Chapter 7

  Dead End

  The pickup truck sputtered, coughed, and died.

  The engine went silent, leaving them stranded in the dark. The headlights flickered once and cut out, plunging them into the shadows of the intersection.

  "Dammit!" Kenny slammed his hand on the steering wheel. "Out of gas. Just great."

  Lee looked out the window. His stomach twisted. He knew this street. He knew the cracked sidewalk, the lamp posts, and the brick building right on the corner.

  Everett Pharmacy. They had made it.

  "Everyone out," Kenny whispered, pushing his door open. "We can't stay in the truck."

  They climbed out into the cool night air. It was thick with the smell of rot.

  "Hey," Kenny said, looking at a station wagon a few yards away. "Look."

  A man in a suit was leaning against the passenger door, his head hanging low.

  "Hey, buddy!" Kenny called out, walking toward him. "You okay? We need some help here!"

  The man in the suit slowly lifted his head.

  Kenny stopped dead.

  Half the man's face was gone. The skin was grey and peeling, revealing bone underneath.

  "Oh... shit," Kenny breathed.

  The walker let out a blood-curdling shriek.

  It wasn't just one. The scream echoed down the silent street. Suddenly, the piles of trash and "bodies" lining the pavement began to stand up. Shadows detached themselves from the walls.

  "Run!" Lee yelled.

  But they were cut off. A dozen walkers stumbled out from between the cars, blocking the path to the sidewalk. They were surrounded.

  A walker in a torn flannel shirt lunged from the darkness, going straight for Duck.

  "NO!" Kenny roared.

  The walker grabbed Duck’s arm, pulling him close. Its teeth snapped inches from the boy's face. Duck screamed, flailing wildly.

  Lee didn't think. He slid across the hood of a sedan and kicked the walker hard in the knee. The bone snapped with a wet crunch, and the thing buckled.

  As it fell, Kenny swung his heavy tire wrench with all his might.

  CRACK.

  The skull caved in. Thick, black blood exploded outward—spraying Kenny, the pavement, and coating Duck from head to toe in gore.

  Duck stood there, stunned, dripping with the black filth.

  "There's more of them!" Katjaa screamed.

  The herd was tightening the circle. They were backed against the truck, trapped in the open.

  BANG.

  A gunshot rang out. A walker five feet away dropped.

  BANG. BANG.

  "Over here! Move!"

  A woman was standing in the doorway of the pharmacy, firing a pistol with calm precision. A young Asian guy in a baseball cap ran out, waving a bat. "This way! Come on!"

  They sprinted through the gap, scrambling up the steps and diving through the heavy glass doors. The woman slammed the door shut and threw the deadbolt just as the herd slammed against the glass.

  Thump. Thump. Thump.

  They were safe.

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  "Jesus..." Kenny gasped, hands on his knees. "That was close."

  "You shouldn't have brought them here!"

  A massive, angry voice boomed from the back of the store.

  Lee looked up. An old man—giant, broad-shouldered, with a scowl etched into his face—was marching toward them. This was Larry.

  "Dad, stop!" A woman with long dark hair stepped in front of him. This was Lilly. "They're people!"

  "People?" Larry shouted, his face turning purple. "Lilly, tell your friend she just killed us all! You led those things right to our door!"

  He pointed a shaking finger at Duck. "And look at THAT!"

  Everyone froze. Duck was standing in the aisle, covered in blood.

  "He's bitten!" Larry roared. "He's one of them! Throw him out before he turns!"

  "No!" Katjaa screamed, pulling Duck behind her. "It's not his blood! It splattered on him!"

  "Bullshit!" Larry grabbed a heavy can of food from a shelf. "I know how this works! You get bit, you turn, you kill! I am not letting my daughter die because you brought a ticking time bomb in here!"

  Kenny stepped forward, his eyes wild. "You come near my son, old man, and I'll kill you. I swear to God."

  "You want to go, hillbilly?" Larry shouted, stepping chest-to-chest with Kenny. "I'll knock your ass out and throw you out with the boy!"

  "Back the hell off!" Lee shouted, stepping between them. He shoved Larry back hard, struggling to keep the two furious men apart. "Nobody is throwing anybody out! He's a kid!"

  "Who the hell are you?" Larry spat, looming over Lee. "You want to die with them? Fine! We throw you out too!"

  Larry raised his fist. Kenny raised the wrench. They were screaming in each other's faces, spit flying.

  "Lee?"

  A small, trembling voice cut through the noise.

  Lee looked past Larry's shoulder. Clementine was standing alone near the entrance, a few feet away. Tears were streaming down her face, and she was clutching her hand to her chest.

  "Lee... it hurts," she whispered.

