They arrive at the farm, with Andy and Lee carrying full gas cans in hand.
"Here it is: St. John's Family Dairy," Andy announces, gesturing toward the electric fence. "You can see how we've managed to keep this place so secure."
Eddie, still clutching his rifle, steps up to the electric fence, studying it closely before rejoining the group.
"The fence keeps them out?" Mark inquires.
"You betcha! They fry like bugs in a zapper. We're pushing around 4,000 volts through that thing, powered by generators and heavy-duty amps," Andy replies with a grin.
"So you guys know about this stuff? Running wires and all that?" Eddie asks, looking impressed.
"Had a guy who did," Danny replies.
"Had? He's dead?" Eddie raises an eyebrow.
"Yeah. Bad business," Danny nods solemnly.
"Dead got him?" Eddie presses.
"Uh-huh," Danny confirms.
As they converse, a woman observes them from the window, her interest piqued.
"Any accidents ever happen?" Lee asks, breaking the tension.
"Nah," Danny shakes his head.
"It's safer here than out there," Andy adds.
"This place looks untouched! You'd never guess the rest of the world is in ruins," Carley exclaims, impressed.
"It's worth protecting, which is why we have all this electricity," Andy explains.
The woman, named Brenda, descends the steps toward the group, holding a basket.
"I thought I saw y'all had company coming down the drive!" Brenda calls out.
"Guys, this is our mama," Andy says, gesturing to her.
"I'm Brenda St. John, and welcome to St. John Dairy!" she introduces herself warmly.
Andy points to Lee. "This here's Lee. He moves around a lot, but with things the way they are, maybe we can convince him to stick around for a while."
"They've got a few more friends staying at the old motel," Danny adds.
"Oh, my goodness, that place is pretty vulnerable. Have you all got someone with survival experience to lead your group?" Brenda asks, her concern evident.
"I've got things under control over there," Lee asserts, trying to sound confident.
"Well, I hope you know what you're doing. That place isn't safe like it is here," Brenda remarks, her worry still apparent. "Now that y'all are here, we'll make sure you're safe and comfortable."
"Does that offer apply to the rest of us?" Lee asks, glancing around at the group.
"We're all incredibly hungry," Carley notes.
"These are for y'all. Baked fresh this morning," Brenda says, lifting the basket filled with golden bread.
"Amazing!" Carley exclaims, her eyes lighting up.
"Can't get stuff like that anymore, not without a cow for milk and butter, that's for sure," Danny adds.
"That's right. Hopefully, Maybelle pulls through this bout of whatever she's got and stays with us for a good long while," Brenda states with a touch of hope.
"Your cow is sick? What's she—" Lee starts, but is interrupted.
"We have a vet! We could bring her here! We can help you folks out!" Mark interjects, and as soon as he mentions the vet, Eddie shoots him a sharp glare, his eyes boring into the back of Mark's head.
"A vet? Oh, my! Our prayers have been answered!" Brenda exclaims, her smile wide.
"Maybe our whole group could come for the day," Mark suggests enthusiastically, but Eddie isn't having it. He grabs Mark's shoulder, leaning closer to whisper.
"Mark, seriously, shut the fuck up," Eddie warns, tightening his grip.
"Well, how about this? Y'all go get your veterinary friend while I prepare some dinner. A big feast for all you hungry souls. It'll be wonderful to have some folks helping out around here again. Danny, why don't you come help me in the kitchen?" Brenda suggests, and she and Danny head off.
"Why don't I head back with the food and round up everyone for the trip over here?" Carley offers.
"You might wanna take someone with you. Remember, those roads can be perilous," Andy advises.
"I can handle myself," Carley replies with confidence.
"Take this," Mark says, handing his rifle to Carley. "Why don't you take Ben along anyway?"
"Take care of yourself, Lee and Eddie. See you in a bit," Carley says as she prepares to leave.
Ben and Carley set off.
"Mark, Eddie, Lee, why don't you take a look around? Once you're settled in, I could use some help securing the perimeter," Andy suggests. Eddie turns to him with a raised eyebrow.
"Is there a problem?" Lee asks, sensing the tension.
"Sometimes the dead get tangled up in the fence before they fry and end up knocking over a post. It'd be a big help if you could walk the perimeter. You can learn a little about our defense system while you're at it. I'm going to top off the generators before they run dry. Come get me when you're ready," Andy explains.
"Sure," Eddie nods.
"You betcha," Mark agrees.
With that, Andy leaves them.
"This place is incredible! It's got food! And that fence... oh, man, that fence! If we play our cards right, this could be a place we can stay. So how do you want to play this?" Mark says, his enthusiasm palpable, which Eddie finds irritating.
"I think we should proceed cautiously with these people. Honestly, I believe we could easily take this place over," Eddie counters, a steely look in his eyes.
