The walk back to St. John Dairy was a silent march, the only sounds their boots crushing dead leaves and the occasional metallic clink of Jolene adjusting Danny's stolen rifle across her back. Lee kept a deliberate three paces between them - close enough to watch her twitchy movements, far enough to react if she snapped. No words were needed. The plan was simple: expose the remaining St Johns, then put them down like rabid dogs.
"There it is," Lee murmured as they broke through the treeline. The electric fence hummed ominously in the twilight. He moved left toward the gate, fingers brushing the grip of his shotgun. "You ready?"
Jolene's grin split her face like a knife wound, her pupils dilated in the fading light. "Oh sugar, I'm gonna scream what they did to the heavens..." She patted the rifle's stock. "...then paint the barn with their brains."
A cold trickle ran down Lee's spine. Not at the thought of killing the St. Johns - they'd earned that a hundred times over - but at the fractured gleam in Jolene's eyes. What those bandits had done to her daughter hadn't just broken her; it had hollowed her out, left something feral in the empty spaces.
"Good." His tone was stoic as they pushed through the gate.
Movement near the barn - Kenny, Lily, Mike and Carley sprinting toward them before skidding to a halt. Their weapons came up halfway when they spotted the wild-eyed stranger at Lee's side, Carley's fingers already dancing near her pistol's safety.
"Lee, who the hell is that?" Lilly demanded, her finger twitching near her rifle's trigger as she took in Jolene's wild-eyed appearance.
Lee stepped slightly in front of the trembling woman, meeting Carley's gaze directly. "This is Jolene. And she can confirm what I said - the St. Johns are cannibals." Carley's hand flew to her mouth, her pistol nearly slipping from her other hand.
The farmhouse door creaked open. Andy emerged first, rifle in hand, with Brenda close behind. They froze mid-step at the tense gathering.
Brenda's sickeningly sweet facade cracked for just a second before she forced a smile. "Oh my! Is this another survivor? Sweetheart, you look positively dreadful—" Her fake concern turned to genuine terror as Jolene's rifle snapped up with mechanical precision.
Andy barely had time to raise his own weapon. "Whoa! Jesus Christ! What the fuck is happening here?" His eyes darted to Lee, then realization dawned. "Wait—Danny was with you... where is he?"
Jolene's laugh came out as a broken cackle. "That monster? Oh, he's decorating the forest now! Pink mist and chunks everywhere—you'd have hated the mess." Her finger danced along the trigger guard as she locked eyes with Andy. "But don't thank me—Lee here did all the pretty work."
The St. Johns' faces went corpse-pale. Brenda's saccharine smile collapsed like a house of cards, her trembling hands rising to cover her mouth.
"Tell me she's lying, Lee," Brenda whispered, voice cracking. "You wouldn't actually..." Her plea died when she saw the cold certainty in Lee's eyes.
"Tell them," Lee nodded to Jolene.
The woman stepped forward, her voice dripping with decades' worth of venom. "Name's Jolene. Ran with those Save-Lot bastards before I wised up." She spat on the ground. "Had a sweet little arrangement with these fine folks here. 'Food for peace' they called it." Her finger jabbed at Brenda. "Except the 'food' was people! Was half the missing folks from Macon!"
The revelation hit like a thunderclap. Kenny's mouth hung open. Carley's pistol snapped up. Lilly cursed violently as she racked her rifle's slide.
Brenda clung to the doorframe, her fingers clinging onto the wood like a lifeline. "You're right..." she gasped, her voice trembling with either desperate justification or loss. "We do eat them - but only the ones already dying! Those monsters would just... just consume them and continue to rot!" Her wild eyes darted between the group, searching for any hint of understanding. "We honor them by-"
"Bullshit!" Kenny's gun jerked up, his face twisted in disgust. "You sick fucks been carving people up like Christmas hams!" The weapon's lever racked with finality, the sound cutting through Brenda's pathetic excuses.
