Chapter 2
If there was one thing I didn't miss while I was on death row it was car rides. Especially long boring car rides with nothing to do to pass the time. Even as a kid when the whole world was still new and unexplored, I had little interest in going from here to there. It was all so meaningless to me and now that I was in the post apocalypse of the Walking Dead it was even worse. As there wasn't even any music to listen to as no radio station was currently operating. I couldn't even buy something for us to listen to as music of any variety cost more than I was willing to spend.
"Will you stop playing with that thing." I heard Rick say from my side.
"Huh?" I asked unintelligently like I didn't understand what he was saying.
"I said will you stop playing with that thing. Its starting to get on nerves." Rick says while keeping his eyes on the largely empty road.
And by empty, I mean creepily empty. People don't really get what it would be like if suddenly everyone in the world was suddenly gone. We like to think we do and have seen movies and TV shows that show such scenes but until you are actually traveling down a road with no one else in site but the occasional Walker you don't. It was putting me on edge, and I was expecting it but Rick, well Rick was even more on edge.
So, closing the screen I say, "Sorry, bored. Was never good with long car rides. They make me feel trapped."
"Didn't you time in prison help you with that." Rick says in an offhanded way.
I give a dry laugh at that and says, "Ya you would think so wouldn't you."
"So you admit you be to prison." Rick states more than asks.
"I thought that was already implied." I say back with a smile on my face.
Things remain quite for a bit till Rick speaks up again. "Listen I need to know what you did?"
Looking over at him I ask, "Do you now?"
He looks over at me for a moment before looking back at the road and say, "If my family is alive like you said I need to know what you did before I let you around them. Now do I know I can trust you won't do something to hurt them or put them in harm's way?"
"Now can you trust that someone else won't do that Rick?" I question him. Mostly to plant the seed of doubt in his head. Make him more cautious now than later when it could cost the group and more importantly me down the road.
"That is not the same thing." Rick says to me his voice now getting a bit angry.
I just smile not caring if he was angry or not, but I do give him a answer, "On the contrary Rick it really is but I do see your point. So, let's just say someone wronged my family and I got even and by doing so I ended up in prison where I died."
At hearing this in Rick's mind he can think of several reasons on how Jose died. Everything from other inmate killing him, to dying of natural causes due to a life sentence. Even the death penalty comes to mind but instead of focusing on the who he simply asks, "And now do I know that if you feel wronged again won't do the same thing?"
"Again, you don't Rick. You can't trust me and I can 't trust you or anyone else for that matter. With that said they wronged my family, not just me. If it was just me, they had wronged me, I probably would have let it go. Moved on so to speak but that wasn't the case. So, I got even and that was all. Now I am here, and my family is gone so who knows what I will do but tell me now do I know you won't kill me in my sleep now that you got a hint of what I did?" I both answer and ask him.
At this Rick has nothing to say and things go quite for a while till I hear a ding. Pulling up my screen I read the quests lines.
Current Quests
Kill ten Walkers. Reward 1 Credit per kill. 10 additional Credits earned after killing 10. Quest completed. (13/10)
Quest update. Kill 20 Walkers, Reward 1 Credit per kill. 20 additional Credits after reaching 20 kills. Quest ongoing.
Help Rick Grimes locate his family. Reward 300 Credits.
Kill Morgan and Duane Jones. Or keep Duane Jones from dying at the hands of his mother. Quest completed. Reward 300 credits.
Total Credits available 493.
Not able to keep the smile off my face I say out loud, "Good for Morgan."
"What?" Rick says he does not understand what I am saying. As he could see my store page my quest log was invisible to him.
"Morgan just killed his dead wife." I say in perhaps a too cheerful voice.
Looking at me with a somewhat disgusted look on his face Rick says, "And that is a good thing to you and how do you know that anyways."
"For us it's a good thing Rick. Remember what I told you would happen to Duane if Morgan didn't kill her. Well, that won't happen now and best of all I had a quest to keep the boy from dying with his mother's hands. That quest is now complete, and I was just rewarded with an additional 300 credits. Something we desperately need for a multitude of reasons." I say to him in a cool almost uncaring voice.
"You got a quest for that? I am surprised you didn't just kill her yourself." Rick says to me in a voice that betrays his genuine surprise.
"Really, why is that?" I ask with some amusement in my voice.
"You just don't strike me as the pass up such a opportunity. Whether or not your actions ended up hurting someone or not." He comments in a sincere voice.
"Hmmm well I can't say you're wrong Rick. But well I have nothing against Morgan, and it wasn't my place to kill her. I am many things, an asshole most of all but I won't deny a person the closure they need to move on." I say only half lying. My real aim was to have Morgan hopefully join us before we leave Atlanta. As he would truly become a man to be reckoned with down the line. Hopefully with out the PTSD and the death of his son. Having him on myside was better in the long run then pissing him off and him holding a grudge against me for killing his wife.
A small real smile comes to Rick's face as he says, "That is halfway decent of you Jose."
Rolling my eyes at hearing this I say, "Don't read to much into it Rick." Then I pull back up my shop screen and start to look at it again much to his annoyance but before he can say anything I say, "Almost there. Just a 307 credits to go."
Hearing me say this Rick asks, "What happens at 307 credits?"
Thinking on how to reply to this question for a bit I finally answer. "In every gamer story Rick there is some way to cheat the system. To get more out of it then should perhaps be allowed. Loopholes if you will."
"And you think you have found one of those loopholes?" Rick asks me.
Bluntly I answer, "No, from what I can tell so far, the system adjusters cost either randomly or were preset. With that said as I been fooling around with the system I found something very interesting."
"What's that?" Rick asks.
"Documents Rick, documents of nearly everything and maps point out locations that could be of great value to us." I say to him.
"Like what?" Rick says he still not getting it.
