Rick and the others were led all the way towards the sixth floor where a table was placed in the middle of the hallway, where Dawn and Michael sat opposite of each other.
"Alright, we've gotten this far. So what is it that you want from us?" Dawn asked. She already has an idea of what they want, but she wants to hear it directly from them.
Daryl, Glenn and Nolan stood slightly away behind Michael, and the same goes for Dawn's colleagues.
Michael slowly leaned back on his chair with his hands on his legs. "Medicines and medical supplies, most notably for pregnancy. If possible, medical equipment too."
"It wouldn't be a problem to provide those, but we both know how valuable those things are today, right?" Dawn had just finished those words when Officer Amanda called out to her.
"Lieutenant Lerner!"
Dawn just slowly raised her hand to shut her up, and Amanda's facial expression twisted when she did that. In the end, she decided it's useless trying to say anything and stepped back.
"As you've seen, even my colleague is opposed to your proposal. So what can you exchange for them that will satisfy us?"
Michael looked at the people standing behind her and then back to Dawn. He smiled and presented his proposal to them.
He took a list out of his chest pocket and handed it over to Dawn. "This paper has the list of the things we want. In exchange for those things, we'll give you food, water or you can also give us a list that you want from us and we'll try to meet your needs until both sides are satisfied with the exchange."
Dawn looked at Michael and couldn't help but raised both her eyebrows in agreement with what he said. "Alright, I like that idea. So how about we meet up here again and further discuss this deal in two hours?"
Michael stood up enthusiastically with no hesitation and offered his hand towards her while saying. "Then we'll get out of your hair and we'll discuss this again in two hours. I'm looking forward to the success of this deal, I think both of our communities need this. You know that, right?"
Dawn looked at the smile on his face for a moment before taking his hand and shaking it. She also smiled, but responded in a neutral tone. "I know, and you guys can stay anywhere from here, except for the upper floors."
She gave him one last smile before turning around, and her smile immediately vanished. She walked away with her colleagues cautiously watching them as they retreated to the stairwell on the opposite side.
Michael watched them, still with that obnoxious smile on his face. When Dawn and the others disappeared to the stairwell, he also lost his smile and was slowly replaced by a grim expression.
Daryl quickly confronted him when Dawn and her people disappeared. He was slightly dissatisfied with what Michael did but kept it in until now. "What are you doing man? We didn't bring any supplies with us. What are we going to trade with them? Don't tell me after coming all the way here, we'll need to return again?"
Michael turned towards him and calmly responded. "Relax, the city is big. We'll find the things we have on the list while looking for the things they want later."
"What? Then what was the point of doing this trade if we're still going back to square one?" Glenn was already confused with everything that's happening, but Michael's words made him even more confused than he already is.
"It's just a precaution, since there's no guarantee that we'll find everything that we need out there. So I'm hoping the trade with these people would at least secure half of what we're looking for. And for the rest of them, we'll look for it in other places." Michael patiently explained to them and only did they realize what he's trying to do.
"But what now? What do we do during those two hours?" Nolan asked moments later.
"You heard her earlier, we're free to move on any floor from here except those above us." Michael answered, and there's a slightly wicked grin on his face.
"Take anything you think would be useful to us or in the future. If you can't carry it, then let me know."
Glenn and the other two looked at each other and chuckled. They already know that this place would be wiped clean by the time they're done here.
"What about you? Sounds like you're going somewhere." Daryl asked.
"Nothing too complicated. I'm just gonna go down and see if I can clear the walkers lingering outside the building since we won't be able to get out of here with them blocking the way.." Michael answered and started walking towards the door to the stairwell.
Nolan was surprised to hear that and quickly reacted. "What? From your words, are you planning to go by yourself? I don't think that's a very great idea."
Michael chuckled. "Relax, this is not my first rodeo, kid."
'Kid? There's like only a seven or eight year age gap between us.' Nolan thought with a weird expression on his face.
"Why are the two of you not saying anything? It's suicide!" Walking down the stairs behind them, Nolan noticed that Daryl and Glenn are not saying anything to dissuade him.
Glenn and Daryl remained silent since they know that no amount of explanation would reassure Nolan, and at the same time, they're also curious how Michael would do. They only ever heard of his story from others, but never once witnessed it.
"Oh come..on!" Nolan became frustrated when they just ignored him.
When the four arrived at the second floor, Michael walked into one of the rooms and suddenly ran and jumped over the balcony without any warning!
For a heartbeat, the three of them stood frozen, paralyzed as they tried to process what just happened. When the shock finally wore off moments later, they immediately rushed towards the balcony and peered over the railings just in time to witness Michael decapitating a walker with a sword in his hand.
"Bloody heck, that's…that's a lot of walkers." Nolan was indeed shocked by Michael's reckless actions, but he was more shocked and horrified when he saw the dense mass of walking dead below them.
"We're fuck if those things starts pouring in here."