"I've done things," Charlie said, looking up into his eyes full of disappointment. "Things that I am not proud of. But everything I've done, I've done to survive...And I did. I survived."
"And are you happy?" Daryl asked, using all his power to stop...
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"I told Albert I want the kid's hat after they bleed him out."
"Keep your finger off the button and drop it," Carol commanded, ready to fire right through the stranger's head.
"Listen, y'all don't have to do this," he said. "Whatever you want, we got a place where everyone's welcome."
"To bleed us out, too?" Charlie leaned to him as he was being tied up. "We're the friends of the chick with the sword and the kid in the hat. So give my friend one reason not to shoot."
Charlie was angry.
Her chest heaved with fury as she stared down the man who was casually talking about taking belongings of her family after killing them like animals. Anger simmered beneath the surface, muxing with the bitter taste of betrayal in her mouth. The people of Terminus had lured them in with promises of sanctuary, only to reveal themselves as nothing more than predators preying on the desperate and vulnerable. No better than the Walkers. In this juxtaposition, the walkers served as a reminder of the world's fallen state, while the people of Terminus underscored the thin line between civilization and barbarism.
However, beneath the rage, there was a flicker of relief, a glimmer of gratitude for the fact that Carl and the others were still alive. It was fragile, of course, but it was better than what she had even hours ago. Her family was, hopefully still alive.
"They attacked us!" the man tried to convince them. "We're just holding them."
As Charlie stood there, her fists clenched at her sides, struggling to calm her annoyance at the stranger who was clearly lying.
"Who else do you have? Do you know their names?" Charlie asked.
"We just have the boy and the samurai, that's it," he said. "We were just protecting ourselves."
"Hmm," Charlie nodded. "And the Santa Claus is real," she said and got up from her knees, walking away.
"Wait, no! Let me go," he strutted as Tyreese pushed him into a wooden house, more of a shed. "There's a bunch of us back there in six different directions. We need to set off our charges all st the same time to confuse the dead ones away. It's good for you too."
"No, it isn't."
"There's a herd heading toward Terminus right now," Carol answered. "We don't want to confuse them away."
"They'll see you coming," the man said. "If you even make it that far with all the cold bodies heading over."
"Don't worry about her pretty boy," said Charlie and walked out to keep a watch. "Are you sure you want to go alone?"
"Just...Stay here with them," the other woman said. "Tyreese just looks tough, but you know him."
"I do."
"And..." she opened her mouth, but just stared into the younger's eyes. "Don't hesitate to hurt the guy. It's either him or us."
