TWD: Merle - Chapter 20: Zero Defense, but This Area Can't Be Targeted (Patreon)

For a moment, Wade thought Hershel must have saved the entire galaxy in his previous life.

It was ridiculous. This fence could topple over with the slightest push, yet somehow not a single Walker had wandered through it.

Bad news: zero defense.

Good news: no enemies.

Nothing else to say. Time to get to work.

Wade tested the fence as he made his way along it, checking every post for looseness. If a nail hadn't been driven in deep enough, he gave it a couple of blows with the axe. If the base had rotted, he carved a mark into it so the post could be replaced later.

Grumbling under his breath, he made it more than ten meters before finally getting past the dangerous section and reaching a stretch of fence that could actually do its job.

Wade glanced back and did a quick count. Thirteen posts needed replacing.

That was going to be a lot of work.

But there was no getting around it. If he wanted to stay alive, this was exactly the kind of work he couldn't afford to skimp on.

Wade hoisted the axe onto his shoulder and was about to keep going when two Walkers stumbled out of the woods.

Their clothes were in tatters, their steps unsteady, and their movements stiff and sluggish.

Wade clicked his tongue, vaulted lightly over the fence, and kicked one of them to the ground. Two swings of his axe later, both were dead.

Only then did he take a closer look at what they were wearing.

They didn't look like survivors. They looked more like hunters who had been out in these woods before the outbreak.

Once he'd figured that out, Wade stopped paying them any attention and went back to work.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a flash of white disappearing past the shed.

It was quick, but he still saw it.

Wade didn't turn around. He simply kept checking the fence with his hands.

Was someone watching him?

Thinking back, Wade was pretty sure Beth was the only one wearing a white T-shirt today.

Was that her?

He couldn't figure out why, so Wade decided... not to bother thinking about it.

Meanwhile, Beth leaned against the wooden wall of the shed, breathing hard. All she could see in her mind was Wade bringing down his axe moments earlier.

That guy was practically a demon wearing human skin!

Was he not afraid of anything? Was there ice in his veins?

The thought made Beth's breathing quicken again. She peeked back at Wade as he continued inspecting the fence, then hurried away.

Wade caught another glimpse of the figure in the white T-shirt running across the grass.

He stopped what he was doing, looking slightly puzzled.

So it really was Beth?

But why did she look like she'd been scared half to death?

Was it because he'd killed those Walkers earlier?

Tch. Kids really did scare easily.

Once he'd settled on that explanation, Wade went back to work.

By the time he was done, evening had arrived. The sun had quietly reached the horizon and was slowly sinking out of sight.

Wade returned to camp with his axe over his shoulder and found Daryl and Cathy sitting beside the campfire. Something had been skewered beside the flames and was roasting over the heat.

He smiled and was about to say something when he suddenly noticed one of their pickup trucks was gone.

Merle and Marcus were nowhere to be seen either.

Wade immediately had a bad feeling.

"Where's Merle?"

Daryl sprinkled some salt and the last of their spices over the roasting squirrel without bothering to look up.

"He ran out of booze, so he took Marcus and drove into town to find some."

Wade relaxed a little.

Good. They were looking for booze, not trouble.

That was definitely the kind of thing Merle would do, but why had Marcus gone with him?

Damn. When had those two gotten so close?

Surely spending one afternoon working together hadn't been enough for them to suddenly hit it off.

Cathy took a freshly cooked skewer from Daryl, blew on it a couple of times, tore off a leg, and popped it into her mouth. Her eyes curved with delight.

Daryl seemed to catch some of her good mood, and the corners of his mouth rose slightly.

Wade set down his axe, grabbed a water bottle from nearby, and took a couple of gulps.

"And Marcus?"

"He said he'd tag along with Merle and see if he could find some more medicine while they were there."

Wade nodded.

Marcus was reliable, at least.

He changed the subject. "What'd you manage to hunt?"

Daryl's faint smile faded.

"Two cottontail rabbits, five squirrels, and I found signs of white-tailed deer.

"I also found some coyote tracks southwest of here. Looked about two weeks old."

"Can you handle them?"

"Yeah, but there's no point. They don't taste good."

"If you come across one, bring it back. We can use the hide."

Daryl didn't bother asking what he wanted the hide for. He simply nodded.

"Alright. Guess that's their bad luck."

Wade nodded, not doubting him for a second.

This was Daryl, after all.

He might not have grown into the man he'd become later on yet, but when it came to the woods, he was completely in his element.

Wade sat down beside him and glanced at Daryl and Cathy, who were somehow getting along surprisingly well. A faint smile crossed his face.

"Never would've guessed you were good with kids."

"...She's just well behaved."

Hearing Daryl praise her, Cathy stopped eating.

"Daryl's really nice. I like him a lot."

"Oh? You sure it's not because you like his cooking?"

Cathy gave an awkward little smile, as if Wade had just exposed her secret.

"That's not why... Okay, maybe a little."

Wade's smile widened.

Marcus had always been pretty strict about what Cathy ate.

He let her have grilled meat, but he wouldn't let her make a whole meal out of it. At the very least, she had to eat something else with it.

She was still young, after all, and living on meat alone probably wasn't the best idea.

But Cathy was a clever little thing.

She'd take a bite, give Daryl a sweet smile, then tell him how good his cooking was.

When had Daryl ever dealt with something like that?

Of course she had him wrapped around her little finger.

The roar of a pickup truck came from the distance.

Wade stood and looked over.

It was theirs.

Before long, the pickup pulled up near the camp.

The moment it stopped, Merle opened the door and jumped out.

"Hey, Wade. Done with your work?"

Wade nodded.

"How're the supplies in town?"

"Looks decent. I found plenty of booze and some food. Marcus found some antibiotics and a bunch of other medicine I couldn't tell you the names of."

"What about weapons?"

Merle gave an unusually awkward laugh.

"Uh... you know I didn't exactly go there looking for that stuff."

Wade wasn't upset. He hadn't expected much in the first place.

He nodded.

"Alright. Go wash up and change your clothes. We've got a dinner to attend later."

"Should I bring a bottle?"

"If you want to drink, bring one."