Lee ran his eyes among the people standing further ahead. Kenny's community rescue group, and really, there weren't many people, considering it was a rescue group. Apparently, everyone was tied up with a rope that bound them together.

Lee sighed as he was pushed by the guard behind him, and grumbled angrily.

Further ahead, a middle-aged man was standing with guards around him.

Lee and Clementine were forced to stand beside a man with long straight hair, a well-groomed beard, and a black overcoat. Lee arched an eyebrow when he saw the man, he looked familiar.

- Well, I am Clint. I am responsible for managing a large part of this community. The other part is run by my partner Joan, but for some reasons, she is in one of our affiliated communities and could not attend.

The man started to say as soon as the two of them arrived, and ran his eyes among the prisoners there. Focusing his gaze longer on some of these people.

- You were brought here for committing crimes against our community, from stealing, to attacking our people.

Clint said, and Lee snorted in disdain as he saw Badger approaching from the side. Were all those gurdas and those people there involved in the "underworld" of that community?

Well, even if they weren't, it didn't matter. They were involved the moment they took him there.

- We have laws here, laws that we follow strictly. Men need laws, otherwise we are no different from animals.

Clint said, and Lee laughed humorlessly as he saw Ed approaching with the two guards they knocked out earlier.

- Was that really a good idea?

Clementine asked softly from beside him.

- Relax, they're not going to kill us. And you really think Ed cares about these people?

Lee replied, disgusted at the cynical smile Ed gave him when he looked at him, already aware of what they had done.

- Here's what's going to happen. We have a council here. That council will meet, and we will discuss what to do with you on the basis of your crimes. Some of you may go to jail for a while, some of you may be released... some of you may be killed.

Clint said, arching an eyebrow as he watched Ed walk toward Lee and Clementine.

- I knew you would try something.

Ed said, loud enough to interrupt Clint and get the others' attention.

- Can't you tell we're in an important meeting, asshole? Go bother someone else.

Lee said, looking deep into Ed's eyes, and Ed just shook his head.

- Ed, can you tell me what's going on?

Clint asked, arms crossed and looking at Ed in a neutral but slightly annoyed manner for having been interrupted.

- Oh, nothing, Clint. Just a friendly chat with my prisoners. You know, they're pretty smart, I have to keep an eye on them all the time.

Ed said, turning and grinning at Clint, who closed his eyes at this lie.

- You said they would try something ... what do you mean?

Clint asked, alternating his eyes between Lee and Clementine.

- Well, we've lost a lot of men because of them. They're special, so of course they're up to something. But don't worry, I have everything under control.

Ed said, and Lee could see Clint's distrust of the man. It seemed that he was not welcome even in his own community.

-... They came with David's brother, right? I don't remember agreeing to leave them under your command.

Clint said, staring at Ed, who didn't seem to mind the man's tone or distrust.

- You're getting old, Clint. They and I have a history. Come on, she's my daughter, I don't need your-

- I'm not your daughter!

Clementine interrupted him, giving him an angry look, and Ed just sighed, rolling his eyes.

- She's a little stubborn, but we're working on it.

Ed said, and Clint stared at Clementine for a moment, a little suspicious... no, maybe that's not the right word.

- I've heard that we've lost a lot of men because of them. Even though she is your daughter, as you say, you should have reported it to the council first.

Clint said stiffly, walking towards the two of them, and Lee sighed angrily. Always some idiot to butt in, incredible.

- What did they do?

Clint asked, staring at Lee, who stared back at him, just as coldly.

- They haven't done anything major. Not yet.

Ed said, to the displeasure of the guards beside him.

- They attacked us in the infirmary!

One of the guards said, and Ed gave him a cold, even angry look. The last thing he wanted was for Clint to meddle in his affairs.

- Did they attack?

Clint asked, turning to the guard.

- We didn't attack anyone.

Lee said, raising an eyebrow at the guard.

- Bullshit!

- You left the infirmary alone and didn't come back. It's not my fault if you don't perform your duties.

Lee said, shrugging his shoulders and crossing his arms, ignoring the angry, narrowed eyes in his direction.

Clint stared at him for a few moments longer, before turning to Ed.

- Control your men, Ed, I'm not going to worry about them, but if they don't follow orders, I'll be forced to intervene.

Clint said, to the surprise of both Lee and the guards.

- And why do you think my men are in the wrong here?

Ed asked with his arms crossed.

- Very simple, you have a history of screw-ups, your guards follow different orders than the others, and although you do your job, I don't trust you. You've done things behind our backs before. If it weren't for Joan, I would have kicked you out a long time ago.

Clint said. Lee and Clementine looked at each other.

- Then kick him out.

Clementine said, and the man turned to her with a raised eyebrow.

- The doctor said something very interesting during our consultation. You say you have laws, is torture allowed?

the girl asked, and Clint looked at her confused.

- What? No, no matter what level of crime is committed, we are not animals. Death penalty is something we have here, but torture? That doesn't make us any different from the people out there.

Clint said.

