chapter 23

On the road back to the motel.

"What Mark did was just pure stupidity," Leonard complained about Mark little spill of information back at the St. John Dairy.

"Why do say that?" Carley asked.

"he doesn't know anything about these people- other than what they've shown him superficially on the outside and he already told them a very important piece of information about their group.

Is that they have a person with medicinal knowledge- be it's a animals vet or a doctor for humans." Leonard stated a piece of his mind.

Carley finally realized the danger and turned to look at Leonard with surprised eyes.

"You thought all of that out on the spot?" she asked.

"What? Do you think that I'm just your run of the mill teenager?" Leonard raised an eyebrow at her comment.

"No no, I just think that you're a very wise kid," she told him.

"I'm just doing my best to look out for everyone, my group of people especially, they're like family to me." what Leonard said wasn't all a lie, Ryan is a distant cousin to him while Conner is considered to be his uncle, as for Mavis- well she is his properties and would never betray him so he treats her like a family member too, last Tyrant, that potato is just his minion.

Carley went silence.

"So how do we break all of this to everyone in the group?" Carley asked.

"I suggest that we told them nothing- just watch how it all turned out, however, I recommend that we speak with my uncle, Mavis and Big T, they know how to keep a secret and having their guards up without anyone noticing it," Leonard suggested.

"Shouldn't we also tell Kenny?" Carley added in.

"No, he's a good man- however, if anything involved his wife and son into danger, let just say he won't be able to keep calm," Leonard told her.

"...yeah you're right." Carley agreed with him on that part.

"However won't they be in danger? Especially the kids and Ryan," she asked.

"No, I'll have someone keep close to them, unless they don't go suicidal bomber style, it should be fine, remember that my uncle is a bona fide professional bodyguard?" Leonard reminded her.

"I know this might be a bit awkward, but what's your family do anyway? How come you can afford a maid and a bodyguard to follow you and your girlfriend?" Carley attempted to change the topic.

"Well my family is a group of wealthy landowner who owned a large chunk of land in another country for generations- we did a lot of business actually, lumbers trading and collecting taxes-." accidentally blurted it out.

"Taxes? Your family actually allow to set taxes? who are you people really?" Carley was surprised and pressed on, most likely due to her journalist past, now might as well go along with it and try to bullshit his way out.

"Remember the part when I say that our family owned a piece of land for generations?" he reminded her.

Her surprised can be seen as she connected the dot one by one.

"So you mean that your family is actually one of those old aristocrats?" she asked in surprise.

"Pretty much, but please keep it a secret from everyone- the last thing I want is all of them freaking out and start to treat me like a prince," he asked her in a fate depressed tone.

"I'm really surprised actually...you don't sound like those aristocrats they showed on Tv's and movies," she told him.

"Well Hollywood can be quite misleading sometimes, and I'm the oddball of the family so yeah," he said.

"Aren't you worry about your own family?" she asked him.

"Nah, they're fine, our lands are surrounded by my dad and brothers private troops, and since we own a pretty big chunk of lands, farming for foods isn't that much of a problem," he told her.

"How I envy you and your family…" she commented quietly.

"Oh don't be like that, I'm here with you guys aren't I?" he reminded her.

"Your right…." she then let out a sigh.

"Oh by the way...Ryan isn't my girlfriend, she's my distant cousin from my mother side of the family." he cleared that part out to her.

Carley only glanced at him with suspicious eyes.

"Oh really….." she added.

"Can't we just focus on heading back to the motel quickly? We don't want to be stuck in the darkness in a forest with zombies lurking around right?" Leonard told her.

"You're right, let head back quickly and tell the others of the news." Carley agreed

They quickly rushed back to the motel through woods.

It took them half an hours before they finally reached the motel where they could both see Lilly sitting on top of the RV with a rifle in hand looking out beyond the wall.

"We're back!" Leonard called out.