The Walking Dead: The Shane Walsh Alternative (Season 2)

Highway Encounter: Part I

I awake alone in bed. The space next to me is still warm. Lori must've just woke up not long ago. I walk to the shower room where she has already started washing up. I disrobe and join her in the shower. "Mornin' baby." I whisper as I wrap my arms around her waist and kiss the back of her neck gently. She quickly spins around, startled. "Jesus Shane! Don't scare me like that!" She playfully slaps my chest. "Sorry, I couldn't resist." I answer. "Do you have to go out again?" She asks. "You know I do. We have to get that highway cleared. With the extra hands around, we can probly get it finished today." I reply. We finish taking our shower and put our clothes back on, preparing to head over to the main post to meet with the rest of the group.

Once everyone is gathered at the main post, I inform them all that the highway MUST be cleared today. "I need as many bodies as we can spare, on the highway clearing the path. Glenn, Dale, Andrea, Pete, Daryl, and Belle. You're all with me. Lori, Carol, and the kids will stay here." Beth looks nervously at Daryl. "It'll be okay Beth. These are good people." He assures her. The seven of us gear up and start to leave the main post. Carl stops me just as I exit the door. "Shane, when can I go on runs with you? You've taught me how to protect myself. I'm ready." He argues. "You're right." I pull out Rick's old gun that I had concealed under my shirt. "This is yours now, bud. You've earned it. This run isn't for you though. We need big bodies who are able to push cars. Stay here and protect your mom." I tell him. I can feel Lori glaring at me. She'll get over it. Carl nods his head and walks proudly back over to Lori. I exit the main post and head for the highway with the rest of the group.

While walking back to the immobile car blockade on the highway, taking out a couple of geeks along the way, I ask Daryl. "So you and Beth huh? You two uh, you know?" He looks at me sternly. "No." He seems caught off guard by my question. I don't know why. I wouldn't put it past him. "Just askin' man. What happens if you find your brother? You gonna leave us?" I ask. "The real question is, what happens if YOU find my brother?" He retorts. I would beat his damn head in. He robbed us and is partially at fault for some of the deaths at our original camp. "I don't know. What's done, is done. I guess I could let bygones be bygones." I lie. "Something tells me not to believe that." He answers. "Well, you're here aren't you?" I say. If it wasn't for the girl, I would've told Daryl to get lost. I still don't fully trust him. "Yeah, I guess so." He looks at me and nods.

We finally reach the cars and begin shifting them to neutral and pushing them off the road. After moving about two dozen vehicles, I hear a car stop, and doors open and close on the other side of the blockade. "You hear that? Someone's out there. Take cover and get your weapons ready." I quietly instruct the group. I open the driver side door of a car and position myself behind it and aim my Mossberg 590 through the window waiting for whatever might be coming our way. Daryl is on the other side of the car with his Horton Scout crossbow ready. Dale with his Remington 700 VLS and Glenn with his Glock 17 are stationed behind another car. Pete aims his M4A1 from behind a pick-up truck, with Belle behind him, unarmed besides her Machete. Andrea has positioned herself belly down on top of a van aiming her Browning Automatic Safari in the distance. She signals that she sees five armed men walking in our direction. I motion for her to hold her fire and wait.

After a few minutes they are within range of our group. "Stop right there! Don't move!" I yell out. The five strangers immediately pull the guns out and start scanning the area. "You do anything stupid, and we WILL put you down. You're outnumbered and outpositioned. What do you want!?" I ask the strangers. They spot me and the rest of the group. Seeing they are outnumbered, one man tells the rest to lower the guns. "We're just passing through. Trying to get to Fort Benning. We heard there's shelter there." He answers. "Well, sadly you're mistaken. Now turn around and walk away!" I order. "Now hold on friend. We've come a long way. You look pretty clean. Look like you've got a place to stay. You sure Fort Benning isn't standing?" He asks. "I'm not your friend. Just turn around and go. Nobody has to get hurt." I urge. "You're right, we're not friends. Let's change that. I'm Dave."

Dave is definitely the leader of the group. He's caucasion, with short black hair, and a tapered beard. Appears to be in his early 30's. "This is Tony." He points to a heavyset caucasion with greyish hair and a full beard. Probably in his late 30's. "This here is Randall". Randall looks to be no older than 18 or 19. He's a skinny caucasion with short brown hair. "Over there is Sean." Sean is an african american with short black hair. Late 20's. "And this funny lookin' fella is Nate." Nate IS a bit funny looking. He's a caucasion with curly black hairand a funny looking face. Also in his late 20's.

"How 'bout you pal? What's your name?" He asks me. "My name's Shane, but this doesn't change anything. I'm still gonna need you to turn around and get out of here." I instruct. "Here I thought we were makin' progress. You mean to tell me you don't have any room left at ole Fort Benning?" He asks. "We don't know you. Besides, we don't take people in." I answer. "How bout we take your goddamn Fort and--" Tony starts. "Whoa Tone, shut up! You have to excuse my friend here, he's from Philly. City boy, doesn't have any tact, or any manners. Now where were we?" Dave says. "We were at you leavin'." I cut in. "Why don't we all put our guns down and talk this out?" He says. "Ain't nothing to talk about. This ends now. I'm gonna count to 10 and if you haven't started walking the other way, we're gonna open fire." I assure him.

"ONE!"

"You've gotta be kiddin' me." Dave says.

"TWO!"

"C'mon with the countin'! I thought we were adults!?" He continues.

"THREE!"

"Screw this shit!" Dave pulls his gun up and fires in my direction. I immediately start firing back and before you know it, it's a shootout.