So, I spelled it out for him. "Okay check the show I saw never went into detail of what exactly happened, nor the comic that predated the show itself. At least if it did, I didn't see that episodeand I never read the comic book pass vol one. Regardless from what we can see around use the world feel apart in months and you would have died from dehydration long before you woke up if a year had passed. Meaning that whatever happened, happened fast. We are talking mass casualties in the span of weeks if not days. Fuck it was Shane had some balls coming back for you."
"Wait Shane came back for me?" Rick says both surprised and joyfully at the thought that his best friend came back for him.
I could only say fuck didn't mean to say that in my head. Better watch my mouth before I accidentally tell him Shane is currently fucking his wife. "Ya he came back for you. Left you behind however when he could figure out how to unhook you from the machines they had on."
"Well, I will be God dammed." Rick says while not being able to keep the smile off his face.
"Focus Rick, let's get back on topic." I say to him not wishing to rune his good mood but I need him to understand what I am trying to say.
"Okay, okay mass casualties in the span of week if not days. So, what's you point." He asks me.
"My point is that with those number of casualties in a short amount of time its more that no one got to the warehouses were goods are stored." I tell him and see the look on his face become one of realization.
"You mean things like food, water, and medical supplies." Rick says now understanding what Jose is saying to him.
"Not just those Rick. Guns, gas, electrical generators, bullets, even spare parts for machinery. All the things we are going to need if we are going to survive long term. And all of which I can find with the help of maps, documents, and what not that the system offers." I told him.
Rick doesn't say anything for a while then says, "And you sure people wouldn't have already looted these places?"
"Oh I am sure they got to a few of them no doubt but tell me do you know which warehouse your food come from? No? Well neither do most people. Those who know are more than likely dead and those who don't will have a hell of a time finding them. For me on the other hand for the low-cost of 1000 credits I can get a list of every warehouse in the state of Georgia that hasn't been looted." I told him with a smile.
But instead of matching my smile Rick instead says, "How come I am feeling there is a but somewhere here?"
Rolling my eyes I answer, "Well there is a but in there. The map I can buy at 1000 credits only says that they are warehouses that haven't been looted yet. It doesn't tell me what is in those warehouses. So we will be playing a guess game of what is inside and hope it's something useful."
"Damn it." Rick says.
"Agreed but we can't have everything Rick and is better than nothing. By the way we are low on gas." I point out as we get closer to Atlanta.
Looking down Rick pulls over to the side of the road where there is a gas station and a shit load of cars on the side of the road and middle of it. "You think there is any gas out there?"
I hear Rick ask me and I look out the window and answer, "More than likely one of those cars has some. Well need a hose or something to pull it out, however."
I then open the door and step out of the car and stretch.
Hearing the other door open I hear Rick say, "Can you buy us some gas."
"Sure but will cost about 20 credits to a gallon right now." I answer and take out my knife and ax.
Hearing a sigh coming from Rick he says, "Best not to buy it then. I only have a few credits myself and it would cost me 10 to a gallon."
"Then we better get looking." I say then start the long process of checking each car. Breaking the windows and looking for keys to see if I could start them.
Naturally we draw some attention do to all the noise we are making. That attention being in the form of a little girl with a teddy bear in her hand. A very dead girl with a fucked-up face. I only looked at her for a moment then turn away letting Rick put a bullet in her head. An act that clearly upsets him, but I say nothing. There was nothing to say after all. Eventually Rick finds the barn from the show along with a horse that he brings outside.
"What you think we can ride him to Atlanta." I heard him say me.
I look at the horse, the same horse he got killed in the show and say, "No need, I found some gas."
I point at the car I had just turned on and it shows half a tank. The only one so far out of a small fleet of cars. It was disappointing but it was the best we were going to get, and Rick was clearly getting antsy. He wanted to get to his family to make sure they were indeed alive. It was probably the only thing keeping him sane at this point. After all I had unloaded a lot on him over the last day or so. A lesser man more than likely would have lost it by now.
Nodding to me Rick sets the horse free and helps be siphon the gas from the car and into the police vehicle before we head towards the city. Once we are back on the road he looks at me and asks, "So are you sure this person you were talking about is here?"
"Should be, but right now Rick I am going off of worse case scenario. Depending on what happened in a TV show would be stupid." I say then we both hear a helicopter pass over head and before Rick can try and follow it I say, "Don't follow it."
"What why?" He asks.
Looking at him like he was a fool I say, "Rick that's a city down there. A city that looks like it's experienced a war. That means a lot of dead bodies Rick and a lot of dead bodies mean a lot of Walkers. Plus, your family isn't with them. No point in following them."
Nodding his head Rick continues into the city before picking up the radio and starts to broadcast for Shane or for anyone to answer. No one answers at first of course and I can't lead us to the building the survivors are held up in. That changes quickly enough as we pass a street, and we see them. Walkers, a shit load of them and while I knew they were out there to see so many of them was completely terrifying. Then we hear the crack of the radio.
"Hello, hello guys in the cop car do you read me." The voice of Glenn says over the radio.
Replying back, "We read you loud and clear who is that?"
"Names Glenn you guys know Shane?" The voice asks as we drive past the horde of walkers.
"Yes, names Rick Grimes I am…..was with the King County Sheriff's Department. Do you know where he is?" Rick asks, feeling some hope for the first time since waking up.
The voice however goes quite for a bit however before answering back, "How do I know you guys really know Shane?"
Looking a bit dejected and more then a bit angry Rick is about to answer back but I stop him and say, "Deep breaths Rick. Remember this person doesn't know us. Can hardly blame him for being cautious."
I then take the radio from his hand as his temper was clearly upset and I answer back, "Because he will be travelling with a women name Lori and a boy name Carl."
The radio goes silent again and I wait for Glenn to answer us.
"Alright 3 blocks up you see a pharmacy wait there I will meet you there." Glenn says in an unsure voice that we both hear clearly.
