TWD: Saving Merle First - Chapter 22: Phase One of the Farm Project (Patreon)

Early the next morning, Wade got up at the crack of dawn and went around waking Merle and the others one by one. Nobody got to sleep in.

After washing up, they had a quick breakfast of canned food and crackers, grabbed their tools and weapons, and headed for the section of fence Wade had marked the day before.

Halfway there, Hershel and the rest of his family caught up with them, all carrying tools of their own.

"Morning, Wade. Didn't expect you guys to get started this early."

"Morning, Maggie. You guys aren't exactly late either." Wade gave her a polite nod and a mild smile.

Hershel walked at the back of the group at an unhurried pace, a faint smile on his face as he quietly watched everything unfold.

A few minutes later, Wade reached the marked section of fence. He lowered the axe from his shoulder and gave the fence several hard shakes.

It creaked loudly.

Hershel and the others didn't look happy at the sight, but there was gratitude in their eyes as well.

If Wade hadn't gone around inspecting the property yesterday, they might never have noticed such a serious safety hazard tucked away in an otherwise unremarkable corner.

"Merle, take Otis and Jimmy and cut some trees. We need at least twenty-five logs, no less than fifteen centimeters in diameter. Any kind of wood will do, but oak's preferable."

Merle blinked at him, then nodded.

"Daryl, take your crossbow and make a sweep around the perimeter. Set up the warning lines wherever we need them. If you get the chance, hunt something while you're out there. Be back before noon. If you're not, I'm coming after you with a search party."

Daryl nodded, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly. He clearly liked that assignment.

"Beth, Cathy's with you. I'm sure you two can find a way to enjoy the morning."

"I'll handle the demolition. Marcus, gather up whatever wood we can reuse. We can haul it back to camp for firewood. Mr. Greene, sorry to stick you with the rough job, but I'll need you digging the post holes."

Maggie listened, then realized that she and Patricia were the only ones who hadn't been given anything to do.

"What about us? Wade, you can't just leave us out."

"Uh, don't get me wrong. You just don't have anything to do yet. Once Merle and the others drag the logs back, you'll have plenty."

"All right. Guess I misunderstood you."

"No problem." Wade smiled and shook his head. "Let's get moving, everyone!"

He turned and slammed the back of his axe upward into one of the fence boards without holding back.

The force shattered the board and even yanked the already loose post partly out of the ground.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Three blows later, the boards and post had been torn out completely.

Merle whistled.

"You're a damn beast wearing a man's skin, bro."

Wade kept working without looking up.

"Quit screwing around and get to work. You think this is the only section that needs fixing?"

Merle grinned and headed into the woods with Daryl and the others.

Everyone else got busy as well. Some dug holes, some watched the kids, and some measured out the spacing.

Before long, the small stretch of grass was buzzing with activity.

Half an hour later, Otis and Jimmy returned with the first batch of timber.

It was only three logs, but getting even that much back wasn't easy.

Wade gave Otis a couple of extra looks when he saw the man carrying two massive logs across his shoulders and silently gave him a thumbs-up.

The guy might not be much of a fighter right now, but when it came to hard labor, he was damn useful.

If Otis ever wanted to fight, Wade could probably turn him into a heavy-hitter who relied on brute force.

And if he didn't, he could still make a pretty good construction foreman.

Maggie stepped forward and carved marks into the logs at the proper lengths with her knife. Wade then cut them cleanly with the fire axe.

After they carried the posts over, sharpened the bottoms, and charred them briefly over the coals, they lowered them into the holes.

Wade planted his feet, raised the axe with both hands, and drew it back until his body was taut like a bow.

Then he brought the back of the axe down hard onto the top of the post.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Three heavy blows drove it firmly into place.

They filled the hole with dirt, packed it down tight, then moved on to the next one and repeated the process.

Sweat gradually soaked through Wade's T-shirt, clinging to the solid build underneath.

Every time he swung the axe, Beth could clearly see the muscles shifting beneath the fabric, along with the definition across his waist and abdomen.

That build, that strength, that stamina, that...

Her thoughts gradually wandered somewhere they shouldn't.

Beth quickly adjusted her posture, stepped aside, and gulped down several mouthfuls of water before the fluttering in her chest finally eased a little.

Cathy tilted her head.

"Beth, are you sick? Why's your face so red?"

Beth nearly choked.

She quickly lowered her head, turned away, and coughed several times before answering softly.

"No. I just haven't been out in the sun much lately, that's all."

Cathy looked up at the sun, half-hidden behind the clouds, with a deeply puzzled expression on her little face.

Not far away, Hershel watched all of this with growing satisfaction.

You could learn a lot about a person's character by watching how they worked.

At least for now, Wade looked far better in the old farmer's eyes than those cowboys who did nothing but run their mouths.

Hershel glanced down at his age-spotted hands.

No need to rush.

He couldn't rush this.

He needed to keep watching a little longer.

Wade turned his head and wiped the sweat from his face with his sleeve. His breathing had grown noticeably heavier, but his hands never stopped moving.

Today was only the first phase of the repairs.

The sooner they finished, the sooner they could start scavenging the nearby town for supplies, and the sooner Wade could level up.

Once Rick and the others arrived, he'd find a way to recruit more people and begin the second phase of construction.

Eventually, he'd turn this place into a fortress.

In Wade's plans for the future, the farm would be their first real stronghold.

It wouldn't just be an important source of food. It would also serve as everyone's fallback position and give them a secure base when dealing with other groups.

While he was thinking, a faint pleasant scent drifted over.

"Wade, have some water."

Wade turned around.

It was Beth.

Her head was lowered, and whether from embarrassment or the heat, her cheeks were bright red. She held out a canteen with one hand, her eyes timid and her posture making it look like she might turn and run at any second.

"Thanks."

Wade took the canteen and drank several large mouthfuls.

Beth's eyes brightened.

"You're welcome."

Creak.

Somewhere nearby, metal groaned under tremendous pressure.

Hershel was still smiling, but there wasn't much warmth left in his eyes.

The aluminum canteen in his hand had already begun to deform slightly, and his knuckles had turned white.

That kid... that damn kid...

Wonder if that old hunting rifle still works...

Fortunately, Wade was oblivious.

Once he'd finished drinking, he handed the canteen back to Beth, picked up his axe, and went straight back to work.

Nearby, Marcus thoughtfully rubbed the stubble on his chin.

Delivering a baby couldn't be harder than performing an autopsy, right?

Next time they went into town, he'd have to find a few books on the subject.