"Let me go!" shouted Clementine as she was forced forward.
"Shut up!" barked Margo as she shoved Clem through a door. Clem felt her stomach drop as she could see a row of steel bars stretching from one side of the room to the other; this was a jail.
"No!" yelled Clem as her knees started trembling. "Please! I'm sorry!" Clem stumbled and felt a horrible pain shooting through her wrists as Margo dragged her across the floor.
"Get in there!" Clem yelped as her shoulder banged against the hard concrete. She struggled to roll on her back, her wrists still aching as she looked up just in time to see Margo slam the cell door shut. There was a loud bang followed by a sickening click that sent a chill up Clem's spine. "What… what are you gonna do to me?" Margo didn't answer, she only glared at Clem for a few seconds before marching out of the room.
Clem was too afraid to move. She remained still and tried to slow her breathing so she could hear if anyone was coming. There was only silence and a faint aroma of mold. Squirming against her restraints, Clem felt metal pinching at her skin; she was in handcuffs, yet again. Dust started irritating her nose so she tried to stand up. Just as she thought she found her footing she started tilting and slammed shoulder-first into the bars.
"Ow! Damnit!"
"Uh… is it dinner time already?" Clem turned her head and was shocked to see there was someone in the cell next to hers. It was a bearded, thin man in a dark overcoat. He sat up on the bed and looked over at Clem. "Well… isn't this unexpected?" He flashed a crooked smile that made Clem feel uneasy. His eyes were different colors, one was a sickly green and the other muddy brown. Clem shuddered as she felt his gaze upon her.
"Why do people always get so quiet when they first see me?" pondered the man. "Is there something on my face?"
"Your eyes, you have heto… what was it called?" said Clem as she tried to remember the word. "Your eyes are different colors from each other."
"Are they?" he asked with a curious look. "I never noticed that." Clem just stared at the mystery man in disbelief. "But then, I don't like talking about myself. Let's talk about you; you seem to be in a bit of trouble."
His casual tone just made Clem feel worse. She pulled against her cuffs a couple of times, confirming they were on tightly. She looked over at the man in desperation. "What are they going to do to us?"
"Well I know what they're going to do to me," said the man as he laid back down. "You however, well…"
"Are… are they going to kill me?" she asked in a barely audible whisper.
"It's one possibility."
Clem felt like throwing up. Her entire body began to shudder as two words kept bouncing around in her mind. "One possibility?"
"One," he repeated without looking up.
"What's another?" asked Clem as a swell of panic washed over her. "Are they gonna force me to do whatever they want? Make me a… a slave?"
"That's also a possibility."
"And if I don't are… are they… are they going to torture me?"
"It's possible."
"How… how would they do it?" asked Clem between panicked breaths. "Would they starve me?"
"Possible."
"Whip me?"
"Possible."
"Force Sarah to watch and… Omid." Clem looked over at the man. He had turned his head and was looking right at Clem now.
"Anything's possible," he said, clearly enjoying telling her that.
"I… I gotta get out of there."
"I'd like to see that." Clem felt around the back of her belt, panicking when she didn't immediately find the paperclip. "You have no idea how boring it can be here all alone… well I guess you might eventually." Clem felt the paperclip in her grasp and carefully twisted it in her grasp. It took a few attempts to thread the tip of it into one of the cuff's keyholes, but once it was in there her hands moved practically on their own and she felt the left cuff go slack.
"Aren't you resourceful," said the man as Clem unlocked the other cuff. "You remind me a little of this thief I met ages ago. Back them into a corner and the things they'd accomplish," he said wistfully as Clem hurled her cuffs across the cell in anger. "Of course, they would have an answer for that." The man pointed to the lock on Clem's cell door. She looked at it, then back at the man. "I'm guessing you don't?"
Clem rushed over to the lock as if to prove him wrong. She tried forcing the paper clip into the keyhole but it was nothing like the one on the cuffs. She couldn't even get it into the opening without bending the clip. Clem nearly fell over in despair, her arms passing through the bars and her body leaning against the door as she tried to stop herself from crying.
"You know what your problem is," said the man. "You try to do too much on your own."
"Shut up!" The man merely chuckled in response. Clem sighed to herself as she lowered her head. The cold steel on each side of face had her feeling utterly trapped, but then she realized her head might fit through the bars. Clem stuck the paper clip back on her belt, took a step back and examined the cell wall. The bars were a few inches apart with a section of metal running through them a few feet off the ground. She'd have to duck under it, but she was probably short enough to do exactly that.
"I have to admit," said the man as Clem carefully slid her right leg through the bars. "I am impressed by your determination." Clem pivoted her body and slid her right arm through next. It was a tight fit and she had to force it a little, but she was able to slide out enough that her right shoulder was past the bars. "However, that only gets you so far." Clem ducked and tried to squeeze her head through, but it wouldn't quite budge. "Sometimes, often in fact, things are merely beyond one's control."
Clem groaned as she tried to move her face past the iron bars. She could feel the cold metal squishing her nose as she slid forward the tiniest bit. The bars felt like a clamp around her skull as she used her free hand to push against the back of her head. In frustration, she started smacking the back of her head, practically banging herself against the bars. Another painful knock and Clem felt her head budge a bit, she could feel freedom in her grasp, then she heard a door open.
"What the fuck?" Clem started pulling back as soon as she heard Margo's voice. "What the hell are you doing now?"
Clem tried pulling her head back, her chin skinning itself against the rough steel as she desperately tried to unstick herself. She couldn't even turn her head as she heard multiple sets of footsteps closing in on her. She started moaning in pain as it felt like her neck was going to snap against the bars.
"Clem!" Clem opened her eyes, and even in this awkward state she could Sarah in front of her, brimming with concern. "Just hold still," she instructed as she placed her hands on Clem's face. "Take a breath and just relax." Sarah's voice was soothing and Clem did as she was instructed. She closed her eyes and felt Sarah's hands firmly but gently pushing her head back through the bars. It hurt a little, but not long after Clem found herself free from the bars' steel grip. Clem took a step back and took a deep breath of relief. She looked at Sarah, ready to thank her.