After I the radio back up Rick drives towards where the pharmacy is and parks out front. There are some walkers around that have noticed us but not too many. Not that there is anything to worry about as Glenn comes running out of the Pharmacy and opens the back door and jumps in.
Little fool I think to myself. He didn't know us and was already proving to trusting in these dangerous times. He was just lucky that we where who we where otherwise doing something this stupid could have gotten him kill.
"Two blocks up and three to the right." He says to us.
"Is that where my wife and kid are?" Rick asks immediately but still has the presence of mind to pull away before the walkers get to close.
Taking several deep breaths Glenn says, "No that is where the rest of my group is. We have to get pick them up before I can take you to them."
Because he is facing away from Rick, Glenn can't see Rick's teeth clinch as he really just wanted to get back to his family. But is able to keep his cool and simply ask, "How many in your group?"
"Five." Glenn answers.
Before Rick can point out that we don't have enough room for five in the car we all hear gun shots and I think fuck. That dumbass Merle I was hoping that if Rick didn't attract that horde of walkers someone would keep the fucker from getting high and start shooting. Guess I was asking too much. Without a word Rick floors it and heads towards where the gunshots are coming from. Seeing as they are where the group is I had nothing to say about that.
"Back alley the door is open." Glenn says with worry clear in his voice as he doesn't know what is going on.
Quickly pulling up to the back door Rick, Glenn and myself jump out the car but before we can get far I yell to Rick, "Rick the guns."
Without hesitation Rick tosses me the keys and heads inside with Glenn. Have to give it to Rick he may not trust me a whole lot but it seemed he understood where I stood for right now. Quickly I went to the trunk of the car and pull out the bag of guns and head inside. Closing and locking the door before I do and running up the stairs toward the roof. Only to find everything is already taken care of as Merle is on the ground already and handcuffed to the roof again.
"So, what I miss?" I ask.
At my question a beautiful blonde woman looks at me and asks a simple but pointed question "Who the fuck are you.
-A little while later-
To say things were tense after introductions where given wouldn't be the right word. As no sooner did we tell them our names didn't the same pretty blonde women aka Andrea grab Glenn by his ear and lead him away. Having some kind of argument with him in hushed tones with the others.
"Should we point out that they are not being as quite as they think they are?" I asked Rick who was standing off to the side with me.
"Well, you please antagonize them anymore then you already have." Rick says to me not at all happy right now.
"What the fuck I do?" I ask him truly confused right now.
"Oh, I don't know staring at the women's chest the whole time we introducing ourselves could be one thing." Rick says with a edge in his tone.
I just look at him for a moment and then say, "I was doing that?"
"Yes." He answers back then goes back to waiting for them to get done talking.
"My bad." I say then turn away.
And it was my bad, but really I have been on death row for 16 years and even before that I wasn't exactly Mr. Popular with the ladies. I mean I had my far share of girlfriends and sexual partners. After all I wasn't the worse looking guy around but my personally left much to be desired. Even before my arrest I was in the middle of a dry spell so to speak and with Andrea being the first women I have seen in a long time. Well it was easy to believe that my eyes were drifting to places they really shouldn't. Really, however I needed to learn to keep my eyes up and fast. Last thing I needed was for people to find out I been to jail and then think it was for rape. I doubt that will go over well.
Hearing a moan coming from the side of us I look over and say, "Oh look sleeping beauty is waking up."
"Wha…What the fuck." Merle says confused.
"Wow Rick did you have to hit the dumb redneck so hard?" I ask not remembering if Merle was knocked out cold in the show or not. But clearly Rick had rattled his brain a bit.
"How the fuck you calling a redneck you fucking Taco Jockey motherfucker." Merle says still out of it a bit.
"Oh, just someone who wouldn't have a problem blowing a hole through you head redneck." I say with a smile that spoke the truth. Especially seeing as I had gotten a quest for doing just such a thing.
Current Quests
Kill or ensure Merle Dixon makes it back to the survival camp. Reward 300 Credits.
The only reason I hadn't already killed already was because of his brother. Well that and Rick wouldn't take to kindly to me just killing a person with out reason. So, the action of killing Merle wouldn't only put in Daryl's bad graces but Rick as well. Something I didn't want or needed at this point in time. Plus, Merle wasn't so bad once you learned more about the character. He loved his brother and while a racist, jackass, and overall unpleasant motherfucker he had a sense of right and wrong. As it was pointed out later on the show that till the apocalypse and the Governor found him, he never killed no one. In many ways he was actually a slightly better person than what Shane would become. As he would move past his anger towards Rick and die a honorable death fighting for both his brother and the group as a whole. Something Shane didn't and wouldn't have done.
Apparently, my words had unnerved those around us more then I thought as I heard Rick say to me, "Hold up Jose we are not killing the living. There's us and the dead. We survive this by pulling together, not apart."
Fames words, I think to myself before I shrugged my shoulders and said, "You the leader Rick. If you change your mind, I be over here."
I then go over to the ledge and look down at the walkers below who were encircling the building. As I watch the walkers I hear Rick speaking with the other survivors. Well at least they are talking to one of us I think to myself as I walk around the ledge. More or less minding my own business while Merle keeps talking shit to me as I ignore him and the rest of the group.
That is still I hear Andrea say, "Wait you guys have a car? Can't we use that to escape."
"The car only fits 5 people, six if you put one of us in the trunk. In case you haven't noticed there are 8 of use. So unless one two of you want to stay behind and one ride in the truck we are not going anywhere." I say with a slight mocking tone of voice.
Looking at me with a glare as she seems to still be angry from me eyeing her up so casually Andrea say, "And who asked you for you option."
"Me and Rick brought that car here. If anything I have more of a say in how it is used then you blondie." I say with a smirk on my face but then add just for fun seeing as she was already pissed at me, "Or if you like we can just put in bullet in this shit bags had and you can sit on my lap. I should mind." I say while pointing at Merle who not so kindly tells me to fuck off.
