bag?" Andrea asks.
"Yeah, Daryl told me to, and most of them are in the cars. I need you to guard Randall protect him," Dale says to Andrea, who looks at him.
"Why?" Andrea asks.
"Daryl and Shane are giving me and Otis time to talk to the others, try and talk some sense into them, but if John or Sam found out-," Dale says before Andrea interrupts him.
"You think they would just shoot him themself," Andrea finishes for Dale, who nods.
"John hates Daryl, and Shane Sam is grieving he's making a stupid decision I think killing Randall is a bad idea. Are you with them on this?" Dale asks Andrea.
"He's a threat. Tell me this isn't all the ammo out here," Andrea says to Dale.
"You're a civil right's lawyer," Dale says to Andrea.
"Was," Andrea corrects the man.
"You fight with words the power of ideas. Using a gun, that's John's way," Dale says to the woman.
"You really want to debate about saving a guy who's buddies killed Sophie and Jimmy and shot at us, and he will also lead them here," Andrea says to Dale.
"Look, if this were his friends, then yes, I would say kill them, but Randall had no part of that. That's what a civilized people do," Dale says to Andrea.
"Who's says we're civilized anymore? I mean, we killed his people to. The ones in the woods. The ones that attacked the farm and the ones in the woods," Andrea says to Dale.
"That was in self-defense. The world we know is gone, but keeping our humanity, that's a choice," Dale says to Andrea.
"I'll watch your prisoner but not because I think you're right," Andrea says as she walks out.
John and Sam walk over to the barn as Shane walks away with Carl. Andrea arrives just as they do.
"Dale, huh What, he put you on deathwatch Let me ask you something say I wanted to go in there right now and I just wanted to take care of this, you gonna stop me?" Sam asks Andrea.
"I don't know," Andrea says to them.
"Yeah. So what, you buy into Dale's sob story?" John asks.
"I told him I was you two on this," Andrea says to the two.
"You're just still here for him. That's cute. You see what's happening, don't you? These guys ain't gonna go through with this. I'm telling you, they gonna pussy out. And if they do, we gonna have a big problem on our hands. Let me ask you something every time we have a problem around here, who do you think behind it?" John asks.
"Some might say you," Andrea tells him.
"No one listens to me. I say it's the guys that make up the rules, the boys that always have all the answers, even though their answers always prove wrong," John tells her.
"So what are you gonna do? Daryl and Shane are the leaders of this group. It's also their farm," Andrea says to them.
"Maybe we otta change that," Sam says.
"What, are you gonna lock 'em in a room and take their guns? I don't know. That could get out of hand," Andrea says to them.
"No, no, it won't. Okay? I won't let it. Listen, I don't want anybody to get hurt, okay? I don't like Daryl and Shane, The rest are alright by me, and maybe Alicia will realize she's with the wrong guy," John says to them.
"And, Dale?" Andrea asks.
"Dale got a big mouth, but he's harmless. Look, I wanna know what it's like to sleep without keeping one eye open. Ain't that what we all want?" John asks. Sam then hears something in the shed Sam opens the door and sees Carl.
"What the hell are you doing in here?" Sam asks Carl. "What did you say to him?" Sam asks Randall.
"I didn't say nothing," Randall tells them.
"Hey," Andrea says as she comes in.
"Let me tell you something I will shoot you where you sit," John says to Randall as he comes in.
"Okay, John Sam, not now," Andrea says to them.
"Open your mouth," Sam says to Randall as he pulls out his gun.
"Sam," Andrea says to Sam.
"You like talking?" Sam asks.
"Back off!" Andrea yells at them.
"Get your ass outside now," Sam says to Carl, who walks out the other two following him.
"The hell are you doing?" John asks.
"Please don't tell my parents," Carl begs the three.
"Carl, that ain't cool man, you could've gotten hurt," Sam says to Carl.
"Let me tell you something you do not go near him again. Do you hear me?" John asks.
"You won't tell my parents, will you?" Carl asks.
"Carl man, this isn't about getting in trouble, okay? A guy like that, he will say anything to you. He'll try to make you feel sorry for him. He'll try to make you let your guard down. You let your guard down out here, people die. Now just do me a favor, man go find your ma. Go on. Carl, quit trying to get yourself killed, man," Sam says to Carl.
Otis walks inside and over to his wife. Otis kisses his wife's cheek she puts down the dish she was working on and looked at Otis. "What is it?" Patricia asks her husband.
"Do you believe killing Randall is the right thing to do?" Otis asks his wife.
"No, but it's what we have to do, Randall is a threat," Patricia tells her husband.
"His group is a threat we took in Jane, and now she is one of us me and Dale are trying to convince the group to change their minds. I'm trying to save Randall. Will you side with Dale and me?" Otis asks his wife, who thinks for a moment before she nods. Otis smiles before he kisses his wife and leaves after telling Patricia he loves her.