"How the fuck did you get your handcuffs off?" Margo's voice sent Clem stumbling backwards until she hit the wall. She turned her head and saw the woman standing next to Zeke, glaring at her through the bars. "Well? I—"
"Margo, enough yelling," said Zeke in a firm tone. "I do need an answer."
Clem fidgeted in place as Zeke looked at her. He wasn't angry like Margo but it's clear he wasn't happy either.
"I… I just slid them off," said Clem.
"Bullshit you did!" snapped Margo. "I made sure to tighten them cause I figured your scrawny ass would try something."
"I saw the whole thing." Everyone turned to the man sitting in the other cell. Clem tensed up as a mischievous grin formed on his face. "She wriggled in place a bit and off they came." The man looked right at Margo. "Very sloppy work on your part."
"You piece of shit!" Margo threw herself against the bars while the man started chuckling. "I'll kill you! You hear me? I—"
"Margo, outside," ordered Zeke.
"Don't—"
"I said out!" Hearing Zeke raise his voice frightened Clem, even more than she already was. "Get back on watch. I'll take it from here."
Margo turned to Zeke, fuming with anger and grinding her teeth. She suddenly stormed out of the room without another word. Zeke rolled his eyes and rubbed his forehead before looking at the man in the cell.
"Not another word from you." Zeke pointed at the man, who was resting comfortably on his bed, a smug look of satisfaction on his face. "And you." Clem tensed up as Zeke pointed at her. "I—"
"Stop it," said Sarah as she stepped forward.
"She—"
"You told me, and she shouldn't have done that," said Sarah. "But she's scared and hungry and tired and you people asking all these questions have just made it worse and…" Sarah started tearing up and Clem felt her terror be replaced with concern. She hurried over to Sarah and stuck her arms through the bars. Sarah grasped Clem's hands and the pair tried their best to hug one another, Sarah squeezing Clem's shoulder while Clem ran her fingertips across Sarah's cheek.
"Look," said Zeke with a little sigh. "If you promise to stay close to Sarah, I'll let you out and then we can talk outside. Sound good?"
Clem thought on Zeke's offer for a moment. "What happens after that?"
"What?"
"After we talk," said Clem. "Then what are you going to do to me?"
"I'm going to drive you both back to the halfway houses where you'll stay the night."
"And after that?" asked Clem. "What happens tomorrow?"
"Clem," said Sarah, clearly urging her to stop.
"You were trespassing," reminded Zeke. "We had to take action."
"I—"
"That said, Margo handled that poorly and for that I apologize," spoke Zeke in a calm voice. "But I need you to cooperate with us now."
"And if I don't?"
"Clem!"
"We're not going to hurt you," assured Zeke.
"That's not what I heard."
"Heard from who? You've been here for just—" Zeke trailed off. He turned his head and looked at the man in the cell; he was smiling. "What did you say to her?" The man gestured with his hands and made a face implying he was hurt by this comment, but didn't say anything. "Answer me."
"But you said not another word," reminded the man in a whisper.
"Now!"
"She inquired about the kind of punishments you employ in your town," he said. "I answered her."
"You lied to me." Clem felt herself shaking in anger as she stared into the man's mismatched eyes, taunting her.
"I was merely acknowledging the possibilities." The man turned to look at Zeke. "After all, Fair Haven is an evolving community open to change, right?"
"You're gone old man!" barked Zeke. "First thing tomorrow I'll march you out the gate myself and this time we're not letting you back in."
"Don't trouble yourself Zeke," said the man with a wicked grin as he laid back down. "I'll let myself out."
"Yeah, right," griped Zeke as he removed a keyring from his pocket. "Come on." Clem watched anxiously as Zeke unlocked her cell and slid the door open. She hesitated to leave the cell, then she saw Sarah staring at her desperately. Clem rushed to her side and immediately grabbed her hand, grateful to be together again. The three moved for the exit when Clem heard his voice.
"Oh Clementine." Clem couldn't stop herself from turning back to look at him. The sight of that wicked grin and those mismatched eyes staring at her terrified her. "Don't be too hard on yourself. The world is harsh enough."
Zeke slammed the door shut and then guided the girls out of the building. "Fucking creep," he mumbled. "Every time he comes to town to trade he's starts something."
"Starts what?" asked a still nervous Clem as she clung to Sarah's arm. "Why is he in that cell?"
"You saw why," answered a weary Zeke. "He riles people up, goads them into a fight, all the while playing innocent. We can't lock someone up for being annoying but this is a pattern of instigating conflicts. It's like he gets some sick kick out of being a psychological sadist."
"And you left Clem alone in there with him?" Sarah's words stopped Zeke in his tracks. He turned to face them and Clem was afraid he'd be angry, but he wasn't, or if he was he hid it well.
"Like I said, we handled that poorly and I'm sorry," he said. "But we need to talk about what you were doing Clementine."
Clem tensed up and looked to Sarah only to find little reassurance as she too was waiting for Clem to speak.
"How'd you get into the records room?" asked Zeke.
"I turned the knob," answered Clem.
"It wasn't locked?"
"No."
An awkward pause followed. "God damnit Margo," swore Zeke under his breath.
"Wait, if it wasn't even locked then—"
Zeke held up a hand and Sarah stopped talking, much to Clem's surprise.
"How'd you get out of your handcuffs?"
"I told you, I slid them off."
"Yeah, and I don't believe you or that old coot in the cell," stated Zeke flatly. "Margo might not particularly care for bureaucracy but she doesn't want someone she's busted getting free; how'd you get the handcuffs off?"
Clem turned to Sarah, hoping she'd somehow convince Zeke. Instead, she seemed to be pleading with her eyes for Clem to tell Zeke the truth. Turning back to him, he clearly wasn't moving without getting an answer. Clem sighed to herself and held up the bent paper clip for Zeke, who looked at it in disbelief.