"Jose what did I just say," Rick says.
Waving him off I say, "Yes, yes no killing the living. I got it."
Looking away from me Rick turns to the rest and says, "We are not leaving anyone behind. There has to be away out of this building."
That is when the black women speaks up. Jacquii think he name was, "There may be a access point to the sewers. We can take those to get outside the city."
"Then that is our way out," Rick says and everyone leaves the roof with out giving me or Merle a 2nd look.
"Well, that was just rude of them. Don't you think?" I say while looking at Merle.
"Fuck you, Field Rat piece of shit." Merle says which only makes me laugh a bit.
"Really will you stop with the raciest rant please. Its getting a bit old and I have only known you for what five minutes." I say then pull out my gun from behind my back.
Seeing this Merle is understandably nerves, "Hey, hey what fuck are you doing. You heard the cop no killing."
I just give him a funny look and say, "Yes that is true Rick did say not to kill you, but then Rick isn't here right now is he." I then point my gun right at him making sure he gets the point that I won't hesitate in killing him.
Merle having been around dangerous and violent men nearly all his life That is including time spent in the pin. So when he looked in to his kids eyes he understood all to will what the fuck was standing across from him. To his credit however he showed no fear in the face of a clear killer. Other then that is for the slight shaking of his hands.
Raising the gun I smile, "Lucky enough for you I have not desire to kill you. In fact,…" I took out a key I took from the police station. "I am going to free you. So long as it understood what would happen if you endangered me or Rick again. So, tell me you cornfed do you understand?"
"Ya, I understand." Merle says with all the bravery and hatred he can muster.
"Good," I say then toss him the key which he is smart enough to catch before it slides away. "Now hurry up and get yourself out of those cuffs. Unless I missed my guess Rick should be back any moment."
While he clearly doesn't like being told what to do now that the high, he was experiencing was lessoned Merle is smart enough not to do anything stupid. Because no matter what Rick felt or thought about me killing him I would if he became aggressive. Something he seemed to pick up on seeing as he didn't try anything dumb after he got the cuffs off. Instead, just moved to the far side of the building away from me as we waited for the others to return.
When they do the first thing I hear of course is Andrea say, "Oh what the hell." Then she walks up to me but stops when she spots the gun in my hand. Thinking twice before doing anything but still says, "You let him loose."
"Of course can't leave a guy cuffed to a roof just because he is stupid. After all we are all in this together right Rick." I then wink at him.
Which earns me a not-so-subtle glare in return but if he was going to say anything he doesn't instead says, "The sewers are no good. We are not getting out that way."
"What a surprise," I say in an uncaring voice seeing as I already knew that. Something Rick picks up but not the others.
"We are going to need another way out and those things are have broken through the glass." Rick says.
"Well, that is bad." My voice is uncaring and dull.
Finding my general attitude unlikeable Andrea says, "What is wrong with you. Do find this funny? Is this some kind of game to you?"
Looking at the women I smile I answer, "All life is, is a game. A game that few win and many lose. And right now, we are losing."
I heard a laugh come from Merle who clearly found my words funny. Of course, that is felt by everyone else who looks at me with a mix of disgust and anger. It is Rick, however, who keeps a cooler head asking me, "Do you know of a way out?"
"Of course," I then point from the roof towards the construction site where a van sits. "See that van? It has gas in it and would easily fit all of us."
"Now do you know that?" Glenn asks.
"Because I do." Is all I say back not elaborating on anything. Not that I need to as Rick already knows I that I know more than I let on.
"Then that is are way out, but now do we get to it?" Rick asks.
"They smell dead. We don't. It's pretty distinct." Andrea says to him.
Latching on to that idea Rick looks at me and says, "Jose you stay where, watch him. When I give the signal head to the car and create a distraction."
"You got it." Is all I say as Rick goes and grabs the bag of guns and heads back down another set of stairs.
When he leaves I just continue to wait and smile as I watch Merle he clearly doesn't like being treated like a kid. Yet he wasn't about to stay quiet for long.
"So, where you serve time." Merle asks.
Looking at him with a rise eyebrow I say, "Who said I did."
Laughing a bit at this no knowing that I would most likely not kill him Merle answers back, "Come off it boy. I know that look in your eyes. The others may not be able to tell but I have seen them my whole life. Your killer through and through. No point in trying to hide it from old Merle."
I just look back at him and answer, "Allan B. Polunsky Unit."
Hearing this only makes Merle laugh, "Well I'll be God damn, death row. You look to young to have been on death row."
I continue to smile at him and finally say, "Looks can be very deceiving."
Things then go disturbing quite for a while as Merle having guessed currently what I was decides not to push his luck. Seeing as he was currently unarmed that wasn't a surprise. Nor was it a surprise that he had guessed correctly what even Rick and Morgan had failed or refused to see. That I was indeed a killer, that I did time and that I wouldn't hesitate to kill again. He was a much smarter man then those around him gave him credit for and honestly if it came down to it i would chose him over the lives of most of the other survivors from the show. Their value even as time passed where just not as high as Merle or his brother. Personality flaws put aside just the fact that he was an expert tracker and hunter made him too valuable to kill or lose like in the show. Could he and would he prove troublesome down the line probably, but that was something to think about tomorrow not today.
Hearing the cracking of the radio come on I hear Rick's voice come over the radio they left behind, "Jose..Jose we are at the van we need that distraction now."
Picking up the radio I say, "Copy that Rick one moment." Then look at Merle, "Well redneck ready to take a ride in a police car? Your get the ride up front this time."
"Fuck you jumping bean." Merle says but gets up from where he sat down seeing as right after Rick radios us, we hear the walkers come up the stairwell. Then start pushing on the door which we chained closed.
