- Get the fuck in there! And don't wander around at night or I'll put a fucking bullet in your head! Forcing me to work off my shift...
Troy's angry voice drew the attention of the people inside the yard, and caused Lee to roll his eyes.
- Hey! Don't fucking test me! Keep this up and I won't give a damn about Carver's orders! I'm going to come into this yard and beat you so bad you're going to wish you were dead!
Troy shouted again, grabbing Lee hard by the shoulder, forcing him to look at him.
Lee stared at him for a moment, and smiled cynically.
- Don't threaten me with a good time. As I recall, I was the one who beat up Carver, what am I going to do with you?
Lee said, pulling his shoulder back hard, and walked out into the yard, not before looking over his shoulder at the people walking behind him.
All looking a bit... sickly? Hm.
Well, he was practically forced to act that night. Not that it was really a problem, he already had a plan.
- Lee?
Clementine's sweet voice called out to him, and he turned, returning the hug the girl had given him, smiling slightly at the worried look on her face.
- Hey, sweet pea. How was your day at this... place?
Lee asked, grimacing slightly. He still couldn't swear in front of her.
She gets really mad.
- Are you really asking me this? What happened to you?!
she asked, in a mixture of indignation and concern, resting her chin on his torso and looking him in the eye.
- Ah, it seems that our poor friend Carver wanted to make small talk with our fists.
He said, looking over his shoulder at Troy, who was closing the gate.
- A fight? We heard shots.
Luke said further ahead, and Lee looked at him.
- He couldn't keep up, and when he saw that he was going to get beaten up, he reached for a gun. I don't know why you are so afraid of him. He's just a scared little boy.
Lee said, patting Clementine's head gently and walking with her to the small circle of chairs in front of them, surrounding a small fire.
- What? You say that because you haven't seen him like we have.
Rebecca said, following him with her eyes.
- If he was really the way you say he is, he would have killed me at this point. Don't you see? He keeps saying all this tough guy stuff just to fool the others. He's weak, maybe as weak as anyone here.
Lee said, sitting down on one of the chairs and wiping the blood dripping from his face with the back of his hand.
- What are these cuts?
Clementine asked beside him, alternating her gaze between the side of his neck, and his arm.
- Let's just say that Carver was too scared to hit a shot.
Lee said, and the girl stared at him for a while.
Lee arched an eyebrow, and felt a bit... uneasy with the serious look the girl gave him, scolding him.
- Why do you always do this? You keep putting yourself at risk like this... Carlos, where are the bandages?
Clementine asked, getting up from her chair and looking at the doctor.
- I'm fine, Clem, don't-
- You don't have a lot of say in the matter, Lee.
The girl cut him off, glancing over her shoulder before walking to the corner of the yard, causing Lee to sigh slightly, scratching the back of his head.
The older she got, the more bossy she became.
- Okay, I have a lot of questions in my head right now, but... how about just explaining to us what the fuck is going on?
Luke asked, leaning his torso forward slightly and propping his elbows on his legs.
- If everything you said is true, I'm surprised you're still alive... but Carver will kill you sooner or later.
Rebecca said, looking at him neutrally.
- Have you eaten?
Lee asked, running his eyes between them.
- What? What this... no, not yet.
Luke said, shaking his head slightly.
- Great... I spiced it up a bit... do you guys want to get out of here today?
Lee asked, looking at Clementine for a moment, who was beginning to bandage his wounds, and smiled at the confused faces of the people.
- What? Do you have a plan?
Mike asked, looking at Lee with a raised eyebrow.
- While you were having your beauty sleep, Mike, I used this...
He pointed to his own head, looking with an amused smile at Mike, who rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.
- As Rebecca said, Carver wants to kill me. So, I'm practically forced to escape tonight.
Lee said, trying not to look at Clementine, who was staring at him with a certain intensity.
- You've been here less than a day and you've already done all this shit?
Mike asked again, shaking his head slightly.
- Good thing he wants to kill me, and not one of you. But then, do you want to run away today or not? He's not interested in you, he's interested in Clem.
Lee said, looking a little stiff, running his eyes over the confused expressions in front of him.
- Why would Carver be interested in a little girl?