But Lee saw it first - the way Andy's knuckles turned white around his rifle stock, the murderous twitch in his cheek.
"LEE, YOU SON OF A—"
The gunshot split the evening air.
Lee's body jerked backward as white-hot fire exploded in his shoulder. The impact spun him halfway around, his vision flashing white.
"LEE!" Carley's scream cut through the ringing in his ears. Her pistol barked once—a perfect shot that punched through Andy's stomach, dropping the farmer to his knees like a marionette with cut strings. She was at Lee's side in an instant, fingers already probing the wound. "Talk to me!"
Lee gritted his teeth as he forced himself upright, warm blood seeping between his fingers. "I'll live," he growled, though the fire in his shoulder burned.
Movement to their left—Jolene charged forward like a woman possessed, her rifle jumping in her hands as she put a round straight through Brenda's retreating back. "Take that you—"
Crack!
Andy's desperate shot from the ground caught Jolene square between the eyes. Her head snapped back violently, body crumpling like a discarded doll.
"Mama! Get th—" Andy's gurgled cry was cut short as Kenny's boot caved in his face with a wet crunch. He quickly wrenched the rifle from Andy's grip with a vicious twist, his face twisted in primal fury.
"Wait." Lee's voice cut through the chaos like steel. He gently pushed past Carley's frantic hands, his fingers tightening around the axe handle as he stepped forward. Across the blood-slick grass, Lilly's pistol thundered once - putting a final bullet in Brenda's skull as the woman tried crawling to safety. A small part of Lee lamented the lost opportunity for another skill, but the thought vanished as quickly as it came.
Andy lay broken in the dirt, his face a ruined mask of blood and shattered bone. Still, the man's hateful eyes found Lee's. "Lee..." he gurgled, pink froth bubbling at his lips. "Finish it... then! Fucking... finish it!"
The axe felt heavy in Lee's hands - not with guilt, but with grim purpose. He raised it high, the blade catching the dying light.
There was no dramatic pause. No final words.
Just the wet crunch of steel meeting bone, the sickening give of flesh parting beneath the blade. When Lee wrenched the axe free, it came away with a thick, sucking sound - leaving behind something that barely resembled a face anymore.
[Andy St. John Killed. Reward: Crop Management (Lv.1 -> LV.2)]
"Shit." Kenny stared at what was left of Andy's face, then swept his gaze over the farm. "Now that these bastards are gone, we can bring the others here."
Lilly nodded as she approached, eyeing Lee's wounded shoulder. "Lee, you stay here with Mark and Carley—just keep watch while we move the others and our supplies over." She glanced at the sky, the sun nearly dipping behind the horizon. "Hopefully, we can do it before nightfall."
Kenny watched as Lee peeled off his shirt to inspect the injury. "I'll tell Kat about your shoulder. She'll fix you up as soon as she gets here." He hesitated, then asked a question he immediately regretted: "Does it hurt?"
Lee arched an eyebrow. "The fuck you think, man?" He probed the wound and grimaced. "Shit… it's still in there."
Mark swallowed hard. "Kat's gonna have to dig it out. That's gonna hurt like hell."
"Not helping, Mark," Carley rolled her eyes as she headed into the house. "I'll try to find something to slow the bleeding for now." She spared a glance at Brenda's corpse as she walked, her steps quickening.
Mark noticed. "I'll move these guys out of sight before the kids get here." He grabbed Jolene's still-warm ankles, then paused. "By the way… what was she even doing out there?"
Lee stared at her body, a knot of conflicting emotions tightening in his chest. "Waiting for her daughter. The bandits killed her." He studied Jolene's face a moment, then pulled two items from his backpack—the bunny and the photo. "She was a good woman. Broken, but good. Bury her with these."
"Bury her? I was just gonna—"
"No." Lee's voice left no room for argument. "She deserves at least that much."
Mark hesitated, then nodded, grabbing the items then dragging her away without another word.