Picking up his Merle quickly follows me as we take a different way down till we reach the police car that we left part out back. On our way we meet little to no obstacles in face only killing a few walkers that have encircled the car. All in all a lot less drama then what the show portrays seeing as I am in no rush to make stupid decisions.
Tossing the keys to Merle I say, "You drive. I have no idea where the camp is."
Getting in the car with me in the passenger side we peel off like a bat out of hell but not before turning on the police sirens. Leading the walkers away as the others hopefully escape.
-Survival Camp-
It took a little over a hour for me and Merle to escape Atlanta. Say what you want about Glenn but fuck he knew what he was doing when he went played decoy in the show. He knew how to get around, but me and Merle, fuck we got lost more then once just trying to find away out as walkers were everywhere. At one point we even drove inside a parking building only to get trapped for a few minutes before bulldozing our way out. Long and short of it I missed the whole emotional reunion between Rick and his family. Something that I honestly didn't care to see.
To his credit however Rick was kind enough to come and greet me when I stepped out the car. Even going so far as to introduce me to Shane and his ungrateful bitch of a wife. Well soon to be ungrateful bitch as right now she was to happy to have her husband back to think of anything else. A small minded and idiotic who would be one of the main reasons for Shane's breakdown and betrayal of Rick. I honestly wanted to kill her to save everyone the trouble of her actions. That however would end well for me so I had to think of something else.
On a brighter note however as I looked over the quest screen while I sat next to the a fire by myself I couldn't help but smile.
Current Quests
Quest update. Kill 20 Walkers, Reward 1 Credit per kill. 20 additional Credits after reaching 20 kills. Quest ongoing. (17/20)
Help Rick Grimes locate his family. Quest Complete. Reward 300 Credits
Kill or ensure Merle Dixon makes it back to the survival camp. Quest Complete. Reward 300 Credits.
Total Credits available 1096.
Thanks to saving more Merle and reuniting Rick with his family I was not looking at a nice little nest egg. Sure 1096 credits wasn't a lot when you compared it to what I needed to get out of this word but in the grand scheme of things it was exactly what I needed. For right now however bid my time and wait for a few things to happen. If things worked out well I would get a few more quests that would earn me a bit more before I bought any of the maps I told Rick about. Speaking of who as making his way over to me right now.
Before he can speak I look up at him and say, "Hello there Rick, have to say I didn't expect you to come over and speak with me. Seeing as you have just been reunited with your family I fully expected you to be to busy fucking you wife after so long."
Giving me a annoyed look Rick takes a sit and say, "Do you have to be so offensive?"
Shrugging my shoulders I say, "No but it helps pass the time."
Shaking his head at my answer he stays slight for a bit and after awhile looks like he has eaten a sour lemon as he says, "I came over to say thank you. You were telling the truth and I shouldn't have doubted you despite my misgivings."
Giving the man before me a real smile instead of a mocking one I say, "No, Rick you really should have. You didn't know me and, in many ways, still don't. So, your doubts were justified. Still, you are welcome."
Nodding his head at my words he just sits there. Something clearly on his mind yet can't seem to find a way to bring it up. So, I do him a favor by says, "Ask your questions Rick."
Again it take Rick a moment to say anything but then he speaks, "I need to know what happens next."
"Do you now? And what makes you think I know what happens next?" I ask somewhat sarcastically.
"Because you have been right every step of the way so far. My family, Glenn, even the van. Everything that has happened so far you knew about. So you have to know what comes next." Rick says while trying to no raise his voice.
I however don't answer him and just look into the fire for a bit thinking on what to say for a time. Then I answer, "Rick everything I have told you so far happened at the beginning of the story. Other than a few slight differences nothing has changed over all but don't be mistaken, things are changing. Soon enough what I know will be useless."
"But some things will still stay the same. I need to know what those things are." Rick says to me.
Nodding my head like I agree with him which I do not I tell him somethings anyways, "Alright well first you need to know what has changed so. For example, Merle never made it off that rooftop. And before you ask what happened to him after he was left behind on the rooftop doesn't matter. All that matters is he is here and how he behaves now is anyone's guess."
"Okay well that isn't so bad." Rick says.
"Isn't it Rick? We now have a unstable drug addict amongst use. One that we can't hope to control. Does that seem like a good thing to you?" I ask in a serious tone.
"No more then a clearly unstable criminal who's actions so far could be questionable at best." Rick say to me with a clear edge in his voice.
Rising a eyebrow at that I ask, "Unstable?"
"Yes unstable. Don't think I haven't noticed the way you have been looking at everyone. Other then you clear interest in the women around us you keep looking at everyone like you can't fully accept that this is really happening. You said that you died but before you did my life, their lives where nothing more then a TV Show you watched. Which means up till you woke up this was all make believe to you and you haven't fully accepted that this is reality now." Rick says to me.
Slowly I start to clamp my hands, which draws more than a few eyes towards us. Not that I care as I just say, "Very good Rick. Very good, you have me all figured out. That means you also know I don't care if we all live or die. And while not suicidal this to me is all just passing of the time till I die again."
"Yet you still follow along because you don't care enough to lead yourself." Rick states more than asks.
"That is right." I say back.
"Then we understand each other so lets move on." He says and I simply nod my head.
"Very well the next thing you need to know is that CDC is your best bet right now. Not because it offers salvation but because there is something there you need to know." I say to you.
"Can't you just tell me what it is now?" Rick asks.
I shake my head and say, "No, and before you ask I won't tell you why I won't say. Just know that the person there could be very valuable to us."
Which was the truth seeing as that if I remember his name right Jenner was a doctor that delt with viruses and other biological diseases. While not a medical doctor he no doubt new how to cure many illnesses. If I could somehow convince him not to kill himself then his would be a boom to our survival. As I couldn't count on the shows lack of infectious diseases and people getting sick in mass expect one at the prison to hold up. Somebody was bound to get sick of something sooner or later and his knowledge on treatment no doubt extended past the use of modern medicine. Which even with my system would be in short supply soon enough.