- Really? It seems that Ed doesn't abide by the laws here, guess who did this to us?

Lee said, pointing to his own eye and raising his arm with his severed hand, at the same time that Clementine pointed to her eye.

Clint alternated his gaze between the two of them a few times, somewhat... incredulous.

- Ed... do you have an explanation for this?

Clint asked seriously, turning to the man, who just shrugged, not concerned with the situation.

- They killed my men, and we have a history. Lee there brought me to the brink of death, and my own daughter shot me.

Ed said, to the surprise of the others, and Lee laughed in disdain.

- You killed two of our group, kidnapped your own daughter, tried to kill me. Your men tried to kill a little girl who did nothing wrong to them, you destroyed a community for nothing... tell me, Ed, what I did, was it for no reason?

Lee asked, crossing his arms and staring at Ed. He looked neutral, as if he didn't care how it turned out, while Clint looked more than confused and puzzled.

- Whoa, wait, what is this shit about destroying a community? Killing little girls... what?

Clint asked, alternating his gaze between them.

- Ask that guy over there.

Lee said, pointing at Badger, who gave him an irritated look.

- What the fuck do you mean?!

he shouted, walking a few steps towards Lee, who was not intimidated.

- I don't know... you tell me.

- Are you involved in this, Badger?

Clint asked.

- I don't know what this jerk is talking about!

the man shouted.

- Yes, he does. Him and that guy, what's his name? Max?

Lee said cynically, smiling at the man's anger.

-...Badger...in my office...now. And get his weapons.

Clint said, watching as his men did so.

- Take the prisoners to the cell. Ed, let's talk later .Looks like you've been doing quite a bit behind our backs... again.

Clint said, staring at Ed for a moment, before turning and walking toward the building ahead.

Lee smiled again at the look Badger gave him as he passed in front of him. It wasn't much, but it made him feel good.

The prisoners were leaving, and he looked at Kenny and Molly, who were following the men. And after a while, Javi.

- Luke?

Clementine asked, surprised to see the man walking right to the end of the line of prisoners. He stared at them as surprised as they were, but couldn't say anything, as the guard pushed him away and pointed the rifle at his head.

So the person who was part of the new frontier Kenny mentioned was Luke? It made sense.

- Lee... let's meet in my office, me, you and Clem. We have a visitor.

Ed said, walking toward his building as soon as he finished saying it. Lee and Clementine looked at each other, but had no choice but to follow him.

It didn't take long before they reached Ed's office, and as soon as they entered, their eyes widened again.

- AJ!

they exclaimed at the same time as they saw the boy sitting on the desk. The boy, as soon as they saw him, raised his arms and smiled at them, as if he wanted them to take him in their arms. And they even tried to go to him, but the guards stopped them.

They both looked murderously at Ed as they saw the man sit down next to the boy and begin to pet his head.

- Aj here is a good boy. Very naughty, a sight for sore eyes to see something so pure and innocent in this corrupt world. And it saddens me to know that you, Lee, will corrupt this boy.

Ed said, looking at Lee, who just stared at him.

- He missed you. The few words he could say were about the two of you. It didn't take long for him to win the affection of the people here.

He said, and both Lee and Clementine felt their throats close as they watched Ed pick up the machete. And as soon as he did, five more guards entered the office, and surrounded them both, probably to prevent them from doing anything, since they would surely try it.

- But don't worry, Aj will be fine here. Well, but let's discuss another matter. My guards said that you attacked them. And honestly, I don't care, first because I already knew that something like this would happen, in fact, I wanted it to happen.

Ed said, laying Aj down on the table, and running his hand along the boy's arm.

- Second, because they are too useless to do a simple task. If I were to depend on just one guard in this place, I'd be dead for sure. Alone, they are pathetic.

- Just like you.

Lee said in a whisper, one that Ed heard, and smiled.

- Don't confuse me with them, Lee. But anyway, despite all this, they are still my men, and in a way, if you mess with them, you mess with me. And what did I say about fighting back, huh?

Ed asked, and leaning forward on the table, he grabbed Aj's hand and without hesitation, ripped off a finger with the machete.

The boy's scream of pain echoed through the room mixed with the desperate cries of Lee and Clementine, who tried to run to him, but the guards stopped them.

It took four guards to stop Lee from advancing toward Ed.

He was looking at him with hatred, a murderous intent so great that if it were possible, he would have killed Ed with just his gaze.

The man, however, was just smiling with Ed's finger in his hands.

- This is your fault, Lee. I told you not to resist. It would be easier for both you and me.

Ed said, throwing Aj's finger at Lee's feet, who was breathing heavily. He had never wanted to kill someone as much as he wanted to kill Ed.

His heart was beating so hard in anger that it felt like it was going to burst out of his chest. His muscles contracted so hard that he nearly knocked over the guards as he tried to advance, especially when Ed picked Aj up.

- Well, I'm going to take our dear little boy here to the infirmary. And then I'll go to Clint. Take them to the cell.

Ed said, and both were forced out of the office as they looked steadily at the smile on Ed's lips.