TWD: Merle - Chapter 4: A Sudden Nighttime Walker Attack (Patreon)

Shane sat on the other side of the campfire with a bottle in his hand.

His choice of seat was deliberate. From there, he could keep an eye on Wade while also staying close enough to look after Lori and Carl.

But the sharp, hawk-like gaze he usually wore was now unfocused and sluggish.

He could barely bring himself to look Rick in the eye.

Right now, all he wanted was enough alcohol to numb himself and forget everything that had happened over the past month.

As for how well that was working... about as well as you'd expect.

Carl, on the other hand, was clearly fascinated by Wade, his eyes full of a child's curiosity.

Unfortunately for him, Rick had been holding him almost the entire time, leaving him little chance to slip away.

And Lori was right beside them. Her gaze toward Wade wasn't particularly friendly or hostile, but there was an unmistakable trace of caution in it.

Anyone who could laugh and joke around with an asshole like Merle had automatically landed on her list of people to keep at a distance and watch carefully.

Ed had taken a brutal beating from Shane that afternoon and was still lying inside his tent.

Carol had brought Sophia to the gathering, but both of them seemed withdrawn, their gazes constantly avoiding everyone else's.

T-Dog, Glenn, and Jim sat together, occasionally exchanging a few quiet words.

Old Dale wore his usual good-natured smile, telling stories from his younger days every now and then to keep the mood light.

The Morales family sat together as well, speaking quietly among themselves. Their expressions were complicated, carrying determination, hope, and uncertainty all at once.

If Wade had to guess, they were probably discussing whether to leave and seek out their relatives.

Crack.

The sound of a dry branch snapping blended into the chatter around the camp.

It wasn't loud, but Wade's sharp senses caught it immediately.

The moment he looked up, a piercing scream tore through the night.

Everyone stopped talking and shot to their feet, turning toward the source.

Ed's tent.

Under the glow of the camping lantern, one human-shaped shadow was hunched over another, while the figure beneath it struggled desperately.

Then blood sprayed across the side of the tent and slowly ran down the fabric.

T-Dog blurted out, “Holy shit! Walker!”

Something clicked in Wade's mind, and he immediately swept his gaze across the camp.

“Where's Amy?! Did Amy go to the RV?!”

Andrea snapped back to her senses.

“Yes! She's in the RV!”

“Then stop standing around! Everyone who isn't fighting, get into the vehicles! Lock the doors and don't come out until it's safe! Dale, you go too. I'm leaving them with you!”

Before Wade could finish, a walker staggered out of the dark woods, a wet, choked growl rumbling from its throat.

Andrea's face went pale.

The RV door had opened, and a slender pale hand was reaching out.

“Fuck! Amy, get back inside! Shut the door! Don't come out!”

Wade's sharp shout made Amy freeze just as she was about to step outside.

That single moment of hesitation was enough for her to notice the gray-white figure emerging from the darkness.

“Ah!”

Her body reacted before her mind did.

She stumbled backward and desperately pulled the door shut, but she was a moment too late.

A filthy, blood-covered hand slipped through the gap, clawing blindly inside.

Amy was already terrified. Seeing that bloody hand sent her straight into panic.

Her mind went blank. She squeezed her eyes shut and pressed her entire body against the door.

Wade was already rushing toward her.

In a few long strides, he reached the RV and drove his Bowie knife straight through the walker's temple. The blade nearly passed completely through its skull, leaving half the tip protruding from the other side.

The walker instantly stopped struggling.

It simply went limp, like someone had switched it off.

Wade pulled the knife free, then spoke through the door.

“Hey, Amy. Calm down. It's dead. Just stay quiet, okay?”

His firm voice reached her from outside.

Amy cautiously opened her eyes. Once she saw that the bloody hand had stopped moving, she finally let out a shaky breath.

She covered her mouth tightly with both hands and collapsed onto the floor.

With Amy no longer forcing the door shut, the walker's arm came free.

Wade planted a foot against its body and kicked it several meters away, then turned toward everyone still standing in the middle of camp.

“What are you waiting for? Get in the vehicles!”

He never noticed the strange light in Amy's tear-filled eyes as she stared at him with both hands still covering her mouth.

On the other side of camp, several more walkers stumbled out of the woods.

Shane cursed and hurled his unfinished bottle at them.

Apparently that wasn't enough to vent his frustration, because he immediately pulled the handgun from his waistband and chambered a round.

“Shane! Calm down! If you fire that gun, you'll only bring more walkers here! If you draw an entire horde into the camp, we might be able to run, but what about the women and children?!”

Wade shot Rick a look, then charged toward the walkers alone with his knife in hand.

Rick understood immediately.

He grabbed Shane's gun and forced the muzzle toward the sky.

“He's right! Firing that thing will only bring more walkers!”

Shane froze.

His pupils tightened slightly before he finally allowed Rick to take the gun from him.

That didn't mean he was willing to stand aside.

Instead, he walked over, grabbed the axe used for splitting firewood, and headed toward the walkers himself.

Rick put the handgun away, his expression growing more serious.

For just a moment, he'd felt as though his old partner was hiding something from him.

There was no time to think about it now.

After giving the others their instructions, Rick grabbed a shovel from the ground and joined the fight.

He had assigned T-Dog and Glenn to stay with the vehicles, both armed with guns for self-defense.

If too many walkers arrived and the camp was in danger of being overrun, they were to start the vehicles immediately and get everyone out.

Wade smoothly drove his knife up beneath a walker's jaw.

The hard, razor-sharp point punched through flesh and bone and entered the brain.

He twisted the blade, destroying the brain, then pulled it free and moved on to the next walker.

[Killed walker x1, gained 1 Experience Point.]

Ignoring the system notification, Wade continued forward through the dim firelight.

His Level 6 Perception wasn't anywhere close to true night vision, but it was still useful in conditions like these.

From the corner of his eye, he noticed Shane approaching with the axe.

Shane kicked a walker off its feet and immediately followed with a powerful swing that severed its head.

Fast, ruthless, and without the slightest hesitation.

Wade couldn't help being impressed.

Shane really did deserve his reputation as one of the first people to truly adapt to the apocalypse. His fighting ability and his mentality were both exceptional.

It wasn't even an exaggeration to say that Shane already had the qualities needed to become a leader in his own right.

If he hadn't died at the farm and had instead gone out on his own, he could easily have built a small but powerful group where his word was absolute.

Or he might have become someone even more ruthless than the Governor.

Either way, Shane was someone capable of surviving in this world.

And not merely surviving.

He could thrive in it.

Rick brought his shovel around and tore away half of a walker's skull.

Taking advantage of the brief opening, he sucked in a couple of deep breaths and quickly surveyed the area.

Things weren't too bad.

Only a little over a dozen walkers had reached the camp. They could handle that many.

Especially with Wade there.

Rick watched him move into the path the walkers were taking.

Every time one entered range, Wade struck.

One swing.

One kill.

His movements were fast, precise, and ruthless. Every strike went directly for a lethal point.

No wonder Merle had accepted him so quickly.

Saving Merle's life was probably only part of the reason.

Someone like Merle would respect this kind of ruthlessness.

Rick quietly added two more impressions to his assessment of Wade.

Extremely dangerous in close combat.

Bold enough to take risks.

Then he gradually moved toward Shane.

Compared to the butcher methodically cutting his way through the walkers, Rick was more worried about his old partner, whose swings were broad and violent.

Shane looked like he was trying to vent something.

Was it because Rick's return had divided the group's leadership?

Rick had barely reached him when something suddenly flashed in the bushes.