PART 1
Friday, September 10th.
Day 17 of the Apocalypse.
The day begins with a cigarette in his mouth; Clark and Jerome have been hard at work since early morning, and the number of zombies killed by the community rises by the second.
Ethan realizes that today marks 31 days since he arrived in this world.
“The most hectic 31 days of my life.”
He doesn’t recall ever being this active—not even during his police academy training or the wedding preparations.
He remembers those preparations as a series of disasters, though things worked out in the end.
He remembers it all clearly, thanks to his 10 INT stat, which grants him a perfect memory.
It has its pros and cons; the mere thought of his near-disastrous wedding leads to thoughts of the betrayal, followed by the good times—of which there were many.
He sighs and shivers slightly.
His attention is soon drawn to voices, and he opens his [Map], which has been updated to organize the territory.
Green zones mark the school and the main base, followed by various other locations across the city—his house, Clark’s house, the clinic, outposts, and farms.
…
A group of refugees from Atlanta—about fifty of them—stood in front of the school.
Ethan steps forward, observing the ten armed militiamen standing their ground.
They look different—likely the result of the upgrades he purchased.
“Do you have a representative, or are you just a confused mob making noise?” Ethan asks as he takes the lead; many recognize him as the community’s leader.
As for the “axe maniac”?
Most of Ethan’s activity during those days took place at night.
During the day, he was often pushed to his limits and tended to keep his face covered.
It wouldn’t be smart to go on a wild killing spree with his face exposed.
“Hello there, young man.” A familiar voice speaks up.
Ethan looks over and says, “Niko Hensel, right?”
“Oh, great memory.” The old man, a gun shop owner, smiles.
“I’ve come to accept your invitation.
I’m acting as a voice for these people now.”
Ethan nods.
“There’s no problem with taking in people who follow the rules—not laws, but rules.
The government has fallen, and democracy in a world that’s devouring itself is poison.” His tone is firm.
“If they want to be part of this community and help rebuild Jackson Town, they’re welcome—provided they accept the rules and cooperate.
Otherwise, don’t expect any goodwill from me or my people.”
Niko nods.
“That’s only fair.
You’re building something beautiful here, kid…
well, it’s not hard, considering the state of the world.”
“Right.
The school is out of space—is it the safest place?
Yes, but there’s no room left.
And because of the bombing in Atlanta, you’re essentially refugees; unfortunately, more people will be coming out of the woods, bringing hordes of the undead with them.”
Ethan sighs, and as the other man speaks, he waves his hand to silence him.
“I’m not saying I’ll ignore them—quite the opposite.”
“There are two elementary schools in town.
They’ve been cleared to an extent—no undead, though there’s plenty of blood and guts.
You can settle in there, clean them up, and turn them into a temporary home.
My patrols will extend to cover you, and we’ll take in anyone willing to fight; they’ll get weapons and ammo,” Ethan says calmly.
Before long, they begin to move.
…
Ethan soon sees his [Map] update with two new points of interest: the two elementary schools where he had nearly suffered a mental breakdown—though his mind had simply gone catatonic to protect itself.
At Ethan’s orders, dried meat and grains for porridge were distributed, along with some sweets to keep everyone relatively cheerful and relaxed.
Ethan pulled Niko aside.
“Tell me you guys have weapons and ammo.”
“It was chaos, kid—total chaos,” Niko said with a bitter laugh.
“But I’ve got plenty in my trailer with my kids and grandkids, and I brought along some friends who know how to shoot.” He smiled confidently.
Ethan nodded, but there was more.
“And before things got worse, I restocked my supplies—since you’d made such a big purchase, I figured I’d need them.
The thing is…
they’re in a warehouse in the city, and you know how it is…”
Ethan’s eyes lit up; he asked a few questions, and after receiving confirmation, his [Map] updated, revealing a new point of interest.
“Well, let me introduce you to a friend of mine.” Ethan spoke into the radio, and minutes later, Clark appeared.
“You called?” Clark asked curiously.
“This is Clark, my right-hand man,” Ethan said, introducing him.
“And best friend,” Clark added with a smile, and Ethan gave a slight nod.
“Clark, this is Niko; he owns a gun shop in Atlanta.
He and his crew have weapons and ammo.
I want you to integrate them with our guys, show them our usual guard posts, and explain the benefits,” Ethan said.
“Sure thing.
Shall we?” Clark smiled as he approached Niko, who nodded in agreement.
