Chapter 117: The Island
Savannah's streets were quieter than Rick had imagined.
Not the peaceful kind of quiet, but the abandoned, desolate silence of a city where even the Walkers no longer bothered to roam.
Abandoned vehicles lined the roadsides, their windows shattered and tires flat. Fallen leaves covered the bodies trapped inside.
Storefront windows had been smashed open. Shelves lay overturned, and only a few empty hangers swayed gently in the wind.
Knee-high weeds pushed through cracks in the pavement. As the breeze passed through them, the rustling sounded almost like whispered conversations.
T-Dog gripped the steering wheel tightly, his palms slick with sweat.
He drove slowly, stopping at every intersection to observe the surrounding buildings. Only after confirming that no Walkers were pouring out did he continue forward.
His eyes constantly shifted between the windshield and the rearview mirror. His neck looked as stiff as rusted metal.
"If those things come pouring out from a corner and surround us, this Humvee won't last long."
"Can you stop jinxing us?"
Carol's voice drifted from the back seat.
Soft.
Calm.
Effective.
T-Dog immediately shut his mouth.
The Humvee turned another corner.
Several figures in black leather coats appeared ahead.
They moved in formation along the sidewalk, AUG rifles pressed against their shoulders, muzzles pointed forward.
A Walker suddenly burst through the shattered window of a clothing store.
Glass exploded outward.
Before it could regain its balance, a bullet punched through its skull.
The Walker collapsed onto the broken glass with a sickening crunch.
The patrol continued walking without sparing it a second glance.
T-Dog let out a long breath and relaxed against his seat.
"Our people."
As the Humvee passed, one of the patrol members glanced at the vehicle's logo before lowering his head and continuing to clear the street.
The plaza entrance had changed.
The last time Rick had been here, it had been surrounded by an iron fence.
Now thick steel plates reinforced the perimeter.
The welding marks remained rough and unfinished, resembling ugly scars.
Two guards stood at the gate.
They wore black tactical leather coats, and the red-and-white Umbrella Corporation logo was painted across their helmets.
The guards stopped the Humvee.
After checking Rick's identification card and examining everyone inside the vehicle, they exchanged a few words over the radio.
Moments later, the gate slid open.
Andrea stepped out.
The moment she saw Rick, she smiled.
"What brings you here?"
She shook Rick's hand and then pulled Carol into a brief hug.
T-Dog awkwardly stood nearby with his arms slightly spread, uncertain what to do.
Andrea glanced at him and laughed.
She gave him a quick hug before stepping away.
The entire interaction lasted less than a second.
T-Dog's face immediately turned red.
Scratching the back of his head, he quietly stepped aside.
Glenn climbed out of the vehicle.
Maggie followed.
Andrea looked at Maggie, then at Glenn.
The corners of her mouth curled upward.
"Girlfriend?"
Glenn's face reddened instantly.
He neither confirmed nor denied it.
Maggie, however, was far more straightforward.
She extended her hand.
"Maggie."
Andrea shook it.
"Andrea. Your boyfriend isn't bad."
She glanced at Glenn.
"He just talks a little too much once you get to know him."
Maggie burst out laughing.
Glenn's face became even redder.
When Rick introduced Michonne, Andrea's eyes immediately settled on the katana strapped across her back.
"Nice sword."
Michonne gave a small nod.
"Thanks."
Andrea offered to invite everyone inside for coffee.
Rick shook his head.
"We don't have time. We'll leave as soon as the tank is full."
Andrea studied him.
Then she looked at the group behind him.
Every face showed signs of exhaustion from a long journey.
Yet there was also something else.
Purpose.
Determination.
The look of people who knew exactly what they were doing and where they were going.
"What's so important?" Andrea asked.
"More important than when a million Walkers attacked the CDC?"
Rick's expression remained serious.
"More important."
He paused.
"One shot from this thing could wipe out a million Walkers and flatten entire cities."
Andrea's smile disappeared.
She stared into his eyes, searching for any sign that he was joking.
There wasn't one.
"You mean..."
Rick nodded.
Andrea inhaled sharply and turned toward the guards.
"Fill their tank."
Her voice rose.
"Full tank. Fast."
The fuel nozzle was inserted into the Humvee.
The gauge needle climbed steadily upward.
Rick leaned against the vehicle and lit a cigarette.
Carol joined him and lit one as well.
Michonne rested against the opposite side of the Humvee, eyes closed as if napping.
A short distance away, Glenn and Maggie stood shoulder to shoulder, whispering quietly to each other.
T-Dog crouched beside a tire, checking the pressure.
A few minutes later, the tank was full.
Rick climbed into the driver's seat.
The engine roared to life.
The Humvee rolled out through the gate and headed toward the harbor.
Andrea remained standing at the entrance long after they disappeared around the corner.
Only when the vehicle was completely gone did she turn around and head back inside.
The heavy steel gate closed behind her.
---
Out at sea, the patrol boat cut through the waves, leaving a long white wake behind it.
Clementine leaned against the stern railing, watching the trail gradually fade into the horizon.
Seagulls circled overhead.
After a few sharp cries, they drifted back toward the coastline.
Lee stood at the helm.
One hand rested on the wheel.
The other controlled the throttle.
The sea breeze pushed his hair back as he squinted into the distance.
An island slowly emerged on the horizon.
It wasn't large.
Palm trees covered most of it.
Its white beaches shimmered beneath the sunlight.
Several boats were docked inside the island's bay—speedboats, yachts, and sailboats packed together like livestock crowded into a pen.
Then a speedboat emerged from the harbor.
And headed directly toward them.