Dead city: survival instinct

Chapter 13: Secrets

As Laura and Jon are on the farm feeding the chickens as Jon seems to be getting better as the days go by
Jon: don't look so worried.
Laura: it's my job.
Jon: no it's not you're a housewife.
As Laura jokingly throws bird seeds as Jon
Laura: yeah,punk ? You see my house around here ? Housewife.
Jon: they don't have a mother ?
Laura: she might be somewhere else.
Jon: maybe she got eaten ?
As Laura has a very concerned and worried look on her face from his response
Jon: everything is good for something else.
As Patricia makes her way to the barn with a very dispersed and concerning and estranged look as she enters the chicken cage she grabs a chicken and breaks its legs it screams out in pain as she takes it to the barn full of walkers as she throws the chickens down in the middle of the barn feeding the dead ones as they are ripping into the chicken she just looks in distress with no emotion
As we cut to Noah and Jennifer as their disput gets deeper and deeper with the biters in the barn
Noah: could you be any more obvious ?
As Jen hands Noah a basket of fruit
Jennifer: here, enjoy.
Noah: are you trying to buy my silence with fruit ?
Jennifer: of course not there's also jerky.
Noah: will you please tell me why your dad has a secret barn full of walkers ?
Jennifer: shhh
Noah: it's creepy you know that right ?
Jenifer: you have to trust me on this, okay ?
Noah: but I suck at lying I can't even play poker it's too much like lying.
Jennifer: you have to keep this to yourself you have to please.
Noah: Harold here's some peaches for you.
Harold: thank you.
Mike: sup ?
Noah: nothing. Nothings up why?
As Mike and Harold look at Noah real weird and awkwardly
Anna: hey.
As Anna hands deacon a book
Anna: this is not that great,but.
Deacon: what no pictures ?
Anna: I'm sorry I feel like shit.
Deacon: yeah, you and me both.
Anna: I don't expect you to forgive me,but if there's anything I can do?
Deacon: you were trying to protect the group were good.
As Anna walks away
Deacon: but,hey, shoot me again best pray I'm dead.
As she just smiles
As Noah approaches Laura about her pregnancy
Noah: what did mason say ? As she just says nothing in silence
Noah: you didn't tell him ? Okay but you have to you're pregnant you need vitamins,medicine and nice pillow, you can have my share.
Laura: honey,I don't want your food okay ? Eat.
Noah: you need to eat, you're too skinny and if you're not gonna let mason take care of you then someone has to. Laura you have a medical condition, I'll make another run into town just tell me what you need.
Laura: I need you to be quiet about this all right ? Please.
As Mathew whistles
Matthew: hey peach man!
As Noah walks up handing out fruit
Mason: the creek flows south,past that farmhouse deacon found.
Anna: maybe Chloe dropped the doll there.
Mason: the current brought it downstream.
Shawn: so what,you think she took this road here and then she went north?
Mason: well yeah what's up that way ?
Jacob: A housing development it went in maybe 10 years ago.
Mason: take a run up there after gun practice,I'll hold down the fort here,but take back up Anna I want you and Shawn overseeing the gun range while Matthew and Richard check this place out you know after went down with deacon,I don't want anyone going out alone we stay in pairs.
Anna: I'll take suggestions on a partner.
Mason: let's see how well they do on the range,then take your pick.
Anna: thanks.
As Matthew looks to Noah
Matthew: my binoculars?
Noah: yeah,yeah.
As he hands him the binoculars
Noah: okay,bye.
As June and Patricia approach mason
June: we'd like to join you for gun training today.
Mason: what does your dad say in all this he's been perfectly clear I can't involve any of you in what we do without his okay.
June: he doesn't like it but he consented.
Mason: okay well you're brothers are one thing I'll have a talk with him.
Patricia: Otis was the only one who knew guns now that he's gone we gotta learn to protect ourselves her father saw the sense in that.
Mason: no offense,but I'll ask Phillip myself.
As Matthew approaches Jon as he is recovering from his wounds
Matthew: dude,nice lid,man what's going on ?
Jon: I want to learn to shoot too, can you teach me ?
Matthew: well,man that's up to your parents.
Jon: can you talk to them ? They'll listen to you.
As Matthew lightly chuckles
Matthew: we'll see okay ?
As Matthew notices a clicking noise in his side pocket
Matthew: hey! Lemme see what you got there ?
