TWD: Saving Merle First - Chapter 79: No Dinner, Only... (Patreon)

After leaving the house, Wade headed straight for the small gas station.

The sign hanging from the canopy was badly faded and cracked, tilting crookedly overhead.

A thick layer of dust covered the windows of the convenience store, making it difficult to see inside. Still, Wade figured there probably weren’t any walkers in there.

If there were, they would have already come outside to pick a fight with him.

The station had four fuel dispensers, but without electricity, the built-in submersible pumps had long since stopped working.

So pumping fuel directly from the nozzles was out.

The underground storage tanks, however, were another matter.

Those things were huge and usually buried beneath the ground, which meant the fuel itself might still be there.

The real questions were where the tanks were located, where their access points were, whether they had developed any leaks, whether the fuel was still usable, and how much remained.

The equipment room might have some answers.

Wade headed toward the small utility building beside the station and knocked twice on the door.

Thud. Thud.

A moment later, low growls and heavy, shuffling footsteps came from inside.

Well, looks like he hit the jackpot.

Wade gave the heavy metal door a push.

It opened with an unpleasant creak, leaving a narrow gap.

Not locked.

Lucky.

Otherwise, he would have had to waste time searching for a key or forcing the door open.

Giving up was obviously not an option.

As he slowly pushed the door wider, the walker inside began stumbling toward him.

Wade kicked it hard in the chest, knocking it flat on its back.

Then he brought the axe down.

One blow to the skull.

Done.

The equipment room was covered in dust.

Wires, switches, and aging machinery were scattered everywhere. The walls were stained and peeling, while cobwebs filled the corners.

Wade looked around briefly, stepped past the machinery, and made his way toward a cabinet in the corner.

Inside, he found several file folders.

He pulled all of them out and placed them on the dusty counter.

The first folder contained paper records.

Wade flipped to the final page with handwriting on it.

The last recorded delivery and total tank capacity were written clearly.

Regular unleaded gasoline: 12,000 gallons.

Mid-grade gasoline: 10,000 gallons.

High-octane gasoline: 8,000 gallons.

Diesel: 10,000 gallons.

The final delivery date was March 17.

Right around the beginning of the outbreak.

Wade turned and looked at the dead walker on the floor.

Had this guy really been here since day one?

A faint smile appeared on his face.

He looked through the previous delivery dates and quickly did the math.

This station normally received a fuel delivery every seven to ten days.

March 17 had been the last one.

So...

Were the tanks full?

Holy shit.

Could they actually be full?!

That would be a massive jackpot.

Then Wade paused.

Wait.

That wasn’t quite how the math worked.

Big cities had descended into chaos almost immediately, but this area was remote and sparsely populated.

Things here had probably remained relatively normal for another three or four days.

Based on the station’s usual rate of consumption...

The tanks were probably already about half empty.

Tsk.

Going from filthy rich to merely rich was still enough to leave Wade disappointed for a moment.

But he quickly got over it.

Once they secured this place, the camp would basically never have to worry about fuel again.

Wade kept searching and eventually found the station’s blueprints.

He carried them outside and followed the layout, avoiding the underground lines connected to the pumps as he made his way behind the station and inside the rear fence.

He looked down at the weeds, gravel, and abandoned parts scattered across the ground, then checked the blueprint again.

According to the plans, the maintenance and filling ports for the underground tanks should be right here.

Time to start looking.

Wade put the blueprint away and began clearing debris and searching the ground.

Before long, the edges of several thick, circular cast-iron covers appeared.

After inspecting them carefully, Wade saw clear fuel labels and tank numbers engraved into the metal.

They matched the records perfectly.

In other words...

He had found the access points to the fuel tanks.

Wade casually tossed aside what he was holding, planted his hands on his hips, and laughed.

“Hahahaha! Little gas station, you’re mine now!”

No.

There was no way he could keep this victory to himself.

He had to share it with Beth.

But first...

He might as well clear out every walker in the area.

Even small amounts of Experience Points were still Experience Points.

Wade picked up his axe and headed toward the nearby houses, clearing them one by one.

...

By the time evening arrived, Wade glanced at the sky and decided it was time to head back.

He walked up to the house where Beth was waiting and gently knocked on the door.

“Beth, it’s me. Open up.”

Footsteps approached from inside.

A moment later, Beth opened the door.

Seeing the broad smile on Wade’s face, she wrapped her arms around him and asked softly,

“How did it go, Wade?”

“The gas station’s secured. There’s enough fuel there to last us for years.”

“Wow. You did great.” Beth smiled brightly and released him. “Go take a shower. I made dinner.”

“Huh?”

Wade glanced toward the setting sun.

It really was about time to eat.

“But why aren’t we heading back...”

Beth pressed a finger against his lips.

“This is our first date. Can’t we at least have dinner together before we go back?”

Then she added,

“Oh, and don’t worry about clothes. I brought some for you in my backpack. They’re upstairs.”

Wade grinned stupidly.

That was surprisingly thoughtful of her.

“All right. Wait for me.”

Beth gave a soft nod and stepped aside to let him go upstairs.

As she watched him leave, she quietly sighed.

How could someone be this clueless?

Wade definitely had never had a girlfriend before.

Wait...

Wouldn’t that make her his first?

The thought immediately made Beth’s face turn red again.

Well...

In that case, she wasn’t going to complain.

She stepped back, shut the door, and locked it securely.

Then she carefully checked the entire first floor one more time.

After making sure she hadn’t missed anything, she pushed some furniture against the windows as an extra precaution before heading upstairs.

Beth had barely sat down when Wade came out of the bathroom, rubbing his wet hair with a towel.

He looked at her.

“Come on. Let’s eat.”

Beth’s face was flushed as she smiled at him.

Then she took two quick steps forward and threw herself into his arms, wrapping both arms around his neck.

She leaned close and whispered softly beside his ear,

“Idiot... forget dinner for a minute. Just stay here with me.”

Her warm breath brushed against his neck.

Wade’s mind went blank for a second.

Then Beth leaned in and kissed him.

“Mmm...”

Even Wade finally understood what she meant.

He carried Beth into the room...

(100,086 words omitted.)