"Whoa, calm down, John McClane," Mark says, raising a hand to the younger man. "These are good people."
Eddie scoffs. "We have more manpower. This place... We could grow vegetables like they do here ourselves. If we make them leave, we won't owe them anything in return."
"Before we can even think about moving our whole group here to stay, we need to determine if this place is as safe as they claim it is," Lee interjects, grounding the conversation.
"Right. They obviously believe it's safe, but is it safe enough for the kids? I spotted a broken swing over there. Not a major concern, but who knows what else might be broken that we can't see yet?" Mark reflects with a sigh.
"And checking the fence perimeter sounds like a solid way to assess their defenses," Lee agrees.
"Alright, I'll keep my eyes peeled, and you see what you can learn from Andy," Mark instructs as he begins to move away.
Mark walks off, and Eddie shakes his head in frustration before following suit. Lee steps through the gate.
While Lee surveys the surroundings, Eddie heads over to a stack of wooden planks. He sets down his rifle, picks up a handsaw and a plank, and begins sawing it down to size. Once he's finished, he carries the smaller plank over to the broken swing and makes the necessary repairs.
After some time, Lee calls out to Eddie and gestures for him to come over as he approaches Mark.
Together, Lee, Mark, and Eddie walk along the northwest section of the fence.
"So, how's the place looking? Is it safe enough for us to stay... if we're allowed?" Mark inquires, looking at Lee with a mix of curiosity and concern.
"Yeah, it's impressive what they've done with this dairy farm," Lee replies, surveying the area. "But we'd better see what it takes to secure this fence before jumping to any conclusions."
"Hmm..." Eddie hums thoughtfully, but internally he's contemplating how much easier life would be for the group if they just took over the dairy farm themselves.
"Do you think we're doing enough to gain the St. Johns' favor?" Mark asks, a hint of uncertainty in his voice.
"Well, we don't want to come off as overly eager. Showing them we can handle this fence is going to matter significantly." Lee emphasizes.
Eddie lags slightly behind them, lost in thought.
"I can't wait until everyone's out here. Everyone except Larry..." Mark trails off.
"I still think we should just bring Dad, Lilly, and Carley here and claim this place for ourselves," Eddie suggests, his ambition evident.
"And I still think you should calm down," Mark shoots back, glaring at Eddie.
Recognizing the tension, Lee decides to step in. "By the way, why on earth did you tell Larry that I think he's a racist? As if things weren't tense enough!"
"Sorry, man! It just... slipped out!" Mark's demeanor shifts to defensive. "I mean, you DID admit it right to his face..."
"If you hadn't mentioned that you two were talking behind his back, he wouldn't be acting like an even bigger jerk," Eddie retorts.
Mark glances up at Lee. "I... I'm sorry, okay?"
A crow swoops down, tearing a piece of flesh from a dead zombie impaled on the fence by an arrow.
"Here's one," Eddie states, stepping closer. He uses the butt of his rifle to push the charred walker away from the fence.
"Andy mentioned that when this fence is operational, the walkers get electrocuted like branches on a power line. If those lights are off, does that mean the fence isn't working?" Mark observes.
"It better be." Lee replies. "Come on, I'm sure there are a few more to deal with."
They continue their search along the perimeter.
"Once this fence is repaired, this place will be a fortress! Can you imagine not having to worry about walkers anymore?" Mark grins, but Eddie counters.
"Gas only lasts about six months," Eddie remarks, revealing the flaw in Mark's optimism.
Lee nods in agreement. "It's worthless without fuel. We might need food, but the St. Johns will need gas, too."
"So, what's your read on the brothers? They seem to have this place secured pretty well," Mark asks, keen to gather more information.
"Danny gives me the creeps," Eddie states bluntly, prompting Mark to overlook his comment.
Lee regards Eddie seriously. "If we have to, we have enough people to take this place by force."
"Lee..." Mark shakes his head in disapproval. "You two sound just like Kenny."
Eddie bristles at the mention of Kenny. "And what's wrong with that?"
Mark shakes his head. "Nothing... No."
"There's another one," Lee says, alerting the group.
"I see it," Mark acknowledges.
The three of them approach another zombie ensnared in the fence. Lee swings his axe, dislodging the undead from the barrier, but its hands remain trapped.
"Damn..." Eddie steps closer to examine the corpse. "Its hands are actually melted into the fence."
Lee severs the zombie's wrists, and the body collapses while the hands remain attached to the fence.
"You never get used to that smell, do you?" Mark asks, grimacing.
Lee chuckles. "Nope."
"Nah." Eddie shakes his head in agreement with Lee.
They continue their trek.
"Christ, I can't stop thinking about dinner," Mark admits. "It would be nice to get some of those rations. I get hungry too, you know."
