The Walking Dead: Warlord

The way to the CDC is pretty uneventful. We did drive into a horde almost, but we managed to take a back way around them. When we finally spot the CDC, we see the carnage that unfolded there.

Corpses like the street, many of which are riddled with gunshot wounds to the body. I think I see why the military failed to take care of the walkers. They seem to have mainly aimed for the chest. Center mass. Though, I could be wrong. We park on the road in front of the CDC. I make sure that everyone parks facing away from the building so we can leave ASAP. As we disembark, I take a look around at the different weapons.

“Alright. Before we go into the CDC, we should collect some weapons and ammo from here. Eventually we’re gonna need a bit more than just some bolt-actions and pistols. The box truck still has empty space, so just put them all in there. We’ll go through them later.”

I walk over to Daryl and Shane,

“Hey, Daryl, Shane, could I get you guys to keep an eye out for any approaching walkers? Don’t use any guns, we don’t wanna end up bringing more than we can handle.”

Daryl nods his head,

“Sure. I don’t mind.”

Shane looks over at Lori and Carl before nodding his head,

“Yeah. Sure.”

I take note of this. I think I’ll try to set him and Andrea up. That should keep him sane. Just gotta replace his obsession with that bi- that woman… Sorry, I really didn’t like Lori in the TV series. Out of all of the characters… I’d probably save her last. I hate it for Rick and Carl, but she does nothing but breed hatred between Shane and Rick. And then she acts like Rick is the bad guy when Shane tries to kill him because SHE egged him on!

Oh shit, I accidentally started glaring at her. But still… I think I may have to eventually get her killed… Dark, but possibly necessary. It depends how she acts when Shane and Andrea start getting friendly. 

After about an hour of picking up weapons, we take stock of what we got so far.

52x M4 Carbine (various types)

63x misc pistols

5x M249 SAW

16x Grenades

29x Smoke Grenades

And so much ammo we can’t possibly count it.

This should set us up for a good while. Because of the ammo crates, we ended up running out of space on the box truck, so Dale let us put a couple crates in the RV. I look down at my watch as we all stand gathered outside the vehicles,

[7:43pm]

Damn. Alright, that still gives us a good bit of daylight. I decide to have a chat with the group about something,

“So, I’m not too sure about the CDC anymore. Or Fort Benning for that matter.”

Shane looks at me with a squint and says,

“What do you mean? We wasted our time coming here, and we ain’t even gonna try going to the fort?! I can’t believe I let some kid make the decisions for us!”

He’s about to go off on one of his Shane rants, but I walk up to him and say in a loud, stern voice.

“Would you shut the fuck up and listen?! Is that so hard for you to do?! Do you have to assume the worst about absolutely everything another person does?!”

He speaks back in a serious tone and slight rage barely hidden in his face,

“When it comes to protecting the people I care about, yes I do! That’s my fuckin’ job, seein’ as how no one else has decided to question you! We were all following you like we were some pack animals, doing everything you asked!”

I continue to look him in the eye. I won’t lie, a pissed off Shane is definitely a scary person to deal with. But I’ve dealt with worse already. He’s definitely not as scary as a horde of walkers. I take some deep breaths to calm myself down, as losing my cool here could lead to one of us being estranged from the group,

“Hooooo… Listen. I’m not saying that Fort Benning was a bad idea. Nor am I saying that the CDC was a bad idea. Look around you.”

I point to the abandoned tanks and all the dead soldiers.

“The CDC. The Center for DISEASE Control and prevention was overrun. You would think that during a time like this, the government would put absolutely everything into defending such an important place. If not to create a vaccine, to keep the diseases inside from escaping and causing an even worse situation.”

I notice that Shane has calmed down noticeably, and the rest of the group seems a lot less tense. I put my arm on his shoulder and say,

“I know I’m not really related much to anybody in this group. But I can tell you this. I want the absolute best for everyone here. I would put myself on the line to protect every one of you. As I’m sure you would. The reason I’m not too sure about the CDC is, in fact, those diseases that are held inside.”

I point around the fields surrounding the CDC, as well as the ceiling,

“I don’t see a single solar panel anywhere in sight. Meaning if they are in there, they’re running on borrowed time. Think about it. A place housing all the deadliest diseases on earth, and possibly even some man-made bio-weapons. What happens when their safety measures fail due to low electricity?”

I speak in a slightly louder tone, making sure everyone can hear me,

“At best, we get blown up by a sort of safety precaution to keep those diseases out of the world. At worst, we start getting sick with these terrible diseases. We all get about a week to live I’d say. Some of us, less. And if those safety measures are gone, so is the AC. We’d be throwing our guts up, bleeding from every hole, burning up, and suffocating on our own breath.”

I continue on,

“And if the CDC of all places has fallen, Fort Benning is definitely gone. I’m not saying not to at least try out the CDC, I’m just saying we should be more careful about this. And if they turn us away, we go on the road for a little while till we find somewhere more easily defensible. Like, say, an isolated farmhouse or a prison. Hell, push comes to shove, we could probably take Fort Benning for ourselves, but with our small group I’d say the first two.”

Shane nods his head and takes a deep breath,

“I gotcha. Sorry for blowin’ up. Lotta stress lately.”

I pay his back,

“No problem, man. I also blew up, sorry for that. We all get emotional at times.”

Shane moss his head,

“It seems I get more agitated lately. Guess this whole situation’s changed me a bit.”

I nod my head,

“Trust me, I get you. In the span of a few days, I went from being a college film student to a killer. I got no doubt that we’ll all be much different in the span of a few months.”

A silence hangs between us before I get to work,

“Hey, could I ask a favor?”

He nods his head,

“I don’t see why not?”

I speak in a bit of a hushed tone, away from the group,

“You mind teaching Andrea how to take apart, clean, and reassemble a pistol? I’ve noticed her having some trouble with her gun lately, and it’d give her something to keep her distracted from her sister’s injuries.”

He nods his head,

“Sure, I don’t mind. Though, I’m sure you could teach her as well as I could.”

I shake my head and scoff,

“Heh, that’s funny. I can barely clean a revolver correctly. You’re the most skilled person in the group when it comes to guns, followed by Rick and Daryl. Plus, I think me teaching her would just remind her of what happened to Amy.”

He smiles as I compliment him,

“Sure. No problem. I could use something to distract me, too.”

And with that, step one of Operation Shandrea has started!

—---------------------------------------------

AN: Read 10+ chapters in advance over on my Patreon.