DISCLAIMER: READ CHAPTER 1.
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CHAPTER 12 - THE RUNNERS AND THE RAVAGERS
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It was three days later that passed by in Safe Haven for the new survivors there. They are living in separate units in one housing building, but they are all content and happy that they're all in a place that is completely safe and secure from the threats and dangers of the zombie apocalypse.
Though Lori seemed to be the only one who's trying to be content on being back as a normal house-wife and everything (including her high-mighty Queenbee-like attitude and ordering people around as if she owns the place or something), and becoming naive and weak to not accept the harsh reality of the apocalypse and that they still need to be vigilantly aware and fight on for survival.
But not the others.
The others still know that the apocalypse is continuing on and that they'll have to adapt to this new world with all of its new rules, tactics, and times of survival. Though they try to let themselves have a few pieces of normality back in their lives, like normal house chores, cooking meals, and so on like the way it used to be before the apocalypse.
Shane had woken up early and saw that Carol, Dale, and Tdog were all cooking in the kitchens to make a grand breakfast meal for all of them, but Shane didn't feel like joining in as he just went to grab a cup of coffee and went outside of the house to drink it.
When he got out, he still marveled at the sight of the people living in this new secure and safe place they're living in too. He looked around and also gazed at the high stone walls with watch-towers that he could see that are positioned in each corner, which he thinks are the spots same from a compass or something, for a day ago or so, he explored around to have a layout of the whole area. The watchtowers looked to be positioned in all corners of the North, South, West, and East, but there are also those in-between of North-West, South-West, North-East, and South-East. From the very top of the stone concrete high walls, he could also see that they added and built-in metal thorny spikes in case of any enemies that might scale up the walls, both the living and the undead.
While Shane was looking around and drinking his coffee, that was when Shane finally noticed that there was a woman who's waiting by the side of the apartment building, holding a mug of coffee in her hand as if she's relaxing herself just by choosing that spot by the building and standing there, savoring her drink.
Shane stared at her before he was about to grab her attention but she noticed him first and waved at him in greeting and gave a friendly smile. "Hi! Beautiful day, isn't it? Settling in fine?" she said kindly as if they're neighbors.
Then she noticed that Shane was looking at her a bit confused and strange and she realized why.
"Oh, right, I forgot to introduce myself. Boy, I was rude, huh?" she comes forward to him calmly and stretches her hand out for him to shake in greeting. "Hi, I'm Raven Dallas. I'm a detective of the police force here in Safe Haven, both inside and outside positions."
"Shane Walsh," he said as he shook her hand back, then he blinked in surprise when he registered the words she just said to him. "Both positions?"
Raven shrugged and just replied. "I figured it would be good for me to work at both posts, just in case that in some matters, they might be connected. Don't you think? I mean-it was usual before the apocalypse, so it might happen here."
She added in when she saw the sudden worry on Shane's face. "Although you shouldn't worry about that, it hasn't happened yet. And even though it might in the future, here's hoping and praying that it won't."
Shane nodded with a small smile to her. "Amen to that, ma'am."
Raven groaned. "Please don't call me that. I'm too young to be called ma'am at this time of age."
Shane nodded again to her and as the two of them drank their coffee together, he took a quick moment to assess and look at her. Though she spoke in a slightly normal American-English accent, he could tell that she's not from here from the look of her European British-like appearances just by the sight of her to him. He was about to ask her about that, but then Raven grimaced a little as if her coffee drink just turned bad and she almost gagged. "Oh! Bloody hell…how is it that they make this American coffee so bad? Even the British coffee was brewed better than this!" she muttered to herself as she looked at her drink dubiously.
He stifled his chuckles when his deductive thoughts were right when Raven started slightly speaking in a fluent British-English accent which meant for him to realize that she must be a tourist or a recent immigrant that moved somewhere from England or Europe to America some time ago before the apocalypse happened.
Raven blushed when she saw the amusement in his face and cleared her throat. "Sorry. I didn't mean to offend you Americans or anything but…this kind of coffee of yours-is crap! Hell, it's like I'm drinking sewer water no matter how much the brewer says that this is good American coffee."
This time Shane couldn't hold himself back as he chuckled and said. "Yeah, I feel the same. Even though I'm born and raised American…the coffee here still tastes like crap, no matter how much sugar or cream you put in it."
Raven looked at him stunned for a moment before she and Shane started laughing together as if they find this very funny in their minds. Then it took a while for Raven to stop and calm herself before she inquired to Shane. "So anyway, how are you and your group settling in? Is everything all good?"
Shane nodded in positive to her. "Yeah, this place is great. The others are fine back there, and mostly everyone is doing good so far."
"Mostly?" she asked curiously, noting what he said.
Shane cursed to himself mentally that he said that out loud and he kept silent, making Raven understand that he doesn't want to talk about it, namely who are the people who might not be used to this place.
"Well, you don't have to worry about that too. Almost anyone here that were once newcomers into Safe Haven has felt the same way as your guys did. Don't worry, after the SWATs and the psych eval you're going to go through for a week, and once it's over, you'll all find your places and purpose here inside."
"Psych eval?" Shane asked.
Raven thought that he's nervously asking this question and reassured him. "It's a mandatory procedure necessary for the new survivors' weekly assessment trials or SWATS. But don't worry about it, the psychologists will just evaluate all of you of your mental health to see if you're clear to work on the fields or not before the SWATs are over. However, there are rare cases that the psychologists will need to ask you some serious personal questions that you need to answer to assess whether you're a good person or not. You have to understand, we almost brought in and/or accidentally let in psychopaths or crazies into Safe Haven and nearly got some people here hurt. It is needed after those incidents and we need to make sure that the people living here are all safe from any threat among the new survivors we bring inside in the future."
Shane understood as he knew that it's a security measure needed in this place. And he also knew deep down on who is the only person among his group who wouldn't want to be brought forward to some shrink to assess his mentality and everything. And it won't be Daryl Dixon, that he can easily tell. Nope…it would be Lori.
But then he snapped out of it when he realized Raven was asking or saying something to him and he turned to her. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch that. Say that again?"
Raven almost chuckled at him before she said. "So I'll be seeing you and your guys later on the debriefing about the Runners and other communities out there in the Haven Center, right?"
"Huh? What debriefing?" he asked curiously, not understanding what she's talking about.
Then she became confused at his response and said. "Didn't you guys get the memo letters? I remember that one of the guys had gone to your place earlier and was sending them."
Shane shook his head at her, also looking confused. "No. There wasn't anyone who came by and sent us something. Why?"
"That's odd…I know that there's no way it could have been missed or something." Raven murmured to herself, looking a bit puzzled on why there was nothing sent to the newcomers. She explained to him when he kept looking at her confused at her words. "There was supposed to be someone sending you letters about the mandatory briefing that all newcomers must attend to know about the mutated zombies called the 'Runners' and also that all of you must know that here in Safe Haven, it's not the only safe and secure community that's out here in this apocalypse-not to mention, that there are hostile living enemy groups that you guys should be aware of too."
Raven wondered to herself mentally about why would someone in Safe Haven just forget to send off the letters that are needed to be given to the newcomers, but Shane instantly deduced in his cop mind on who might have intercepted the memos that were supposed to be received by his group.
He wasn't the only person among the group who likes to wake up early in the mornings. He remembered that Lori is also an early-riser since she's a mother when she had Carl, and he also remembered noticing her a day ago, that she seemed to be sneaking about and tried to hide away some letters that he saw from out of her sight.
Shane frowned fiercely, knowing what happened to them and said to Raven. "Oh, I remember now. Yeah, I saw those letters. I didn't know it was them you were talking about so I almost forgot about them. I'll be telling my group later about it and we'll be meeting you there…when and where is the debriefing by the way?"