Lee walked over and sat down on the porch steps, leaning back as the dying sun washed over him. This was new. A change he'd made from how things played out in the game—now, they'd survive here. He didn't know how long it would last, but for now, it was as good as they could hope for. Plenty of food. Electric fences. Even a little entertainment for Clem and Duck—hell, that cow might as well be a luxury.
Carley stepped out with a cloth in her hands. "Found this inside. Keep pressure on it."
"Thanks." Lee took it, his fingers brushing against hers—just for a second. "How you holding up? I know you weren't sure about all this."
Carley's gaze flicked to Andy's body. "That was before we knew they were monsters. Now?" Her voice hardened. "I'm glad they're dead. To think they wanted us—the kids—here…" A chill cut through her. "But you stopped them."
Lee met her eyes. "We stopped them. Without you, I'd have a second bullet in my skull." He smirked, but it faded fast.
Carley smiled, then shook her head. "Maybe. But you're the one who exposed them. Gave me a clear shot—and a clearer conscience." She hesitated, then leaned in—quick, deliberate—and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Thank you."
Lee blinked, momentarily thrown by the kiss, then gave Carley a lopsided grin before turning his gaze across the farm. "Think this place'll work?" he asked, pressing the cloth harder against his shoulder. The sting grounded him.
Carley surveyed the land, arms crossed. "If you find me a penthouse with hot running water and a '98 Bordeaux, then we'll talk about feeling safe." Her smirk didn't reach her eyes. "But yeah, beats the motel. For now."
Following her gaze, Lee studied the perimeter fences. "Won't hold against a real herd," he muttered. Then quieter: "Walkers ain't our biggest worry anymore."
"The Save-Lots crew." Carley's voice went flat. "That woman—Jolene—said she was with them, and they also raided Ben's camp. Did she say what they're like?"
Lee's jaw tightened. "Worse than the St. Johns. "They took her daughter—just a kid—into the woods. And after hearing Jolene say 'all men are monsters' on repeat..." His voice dropped to gravel. "Don't make me spell it out." The memory of the photo and the rabbit plushie sent a surge of anger through him.
Carley went very still. The fading sunlight caught the sweat at her temples. "you can't mean?..." her question faded, though her face said she already knew.
Lee just looked at her. The silence stretched between them, thick with unspeakable truths.
"A little girl?" Carley turned abruptly, spat in the dirt. Her hands shook. ""How could anyone—"
"That's why we need to talk to the others once they get here," Lee said, his voice low and heavy. "Those bandits had a deal with the St. Johns. Now that we've taken the farm, the next time they come, we'll have to face them."
Carley's grip tightened on her gun. "We're not giving those monsters a damn thing."
"Agreed," Lee said, rubbing his temples as the weight of their situation settled in. "But the others deserve to know the truth. If we're going to survive what's coming, we need everyone on the same page - prepared, armed, and ready." Lee's words betrayed his mind that raced down a different avenue. Gather every supply. Get the RV running. Be ready to leave if it comes to that. Just like the original.
Silence settled between them as they watched the sun bleed into the horizon, painting the fields in gold and shadow. It might've been peaceful—if not for the dread hanging thick in the air.
---
Just a quick collection of all the skills that Lee currently posesses:
Crop Management (Lv. 2)
Basic farming knowledge, can identify edible plants, and optimize small-scale crop yields.
Marksmanship (Lv. 2)
Proficient with firearms (handguns, shotguns, rifles) and archery (bows, crossbows). Improved accuracy, recoil control, and quick reloading.
Stealth (Lv. 1)
Can move quietly and avoid detection when necessary.
Tracking (Lv. 1)
Able to follow footprints, blood trails, and environmental disturbances.
Russian (Lv. 1)
Basic conversational fluency. Can understand simple phrases and respond in kind.
Electrical Wiring (Lv. 1)
Can repair basic electronics, rewire simple circuits, and troubleshoot power issues.