"You ate yesterday. I haven't had anything either," Eddie reminds him.
"I'm hungry too, Mark," Lee adds.
"Do you think they'll actually provide a decent meal for a whole group?" Mark asks, skepticism in his tone.
"They claim they will," Eddie replies.
"Let's just finish this up. Maybe Brenda has some more bread in the house," Mark suggests, scanning their surroundings.
As they move along, they spot a section of the fence that has collapsed, with a walker ensnared in the debris. Nearby, a silo and a tractor come into view.
"Come on, I think I see how they're getting in. This walker must've knocked over the fence trying to break through. Let's get this back in place and get Mr. Crispy off of here," Mark instructs.
"I think we'd get better leverage from the other side," Lee suggests.
"Let's be cautious. We've been exposed for too long. The bandits we spotted in the woods could be watching," Eddie warns, and the others nod in agreement.
Mark jumps over the fallen fence to the other side. He crouches down, grabbing onto one of the fence posts. Eddie follows suit, casting a glance into the woods, while Lee jumps over the fence as well. They work together to lift the fence back up, but as they release it, the electric current suddenly activates.
"Whoa!" Eddie exclaims, startled by the sound of electricity as the walker on the fence begins to fry.
"Holy crap! What just happened?" Mark stumbles back.
"The fences are on!" Lee yells as he recoils.
"Why the hell would he turn the fence back on?! He knows we're out here!" Mark frowns, anxiety creeping in.
Suddenly, an arrow whizzes through the air, embedding itself in Mark's shoulder. He cries out in pain, clutching the wound. Without thinking, Eddie whirls around and fires a shot into the forest. Arrows continue to rain down upon them.
Eddie's heart races as he narrowly dodges an arrow aimed at his head. "Fuck! Move!" he shouts, retaliating with two shots into the woods, but he can't be sure if he hit anything.
"I warned you what would happen, you son of a bitch!" a voice from the forest calls out.
"What the—?" Mark gasps, his breath caught.
"The gate! We need to get to the gate NOW!" Eddie shouts, firing off another shot.
Mark and Lee sprint along the fence towards the gate, but arrows continue to whiz past them, narrowly missing their heads. Lee spots the nearby tractor.
"Get down!" Lee yells as he instinctively ducks.
"You assholes!" the hidden bandit yells.
"Jesus!" Mark exclaims, diving for cover.
The three of them take refuge behind the tractor, Lee risking a glance over the hood just as an arrow whizzes past.
"Do something, Lee! I'll cover you!" Eddie urges, peeking out to fire again.
"We had an agreement! Now you're all fucked!" the bandit taunts.
"We don't know you, you bastards!" Eddie shouts, taking another shot, another arrow just barely missing his head. "Shit! Lee, wait! I need to reload!" He hurriedly swaps out his magazine.
"Who the hell are these people?" Mark moans, still clutching his shoulder.
"No idea!" Lee responds, feeling the mounting pressure of the situation.
"Great, now what do we do?" Mark asks, panic edging into his voice.
"We need to reach the fence!" Eddie insists, firing again into the woods. A low groan echoes in the distance, a sound that doesn't belong to Mark. Eddie's heart begins to race.
He shot someone. He really shot someone. The gravity of that realization begins to overwhelm him.
That thought loops in his mind until he feels Lee jab him with an elbow. "Cover me," Lee instructs, his voice steady despite the chaos.
Eddie gulps, then nods.
Lee grips the plow lever, raising the spikes embedded in the ground. As he leans out to activate the lever, Eddie fires into the woods, his heart pounding like a drum. Lee removes the chock from the tractor's wheel.
The tractor starts rolling forward, and the trio moves with it.
The vehicle halts abruptly upon colliding with a decaying walker. As it stops, Eddie fires several more shots. He again hears a groan, this time accompanied by a gurgling noise alarmingly close. "Man..." he murmurs, sweating profusely. He feels a wave of nausea but shakes it off to focus.
As Lee maneuvered to pull the walker away from the tractor, which was the cause of their sudden stop, Eddie positions himself for cover fire.
Lee manages to pull the dead walker free, and the tractor moves again, only to become snagged on yet another zombie moments later.
Lee stomps on the creature's head twice, yanking backward with enough force to separate its torso from its legs. He tosses the remnants aside, and they continue moving with the tractor, the persistent zombie crawling along in their wake.
"You okay? You're not bitten, right?" Eddie asks, panic rising within him as he ducks to avoid another arrow.
"Not bitten," Lee assures him, shaking his head.
The tractor grinds to a halt in front of the silo, and a zombie following them is shot through the eye by an expertly aimed arrow.
"Let's get out of here!" Lee urges, adrenaline fueling his voice.
With a forceful kick, he pushes open the gate, and all three dash through, eager to escape the encroaching chaos behind them.