Luke lurked behind a column near the cafeteria, his expression tense. He motioned for Micah to come closer.
"Don't freak out," Luke whispered, handing Micah a framed photo of Walter and another man—Matthew.
"Listen, okay? That guy on the bridge? Walter's friend."
Micah barely glanced at the photo before shoving it back. "And what the hell am I supposed to do about that?"
"I don't know," Luke admitted. "But now they're all worried he's not back yet—"
"I don't care about Nick. I don't care about you," Micah snapped. "Tell Nick yourself. Let him deal with it."
Without another word, he walked away, leaving Luke standing there.
Micah stepped onto the porch, where Walter stood alone, turning a knife over in his hands. The blade caught the dim light as he unsheathed it.
"I always liked this knife," Walter murmured. "Gave it to Matthew when all this started." He exhaled smoke, his voice hollow. "I know he's dead. Who did it? That kid—Nick? Heard him talking earlier. Something about shooting a man. I could see it on his face."
Micah didn't bother lying. "Yeah. Nick shot him. Dumbass almost shot me too."
Walter's hands trembled. "Jesus. I... I don't feel good. Is Nick a good man? Or is he just like everyone else? Just one of those... fuckers who don't give a shit about anyone but themselves?"
Micah chuckled darkly. "I know bad men. And I am a bad man. Nick? He's an idiot, but he's good. If he's a bad man, then I'm a goddamn demon."
Nick stepped outside, frowning. "What's going on?"
Micah leaned against the railing, smirking.
Walter's voice cracked. "Tell me what you did. Just tell me, son."
Nick swallowed hard. "From a distance, he looked like anyone. I thought he was gonna shoot my friends, so I... I shot him. It happened fast. I didn't even know if I hit him. But I did. And I didn't mean to."
"Do you have any idea what you've done to me?" Walter whispered.
"I didn't mean to," Nick repeated, voice breaking. "I'm so sorry, Walter."
Walter hurled the knife into the dirt.
Then—BOOM.
Kenny burst outside, eyes wild. "What the hell was that?!"
The lights flickered, then died.
Charles appeared next, scanning the darkness. "Transformer must've blown. We need to check it."
Kenny nodded. "Could use a hand."
"I'll go," Luke said quickly.
Charles turned to Micah. "You too."
Micah and Kenny both snapped, "Why?" at the same time.
"Because Micah's capable," Charles said flatly to Kenny. Then, to Micah: "And because who the hell knows what's out there."
Micah rolled his eyes but pushed off the railing with a grumble. "Fine. But if this turns into some dumbass hero shit, I'm walkin'."
******
The roaring turbine spun wildly, its metallic whine cutting through the night air. Clementine gripped her Glock tightly as she followed Lee and the others outside, the weapon feeling like an extension of her arm after two years of Micah's relentless training.
"That turbine's too loud," Lee shouted over the noise, his eyes scanning the tree line. "We'll have every walker for miles heading here. We need to shut it down now!"
Sarita sprinted to the control panel, her fingers fumbling with the latch. "Does anyone know how to do this?" she called out desperately.
Clementine's eyes darted between the adults as the first walkers emerged from the darkness. Their moans joined the turbine's scream in a horrifying chorus.
"I'll do it," Lee said, stepping forward. "Cover me!"
The group formed a protective circle as Lee worked. Clementine took position beside Carlos, her stance perfect - just like Micah taught her. When the first walker lurched into view, she didn't hesitate.
BANG.
Headshot.
BANG. BANG.
Two more dropped before they'd taken three steps.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that the others were nowhere near as competent as she is. Meanwhile, Clementine's shots rang true every time. She reloaded smoothly, her movements efficient. When Lee joined the defense, their combined fire became devastatingly effective - he'd clearly learned from Micah too.
"We don't have much ammunition!" Carlos warned as the walker numbers grew.
Nick panicked. "We gotta get back to the lodge! They're behind us!"
Lee finally got the turbine shut down, the sudden silence almost deafening. "Keep moving!" Carlos ordered. "Get to the lodge!"
As they retreated, Lee put a hand on Clementine's shoulder. "Get inside," he ordered. She nodded, holstering her weapon with practiced ease.
