—Lodge—
"Clementine, are you okay?" Rebecca asks, her voice trembling with concern.
Before Clementine can reply, the sharp crack of automatic rifle fire echoes outside, making their hearts race.
"What the hell...?" Alvin mutters, his brow furrowing in fear.
They rush to the window, peering through the glass. A different group is outside, gunning down the walkers with ruthless efficiency. Among them are Carver, Bonnie, Troy, James, and Johnny, surrounding Sarita, Carlos, Walter, and Nick. A chill runs down Clementine's spine as she watches the scene unfold, her stomach churning with anxiety.
James, only 13 years old, stands at 5'4". He has a light olive complexion and jet-black hair, slightly tousled and often messy, with a few streaks of blue peeking through. His dark brown, almond-shaped eyes dart around cautiously, revealing a mix of bravado and uncertainty. Lean and wiry, his face is dotted with small scars that tell stories of survival. He wears a fitted black leather jacket over a black tee, cargo pants with multiple pockets for supplies, and scuffed-up combat boots that look like they've been through hell.
"Howdy folks!" Carver says, flashing a grin as he approaches Carlos. "Where's Rebecca?"
A smirk briefly crosses James' face as he adjusts the SMG in his hands, but it fades when Carlos spits in Carver's face.
"It's nice to see you too," Carver replies, his voice dripping with mockery as he wipes off the spit. In a flash, he punches Carlos across the jaw, sending him stumbling back. Carlos hunches over, cradling his face in pain. Panic surges through Sarah as she bursts out of the lodge, running straight to her father and wrapping her arms around him tightly.
"Everyone inside!" Carver barks, and they all hurry into the lodge. Bonnie whistles, looking around in disbelief. "Look at this place."
"You believe this fuckin' place, Bonnie? Power and everything. Lotta windows, though. It's fuckin' huge. Bill's gonna hate it. The rest of 'em could be anywhere," Johnny says, his voice laced with an uneasy mix of awe and dread.
"Yeah, it's a palace, ain't it? Just means we gotta be smarter, that's all. We'll handle it. Just keep your eyes open," James replies, sounding confident.
"I guess you're right, kid," Johnny says, offering a small smile, but the tension is heavy.
"Cover that window, Johnny," Bonnie instructs, nodding toward the mentioned window.
Johnny moves to the window as Carver, Bonnie, James, and Troy line up their hostages, binding their hands with zip ties. Carver grabs Carlos' arm and drags him in front of the group, landing a punch in the stomach that makes Carlos double over.
"Dad!" Sarah cries, her voice breaking with fear.
"Listen, I'm only gonna ask you once. Where's Rebecca?" Carver growls.
Carlos ignores the question, focusing on Sarah. "Sarah, look at me. It's gonna be okay," he reassures her, though his own fear is palpable. In retaliation, Carver viciously breaks one of Carlos' fingers.
"Rebecca? Rebecca, our baby deserves to be raised in a place of safety! I know you're out there. And Alvin, and Luke, and the girl. This is real simple. You want this over quick, you all play nice and show your faces!" Carver yells, his voice echoing with menace.
"Don't hurt my dad, please!" Sarah pleads, tears streaming down her cheeks.
With a swift motion, Carver breaks another one of Carlos' fingers.
"Fuck you! Shoot him! Somebody just shoot hi—" Carlos begins, but is cut off when Carver grabs his hair and presses a knife to his throat.
"Say goodbye, Carlos," Carver smirks, relishing the fear in the air.
"Don't look, sweetie. Don't look," Carlos murmurs to Sarah, his voice strained, trying to shield her from the horror.
"Dad!" she cries, desperation flooding her voice.
"Nobody? Now that's disappointing," Carver taunts.
"Bill, stop!" Rebecca shouts, stepping forward to reveal herself.
Carver shoves Carlos to the floor, and Rebecca, flanked by Alvin and Clementine—who is trying to keep her fear at bay—moves downstairs, her heart pounding in her chest. He caresses Rebecca's face, his voice low and mocking. "You alright?"
"Fuck you, Bill," Rebecca spits, her eyes blazing with defiance.
As they join the others in the lineup, Walter's voice shakes with urgency. "You don't want to do this. Please, let these people go."
"Just shut up," Bonnie snaps, her patience wearing thin.
Clementine, feeling a mix of fear and determination, watches James closely. She senses his arrogance.
"Clem. Can you reach my hands?" Carlos whispers urgently to her.
"I'll try," Clementine whispers back, stretching her fingers desperately towards Carlos.
James notices this, and in a swift motion, he sneaks behind her, crouching down and pressing the cold metal of his SMG against her spine. Clementine freezes, a jolt of panic coursing through her. "You think you can play us for a fool? You better think twice before trying anything funny. I won't hesitate to put you in your place," he warns, his voice low and threatening. "You really believe you can outsmart me? You're in over your head, darling." His tone drips with arrogance.
Clementine's heart races, each beat echoing in her ears as dread washes over her. Suddenly, the glass from a nearby window shatters, and Johnny collapses to the floor, a shot to the head ending his life in an instant. James flinches, pulling away from Clementine and readying his weapon, his bravado cracking for a moment as adrenaline spikes through him.
"Kenny!" Sarita gasps, realization dawning on James that it was 'Kenny' who shot his friend.
"Don't move!" Bonnie yells, her voice sharp.
Carver and his group quickly hide behind the columns, peering out through the broken window. "I can't see nothin'!" James exclaims.
"Watch them," Carver orders, gesturing toward the hostages. James, Troy, and Bonnie nod.
Carver grabs Walter, dragging him over to the window and shooting him in the head without hesitation. Sarah screams, her cries filled with heartbreak. "That's for our man! Now, I didn't want to do this, but you ain't leavin' me much choice! So here's what's gonna happen! I'm gonna march another one of your friends out here and I'm gonna put a bullet in the back of their head! Or you can give up now! Your choice!" The column Carver is hiding behind gets shot, splinters flying everywhere. In a sudden move, he grasps Alvin. "Hi, Alvin," he says, a cruel smirk spreading across his face.
"You motherfucker," Alvin glares, anger and fear battling within him.
"Do you remember George, Alvin? You see, I do. I remember a guy that was your friend named George. I remember when you murdered him in cold blood. And why? Because you didn't like me? You could've lodged a complaint. You could've... well, you could've been civil," Carver taunts, his voice dripping with malice.
Clementine's heart races as she feels the weight of the situation pressing down on her. She tries to make a run for it, but as soon as she takes a step, James sticks out his foot, sending her crashing to the ground, her cheek hitting the cold floor hard. Pain flares through her, but she looks up at him, determination in her eyes. He steps on her back, loosely aiming his gun at her head. "Why don't you just sit your ass down, darling?" he smirks, his arrogance returning.
Suddenly, Carver is shot and falls to the floor, but he quickly gets back up, clutching his wounded shoulder before shooting Alvin in the head. "We can do this all night! Is that what you want?" Carver shouts, his voice filled with rage as he struggles to maintain control.
Kenny bursts into the lodge with his hands raised, a defiant look on his face. James steps off Clementine's back, walking over to Kenny with a glare that could cut through steel. Kenny raises an eyebrow at the young boy, but James doesn't hesitate; he smashes the butt of his gun into Kenny's midsection, making him double over and gasp for air. With a roughness that belies his age, James grabs Kenny's arm and zipties his wrists behind his back. "That hit? That was for Johnny, you hear? Ain't no one gonna forget what happened to him." His tone carries a mix of arrogance and anger.