Raven smiled and she pointed to one side in the direction to somewhere in the middle of the vast area of Safe Haven. "You're in luck, it's in the building right in the middle called Haven Center. It's where we all have our meetings and gatherings there for all leaders and the people here in Safe Haven. The debriefing is tomorrow, so you still got time to prepare yourselves to meet all the residents here when you get there."
Just as Shane was going to nod again to her in response, he suddenly heard shouting, coming from the lookouts and guards at the walls' watchtowers and Raven cursed when she registered what they're yelling about clearly.
She put her coffee cup down by the porch railing of the house and ran fast like the wind towards the watchtowers and Shane felt like he wanted to follow but he knew very well to himself that there's nothing much he could do since when they first came in here, they confiscated all of their guns and weapons away before letting them into Safe Haven and brought them to their new home.
He wondered what's going on and why the people who were on the lookouts of the towers were suddenly yelling and seemed on red-alert and frantic about something whatever they've seen outside the walls of Safe Haven. He hoped that it's nothing bad or it's something worse out there.
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Daryl Dixon was walking with his brother Merle and the young teenager Colt Gunner around in Safe Haven and Daryl looked relaxed and a bit content as he had stayed with them at their place with Colt's mother Katrina Gunner.
The Dixon brothers seemed to be talking and discussing something with Daryl asking Merle about Safe Haven and everything and Merle didn't hesitate to tell and answer him everything (except the part about magic, which it's not yet the time to reveal it). Colt was there by their side, just standing by and fiddling a bit with his newly-fixed crossbow to not listen to their chatter, but in reality, he's discreetly eavesdropping at the two men.
Daryl didn't notice this but Merle's the only one who knows that Colt's listening and Merle made sure that he was careful in his answers and words when he talked with his brother Daryl to not give away or slip about the greatest secret that is hidden in Safe Haven (which is magic).
When Merle started to tell him about one of the enemy groups that are out there from Safe Haven and in the apocalypse, the three boys suddenly heard shouting and yelling coming from the watch-towers and they turned and saw all of the guards and lookouts gearing up and preparing themselves with guns as if to shoot whatever they've seen that's fast approaching the walls of their wall-secured community.
From the look of them, they seemed alarmed and frantic about something, and Daryl was startled when Merle and Colt seemed to realize what it is and the two of them instantly ran towards the towers to help out with the others up there.
Daryl hastily followed after them, grabbing his crossbow and bringing it along. He climbed up the ladder after Merle and Colt went up first and Colt helped Daryl up with a hand as they had reached the top.
Daryl looked at Merle who's instantly in soldier mode and he was barking orders to the guards and other lookouts as they readied their automatic rifle guns to shoot. As to what had alarmed all of the watchers of the walls, it became evident when they are fast approaching Safe Haven.
A charging pack of hungry or angry Runners.
"WATCH OUT! INCOMING RUNNERS! NORTH RIGHT SIDE!" One of the lookouts in the watchtowers shouted in warning.
The large pack that's running towards the walls seemed to have split up from the front and the right sides as if trying to do a pincer attack maneuver but there was already another watch-tower by the right side and they started shooting the Runners down before they try to reach to the walls.
The frontal wall sides have already started shooting down the Runners and even though Daryl had his crossbow brought along with him, he set it aside just in case he needs it and he was handed an automatic rifle that he could use and joined in the shooting. If anyone ran out of the bullets, there was someone ready to hand them each a refilled cartridge quickly and reload and then keep on shooting.
Just as they all shoot at the Runners, trying to take out the whole pack, the mutated zombies looked determined to charge through and get to the walls even with most of them dying from accurate head-shots, some of them managed to succeed and had made it to the walls and started to scale up and climb with their clawing hands.
"WE GOT CLIMBERS! ACTIVATE THE SPIKES!" Merle yelled as he saw some of the Runners starting to climb up the walls at the place where they're at the watch-tower.
One of the people that was in the tower Merle, Daryl and Colt were in, moved fast to get to what looks to be a switch by one of the tower's standing posts, opened it and pressed his palm hard at a red button which the wall that the Runners were climbing got sharp slightly large and long spikes instantly striking out from between stones that were all activated from the button switch, and killed the climbing Runners through their heads and bodies like they got struck by a man-made version of a walled porcupine or something.
The switcher pressed the button again to reverse the spikes back and all the dead Runners dropped onto the ground, but there were still some charging and noisy roaring Runners that were determined to get to the walls and climb over and invade into Safe Haven.
They continued shooting and also activating the wall spikes to decimate the pack of Runners, but as it took almost an hour later, they are running out of bullets and whatever is left of the Runners is still charging on to get to Safe Haven.
"Shit! The switch is stuck! The spikes won't come out!" cried the switcher who tried to activate it again when a few Runners went climbing up the walls again but somehow in a very bad timing or twist of fate, the switch is suddenly somehow broken.
"Oh crap! MERLE!" Colt yelled at him in an instant warning shout, and suddenly Daryl threw his gun aside, grabbed his crossbow and quickly shot an arrow bolt right at a Runner's head when one of them had quickly managed to climb up the wall and was trying to leap over into the watch-tower and lunge at Merle who didn't see it coming until his brother killed it.
"WHOA! Thanks, little brother!" Merle gasped as the Runner dropped dead when it was about to attack him but he was saved, thanks to Daryl.
They try to continue shooting on at the charging Runners that was when something unexpected suddenly happened.
Someone else started shooting the Runners down, except the gunshots were coming from another direction away from the walls of Safe Haven.
It appeared to be some kind of biker gang, all clad in black and dark helmets and they were wielding automatic rifles too as they rode on their revving motorcycles and shot all of what's left of the Runners until they're all dead.
Daryl was a bit relieved that the pack of Runners has all been dealt with, but then he noticed that Merle, Colt and all of the people in the watch-towers have turned tense and became alert when the biker gang had come unannounced and suddenly shot the Runners down. He became confused about why they're all reacting this way when he heard Merle whispering to one of the watchers to call for one of the leaders of Safe Haven quickly and bring them here for they have unwanted company.
The watcher Merle ordered to had instantly moved fast, climbing down the tower and dashing off to get one of the leaders in a hurry as the biker gang had finished off the pack of Runners and were now maneuvering their motorbikes to park in a half crescent in front of the main gates of Safe Haven.
"What's going on?" Daryl asked out loud curiously and Colt answered him. "You remember about Merle talking to you about the enemy groups?"
Daryl was about to call out on Colt for eavesdropping on him and his brother's talk before, but then Colt nodded to the biker gang who had all parked and waited on their bikes, and a few of them removed their helmets to show that they're not good people and continued telling him. "That's one of them. And I don't think they're here for some friendly gestures from their acts of kindness or something."
Instantly, Daryl reacted the same way as the others are on the towers, being on high-alert and on guard against the enemy group that's parking almost near at the gates of the safe walled place they're in.
The watcher had come back to the tower with the leader and both of them climbed up and the one who the watcher had gotten to is Harry.
Just as Harry went over to show himself to the biker gang that's outside the walls of Safe Haven, Daryl turned to Merle and asked in a whisper to his brother. "Who are they?"
Merle whispered back, looking tense with a reloaded automatic rifle in his hands. "Those are the Ravagers. That's what they're called and they're one of the enemy groups I was talking to you about-now shush little brother."
Harry yelled loudly towards the leader of the hostile biker gang. "What do you want?!"
The others turned to their leader in the middle of the half-circle who got off from his bike and removed his helmet to reveal that the Ravager leader is a woman.
She had long blonde hair tied in a low ponytail and intricate African style braiding and she shouts out loud towards Harry. "A trade! You have one of my people in your place. I want him back!"
Harry almost winced in reaction at her demand as if he knew instantly what she wants and yelled back to her. "Just one guy? How do I know that this isn't some kind of trap once I bring him out for you?"