A man in a cap, in which Lee did not yet know the name, asked.
- He said she has all this potential and a whole shitload of it, in short, he wants to leave it all up to her to lead.
Lee said.
- What?! Why?
- He wants to hand over the leadership to a little girl?
They asked, and Lee sighed, noticing the discomfort of the girl next to him.
- Look, it doesn't matter, it's not going to happen. The question is, do you want to get out of here, or not? If not, Clem and I will leave without you.
Lee said. He wasn't in a big hurry, it was even good for him to stay there a few more minutes to make sure the guards got sicker, and for those not on duty to go to sleep.
- Even if you have a plan, how do you expect to open that gate?
Mike asked.
- Human feelings are peculiar things, and it's a good thing we have someone with a good temper outside.
Lee said, smiling gently at Clementine, who finished bandaging his arm.
- Okay, fine, let's say we agree to leave, what's the plan?
Luke asked, and Lee leaned on his legs.
- I put some extra spice in the guards' food. It should be working by now, so don't bother with the details. As soon as they bring in your food, we will hide it, and after a while, we will tell Troy that Rebecca is in bad shape.
Lee said, and the woman arched an eyebrow.
- Isn't it better to simply say that she is in pain? She is pregnant.
Nick said.
- No, we have a doctor here, they can just give him some things to analyze her right here. But, since some guards are getting sick, it will be a more worrisome issue with a pregnant woman, don't you think?
Lee said, and Nick looked away.
- Rebecca leans on me, and Carlos, Luke, and you, Mike, stay close by. As soon as I get the opportunity, I will immobilize Troy, you two immobilize whoever is with him.
Lee said, looking at two women who had just entered the courtyard, with trays of food in hand, and Troy walking right behind.
- Ok, get your fucking food! I don't want to see any of you motherfuckers awake in twenty minutes!
he said, closing the gate as the two women left the courtyard.
- Okay, what's next?
Luke asked.
- I am working on the new expansion, Troy gets the keys whenever he is on his shift. We go there, leave one of the guards alive, with the excuse that we are taking Rebecca, and some other sick people, to the infirmary, in case any guards stop us. On the way I stop by the kitchen and get a lighter.
- A lighter? What for?
Nick asked.
- The place where they sleep is not far away, and guess what the rooms are made of? Tarp, and wood.
He said, and some looked at him incredulously.
- You want to set fire to the rooms of people who have nothing to do with this?
Luke asked, looking at him in reproach.
- Are you sure they had nothing to do with it? I made this plan focused on just getting away, Carver will stay alive and come after us, the fewer people the better.
Lee said, glancing at Clementine, who had a rather uncomfortable expression on her face.
Like him, she didn't like killing. The difference was that he had gotten used to it.
- What if Carver sees us?
a woman with short blond hair said, drawing their attention to her.
That was the first words that anyone there had heard her say.
- Well, I think this is unlikely at the moment. But if it happens, we will have the guards' weapons that we took, we will just have to run for the expansion. If we shoot, it will attract that horde that he said was around, they are not runners, but it is dangerous. We just have to be fast.
Lee said, leaning his back in his chair and crossing his arms, running his eyes over the thoughtful expressions in front of him.
-... The excuse that we are taking Rebecca to the infirmary is a good one, but, I don't think it is the best solution... we had help from the inside last time... maybe we can have that help again.
Luke said after a while trapped in his thoughts, looking down at the floor, arms crossed.
- One of the guards?
Lee asked, arching an eyebrow.
- Was it Bonnie?
Clementine asked suddenly.
- Ahm, yes... how did you know?
Luke asked.
- She told me she should have gone with you guys...do you think she'll help again? She doesn't seem too inclined to leave.
Clementine said, and Luke sighed lightly.
- Maybe...she'll be with Troy, most likely...we'll see.
- We're forgetting something, what about Alvin?
Rebecca said, running her eyes between them with a slightly worried expression.
- Is Alvin the big black guy? I'm sorry to tell you this, but he was pretty beat up when I went to Carver's office.
Lee said, staring at the woman's incredulous expression.
- What?! No, no, we can't leave him here!
She said, narrowing her eyes at Lee, who sighed.
