Chapter 42: Setting off
The campfire meeting ended.
Shawn leaned against a tree outside the main house, watching the excited camp members walk back and forth while listening closely to the faint sounds coming from inside the house. Ever since the meeting ended and Hershel had said those words, the noise from the second floor of the house had barely stopped.
Hearing the sound of a door slamming heavily again, Shawn picked up a wooden stick from the ground, stuck the tip into the dirt, and drew a straight line. Next to this line, there were three identical marks.
"Fourth time the door's been slammed tonight." Shawn let out a cheerful laugh.
Even now, Hershel stubbornly believed he could survive without leaving the Farm. The facts were laid out for everyone to see. Even if the farmhands Jimmy, Otis, and Patricia said nothing, and even though Beth's gentle nature meant she wouldn't defy her father's decision, Maggie couldn't and absolutely would not tolerate it.
Any discerning person could see that the Prison was safer than the Farm, and staying in the Prison was a decision made with the future in mind. Not to mention the important element of Glenn, which tied Maggie firmly to the Quarry Camp's side.
Maggie didn't want to leave Glenn. How could a young couple in love be expected to be too rational? Not wanting to be separated was the truest reflection of their hearts right now. So when Hershel said he 'still needed to consider it', Shawn wasn't worried at all. Because he knew that even if he didn't persuade Hershel, someone else would do it for him. And having his eldest daughter, Maggie, step in was far more effective than him doing it himself.
Playing the emotional card, of course, was best left to family. After all, when it came to this, winning or losing wasn't the most important thing anymore.
Just as Shawn was thinking this, the sound of a door opening came from the house again. The wood groaned, and then a burst of muffled arguing followed. Shawn smiled and picked up his stick, adding another mark next to the other four.
"Fifth time."
And as his voice fell, another heavy slam of a door echoed from the house. This situation continued almost until 6 AM.
The sky was already beginning to lighten. The camp had disappeared, replaced by six vehicles, including the 'Red Tyrant'. One RV, one fire truck, two small cars, and two motorcycles. All the supplies had been packed into the vehicles by the group. They all turned to look back at the same time.
The door of the house behind Shawn creaked open again, but this time it didn't slam shut. Shawn turned to see Hershel walking out, wearing a deep yellow hat and a dark brown suit jacket over his overalls. He had faint dark circles under his eyes; you didn't need to guess to know he hadn't slept at all last night.
And behind Hershel, Maggie and the others came out of the house, carrying large and small bags. They had bright smiles on their faces, their eyes crinkling, clearly overjoyed.
Glenn rushed up and, ignoring Hershel's glare, gave Maggie a hug. The two of them kissed in front of everyone without any hesitation.
"Your dad agreed?" Glenn glanced at Hershel.
"Mhm." Maggie's face was slightly red as she nodded.
Hearing this, Glenn immediately picked up Maggie's luggage and started walking. But he stopped when he passed Shawn, staring at him expectantly. There was almost no extra space in the convoy... except for Shawn's half-full fire truck.
"Go on, go on," Shawn said, rolling his eyes and waving his hand impatiently. 'Spreading their lovey-dovey crap in the apocalypse, this bastard...'
"Thanks, Shawn!" Glenn gave a goofy smile and hurried to put the luggage in the partitioned water tank.
"I thought you were going to stay behind alone," Shawn said with a smile, walking up to Hershel and teasing him.
"The Farm is my everything. But without my daughters, the meaning of the Farm would cease to exist." Hershel sighed, his gaze complicated as he looked into the distance. This was a place he had lived in for decades, his life's work. But between the farm and his family, after a night of struggle, he had chosen his family. Perhaps for him, wherever his family was, that was the Farm.
His few employees successively loaded their supplies and luggage into the partitioned water tank until it was completely full. Before getting into the vehicle, Hershel took one last look back at the lonely wooden house.
With a soft 'thump', the vehicles started moving, leaving long tire tracks behind as they slowly drove forward. This was the road ahead for the vehicles, and also the road to the future for the group. The wheels rolled on, kicking up dust in the bright sun that was gradually emerging from the clouds, reflecting a somewhat ethereal glow.
***
"As long as we're moving, we still have plenty of time. So there's no need to rush. A steady pace is best," Rick said from the passenger seat of the 'Red Tyrant'. In the back seat, Lori and Carl sat on one side, while Carol and Sophia sat on the other.
In front of the 'Red Tyrant' was the slowest vehicle, the RV. Behind were the two small cars. Daryl and Merle, on their motorcycles, scouted the road at the very front. All the large vehicles matched the speed of the RV so that no one would fall behind.
Rick looked at his watch. "We'll have lunch in about 5 hours and 30 minutes to replenish our energy. If we're lucky, Daryl and Merle might find some game along the way."
"No problem with me," Shawn said from the driver's seat, downshifting a gear to show his agreement.
The sun was shining brightly today. Aside from being a little hot, the road conditions were clear and the path was unobstructed. They didn't encounter any particular problems. The walkers that darted out from the woods on both sides of the road couldn't even catch up to the convoy's slowest speed. After chasing for a few meters, they were left far behind, and soon they returned to their aimless wandering.
There were no service areas on the suburban highways in the US, but there were motels every few dozen kilometers.
Around 1 PM, at Shawn's signal, Rick picked up the handheld radio.
"It's about time. We'll stop at the motel for a rest and a bite to eat before we go... over."
A few seconds later, voices from the other vehicles came through the radio in succession.
"Roger that... kzzzzt... over."
"Roger. I think I'll get some gas here too... over."
"Roger. Daryl just came by asking when we could eat, haha... over."
"No one will think you're missing anything if you don't talk... kzzzzt..." It was as if he had just remembered something, and Daryl's voice followed up.
"...over."
Hearing everyone's response, it seemed that everyone was in a good mood at the moment.
*****
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