The train squeals to a stop, and everyone steps out. Ahead of them, on the overpass, part of a gas truck hangs off the edge, blocking the road.
"Well...shoot," Micah sighs, putting his hands on his hips. "We can't walk, that's for sure."
"Hmm. I don't know. I don't have much experience with your group, but we could probably handle that. We've got a damn train," Chuck says, glancing back at the train.
"That's not a good idea," Lee interrupts. "That tank is probably full of something that could explode."
"Hey!" a man calls out from the overpass.
"Are you guys gonna be trouble? Because we could have just kept walking," a woman says.
A man and a woman stand on the overpass, looking down at them. Micah instinctively puts a hand on his gun. "Could be. Who the hell are you?" he asks, narrowing his eyes.
"Just two people who have a strategic position over you," the woman replies confidently.
Micah chuckles at her response. "Trust me, sweetheart...You'd be dead before you could even touch your gun."
"Come on, hon," the man says, trying to calm his partner. He feels a chill run down his spine at Micah's tone.
"You guys got a problem with your train?" Omid asks, stepping forward.
"Yeah, we do," Chuck nods, looking at the wreckage.
"Dude, it's a mess. It doesn't look too bad from up here. Send your buddy up to take a look," Omid suggests, glancing at Lee, who starts moving toward the ladder.
Micah stops Lee. "If anything goes wrong up there, we're not letting them get away." Lee nods in agreement.
Lee climbs the ladder. As he reaches the top, Micah glances at Clementine, who stands between him and Chuck. "Go with Lee," Micah tells her. She nods and starts her ascent.
As she climbs, Chuck looks at Micah, his eyes narrowed with concern. "What are you thinking?"
"I don't have to explain myself to you, but I'll humor you. If she's up there, those two won't try anything stupid. People usually feel safer when they see a child," Micah replies, and Chuck nods, accepting the explanation.
"She should be taught how to shoot," Chuck suggests.
"Why?" Micah asks, lighting a cigarette.
"She should be able to defend herself," Chuck insists.
"Well...she's not my responsibility. So tell that to Everett," Micah shrugs, dismissing the idea.
The four of them climb down the ladder and walk over to the couple.
"Guys, this is Omid and Christa," Lee smiles as he introduces them. He turns to the couple. "This here is Micah and Chuck...And...Micah is our...our leader," Lee says, hesitating a bit.
Micah sizes up Omid and Christa cautiously. Omid has a soft look about him, and Micah can't shake the feeling that he might not be tough enough for their group. Then there's Christa. Micah feels a twinge of displeasure at the thought of having a woman in his little gang. He has always preferred the company of men, and the idea of a woman fighting alongside them makes him uneasy. He has to swallow his discomfort—it's not fair to judge her just because she's a woman. In this world, everyone must pull their weight.
"Okay...can you both shoot? If yes, then you can join us," Micah says.
"Y'all want some candy?" Chuck chimes in, trying to ease the invisible tension that hangs in the air.
"The plan is to cut that tanker down and get moving," Lee says, stepping forward.
"Okay, then get to it, Everett," Micah responds, not really caring how Lee does it; he just wants results.
Lee nods, starting to get used to Micah's orders, even though he still hates it.
Micah turns to Chuck. "Go help the man."
Chuck hesitates, wanting to something but sensing it's best to stay quiet. "Okay," he nods and follows Lee toward the train station.
As Christa prepares to talk with Clementine, the little girl suddenly runs over to Micah. "Micah! I helped Lee convince the couple to join us!" she beams proudly.
Micah looks at her with a puzzled expression, unsure what to say. "Uhhh...Good job?" he replies, trying to sound encouraging.
Clementine blushes a little and fidgets with her feet in the dirt. "Thanks!" she says shyly.
"Can I see your cool revolver again?" she asks, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
Micah, proud of his custom double-action revolver, grins and pulls it out. "Sure," he says, handing it to her.
She struggles a bit under the weight. "Wow, it's heavy!" she exclaims, her little arms shaking slightly.
Micah smirks. "What did you expect? It's not a toy," he replies sarcastically.
Clementine doesn't mind his sarcasm; she's gotten used to it over the past three months. "Can you teach me how to handle it?" she asks eagerly.
