Chapter 14: The Decision

The air was heavy with unspoken words as we led Nora's group into the shelter. Eyes flicked between strangers and allies, measuring, calculating. The tension was palpable. No one fully trusted anyone yet, but survival forced cooperation.

Lee stood with his arms crossed, studying the newcomers. Hershel, ever the cautious observer, gripped his shotgun but said nothing. Mercer stepped forward, nodding to Nora.

"You made it."

"We did. Barely," she replied. "Your message came just in time."

Kenny leaned in close to me, his voice low. "We're outnumbered now. What if this was the wrong call?"

I sighed. "Then we deal with it. Like we always do."

Lee finally spoke. "Alright, we've all got questions. But first things first—resources. If we're doing this, we need to know what we're working with."

Nora gestured to one of her people, a lanky man with tired eyes. "Elliot, do an inventory check with them. Let's pool what we've got."

As Elliot and a few others moved toward the supply stacks, Deanna crossed her arms. "This is a risk for both sides. What's stopping either group from turning on the other?"

Mercer's expression was grim. "Survival. That's the only thing that matters now. We don't have time for betrayals. The horde's coming, whether we trust each other or not."

The room fell into silence. Outside, the moans of the undead echoed faintly in the distance. It was a stark reminder of what was at stake.

Lee finally nodded. "We don't have time for arguments. We move forward together, or we die apart."

Hershel sighed. "Then we better get to reinforcing this place. That horde won't wait for us to get comfortable."

For the first time in what felt like forever, there was a plan. A fragile one, built on necessity rather than trust—but a plan nonetheless. Now, all that was left was to see if we could survive long enough to make it work.