"Where'd you get that?"
"From my belt."
"Do you always have that on you?"
"Yes," answered Clem through clenched teeth. "Because I'll never know when someone will put me in handcuffs." Clem felt Sarah's hand on her shoulder after saying that and for one brief moment, Zeke showed a hint of discomfort.
"I'm guessing you can't pick other locks with that, seeing as we found you trying to squeeze past the bars." Clem didn't say anything but Zeke had his answer. "In that case, just hang onto it for now."
Clem put the paper clip back in place on her belt.
"Next question: what were you doing in the records room?"
Clem didn't know what to say. She looked at Sarah, and her face said she wanted to know too.
"I… I saw my name on a folder and I wanted to know what you wrote down about me," answered Clem. "That's it."
"Is it?" challenged Zeke. "Margo said it looked like you were thumbing through a bunch of the folders. Were you looking for someone else?"
"What if I was?" challenged Clem. "You asked us about people we were looking for."
"We didn't ask you to poke around in people's private files."
"You didn't tell me anything about that room," countered Clem.
"You really haven't given us much of a chance to explain anything."
"Then explain it now."
"Clementine!" snapped Sarah.
"No, I want to know why you have this secret room where you write down stuff about all of us," demanded Clem. "Why can't we look at what you're saying about us?"
"It's not what we say about you, it's others," asserted Zeke. "We'd have shown you your own file, but there's a lot of private information in there from a lot of people who wouldn't appreciate letting every random passerby dig through their life stories."
"That's bullshit."
"Clem stop," insisted Sarah.
"Would you like it if that prick in the cell read all about how you got that scar on your face?" Zeke's suggestion disgusted Clem. She felt violated in some small fashion. "Exactly."
"See Clem," insisted Sarah. "There's a good reason for this."
"But your people are allowed to know all about us?" said Clem.
"Clem, please stop."
"Only what you tell us, and even then, only to a select few," continued Zeke. "We take this very seriously, hence why you looking around in that room is a big deal."
"Why?" said Clem, refusing to cede the argument. "What's the worst that can happen if you just let us look for the people we want to find?"
"Say someone with a grudge came to town," explained Zeke. "I don't know, they're looking for someone who killed a friend of theirs." Clem tensed up upon hearing that suggestion. "This person, they go into our filing room, find a name of that person, or someone else who has the same name, then just goes and kills them. We'll have it entirely on their word that they got the right person and they were telling us the truth about the person they killed being a murderer."
"Is… is that something happens here?" asked Clem, suddenly feeling very anxious. "People tell you about… people they want to kill?"
"Usually not in so many words, but yeah," confirmed Zeke. "We don't ask questions to just help people find lost friends, it's also to find out about dangerous individuals out there. This way we're prepared in case they show up tomorrow or are already staying here and didn't tell us the whole story."
Clem felt her chest tensing up. "When that happens… do you just let the other person kill them?" Clem noticed Sarah was staring at her now, clearly picking up on how nervous she was.
"No, that's why we have this system," explained Zeke. "It's not perfect, but it helps us from jumping to the wrong conclusion."
"But let's say you listen to them, and it is the right person, and they want them dead," asked Clem, her voice trembling. "Then what?"
"It.. depends."
"On what"?
"Lots of things," said Zeke. "It's another reason we have the council, so we can consider every angle."
"But what do they do if there is a murderer?" asked Clem, growing more nervous. "Do they decide that person… has to die."
"We don't have a death penalty," informed Zeke. "We'll defend ourselves but we won't commit to killing someone already at our mercy."
"That's good," said Sarah, while squeezing Clem's hand to give her some reassurance.
"It was another thing Oakes was adamant about. It's something we can't take back, so it's a line we won't cross."
"But then what do you do?" asked Clem.
"You've seen the jail," said Zeke. "And if someone is too much trouble to keep, like that fucker in the cell next to you, we exile them."
"If you did that, and someone wanted that person dead, couldn't they just follow them out of town and kill them then?"
Zeke didn't immediately answer Clem. "Like I said, it's not perfect. We're just one town trying to keep things going. We can't be responsible for the whole word." Zeke's expression softened slightly. "You seemed really worried about this. Is there someone you want to warn us about? Someone who'd hurt you if they came to town?"
Clementine thought hard about that question. "I… is there… can I just go already?"
Zeke looked at Clem in response. "I'm sorry for how Margo treated you," he said in a quiet voice. "I train my deputies to deescalate things but she clearly needs a refresher." Zeke let out a small sigh. "Like I said, we never turn away children, so you can stay here for as long as you want."
"Thank you Zeke." Sarah looked at Clem, expecting her to thank Zeke as well, but Clem didn't. After an awkward silence, they followed Zeke to his car, the station wagon Dilawar made a big deal about. Zeke sat down behind the steering wheel while Sarah and Clem squeezed into the back seat.
"Is everything okay?" asked Horatio as Clem inched in closer to him. "Are you in trouble? They didn't hurt you did they?"
Clem didn't know how to answer that, so she didn't. She was surprised when Sarah didn't say anything either. She looked over at her and could tell something was bothering her. Feeling something grabbing at her shirt, Clem looked back to see Omid had crawled out of Horatio's lap.
"Don't worry," insisted a nervous Clem as she helped him into her lap. "We're gonna be okay," she said as she watched Zeke start the car. "We'll… we'll be okay."
The drive back was quiet and tense for Clem. She tried to keep watch from the windows but between being stuck in the middle, the low light and how fast they were moving made it hard to see much. Houses, fences, and trees all flew by in the blink of an eye, far too fast for Clem to absorb. Most of it was familiar, the background of so many countless hours on the road. The one thing that wasn't is seeing a light in the occasional window, telling Clem there were people still living here; she wasn't used to it.
The car eventually slowed to a stop and inching closer to the window Sarah was sitting by, Clem saw a house with a red door outside. Beside the door were parked three bikes. Clem had seen them bring them in the morning after they arrived. Eager to get out, Clem took hold of Omid and waited impatiently for Sarah to open the door. As soon as Sarah stepped out, Clem picked up Omid, exited the car and hurried to the door as fast as she could.