Micah hesitates, pretending to be reluctant. "I guess I could show you a thing or two. But you better not tell anyone I'm teaching you," he says, trying to act like he's doing it against his will.
Clementine nods enthusiastically, her eyes wide with excitement. As he shows her the basics of gun handling, he can't help but feel a strange sense of pride in teaching her, even if he pretends otherwise.
Micah walked over to Lee and Chuck, who returned from the station about half an hour later. He noticed the blowtorch in Lee's hand and raised an eyebrow.
"I found a blowtorch in the station. Should make quick work of the coupling up there," Lee said, a hint of hope in his voice.
"Alright, I'll head up there with you and take a gander," Micah replied, nodding. They made their way to the ladder leading up to the overpass, the tension in the air thickening as they climbed.
Once at the top, Lee set the blowtorch down and turned it on, but nothing happened. "Shit," he muttered, frowning at the stubborn tool.
"What's going on?" Micah asked, impatience creeping into his voice.
"The hose has a leak in it," Lee said, frustration evident in his tone.
"Well then, get it fixed!" Micah snapped, his impatience boiling over.
With determination, Lee grabbed some tape from his pocket and quickly covered the leak. He turned on the blowtorch again, and this time it roared to life, sending a bright flame toward the metal coupling. As he began to cut, he squeezed his eyes shut, focusing on the task at hand.
"That's wild! Would ya look at that thing go!" Micah smirked, a mix of awe and amusement in his eyes.
"Just about got it," Lee replied, but then the truck shifted ominously, starting to slide down the edge. In a split second, Micah yanked Lee backward, pulling him to safety just as the tanker lurched dangerously.
"Whoa... thanks," Lee said, regaining his footing, a mix of gratitude and adrenaline coursing through him.
"Haaa... here I am, saving your sorry hide again," Micah teased, a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth.
"This thing is hanging by a thread. The smallest cut and it'll go," Lee observed, his brow furrowing. "But I can't reach it now."
Micah shrugged nonchalantly. "Alright then... I'll just dangle ya over the edge."
"Excuse me?" Lee asked, a bit shocked at Micah's nonchalant suggestion.
"What?" Micah narrowed his eyes, his tone challenging.
"...Nothing," Lee sighed, shaking his head. "Just don't drop me."
"Who do you think I am?" Micah shot back, a grin spreading across his face.
With a mix of determination and trepidation, Lee leaned over the edge, the blowtorch in hand, as Micah held onto his arm tightly to keep him from falling. "I hope you get fucked, Micah," Lee grumbled.
"Shut your trap and pay attention," Micah replied, rolling his eyes, but his heart raced, the stakes higher than ever.
Suddenly, a shout came from the ground below. "We gotta go!" Omid yelled, panic rising in his voice.
"There must be thousands..." Lee said, his eyes wide with fear as he peered into the distance.
"Damn it..." Micah cursed under his breath. "Hurry up already!"
"I am!" Lee shouted back, the blowtorch still sizzling. "It's going!"
With one final push, Lee successfully cut through the hitch, and Micah quickly pulled him back up, a rush of relief flooding over them. But just as they regained their footing, the tanker fell from the edge, crashing into the ladder and shattering it into pieces.
"Chuck! Get the train movin'!" Micah barked, his voice laced with urgency. Chuck nodded, leaping into action. "Ladder's busted! We gotta jump!" Micah shouted to Lee, who nodded, determination etched on his face.
They sprinted to the railing, adrenaline surging through their bodies. As the locomotive roared forward, they climbed over the railing, their hearts pounding in sync with the train's rhythmic clatter.
As soon as the locomotive passed beneath the overpass, they jumped in unison. Micah landed solidly on the boxcar, but Lee miscalculated his landing. He tumbled awkwardly, rolling off the top, and barely managed to grab onto the side of the boxcar, his feet dangling perilously.
"Help!" Lee shouted, panic creeping into his voice as he dangled there, the ground rushing by below him.
"Calm down, princess," Micah replied sarcastically, a smirk on his face despite the danger. He quickly reached down, grabbing Lee's arm and pulling him up with a firm grip. With a final effort, Micah yanked Lee onto the boxcar, both of them panting.