Nick stared at the campfire as the pieces of wood burned away into the night sky. He looked across from him to see his best friend, Luke, just staring at the campfire as well. Nick looked around as he felt something was wrong. Where's Uncle Pete? As soon as he thought this, Pete emerged from the woods carrying large pieces of wood.
"Nick, Luke, come help me." Pete ordered.
Luke immediately jumped up and began to help Pete. Nick, on the other hand, continued to sit in his chair as he watched Luke and Pete set the wood next to the fire. Pete looked at Nick with a frustrated stare.
"Goddammit boy, I told you to help!"
"I'm sorry, I was just…lost in thought." Nick spoke up.
Pete lifted an eyebrow as he stared at Nick. "Really, you expect me to believe that? You haven't done that whenever you were around me."
"I…I just-"
Pete held his hand up as he closed his eyes in frustration. Nick took this as a sign to stop talking. Pete walked over to his tent and looked back at Nick and Luke.
"I want you both in your tents in an hour, you hear me?"
Luke and Nick shook their heads in agreement as Pete walked into his tent. Luke sat down next to Nick, who was angered by his uncle's constant pestering.
"Hey, calm down, buddy. We'll be back in town before you know it."
"And go back to high school?"
Luke sighed. "We don't have a choice, ok? We just have our senior year and we'll be out."
"Yeah, you're right."
"I know, right. I'm always right."
Nick chuckled. "Right."
Suddenly, Nick awoke to Kenny shaking him.
"Come on, damn you! Wake up!" Kenny yelled as he shook Nick.
Nick swatted his hands away as he looked up at Kenny. "I'm awake!"
"It's about damn time. Come on, we've gotta get movin' if we're going to get Clementine back."
Nick shook his head as he grabbed his hat. He placed it on his head as he stood up. Kenny signaled for Nick to follow him. Kenny and Nick walked down the desolate highway, which they had been traveling on for over two days. Nick groaned in pain as his back began to ache. Kenny looked over in surprise.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothin' really. It's just my back is really killing me."
Kenny chuckled. "Well, that's what happens when you sleep on the forest floor for two days straight."
"I don't remember it being this bad."
Kenny smiled, but didn't respond.
The duo continued to walk down the road. Nick looked in confusion as he thought he saw a makeshift turbine in the distance.
"Hey, Kenny. Do you see that?" Nick said, pointing at the turbine.
"Yeah, I see it."
"Should we go there?"
"It's not like we have much of a choice."
Nick nodded in agreement as they continued walking. Kenny and Nick walked until they saw a metal gate. Before they could approach the gate, a voice rang out.
"Hey! Don't even think about touchin' that gate!" A voice shouted.
Kenny looked up onto the catwalk to see a man in a blue police uniform, pointing an assault rifle at them.
"What do you want?!" Kenny shouted.
"Are you with the New Frontier?!" The man yelled.
Kenny and Nick looked at each other with confusion and then back at the man.
"No, I don't even know what that is." Kenny responded.
"They're crazy bastards that brand themselves."
Kenny remembered seeing the same brands back at Howe's hardware. "Yeah, I remember seeing them. They attacked our community and we're tryin' to find their main base."
The man lowered his rifle and nodded at someone. The metal gate opened and he signaled for Kenny and Nick to enter. As Kenny and Nick entered, the metal gate closed behind them and the man looked at them.
"The name's Tripp, just in case you wanted to know."
"My name's Kenny, and this here's Nick." Kenny said, patting Nick on the back.
"Alright guys, why do you want to find the base of the New Frontier?"
"Because they took a friend of ours. We…want to make sure that she's okay." Nick spoke up.
"Well, I'd advise you to stay away from that goddamn base. They'd shoot you if you walked up to their door."
"Well, what do we do?" Kenny asked, sounding desperate.
"There's nothin' you can do. Besides, you two look like shit. I would suggest that you stay here for a couple days before you go off on some rescue mission."
"Well, I could use a drink." Kenny said, wiping his forehead.
"There's a bar over there." Tripp pointed. "In the meantime, welcome to Prescott."
"Thanks, Tripp." Nick said, smiling.
"Don't mention it, just tell me when you're going to leave, 'kay."
"You've got it."
Tripp smiled as he walked back up to the catwalk to observe the front gate. Kenny and Nick walked into the bar that Tripp had showed them. They walked up to the counter to see a black man as the bartender. The bartender was confused at first, but quickly introduced himself.
"Name's Conrad, who are you?" Conrad said, extending his hand.
"Name's Kenny." Kenny said, shaking Conrad's hand.
"And you are?" Conrad asked, breaking his shake with Kenny.
"Nick." Nick said, shaking Conrad's hand.
"Well then, welcome to Prescott. What can I get you?"
"Anythin' that has alcohol in it." Kenny said, chuckling.
"You've got it. You know what, I'll make the first drinks on the house, what do you say?"
"Sounds great."
Conrad smiled as he poured two glasses of "alcohol". He handed the glasses to Nick and Kenny, who quickly drank it. Kenny coughed sharply as he looked at the glass.
"What the hell's in this, Conrad?"
Conrad laughed for a second. "That's the weak stuff."
Nick had the same reaction as Kenny. "Agh, this stuff sucks."
"Hey, don't go insulting my bar now."
"Sorry."
A woman walked into the bar and sat down next to Kenny. Conrad's eyes lit up as he saw her.
"Francine! How are you?"
"Oh I'm fine, you worry too much."
"That's my job, isn't it."
Francine chuckled as she paid Conrad for a single shot. Conrad poured her drink and she consumed it fairly quickly.
"Well, you must've been thirsty." Conrad said with a smile.
"I've been out there for three days. Of course I'm thirsty."
Suddenly, Tripp burst through the front door, looking scared. Conrad, Kenny, and Nick ran up to him.
"Tripp, what's wrong?" Conrad asked, concerned.
"They're here, Conrad. They're finally going to take us over."
Conrad's eyes widened as Tripp ran out of the bar door. He quickly followed as Nick and Kenny looked at each other.
"You ready for more violence, kid?" Kenny asked.
"You'd better be ready, old man."
"Smartass."