- How about you stop asking questions about us and start talking a little more about yourself?
Lee heard Luke ask, and after ducking behind a tree, making sure he was far enough away not to be seen but close enough to hear what they were saying, he leaned his body slightly to the side and watched the people Luke was talking to.
Four people.
Two men and two women.
One of the men was bald with a small beard, the other had straight brown hair down to just below the nape of his neck.
One of the women had her brown hair tied up in a bun, and the other had short black hair.
All of them were armed with military rifles.
And something that puzzled Lee a bit was the marks they had on their necks. Even from a distance, he realized that it was the same mark that was on the side of the truck.
- They seemed to come from a large community.
Clementine said softly beside him, and Lee had to agree.
Clean clothes, too good a physique for someone starving, tidy hair, guns, and a vehicle.
- Well, I guess it's only fair. We are recruiting people to be part of our community. We have big plans for a place where people can call home, and we have traveled many miles in search of people willing to help make this place real.
The black-haired woman said, standing one step ahead of the others.
She had a sympathetic expression, as did the others.
However, the bald guy with the beard gave Lee a bad feeling... he was strange...
-... And what is this place?
Luke asked, raising an eyebrow and putting his hands on his waist.
- The community base is in Richmond. We call ourselves the "new frontier". We are still a new group, but as I said, we have big plans. The location is still small, but we have great potential. In a few years, with the necessary help, we will be a huge and prosperous community.
The woman said.
- New frontier? Hm...
Lee said, a little thoughtful, and even with a spark of nostalgia in his gaze, causing Clementine to look at him with an arched eyebrow.
- What?
- Oh, nothing... for some reason, hearing the name of that place I pictured Kenny standing next to me. "That's one hell of a crappy name."
He said, shaking his head as he felt his mind flooded with memories.
- Hm... I miss Kenny.
The girl said, and Lee sighed ruefully.
- Yeah... me too...
He said with some nostalgia, and turned his attention back to the conversation ahead.
- This is awfully good... actually, too good to be true...
Luke said, scratching the back of his head.
- But it's completely true. We have hope that we can get back to the way we were before... well, at least in most things. And we know that we can't achieve this goal without people cooperating with each other.
The woman said.
- This doesn't even seem real, if such a place really exists...
Bonnie said, looking down with a distant expression, drawing curious glances to the baby in her arms.
- Newborn?
The woman with her hair tied up in a bun asked, looking at the baby warmly.
- Yes... unfortunately, his mother is no longer with us.
Bonnie said, and the woman looked at her ruefully.
- Oh. I am so sorry.
- How did you manage to find us? I mean, even though this was a tourist trap back in the day, let's just say there aren't many buildings worth seeing around here.
Mike asked, standing right next to Luke.
- We weren't going in this direction, actually. But we heard shots. As I said, we help survivors, and in return, they help us build the community. You are not the first ones we have found out there, but let's just say we haven't found many.
The woman explained, and Lee narrowed his eyes.
- This... can get complicated.
He said, and the girl nodded in agreement.
-... Can we help them now?
Clementine asked as she saw runners coming out of the forest and approaching quickly.
Lee sighed slightly and alternated his gaze between the girl, and the runners.
From the look she was giving him, she would help them, whether he wanted her to or not.
He didn't have much say in the matter, apparently.
- Fine.
Lee said after a few seconds, since the number of runners coming out of the forest was so many.
- Can you guys decide this shit already?!
The bald man said, turning and shooting at the runners, next to the other guy. But it was obvious that they couldn't hold out for long, there were too many runners.
- I don't want to pressure you, but, are you in, or out?
The woman said, alternating her gaze between them and the runners, who were getting closer and closer.
Luke looked thoughtful for a moment, looking over his shoulder before making a decision.
- We accept. We'll go with you.
He said, and the woman nodded to him, starting to run towards the truck.
- Wait. There are two more people with us.
Luke shouted, but his shout was muffled by the loud voice of the bald man, who stopped shooting and climbed into the driver's seat of the truck.
- There's no time, let's go!
Mike said, running toward the vehicle, with Sarah right beside him..
Luke grunted softly and started shooting at the runners. The small horde had caught up with them.
- What are you waiting for, Bagder?!
one of the women shouted, already inside the vehicle.
- This shit is not working! I told you to get the other one!
Badger shouted back, turning the key once more and cursing when he saw that the truck wouldn't start.
The truck was quickly surrounded, and the gunshots would only draw more and more runners closer.
