TWD: Saving Merle First - Chapter 45: The Oldest Tricks Work Best (Patreon)

Nancy's talent for cooking seemed to be maxed out. In less than half an hour, she'd effortlessly put together breakfast for more than a dozen people, and somehow managed to make everything look, smell, and taste great.

Wade slurped up some spaghetti, then gave her a thumbs-up.

The girl smiled, happily accepting the praise and looking rather proud of herself.

While they ate, Rick gave Wade a brief account of everything they'd been through over the past few days, and they both expressed regret over Jacqui's decision.

If she'd managed to hold on a little longer, or if they'd tried a little harder to talk her out of it, maybe she would've been sitting here with them today, enjoying this hard-earned meal.

Wade also gave them a brief rundown of what his group had experienced over the past few days, drawing one astonished reaction after another.

“Man, are you sure you're not kidding? That sounds like some kind of legend. Like a prince leading his knights through one danger after another until they finally slay the dragon.”

Before Wade could respond, Merle scoffed.

“What else were we supposed to do? Dress up like cops and drive around sightseeing like you guys? Give me a break. We're not some family road-trip group.”

The entire camp went quiet.

And his words landed squarely on one person's sore spot.

Shane stopped with his fork halfway to his mouth and looked up at Merle with a frown.

“You'd better watch your mouth. Otherwise, I won't mind teaching you how.”

“Tch...”

Merle was about to fire back when he caught Wade giving him a slight shake of the head.

He swallowed whatever he'd been about to say.

Rick noticed the tiny exchange immediately, and disbelief flickered through his eyes.

This walking firecracker was actually willing to listen to Wade now?!

Wade kept his head down, eating his spaghetti as he casually said, “Andrew, take a look at Dale's RV later. Make a list of whatever repair materials you need, and I'll see if we can bring them back with us.”

Andrew nodded.

“No problem, Wade. Leave it to me.”

Wade nodded, then looked toward the others.

“Glenn, T-Dog, Shane, you guys free later? I need you to come with me and empty out a supermarket warehouse.”

Glenn and T-Dog glanced at Rick.

After a brief hesitation, they nodded.

“Sure.”

Shane's expression stiffened slightly.

The way Wade had casually assigned people rubbed him the wrong way, but with everyone around, he simply nodded in silence.

Maybe it was time to have a talk with this kid.

He wasn't one of Wade's underlings, so Wade needed to stop talking to him like he was the boss.

Wade noticed the reaction but didn't take offense.

Shane wasn't all that different from Merle. He just did a better job of looking respectable and righteous.

“Why aren't you taking me?” Rick asked. “More people means more help, doesn't it?”

Wade snapped out of his thoughts and gestured toward the camp.

“Someone needs to stay here. You guys still have to set up your camp, and there's Hershel too. Don't you want to talk things over with him?”

Rick nodded in understanding.

“All right. You're right. Be careful out there, and radio us if anything happens.”

Once breakfast was over, Wade took the list Andrew had prepared and led the others toward the supermarket warehouse.

As Shane got into Wade's vehicle, he paused and looked at him curiously.

“I figured you'd ride with your own people.”

Wade knew exactly what Shane was doing.

He was establishing his position in this temporary group.

In other words, they were equals. Neither one got to order the other around.

Wade smiled and smoothly started the engine.

“Shane, why do you think I'm your enemy?”

The blunt question caught Shane completely off guard.

Before he could figure out how to respond, Wade continued.

“Truth is, you and I are the same kind of people, Shane. We're both trying to figure out how to survive in this damn apocalypse.”

“And I actually said something wrong at breakfast. Even if Andrew's family hadn't been captured that day, I still would've killed every last one of those bastards.”

Wade spoke calmly, as though he hadn't noticed Shane's astonished stare.

“I've always kept things simple. I want my people and me to survive this damn apocalypse together. If that means getting blood on my hands, so be it.”

“Maybe one afternoon I'll sit there and feel guilty about some of it. But I won't regret it.”

The vehicle rounded a bend, still following steadily behind the lead car.

Sunlight streamed through the window, falling across Wade's shoulder before slowly climbing onto his face.

Shane fell silent.

He had no idea how to describe what he was feeling.

It was messy. Confusing.

Shock at hearing the truth.

Excitement at finding someone similar to himself.

A sense of kinship from realizing they saw things the same way.

His own stubborn refusal to bow his head.

And beneath all of it, a faint sense of reassurance that even Shane himself hadn't noticed.

Yes.

Reassurance.

He didn't know where it had come from or why it had appeared.

But it was there.

“You... what are you planning to do when we get there?”

Wade noticed the subtle change in Shane and allowed the corner of his mouth to rise slightly.

As the saying went, sincerity by itself was a worthless hand, but pair it with almost anything and suddenly you had a winning play.

Hey, it wasn't like he was using some elaborate scheme.

He'd only said a few words, and Shane had already started coming around on his own.

How was that Wade's fault?

“Daryl and I will clear out the walkers first. I've got an axe in the back. Want in?”

“Give me the axe. What are you going to use, that little knife?”

Shane glanced suspiciously at the Bowie knife hanging from Wade's waist.

Wade waved it off casually.

“I'll use whatever. Just tell me if you're competing or not.”

“...Fine. Call it some exercise after breakfast.”

“Loser drinks three shots of whiskey when we get back, plus owes the winner one favor. Deal?”

The corner of Shane's mouth curled upward, a fierce glint appearing in his eyes.

“Then you'd better hope you live long enough to see the moon tonight.”

The vehicles left the country road, merged onto the highway, and gradually entered a small town before finally stopping on a street near the outskirts.

Merle climbed out and scanned the surrounding buildings as though checking them against a description.

After a while, he nodded.

“This is it. Closed roll-up door, unlocked, white Chevrolet parked out front.”

Shane walked to the back of the pickup and pulled out the fire axe.

The smooth wooden handle of the fire axe and its cold, gleaming blade immediately put him at ease.

A violent gleam slowly surfaced in his eyes.

Wade was absolutely drinking those three shots of whiskey tonight.

Nobody was stopping it.

Shane said so.

He grabbed the fire axe and headed toward the street, completely failing to notice the faint, knowing smile on Wade's face.

Or the long black bag lying beside where the fire axe had been.