The woman coldly glared up at him and yells calmly. "You don't…but me and my crew are willing to pay for it and trade for my man."
Harry gave a blank look towards the Ravager leader before he slowly turned to look at Merle as if asking for advice. Merle just gave him a slight shake of his head in a negative answer and Harry thought of it too as he turned and shouts to the leader. "The trade for your man…is one-third of your crew's medicine and weapons that are within among you now into my place. No take-backs or other side exceptions."
The biker gang that's dubbed as the hostile 'Ravagers' were silent for a moment before the leader leered up at him in a cold evil smile before she said. "You drive a hard bargain, sir. (Harry kept silent and blank) Alright, fine! It's a deal!"
Harry took a deep breath and told two of the watchers to go straight to the place where the 'man' of the Ravagers is being kept, and one of them gave an uncertain look for a moment but he went off as he trusted Harry and the two people went off while Harry did a stare-down at the Ravager leader from the top of the watch-tower as if to show that he's not intimidated at all by the enemy that's near their safe place.
The woman who's the leader of the Ravagers seemed to stare back at him as if she's not fazed by his lack of response or reaction from Harry but then she instantly noticed Daryl who's beside his brother Merle and Harry, and she turned her head to stare at him with her serpent snake-like eyes that almost made him squirm under her gaze when she looked at him.
"You're new." she points out loud to him.
Daryl didn't speak a word to counteract that before she sneered at him at his silence and said to him out loud in a mocking way. "Welcome to Paradise."
And that did it.
Daryl was about to snap at her and mock back, but his brother instantly stopped him by pulling him out from her sight. "Don't, little brother. That ole hag was just trying to get a rise out of you." he cautioned him. "Despite being a bitch-she's one dangerous woman you do not want to cross. Trust me."
Daryl trusted his brother's word, took deep breaths to calm himself down and then he turned his attention to Harry who was talking to Colt in low whispers as if asking him about something and Colt responded whispering too. Then he saw that they started arguing with Harry glaring at Colt sternly as if disagreeing with the idea that Colt is giving him.
"No, absolutely not! Your mother won't hesitate to come and murder me in my sleep if you do this!" Harry hissed at Colt.
Colt snapped back hissing. "But I have to do this. She won't try anything if I'm the one going out there bringing her guy out."
Daryl heard this with his sharp hearing and didn't like it one bit and he tensed more when Harry whispered harshly. "And how can you guarantee that those Ravagers aren't going to kill you once you bring a dead body out to them instead of a live one?"
"Look, I-!"
"I'll go with him." Daryl suddenly said, butting into their conversation and both Colt and Harry were startled when he appeared to their side instantly. Then the two guys registered what he said as Harry asked blinking surprised. "What?"
"I said I'll go with him," he said again as he's determined like Colt and making his sudden decision clear.
Colt frowned at him and was about to protest but Harry smiles widely at this and said. "Great idea! Colt, this good man will be going with you once you bring the Ravager out. No arguments and no exceptions."
Colt would've protested against this but he knew better than to argue once one of the Elder leaders of Safe Haven got his mind sticking to his decision so he agreed reluctantly.
There were shouts from below that they have gotten the guy and Colt and Daryl looked down to see the Ravager they had was dead before and wrapped and covered all over the body in a white sheet like he was mummified out of respect despite that the dead body was an enemy.
The wrapped up corpse was carried over with a simple stretcher and then Colt and Daryl exchanged looks before they went down and get ready to get out through the gates to meet with the enemy group that's waiting out there for their comrade. Merle wanted to go along with them, but Harry told him to stay put up in the towers so that they'll be guarding over them from above the walls once they went out and go trade with the Ravagers.
The gates slowly opened and Daryl held the stretcher and carry it up from the back, with his crossbow slung over his shoulder as he decided to bring it along just in case. And Colt is in the front with hands carrying the other side of the stretcher by holding from behind his back so that he will be facing the enemy instead of exposing himself from behind to the enemies, and the teenager only had a handgun that's holstered on his right side pocket.
When the gates opened at the right size enough for them to walk through and carry out the stretcher with the corpse in it, they quickly went out and go straight to the Ravagers to get this over with.
All of the enemy in that biker gang had already prepared the trade-off with backpacks and bags filled with Harry's demands of medicine and weapons they have on them there, but then the hostiles didn't react well when Colt and Daryl came out with the body, and they look like they wanted to scrap this deal off and instantly kill them for the death of their comrade.
But the pointed glare from their leader stopped them and they stood by the side until Colt and Daryl were near enough to be near to the bags and they gently put down the stretcher with the body onto the ground next to them.
Then they moved quickly to grab for the bags with Daryl getting the heavier ones so that Colt wouldn't have a hard time carrying the rest with its light load. The Ravager leader moved to check on the mummified corpse and unwrapped at the top of its head as if making sure whether the body is really one of her former members or not.
Once the two guys got their bags, Colt was about to turn around and go back with his companion following but Daryl stood still in his place and he felt like something bad might instantly happen to break the tension between them and the hostile gang they're facing.
And his instincts were right exactly on the mark.
There was a subtle sounding click and instantly Daryl had his loaded crossbow already in his arms and aiming right at the Ravager leader's face when she had her gun out but didn't have the chance to raise it and aim at the two of them, and Colt almost froze like a statue and slowly turned back to look when he also heard the gun clicking and he made sure he didn't make any sudden movements for the other tensed Ravagers to react when Daryl aimed his weapon at their leader's face, and the two are at a tense stalemate for a silent moment.
"Don't even think about it, bitch!" Daryl growled at her in warning when he seems to deduce with his sharp senses and keen instincts that the Ravager leader was meaning to pull her gun out and aim it right at Colt when he turned his back on her.
The female leader seemed to be impressed at his movements and reactions against the threat and she looked at him with an evil smile like she's not afraid at all that she is aimed point-blank by his crossbow weapon.
"Relax, redneck," she said as calm as she is. "I was just pulling my gun out for safety measures. I gave my word that I'll let you go once we make this trade-I'm not going to try anything."
Daryl didn't believe her word for a second when she said this, for his eyes didn't betray the truth to him that she pulled her gun out on purpose, but he didn't know the reason why she's got something against the teenager Colt Gunner somehow. He'll have to ask about that later once they get themselves safely back inside Safe Haven.
Daryl's eyes narrowed at the Ravager leader with his bow still steady and aiming at her face as he snapped at her. "How do we know that you're going to let us go once we turn around and get back in?"
She sneered at him with a dark eerie look in her snake-like staring eyes before she said calmly. "You don't. But you're going to have to consider whether you and your boy should keep sticking around here and have this stand-off, before another pack of Runners comes charging out here again when they sense fresh prey out in the open."
They tensed instantly at her words as if she was threatening them, but then she continued and it looked like what she's going to say next is foul in her mouth to speak it out.
"And besides, you got your eagle-eyed watchdogs perched up top of your walls-my crew and I are not that stupid to try anything as they already have us targeted like dartboards. And…much as I hate admitting but-I owe you one. You didn't have to save my life before since I'm your enemy, but you did. So…I'm letting you all go, for now." the Ravager snarled at them as if she really dislike owing them, and her face showed the expression that she's got a really bad taste in her mouth or something.
Daryl wondered curiously a bit on who was the person that had saved this enemy Ravager leader's life but then he got his answer when he saw that she was giving a pointed death glare towards Colt who calmly glared back at her as if he's the one who knows who it was that saved the enemy leader's life and knows about it and he was looking at her meaningfully that the favor she owed is off if she really tries anything against them.
The Ravager leader must've seen it in Colt's eyes when he looked at her like that and she sneered again before she backed off slowly away from Daryl's bow at her.
