Chapter 30

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Kenny, Lee, and I walk down to the lake where they set up a few chairs and a small table.

Rick and Shane brought Dale and Daryl with them.

All of us sit down at the table and stare at each other for a while before I start the conversation. "So...I'm gonna make this clear here. I'm taking over. From now on, all of you are my people. I'm your leader."

There is a tense silence as my words sink in. Rick and his group exchange looks, uncertain of how to react. Shane looks like he's about to explode with anger, but Rick puts a calming hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, but we can't just...hand over control to you," Rick says, his voice steady but firm. "We have our own way of doing things here, and we can't just abandon that."

I smirk, feeling a surge of satisfaction at their defiance. "Well, then you leave me no choice. You either follow me, or you leave. It's that simple."

Dale speaks up, his voice filled with concern. "You can't just force people to follow you. We need to find a way to work together, to compromise."

But I'm not in the mood for compromise. I stand up, my hand resting on my gun. "I gave you a choice. Now make it."

There is a long, tense moment as Rick and his group exchange looks, weighing their options. Finally, Rick nods reluctantly. "Fine. We'll follow you...for now."

I smile, a cold satisfaction filling me. "Good. Welcome to my group!"

And with that, I have successfully established myself as the leader of this group. It may not have been peaceful, but in this world, peace is a luxury we can't afford. Survival is all that matters, and I will do whatever it takes to ensure that my group comes out on top.

"Now that we're one big group...show me your supplies," I say with a smile that looks innocent, but is far from it.

As they start to gather their supplies, I can't help but feel a thrill of power coursing through me. This is my group now, my rules.

"I see...We have supplies with us as well; it will be enough for all of us. Anyway, we'll be moving in a few days. We won't stay here. My friend here, Larry, knows a nice place that we can barricade and move inside," I say as I point with my thumb behind my back at Larry.

Larry nods in response with his arms folded.

"And where is that place?" Shane asks, his eyebrows furrowed and hands on hips.

"Doesn't matter. You and the others will be following us in your vehicles," I say, looking straight into his eyes.

I turn away from Shane, but then I feel shivers on my neck, and in reflex I lean to my right while ducking down. That son of a bitch tried to punch me!

I quickly turn around and pull my SIG Sauer P226, pointing it at his forehead. "Do you want to die, motherfucker?" I ask with rage burning in me.

I haven't been jumped since that time when I found my BMW, and I hate it. If you want to kill me, do it like a man and face me, face to face. Not like a pussy, from behind, where I can't see.

The tension in the air is palpable as Shane looks up at me, defiance in his eyes. "I'm not scared of you," he says, his voice low and dangerous.

I chuckle, the rage still burning hot inside me. "You should be. I don't fuck around. You know what happened to the last guy who jumped me? Hm?"

He doesn't say anything, just continues to look me in the eye.

"I stomped his brains in," I say as my fingers twitch on the trigger.

Rick steps in between us, his hands raised in a placating gesture. "Let's all calm down here. Now we're all on the same side, remember?"

"Do this type of shit one more time, Muscle Head. One more time, and you'll be one of the walkers," I said, then tucked my weapon back behind my belt.

I walk back to Larry to plan all the possible routes for the place he knows of. The place he was talking about is a shopping mall that was abandoned in the late 70s. There's a forest not far from it, so there are probably animals that we can hunt, as well as cutting down trees to build walls and such.

The mall is large, so there will be a lot of place for us to be; it also has 3 floors, ground, first, and second floor, so if there's a horde of walkers, we can just head upstairs. And since it's tall, we can have a lookout on the rooftop and be able to see everything.

Plus, the parking lot is big enough for us to park our vehicles and have a clear view of any potential threats approaching. It seems like a perfect place for us to fortify and make our stand.

After we were done with the planning, I saw that Maya came to me. I smile at her and squat down to her level.

"What's up, Honey?" I smile and pat her head.

"That girl..." she turns around and points her finger at Sophia; Sophia doesn't look at us right now, so she doesn't notice us looking at her, "she asked if...I wanted to play with her."

Hearing this, I smile brightly, but I hide it behind my hand for some reason. "Do you want to play with her?" I ask Maya.

She thinks for a second before nodding. "I guess I'd like to."

"Then, do so. Just be in our RV, okay? Don't go wondering in the woods. And if you need to do a small or big thing, then tell me or Carley. Don't wander away from us," I tell her and warn her gently.

Maya cutely nods her head and jogs to Sophia to play.