Rick just looks at me with suspicion, but despite everything else I had earned a bit of goodwill between us. "Fine, but tomorrow we tell everyone about your ability."
"You sure about that?" I ask.
"Why wouldn't I be?" Rick asks in turn.
I shrug my shoulders and answer, "No reason just you don't know these people for shit. I told you and Morgan because I don't really care how knows or not. But seeing as you're the leader I have chosen to follow you may what to be more careful on who we tell and don't tell. Afterall you can't trust everyone we meet."
Rick to his credit thinks this over for a bit. He knew Jose was right and while a big part of him still didn't wish to believe in his power there was no point denying it. It was real this was happening and now that he had found his family, he would need Jose more then ever. If something happened to him their chances of survival went way down. Still, he couldn't lie about Jose's power or keep it hidden. How would they do in the first place. They would all be traveling together someone was bound to notice him finding supplies when they needed them.
"We tell them but we keep secret everything else. No need to freak people out by telling them the full truth." Rick says.
"Whatever you say Rick." I then stand up, "I am going to sleep in the cop car. Don't feel safe out here in the open."
As I walk to the car I think on if I should have told Rick what would happen if we stayed here to long. Before we had even entered the city, I had chosen not to tell him about the old people in the warehouse. I was sure that if I did Rick would want to go help them in any way we could. Truth told I did too as I had a deep love for my grandparents and the thought of leaving old people to die in there didn't sit well with me. Yet the fact was that we didn't have the equipment or supplies to take care of those people. Many of whom were on oxygen machines and whatnot. It was a cold calculate decision on my part but better me than Rick.
Now the attack on the camp that would take place tomorrow night was different. Letting a few people die. One of whom was Carol husband Ed who as far as I was concerned a dead man. I remembered the part of the show that hinted at him being a sexual predator towards children. I maybe a mass murder who stole the childhoods from the children whose parents I killed but never physically harmed any of them. Nor would I or permit others from doing so. So once I crawled into the car and locked the doors I went to sleep thinking of how to kill the man incase we don't stay till tomorrow night.
-Morning-
The following morning things were fairly relaxed to be honest. Despite the fact that the others in the group were avoiding me as much as they were Merle. Seems like Andrea told everyone what happened yesterday and seeing as the women keep a very good distance from me a bit more then that as well. Well, it didn't matter seeing as Lori had come over and given me some fresh clothes along with breakfast. She may not have been my favorite character from the show and my option of her was low, but she kept this up and that may very well change.
Now unlike what Rick says we don't immediately tell everyone about my ability. With one of our numbers still out hunting it was pointless to tell everyone now only to have to explain it again. So, we wait and as we do I spend my time talking with one of the few people who will talk to me. Dale, the oldest of the group and perhaps one of the most forgettable, was one of the few who spoke to me. I don't really remember a lot about the man other then he was a bit of a busy body and uptight individual. Yet he was proving a wealth of information as I spoke to him. Learning several things that started to piece things together for me.
Such as that my original theory was not that far off the mark. As I told Rick my initial belief was that there were mass casualties at the start but not in the way I first believed. Now while I was in prison sitting on death row, I had heard of Covid-19 a virus that was going around effecting a large part of the population. A lot of people got infected, a lot of them got sick, and many of them didn't so symptoms at all. Only difference was unlike Covid more then one percent of the population died. From what little I could get from the man without exposing my complete lack of knowledge was that near 1/3 of the population became deafly sick within the first month of the outbreak. Brings all transportation services would have grinded to a halt and stretching medical services well past the breaking point.
From there it only got worse as like with anyone who got bit the virus ran straight through them. Killing that 1/3 of the population in the span of days. With the hospitals filled up and emergency medical shelters unable to take any more people most of the sick just stayed home where they eventually died. Then they woke up, and real hell began. Now Dale was already on the road at a camp site by himself when it all happened so he didn't see firsthand civilizations fall but I could imagine what took place. It didn't take much effort seeing as even with the United States being one of the highest gun ownerships in the world how many people could honestly say they could pull the trigger on their own loved ones. More than likely when the walkers first started getting up people thought they were still alive and let hope to enter their hearts. And even after they started to attacked I seriously doubt to many people had it in them to kill their own wives, sons, daughters, mothers or fathers.
Then like a row of dominos everything started to fall. One person was bitten, then another and other as people couldn't pull the trigger. The military suffering their own loses do the virus or men just plain abandoning their posts did what they could. To no effect as they were overrun quickly enough. This, however, was going by what I could only guess from the show and incomplete information. Not that I cared overly much about what happened and was only asking questions to pass the time till Daryl got back. Which my the screams coming from the kids he just did as a walker should be munching down on a deer he was hunting.
Being in no rush to go help as I know the situation will be taken care of, I just chill on the roof of the RV as watch Merle greet his brother. He tells him something and points over at me and I just wave as Daryl looks at me. I can already see the caution on his face as he looks at me. It would seem his brother told him about me. That was find I didn't care and really, I was more surprised that Merle didn't tell anyone else. Perhaps it was because no one liked him or would believe him. Well it doesn't matter as I see Rick wave me over after he greets Daryl.
Getting up I climb off the roof of the RV and walkover to the group while he says, "Everyone this is Jose."
"We met." Andrea says with some bitterness.
Not liking the tone of her voice or bitterness towards what was really a small slight I say, "Not as well as I wish we could have." Then wink at her making her give me a hard glare in return.
A laugh is heard coming from Marle but before any words can be exchange between any of use Rick steps in and says, "Enough Jose show them."
Shrugging my shoulders I say, "Hey Marle what a cold beer."
Then in a bright flash of light that has even one on guard an 18 pack of Corona beer appears before them. Nice and chilled like it just came out of a cold fridge. It only cost me 50 credits to buy it chilled instead of 30 it would have cost warm. Matters will win some points with the group I thought to myself. Well once they calmed the fuck down that is. As everyone was either scared shitless from what had just taken place of two surprised to say anything.