Once Daryl sees that the Ravagers just kept standing still in their spots away from them, he made sure not to turn around from them and nudged Colt that they should go now and they did. Daryl moved backward, keeping his bow up and aimed at the Ravagers in case the enemy group might change their minds and attack until he and Colt had finally reached the open gates and went through, and then the gates instantly and slowly closed in front of them as the two are now inside safe and secure in Safe Haven and away from the dangers out there.
It didn't take long for all of them to relax and their tensions have been relieved when the Ravagers had taken their dead comrade and they all rode away into wherever they had come from.
Harry watched the last of the Ravagers ride off in their mundane motorcycles into the dark thick forests, then stared at the slightly massive piles of dead Runners by the walls, and finally looked down to Colt and Daryl who were helped by the others to grab the traded bags of medicine and weapons from the Ravagers. Harry smiled with complete relief on his face that the two of them had come back alright when they did the trade with the enemy group, but then his face darkened at the sight before when the leader attempted to pull the gun at one of his people. But then his face changed back to his kind and warm side as he went down to tell Colt and Daryl that he's glad they came out well and fine, and then told them off to go back to their homes and rest for the day while he has the others to store the bags they traded.
Colt nodded and he went off to return to his home with Daryl and Merle following behind him hastily.
Daryl didn't shrug off the light slap on his back from Merle as he scolded him a little on risking his life to face the enemy, but it didn't matter to him at all as he was wondering about the enemy group he had faced out there.
He wondered if they were the only enemy groups or if they were more of them out in the world since the zombie apocalypse happened. Hopefully, there won't be many of them, because this place is worth it enough to protect it from the threats and dangers out there. And he vowed himself to do so and decided to be loyal to guard and protect Safe Haven when the people in it had accepted both him and Merle with open arms and kindness and that this place is their second chance to live out their lives as normal as they can do and survive through the apocalypse.
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Shane became a little worried as he stayed at the house building he and his group were staying and living in. Then he became a little relieved when he saw the woman he first met and talked shortly before came back and reassured him that everything is fine and the dangers and threats have passed.
Raven told Shane that there's nothing to worry about now and she'll have to go off to work or something and Shane nodded to her in understanding. She reminded him about the debriefing their group must attend and he promised to her that they'll all know about it and will be there.
Raven smiled at him, gave her goodbyes and went off leaving. Shane watched with a budding interest in his eyes, looking at Raven as she left before he stood there at the porch for a silent moment and then went inside to tell the others of his group.
A while later, Shane is telling everyone in the group about everything that the woman named Raven had told him before, that they were going to be debriefed about the Runners, the Ravagers, the other communities surviving out there, and everything else they need to know. Just as he told them all of these, some of them start to wonder about the other communities that are out there that are similar to Safe Haven, and they wonder curiously and anxiously whether those communities are good…or bad.
And some of them seemed to be also wondering and hoping that not all of the world as they know it has fallen into hard times from the apocalypse and that not all of humanity has changed and turned into the worst ones you could ever imagine, like the Ravagers out there.
They pray that when they hear about the other communities at the meeting of the debriefing day they will be going into soon, they are all going to be the good kinds of people.
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AUTHOR'S NOTES:
Another long chapter written, posted, and updated!
Hope you like it, Readers!
Also, some people review/comment that the Runners are similar to the creatures called 'Cranks' from the movies of 'Maze Runner'. Yes, they are similar, but I made the Runners much faster than them, and their appearances are how you call human-looking normal, except with their dead pale skin, red eyes, and head baldness, and their bodies don't rot like the zombies, but like that I have written into the story, the Runners are inhumanly monstrous and mutated since they were once magical people and got infected by the zombie virus, and they leap, run, and jump faster than a normal human being.
To make all readers understand, think of the Runners like a mixed combination of their creatures' looks and face-claims from the movie 'I Am Legend' with Will Smith, and the creatures' inhuman fast movements, instincts, and reactions like the similar creatures/monsters in the movies of 'I Am Legend' and 'Maze Runner'. I hope that makes sense to all of you Readers.
Anyway, I hope you like the 'Ravagers' an enemy OC group I made up for the story! I thought to add these in to have more excitement in the story besides the other enemy groups in the zombie apocalypse!
There will be more excitement and surprises in the future chapters!
There will be more updates soon in the future, I promise!
Enjoy Readers!
PLEASE REVIEW OR COMMENT!
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DISCLAIMER: READ CHAPTER 1.
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CHAPTER 13 - OTHER COMMUNITIES, BOTH FRIENDLY AND ENEMY
OOOOO
A week later has passed by, and so far all of the new survivors that were in Safe Haven have passed their SWATs and are now queuing up in line to find themselves a job or whatever they want to do to work inside the safe secure place they're living in and find their new purpose to live and survive through the apocalypse.
So far, the only one in the group who didn't want to find purpose or make a living except being a house-wife is just Lori. Despite her complaints and protests to her husband Rick and the others of the group that they should all just stay in the house and share house-chores, all of the adults have refused and didn't want to get stuck with cabin fever or something as they went out to queue up and find themselves something to do to work in Safe Haven and also find something to help others out. As for the kids, they were left alone (at least from the Queen-bitchy Lori) and the parents were glad that Safe Haven also has a school for all ages and the two kids went there happily to keep on learning their education and make new friends in the safe place they're living in.
Shane watched as the others all left while Rick and Carol went to bring their children to the school which is called Haven School, and he smiled to himself mentally to see that the group is looking happy and content to find themselves a purpose to live in this new secure home they're in.
Then Shane remembered something and also hastily left as fast as he could, to avoid the wrath from the still-complaining house-wife who stubbornly stayed in the housing building they're living in. Ever since they had gone to the debriefing meeting to learn about the Runners and hostile living enemy groups out there, Lori was forced to come along because of the mandatory procedure ordered, and she has been complaining non-stop and protesting about why they need to know about this since they'll be safe and secure in Safe Haven. Shane and the group had already known why since the leaders and the people here in Safe Haven seemed to be prepared for the possibilities that the walls might be breached, even if they're secure, so they fully understand the reasons why all newcomers were needed to know about the dangers that are out there and be prepared about this. They had ignored Lori the whole time as they listened to the debriefing-with Lori huffing and crossing her arms and was looking haughty with chin up in the air-and by the time it was finished, including that they were also told about the other communities that are surviving out there, and were dismissed and then notified that after their SWATs, there will be a list of jobs or work tasks they can attend if they want to. They were happy to know of this (except Lori) and were content into finding work and getting a purpose besides staying in Safe Haven and they went off early in the morning to do so, with only Lori staying behind and stuck alone in the house.
Shane stopped sprinting in a hurry as he is now slightly far away from the house he and the others had left Lori alone there, then he walked around and seemed to be looking for something-or rather someone-and then he was approached by the very one he was looking for.
"Hey, Shane!"
He turned upon hearing the voice calling for him, and he smiled again mentally to himself and held back his delight on seeing the woman who had talked to him before, the one called Raven Dallas, a detective of SHPD (Safe Haven Police Department) and she was walking towards him with a warm smile and she was holding two coffee cups in her hands.
"So how does it feel?" she asked as she handed him a coffee cup, indicating that she got one for him in a kind giving gesture.
Shane looked at her confused as he gratefully took the coffee cup from her before she said smiling at him. "Having a cop badge on you again and going back as a cop, so to speak."
"Oh that…yeah, it's good. It's good." Shane said with a small chuckle as he had the police badge with the symbol of Safe Haven attached to his belt at his left side, which is designed the same as Raven's and it was given to him before by one of the other officers in Safe Haven after the SWATs.
Raven smiled and elbowed him a little on his arm as she drank her coffee. "Relax. There's no need to get yourself suited up as normal cops would do before. You just have to look sharp and fine, just like me."
She is wearing a simple fitted half-sleeved black shirt, blue jeans, and running shoes in her clothing ensemble for the day, and her police badge is also tucked on her belt except it's at her right side.