Clem groaned as she set Omid down and opened the door. Stepping inside, Clem saw Sarah was talking to Horatio. She guided Omid inside and closed the door behind her. The first thing she did was get her backpack and double-check its contents. She had her radio, gas mask, and a stubborn can of spray paint that refused to leave. Clem put her coat on, then her backpack, then moved over to Omid, who was staring at her with an anxious look.
"Let's get you dressed," said Clem, trying to force some enthusiasm in her voice. "You gotta stay warm, right?" Clem collected Omid's NASA jacket and threaded his arms through the sleeves. "We don't want you getting sick again." Clem zipped up the jacket. As she let go of the zipper, Clem noticed the beaded keychain hanging from it, the one Simon gave them. She found herself holding back tears as she wished he was here right now.
"Clem?"
Sarah's voice snapped Clem out of her trance. "Where's Horatio?" asked Clem as Sarah closed the door.
"Next door, with the others," said Sarah. "I wanted to talk to you."
"Well, talk to me as we get ready," said Clem as she wandered off.
"Get ready for what?" asked Sarah as she followed.
"To leave," said Clem as she moved into the kitchen.
"When?"
"Now."
"What? That's crazy."
"What's crazy is staying here a minute longer," said Clem as she knelt down to open a cabinet.
"How would we even leave right now?" challenged Sarah.
"Our bikes are outside, are weapons probably still in the lockers by that big gate, and Zeke said no one is gonna make us stay here," recalled Clem. "Here's hoping he was telling the truth about that."
"What about the others though?"
"If they want to leave too we can go together," said Clem as she took off her backpack.
"Clem, it's freezing, we're both tired, and there's Omid."
"We have coats, we'll find a building outside of town to stay the night, and we can take the blankets from the bed to bundle Omid up good," insisted Clem as she moved some empty bottles out of the way. "And I'll get a fire going for us."
"And what will we eat?"
"This." Clem removed a half-full jar of honey from the very back of the cabinet.
"Where did you get that?"
"I've only been eating half of what they bring us," said Clem as she pulled another jar containing small, dried carrots from the back. "The half I didn't eat I was saving for when we leave."
"That's… that's nothing."
"It's not nothing," asserted Clem. "It'll be enough for us to get somewhere we can catch a fish. I've been practicing with the bow drill. This time we'll be able to cook everything we catch."
"Clem… I can't just leave," insisted Sarah. "It's hard for me to walk right now, to say nothing about pedaling, and Horatio says the baby… it could come anytime now."
"I… I know it'll be hard, but it's better than staying here."
"Why?" challenged Sarah in a stern voice. "What are you afraid is going to happen if we stay here?" Clem froze up when Sarah asked that. "Please, talk to me."
"We… we won't be safe here. Trust me." Clem took a breath and packed the two jars of food into her bag. "We've still got water from this morning, right?" Clem waited for an answer, but didn't get one. Sarah was just standing there, her hand on her face. "Sarah?"
"Yeah, just… I'll get it."
Sarah left the kitchen while Clem returned to the living room and moved to the fireplace. Clem picked up the stringed tool and the wooden shaft. She had managed to use them to start a fire on her own last night. Packing them away, Clem considered taking the chunk of wood as well since it already had an indent in it for making friction. Trying to lift it though, Clem realized she didn't want to haul around this much extra weight.
Clem noticed Sarah approaching the dinner table. "Where's the water?" asked Clem as she approached her. "And where's your backpack?"
"I… I was tucking Omid into bed," she said suddenly.
"What?" asked an irate Clem. "Did you not hear me? We need to leave."
"Clem," said Sarah in a firm voice. "We need to talk."
Clem groaned to herself, then sat down at the dinner table. "Okay," she said in a resigned tone. "What do you want to talk about?"
"We can't leave Fair Haven," stated Sarah as she sat down.
"I know it'll be hard," said Clem. "But—"
"We're exhausted, we have nowhere to go, I'm probably gonna… there's the baby," said Sarah, trembling as she forced those words out of her mouth.
"All that was true before we came here," reminded Clem
"And we came here because we can't deal with any of it."
"We can now," asserted Clem. "I can start a fire, we'll get fish—"
"We need more than that," said Sarah.
"We'll have each other, we'll make it work," reassured Clem.
"We've tried making it work for nearly two years now… we can't." Sarah's words wounded Clem. "We need these people's help."
"No," refuted Clem. "We can't trust these people."
"Yes, we can, we have to take that chance," asserted Sarah.
"No we don't," repeated Clem. "I'm not doing this again, just… waiting for them to hurt us… to torture us."
"That's not going to happen."
"You don't know that."
"You don't know it will happen."
"I know some asshole just put me in handcuffs and tossed me in a cage."
"Because you broke into a room you weren't supposed to."
"It was unlocked!"
"You knew you shouldn't go in there!"
"Why are you taking their side!"
"Because I can't go back out there again!"
"Then you're staying here without me!" Clem gagged on her words as soon as she spit them out. Sarah just sat there in silence, her face a twisted mixture of shock and betrayal frozen in place by what Clem said.
"Suh… Sarah… I… I'm…" Clem rubbed her throat. It was hoarse from having raised her voice. "I—"
"Let me get you some water," suggested Sarah as she suddenly stood up. She hurried out of the room and Clem just let her head collapse into her hands. Alone and in silence now, Clem stifled a sob as what she said echoed in her mind. She found herself wishing they were back in Spokeston, just the three of them with enough to eat every day. Thinking about it now, Clem realized that was some of the happiest times of her life, and wept that they were long over.
Taking a deep breath, Clem sat up and was surprised to see Sarah wasn't back yet. She was about to get up herself when she heard footsteps coming from behind her. Clem turned her head and saw Sarah coming down the stairs with a glass of water in her hand.
"You put the water in the bedroom?"
