TWD: Awakened As Rick

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The morning air was crisp, the sky overcast as Rick stood in the center of The Right Arm's command. A map was spread across the table, dotted with red X's and circles drawn in charcoal. Around him stood the leadership council: Shane, Guillermo, Daryl, Glenn, Merle, Morales, and Morgan.

"We've got more people than ever," Rick began, eyes locked on the map. "But we don't have the ammunition to protect them. If a horde or raider group came now in full force, we'd hold the line for maybe two days."

Daryl crossed his arms. "Then we fix that."

Rick nodded. "Exactly."

He pointed to a location on the map — Fort Barnes, a small National Guard outpost thirty miles east. Scouted once already by Glenn and T-Dog, it showed promise. The armory might still hold crates of gear. Better yet, the motor pool was untouched.

"We hit Barnes first," Rick said. "Then we work our way through the others. No civilians. Only trained soldiers."

Guillermo chimed in. "How many are we bringing?"

"Twelve," Rick replied. "Two vehicles. One assault team, one haul team. No unnecessary risks. We move in silence. Get what we need, and get out."

Shane leaned over the table. "What about fallback?"

"We set a fallback perimeter one mile west. If it goes bad, we regroup there and fall back to The Right Arm."

Everyone nodded.

The next few hours were spent prepping. Daryl and Joel fueled up the trucks. Glenn double-checked the radios. Merle distributed the best gear: rifles with suppressors, heavy-duty vests, machetes, and backup pistols.

By midday, they were ready.

En Route to Fort Barnes – Afternoon

Two vehicles rumbled down an overgrown rural highway, weaving between abandoned cars and half-eaten roadkill. Rick rode shotgun in the lead truck, Daryl behind the wheel. The second truck, packed with crates and gear, was led by Guillermo, with Morales, Shane, and Glenn riding close.

"Quiet," Rick said over the radio. "Scan every rooftop. This place might've been raided already."

As they neared the site, the old chain-link fences of Fort Barnes came into view — mostly intact. The main gate was half-open.

"Stop," Rick ordered.

Everyone dismounted. 

Rick, Daryl, and Glenn breached first — clearing the outpost building by building. Empty offices. Barracks covered in dust. 

Then they reached the armory.

"Locked," Shane said, kneeling beside the steel door.

Merle stepped up with a crowbar and a smug grin. "Then it's good we brought me."

It took twenty minutes — but the door gave way with a shriek of metal.

Inside

Crates stacked chest-high.

Boxes of 9mm rounds, 5.56 NATO, and even .308 sniper rounds. Shotgun shells. Sidearms. Three M4 carbines. Two old M249 SAWs — light machine guns. No RPGs, but enough firepower to defend a town.

Rick gave the word. "Load everything. Take it all."

In the adjacent garage, they found a functional Humvee, half-covered in a tarp, with two spare tires and a winch still mounted. Morales hotwired it within minutes.

"Engine's old," he said. "But it'll run."

Returning to The Right Arm – Dusk

As the convoy rolled back through the gates, the sun dipped low behind the trees. Carol and Clara ran to help as the trucks unloaded crate after crate of ammo and gear. Sarah and Jacqui inventoried the medical rations found in the infirmary.

Children gathered near the motor pool as the Humvee rolled in, muddy and dented but alive.

Daryl grinned. "Now that's a damn sight."

Rick helped carry a heavy crate toward the barn and set it down with a grunt.

"This buys us time," he said quietly to Morgan, who stood beside him.

Morgan nodded. "And what do we do with it?"

Rick looked across the camp — to the watchtowers, the fields, the soldiers in training.

"We build more."

Later That Night – Council Meeting

In the command barn, Rick updated the board.

"We now have enough ammunition to train another ten fighters, arm the wall teams, and build rotating patrols. The SAWs will be mounted on towers. The Humvee gets assigned to Glenn's rapid scout unit."

Guillermo added, "And with the spare radios, we can outfit every squad leader."

Shane leaned forward, arms resting on the table. "So what's next?"

Rick circled the next red mark on the map: Dobbins Fuel Depot.

He stared at it.

"We hit them all. We take back everything this world left behind. Bit by bit."

Merle chuckled. "You're really building your own army, huh?"

Rick looked up.

"No. We're building a future."

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If you enjoy my work, consider supporting me on Ptreon for early access, exclusive chapters, and more:

15 Advanced Chapters on Patreon

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