"So…is there something I need to do on my first day of work or something?" Shane asked as they were drinking their coffee in a slightly awkward silent moment together.
Raven chuckled and shook her head. "Nothing much. For now, it's just patrolling and making sure that there isn't any trouble arising among the residents. Before your group had arrived, I've had my fair share of trying to break up a few fights, like a rocky married couple or a bar fight went bad, or something like that."
Shane snorted. "Even during the apocalypse, I guess there are some things here that haven't changed."
"Oh, yes, indeed," Raven said wryly as she took another drink of her coffee, half-way finished.
The two of them enjoyed their small talk with Raven calmly answering any questions Shane is asking with all of his interest and curiosity, but then Raven was a bit confused and puzzled about why Shane's mostly asking about her, though she didn't mind telling him about herself. However, she didn't know that she had caught Shane's eyes from the moment they first met until later in the future.
Then Shane finally noticed the people milling about in a hurry with whatever preparations they're doing like they're expecting a large mob coming to Safe Haven or something in a large clearing area when he and Raven have walked into that spot after they finished their coffee.
"Is there some festival going on here or is it just me?" he asked as he dodged out of the way of one man pushing his cart full of canned fruits and vegetables towards his stall.
Raven smiled again as she watched the people who were doing preparations and setting up their stalls or doing any kind of tasks they're doing as fast as they could. "You remember about the other communities out there that you and your group were told about? (Shane nods) Harry decided to invite them to a Trading Fair here in Safe Haven. He sent word out to them and from what the others say, they'll be coming here and all of us are excited of them arriving, so that's why everyone here is setting up the marketplace and preparing stuff in a hurry."
Shane's eyes widened a little at the news and he's instantly excited about meeting more of the people from the other communities that he had heard about from the meeting before. He wondered whether they are all good people, but then he had to consider that some of them might not be good since he had seen how many living survivors had changed when the zombie apocalypse happened (namely Lori).
When the people from the other communities come to Safe Haven, he hoped a little to himself that the people coming are the good type of people and not any of them bad.
Raven gestured Shane that they should help out the people in the area a little to sort out their preparations and he agreed with this as the two of them went to the hurrying frenzied people to help them with their stuff and everything.
OOOOO
Meanwhile, inside Harry's grand mansion, Harry, Damian and their friends were gathered around in Harry's office to discuss about the other communities that Harry personally invited them over to Safe Haven for the Trading Fair they're holding for.
Harry and his friends had long known about the other communities a few months ago after they had established their community Safe Haven as a secured and good sanctuary for other survivors, both the magical and mundane ones. It also means that they have also seen and witnessed but have not confronted the other communities-the ones that had the worst kind of people. It is one of the reasons why Harry decided to have the Trading Fair with the other communities is to notify and warn them about the bad ones that are out there in the zombie apocalypse.
"I already sent out the invitations and had told the others here. And all the people in Safe Haven are already starting to prepare the Trading Fair right now for our incoming visitors," Harry said and had begun the meeting as his partner and lover Damian sat beside him on a slightly large round table they are all gathered around sitting on chairs and meeting in for their conversation.
"What about the other communities? Any word from them?" Blaise asked.
Draco replied for Harry. "We already got responses from Hilltop and Kingdom. They're coming. But there's still no replies or any word from Alexandria and Oceanside."
Luna became worried about this as she asked, "Did something happen?"
Harry shrugged and said. "It may be nothing, but…I'm thinking of sending a few people to check on them if there's nothing after an hour later. I'm sure they must be delayed by something."
"Or it could be the Ravagers…or something worse…" Neville points out, looking concerned that their enemies might be making trouble towards their allies.
Colin pointed out calmly. "But that would be impossible because we had enchanted the roads that are connecting Safe Haven and the other communities to be safe and secure and we warded it against the other enemies out there." Then his brother Dennis added in, "Except the Runners." Colin nodded in agreement with that.
Harry reassured Neville as he's still worried. "If there were a trouble that is happening with the other communities, we would've been notified by our scouts that were staying and living in those communities."
It's true when Harry and his friends had met with the other communities before, they decided to have secret scouts among their people (the magic kind) to check out if these kinds of people in the other communities were worthy to be connected with the people of Safe Haven. So far, only the communities called the Kingdom and Oceanside were trustworthy and the people there were told about the magical kinds. All of them in those two communities have accepted them with open minds and arms and in return, Harry and his friends have enchanted and used magic to safeguard and secure their communities against the dangers and threats of the apocalypse. The other ones that are called Alexandria and Hilltop were still unaware of magic because the scouts reported that some people are living there are biased and prejudiced ones, but they have connected with them in respect and kindness to sharing and trading goods whenever needed for the good ones. As for the roads or paths that connected them in safe passage to get to or back from Safe Haven, Harry and his friends had enchanted them to be safely secure and warded against the enemies as well. The only dangers they have to worry about when the other communities go cross the 'Safe Roads' as they are called are the Runners.
Neville became calm and relieved at Harry's reassurance, but he's still concerned for them as kind and gentle-hearted that he is, which made his other friends smile at him and Draco roll his eyes but he's also smiling.
Just as Harry had said this, and like on cue, someone burst into their meeting room and they turned and saw that it's one of the magical people who had come to notify something. "It's the other communities! All of the four's representatives have come!"
With that, Harry and the others went out to meet them but then Harry wanted to bring little Teddy along and Damian offered to go get him and Harry smiled at his boyfriend and nodded.
Once Damian had gotten him, they all went out to greet the visiting newcomers from each of the four communities that are arriving at Safe Haven.
OOOOO
In Gunner's house where Daryl and Merle Dixon are also staying in, Daryl was talking with Merle and Colt about more of the enemy groups with Colt's friend DJ that had come to join them in their conversation outside at the porch of the house.
After Daryl had seen that Merle had trusted Colt to be in on it he let him, but he's not sure about the young African-American teenager named DJ because he seemed a little too…blunt-so to speak in his kind of way.
"You know I'm glad that you and this new guy here came out alive after meeting with those Ravagers back then, but-damn! That leader woman really gives me the creeps!" DJ exclaimed with a visible shudder. "I'm even more surprised that she just let you go like that since she's got some kind of beef against you, buddy."
"Gee, thanks, DJ. Glad I'm not the only one who knows that." Colt said dryly to his friend.
DJ put up his hands in defense. "I'm just saying, man!"
Daryl couldn't figure out what kind of friendship that Colt has with DJ, despite the kind of words he says, but then he shrugs it off for later as he looked at Colt and asked. "What do you got against her anyway? She said something about owing a favor before?"
Colt answered him explaining. "You remember her mentioning that she owed somebody for saving her life? (Daryl nods, remembering that before) That was me. I was the one who saved her life back then. That's why I chose to go out there to meet up with the Ravagers and give them their dead buddy back. I knew that it would get on that leader's nerves when she sees the one she owes to is there to meet up with her, and she wouldn't dare to break her promise even if I was the one who killed that guy that was on the stretcher."
DJ exclaimed. "Man, you sure got guts going there and facing her like that. Boy, I bet it sure ticked her off when she saw you there, huh?"
"Yeah…I'm guessing by the next time we see each other again out there…it's not going to be another friendly meeting." Colt said dryly sarcastic again, glaring at DJ as if not amused with the reminder that he's pointing out to him.
Merle pointed out. "Bet you that you're glad that you made that truce with her when she owed you a favor, huh?"
Colt shrugged and nodded in agreement. "Like I said-I'm a little glad that she does but…I'm not so sure with the others in her crew because I can tell that it's shaky in their end."
DJ pointed out. "You're right about that, buddy. Sooner or later, the Ravagers will break their side of the agreement and snap since you mentioned that one of them looks like they're at the end of their rope. I'm also as a little relieved that the snake leader of theirs can keep them on their leashes for the time being."