"What? No. I just… I got this and then realized I needed to check something in our room." Sarah set a glass of water in front of Clem and then sat down across from her. "Sorry it took so long."
"It's fine," said Clem with a shrug.
"Go ahead, drink up," urged Sarah.
"Look, Sarah… I'm sorry about what I said." Clem was surprised to see her apology seemed to make Sarah uncomfortable. "But staying here… it just feels like another Valkaria waiting to happen, him talking about us getting things for them to become a citizen."
"Not us," said Sarah. "Zeke already said we can stay here."
"And do what for them?" asked Clem. "They'll want something from us and I don't want to stay long enough to find out what." Clem shuddered.
"Can… can we at least sleep on it and talk about this in the morning?"
"I don't want to do that," said Clem as she shook her head. "They know I don't trust them which means if they're going to do something, it'll probably be tomorrow morning and—"
Clem coughed a few times. She grabbed hold of the glass of water and moved it to her lips for a quick sip. The bit of water that reached her tongue had a bitter aftertaste and Clem stopped herself from drinking another drop. Setting the glass down, Clem suddenly noticed Sarah staring awkwardly at the glass.
"What… what did you do?" asked Clem.
"Nothing," answered Sarah immediately.
"What did you do?" repeated Clem in a harsh tone. "Did… did you put something in this." Sarah squirmed in place, her every movement screaming guilty. "Sarah!"
"I…" Sarah took a deep breath. "I ground up a xanax and put in the water…"
"You… you what?" spoke Clem, barely able to contain her anger. "You tried to drug me!"
"I just wanted you to get some sleep," confessed Sarah, tears in her eyes. "You've stayed up every night since we got here and it's making you crazy."
"I am not crazy!"
"I didn't say you were, I said—"
Clem knocked the glass off the table, spilling it across the floor. "Clem!" said Sarah as she stood up. "We don't have many of those left!"
"Well then you shouldn't be trying to poison me with them!"
"It's not poison and I only did that cause you won't listen to me!"
"I can't believe you'd do this to me," said Clem, seething with anger. "After what happened to me in Wyoming you'd… you'd actually drug me."
"I can't believe you'd leave me," cried Sarah. "After everything we've been through you'd just… go?"
Clem didn't know how to respond to that, and Sarah was at a loss for words as well. The pair just stood there in stunned silence, unsure what to think of one another. Clem couldn't even look at Sarah anymore, or she couldn't bear Sarah looking at her. In either instance, Clem preferred to stare down at the floor and try to make sense of what just happened. Her thoughts swirled about in her head, banging into each other and making it impossible for Clem to focus.
Clem tried to think of anything that could break the horrible silence. "Do… do you hear that?" said Clem without looking up. "Sarah?"
"I don't hear anything," answered Sarah in a quiet voice.
"I… I'm…" Clem started to shake as a faint buzzing noise invaded her ears. "Seriously, you don't hear that?"
"No, I don't…" Sarah trailed off. Clem finally looked up at her and saw she was listening intently. Clem watched as her expression changed from confusion, to disbelief, to wide-eyed panic as the buzzing sound become a distant roaring.
"I'm not crazy," said Clem. "You hear it too."
"It's… it's not possible," stuttered Sarah.
"It's that fucking little race car!"
"It can't be!"
"It's the Vaquero!"
A gunshot cut through the air and sent Clem diving for cover onto the floor. Two more shots rang out as the rumbling of diesel engines vibrated the air around Clem, dissolving the meager shred of safety this house provided.
"We have to get out of here!" Clem jumped to her feet and started running. She hurried into Omid's bedroom and dropped down by his side. She could see him as a lump under a blanket. Peeling back the covers, she found Omid trembling, his eyes closed and his hands over his ears.
"It's gonna be okay." Another gunshot in the distance caused Omid to start crying. "I know, I know," rambled Clem as she wrapped the blanket around him, reasoning they'd need it to keep him warm on the road. "But don't be scared," said Clem as she picked up Omid. "We're not staying here."
Clem groaned as she lifted Omid and hurried back into the living room. Her eyes immediately fell on Sarah, who hadn't moved an inch. Walking up to her, Sarah was paralyzed, wide-eyed panic painted all over her face.
"Sarah!" yelled Clem as she struggled to shift Omid to one arm. "Come on!"
Clem grabbed Sarah's hand and she became aware of her surroundings. Clem practically pulled her to the front door, Omid fidgeting and crying in Clem's tenuous grasp as she lead everyone outdoors. A series of four gunshots sounded in quick succession. They were louder than ever, deafening explosions punctuating the ever-oppressive roar of diesel engines carried on the cold wind. Clem's eyes moved up to the overpass where she could see movement. Something big was coming and suddenly Clem felt Omid fall from her grasp.
"I've got you." Horatio appeared from nowhere and grabbed hold of Omid. "Are you two okay?" Horatio asked them.
"Not really," said Clem as she hurried over to her bike. "Help me get Omid into the basket and—"
"What?" asked a baffled Horatio. "What are you doing?"
"Leaving," said Clem as she wheeled her bike up to Horatio. "You should come with us, we—"
"That's insane, we can't leave now. Don't you hear that!" said Horatio as he gestured to the overpass just as a massive truck slammed into something out of view at the end of the bridge. "Jesus!" yelled Horatio as an explosion shook the ground beneath their feet. "We need to get back inside and—"
"And wait for them to come and kill us? No!" dictated Clem as she reached out to take Omid. "We're leaving and there's nothing you can do or say to—"
"Clem…" Clem looked over at Sarah. She was clutching her swollen stomach and groaning softly in a disturbing way. Clem only just now noticed the front of Sarah's pants were soaking wet.
"Sarah… what's—"
"It's the baby," croaked Sarah, pain hounding her voice.
"Now?" asked Clem in disbelief.
"Yes!"
"Her water broke," said Horatio as he carefully handed Omid back to Clem before rushing over to Sarah. "We've got to get inside." Clem heard another gunshot just as a bright light fell upon them. It was the headlights from Zeke's car. He and three other people piled out, guns in each of their hands as they charged up the hill to where the bridge met the overpass.