Ethan smiled as he watched them leave.
Looking at the [Map], he noticed something curious about the green markers symbolizing his territory: a faint pulse radiated outward for one kilometer from those locations, and within that pulsing area, green, yellow, and red dots appeared.
The [Green] ones signified allies.
The [Yellow] ones indicate potential enemies—they might be, or they might not.
The [Red] ones are self-explanatory: enemies.
Mostly zombies.
Ethan spots the group near a scattered horde.
“Claiton, you there?”
<> “Go ahead, boss.”
“South of your position, there looks to be a horde of the undead—probably twenty or thirty of them.
Clear them out.”
<> “Yeah, we were keeping an eye on them, just about to mention it.
We’ll handle it now.”
Ethan smiles, knowing this is incredibly useful.
He soon sets off; there is a horde in his path that he wants to wipe out.
Not to mention that in a few days, he plans to start building the walls—and amidst that, he’ll head out to find Shane.
But first, he needs to find Rick Grimes—who is still in a coma—and see if there really is a miracle doctor looking after him.
PART 2
Niko Hensel is speechless.
“This…
is a massacre.” He surveys the street, now littered with bodies—a sight that wasn’t there before.
“Get used to it,” Clark says, pulling out a cigarette.
He usually smokes five or six a day now; before the apocalypse, it was only one or two.
He’d never been much of a smoker, and his wife hadn’t liked the habit.
Now, he’s following the example of Ethan, who easily goes through one or two packs a day.
“Did Ethan do this?
All by himself?” Niko asks, shocked.
“Yeah.
Everyone has their theories, but you know those medieval fairs?
Weirdos dressing up as knights and having sword duels?” Clark gestures. Read this novel at g.com for the best experience.
“Yeah, I’ve got a nephew who used to do that stuff.
I went once and drank some home-brewed beer that gave me diarrhea for nearly a week.
Never again after that,” Niko snorts.
“Well…
Ethan once mentioned he loved going to those events on the sly—which explains why he’d disappear on his days off.
He said he trained in combat and how to handle that medieval armor.”
Niko looks at the carnage around them.
“There’s no way that’s all there is to it.
Even a bull wouldn’t have the stamina to kill this many.”
Clark shrugs.
“Like I said, we all have our doubts and theories.
Personally, I think Ethan is some kind of secret agent or super-soldier.” He laughs.
“What?” Niko blinks.
“Well…
he practically obliterates these things.
Whether it’s ten or a hundred, he charges in without fear and walks away without a scratch—barely even winded.
I’m certain those contacts of his in the army and the CDC point to something bigger.
There’s no way someone with his skills is just another small-town cop,” Clark says.
“Not to mention the story going around—that three years ago, he was betrayed by his wife and best friend; he had a gun in his hand and saw the two of them together, but he didn’t kill them.
If it’s true, it just shows he’s a special guy.
I mean, I doubt that if I saw my wife in bed with another man, with a gun in my hand…” Clark snorts.
Niko is surprised.
“It’s a good thing he’s on our side.” He laughs.
“Yeah, and he’s our leader,” Clark says.
“That’s actually what I wanted to ask…
did people just accept him as leader?
I admit, when we first met, he seemed…
a bit crazy.” Niko says this, though what he really means is: Manipulative.
Niko knew Ethan was lying or something similar—he was a bit too good with words—but since he had money and what he said made sense and turned out to be true, Niko hadn’t caused any trouble.
Clark stares at him, sighs, and says, “Ethan is the best man I know.
Is he an idiot who tends to do a lot of things on his own?
Yes.
But he protects others and looks after everyone he can.
The schools?
He cleared them out all by himself.
He showed mercy to the kids who’d turned into the undead—something I doubt anyone else would have the courage to do.”
“We all saw Ethan break down after that…
he takes on a burden no one asks him to, yet everyone is grateful for it.
So, here’s a warning since you’re a foreigner: Ethan seems to like you, and with the information you have, we’ll have more resources to protect ourselves.” Clark takes a drag on his cigarette and looks him in the eye.
“Don’t go against him, and don’t try to manipulate anyone, or I guarantee you’ll regret it.”
“Whoa!” Niko waves his hands.
“Easy there, man, it’s nothing like that.
I brought my family here because I remembered his warnings and there was nowhere else to go.
I just want to know if it’s worth following him, because…
my family and I have seen some real shit.”
“So have we,” Clark nods.