As Jon lightly lifts up his shirt as he has a gun in his pocket as Matthew sees it and throws the peach in disappointment
As Laura takes the gun from him
Laura: how the hell did this happen ?
Harold: well, it's my fault I let him into the RV,he said he wanted a walkie that you sent him for one.
Laura: so on top of everything he lied what's he thinking ?
Matthew: he wants to learn how to shoot,he asked me to teach him now it's none of my business but I'm happy to do it, it's your call.
Laura: well I'm not comfortable with it, oh don't make me out to be the unreasonable one here. Mason?
Mason: I know I have my concerns too,but-
Laura: there is no but he was just shot he's just back on his feet now he wants a gun ?
Mason: better than him being afraid of em, there are guns in camp for a reason he should learn to handle them safely.
Laura: I don't want my kid walking around with a gun.
Mason: how can you defend that ? You can't let him go around without protection.
Laura: he's as safe as he'll ever be right here.
Mason: you don't know that you haven't seen what I've seen there's a reason why we have protection as safe as a gun goes.
Laura: everything you're saying makes perfect sense,it feels wrong I mean I didn't feel good about him following you into the woods and I wish I'd said something I should've gone with my gut.
Mason: he's growing up thank god we've got to start treating him more like an adult more so now than Caleb.
Laura: then he needs to act like one he's not mature enough to handle a gun.
Jon: I'm not gonna play with it mom it's not a toy I'm sorry I disappointed you but I want to look for Sophia I want to defend our camp I can't do that without a gun.
Mason: Matthew and Shawn are the best instructors I know I've seen them teach kids younger than Jon and Caleb.
Laura: you will take this seriously and you will behave responsibly and if I hear from anyone in this camp that you are not living up to our expectations-
Mason: he won't let you down.
Jon: yeah
Mason: now if we're gonna do this,you listen to Matthew at all times you hear me.
Jon: okay dad.
Mason: alright ?
Noah: you be careful.
Mason: you coming ?
Noah: I gotta help Harold clean the spark plugs on the RV he said he's gonna teach me mechanics I should probably look for him.
Harold: you found me ?
As the car engine starts
Harold: he's a good learner, spark plugs huh? Want to tell me what's going on ?
Noah: you're old- you know things so what if somebody told you something that somebody else should know ?
Harold: Noah stop being dramatic spit it out.
Noah: there's walkers in the barn and Laura's pregnant.
Harold: oh wow?!
As gunfire appears at the firing range
As Chris and Stacy grow closer to each other romantically
As Jimmy is shooting and missing every shot
Mike: hey cmon man don't give me that gangsta shit.
As Jon shoots he's a natural making every shot
Mason: attaboy!
Matthew: don't be discouraged you'll hit the target eventually. As Anna stares at him blankly
Anna: oh yeah?!
As she shoots as she makes every single shot showing off
Anna: who says I didn't hit my target ?
As Matthew looks to her in confusion
Matthew: did I do something to you to piss you off ? As he looks at the can she made at 25 feet
Anna: No.
Matthew: here try this one it's heavy, you get better balance twice the rounds.
As she nails another one
Shawn: I'd say she's got the hang of it.
Mason: I'd say she's ready for the advanced class it might be worth your while after the rest of us head back to camp.
Anna: sure why not ?
Matthew: how's it feeling ?
Anna: I like the weight, so you decided not to leave us something change your mind ?
As Matthew spans out as he drifts away
As he sees mason teaching job how to balance his shots
Jon: got it!
Mason: that's a great shot!
As we cut back to the farm
Harold: nervous nelly she find her way home ?
Phillip: found her in her stall this morning.
Harold: I love your fields took a long walk this morning and I ended up by the barn I heard the moans.
Phillip: that's unfortunate.
Harold: I'm sure you have your reasons for keeping this a secret.
Phillip: I saw the broadcasts before they stopped saw the irrational fear, the atrocities, like the incident at my well.
Harold: we put down a walker ?
Phillip: no you killed a person.
Harold: well if you watched the same broadcast I did you saw walkers attack,kill they're dangerous.
Phillip: a paranoid schizophrenic is dangerous too we don't shoot sick people.
Harold: with all due respect you are cut off from the outside world here, but I've seen people that I cared about die and come back my wife Josette died of ovarian cancer when all this happened it killed her she came back whatever they were before they turned is gone forever and they're not people.