- Trust me, Carver beat the crap out of him. Even if we somehow managed to get to his office, Alvin would be in no condition to walk.
Lee said, shaking his head slightly.
- That's right... he was covered in blood. Carver said that he had passed out hours ago, and that was earlier... it's already night and he still hasn't woken up.
Clementine said ruefully, trying not to look at Rebecca's rather desperate expression.
- No, no, there must be... there must be something we can do... we can carry him...
She insisted, alternating her nervous gaze among the people there.
-... Clem... did it seem like Alvin could walk?
Carlos asked, and Lee arched an eyebrow.
He had already said there was no chance... well, he couldn't blame them for not believing a stranger.
-... No, not in that state.
Clementine said.
- I have already considered the possibility. But I took the risks as a priority. This plan is not perfect, even more so considering that I made it on the way here. Anything can happen, things can go smoothly, or it can turn into a rain of shit.
Lee said, running his hands through his hair, looking disguisedly at the woman's expression of despair.
It was a sad situation, having to leave her husband behind, and possibly the father of her child.
But at the same time, it was good that she was crying. This way, the lie that she was in pain would sound more convincing.
- This plan is crazy...
Mike said, and Lee laughed lightly.
- Well, sorry if I haven't had much time to think of one. My head is on the line here.
Lee said with a certain irony.
- And why is that my problem?
Mike asked, slightly irritated with Lee.
- It's not. If you don't want to come, you won't be missed, Mike. Just be careful... maybe besides me getting a lighter I'll put some more spice in tomorrow's food... who knows.
Lee said, shrugging, and Mike sighed in defeat.
- What if things go wrong there?
Clementine asked, in a tone so that Lee could hear. He looked at her warmly, noticing her concern.
- Well, everything can go wrong. That's the world we live in. But if I'm going to choose to die, let it be by trying to do something, and not by waiting for my head to be cut off by some nutcase.
He said, placing his hand gently on the girl's shoulder, who stared at him for a while, and sighed in defeat.
- Okay, if there's nothing else to be said, let's go.
Lee said, getting up and walking over to the table where those women had placed the food, and hiding it in the farthest, darkest corner.
Walking back to the chairs, Lee drops one on the floor and pulls its leg out, having a little trouble, but succeeding in the end.
It wasn't one of the best weapons, but it could punch through a stomach, and that was good enough.
- Things can go wrong very quickly.
Nick said, looking at Luke, who sighed.
- Well, when can't things go wrong? I don't plan on staying here any longer.
Luke said.
Lee looked at Clementine for a few more moments, before slipping Rebecca's arm around his neck.
- Okay, I will call Troy...I am close to Rebecca.
Nick said, and Lee nodded at him.
- You're pretty crazy, you know that?
The short-haired woman said, looking at Lee with a raised eyebrow.
- Hm, a sane person couldn't have survived this long. I'll take that as a compliment... what's your name?
Lee asked.
- Jane.
- Lee.
She stared at him for a few more moments, then turned to Nick, who called out to Troy, faking the best voice of desperation he could muster.
- Seriously, man, she's not well! She can't even walk!
Nick said, and you could already hear Troy's footsteps, and grumbling, approaching.
- Oh, for fuck's sake... some of our guards are getting sick too! What the fuck is happening to everyone?! Is there something in the food?
He said angrily, opening the gate and walking a few steps towards Rebecca, focusing his eyes on Lee.
Right behind Troy was Bonnie, who was looking at the whole thing with a worried expression, and a random guard they had never seen before in their lives.
- What the fuck is this?!
Troy asked, still staring at Lee.
- Can we save this shit for later? Can't you see there's a pregnant woman in here having a bad fucking time?
Lee said, rolling his eyes at Troy's irritation, who clenched his eyes.
- Okay, get away from her.
he said, and Lee sighed.
- Dude, seriously-
- Get the fuck away from her! Let another one of these idiots help her, or we're not getting out of here!
he said, glaring at Lee angrily.
- Troy, please, she doesn't look well.
Bonnie said, taking a few steps closer to Troy and looking at the small tears streaming down Rebecca's face.
- Bonnie, shut the-
Troy was about to say, however, just as he turned to the woman, Lee disengaged himself from Rebecca and advanced on him, punching him powerfully in the mouth and sending him to the ground.