"Clem!" yelled Horatio. "Inside!"
"But—"
"Clem," said Sarah in a quiet voice. "I'm really scared…"
The pain in her voice frightened Clem, more than she ever would have expected. Clem suddenly felt Omid fighting against her in her arms. He was practically convulsing in fear, tears streaming down his face before a burst of gunfire caused him to start screaming at the top of his lungs. Clem rushed back inside the house, Horatio and Sarah right beside her.
"I'm gonna put Omid back in his bed," said Clem as she managed to slam the door shut with her shoulder.
"I'll take Sarah upstairs," said Horatio as he guided Sarah by the hand while Clem barged into the downstairs bedroom. She set Omid on his bed and tried pulling his blanket over him, but he resisted her, trying to get up.
"Omid, please," begged Clem, trying to force herself to sound calm for him. "I…" Clem leaned in and hugged Omid tightly. "I need you to be brave for me," she whispered in his ear as she gently squeezed him. "Just for a little while, okay?" pleaded Clem as she started rubbing his back. "I know it's scary. It's… it's all so fucked up. But… can you be brave, for Sarah?"
Clem let go of Omid and he seemed to have settled a little. Another pair of gunshots sounded in the distance and Omid started whimpering. Clem looked around and found Omid's ragged stuffed elephant sitting in the corner. "Just stay here and take care of Elma for a little bit." Omid pulled Elma tightly against his chest, desperate for comfort. "That's good. You watch over her, and she's gonna watch over you."
Clem carefully moved Elma's trunk to just under Omid's eyes and wiped away a tear. Omid finally stopped whimpering which was enough to make Clem smile for the first time in days. "As soon as Sarah's… better, we'll both come downstairs, and give you a big hug together. Doesn't that sound nice?" Clem stood up and waited for Omid to get up too, but he remained put. "I love you Omid," assured Clem as she moved to the door. "I'll be back as soon as I can." Omid stared at her as she left the room, not taking his eyes off her even as she closed the door.
Clem let out a deep sigh. Her adrenaline fading she had a sudden urge to just lie down on the floor and rest, but then she remembered Sarah. Clem rushed up the stairs and could hear Sarah through the wall. It was muffled but it was obvious she was in pain. Hurrying into the upstairs bedroom, Clem found Sarah laying in bed with a blanket placed over her legs as she clutched her stomach.
"Sarah!" said Clem as she rushed to her side.
"Clem, stay here!" said Horatio as moved away from the bed. "I've got to get a few things from next door to help Sarah. Stay with her and I'll be right back."
"Wait, what—Horatio!" He didn't wait. Before Clem could say anything he was already out the door. Clem turned to Sarah, her face covered in sweat as she grimaced in pain. "Sarah, I—"
"Clem, thank god!" she babbled as she forcibly grabbed Clem's hand. She squeezed it so hard it was painful. "I'm gonna die!"
"What!" exclaimed a shocked Clem. "Why, what's happening?"
"You see what's happening!" she cried through her tears. "This is gonna kill me!"
"How? What did Horatio say?"
"Just to breathe and relax, like that helps!" griped Sarah. "He wouldn't say it but—ahh!" Sarah groaned loudly in pain. "I'm gonna die."
"You're not gonna die Sarah," insisted Clem, trying to remain calm as she felt her whole body shaking.
"You don't know that," cried Sarah.
"I do!" insisted Clem with as much certainty as she could muster. "I was there when Omid was born. I know it hurts." Sarah let out an anguished scream, making it clear Clem didn't really know how much this hurt. "But it didn't kill Christa. There was a lot of screaming then too but—"
"I'm not strong like her," wept Sarah, so choked up she could barely speak. "Clem… I'm sorry."
"For what?" asked Clem.
Sarah suddenly started breathing much faster, like she was about to hyperventilate. Clem was just about to rush out to find Horatio before her breathing slowed.
"There's… there's not enough time to tell you just how sorry I am for all the mistakes I've made."
"Don't like talk that," begged Clem, trembling as the thought of Sarah dying forced itself in her mind. "There will be time… after this is over."
"I don't think so…" Clem leaned in close, fearful every word would be Sarah's last. She turned her head and suddenly Clem and Sarah's eyes met. "Clem, I just need to tell you…" Clem tenderly gripped Sarah's face. "How much I really love you, and—"
Clem kissed Sarah on the lips. It felt so good to finally kiss her. The warmth of holding her close and the exhilaration to act on an impulse she had denied for so long. It was such an incredible sensation that it chased away the horrors in Clem's mind, only to be abruptly ended when Sarah suddenly pushed Clem away.
"What are you doing?" asked a shocked Sarah.
"I… kissing you," babbled Clem, her body paralyzed with fear. "We've… we've kissed before."
"Not like that!"
"I… I know, but… I… I just want you to know how much I love you!" professed Clem, her whole body shaking. "You… you love me, right?"
"Of course I do," said Sarah. "You're like a sister to me!"
Those words fell upon Clem like a ton of bricks burying her where she stood. Everything she thought she knew just disappeared and her mind went blank for a moment. Soon, she felt the fear and anxiety drain out of her and be replaced with just one thing: anger.
"You… you don't really love me," realized Clem.
"Of course I love you!" insisted Sarah, guilt seeping into her words as tears streamed down her face.
"No… no you don't! You…" Clem looked at how Sarah's hand was still clinging to her own. "You just… use me!" accused Clem as she snatched her hand out of Sarah's grip.
"That's… that's not true!" said Sarah, more begging than arguing as Clem moved towards the door.
"If it wasn't, this wouldn't have ever happened!" accused Clem.
"What?" asked a mystified Sarah.
"I did… so much for you," spoke Clem, her every word dripping with bitterness. "You… you couldn't just be happy with me? I was never enough, no. You… you had to fall in love with that piece of shit Anthony!"
