Chapter 70: Taming Shane
"You, like Rick, have been professionally trained. But compared to Rick, you are actually the best person in the camp for tactical execution."
"You asked me yesterday what you should do."
"Stop fighting with Rick to the death... Shane, be my second-in-command. In a more mature way, protect anyone you want to protect. In the future Prison, there will definitely be a place for you!"
This time, Shawn didn't hold back. He had no time to deal with the ethical question of whether Lori's baby was Rick's or Shane's. With the current equipment, it was impossible to tell anyway. So as long as Shane believed it was his child, then the baby in Lori's womb could be his.
And Shawn had made it very clear yesterday. Whether it was Shane's love for Lori or Lori's for Shane, it was just a temporary act of huddling together for warmth in the apocalyptic environment, a mutual dependence. Now that Lori had made her own thoughts clear, Shane had to make his clear as well. Constant conflict and rivalry would only lead to the gradual disintegration of the team, ultimately resulting in the complete destruction of everything he wanted to protect.
So, up to this point, the signal Shawn was sending to Shane was:
Joining my faction = you can protect your loved ones + become a winner in the future apocalypse + achieve self-worth.
All these words boiled down to one sentence.
"Shane, join me!"
Hearing Shawn say this, Shane subconsciously touched his chest. The heavy stone that had been pressing down on him seemed to have loosened. The words Shawn had said last night still seemed to echo in his ears. Lori's face suddenly appeared in his mind. Seeing her smile, Shane suddenly felt a sense of release.
Shawn was right. He had been fighting! But in the end, it was always about two things—power and a woman. And when Rick appeared, all that was left in Shane's heart was the desire for power. For him, fighting for Lori was also part of the power struggle.
Shane was not resigned! He was obsessed! But after experiencing so much, especially having just faced death, Shane suddenly had an epiphany. The things he once thought were most important were actually not as indispensable as he had imagined.
A feeling of exhaustion finally hit him, and he collapsed to the ground with a 'thump'.
Shane looked up, took off his helmet, and looked at Shawn with a solemn expression. "Listen, I can't stand Dale's saintly theories. He'll just get everyone killed."
"I also want to use heavy weapons, to arm the entire Prison with solid steel. In the future, I will train an army."
"And at least... at least for now, my bottom line is still Lori."
"I can stay away from her, but you must ensure her safety."
Shane stared straight into Shawn's eyes, saying a lot of things he had long thought about. He wanted to train an army, the subtext being that he needed power. But the good thing was, Shane was no longer just revolving around Lori. The other people in the team had appeared in his eyes. That was why he would say something like 'arm the prison'.
At least for now, Lori was his bottom line... Shawn could hear that Shane's focus was changing. If it was Lori now, why add the words 'at least'? What about Lori was time-limited, and what would Shane be interested in? After some thought, Shawn could only focus on the 'little girl'. This was Lori's daughter, and in Shane's eyes, this was also his child.
Shane was making a concession. He was no longer being extreme. Shane was starting to state his conditions, which was good news.
At this thought, a smile appeared on Shawn's face, and he extended a hand to Shane. "Deal."
For someone with Shane's personality, this was already the best possible outcome. Otherwise, with his post-dark-side personality, even if he joined Shawn's command, he would definitely say thing like:
"With our strength, we can totally rule the Prison together."
"Rick is my brother, I can't bear to do it; you help me get rid of him. I only want Lori and Carl. Just give me that, and I'll lay down my life for you! You can be the warden then, and I'll take care of the disobedient small fry for you!"
After all, if Shane said he'd do it, he'd really do it, without any hesitation. Being a 'leader' might not be the best choice for him, but as an 'enforcer', few were more suitable than Shane.
Helping Shane up from the ground, Shawn personally put the helmet on for him. "The prison is our future reliance. Everyone can live safely here."
As his voice fell, Shawn smiled and patted Shane's shoulder. Shane didn't reply, just nodded heavily. Because the words that reached his ears had turned into 'your child can live safely here in the future'.
Shane tightened his grip on the machete. The heavy stone on his chest completely lifted, and he felt an unprecedented sense of ease throughout his body. The long-held obsession was finally released, and in an instant, Shane seemed like a different person.
"In that case, I'll leave the 2nd floor to you. Check it carefully. I'll go check the 3rd floor," Shawn said, picking up the Remington and loading it with 20-gauge shotgun shells. Rick had given him the shells. The 15.6mm caliber, equivalent to the diameter of a 1/20-pound shot, could be used to hunt prey that wasn't particularly large. It was just right for dealing with a hundred-something-pound prey.
Putting away his hammer, Shawn went up the stairs to the 3rd floor with the shotgun. Moving lightly, he found that this floor was also quiet. But Shawn, who was familiar with the ways of 7 Days to Die, knew with perfect clarity. The quieter a place was, the more likely it was that a bunch of walkers would suddenly appear.
***
Shawn looked around. "So the third floor is where the warden and deputy warden's offices were."
The space on the third floor was much more spacious compared to the cramped two floors below. The original purpose of this floor was to provide rest and privacy for a very small number of people. The translucent office glass windows offered a clear view. In the left corner of the third floor, there was a stopped elevator that went directly to the 1st floor outside.
But whether it was the warden's or the deputy warden's office, they both had one characteristic: there was no sign of walkers. They were exceptionally clean.
Shawn waited outside for a while. He tried stepping his left foot in, then quickly pulled it back. No walker growls were heard. Everything was still the same.
Shawn was full of questions. He then strode into the office. The warden's and deputy warden's offices were separated by a wall. But when Shawn entered the warden's office, he was surprised to find a transparent window on the wall, the size of an oil painting. The window looked directly into the deputy warden's office, offering a full view at a glance.
And when Shawn went around to the deputy warden's office, he saw that this side was just a simple mirror.
"Whoa—"
Shawn gave a smile that everyone would understand.