The others nodded agreeing with this but Daryl had thought deeply on DJ's words about calling the Ravager leader as a 'snake'. He could easily tell that despite the favor or not she owed to Colt, she won't hesitate to find an opportunity, wait for it and strike at them from behind without them being aware of her attack until it's too late. He was glad that he was there and had stopped her first attempt when she tried it before. But he'll have to keep a close eye on Colt and guard and protect him for a while since he owed him and his mother too for helping Merle and letting him and his brother stay and live in their home.
Just as they were about to talk more, there was a noisy commotion going over at the main gates of Safe Haven and they turned to that direction, with Daryl tensed instantly as if he thought that the Ravager enemies had come back to make trouble again.
DJ asked out aloud, blinking confused. "Wonder what's with all the racket over there?"
Merle brightened up and instantly stood up from where he was sitting at the porch stairs with excitement on his face. "It must be the guys from the other communities!"
"Oh yeah!" Colt remembered too as he stood up excited as well. "Harry had said that he sent out invites for them to come for the Trading Fair the others are setting up-they must have come and made it!"
"Well then, what are we waiting for? Let's go over there and give them a nice big welcoming committee!" DJ piped up as he went off running with the other three guys hastily following after him.
It didn't take long for them to be the first to reach and be there as the slow opening of the main gates moved to let the representatives of the other communities come in. Soon, there was a large crowd of people forming in Safe Haven to greet the visitors with all the warmth and kindness in their beings.
Daryl can see that each of the communities sent about two to three people coming in, but then he was surprised that the last community representatives were more than that about ten people or so he could see among them.
That was when he saw someone familiar, much to his shock, but from the smirk, on Merle's face, he had known about it and was waiting for his brother to be surprised at seeing them.
Daryl didn't hesitate to wave and call out. "Hey, Morales!"
It surprised Colt and DJ that the man shout out like that but then the man called 'Morales' looked around confused upon hearing his name and then he saw Daryl and his eyes widened in shock. "Madre Dios-Daryl?! Is that you!?" he exclaimed in surprise.
Before Daryl was about to speak, he was suddenly engulfed in a tight bear hug and almost lifted when Morales came running and his arms wrapped around him, hugging tightly. "Ay, caramba! It is you! I can't believe you're here!" he said almost barking out in happiness and instantly Daryl squirmed and snapped at him to let him go which made the Spanish man laugh as he did.
Then Morales turned to Merle and smiled at him. "So you managed to get out and find him, huh?"
Merle grinned widely. "You think I was joking at the time, eh Spaniard guy?" Morales laughed again as the trio of men smiled widely to one another, like a family of brothers being reunited once more again.
Colt and DJ looked at the adult men confused and surprised as Colt asked, "You guys know each other?"
Merle explained to Daryl. "This guy Morales here was once part of our old group before they split up when Officer Friendly Rick had come and I was gone back then. I met Morales when I visited Hilltop long ago, and had told him what had happened to me and that I was staying here in Safe Haven and living in it."
"Which is a better place than living in Hilltop from what I heard from Merle!" Morales piped up, joining in the conversation. "I asked Paul that I wanted to come along and check it out. Me and my family haven't been living well back at Hilltop because of…" he glanced to his companion the one that is named Paul nervously as if he didn't want to offend him or something. Paul nodded to him as if he's permitting him to say it and Morales did. "…because of Hilltop's leader. He's-what you call, a smarmy fudge type of a rat guy."
Colt remarked dryly and frowning as he knows who Morales is talking about. "I guess Gregory hasn't changed a bit, huh?" Colt's snarky words had made Merle and DJ chuckle while Daryl turned curiously to look at Paul who is with Morales as the two of them are representatives from the community called Hilltop.
Paul realized why he's looking at him like that and introduced himself with a hand out to Daryl to shake in greeting. "Hi, I'm Paul Rovia. I'm from Hilltop."
Then Morales added in a joking tone. "He's also named as 'Jesus' if you want to call him that."
Both Merle and Colt grinned amused as if they had already known about this, while Daryl is confused and DJ looked at the man incredulously as he exclaimed. "What kind of crazies would call you 'Jesus' anyway?!"
Colt snorted and held himself back from bursting out in laughter at the silly reaction and expression on DJ's face while Paul Rovia aka 'Jesus' just shrugged casually.
"It's what my friends call me, of course," he said and DJ stared at him as if he's crazy too.
Daryl shook his head as he turned to look at the other representatives of the other communities. He saw that there are two women from the community called Oceanside and he could tell from the faint smell of ocean and sand beaches he could scent from a fair distance from the women, then he saw the big number of people that looked to be from the community called Alexandria from what he heard that they were living in a suburban-type place, and now the last representatives are what appears to be a slightly heavy-weight European-Spanish man accompanying a black African man with dreadlocks and beside the two men was…a…
"HOLY GUACA-MOLY! IS THAT A REAL FREAKING TIGER?!" DJ exclaimed instantly stunned shocked when his wide eyes stared at the great big Bengal tiger that's beside the man known as King Ezekiel and his accompanied knight named Jerry who they are from the community called Kingdom.
This time Colt couldn't hold it in anymore and burst out laughing at the hilarious expression and reaction from his friend DJ. Merle also looked like he wanted to laugh then he looked to his brother Daryl who was staring in stunned wonder that there is a real tiger beside the men and though it is a wild animal, it's acting like a tamed pet beside the black man who just smiled calmly as if not fazed that he has a dangerous type of animal by his side.
Daryl sighed as he snapped out of his stunned surprise and shook his head. "And here I thought I've seen everything," he muttered which Merle could hear him clearly and making him bark out laughing at that.
Meanwhile, among the group of people from Alexandria, they were greeted by Harry and his friends who went to meet them first. The leading man-or men of the group-are the gay couple known as Aaron and Eric Raleigh. Aaron became a little surprised when Harry hugged him as if he were family.
Harry instantly let go and smiled beaming at him. "I'm so glad that you guys made it. I was getting a little worried when we heard no contact from you and I was about to send out some of my people to check on you."
Aaron smiled and responded to him, "Thank you for that, Harry. We had gotten your invitation a while ago and well…you see…Deanna, she…" he stuttered a little as if nervous to say it.
"Ah," Harry instantly understood and knew from the looks on the faces from Aaron's boyfriend Eric and the other people from Alexandria. "Let me guess-Deanna had refused it because she's still holding a grudge against me about criticizing her leadership as of her being a former politician or something, huh?"
Aaron winced visibly that answers his question and Eric patted his boyfriend on the shoulder before he looked at Harry apologetically. "It's why the others and I have come here-we've all decided together to leave our former community and then move here…I hope you don't mind taking us in?" Eric asked almost anxiously as if expecting a rejection.
Harry just smiled kindly. "Of course not. Anyone from any community is welcome to stay and live here if they want or wish to." He nodded his head to another direction. "Just get yourselves and your people go to Luna and she'll have you all settled in."
"Thank you, Harry. Thank you so much. We'll pull our weight around here, I promise." Aaron said gratefully and thankful that he and his partner and the other Alexandria people were accepted.
Harry smiled again at him and shook his head. "Just settle in first before we discuss what to do for your people."
Then he nodded to Luna as she came over and led them kindly towards the Haven Center where they need to be processed and then settle them into living in their new homes in Safe Haven. After Harry watched them leave with a smile still on his face, he turned to meet the others, smiling at Paul from Hilltop, nodding kindly to Cyndie from Oceanside, and then bowing his head respectfully to King Ezekiel from Kingdom when the three people and their companions approached to him.
When the Bengal Tiger that is named and known as Shiva went to Harry's side, Harry calmly smiled and stroked her big furry head and ears, making the tiger purr as if they're friends too.
King Ezekiel chuckled, "I swear…if I didn't know any better, I think the only reason why she demanded to come along with me, is just so she could get her head-scratching from you, Harry."
