"What do you mean we are finished?!" Lori asked with a tone between anger and fear while covering herself with the sheet.
I stood up slowly, still going over the system's information in my head, and looked at her coldly, there is no point in continuing her game, I know our relationship has no future and will only bring pain and misfortune.
"It means exactly what you heard, we have no future, I don't hate you Lori, and I don't blame you for trying to seduce me, I know you did it to protect Carl and yourself, but that is not right and it cannot continue." I replied firmly.
"Seduce you?!" she exclaimed indignantly, clutching the cloth to her chest. "What are you talking about? This was mutual, you came to me as much as I came to you."
Each word sounded like a distant echo, noise that no longer has a place in my mind, I looked at her calmly and replied. "See it however you want, but it is over, there is nothing more to say."
The silence that followed was louder than any scream, Lori looked at me with a mixture of disbelief and rage, as if she could not accept that the decision was already made.
"Sigh, anyway I don't want this to end badly or get more complicated than necessary, I will protect you and Carl whenever I can, but in return you must use this." I said pulling the pregnancy test from my pocket, though in truth it was from the inventory.
Lori frowned at the small object in my hand, a little different from the usual, her breathing quickened again.
"What the hell is that?" she asked suspiciously, stepping back a little.
"A pregnancy test." I replied bluntly, "I don't want to argue with you anymore, but this matter is too important to ignore, you have to do it!"
"You are crazy!" she snapped in a sharp tone, "I am not pregnant, and even if I were, what right do you have to demand it from me?"
I leaned slightly toward her, holding her gaze firmly. "No right, all obligation, not for me, but for Carl, for you and even for the possible baby in your womb in case you really are pregnant."
For a moment she looked like she was going to shout at me, but she only pressed her lips together and looked away, breathing deeply, the tremor in her hands gave her away.
"This is absurd.." she muttered with a hint of contained anger, but even so she reached out and took the test brusquely, a faint blush appeared discreetly on her cheeks.
"Good." I said in a dry voice, "Do it when you can, it does not matter if the result is negative, at least we get rid of that shadow."
She lowered her gaze to the object and finally whispered in a low voice, almost inaudible. "If it comes out positive..."
"Don't think about it now." I interrupted her, "First confirm, then we will decide what to do."
The cabin was silent again, but this time it was not the silence of hatred, but of someone who was beginning to face the truth she had been avoiding.
Lori did not answer anymore, she just remained silent while squeezing the object between her fingers, outside, the distant murmur of the camp filtered into our position, it seemed to be a small argument.
I decided to go out to investigate, by the way, it should be noted that we are currently in the camp above the abandoned quarry, probably one or more days before Rick will arrive in Atlanta, I am not sure.
"When you have the result, tell me, it is important." I added without looking at her, while bending down to open the zipper of the entrance.
She did not answer, but before leaving I managed to hear a faint, "Alright..."
I stepped out of the tent and the daylight hit me fully, the camp above the quarry was alive with activity, a group had gathered near the central fire, arguing with tense voices, I approached slowly, listening.
"The food will not last forever." said Andrea with her arms crossed and her gaze fixed on the city in the distance.
"We need to organize a group and go for supplies, the sooner the better." added Morales, nodding gravely.
Dale intervened with his calm tone. "It is dangerous, too dangerous, the city is full of deads, going in there is suicide."
Voices mixed, some wanted to take the risk, others said they could endure with what little they had and no one could agree.
"We will go!" I said approaching the group, my words raised some eyebrows.
"Shane, it is dangerous, we have all seen it, we still have supplies for a week or two, we can wait." Dale replied worriedly.
"You are wrong, Dale, until now I have not seen anyone rationing food, not even distributing it fairly, if we keep this up, it will run out in one or three days." Hearing this, everyone began to reflect and, indeed, that was true.
"Let me make this clear!" I said, raising my voice enough to be heard.
