Chapter 28: When the Tension Rises
Randall's presence was escalating the tension on the farm daily. When Rick and Shane interrogated the young man, they learned a horrific truth: Randall's group numbered thirty, was heavily armed, and had previously done terrible things to an innocent family's daughter on the highway. Randall was no longer just a threat; he was the harbinger of a pack of monsters.
This information forced Rick to make a decision. He couldn't execute him as Shane demanded. That would violate his moral code. Instead, he decided to take Randall far enough away from the farm, blindfold him, and leave him. This way, they would be free of him and not become a murderer.
Rick took Shane with him on this mission. This was a last chance to break the ice between them and for the partnership that would come from making a joint decision.
While they were on this dangerous mission, Jayden was on his own. "I'll check the fences and hunt a few rabbits," he excused himself from the farm. But his real goal was to hone his skills and continue his "Safe House" project.
On the way, he turned into a small settlement he'd noticed earlier. It was perfect for practice. He noticed a house with a weak door. He quickly scanned the [Basic Repair] book he'd pulled from his bag. Using a few scraps of wood and nails he'd found lying around, he clumsily but effectively reinforced the door.
[Skill Used: Basic Repair! +10 EXP]
[Basic Repair (Level 1) EXP: 10 / 250]
Next, he approached a locked door on another house. He pulled out his bag of simple lockpicking tools. He tried to put the theoretical knowledge of the [Basic Lockpicking] skill into practice. His fingers were clumsy, but after minutes of effort, he heard a satisfying click, and the door opened.
[Skill Used: Basic Lockpicking! +15 EXP]
[Basic Lockpicking (Level 1) EXP: 15 / 250]
These small successes gave him immense confidence. The few walkers he encountered while clearing houses were now nothing more than a source of EXP for him. With each walker he killed, he got closer to leveling up.
[EXP: 1120 / 3500]
In a bedroom closet in a house, he found something valuable: a barely used .22-caliber silenced pistol and two boxes of ammunition. It was the perfect weapon for silent operations. Instead of taking this valuable loot to the farm, he took it straight to his Safe House and added it to his inventory.
While Jayden was building his own little kingdom, Rick and Shane's journey was turning into a disaster. As they stopped in a schoolyard, preparing to drop Randall off, Shane, learning that he went to the same school as him, realized Randall could easily locate the farm. This was the final straw. He attacked Rick and tried to kill him.
The two old friends fought to the death in a schoolyard filled with walkers. Rick managed to overpower Shane, but didn't kill him. Instead, he gave them a choice: accept his leadership and move forward together, or part ways completely.
By the time they returned to the farm, their relationship had been shattered beyond repair. They were no longer friends; they were enemies living under the same roof, waiting for each other's next move. Jayden saw the expressions on both their faces when they turned. The fuse had been lit. The explosion was imminent.