Clem waited for Sarah to say something, but she just looked away in shame, grimacing in pain as she did. Clem couldn't stand the sight of her anymore. She left the bedroom and rushed down the stairs, wanting nothing more than to be as far away from Sarah as possible. Reaching the bottom of the stairs, Clem dropped to her knees in frustration. She clutched her head in her hands, trying and failing to stifle her crying.
As she started weeping, she felt something hard brushing against her cheek. It was her bracelet, the one Sarah made for her tenth birthday. Looking at those colorful plastic beads and that little heart pendant filled Clem with rage. She yanked the bracelet off her wrist, breaking the band in the process and tossed it across the room. Beads scattered across the area making noise as they collided with the floor, the walls, and Omid who was standing outside his bedroom.
"Omid!" Clem blurted out as she saw him throw up his hands as a few of the beads bounced off his head. "Oh god, I'm so sorry," said Clem as she took a step forward. "I didn't—" Omid ran back into his room, crying as he fled from Clem. She just stood there in disbelief, overwhelmed by guilt at what she had just done. She wanted to go to him, but she didn't. Instead, her feet started moving on their own, and she began running, wanting nothing more than to escape. She sprinted through the living room, burst out the door and back outside as fast as she could.
"Clem!" exclaimed Horatio as the pair nearly collided at the front door. "What's wrong? What happened?"
"I.. uh… Sarah needs you!" blurted out Clem suddenly. "Hurry!"
"I am," he said as rushed inside. Clem stood there in silence as she heard Horatio running upstairs and out of earshot. After a few seconds of silence, Clem moved up to the front door. She grabbed the knob and slowly pulled it to, quietly closing it. Clem backed away from the house, pulling her coat closed as the frigid cold started biting at her skin. Another gunshot sounded from behind her. Spinning around, Clem could see an entire group of people assembled on the bridge stretching out over the water behind her.
Clem rushed up the hill beside the overpass so she could get a better look. She didn't hear any more shots as she reached the asphalt. Moving uphill and towards the bridge, a scene unfolded. A semi-truck half hanging off the bridge with its trailer fully blocking both lanes of the road. In front of it was a barricade made of concrete dividers, barbwire, and jagged pieces of steel rebar all melded together by multiple layers of cement.
A huge chunk of the barricade was missing, torn asunder by the truck that was now partially off the bridge. There were bullet casings all over the ground along with bits of broken glass and concrete. Standing around were nearly a dozen armed people all examining the vehicle. The only two Clem knew were Zeke and Bart. Three others looked like people who had guarded the halfway houses whose names she never learned, and the rest were strangers, except for Eskiya, who was quietly observing everything from a distance.
"What… what's happening?" Eskiya looked over his shoulder at Clem and raised an eyebrow. He clearly didn't expect to see her here, but he didn't seem surprised either.
"It was the Vaquero," he stated plainly. "They attacked."
"I knew it…" realized Clem, barely able to breathe. "Where… where are they now?"
"Gone."
"Gone?"
"I assume," he said as he gestured to Fair Haven's militia moving ahead on the bridge slowly with their guns drawn. "I came up here not long after I heard the shooting. Fair Haven's people wouldn't let me join them, nor could they spare time getting rid of me, so I watched from afar.
"The Vaquero were shooting from their vehicles far back on the bridge, Fair Haven's people fired back. Eventually, one of the Vaquero's trucks tried to ram its way onto the island."
Watching Fair Haven's people move up to the truck, Eskiya started moving in closer for a better look with Clem following him. She could see it now, it was the truck with the mulcher still strapped to the flatbed trailer, which was half-tipped over now.
"Obviously, it didn't work," said Eskiya as one of the militia approached the cab of the truck. "The Vaquero kept shooting for a while after only to eventually retreat." Clem watched as one of Fair Haven's people pulled a body from the truck's cab. A big part of the top of their head was missing, making the face unidentifiable. As the corpse was pulled closer to the barricade, Clem saw their jacket was riddled with holes. Blood poured from the wounds, painting the road a dark shade of red.
"Oh God, Dil!" Clem and Eskiya were both shocked to see Sabriya standing right beside them. She tried charging forward and was immediately intercepted by two of Fair Haven's people. "Let me go, that's my brother!"
"Sab!" Clem looked over her shoulder to see Dilawar running up to meet them. "What's wrong?"
"Dil!" Sabriya immediately threw her arms around Dilawar, surprising him. "You're alive… but… then who's…" Sab looked over at the body.
"They just pulled that person out of that truck," Eskiya told Sabriya. She looked over at the body, then back at Dil, who only gave her a look of confusion.
"I'm sorry… I didn't know where you were and… he's dressed just like you so I thought…" Clem hadn't noticed, partially because of how much blood had been soaked into their clothes, but both the dead man and Dilawar were wearing a denim jacket, jeans and a white shirt. Judging from Dilawar's reaction, he was only noticing it now as well.
"I guess whoever they were had as little fashion sense as me." Sabriya tried and failed to stifle a laugh upon hearing Dilawar saying that. "Wait… is that… the mulcher?" asked Dilawar as he pointed at the overturned semi-trailer.
"Was… was this the Vaquero?" asked Sabriya.
"You tell me," said Zeke as he approached the group, something clutched in his hand. "I found this inside the truck's cab." Zeke held up a skull-shaped helmet that was spray-painted gold on one side and blue on the other. "These are the bandits hounding you since Wyoming, aren't they?"
"Yes," answered Clem without hesitation.
"And… you guys fought them off," realized Dilawar as he studied the scene.
"This time," said Zeke. "You told us this… mulcher thing here was important to them, and they certainly were fighting like it was; what are the odds they'd come back for it?"
"That machine seems vital to how they deal with the dead in overrun cities," noted Eskiya. "Without it, I imagine they wouldn't be able to scavenge enough to eat for such a large group." "Very important then?" asked Zeke.
