章 27: Start of something

Damian was driving out to the town as he turned up the music. Walkers on the side of the road were turning to look at the car as they heard the music trying to catch the car. He just kept looking forward. Two miles of drive and he was already in town. He parked the car to the side of the road and got out looking around. He picked up his bag and started walking carefully on the road.

He then started looking inside the stores around for food and medicines.

He found some packaged snacks in a store, put it in his bag and moved to the next store.

A l saw qot of time went by and it was already mid day. He suddenly saw a movement inside a house. Reaching outside the gate, he looked around.

"Hey, anyone in there?", he asked. "I'm John Smith. I am a good person. Please don't attack. I coming in". He slowly opened the door and entered the house. He slowly pulled out his gun and kept in his hand just to be ready as he moved forward.

"Hands up where I can see", a voice came from behind him pointing a gun at his back.

"Whoa, okay, okay. Please don't shoot", he said as he raised his hand. The man took his gun from him.

"Stick to the wall", he ordered.

"Okay", Damian did as told as the man started checking the gun.

"Only two bullets?", he asked as he looked.

"I've been looking for bullets along with the food", he said.

"You alone?", he asked.

"Yes. Since the pandemic. You are the first person I saw in weeks", Damian said.

The man looked at him seriously before dropping his gun.

"Jacob. Jacob Frost. You?", he asked as he introduced himself, keeping the gun in his bag.

"John Smith", he replied. "And you. Are you also alone, like me?".

He nodded. Looked outside and said, "I'm looking for some people. They visit this place occasionally. Have you seen them?".

"I just arrived today from Atlanta", Damian replied. "Why are you looking for them though?", he asked.

"Personal matter", he said. Damian looked at him with strange eyes. "Alright, you can leave now".

"What? But my-", Damian said in a worried tone. "It stays with me", the man said. "I am letting you go though. So be thankful. Leave. Now", the man said as he pulled up his gun again.

"Alright. Okay", he started walking out but suddenly turned, "Or I might help you find them?", he offered.

"No need", the man replied. "But two are better than one. I think you have some anger towards these people, but you won't be able to face them alone would you? I can help you", Damian said.

The man thought for some time before lowering his gun and nodding. "Okay. But I keep the gun", he said.

"Yes. You keep it. If that will make you feel safer. I just... Don't want be alone. You know. It makes me go crazy", Damian said.

"I understand", the man said as he looked outside.

Time passed and the duo talked with the man more and more and started trusting each other. It was night. "Do you really believe they'd come here?", Damian asked Jacob.

"Yes pass through here every other day", he replied.

And as he said, a car stopped by in front of the house across the road. Few people came out and started coming towards them. "What do we do now?" Damian asked as he turned around but saw that the man had pulled his gun up against him. The people came up and opened the door to their room. Entering in, one of the men asked, "Hey, who is this guy?", as he took a smoke.

"Some dum-", Jacob was about to say when suddenly Damian lunged at him in a pace that he couldn't react and lost his weapon to the opponent. Damian put his gun on his head and stared at the man.

"I knew. You were faking since the start. Trying to wait here for people. They were your people. You were in the lookout", Damian said.

Everyone else was stunned for a moment before one of them started to pull out his gun but Damian shot on the ground. "Don't.", Damian said.

But the next moment, he loosened his grip and dropped his gun in Jacob's hand, surprising everyone. Jacob looked at him dumbfounded as Damian smiled at him.

"I would have done the same in your shoes. Looking out for your group. Good", he said. "Can I join you guys? I can be useful in the group", Damian said.

Now only did the people there understood what was happening.

"You want to join us. Why?", one man asked.

"I am going crazy travelling alone", Damian replied.

Jacob started laughing loudly as he looked at Damian happily. "Man, you are quick on the feet aren't you? You had me there", he said as others started laughing too.

"Alright. You are in. But get one thing straight. We're not the good guys. If we want something from others, we just take it", Jacob said looking at Damian seriously.

"No one who says he's a good person is good person. I have done some bad shit myself. Don't worry, I know", Damian said.

Jacob smiled and offered his hand, "I am Jim. Just Jim", he said as Damian looked at him strangely.

"But you said your name was Jacob?", He asked as he shook his hand.

"Hey you used my name again?", the man smoking cigarette said from the back as everyone laughed and gathered around Damian to welcome him to the group.

"So, should we go to the base?", he asked.

"What? There are more people?", Damian asked.

"Oh we're a whole larger than you think", Jim walked out laughing as others followed behind him.

In the farm, when Damian didn't return, people started getting unsettled.

"You think something happened to him?", Andrea asked Shane.

"Don't know. He was alone. We don't have any means to find out. Only if we go out there search for him. Searching for Sophia is already taking a toll and now we have to look for him", Shane said

"Maybe he got late. Maybe he'll come back tomorrow", Glenn said.

"Maybe something happened to him? We have to go look for him", Amy said.

"We can't go out in the middle of the night. It's not safe. Maybe he couldn't make it here and is staying in the town for the night. Let's wait till tomorrow. If he doesn't come back, we'll go look for him", Rick said.

"Rick", a voice called Rick from far away. Rick and the group looked at Shawn as he was approaching them. Rick stood up from the log he was sitting in and walked towards him.

"Shawn, is Carl okay?", he asked thinking he was here because of Carl.

"He's well and sleeping. Your wife is there with him", he said as he pulled out a paper from his pocket and handed it to him. "From Damian", he said as he looked at Rick.

Rick opened and read it and then looked at Shawn as the later was doing the same to him.

He turned around and said, "Damian said he'll be gone for a few days. He'll look for the group and see if they have Sophia. He said that group is dangerous, so don't come after him even if he doesn't return".