TWD - Zomboid - Chapter 309: Claire: Listen to Me, I @#$ (Patreon)

"That kid doesn't have a hereditary disease!" Claire tried to steer the conversation back on track. "Chris, listen to me. Her situation is complicated. I can't explain it in just a few words, and this definitely isn't the place to go into detail."

"Just trust me, alright?"

"Trust you?" Chris snorted, looking thoroughly disappointed. "Claire, I'm not trying to criticize you, but couldn't you at least have picked someone decent? Your taste is terrible!"

"How did you... how did you even fall for him? And then have a child with him?"

Chris nodded toward Luke.

The moment those words left his mouth, everyone was stunned.

Luke was even more shocked!

You're pregnant too...

Wait, no!

He knew damn well who he'd slept with and who he hadn't!

He wasn't some shameless womanizer. He wasn't taking the blame for this!

Claire went completely numb.

Who had she supposedly fallen for?

And who the hell had she had a child with??

Claire's eyes widened in disbelief.

She, Claire, had been completely innocent and single for more than twenty years. Even now, she was still a virgin. She hadn't even had a proper relationship yet, and somehow her reputation was already ruined!

What the hell was going on?!

Who the fuck was spreading rumors about her behind her back?

Come out here so she could beat you to death!

It took Claire almost no time at all to identify the most likely culprit.

She whipped her head around and glared furiously at Luke.

See?

That was what happened when you had a reputation like his!

Who else could it be besides this scheming bastard?

"Luke Li!" Claire growled through clenched teeth. "What the hell did you tell my brother? There's absolutely nothing going on between us!"

Well, no shit. Luke knew better than she did whether he'd slept with her!

"I didn't tell him anything!" Luke spread his hands. "Chris asked me how you were doing, so I told him you were doing great. You were raising a kid and had a respectable job!"

"That's all I said. I didn't mention anything else!"

"Oh, right. To give myself a little more legitimacy during the negotiations, I might've also... used you as a hostage once. Don't worry about it!"

That was the one thing Luke had never told Claire.

Chris frowned even harder.

What did that mean?

So the child wasn't even Luke's?

Then whose was it?

Which bastard had knocked up his little sister?!

Claire claimed she'd never dated anyone, but somehow she had a child.

That...

That couldn't be right!

With the way the Redfield family had raised her, there was no way Claire could be that kind of person.

It had to be false!

Absolutely false!

"Claire, I think you've got a lot of things to explain to me. Come here!"

Without giving her any choice, Chris grabbed Claire and carried her away.

"You two keep talking. I've got some embarrassing family business to sort out with this troublesome little sister of mine!"

For once, Chris actually looked a little embarrassed.

"What do you mean, embarrassing family business?! Let go of me!"

Claire thrashed around, but in her older brother's grip, she looked tiny, almost like a rag doll. She had no chance of breaking free.

...

Three minutes later.

Claire stood with her hands on her hips.

Chris was a full head taller than her and built like a tank, but right now he was hunched over, nodding repeatedly and apologizing nonstop.

"Oh, so that's what happened! You took that girl in, and she's already in her teens!"

"Then why didn't you say so earlier?"

"You had me thinking..."

Claire glared at him furiously.

"Thinking what?! That I got pregnant before getting married? That I had a kid with some random guy?! Huh?! Chris, what kind of person do you think I am?! You @#!@#!"

"I @$#@$@!#@#"

"F@!#@$#"

Everyone standing nearby broke out in a cold sweat, especially Graham's people.

Even Jill looked a little surprised.

Their usually imposing captain was being chewed out by a girl so badly that he couldn't even raise his head.

Tsk, tsk.

So Chris had a serious sister complex!

Who would've guessed?

Once the misunderstanding was finally cleared up, Chris's mood changed completely.

Suddenly, everyone looked much more pleasant to him.

Even when he looked at Luke, the guy somehow seemed downright handsome.

"Oh, man, that was a complete misunderstanding! You're a good guy after all! Thank you for taking my sister in and giving Sherry such good treatment!"

"Seriously, thank you!"

"Come here, man! Give me a hug!"

Chris pulled Luke straight against his broad chest.

Luke was already pretty muscular himself, but next to Chris, he looked like a damn little... uh, well, he definitely looked slimmer.

"You're welcome, you're welcome. But Chris, could you let go of me? We're in public here. Could this overly affectionate comrade please move aside a little?"

Claire stormed back toward them.

She walked past Chris, every step looking as though she were gathering strength.

Without saying a word, she drove a solid elbow straight into the chest of the culprit behind the whole mess.

"Hiss!"

Claire flicked her ponytail and walked away, leaving behind a sharp, decisive silhouette.

"Damn, she's fierce!"

Luke patted his chest.

He hadn't really felt much. His body was still developing, after all.

Jill, who had witnessed the entire spectacle, shook her head helplessly.

Was this guy really a leader?

The same man who had the president completely under his thumb?

The man whose single decision could determine the lives and deaths of tens of thousands of people?

Why didn't he seem to have any of the dignity you'd expect from a leader?

Jill shook her head to herself.

Judging by this display, the Commonwealth's internal rules were probably pretty loose.

There didn't seem to be much distinction between superiors and subordinates at all, much less any real emphasis on rank.

...

With the farce finally over, it was time to formally assign everyone to their aircraft.

The demonstration would take place over the walker-infested area of Atlanta, where the antidote would be dropped from helicopters.

That meant the aircraft assignments needed to be handled carefully.

First and foremost, Rebecca had to remain within Luke's sight.

In other words, if President Graham wanted to watch the demonstration and hear Rebecca's explanation, he would have to ride in Luke's helicopter.

Chris absolutely refused.

The Southern side suggested having Rebecca come over to them instead.

Luke immediately demonstrated his strength by smashing a brick apart.

Anyone who tried something could expect to end up like that brick!

In the end, they settled on Crane and Chris sharing one helicopter, President Graham and Rebecca riding alone in another, and Luke, Claire, and Jill taking a third.

The remaining helicopters would serve as escorts and provide cover.

"Rebecca, you're our ace salesperson right now. This antidote is what gives the Commonwealth leverage in these negotiations. Whether it's the proper angle for releasing it or how to operate the deployment switch, you need to explain everything clearly to the president!"

"But when it comes to the dosage, how it works, and the effective range, try not to be too specific."

This was the crucial part.

Luke didn't want to tell the other side too much.

Anyway...

The arrangement made perfect sense.

Jill was the only one who wasn't entirely satisfied.

She felt Rebecca was clearly more than just an ordinary researcher. The woman obviously had some real skills.

So Jill proposed accompanying the president as protection.

Luke immediately refused!

He hadn't assigned anyone from his side to that helicopter, and now she wanted to bring a bodyguard along?

Not happening!

Jill then proposed riding in Luke's helicopter instead.

That way, if Luke tried anything, she'd be right there to take him down.

Perfect plan!

Luke asked Claire to lend him a mirror.

He was beginning to suspect that being a married man came with some kind of hidden bonus.

His luck with women had been absolutely ridiculous lately.