Merle roared as he swung the metal blade on his right arm, charging to the right like a human tank. With a single strike, he split open the head of a walker lunging out from behind the bushes.
Leah moved at his side, her military knife driving cleanly into a walker's eye socket.
Their coordination was flawless. One pushed head-on and drew attention, while the other cleared the flanks with precise kills.
Shane, T-Dog, and Jacqui also opened fire.
Shane's weapon packed serious power. Each blast tore away half a walker's head.
T-Dog proved why he had been one of the early group's main fighters. Wielding a machete in close combat, he fought with raw force and confidence.
Jacqui had only recently learned to shoot under Shane's guidance. Her aim was not exceptional, but she stayed focused and steady under pressure. She even performed better than Andrea.
It was clear that in the original storyline, if she had not chosen to remain at the CDC in Atlanta and die alongside Dr. Jenner, she could have grown into one of the group's core fighters.
Calista used her motorcycle's mobility to circle the edges of the battlefield, picking off scattered walkers trying to flank them with controlled pistol shots while keeping track of the overall situation.
"T-Dog, watch your back!"
"Jacqui, fall back. Reload!"
Her calls were always timely and precise.
The fight lasted less than three minutes. All the walkers were eliminated.
Aside from some blood splatter on their clothes, Calista's team came through unharmed, their breathing steady.
Shane's group also avoided injuries, but T-Dog was breathing heavily, and Jacqui's hands still trembled slightly. The strain on both of them was obvious.
After the fight, everyone took a short break to drink water and eat.
Shane unscrewed his bottle, took a long drink, then walked over to Calista, who was wiping down her pistol, and handed her another bottle as if casually.
"Calista, you're skilled. Your team works well together. Were you… in this line of work before?"
He tried to keep his tone light, masking the probing underneath. "Military? Mercenaries?"
Calista accepted the water, thanked him, and gave a faint smile that revealed nothing.
"Just luck. We've stayed alive together long enough to know how to watch each other's backs."
She brushed the question aside and turned it back on him.
"Your team works well too, Shane. Though it feels like you still need a bit more time to sync up."
Shane's eyes flickered. A complicated smile crossed his face, carrying a hint of self-mockery and resignation.
"Sync up? Maybe. Sometimes people think differently, so they end up walking different paths."
He did not mention Rick directly, but the distance between them was obvious in his tone.
After a pause, Shane looked at her again.
"And you? Doesn't seem like you plan to stay at the farm forever. What's your plan?"
Calista met his gaze. She knew he was testing her. She was also slightly surprised. Had Rick not told him they were planning to leave?
Her answer remained just as vague.
"The farm is good. Hershel and Rick have taken care of us. But we still have some personal matters to handle. Once we find a suitable vehicle, we'll keep moving."
Shane nodded and did not press further. He only said, with a hint of meaning, "Having a goal is good. In this world, people without one die the fastest."
He brushed dust off himself and turned away.
"T-Dog, Jacqui. If you're rested, we move. The sun's almost overhead."
By the end of the day, their search was nearly over. They found several containers of gasoline that were still well sealed, some useful tools, and a small amount of canned food that had not expired.
But the most important thing, a usable vehicle, still eluded them.
On the way back, Shane drove while his gaze stayed fixed on the motorcycle ahead, weaving smoothly through the fading light.
Calista was calm and decisive, with capable people under her, a clear direction, and from Merle's loose talk earlier, Shane had also learned that she had her own base.
Calista: …Merle Dixon really cannot keep his mouth shut.
In Shane's mind, Calista was a solid potential partner.
But he still needed the right moment. Something that would reveal her true intentions.
Maybe when they finally found a car and prepared to leave.
At the same time, Calista could feel Shane's assessing gaze behind her, and her thoughts were clear.
His probing today had been obvious.
He was evaluating them, and she was doing the same.
An experienced former police officer with strong combat ability would be a major asset to Rock Fortress if they could bring him in.
There was no doubt Shane had adapted to this world faster than anyone else in Rick's group. His survival skills were strong.
But his stubbornness and unpredictability were serious risks.
He only took responsibility for those he truly cared about and would risk his life for them.
As a member of a larger team, though, he would not take responsibility for everyone.
If they could not fully win him over, then someone who might abandon his teammates at any moment was nothing less than a hidden threat waiting to turn on them.
Whether to take that risk, and how to approach it, would take time to decide.
Back at the farm, Calista parked her motorcycle and, together with Leah, stored the gasoline they had found.
Merle jumped out of the pickup, cursing as he spat toward the empty garage, venting his frustration.
Daryl silently parked his bike and began his usual maintenance, though his movements felt heavier than usual.
Amid the slightly tense atmosphere, Calista happened to glance toward the small garden beside the farmhouse.
Beth was sitting alone on a worn bench.
She curled into herself, arms wrapped around her knees, her long blonde hair falling forward and hiding most of her face.
She looked like a lifeless statue, completely out of place in the warm evening light.
Beth seemed worse than the day before. Her eyes were empty as she stared into the distance, as if seeing through the farm's fence into the hopeless world beyond.
Calista frowned slightly, a trace of sympathy passing through her.
This was the most painful stage after a worldview collapsed. She understood that feeling.
At that moment, she saw Andrea walking toward Beth.
Andrea must be going to comfort her.
Having lost her sister Amy, Andrea might understand what Beth was going through after losing her "mother," her "brother," and her faith.
Calista did not pay much more attention. She turned and quietly discussed with Leah whether they should expand the search area tomorrow or consider taking the risk of heading to a more distant town.
As always, Leah kept her words brief, offering a few possible scouting directions.
The two of them spoke in low voices as they walked casually along the outer edge of the farmhouse, circling around toward the other side of the small garden where Beth and Andrea were.
...
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