Jane took Bonnie's rifle and climbed into the modified body of the truck, shooting at the runners from above.
Luke was making his way to the bucket, but the man who was shooting at the runners to his left ran and got into the vehicle, leaving that side completely clear for the creatures to pass.
- Luke!
Bonnie shouted for him as she saw the runners approaching from the side.
Luke turned and started shooting at them, however, not for long as he ran out of ammunition.
- Ah shit!
He grumbles loudly, and a few more shots were heard. Looking to the side, he sees Mike get down from the truck and shoot at the runners.
- Let's go!
he shouts. But, as expected, a rifle, although a great weapon, could not protect them in both places being surrounded by relentless creatures.
A runner threw himself on Mike's back, who groaned in a mixture of fright and pain from the impact.
He staggered forward a little and lost his balance, crashing to the ground.
However, the strong presence of the runner and his back retracted, and his body was thrown violently to the side.
Looking up, he sees Lee just beside him, removing the axe from the runner's head and stabbing it into the head of another. Further ahead was Clementine, who was covering him.
- I saved your life... again.
Lee said, just after pushing the next runner back.
- Let's go. Get up, asshole.
Lee said, looking at Mike for only a few moments, before turning his attention to the next runners.
- Clem!
he shouted at the girl, as he threw a pistol mag at her. Clementine caught it in midair and quickly reloaded her gun, firing back at the runners.
Soon the sound of the truck's engine caught their attention.
- Okay, let's go!
Badger shouted. Mike climbed back into the truck, and Luke started to follow him, but Bonnie's shout stopped him.
Turning around, Luke's eyes widened as he saw a jogger biting her arm, who was doing everything she could to keep him from approaching the baby.
Feeling a certain despair rising in his chest, he tries to run toward the woman, but Lee stops him.
- I'll take care of her! Get in the truck!
He said, running toward the woman and swinging his axe at the runner's head.
Luke stared at him for a few moments, before turning and looking at Clementine, who was walking a few steps toward Lee, without stopping to shoot at the runners.
Apparently, that bag of ammo was not a mere fluke.
- Get the baby!
Bonnie said, practically forcing the child toward Lee, who caught it with one arm.
- Come on, we can-
- Lee!
Clementine's shout interrupted him. Turning around, he grumbles loudly as he sees the bald guy, Badger, speeding up the truck, leaving them there.
- Son of a bitch...
Lee said, shaking his head and seriously thinking about shooting the truck's tires. But he wouldn't.
- We can't stay here!
The girl shouted after running out of ammo, and ran to Lee's side.
The truck drew a few runners closer, but there were still more coming out of the forest and running towards them.
- Come on, Bonnie!
Lee said almost as an order, looking seriously at the woman, who just kept staring at the bite on her arm.
- No... I can't...
- We can try to cut your arm off!
Clementine said, standing right next to the woman, and alternating her gaze between her arm, and the hallways.
- What...?
- It's like Clem said, but we have to go, now!
Lee said, handing his pistol to Clementine, who began shooting at the nearby runners.
Bonnie alternated her gaze between her arm and Lee, lost, frightened, desperate eyes.
Lee sighed slightly, and practically pushed Bonnie with his body, forcing her to start running.
- Come on, Clem.
He said, and the girl stopped shooting, running right beside him toward the building ahead.
Looking over his shoulder, he grumbles slightly as he sees a runner too close.
Turning, he swung his axe at the runner's head with one hand, and quickly pulled his arm back.
He had to admit that using his axe in this situation felt different, it felt lighter. Maybe it was because he was holding a baby in his arms.
Entering the building, Lee handed the baby to Bonnie and closed the gate of the first floor, placing a table, and a closet as a form of blocking.
Sighing in a relieved manner, he runs his eyes between the two. Bonnie looked at the baby with a certain fear.
Perhaps afraid that she herself was going to hurt him.
And beside her, Clementine looked at her with confused eyes, probably wondering what the woman would do now.
Wiping the blood dripping from the blade of his axe, Lee walks up the stairs, with the two of them right behind him.
- Bonnie, give the baby to Clem and lean your arm on the counter.
Lee said after entering the small store, and the woman looked at him somewhat confused.
- What the...? Why?
- The bite is fresh, you might still survive if we cut your arm off.
Lee said, staring at the bite.
It had been deep, a large chunk of her arm was practically torn off. Maybe this would speed up the transformation a little more.
If that was the case, then maybe he shouldn't get his hopes up so high.