Again I am surprised however when it is Marle breaks the tension. Maybe he was high again or perhaps he just didn't give a shit enough to think to much on what he just saw. He just steps forward and looks a the beer before picking up the case and says, "I don't know what the fuck you just did but it just had to be Mexican beer didn't it you fucking wetback."
I let out a dry laugh and says, "Better then knowing cracker."
Shane however and the rest don't take it as well and he immediately looks at Rick and says, "Rick what the hell….what the hell is this."
Not knowing what to say Rick just says, "Ask Jose."
At his words everyone looks at me and I smile, "Why don't we all grab a beer first then I will explain things."
I don't have to say that twice as Marle immediately breaks open the case and tosses one to his brother before taking one himself. Like a flood gate has been opened everyone except the child go to grab one. Myself included despite technically not being old enough to drink legally but no one was going to stop me. Then I sit back and explain everything to them. Leaving out of course some of the things that I told Morgan and Rick. Seeing as Rick didn't want them to know the full truth I kept quiet about that. There are some questions and looks of disbelief which I sarcastically respond to. Overall, however they take it pretty well kind of.
"This is so fucked up." Shane says walking back and forward drinking the last of his beer trying to gain control of his emotions.
"Ya but its not more fucked up then the dead coming back to life." Glenn who was taking it best then other says.
Which is followed by the ruff voice of Daryl, "China man's right. Of all the fucked-up shit that's happening this isn't so fucking bad."
Daryl really did summon it up quite well. Of everything that is currently going on being able to create something from what seems like nothing wasn't so bad. I mean dead where walking, civilization had fallen apart and their worst nightmares had come truth. Unlike Rick who had woken up to all this shit and then got hammered again and again with crazy shit. These people had already been in the shit for months and while rattled by my ability it was by far not the worst thing that had happened to them. In fact, a little bit of hope could be seen in their eyes now. As I am sure they could see the befits more than the fucked-up nature of the ability itself.
"Still this thing he has it's horribly unbalanced." Jacqui says.
"Oh, I agreed with you lady. It kind of sucks really." I say to her.
Taking another sip of his beer trying to make it last Shane says, "And you're saying you can buy anything. Like say a tank or a nuke?"
Looking at Shane with a look that says I have already answered this question a dozen times already I still answer him. "Shane for the last time I could buy you the fucking Death Star if I had to credits to do so. It all comes down to price and a bit of supply and demand."
"Ya that is something I still can't understand how does a fucking carton of milk cost more then a fucking box of bullets." Merle says having long since finished off his own beer.
"Well Jose did say it worked off supply and demand a bit. Without electricity most goods like milk and other perishable foods would go bad. In away it makes sense that milk would cost more then bullets." Amy says holding her own beer but not really liking the taste takes her time drinking it.
"Are you sure you can't buy the cure for whatever is going on." Glenn asks from where he was standing. "I mean I know you said you can't, but I have read stories like this on the internet a dozen times. There is always some cheat. Some way around the system to get what you want."
"Ya well those where stories man. This is real life, and the system isn't so kind. The limits had been sent the terms laid down. Could there be hidden things I haven't found yet? Sure, but again I don't know them. So, we are going to have to work with what we go." I say to him.
"Which brings up the question what is or next move?" Shane asks.
Instead of me answering Rick speaks up for the first time after giving me a look that say to not say anything. A look Shane spots. "Jose and I actually talked about that before we reached Atlanta. Now I don't what to get anyone's hopes up but there is a way out. One that has nothing to do with a cure."
Looking at her husband Lori asks, "What do you mean?"
"Jose explained to me very clearly that when he says he can buy anything he means it. That includes ways to cross into other worlds." Rick says sounding like he doesn't even believe it fully.
"Wait…wait…wait you mean like some Stargate bullshit." Morales says.
Looking down but then back up Rick says, "Ya that's right."
"And now much does that cost?" Daryl asks while he takes the last sip of his beer while he stands next to his brother. Watching everyone closely as he didn't trust them. Finding out his brother was even for a short time handcuffed to the roof of a building had rattled him. Sure, Merle probably had it coming but that didn't change the fact that he was his brother.
"Only 100,000." I answered with a smile.
Letting out a dry laugh Merle says, "Only 100,000 he says, and how much did you say you currently had a 1000? What the fuck had you been doing all this time?"
"Trying to survive same as you. Only difference is where I was, was just a little hard to leave." I say playing on the fact that Merle knew I was in prison. He just didn't know how old I was currently or that I was brought to this world.
"Just raising that amount would be near impossible," Shane says.
"Not really, I mean I already told you two of the ways I could earn credits. I just decided that discretion is the better part of valor. I could survive perfectly well on my own for a long while. Killing a walker here and there and maybe a task if it was easy enough would allow me to hold up in any number of location." I say to them.
"So why help my husband? Why risk yourself if you were fine hiding till now." Lori asks.
Before I can answer however Rick speaks, "Doesn't matter why he did. All that matters is he did and there is a 3rd way to earn the credits we need. Jose."
"Yep got it Rick." I say and send invites to join my party.
As blue screens appear before everyone, I take some amusement at the stunned looks on their face. This didn't seem to get old I think to myself as I see them looking at it with wonder. Before questions can be asked, however I speak up, "The last way for me to earn credits is simply by having people join the parity system. For every walker you guys and girls kill I get a credit. I know not much but it's something plus it allows you to buy your own crap with your own credits instead of having to depend on me. Granted your system is more limited then my own. From what I seen on Rick's screen you can get basic supplies and want not."
The first one to press accept was of course Merle and when he is taken to the shop screen he says, "Ha now isn't that something."
