Early the next morning, Calista carefully poured the last bottle of fuel she had found at the repair shop into the tanks of the Harley and the pickup truck.
Leah checked their gear: bundles of rope, a crowbar, several empty fuel cans, and their personal weapons.
Merle kicked the tire impatiently to check the pressure, muttering, "Jesus, we've gotta get a decent four-wheeler today!"
Daryl leaned against his motorcycle, silent as always. The way he meticulously maintained his crossbow and the occasional glance he cast over made it clear he would be going with them.
No one objected.
After the past two days, Daryl's growing closeness with this small group was obvious to everyone.
What surprised Calista was that Rick's group had also organized a team to go along.
Rick himself chose to stay at the farm.
Hershel's emotions had not fully settled, Beth was still withdrawn, and Maggie's eyes were red. Taking care of both a mentally fragile Beth and a deeply shaken Hershel had clearly drained her.
Glenn stood by Maggie's side and naturally stayed behind to keep her company.
So Rick needed to remain at the farm, which had just gone through a traumatic ordeal.
But the one leading T-Dog and Jacqui over was someone Calista had never expected. Shane?
Calista raised an eyebrow slightly when she saw him.
Shane was the one in the camp who had interacted the least with her group.
Aside from handing her a gun in front of the barn yesterday and practically forcing her to take a side, they had no other interaction.
Today, Shane wore a gray cotton T-shirt, a shotgun slung casually over one shoulder, and a gun bag hanging from the other.
He walked up to the convoy, his gaze pausing briefly on the two motorcycles before he spoke.
"Rick thinks there's strength in numbers. Moving together is safer and more efficient."
Shane kept it concise. "Our objective is simple. Find a vehicle that can handle long-distance travel, find gasoline, and check for anything else useful. Right?"
He directed that last question at Calista.
Calista met his gaze, her expression unchanged, her tone just as calm.
"Looking forward to working together, Officer Shane."
"Just call me Shane." He waved it off, clearly not interested in wasting time on formalities.
"Take it." Without further small talk, he set the gun bag on the ground and unzipped it.
Inside were the weapons they had previously turned in.
Including Calista and Leah's rifles, as well as Merle's revolver.
Shane picked up Merle's revolver first and tossed it over casually.
Merle grinned and caught it smoothly with one hand. He checked it with practiced ease and muttered, "Should've given this back a long time ago!"
Shane ignored him and turned to Leah, handing her rifle over.
His movements were clean and efficient, entirely businesslike. His gaze lingered on Leah's face for less than half a second before shifting away.
Finally, Shane picked up Calista's semi-automatic rifle, which had been kept in excellent condition. His movement paused ever so slightly this time.
He looked at Calista, then took out a box of bullets. The corner of his mouth twitched as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he said nothing.
He simply handed the rifle and the bullets to her.
There was still distance in his posture, but the act of returning the weapon carried a quiet weight.
"Wow, didn't expect this. Thanks!" Calista smiled sincerely as she took the rifle and the box of bullets. Her fingers brushed along the gun, and the familiar feeling immediately returned.
Shane's eyes flickered, and he gave a slight nod.
He withdrew his hand, his tone returning to its usual firm edge.
"What happened at the barn is over. Hershel's accepted reality. Out there, having a weapon in your hands keeps you steady. I hope these guns will be useful when it matters."
The words seemed meant for everyone, but as his gaze passed over Calista at the end, there was something more in it.
As if saying, I recognize your strength, and I expect to see what you can do next.
After that, he did not linger. He turned and headed straight for the old sedan they had driven in.
"Let's move. We'll try to cover more places before noon."
Andrea seemed to want to follow him, but Shane shut it down without hesitation.
"Andrea, you stay. The farm needs people guarding it. We can't take all our fighters out."
After getting into the driver's seat, Shane watched through the rearview mirror as the others got into the car behind him, while up ahead, Calista and Daryl had already started their motorcycles.
He had volunteered for this run himself, giving a perfectly reasonable excuse. Gathering supplies for the group.
But only Shane knew the real reason.
He needed to get away from the suffocating atmosphere of the farm.
Lori's resolute expression and the growing divide between him and Rick weighed heavily on his chest.
That sentence. "I don't know whose it is, but the father has to be Rick." It burned into his pride and those once foolish hopes like a red-hot iron.
Shane was tired of playing the awkward ex and the expendable second-in-command between them.
Didn't he want Rick to live?
Rick was his best friend.
Back at the hospital, he could not hear Rick's heartbeat. Walkers and soldiers killing medical staff and patients had flooded the place. Everything was chaos. He had done everything he could.
If not for taking care of Rick's wife and child, he would have kept trying to get Rick out.
But when Rick came back, Lori acted as if Shane had deceived her. She wanted distance, yet at the same time thought he was not treating Carl the way he used to.
When he considered leaving, she told him not to disappear without a word.
What exactly did she want from him?
More importantly, Rick's leadership style was becoming harder and harder for him to accept.
At a time like this, who still clings to procedural justice and moral boundaries?
Hershel's barn was the perfect example.
Hesitation would only get everyone killed.
Shane needed space. He needed time to think. He also needed to prepare in case he chose to leave.
Going solo in this world was suicide.
He needed people. Strong people who could carve a path through this hell.
This small group that had unexpectedly ended up at the farm had caught his interest.
There were not many of them, but every one of them looked tough.
Leah was cold and ruthless. Merle was unpleasant, but his combat ability was undeniable, and his loyalty to Calista was absolute. Daryl was practically a lone wolf, yet he had been brought into the group so quickly.
That alone showed that Calista was not simple.
She was young and beautiful, nothing about her appearance suggested a leader. Yet in her eyes was a calmness and decisiveness beyond her years.
Shane decided to observe them for a few more days. He wanted to see just how capable they really were, and whether they were worth investing in.
Or more precisely, whether there was a chance for cooperation.
...
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