"I can't say for certain, but they pursued us across two states just to attack us before, so—"
"Yes," concluded Zeke. "That settles it, these bandits followed you to our front door—"
"This isn't our fault!" argued Sabriya. "We—"
"Or they found Fair Heaven on their own and just attacked us completely unprovoked," continued Zeke. "Either way, they need to be dealt with and you're all going to help us with that."
"Help you how?" asked Clementine.
"Four of you will go with four of us to get a better idea of what we're up against, hopefully find out where they just ran off to," said Zeke.
"How?" asked Dilawar. "We all gonna cram into your Skoda whatever and charge into battle?"
"Not exactly." Zeke looked back at the militia members. "Bart?"
"Right here," she said as she rushed to Zeke's side.
"Take the Skoda and go get Miguel. Tell him we'll need him and four horses that can carry two people each."
"Horses?" Sabriya grimaced upon hearing that.
"Get Margo as well, she's good on a horse," instructed Zeke. "Then pick up two good rifles, a pistol and a radio for each of us, and enough food and water for eight people and whatever the horses need for at least two days. Bring them all to the east gate."
"Got it." Bart hurried down the hill to where the Skoda was parked, climbed in, and drove off without another word.
"There are more than eight of them," Eskiya told Zeke.
"I assumed as much," said Zeke. "This will be a scouting party. We find out where they went to lick their wounds while the rest of the town prepares for a possible counterattack. That said…" Zeke took a step closer to Eskiya. "You came in here with a scoped rifle; you any good with it?"
"I know how to use it," said Eskiya. "But it's actually Sabriya's rifle."
Zeke turned to Sabriya. "You said you were a soldier. Does that mean you're a sniper?"
"It's what I was training to be."
"Training? You didn't finish?"
"The Marines didn't let me take the course for it because I'm a woman."
"She's a crack shot," said Dilawar. "All of us can testify to that." "Usually I am," clarified Sabriya.
"Usually?"
"I haven't been eating well lately, causes my hands to shake."
Zeke looked at her for a second. "If I make sure you get enough to eat, you'll be able to pull the trigger on them?"
"Never had a problem shooting them before," assured Sabriya. "My biggest issue is if they swarm us. They looked like they had at least two dozen people back in Salt Lake City."
"We won't give them that chance," said Zeke. "I know where is and isn't a good place to fight around here. I'm not looking to wipe them out all at once, but if we get a chance to pick off a few, put some holes in their tires, any chance to slow them down or mix them up. It'll soften them up for the others if they ever come back to town."
"Guerrilla warfare," concluded Eskiya.
"Basically," said Zeke. "Is that something you have experience with?"
"In a way."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"I'm more familiar with combatting it."
Zeke raised an eyebrow, as did Sabriya. "Then you'll know what we shouldn't do." Zeke turned to Dilawar. "You came in with a bow and arrow. Are you good at anything else?"
"I was a firefighter."
"There's worse people to have in a pinch," concluded Zeke. "That just leaves your doctor friend. A medic will be handy if things go south. Go get him and—"
"Hey," called out Clem. "I'm right here."
"You're going back downhill to the halfway houses where you belong," ordered Zeke. "Then you're gonna tell your doctor friend that—"
"He can't leave," stated Clem. "Sarah's… she could go into labor at any moment and if he's not here she could… die," explained Clem, omitting the fact Sarah was already in labor.
Zeke sighed. "All right, fine. I'll find one of our people to fill out the last spot. Just go home—"
"I'm coming with you," said Clem.
"Clem," said Sabriya in a concerned voice. "We can do this without you."
"Can you?" challenged Clem. "I know more about these people than any of you. I knew it was them just now from the noise their stupid race car makes cause it's always ahead of the other vehicles. I've had to fight these bastards more than anyone, just ask them," said Clem as she gestured to Dilawar, Sabriya, and Eskiya. "By the time they first met the Vaquero, I'd had already been hunted across two states."
"It's… it's true," confirmed Sabriya. "After our first run-in with them, we found her the next day, she'd told us their name, the vehicles they use—"
"All stuff you've already told us," reminded Zeke. "Give me one reason I should bring a child along for a dangerous scouting expedition."
"Because I'm not waiting here for them to come back and kill the only people I care about," dictated Clem. "You can either take me with you, or you can leave me, in which case I'll go looking for them without you."
"Alone and without a weapon?"
"If that's how you want me to do it," retorted Clem. "I'm… I'm not staying here."
Zeke groaned loudly as he started rubbing his eyes. He took a deep breath and then looked Clem in the eyes. "You'll remain in the back on Bart's horse," instructed Zeke. "You're only coming for your particular expertise, not to fight. At the first sign of trouble, Bart heads back to Fair Haven and you with her."
"Fine," said Clem.
"All right, let's not waste any more time," said Zeke as he moved away from the bridge. "Come on, we've still got your weapons at the east gate's checkpoint. We'll pick those up while we wait for Miguel to bring the horses up, then we'll get on the road. I know a good lookout spot we can reach before dark."
Sabriya and Dilawar followed after Zeke. Clem tried to but she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned around and saw Eskiya staring at her.
"Why are you doing this?" his voice was odd and Clem couldn't quite place his motivation in asking that.
"It's need to be done," insisted Clem with a shrug.
"Not by you though," noted Eskiya. "Why volunteer like this instead of just staying here with Horatio and Sarah?"
The mere mention of Sarah's name pained Clem. She had to bite her lip to stop herself from crying. Even in the low light, Clem could see the house with the red door from atop the bridge. Clem turned away so she couldn't see it anymore and forced herself to swallow her sadness. Looking up at Eskiya, she felt her despair being replaced with anger.
"Let me ask you something," said Clem. "Why do suddenly you care?"
Eskiya didn't say anything, and in doing so, gave Clem his answer. He didn't want to tell her, and neither did she, and so they silently agreed to drop the conversation. Eskiya followed after Zeke and Clem followed him. As she moved, Clem felt an urge to look over her shoulder at the halfway houses, but resisted. There wasn't where she should be, so she forced herself to keep moving forward instead.