  Lee looked at the two men. They were still screaming, completely ignoring her.

  "I said back off!" Kenny yelled at Larry.

  "Try me!" Larry roared back.

  Lee let go of Larry’s shirt. He turned his back on the fight and walked straight to Clementine. He knelt down, gently taking her hand. Her finger was crushed, swelling up purple and angry.

  Behind him, the argument was getting worse. The noise was deafening.

  Lee looked at Clementine’s terrified face. Then he looked at the adults acting like monsters.

  "EVERYONE SHUT UP!" Lee bellowed.

  The sheer power of his voice shook the shelves. The room went instantly silent. Larry and Kenny froze mid-shout.

  Lee stood up, his eyes blazing. "Look at her! While you two are measuring dicks and screaming about murder, she's standing here hurt! She smashed her finger in the door!"

  He walked up to Larry, getting right in his face. "Nobody is bitten. We are tired, we are scared, and we are not throwing a child onto the street. Do you understand me?"

  Larry glared at Lee, his chest heaving. He looked at Clementine, then back at Lee. The hate didn't leave his eyes, but he backed down.

  "Fine," Larry spat. "But if that boy turns... I'll handle it myself."

  He stormed off toward the back office.

  The tension broke. Lilly let out a long breath. "I'm sorry. He's... he has a heart condition. I'm Lilly. That's Carley, Doug, and Glenn."

  "I need to get her cleaned up," Lee said sharply.

  He took Clementine to the aisle, finding a first aid kit. He sat her down and cleaned her finger, whispering soft reassurances until she stopped crying.

  "I have to pee," Clementine whispered after a moment.

  "Okay," Lee said, standing up. "Let's find the restroom. It's in the back."

  Lee led Clementine to the back of the store. He found the door marked Restroom.

  "Go ahead, Clem," Lee said, opening the door for her. "I'll wait right here."

  Clementine walked into the dark room. Lee turned his back for a second to scan the shelves for a towel.

  "LEE!"

  Clementine screamed.

  Lee spun around. A walker—hidden in the darkness of the bathroom—lunged out. It grabbed Clementine’s dress, pulling her down onto the dirty tiles, its jaws snapping at her legs.

  Lee didn't have a weapon. He threw himself into the room, grabbing the walker by its hair and slamming its head into the floor. Thud. It snarled, clawing at his face, pinning him against the wall.

  Lee struggled to hold it back, his boots slipping on the wet tile.

  BANG.

  A gunshot deafened him. The walker’s head jerked back, a clean hole in its forehead. It collapsed on top of Lee.

  Lee shoved the body off and scrambled up, grabbing Clementine and pulling her into a fierce hug. She was shaking violently.

  Carley stood in the doorway, smoke rising from her pistol.

  Lee looked up, his fear turning into pure fury. He marched Clementine out of the bathroom and turned on Lilly and Glenn.

  "I thought you secured this place!" Lee shouted, his voice shaking with rage.

  Lilly looked shocked. "We... we did! Glenn checked the back!"

  "Well, you missed one!" Lee yelled, pointing at the dead walker. He stepped toward Glenn aggressively. "It was in the restroom! It almost killed her! What kind of security is—"

  He felt a small hand squeeze his own.

  Lee stopped. He looked down.

  Clementine was holding his hand tight. She looked up at him with wide, watery eyes and shook her head slowly. No.

  She didn't want him to fight. She was scared of the anger.

  Lee let out a long, shaky breath. The rage drained out of him. He squeezed her hand back.

  "It's okay," he whispered to her. "It's okay."

  He glared at Glenn one last time, then turned away. "Come on, Clem. Let's go sit with Katjaa."

  He walked her over to the other family, settling her down safely. He needed a second to breathe. He walked over to the electronics section, leaning heavily against the counter.

  Carley walked over. She didn't look frantic anymore. She looked... curious.

  "You're good with that kid," she said softly. "You reacted fast."

  "She's my priority," Lee said, wiping sweat from his forehead.

  "I can tell," Carley said. She leaned closer, lowering her voice so the others wouldn't hear. "You look familiar, Lee."

  Lee froze. "I just have one of those faces."

  "No," Carley whispered. "I know who you are. I'm a reporter from Atlanta. I worked for W-I-L-L. I covered your trial."

  The air left the room.

  "Lee Everett," she said, her eyes locked on his. "University professor. Convicted of killing a state senator who was sleeping with his wife."

  She crossed her arms, glancing over at Kenny and Lilly.

  "Does your new group know you're a convicted murderer? Or are you waiting for the right time to tell them?"

  Carley knows the truth. She just cornered Lee and revealed she knows he is a convicted killer. She asks if the new group knows. How does Lee handle it?