The man leads them through the streets, and a large warehouse comes into view, its rusty metal walls and broken windows.
"Here we are, this is it."
Kenny looks around cautiously, his hand resting on the handle of his knife.
"Okay, let's go."
He pushes the man aside and enters the warehouse.
Inside, it's dark and musty, with piles of boxes scattered everywhere.
He sees four people sitting around a fire in the center of the warehouse. They look up as Kenny, Maggie, and their captive enter.
One of them stands up and says,
"Jim? What's going on?"
"I... I brought them here. They said they'd let me go if I did."
The 4 strangers stand up slowly and look at Kenny and Maggie. Two of them are armed.
"Okay,"
the man who spoke earlier says, stepping forward.
"Looks like we have some unexpected guests. Who are you?"
Kenny's grip on his knife tightens, his eyes never leaving the strangers.
"I'm Kenny, this is Maggie. We're lost, and your friend offered us a place to stay."
He glances around their makeshift camp.
"Looks like you've got a great spot around here. Would you mind if we joined you for a bit? It's been a long day."
The man hesitates, looking at his companions.
"Okay."
Kenny sits down on a nearby crate, and Maggie takes a seat beside him. The strangers watch them warily, their hands never leaving their weapons.
"So, what brings you here?"
"Just trying to survive. Like everyone else, we were looking for a place to stay for the night."
"Well, you've found it. Welcome."
"I'm Tom."
"Nice to meet you, Tom."
Tom nods, his eyes on the group.
"Well, you've already met Jim, your enthusiastic guide."
Jim avoids eye contact with Kenny and Maggie. Tom keeps pointing at a small woman with short brown hair.
"This is Lisa, our doctor, and this is Sarah, and this is David."
David gives them a weak smile. Kenny looks at each of them individually.
"Nice to meet you all."
"Speaking of... where's Mark? He was supposed to be with you, jim."
"Mark?"
"He's... he's tied up in the tower where Kenny found me. He tied him up to make sure I hadn't lied about our hideout."
Tom's expression darkens, and he turns to Kenny.
"Is that true? You tied up one of our men and left him in that tower?"
"I had to make sure he wasn't lying."
"I'm going to get Mark. Lisa, come with me."
Lisa follows Tom out of the warehouse without a word.
The other members of the group look at Kenny, their hands near their weapons.
Minutes drag on, and finally, footsteps echo from outside, growing louder until Tom and Lisa emerge from the darkness, supporting Mark.
His face is bruised and battered. But his eyes light up when he sees Jim.
"Mark, you're okay!"
Jim rushes to Mark to help Lisa and Tom get him down.
"I'm sorry, Mark. I didn't mean for this to happen. Kenny made me..."
His voice trails off when he realizes Kenny is still there. Tom steps between them.
"You, out.Now."
Kenny stands up slowly, brushing the dust off his trousers. He glances at Maggie, then follows Tom out of the warehouse.
Tom turns to face Kenny, his eyes flashing with anger.
"What the hell were you thinking? Tie up a guy and leave him to rot in that tower?"
"You can't trust anyone."
"And what about giving people a chance before judging them?"
"Trusting the wrong people has made me a guinea pig for years. All I have left is a thirst for revenge."
He moves closer to Tom.
"I learned the hard way. Staying alive no matter what, is all that matters now."
Tom stares at Kenny for a long moment.
"Look, Kenny, I get it. Okay!! . This world is gone , But... this isn't the way to deal with it , not everything with the dead. Okay, here's the deal: stay with us for a few days, help us out, and we'll share our supplies and everything you need."
Kenny's eyebrows shot up in surprise. He hadn't expected such an offer from Tom, especially after what he'd done to Jim.
"Okay, I'll stay. For a few days."
"Good, welcome to the group. Let's go back inside."