Phillip: my wife and stepson and daughter are in that barn they're people.
Harold: I'm sorry let me help I'll speak with mason he's a good man we can make the barn more secure, keep everybody safe.
Phillip: the barn is secure keep this to yourself if you want to help, mason is a man of conscience he's humble but are you so sure about everyone in your group ?
As Harold just looks to him
As Laura approaches Phillip
Phillip: afternoon, I take it your boy did it well ?
Laura: not bad,actually.
Phillip: be grateful you don't have a daughter.
As he smirks and laughs as he says that
Phillip: if only things were as simple as wanting to shoot.
Laura: Jon is getting that chance thanks to you and I'm eternally grateful for what you did and your hospitality we'll earn our keep.
Phillip: I appreciate that but with Jon getting better,I imagine you'll be moving on soon fort Beening I hear.
As Laura just looks at him and walks away
As a gunshot pops off
As Anna misses two shots
Matthew: still a virgin.
Anna: the target is too fucking small get me a bigger target.
Mathew: come on that is crap half hour ago I saw you nail a bullseye at 25 feet.
Anna: it wasn't moving.
Matthew: think a walkers gonna hold still for you focus and reload go again.
As she shoots again and misses
Matthew: uh oh that piss You off ? Come on girl, you've got walkers all round you they're in the woods they're in the RV you're gonna need more than a damn screwdriver.
Anna: stop badgering me!
Matthew: see you're too damn emotional you need to shut it down take all that guilt take that fear,that being pissed off, take it out.
Anna: right cause you're so calm?
As he nails the target
Matthew: see that ? See, I can be pissed off I could be whistling Dixie and I'll always hit the target but you, god, you shoot like a damn girl you stand here and point your weapon, point it like you pint you're finger do not think about it I'm talking muscle memory girl muscle memory.
As she shoots over and over trying to hit it
Matthew: now go on shoot that son of a bitch he's coming for you! He's ten feet away! He's nine feet he's five feet away right there, that's the walker that got Jessica now you shoot that son of a bitch! shoot him!
As she just stares blankly at him in anger as he mentions her dead sisters name it's sensitive to her since she could save her as she just walks off away from him
As Matthew just looks even more pissed off
As Laura confronts mason
Laura: Phillip expects us to leave ? Does anybody else know ?
Mason: Not yet.
Laura: were you gonna tell me ?
Mason: of course.
Laura: when ? How long have you known ?
Mason: not long you don't need to worry about this.
Laura: how can you expect me not to worry ? We have shelter here and food and water and medical care.
Mason: I've been talking with Phillip it's not carved in stone.
Laura: he thinks it is we have to fix this people are settling in here they'll be devastated.
Mason: I know I'm working on it.
Laura: maybe I can talk to him and plead our case.
Mason: No, things are uneasy the best thing right now is to give Phillip his space and plus I don't think your lawyer skills are gonna get through to him he's tough as nails.
As Laura just looks to mason in devastation
Mason: don't look at me like that.
Laura: like what ?
Mason: like you're scared like you don't trust me, I can take it from anybody else but not from you. Laura: I don't understand how you can keep something like this from me ? Jon is Barely on his feet and Chloe's missing and deacon and Mike are hurt how can we leave ?
Mason: it's not what I want either but if we have to go, I'll do whatever it takes to make sure you and the boys are safe we'll get by we will.
As Laura has a sense of relief
Laura: okay.
As Matthew follows Anna in the car
Matthew: come on I'll give you a lift ?
Anna: my feet work just fine!
As he swerved in front of her
Matthew: look,I'm just trying to get you rattled, give you an idea what it's like when shit starts to fly.
Anna: is that an apology ?
Matthew: I crossed the line when I brought Jessica into it so yes it's an apology.
Anna: you're a real dick sometimes!
Matthew: yeah I acknowledge that I'll tell you what I've got a lead on Chloe I'm gonna go check it out why don't you come with me and back me up ?
As Anna thinks to herself how he killed Otis as backing him up
Anna: let me tell you something you don't ever bring my dead sister up again if you as swear to utter her name into a sentence I don't care if you are a cop or if people find out I'll kill you!
Matthew: I apologized what more do you want ?
Anna: I want you to stop acting like you give a crap about us and our well being I know what you want everybody does you want you're best friends wife and his son that's you're motive.
Matthew: I don't know what talking about ?
