The Walking Dead A New Frontier: Six Years Later

Chapter Fourteen: Enemies At The Gate

Clementine's face itched, she fought with all her willpower not to scratch it. The stitches on her wound had been removed a few days ago but she couldn't risk irritating it or opening it up again. The first signs of snowfall were starting to show themselves, small flakes landed on Clem's skin and melted instantly. Despite the cold and being stuck on wall duty, she was enjoying the day. The thoughts of AJ being able to play in the snow distracted her from the nagging worries about Samson that had been eating away at her for the past few months.
Once again she was on the front wall, only slightly further down the line from the gate. She wished she had gloves, her fingers were numb from the cold and if she had to use her rifle she knew her trigger pull wouldn't be as steady as usual. Clem leaned the rifle against the wall and cupped her hands together, blowing hot air into them. She looked further down the wall, there were three times as many guards manning it at all times now. Javi was clearly serious about the threat of Samson. The gate guard, Jim, stood with his rifle slung over his shoulder. He wore a thick wool coat that complimented his thick, bushy beard.
I wonder what having a beard is like. It must keep you warm, I want a beard. She thought.
She saw Jim quickly shoulder his rifle and aim
It at something down below. He began to speak, Clem could only catch fragments of what was being said.

Jim aimed his rifle at the stranger who approached the front gate.
"Hold up there. What's your business?" Jim called down to the man.
"I'm here looking for someone, and something."
"Mind telling me who and what that is?"
Jim kept the muzzle of the gun pointed at the man.
"Well then, I guess we're done with the pleasantries," he chuckled, "What I'm looking for, friend, are some guns that were stolen from my people."
"Guns?" Jim said.
"Yes indeed, guns. Fourteen bags all full to the brim with everything from AR-15's to shotguns."
Jim cast his memory back to a few months ago, when that scout group had returned with duffel bags full of weaponry.
"As for who," the stranger continued, "I'm looking for a girl with one leg wearing a baseball cap. It's got a 'D' on the front."
He spun his finger in a small circle over his forehead.
Jim knew the man was talking about Clementine.
"I'd hate to waste more of your time so I'll give you the cliff notes version; I want my guns back, plus all of yours, let's call it compensation. I also want the girl in the hat and anyone else involved in the attack on my outpost."
Jim lined up the reticle of his scope with the stranger's head.
"You best turn around and go back to wherever you came from, or I'll make sure threatening us is the last thing you do." Jim said, menacingly.
The stranger shook his head and waved his finger down in a pointing gesture at Jim.
Jim flinched for an instant before going limp and tumbling sideways off the balcony. A bullet had snapped through the air and passed through his brain, instantaneously erasing everything that Jim had ever experienced.

Clementine had moved closer during Jim's exchange. She was trying to listen when she saw Jim drop to the ground after a spray of blood exploded from his head. A shot rang out seconds later, she ducked down behind the wall to avoid being next.
"That was your first strike, send up your leader so I can talk to them." A familiar, gravelly voice shouted from the ground level.
Clem's eyes widened and she felt a feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach, Samson was here.
David stomped up the steps of the wall carrying a rifle. He came to a stop next to her and poked his head up.
"Who are you?" He yelled.
In the time it took David to get to the wall, Samson had called out his raiders from hiding. He stood in front of a veritable army, close to two hundred people, all heavily armed. Among the raiders were various vehicles, pickup trucks with machine guns mounted on the back, an armored semi truck with a ramming bar and numerous cars for carrying soldiers.
"You know who I am. Are you in charge here?" Samson said with a grin.
"That's right." David responded.
"Good, here's the deal: I want my guns back, plus your guns, as well as the girl in the hat and anyone else who helped raid my outpost. You do all that for me, we won't have any problems."
David cast a quick glance over to Clementine who was huddled behind the wall clutching her rifle.
"That's not how we do things here. People aren't commodities, and we're sure as hell not giving you our only means to defend ourselves."
Samson shook his head and clicked his tongue at David.
"That's a shame. In all honestly I'm getting sick of posturing, so now I'm gonna come in there, get what I'm owed and burn your whole city to the ground."
He gestured to the raiders who all raised their guns.
"Oh shit." David muttered.
He ducked down, firing two shots as he did. The raiders' bullets collided with the wall, sending sparks flying and making a sound akin to hailstones on a tin roof, only much louder.
"Get that gate down!" She heard someone from over the wall shout.
A truck engine revved and moments later the entire wall shook from the impact. The gate thankfully held. David angled his rifle down and fired blindly at the raiders, Clem followed his lead. She had no idea if they were even hitting anything. The wall shook again as a truck rammed the gate, Clem heard the sound of metal buckling and saw that the gate was dented inwards. With the third hit, the truck pulled the gate from the winch and broke it free of the tracks it slid up on. The metal door fell with a bang and the cheers of the raiders could be heard.
Clementine's heart dropped as she saw them pouring in. She turned her fire towards them, killing two in the process. They fired at the driver of the truck through the front windshield but the bullets were stopped by the armour plating. She turned to David.
"I need to find AJ, I need to make sure he's safe." She pleaded.
David began reloading his rifle.
"Go! You keep that kid alive, understand?"
She nodded, before she could leave David grabbed her shoulder.
"Clem, one more thing- fuck, look out!" He interrupted himself and shoved her off the platform, she fell to the second landing between the top of the wall and the ground. The truck with the machine gun had turned it's sights to David, the .50 caliber round that hit him punched through his hip, shattering his pelvis. He screamed in pain and fell backwards down the stairs, hitting his head repeatedly as he tumbled. Clem ran to where he was laying on the ground, a large pool of blood was spreading out from beneath him, she knew he wouldn't be alive for long.
"Clem...I know it's not worth anything now, but I'm sorry for what I put you through." He croaked weakly.
Clementine had no idea how to react.
"One last thing...tell Gabe I'm proud of him. He's a better man than I ever was." David could barely lift his head to look at her.
"Go get AJ.."
she got up, leaving her rifle behind and began running to the school. The city was full of panicked people running to and from the gunfire. She needed to get AJ, needed to take him somewhere safe.