Harry grinned and shrugged. "What can I say? I'm a sucker for these amazing kinds of animals."
Paul/Jesus quipped lightly. "One of these days, your attachment towards these kinds of animals-is going to get your hand bitten off more than it can chew or get your ass kicked or something!"
Cyndie snorted and she looked at him as if he's truly an insane guy. "You're one to talk! Still jumping and leaping from building to building, trying to play tag with the Runners?" she said almost snarkily at him.
Paul put up his hands as if to say 'Guilty!', making the others in hearing range shake their heads at Paul's crazy stunts he had done before.
Then Harry became and looked serious as he told the others that they need to gather to a meeting as he has something to tell them, and when they noticed the look on his face, they can tell that whatever Harry and his friends were going to tell them, it's gravely serious.
So they finished their greetings and hellos to the other people that were greeting and welcoming them warmly in Safe Haven before they followed Harry and his friends to his grand mansion where they will be having their meeting and discussing what Harry's going to say or tell them.
When they were walking towards the great grand building, they were also joined by the Dixon brothers, Colt Gunner, DJ, Raven Dallas and Shane Walsh who had followed along and were invited by Harry to be in the meeting gathering as well.
As they were about to enter, they stopped for a moment when they heard a loud commotion coming from the side and they turned out of curiosity to see what the noises were and found a married couple-Rick and Lori Grimes-arguing heatedly about something. Shane groaned and went over to stopped them before they embarrass themselves in front of the visiting newcomers. Daryl shook his head and his brother Merle just rolled his eyes in exasperation, while Morales blinked in surprise to see the two of them again, but also looked a bit disturbed on watching them fight over something stupid.
After Shane managed to scold Lori to stop the fight since it turns out that she started it and was taking it out on Rick who had tried to stop her but couldn't and that's why they're fighting, and by the time, the broken married couple had noticed that they had an audience, Rick blushed in embarrassment while Lori gave a haughty look as if to say 'What are you looking at?' that made Harry frown at her behavior, including his friends as well.
Then Shane told them that they should leave now and go home and the two of them did just that.
Just as the Grimes couple left with Rick still looking embarrassed and Lori still trying to maintain her haughty attitude, and after the two became out of earshot from the others at a faraway distance, 'Jesus' or Paul Rovia finally voice out loud to break the awkward tense silence.
"Well, she seemed a bit…welcoming." he said in a slight joking tone as if trying to lighten the sudden somber mood that was made from the 'high-mighty' house-wife when she fought her husband over nothing that she believed she needed someone to take it out on or pick on and then when she noticed the visitors, she looked at them as if they were dirt or mud that had messed up the entrance of her own house and lot.
Colt kept glaring behind the back of Lori Grimes while Shane groaned and apologized when he came back to them and then heard Paul's comment and saw the others' looks on their faces at Lori's attitude. "I am so sorry about her. She gets like that whenever she meets…unique people like you-not that it's a bad thing! You're all great people, I can tell that!" he said and hastily added the latter part suddenly with hands up in defensive when Colt instantly turned to him and glared at him when he said 'unique' as if it was an insulting offensive word.
"Glad to see that some certain people haven't changed a bit since my family and I left," Morales muttered to himself softly which Daryl could hear and nodded to him in agreement to his words.
Merle said sarcastically to Shane. "Remind me again why do you even bother sticking up with her? If that woman keeps this up with her 'high-mighty holier than thou' attitude…sooner or later, Harry won't hesitate to kick her out of Haven and banish her straight to Runners." And just by glancing towards Harry, Merle could easily tell that he would do just that as he had said right now and then.
Shane winced again. "I know-I know that. Just let me talk to Rick and let him deal with her. I can vouch for my group that we really want to stay here and that we won't be making any trouble."
Draco said calmly but inside the tone of his voice, there was an icy coldness. "You'd better, Mr. Walsh. We don't want all of the people here in Safe Haven to be agitated enough to want to form themselves as a mob and cry for a death sentence or something like that."
Shane almost flinched and cowered away from him at the way how scary he sounded when he said that.
Then Harry led all of them inside his mansion so they could have their gathered meeting inside so that he could tell them what they needed to know.
OOOOO
Shane was a bit stunned that he could still join into the meeting they're having with the leaders-or they're called and known as 'Elders'-of Safe Haven and having a discussion on what Harry's going to say to the representatives of the other communities.
He watched Harry as he gestured one of his friends to bring his kid back upstairs so that his little boy wouldn't be on the meeting to watch this as this is something not for children to see and hear about. Then he noticed that Luna had come in to join the meeting and she was followed with the two of the people that were from the other community that was called Alexandria who are also joining the meeting. If he remembered correctly, they are the gay couple that he noticed when he and Raven were invited to the gathering. Shane also noticed that more people, who are important in Harry's circle or they've also been invited or something, were coming in and gathering around to join in the meeting as well.
Harry greeted Aaron and Eric warmly when he saw them come in with Luna and then he almost shouted for everyone to settle down so that the discussion will begin. Everyone started sitting on the prepared chairs that were set up for them and Shiva comfortably laid down beside King Ezekiel, and then the lights had turned off and the only light there is was the spotlight shining on Harry and the place he's standing on, as he stood by the side of a blank stage so that he'll show off pictures and images of what they need to know or see.
Harry cleared his throat to get their attention. "Okay, everyone, welcome to Safe Haven and I'm glad that all of you are here to attend the Trading Fair and all…but I brought you all here today because I have some bad news that I need to notify all of you about what's out there."
Cyndie from the Oceanside community sighed as if she knew where this discussion might be heading to. "Let me guess…there are more enemy groups out there besides these Ravagers and 'Saviors' that we need to worry about and guard ourselves against it?" she asked aloud so that the others could hear her.
Harry nodded grimly. "Yes, indeed. There are more-but before we get to that, I'm sure that there are many guys who are new here and don't know about it, so I'll give a quick short recap of the recent enemy groups that are out there that you should all know."
Harry nodded to the side as if signaling someone in the shadows to start the picture slide-show or something and then the blankness of the white wall beside him flickered and then showed the first images of a group of people looking like a biker gang with their motorcycles, that is familiar to Daryl Dixon as he had met them for a brief time with Colt before.
"This enemy group are the Ravagers. They may look like a normal biker gang-but they're a ruthless and dangerous bunch of bandits that roam about the world, devastating anything in their path and robbing and pillaging what they could find and get through force, and aren't afraid of anything to face against-that's including the Runners. The only good thing that is to not worry about them, it's that they don't know about the 'Safe Roads' that's connecting all of our communities, so they're safe and secure from them." Harry started telling.
Then the next images were shown, and another group of what appeared to be the similar-looking biker gang appeared on the wall, except this time they don't have motorcycles but just dress the part, one that looked to be the leader of the enemy group is wielding a wicked mace-like wired baseball bat and he had a crazy mad-killer grin on his face.
"This group here…they call themselves the 'Saviors', they are a mean and dangerous group of thugs too, but the one you really need to watch out for is their leader who calls himself 'Negan'." Harry cautioned. "They are the same as the Ravagers but they don't venture too far out and spread themselves far, and it was partially because of the Runners, so they all stay in one place that they call the 'Sanctuary'. However, there are rare times that this group would dare to travel out and look for other communities to pillage and plunder and take it as their own by force or find other survivors and force them to become slaves for them-but the leader Negan, as I said, that you really need to watch out for is because his kind of getting the point to us…in his words 'learn it right off the bat'-and when that was said, it means…"
Harry grimaced slightly as if he didn't want to show it but he has to so that they'll know how dangerous this guy is along with his group and then he nodded to the side to show them, and the wall showed a playing video of Negan bashing some poor living person's head to mush and pieces with his hand-made maced bat and instantly Shane, Daryl and the other new ones that were on the meeting looked instantly sick and were green with nausea as they watched this video clip playing.