Anna: I'm not stupid and I'm most certainly not deaf you trying to lure me too like you did Otis and kill me like you killed him ?!
As matter just looks at her in shock
Matthew: I don't know what you're talking about ?
Anna: you know exactly what I'm taking about! You killed him in cold blood so you could get away you show up at the farm with that man's gun so how possibly could he have been busy killing walkers if you had the only weapon to defend himself with huh?!
Matthew: who told you that crap Anna huh?! Harold who otherwise they're lying to you!
Anna: I got a good suspicion and hunch that you did you've been different ever since that night so no I will not back you up ever again so don't even try it I won't expose you're little secret but if you ever bring up my sister again you'll wish you were dead when I do something to you!
As Matthew has a death stare on his face
As we cut back to the farm
Harold: my wife was pregnant once she miscarried and we didn't try again after that.
Laura: I'm so sorry.
Harold: the thing I remember most is how nauseated she became at the smell of cooking meat and she was a meat eating gal my wife was,but with the pregnancy that thanksgiving the turkey she couldn't be in the house for two days until it was aired out poor thing.
Laura: Noah told you ?
Harold: what did you expect ? The boy has no guile.
Laura: I haven't told mason I can't.
Harold: because of Matthew ?
Laura: was it that obvious?
Harold: no I don't think nobody knew I didn't, for sure.
Laura: look I thought my husband was dead we were in the moment it was one time after the night we thought he died from the explosions in the city and I felt like I died with him and I wanted to feel something anything and now I hate myself for it.
Harold: and the baby?
Laura: it's masons none of the rest matters.
Harold: then what's your concern ?
Laura: memories are what keep me going now memories of what life used to be and I've got a deep well to draw on I still remember joy but i think Jon's well is already running dry,and this baby won't have any good memories at all, only fear and pain.
Harold: you can't think like that we can still find joy and we can still take each other.
Laura: do you really think this baby has a chance,that it could grow up and live a happy life ? Look me in the eye and tell me that my baby will grow up to be your age and die happy tell me tell me you believe that.
As Laura storms off as she approaches Noah
Noah: I'm sorry it just came out and it was harry.
Laura: it's okay I never should have put you in that position I've been thinking about what you said about needing help and you're right that I do.
Noah: name it yeah.
Laura: if you're still willing to make a run into town for me ?
Noah: I'm your man.
Laura: thank you.
As she hugs him
Noah: it's okay it's not a big deal really.
As Noah heads into town
Noah: you really didn't have to come you could hate me from a distance please say something ?
Jennifer: I asked for your trust and you betrayed it so now my dad's pissed at me! Your turn.
Noah: so your dad thinks they're sick ? You agree with that, even after what you saw at the well ?
Jennifer: I'm not sure what I saw at the well.
Noah: yes you are look if you'd seen Atlanta, you would not have a barn full of walkers!
Jennifer: I wish you'd stop calling them that.
Noah: what do you call them ?
Jennifer: mom,shawn,Bethany,Mr and Mrs fisher, Lacey,Duncan. So what does she want now ?
Noah: I can't say.
Jennifer: so when one of them asks you to keep your mouth shut..
Noah: crawl outta my butt and help me look please.
As Jennifer looks down at the list annoyed
Jennifer: you've got to be kidding me.
As Jennifer goes to through cabinets and shelves as she sees a pregnancy test as walker comes out of nowhere and surprises her as the walker snarls
Jennifer: help! Noah help!
Noah: oh god! Jennifer!
Jennifer: Noah,help me! Help Noah!
As Noah tries to find something to kill the walker
Jennifer: get it off me!
As Noah smacks the walker off her subduing it
Noah: did it get you did it bite you ?!
As she cries in fear sobbing
Jennifer: Noah!
As the walker gets up snarling
As Noah takes his machete and starts hacking its head off as Noah is grunting as Jennifer goes crawling back to his arms
Jennifer: hey! We got your stuff.
Noah: Jennifer hang on please.
Laura: come on in here.
Jennifer: why nothing hide we got your special delivery right here we got your lotion,got your conditioner,your soap opera digest!
Laura: Jennifer ?
Jennifer: next time you want something get it your damn self we're not you're errand boys.
Laura: honey I-
Jennifer: and here's your abortion pills!
As she storms off
Noah: that was not cool.
Jennifer: which part the part where that bitch almost got us killed ?