Everyone following his lead accepts and starts looking over their own screen and talking with each other about how this will really help. But Shane pulls them back to the here and now. "Alright this does help but still getting to 100,000 won't be easy Rick. We are talking months if not years to reach it."
And while Shane doesn't say it out loud it is implied that we may not even survive that long. Even with my system he was smart enough to see the limits of it. They had all seen now the military and cops or what was left of them after the original had failed to stop the walkers. They were simply over run, and if the system depended on killing walkers to get the credits we needed we would be too.
"That is where this comes in to play." I say and a bright light is seen coming from my hand and a plastic tube of about 4ft in length appears in it.
Opening it up I go to the nearest car and pull out a map and lay it out on top of the hood. Everyone comes over to look it up and sees a big ass map of Georgia with a number of dots all over it.
"What is this?" Shane asks while looking over the highly detailed map.
"This Shane is our key to survival. On this map is every warehouse in Georgia that hasn't been looted yet." I say and see I have everyone's attention.
Lori who is standing by her husband's side looks over it and says, "There are so many of them."
"There has to be at least 20 or 30 of them just in the city of Atlanta alone." Glenn says.
"And that is only the city Chine man. Look at this according to the map there are hundreds spread all around the state." Merle says.
"Now is that possible." Eliza Morales asks.
"It makes sense actually. The world fell apart so quickly no one had time to even think of looting warehouses and besides how many of us really knew where our food came from." Shane points out. It had crossed his mind a time or two about trying to hit a warehouse or something like that for supplies. The problem was, like most people, he had no idea where most were located. He would more or less be flying blind and that would just be a stupid thing to do. This map, however, only solved a part of the problem. There was still one big problem left.
"It doesn't detail what in these warehouses." Shane says and looks at me.
I just shrug my shoulders at him and say, "Ya that would have cost a lot more than I had."
The map along cost 800 credits and the beer 50 leaving me with only 246 left to spend. A map with just the names of the companies on it would have cost a addition 300 do there was nothing I could do able it. Plus I wanted use to get the fuck out of his place soon. It wasn't even midday yet but soon enough night would fall and the walkers that would attack the camp would come. Now I could warn them but I had no desire to see some of the people here die.
"Okay so what's next?" Jim asks.
Shane and Rick look over the map like the rest do and finally Shane speaks up, "Well originally, I planned for use to head towards Fort Benning but looking at the map that my not be a good idea."
"Whys that?" T-dog asks.
Looking closely, Shane spots something I had missed. "This map is up to date. Look at this it even details bridges that were blown up by the military. Roads that are no long accessible do to traffic jams and look here the all the roads leading to the base or blacked out."
"Isn't that a good thing. I mean would that mean other people were headed that way." Amy says from behind us.
Looking over it Shane says, "I don't know but a lot of people where headed here to."
He didn't need to say that didn't turn out so well. As the city was now overrun with walkers and was firebombed to. Who was to say the fort didn't suffer the same fate. Especially as the black lines that clearly represented massive amounts of vehicles heading towards the base were everywhere. It didn't seem like the smart thing to do now.
"Then we should head for the CDC. We may find something there that is useful and look here there are at least 6 warehouses in the area alone we can search for supplies in." Rick says as he points to where the CDC is located. Even if the maps didn't give names of buildings it was a landmark that was hard to miss.
Even one takes a moment to think on this but our other options were not that good. Yet I say nothing to help them make up their minds as at the mention of both places I get two separate quests.
Current Quests
Quest update. Kill 20 Walkers, Reward 1 Credit per kill. 20 additional Credits after reaching 20 kills. Quest ongoing. (17/20)
Quests: Head toward the CDC and recruit the lone scientist there Dr. Edwin Jenner. Reward 500 credits
Quests: Head toward Fort Benning. Reward 200 credits.
Total Credits available 246.
No matter what they picked I benefited from it so there was no point in me speaking up. Though I felt that if I wanted to I could pressure them to do what I liked. After all the beer was the tip of the I spoke the tip of the iceberg. However I didn't feel the need to interfere with their decision. Which surprisingly wasn't much of one to begin with. As Shane didn't put up a fight about going to the CDC, as it was just more practical than heading for what he thought was a clearly dangerous area. When all was said and done even one was told to pack up and get ready to leave in 20 minutes. A good thing seeing as that meant we would be gone long before the walkers showed up. Some things would of course change as it seemed Morales had no attraction in leaving now and Amy would most likely live to see tomorrow. Ed would be a problem, but I felt I could deal with him soon enough. That or he would fuck up sooner or later and get the shit beat out of him by someone.
Yet while everyone was walking off I heard Shane says to Rick, "Rick can I talk to you for a moment."
As they walk off I keep a close eye on them and when Shane looks at me with a mix of worry and disbelief I know Rick has told him the truth. A foolish thing to do seeing as Shane was already unstable but what was done was done so I just wave at them with a happy go lucky smile. Or at least I think its one.
"Hey Mexican I need to talk with you." I hear the voice of one Daryl Dixon say to me.
Looking over at perhaps my favorite character outside Rick, I say, "Mexican? If you going to act the racist Daryl might I suggest better insults."
He doesn't say anything back or witty back to me instead he does what his character always did. Take a higher road and say, "I never got to thank you for saving my brother. So, thanks."
I laugh a bit and say, "Your welcome Daryl Dixon but you know your brother he doesn't play well with others."
Narrowing his eyes at me Daryl says, "Ya I know that."
"Then you also know he trapped me and everyone else that was in Atlanta on top of that building. He does it again you won't have to worry about him being just handcuffed on top of a building." I say to him.
"Are you threating my brother?" Daryl says in a dangerous voice.
I shake my head and say, "No, just saying I will what I need to survive Daryl that is all."
I then walk away leaving him to think. Knowing that I have made neither a enemy of him nor a ally. Which was want I wanted in the end. As I didn't know if these people would be useful to me by the time, I was ready to leave. That if I lived along enough to leave.