Bonnie stared at her arm for a few moments, thoughtfully, and they could see the indecision in the woman's eyes.
- If we cut off my arm... and I still die... I will have spent my last moments in pain...
She said after a while, with fear in her low voice.
- Won't you at least try?
Clementine asked, rocking the baby in her arms gently, trying to make him stop crying.
-... Remember when I said that I chickened out when Luke was planning to run away from Carver's camp? I've never been very brave... and honestly, having my arm ripped off scares me more than this bite.
She said, and Lee sighed, running his hand through his hair.
- It's okay... I always knew I would die.
She said, now with tears streaming down her face, and her voice breaking.
- Are you sure? Maybe there is still time.
Lee insisted once more. It's not as if he liked the woman very much, but he had a feeling of sympathy for her.
Besides, if they cut off her arm, and she survives, she would have died for nothing.
- Even if I die later... I would want to try.
Clementine said, looking the woman in the eye.
She sniffled a few times, and stared at her arm for a moment.
-... Okay.
She said, and Lee took off his belt and fastened it around her arm, above the bite.
- Bite it... I don't think I need to tell you it will hurt.
Lee said, and Bonnie bit the top of the belt, resting her arm on the counter.
Lee placed the axe just above her arm, noting exactly the area where he needed to cut.
He would be better off doing this with just one swing, even more so considering that Bonnie's arm was rather skinny.
Raising his axe with both hands, Lee quickly chopped Bonnie's arm off.
The woman moaned loudly as she bit hard on Lee's belt
and closed her eyes with the sudden pain she felt.
Lee quickly walked over to the nearby bag and grabbed some bandages, beginning to bandage Bonnie's arm, who looked like she was going to lose consciousness at any moment.
Helping the woman, Lee leads her to the corner of the small store and sits her down on the floor.
- Get a bottle of water, Clem.
He said, patting the woman's face, trying to keep her awake.
- Here.
He took the bottle from her hand and helped Bonnie drink some, just before she passed out.
Lee stared at her for a while, then sighed.
- Is she going to be okay?
Clementine asked, looking at her as Lee stood up.
- We'll just have to wait.
He said with a sigh, sitting down not far from his wife and looking at the baby in Clementine's arms.
- Gee, things got complicated pretty fast.
The girl said, sitting down right next to him.
- Yes, they did...
He ran his hands over his face, and took a drink of water.
- Luke... Mike... Jane... are they okay? I mean, those people didn't seem like bad people...
- But they left us here... although I can't blame them. Don't worry so much, Luke is naive, but smart, so is Jane.
Lee said, leaning his head against the wall, and occasionally looking at Bonnie.
- I guess it's back to just the two of us now...well, with a few new members.
The girl said, smiling slightly when the baby grabbed her finger.
- Yeah... look at you, like a beautiful big sister.
He said, looking at the way she was holding the baby.
He didn't want to admit it, but she seemed to have a better handle on it than he did.
- What name should we give it? The others haven't given one yet.
the girl asked.
- Oh... I don't know... something Carver would hate.
he said, and the girl looked at him with narrowed eyes, but with a small smile.
- Hm... he hated Alvin, apparently... Alvin Jr.
she said, and Lee laughed softly.
- What?
She asked, and Lee laughed some more at the girl's look.
- Oh, nothing ... just reminded me of Kenny again. I've been thinking about him a lot lately.
He said, stopping laughing.
- You miss him. It's normal...I miss playing with Duck.
- I miss having someone I can really trust. Someone besides you, of course...Kenny was a hell of a guy. We went through a lot in the short time we were together, and, I trusted him with my life.
Lee said, closing his eyes as his mind flooded with memories.
- You know that there might still be someone besides me that you can trust, don't you?
- It's not that simple, Clem. Lately I'm even suspicious of my own shadow.
- Yeah, I know that, but still... where are we going now?
- I still think the south is a good idea... unless you're worried about the others.
He said, and the girl arched an eyebrow.
- Richmond... new frontier... we know where they were taken.
-... I thought you didn't trust people.
- And I don't...but I confess that all that talk of a thriving community and all that shit got my attention.
He said, only to have his arm pinched.
- Ow... what was that for?
- Swear.
Lee sighed.
- Come on, Clem-
- You've swore too much for one day.
- But-
- No, there are children here.
She said, and Lee looked at Alvin, who was staring at him.
-... Argh, fine.
He said in defeat, watching the girl look complicitly at Alvin.
One was already too much, now two against him?