Chapter 28: Democracy?!
The next day.
Shawn got up and jumped down from the fire truck. He held his Stone Sledgehammer and, through Rick, called a general meeting.
Shawn's group of 4, Rick's group of 8, plus the 6 from the Farm. All the active survivors in this area were here.
"Is this about the Prison?" Rick's expression was much better than yesterday. At the Farm, with no walkers to harass them and no troubles to disturb them, every member of his team was safe. Rick couldn't have slept more soundly.
Of course, the main reason was that more people were now gathered together. The saying "strength in numbers" was truly reflected in the survivors active in this area. No one was doing anything to sabotage the group; everyone was wholeheartedly trying to survive.
"Yes, but not entirely." Shawn took over, drawing everyone's attention to himself.
Shawn looked at each person. Like Rick, their complexions had improved significantly. After just one night's rest, they looked almost as they had back at the Quarry Camp.
"Before we begin, I'd like to ask you all to answer my questions honestly," Shawn announced, placing his Stone Sledgehammer heavily on the ground beside him.
"First question—please raise your hand if you have personally stuck a knife in a walker's head."
What kind of question was this? The group was confused, but they raised their hands as requested.
Shawn looked around. "Rick, Glenn, Shane, Daryl, Merle, T-Dog… and Maggie?" Shawn was a little surprised. He didn't expect Maggie to have the courage to kill a walker by hand so early on. But even with Maggie, only 7 people had raised their hands. The remaining 12 people looked at Shawn without a word.
"Next, please raise your hand if you have killed a walker with a firearm."
Hearing his question, those who had already raised their hands did not lower them. A few more people in the group hesitantly raised their hands. Andrea, Old Dale… Almost everyone from the Quarry Camp had their hand up. During the first major fight, everyone had a gun and had more or less killed a walker.
Aside from them, the remaining few had not raised their hands at all. In other words, if they encountered walkers now, the number of people in the group who could fight immediately, including Shawn, was only about 12 or 13. And if they wanted to do it without making noise, without attracting more walkers and other survivors, there were only 7 people who could act. And among them, elite fighters like Shawn and Daryl were even rarer.
Most people in the United States knew how to shoot, but knowing how to shoot didn't mean you were experienced, nor did it mean you could hold your own. When a real crisis hit, how many could actually fight? It was a simple calculation, and Shawn quickly figured it out.
After some thought, Shawn spoke under the watchful gaze of the group. "I believe everyone knows about the Prison I mentioned."
"That's right. The location of the Prison is to the south. With enough gasoline, we could probably get there in a week. If we leave now, this time next week, we could be standing on the soft grass inside the Prison fence, grilling some skewers and opening a couple of beers to celebrate."
As Shawn spoke, a look of joy appeared on many faces. But in the next moment, his words were like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing the flame that had just been lit in their hearts.
"But this morning, with a clear head, I suddenly realized I had oversimplified the problem."
"If we go as we are now, we'll just be feeding the walkers in the Prison."
"Sure, we can take the Prison, but we might have to pay the price of at least half our team!"
"Think about it. A week from now, half the people standing here might be gone."
"They could be your wife! Your father! Even your child!"
"Now… can you still smile?"
Shawn looked at everyone calmly, laying out the pros and cons clearly. In short, it was one sentence—you people are completely outmatched, what makes you think you can take the Prison?
Without Shawn, Rick's group would have wandered for half a year after numerous encounters with walkers before finding the Prison.
And even the Rick's team of that time had paid a certain price to finally get the Prison under control. Hershel's leg was bitten and had to be amputated, T-Dog was devoured by walkers in the chaos, Lori's abdomen was cut open to deliver Judith, but she died from her injuries and turned… If Shane had been there then, he probably wouldn't have let anything happen to Lori, right?
And now, with Shawn's addition, although the team was stronger, was it really strong enough to easily take the Prison?
Shawn was skeptical. After all, if the Prison could be taken easily, it would have already been occupied by other survivors, just like the small town to the east he had visited. Why would it be their turn?
What Shawn wanted was to take the entire Prison without losing a single person! That would be the team's first true, complete victory.
After hearing Shawn's analysis, the group fell silent. Carol stroked her daughter's long hair, looking down at her own hands. Without Rick and Shawn, could she protect her daughter? If a walker was right in front of her, could she kill it without panicking? You can watch others do it ten, a hundred times, but only when you do it yourself do you realize how difficult it is.
The others lowered their heads, silent like Carol.
'To have survived since the beginning of the apocalypse, at least it shows they have some merit,' Shawn thought, secretly relieved.
"Shawn, what do you plan to do?" Rick asked in a low voice, moving closer. Daryl and Merle stood behind Shawn, one on each side.
"Training!" Shawn said without hesitation. "Whether it's melee weapons or firearms, everyone must join the training, even the children!"
His words were harsh, but rather than have them cry only when they were being torn apart by walkers, Shawn preferred to wake everyone up right now.
"What are you talking about?" Hearing that children also had to join, Lori's expression changed instantly. She pulled Carl's shoulder tightly and didn't let go. The next second, she looked at Rick. "I thought we were a democratic team."
"DEMOCRACY?!"
But before Rick could react, a low roar from Shawn's throat made everyone's heart jump. Even Daryl and Merle felt a chill looking at Shawn's back at that moment. They knew that this time, Lori had really pissed him off.
Shawn strode forward, placed his hammer in front of him, and rested both hands on the handle. The oppressive feeling of bloodlust coming off him made it hard for the others to breathe.
His gaze was like a red-hot branding iron stabbing into Lori's skull, the searing heat melting her down in seconds, destroying her last line of psychological defense amidst the thick smell of gunpowder.
At this moment, Shawn's state was somewhat similar to how he was during the Blood Moon, but also different.
"Hey buddy, you need to control yourself. Lori, she didn't mean it like that…"
Seeing the situation turn bad, Rick immediately apologized to Shawn, but Shawn just kept staring at Lori, completely ignoring him.
******
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