“Ethan went out to scavenge for supplies one day and came back with three young girls—all minors…
They’d been abused by monsters, filthy pedophiles.
Ethan killed every last one of them and saved those kids.”
Niko was shocked.
“Ethan is the one who gets things done; he’s decisive.
I’m giving you this warning because if you ever pose a threat…”
“I know,” Niko interrupted.
“Sorry if I caused offense; that wasn’t my intention.
I really just wanted to know more about how things work.”
“No problem.
It’s just that, recently, some refugees from Atlanta slaughtered a farming family to take over their property.
We, of course, slaughtered those bastards,” Clark said.
“Anyway, we’ve got to go—more work to do, and it’ll be lunchtime soon.
I think Bianca is going to whip up a delicious barbecue for our men.”
PART 3
Saturday, September 11th.
Day 18 of the Apocalypse.
Ethan usually gets around on his motorcycle, but after slaughtering over 200 zombies yesterday, he wanted to handle other tasks today; the community wouldn’t take long to reach Level 4.
Today, he took a pickup truck, determined to head out of town.
“Where are you going?” Bianca asked, with other members of the core group present.
“I plan to stop by King County and check on the police station—not to mention the hospital.
I noticed we only have nurses—no offense intended, Mrs.
Clerency.” Ethan glanced at Mercy, who gave a slight wave of her hand.
“I want to see if there are any doctors left at the hospital; if I can bring back one or two, it would be a huge boost for our future.” Ethan smiled.
“But do you have to go alone?” Bianca asked, concerned.
“Everyone has their tasks, and things are running perfectly.
Taking people with me would slow down other areas, and I can handle myself.” Ethan smiled.
No one doubted that.
On his own, Ethan had likely killed more zombies than all the survivors of the Linden County militia combined.
Of course, that wasn’t strictly true—he was responsible for only about 40% of the total kills.
…
Hospital Harrison Memorial.
Ethan stopped a few blocks away.
It was curious how the atmosphere had grown a bit more peaceful.
Sure, there were still the occasional zombies around.
Ethan was near a park, smoking while dealing with nearby zombies and clearing the area—you could never be too careful.
Garrr~
A growl reverberated—one that stood out from the usual ones.
Ethan went to investigate, finding a blonde woman; she was rotting and severed in half.
She reached out toward him, dragging herself along the ground to get closer.
Ethan had no idea who she was, though a short video he’d seen about her identity briefly crossed his mind.
All he knew was her name: Hannah.
“You made enough of an impression that the show’s producers decided to give you a name and a backstory.” He chuckled; he didn’t really know anything about the poor woman—severed in half and dragging herself across the ground—or else he would have shown more respect.
His axe came down, putting an end to it.
Surveying his surroundings, he realized that the escape from the hospital and the military’s departure—along with all the noise that had drawn many of the zombies away—had cleared out most of the undead, and the people, too.
…
He slowly entered the hospital, finding covered bodies lined up at the entrance—clearly executed.
One of the bags moved; Ethan drove a knife into the skull inside, ending it.
“Shit…
what a horrible smell.”
The stench wafting from the bag was the worst smell of decay he’d encountered so far.
He’d grown accustomed to the smell of death, but this was on another level.
Using [Radar Sense], he located everything in the hospital—the zombies and the survivors.
He moved from one to the next, killing the infected.
Looking at the door, he remembered the iconic phrase: Don’t Open, Dead Inside.
But now, the door wasn’t chained, nor was the warning written on it.
With his knife, he finished off the zombies within minutes.
Stepping out into the hallway, he encounters an older woman with dark hair and an exhausted look.
She is startled to see him—bloodied and holding a knife.
“Stay back,” she says.
“I don’t want to hurt anyone,” Ethan says.
“I’m Ethan, a police officer.”
“Police officer?” She frowns and glances at his knife.
“You… I remember you,” Ethan says.
“Dr.
Gale Macones?
You’re the one who treated Rick Grimes, right?”
“Rick Grimes?” Gale blinks, confused, then slowly recalls the name.
“It wasn’t me.
But yes, someone by that name is under my care.”
“I’m Ethan Walker, a Deputy Sheriff in Linden County.
Rick Grimes and Shane Walsh—who are from here in King County—and I went through some police training together; we’re practically friends,” Ethan says.
“I see… now that you mention it, I do think I remember you.” Gale narrows her eyes.
“Someone that handsome is hard to forget.” She offers a dry smile.
“You said Rick is under your care?” Ethan asks, and Gale nods.