Noah: I should've gone alone if you want to blame anybody blame me.
Jennifer: right take the blame you know for a smart guy you're really stupid.
Noah: okay I'm confused because I think you payed me a compliment but you made it sound like-
As she goes in for a kiss
Jennifer: I've already lost three of the people that I care about most in this world.
Noah: Jennifer-
Jennifer: shut up you're smart you're brave you're a leader but you don't know it and your friends don't want to know it they'd rather have you fetching peaches there's a dead guy in the well send Noah down your walker bait I can't take you becoming one of them.
Laura: the blood on Jenny's shirt ?
Noah: she was attacked.
Laura: oh god are you guys alright ? How bad was it ?
Noah: it was pretty close.
Laura: I'm so sorry I should never have asked you to go.
Noah: I offered.
Laura: I thought the town was safe,but if didn't come back-
Noah: but we did I always do the morning after pills will they even work ?
Laura: I don't know I don't know if I want them to.
Noah: then I got these too, just in case.
Laura: prenatal vitamins that's a hell of a choice.
Noah: I'm glad it's not mine Laura we're friends aren't we ?
Laura: with everything we've beefin through,yeah.
Noah: I can't tell you what to do I could never tell you something like that but your choice maybe you shouldn't make it alone.
As Matthew and Anna pull back up to the farm as Anna exits the vehicle in Anger
Harold: Matthew,Matthew.
Matthew: hmm?
Harold: I was thinking you've got that nice new ride of yours,plenty of fuel more than enough for you to get far from here.
Matthew: what you telling me to leave ?
Harold: I know you've been planning to maybe now is a good time.
Matthew: this about Anna ?
Harold: I'm looking out for the group.
Matthew: you think the group would be better off without me Harold ? Why don't you tell mason or Laura ? Their boy be dead if I don't put my ass on the line.
Harold: and Otis's you've been vague about that night,about what happened.
Matthew: Otis died a hero.
Harold: so you've said.
Matthew: a little boy lived because of what went down that night I think you oughta show some gratitude.
Harold: I wasn't there.
Matthew: no you weren't !
Harold: but I was that time you raised your gun on mason you had him in your sights and you kept him there I know what kind of man you are.
Matthew: you think I'd shoot mason ? That is my best friend that's the man I love I love him like he's my brother you think that's the kind of man I am ?
Harold: that's right.
Matthew: well maybe we ought to just think this through say I'm the kind of man who'd gun down his own best friend what do you think I'd do to some guy I don't even like when he starts throwing accusations my way what you think ?
As Matthew looks at him with death in his eyes as he stares down Harold
As mason enters his tent as he sees a pack of empty abortion pills on the table as he picks it up and goes outside to confront her out in the fields
Mason: is there something you need to tell me ?
Laura: we can't leave I'm pregnant.
Mason: are you ?
Laura: I threw em up.
As mason gets angry and pissed
Laura: you can yell if you want you can scream if you have to, but talk to me.
Mason: how long have you known ?
Laura: does it matter ?
Mason: days? Weeks ? And you didn't tell me ?
Laura: I'm telling you now.
Mason: no I found these,so Noah knows right ? Instead of coming to me you sent him to go get pills ?
Laura: I panicked you tell me we have no roof and no walls-
Mason: Do not put this on me! You tear into me for keeping secrets when you're holding onto this ?
Laura: you want me to bring a baby into this to live a short cruel life.
Mason: how can you think like that ?
Laura: we can't even protect the son we already have.
Mason: so this is your solution?
Laura: mason,I threw them up I screwed up I dont know how we do this.
Mason: we can make this work.
Laura: how ? Tell me how.
Mason: we'll figure it out shouldn't we try to figure it out ? You threw up the pills you want this baby I know you do.
Laura: not like this not giving birth in a ditch not when it's life hanging by a thread from the second it's born not when every cry will put it,and our kids and everyone we care about into danger that's not right.
Mason:  not even giving it a chance isn't right either.
Laura: maybe this is why I didn't want to tell you.
Mason: I still don't understand why you really think I'd make you have a baby you dont want ?
Laura: no,so that if I went through with it,it would be on my conscience not yours.
Mason: maybe that's true but I cant live like this anymore,Laura we can't live like this is there anything else I should know about ?
Laura: Matthew and I.
Mason: I know of course I know you thought I was dead the world went to shit and you thought I was dead right ?
Laura: yeah.