She turned just in time to see Walter save Nick from a walker's grasp with a perfectly placed shot. For a brief moment, she wondered if maybe not all these adults were completely hopeless.
Inside the lodge, Rebecca rushed to her. "Are you okay?" she asked, eyes wide with concern.
Before Clementine could answer, the staccato rhythm of automatic gunfire erupted outside it can't be Lee or Micah.
Alvin tensed. "What the hell...?"
Peering through the window, Clementine saw a new group efficiently mowing down the remaining walkers. Four figures emerged from the gun smoke, surrounding their people.
"Howdy, folks!" a man's voice called out - too cheerful for the situation. Carver.
Clementine watched as Carver approached Carlos. "Where's Rebecca?" he demanded.
Carlos's response was to spit directly in Carver's face.
"Nice to see you too," Carver said calmly before driving his fist into Carlos's nose.
Sarah screamed and ran outside, throwing herself at her injured father. Clementine couldn't help but groan and facepalm - some people never learned.
As the armed strangers herded everyone inside, Clementine moved quickly. Rebecca fled upstairs while Alvin hid on the staircase. Clementine chose a spot behind the couch, peering through the gaps in the furniture.
"Look at this place," a woman - Bonnie - whistled appreciatively.
Her companion Johnny laughed. "You believe this fuckin' place, Bonnie? Power and everything. Lotta windows, though. It's fuckin' huge. Bill's gonna hate it. The rest of 'em could be anywhere."
Clementine held her breath, her hand drifting to her Glock. Wherever Micah and the others were, they needed to get back fast.
******
Just moments before, the four men had successfully repaired the blown transformer. Micah had cursed the entire time, complaining about doing "handyman shit" instead of being back at the lodge drinking whiskey. But when the distant chatter of automatic weapons reached them, all joking stopped.
Micah's head snapped toward the sound, then immediately locked eyes with Luke. "Carver got those guns?" he demanded.
Luke paled. "Yeah... that's Carver's crew."
"Who the hell is Carver?" Kenny and Charles asked in unison as they all broke into a sprint back toward the lodge.
Luke panted as he ran, giving the shortest explanation possible: "Psychopath with a god complex. Runs Howe's Hardware like his personal kingdom."
They arrived to find a field of dead walkers, the ground slick with blackened blood. Charles spotted Carlos's discarded rifle and scooped it up without breaking stride. Moving to a concealed vantage point, Micah pulled out his binoculars and surveyed the lodge.
Through the windows, he saw Clementine's small form hidden behind a couch, her eyes alert. The rest of their group sat zip-tied in a line while Carver delivered a brutal punch to Carlos's stomach. Micah passed the binoculars to Charles, whose jaw tightened at the sight.
Micah exhaled through his nose. "Lee's caught too. Would've been useful." He turned to Kenny. "Stay here. You're taking out the idiot in the hat by the window." Pointing to Luke, he asked, "You any good with that rifle?"
"I can hold my own," Luke nodded.
"Good. Find another angle and put one in the camo when you hear Kenny's shot."
As Luke moved to position, Charles cocked the rifle. "We're going in?"
Micah smirked. "Read my damn mind."
The two seasoned killers approached the lodge with predatory silence. Charles shattered a side window with careful precision, and they slipped inside like shadows.
The scene unfolded perfectly. A gunshot rang out - Kenny eliminating Johnny through the window. Another report - Luke's bullet tore through Troy's gut, dropping the man to writhe on the floor.
Micah and Charles emerged from cover simultaneously. Micah's revolver barked once, sending Carver's brains painting the wall behind him. Charles opted for non-lethal, putting a round through Bonnie's thigh.
Clementine was already moving, her small knife making quick work of the zip ties. Micah strode over to the moaning Troy, placing his revolver against the man's temple. "Night night, shitbird." The coup de grâce echoed through the lodge.
Kenny and Luke burst in moments later, Kenny immediately embracing Sarita. Rebecca and Alvin emerged from hiding, their faces a mix of relief and shock.
Lee rubbed his freed wrists, giving Micah a tired look. "What took you so long?"
Micah holstered his weapon with a scoff. "Shouldn't have got caught in the first place, professor."
All eyes turned to Bonnie, who clutched her bleeding leg, her panicked breaths loud in the sudden quiet.