…
Before long, they arrive at the coma ward; there are two other patients besides Rick.
Ethan looks at Rick Grimes lying in the bed, pale and drenched in sweat.
‘It’s amazing he’s still alive’, he thinks.
“Doctor?” A young voice calls out.
A young blonde woman appears, wearing blue nurse’s scrubs; she is taken aback by the large, muscular, handsome man.
Her gaze lingers on his thick, veiny arms.
“Kate!” Gale calls out a third time, snapping the young woman out of her daze.
“Oh—yes?” She blinks.
“This is Ethan, a police officer from Linden County and a friend of the patient,” Gale says, gesturing toward him.
“Oh, nice to meet you.
I’m Kate Harrys.” – She smiles and extends a hand toward Ethan, but he shows her that his hand is stained with blood, causing hers to pull back.
“Mr.
Ethan, what exactly did you come here to do?
Usually, people who visit the hospital… want help.
You certainly aren’t that close to Officer Rick Grimes,” Gale points out.
Ethan nods.
“Good eye.
To be honest, besides coming here for supplies, I was looking for you.” He points at Gale.
“For me?
I don’t think we have any sort of connection.” Gale narrows her eyes.
“Your skills as a doctor.” Ethan smiles.
“In Jackson Town, we have over 300 survivors; in a week, that number should be around 400 to 450.
We’re trying to rebuild, clearing the city of the undead—that should be done in a week—and then we’ll start building walls all around the city, creating a place where even children can walk around without fear.”
Both women are shocked.
“But even with so many people, there are no doctors—or if there are any, they haven’t been found yet.
A doctor is essential, and I’m very grateful to have found you here,” Ethan says.
Gale blinks.
“You… are you serious?”
“Yes.” Ethan nods.
“I came out to scout on my own; the whole community has a lot of work to do, and I’m our best fighter and scout.
I want to know if you’d like to come with me; I can guarantee safety and food.”
Gale hesitates.
“Doctor, I think we should go,” Kate says.
Gale looks at her, hesitating.
“Can I be honest?
I’m taking both of you with me, whether you like it or not,” Ethan says, meeting their astonished gazes.
“Don’t get me wrong, but this is a hospital.
Even if you can avoid the undead because they’re slow, it’s a different story with people.
Plenty of folks likely come here looking for help—which is probably why you aren’t too worried or cautious about my presence.”
“So what?” Gale asks, her eyes narrowing.
“If it were just you, I wouldn’t be worried.
Dr.
Gale, you’re a woman, sure, but you’re older and don’t exactly stir up men’s desires—but her…” Ethan looks at Kate, a beautiful young woman of twenty-three or twenty-four with a great figure.
“There are no laws anymore.
Men might come to loot the hospital for medicine, find the two of you, and take an interest in her.” He points at Kate.
“I don’t need to spell out what would happen to her.
I don’t want to scare you, just warn you.
The trouble is, that kind of warning is scary.”
“What about the patients?” Gale asks.
“Regarding the three patients in comas… can I take a look at the others?” Ethan asks, and Gale nods.
…
Ethan examines the other two patients; the most recent arrival has been bedridden for a year, the other for five.
Gale explains, “Both are brain-dead; their families just couldn’t bring themselves to…”
“It’s a miracle they’re still alive without life support,” Ethan notes.
“Yes, but it’s been this way for a long time—otherwise, the families would have pulled the plug by now,” Gale points out.
“Honestly, Rick has only been in a coma for a few weeks, still recovering from a gunshot wound; he still has a chance of waking up—if he’s lucky.
But these people…” Ethan sighs.
“I don’t think we have the means to keep them going much longer.
Or the resources.”
“What do you suggest?” – Gale stares at him.
Ethan draws a pistol.
– “I could just end this.
These people don’t stand a chance; Rick still has one, and I know his family is alive out there somewhere.
But these two…
if they haven’t woken up after years, I don’t think it’s going to happen now.”
The only answer he gets is silence.
…
Pow!
Pow!
…
Rick Grimes is moved; bags full of medical supplies are loaded up.
Ethan pulls up his pickup truck, and they place Rick in the back with Kate beside him, tending to him with an IV drip in hand.
Gale takes the passenger seat.
Ethan gets behind the wheel and drives.
Less than three hours later, they arrive at the school.
Rick is settled into the infirmary, and Gale—who had been doubtful and wore a somber expression—finds his eyes shining at the sight of so many people, so much…
hope.