Glancing over, he saw Mike do the same to the other man, taking his gun soon after.
Quickly, Lee runs over to Troy and kicks him in the face, stopping him from getting up, and taking his rifle soon after.
Looking at Bonnie for a few moments, Lee puts one of his feet on Troy's neck, preventing him from making any loud noises.
- What the...? What's going on here... Luke?
Bonnie asked, looking at them in confusion, alternating her gaze between Lee, and Luke.
- Bonnie, look, we're getting out of here.
Luke said, approaching the woman with his arms up.
- What? But you... you can't!
- Bonnie, we can't stay here and you know it! We can't be around Carver, and even though you refuse to say so, you've also noticed that he's changed.
Luke said, and the woman stared at him for a while, thinking about his words.
Then her eyes focused on Clementine, who was standing next to Sarah, a little further away, looking at the whole thing with neutral eyes.
A sigh escaped the woman's mouth, and she lowered her rifle.
-... Good.
Lee said, taking the leg of the chair he had broken earlier and stabbing it into Troy's stomach, ignoring the surprised gasps around him.
- What the... what the hell are you doing?!
Luke asked, walking over to him and glaring at him.
- Didn't I tell you? The fewer people, the better for ... we all know that to become a runner, you have to be infected by a runner, common sense, I guess.
Lee said, reaching into his pocket for something. Luke's eyes widened as he saw what it was.
A finger... a small bloody finger with pieces of flesh missing.
- Our dear friend Troy will be more useful when dead, than he was when alive.
Lee said, putting the runner's finger in Troy's mouth, and covering his mouth with his hand, forcing him to swallow the finger.
Troy coughed a few times, and Lee just stared at him coldly. If fire doesn't kill many people, a runner would.
Lee looked at Clementine and nodded for her to come closer, handing the girl the leg of the chair.
- Stay close.
- Are you going to give this to her?
Luke asked, narrowing his eyes at Lee.
- What's up with you? You can't predict what might happen out there.
Lee said, waving to the others to follow him, and turning to Bonnie.
- How is the situation outside?
he asked, and the woman looked at him fearfully.
-... Some of the guards are sick, not feeling very well... others are feeling a little dizzy... Carver is on the roof at the moment, planning the place where he will kill you... the guards down here were just the three of us, and two guards present in his office, because we are closer to Carver, so to speak, our schedules are different from the others.
She said, and Lee almost smiled at the news.
- Good, let's go before he comes down.
Lee said, walking out of the yard. But first, he grabbed the other guard by the shirt and slammed his head against the wall a few times, knocking him out.
- Wait... maybe we can get Alvin...
Rebecca said, and Lee turned around, looking at her with an arched eyebrow.
Well, if any of them volunteered to go get him, he didn't see why not. If Carver was on the roof, they would have some time.
Although he doubted that Alvin could walk.
- You haven't heard? Rebecca, I'm sorry ... but Carver killed Alvin.
Bonnie said, and the people around her sighed in surprise, looking incredulously at the woman.
- What?!
Luke asked, surprised, incredulous, and even a little desperate.
- It was shortly after he had a fight with Lee in his office... I was already planning to run away because of that... to stop trying to fool myself, to accept this horrible feeling of knowing that the man I admired was never there.
Bonnie said, bowing her head slightly in regret.
- Oh, God... Rebecca... I'm sorry.
Luke said, looking at the woman, who had heavy tears streaming down her face, and a hand over her mouth.
- You will have time to grieve later.
Lee said, looking around, and focusing his eyes on the kitchen ahead...they would have to use the shelves as cover for the two men in the office.
-... It was your fault...
The woman said, and Lee turned to her with an arched eyebrow.
- It was your fault!
The woman almost shouted, ignoring the whispers around her, and seeming not to mind the idea of being caught.
- Rebecca! Be quiet!
- Keep it down!
- I didn't kill your husband, but you're going to kill all of us if you keep screaming like that.
Lee said, running his eyes around again, making sure she hadn't drawn any attention to herself.
- You killed him! You're to blame for Carver killing him! If you had just stayed put, this wouldn't have happened! If you hadn't fought back... Alvin...