"Sitting here arguing will not fill our stomachs, I will go myself to get supplies, and if anyone wants to come with me, fine, but we will not stay with our arms crossed while the food runs out."
There was an uncomfortable murmur, some nodded, others looked at me as if I were crazy, perfect, the more they saw me as someone determined, the easier it would be to handle the group when Rick arrived.
I do this for three reasons, the first is that according to the system, the higher my rank in a faction, the more I will gain when my allies kill walkers, normally I get 1 point when I do it myself, but that can only apply with others if I am the leader of the faction, that is why it is important.
The second reason is that I need points as soon as possible, each walker killed is a point and honestly, the city is infested, it is a banquet ready for me.
The third reason is that the food really is running out, although Dale is right about waiting, the truth is that no one is rationing properly and in two or three days there will be nothing left, that is why I need to take the initiative and at the same time improve my reputation in the group.
Andrea was the first to break the silence, uncrossing her arms with an expression of doubt but also of resolve.
"Shane is right" she said looking at the rest "We cannot keep counting every cracker and waiting for a miracle, someone has to go, and if he is willing, I am too."
Morales nodded. "I will go too, we need medicine as much as food, my family knows that."
T-Dog followed. "I will help as much as I can." he said nodding at me.
Jacqui, who until then had been silent, stepped forward. "Me too, but only if we go organized, not recklessly."
Dale lowered his head in resignation, his tired gaze moved from one to another. "I don't like it, I don't like it at all… but Shane is right about something, we are not rationing, and if the food runs out, despair will kill us before that things do."
Meanwhile, Ed, Carol's husband, scoffed with contempt. "You are all crazy, going to that damn city is signing your death warrant, if you want to die, do it, but don't count on me."
"Then shut up and stay here!" I snapped bluntly.
He threw me a look full of hatred, spat on the ground and went off to his tent muttering insults.
Carol lowered her head in silence, as always, not daring to say anything, but she did not follow him, she knew that approaching him now would not end well for her.
"It is decided then." I concluded, looking at the group gathered "Not all of us will go, only the necessary, Andrea, Morales, Jacqui, T-Dog and I, the rest will keep the camp safe and prepared in case something goes wrong."
Glenn appeared right at that moment, coming down the nearby hill with a light backpack slung over his shoulder, his expression seemed somewhat agitated, as if he had been exploring on his own.
"Did I miss something?" he asked with that carefree tone he usually used, though his sharp eyes went from one to another, reading the tense atmosphere.
Andrea was the first to answer. "Shane wants to organize a group to go to the city, get food and medicine."
Glenn frowned, but instead of objecting, he shrugged. "Sounds good actually, I know some less crowded access points, at least where I was checking, it is not safe, but I could guide you better than anyone."
"Do you want to go too?" I asked, studying him.
Glenn smiled faintly, that nervous smile that was never clear if it was humor or fear. "Look, Shane, if I go, there are more chances you don't end up trapped in a dead end with half a dozen walkers drooling at the door of a supermarket."
Jacqui nodded. "It is true, Glenn knows the city better, he was always quick to move and come back."
"Relax, you can come, very well, we will leave in half an hour, get ready!"
As soon as I gave the order, the tension dissolved into movement.
Andrea went to her tent to fetch her weapon, Morales looked through the supply crates for a sturdy backpack and T-Dog took charge of checking the hunting knives that were left available.
In just ten minutes, everyone was ready, me included with a Mossberg 590 shotgun, a combat knife and a vest, plus my Glock-17 pistol, enough for now.
Andrea returned with an old rifle slung over her shoulder and glanced at me sideways. "I will not follow blind orders, Shane, if something doesn't feel right, I will say it."
"Perfect." I replied without losing my calm "nobody goes blind here, but someone has to make the final decision and that will be me."
Glenn let out a short laugh, nervous. "Well, that I can understand, otherwise we will end up voting while walkers chew on us."
"Let's go." I said, and with that single word the march began, everyone climbed into the vehicles, most found along the way.