Chapter 8
Ticking Clock
Carley didn't blink. She held Lee’s gaze, waiting for an answer that would satisfy her.
Finally, she let out a breath, uncrossing her arms. "Whatever you decide... make it quick," she whispered. "Secrets have a way of getting out when people are scared."
She turned and walked away, taking up a guard position by the boarded-up front windows.
Lee stood alone in the dark electronics aisle. His heart was hammering against his ribs. He looked at the group—Kenny, Katjaa, Duck, Clementine. They were his responsibility now. If they found out who he was...
He shook it off. He had work to do.
He walked back to the main area. The mood was heavy. The adrenaline from the street fight had faded, leaving only exhaustion and fear.
"Lee," Clementine said, looking up from where she was sitting on the floor. Katjaa had wrapped her finger in a clean bandage. "Is the bad man still angry?"
Lee looked over at the counter.
Larry was sitting on a plastic crate, his massive frame hunched over. He was sweating—profusely. His face wasn't red anymore; it was a sickly shade of grey. He was clutching his chest with one hand, his breathing coming in ragged gasps.
Lilly was pacing in front of him, looking terrified.
"Dad, you need to relax," Lilly said, her voice tight. "Your heart rate is too high."
"I'm... fine!" Larry wheezed, wiping sweat from his forehead. He glared at Kenny, who was leaning against the opposite counter. "I'm just... hot."
"You're not fine," Lilly snapped. She turned to the group, her eyes desperate. "He has a heart condition. Angina. If he gets too stressed, his heart... it just stops."
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"Well, that's just great," Kenny muttered, crossing his arms. "We got a ticking time bomb in here."
"Shut up!" Lilly shouted. "He needs his pills. Nitroglycerin. We have a prescription at this exact pharmacy. It's why we came here."
"So where are they?" Lee asked, stepping forward.
"They're in the office," Lilly said, pointing to a sturdy door behind the main counter. It had a heavy deadbolt and a reinforced glass window. "But it's locked. The staff must have locked it up before they ran."
Lee walked over to the door. He tried the handle. Locked tight. He peered through the wire-mesh glass. The office was dark, but he could see shelves of medication inside. The keys were nowhere in sight.
"I can try to break it down," Kenny offered, lifting his wrench.
"No!" Lilly said. "The alarm system is still active. If you smash that door, the noise will bring every walker in Macon right on top of us."
"I can look for a way in," Lee said calmly. "There has to be a key somewhere. Or another way."
Larry looked up, his eyes narrowing. Even dying, he hated Lee. "I don't need your help."
"Dad, stop it!" Lilly yelled, her voice cracking. "He's trying to save your life!"
The air in the room was suffocating. They were trapped.
"Hey," a voice cut in.
Glenn stepped into the center of the room. He adjusted his baseball cap, looking nervous but determined.
"Look, we can't stay here forever," Glenn said. "Even if we get the pills, we need a way out of the city. We need gas."
"The truck is dry," Kenny said.
"I know," Glenn nodded. "But when we were running here... I saw a motel. The Motor Inn. It’s a few miles back. If there's gas anywhere, it’ll be there."
"You want to go back out there?" Katjaa asked, her eyes wide.
"I'm fast," Glenn said. "I used to deliver pizzas. I know the streets. I can make a run for it, scout it out, and grab some fuel."
He looked at Lee. "But I shouldn't go alone. And I need a way to keep in touch."
Lee reached into his pocket. He pulled out one of the Walkie-Talkies he had found in the treehouse.
"Take this," Lee said, tossing it to Glenn. "One channel. Keep it low. If you get into trouble, you call us immediately."
Glenn caught it. "You got it."
He looked at the group one last time. "I'll be back. Don't die while I'm gone."
Glenn moved to the back door, unlocked it quietly, and slipped out into the night.
The lock clicked shut behind him.
Now, it was just Lee, a locked office door, and a dying man who wanted him dead.
"Lee," Clementine whispered, pulling on his sleeve.
"Yeah, sweet pea?"
"I need to go to the bathroom again," she said softly.
Lee froze. The image of the walker in the stall flashed in his mind.
"Not alone," Lee said firmly. "Never alone."
Q: Larry is dying. The office is locked. How do we get in?