Rebecca said, and Lee rolled his eyes in anger as the guards in the office got up from their chairs and looked out the window.
They probably heard the woman's screams.
- Congrats. You just made our escape harder.
Lee said, ignoring the woman's tears and walking crouched, following the shelf down. He would have to make a small detour to get to the kitchen.
Clementine followed right behind him, looking over her shoulder at the others following them, and those comforting Rebecca further back.
The girl felt a little bad for the woman.
Carver was cruel, crazy, bloodthirsty... they said so themselves.
Who was to say that he wasn't already planning to kill Alvin?
So, although she felt bad for the woman, she didn't understand her for putting the blame on Lee like that.
- What's the plan here, big guy?
Jane asked, crouching down right behind him.
- The guards at the office probably heard Rebecca...I'm expecting at least one of them to come down and check it out. We'll have to kill him, and get out of here fast.
Lee said, looking over his shoulder at Jane.
- Go do your thing...I can take care of him.
Jane said, and both Clementine and Lee gave her a raised eyebrow.
- Are you sure?
he asked.
- Have you looked at yourself in the mirror? You're a big, mean-looking guy, your stealthy days are over.
She said, walking to a shelf in front of her, while Lee followed her with his eyes.
-... Do I have a mean face?
he asked, turning to Clementine, who smiled slightly.
- With a beard that size? Yes, we have to cut it off.
She said, and Lee rolled his eyes. He liked to have a big beard ... his thing.
Soon, he walked forward and turned around, walking crouched toward the kitchen with Clementine right behind him.
Glancing around, he saw Bonnie leading the others toward the expansion area.
- Get the bag, put some canned food and water in it.
Lee said, tossing a bag to Clementine, who began to fill it with the said supplies.
- Are you sure you want to see this? It's low, cruel, and horrible.
Lee said, taking a lighter, and alcohol, as he poured the flammable liquid all over the kitchen.
- Like I said, you always put yourself at risk like this ... I have to stay here to make sure you come back in one piece.
she said, and Lee arched an eyebrow.
- What are you? My babysitter?
he asked amused, walking quickly toward the expanded rooms.
- The way you are, probably. But consider me your bodyguard.
She said, and he chuckled lightly.
- We're here.
Bonnie said, opening the door that led to the back, where the expansion was in progress.
- Great... man, I have to admit, whatever he did with the food in that place, it made it easy.
Mike said, looking around, managing to see a few zombies standing in random places further ahead, scattered around the place.
- Where are we going now?
Nick asked, looking at Luke.
- Where are the others?
Luke asked, looking back.
- That lunatic is going to set the dorms on fire.
Carlos said, pressing Sarah against his body.
- We can't just leave, Clem is with him.
Luke said, looking at Carlos.
- What about the other guy?
Mike asked, standing guard further ahead.
- Well, him ... what happens to him is not our problem ... but Clem doesn't deserve to be abandoned just because she is with him.
Luke said, looking anxiously at the door.
- If I remember correctly, they said it was just the two of them for years... they will be fine.
Carlos said, and Luke looked at him with a grumpy look.
- What is the matter with you?
- Carver is crazy, that guy is crazy, and these people are crazy. I have Sarah to worry about, and the farther away from them she is, the better.
Charles said, and Luke shook his head slightly, sighing.
- What the fuck is this?!
Lee heard Carver's irritated voice shout as he saw the line of fire that began to spread from the kitchen, and ran up to the dormitories.
It had taken him longer than he wanted. It was a little difficult to block the doors to some of the dormitories without making noise.
A guarantee that some people would die in that little... accident.
Looking at Clementine, Lee crouched behind the counter next to him, hearing the footsteps of both Carver and the guards next to him rush past him, heading towards the fire.
Muffled voices began to make themselves present, and it wouldn't be long before panic spread.
The two of them got up and ran to the door of the expanse, which Clementine went through first.
- Lee!
He heard Carver shout his name.
Turning around with a cynical smile on his face, Lee bowed to Carver, as if he had just done a show, a kind of spectacle, and that the act was over, before closing the door.
He wouldn't have to worry about being chased at that point.
Carver always flaunted the things he had.
Let him flaunt the cooking gas that was so close to the fire.