Glenn walks into the house and sees Hershel watching Beth and Nick talking in a bedroom. "How is she doing?" Glenn asks Hershel.
"She's doing good Nick has really helped her," Hershel tells Glenn.
"Well, let me know if I can do anything," Glenn says to Hershel as he starts to walk away.
"Where's your family from?" Hershel as Glenn. Who turns and looks at him.
"Michigan but before that Korea," Glenn tells Hershel.
"Immigrants built this country. Never forget that. Our family came from Ireland," Hershel tells Glenn.
"Maggie Greene, I kinda figured," Glenn tells the older man. Hershel pulls out a pocket watch.
"My grandfather brought this over from the old country. He passed it on to my father, who passed it on to me. I pawned it to pay for a night of drinking I no longer remember," Hershel tells Glenn.
"You bought it back?" Glenn asks Hershel as the clock ticks.
"My late wife did Josephine, Maggie's mother. She gave it back years later when I sobered up. She was a good woman, my Jo. Maggie's a lot like her. When we were in that bar, and afterward, I thought about a lot of things. You become a father someday, you'll understand. No man is good enough for your little girl until one is," Hershel tells Glenn as he holds the watch out to Glenn.
"Go on now before I change my mind," Hershel tells Glenn, who grabs the watch.
The group spends the rest of the day talking at night Daryl was walking to the house Morgan was staying with the kids as everybody gathers inside the house beside Otis who was on watch. Morgan, who was watching Carl and Duane. "So how do we do this? Just take a vote?" Glenn asks.
"Does it have to be unanimous?" Andrea asks.
"How about majority rules," Lori says.
"Well, let's just see where everybody stands, then we can talk through the options," Shane says.
"Well, where I sit, there's only one way going forward," John says.
"Killing him, right? I mean, why bother to even take a vote? It's clear which way the wind's blowing," Dale says.
"Well, if people believe we should spare him, I want to know," Daryl tells Dale.
"Well, it's a small group Otis me, Patricia and Glenn," Dale says.
"Look, I think you're pretty much right about everything but not this," Glenn says to Dale.
"They've got you scared," Dale says to him.
"He's not one of us, and we lost too many people already," Glenn says.
"How about you? Do you agree with this?" Dale asks Maggie.
"Couldn't we keep him prisoner?" Maggie asks.
"Just another mouth to feed," Shane says.
"It may be a lean winter," Hershel says.
"We could ration better," Lori says.
"Well, he could be an asset. Give him a chance to prove himself," Dale says.
"Put him to work?" Travis asks.
"We're not letting him walk around," Shane tells him.
"We could put an escort on him," Madison says.
"Who wants to volunteer for that duty?" Sam asks.
"I will as many as it takes," Dale says.
"Look, we're just going back and forth does anybody have anything to say before we vote?" Daryl asks Dale steps up.
"When we were at the Cdc, you told Jenner you wanted us to be the good guys. That is why he let us out, but killing a kid for a crime, he may never commit. Killing a kid, how is that being the good guys. Adam died believing that we we're the good guys he fought for that Randall may not be one of us, but he does not deserve to die so please let's do the right thing honor the people that died for us Adam died believing we were the good guys lets not prove him wrong," Dale says to the group.
"Ok, who votes on killing Randall?" Shane asks Sam John and Rick raise there hands. Dale smiles.
"Ok, tomorrow Merle and I will take Randall out and let him go," Daryl tells the group who nods Merle leaves the house. John pushes the door open and walks out. The group leaves the house. When they heard a scream. Daryl starts to run.
"Over here, Help Run!" Merle yells. The group arrives and sees Otis on the ground his stomach tourn open Patricia falls down and starts to cry.
"Hershel, can we move him?" Daryl asks Hershel as he comes up Hershel shakes his head. Daryl sits down and pulls out his gun. Otis looks at Patricia and mouths I love you as Daryl pulls out his gun Daryl bends down beside Otis. Otis looks up at the man and nods.
"Sorry, Brother," Daryl says as he pulls the trigger killing Otis as the group sits there in shock.
With Bobby's group.
Bobby was grabbing wood for the fire. They weren't far from Hampton when he heard a stick break. Bobby turns and sees a figure sit down by a tree Bobby walks closer, and his eyes widen. "Adam," Bobby says as he stares at the man who had blood going down his head, and his eyes closed as he passed out.
There is it Otis death I have Plans for Dale, and I felt this was a good death for Otis Adam was revealed to get out of the store next chapter will be how and Better angels. Once again, I would love to hear your feedback from you guys and have some talks with you guys. I excited for the next to episodes hope you guys are ready, thanks for reading.