"Okay! That's enough now!" Harry said, waving a hand sharply to stop or turn off the video and it's suddenly gone. Harry took a deep breath and sighed as he apologized. "Sorry about that. But as the saying goes…seeing is believing…in a way. Now-let me show you the next kinds of enemy groups that we need to be on guard and watch out for, besides the Ravagers and the Saviors."
Raven sighed beside Shane softly. "Here we go…"
The next pictures and images that show next were what looked to be a normal group of survivors, but the one in the middle that is the leader, there was something hidden beneath his gentleman-like face.
Harry started telling and explaining. "That group right there and where they are in is called Woodbury. The people there are all normal from the outside and but on the inside, it's worse." he nodded to the other side and it showed another video playing and Shane blinked as they all watch it and become horrified as they realize what they're seeing. "Wait, is that a fighting ring-using Walkers!? What the hell?!" Daryl exclaimed aloud incredulously as they watched a scene playing in the video of a crowd cheering for two men to fight with Walkers on leashes that were used as a fighting ring so that neither one or two of the men could get out of there.
"Yeah, and guess what? The one who made that interesting little fight club-is the leader of that Woodbury group who calls himself the 'Governor'. From what my scouts learned about that place and its people in it, they all stay in one place and don't travel far, for the leader has some kind of godly narcissistic complex that we don't have to worry about…for the time being." Harry said calmly.
"Please say that there isn't anybody worse than that, boss-man!" Merle said, sounding like he's pleading and begging that there isn't. Harry just shakes his head in a negative, dashing Merle's and the others' hopes.
"Sorry, Merle. It gets even worse than that. And-to an ironic form of your amusement, it's your kind of personal favorites, Merle." Harry quipped lightly as if to lighten the somber mood, which made Merle a bit confused about what he said before Harry gestured to show the next pictures.
This time, Shane and the others all become confused when they saw images of a group of normal-looking cops that are gathered around in front of an abandoned hospital somewhere in Atlanta.
"That is the Grady Memorial. And it's ruled by a group of corrupt and bad types of cops who worked and lived in the hospital, forcing any surviving doctors and patients that were there to work for them as their slaves. And any survivor they come across when they venture out in their cop cars or on cars with the 'White Cross' on them, they bring them to the hospital and force them as slaves too." Harry said.
"Oh come on! It's bad enough that there were bad cops back in the day before-but now there are the worst ones here during the apocalypse!?" Merle exclaimed incredulously and throwing up his hands in exasperation.
Then he hastily said apologizing when Shane and Raven turned and glared at him as if he's daring to imply that they're bad cops too, even though they're the type of good ones. "I meant no offense and all with what I said-but come on, you guys have to be mad and raging at the fact that these guys are getting off with their cop-power complex as a cowardly excuse on forcing people to work for them or something!"
"And last but not least," Harry continued as if Merle hasn't interrupted the discussion they're having. "We have another kind of worst group of people that we all need to watch out for and be very aware of and guard our backs against."
Another image shows a group of normal-looking people but all of them had eerie sickening expressions of hunger in their faces as if they're starving somehow from the inside, and they don't seem to be suffering from malnutrition or something.
"This group of people…are from the place that is called Terminus. Here's the thing that you need to hear before I show you what makes them a dangerous group as well." Harry said and then a radio voice clip of someone speaking repeatedly and loud for the people to hear inside the meeting room.
[Sanctuary for all. Sanctuary to survive. There is a place. It's called Terminus. We have food, water, and supplies…come to us.]
The radio voice clip stopped playing and Harry said. "That radio message may sound normal and that group on the image may also sound normal-but they're not normal at all. They are the worst kinds. (sighs) On the next pictures, you guys are going to see…says it all."
Then some images are showing one by one for all of them to see about the enemy group known as Terminus, and what they've seen had horrified them beyond anything they have seen or known about the other enemy groups.
There was a stunned shocked silence before…
"Well, it's official! I believe I think I'm going to barf right here and now!" DJ joked lightly, making the black African-American teenage girl who's called Julie and looked to be another one of Colt's friends sitting beside him as she looked at DJ with disbelief.
"Woodbury and Grady don't bother you-but Terminus does?" she asked with disgust.
"You'd be sick and disgusted too-knowing that there is a group of cannibals out there on the loose!" he protested.
Then it was over, the lights came back and Harry stayed calm and silent as he watched the various kinds of reactions spreading among the people in the meeting room, and it didn't take long for them to explode in questions and other protests and exclamations.
"How come these guys haven't been dealt with?!" Cyndie's companion from Oceanside protested aloud. "They should be shot dead or something!"
King Ezekiel's companion named Jerry protested beside her. "Are you crazy? That would be like suicide!"
More and more protests and arguments were rising among the whole crowd and Harry was silent and still calm as he faced this before he decided to stop all this with a shrill whistle from his two fingers on his lips.
The sharpness of the sound instantly rendered the whole room stunned silent and Merle almost whistled in impressed response to the leader's calm actions.
"Okay, guys, look…I get that everybody's worried about this and all the enemy groups are out there." Harry said. "But rest assured, we've been keeping eyes on them for all time and keeping watch to make sure that these groups won't dare to mess with all of us. The only reason being for all of you to be here is for you guys to know about it and be aware. This doesn't mean I'm inviting all of you in some kind of World War Three - Zombie version to fight against these guys and deal with them. If any of us go after them half-cocked like all of us are right now-we'll all end up dead either way or even worse…being served to them in a silver platter-so to speak."
Paul coughed nervously as if he didn't want to be reminded of the sickening images that he had seen about the Terminus group.
"Nevertheless, when the times comes if any of these groups come to our doors or when 'push comes to shove', we'll be dealing with them as we see fit. But right now-since there's been no movement from them into our territories, then all we can do for the time being is prepare ourselves in the future and make plans and ideas on ways to fight against them when needed." Then Harry glared pointedly to all of them as if to try to dare to make a move. "The last thing we need is to stir up a very large hornets' nest and piss them off and motivate them to find this place or the other communities and endanger us all and our livelihoods. Is that understood?"
Everyone understood and they showed it in their faces and nodding that they won't do anything for they trusted Harry to make up a good plan to what to do and how to deal against the enemies that are out there.
Harry sighed with slight satisfaction to see that everybody's calm and quiet and then he clapped his hands a little to signal that the meeting is over. "Okay, it's getting late. Everybody should go home and rest, and be prepared for the big days ahead of us as we have the Trading Fair to commence for everyone here in Safe Haven. (to the community representatives) As for you guys, we'll lead you to the guesthouses you'll be staying in during your stay here. Please follow Luna to where you need to be."
Luna stood up from her chair, smiling kindly and leading the representatives from the other communities to the guest houses they'll be resting and staying in for the Trading Fair.
The meeting is adjourned and everyone left and went home to rest for the night and get prepared for the new days and the Trading Fair inside Safe Haven.
As Raven and Shane strolled together and went straight to Shane's home-place and Raven left with a waving goodbye and telling him that they'll be working together the next day for the Trading Fair, Shane just watched her leave with deep thoughts in his head as he was thinking.
Shane was a bit stunned and also in wonder about the other communities, both friendly and enemy that are out there and everything that he had learned about from the meeting he and the others were in.
He wondered what's in store for him and all of the people in Safe Haven in the future, to living and surviving through the zombie apocalypse.
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AUTHOR'S NOTES:
Another chapter finished and updated! Hope you like it!
I'm pretty sure that you're all wondering what they're going to do about the hostile enemies that are out there in the zombie apocalypse, both the living and the undead. They will be coming soon in the next chapters in the future.
Just keep following this story of mine.
There will be more surprises and excitement in the story soon, I promise!
There will be more chapters and updates soon, I promise!
Enjoy Readers!
PLEASE REVIEW OR COMMENT!
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