The three of us moved quickly toward the Marsh House. With the map and Molly's directions, we didn't have to wander blindly through the streets.
As we ran, Lee glanced at Molly. "There'll be a lot of walkers around the hotel. Molly—draw them away from the area."
She nodded without hesitation. "Got it. I'll ring the bell. Just be careful."
We split up. Molly vaulted over a nearby wall and disappeared into the streets, while Lee and I pushed forward.
After nearly half an hour of running, Lee was breathing hard beside me, sweat streaking down his face. He looked close to collapsing, but he kept going.
I glanced at him. "Lee… do you know anything about the hunters?"
I asked because, in the original timeline, there were no hunters, at least not in Savannah. Now they were suddenly part of the city's chaos, and I didn't want to be caught off guard.
"Not much," Lee said between breaths. "From what I've heard, Crawford was running out of supplies... especially food. The harsh rules imposed by its leaders made the survivors miserable. Then there was an incident where a woman killed dozens of people out of desperation. That pushed Crawford toward instability."
He swallowed before continuing. "Then, suddenly, food became abundant. A group started trading large amounts of meat, and people began calling them 'hunters.' Eventually, the survivors realized what they were eating wasn't animal meat."
My stomach twisted.
"When the truth came out," Lee went on, "everything fell apart. Crawford and the hunters turned on each other. More information surfaced—Crawford's leaders had known about the human meat but stayed quiet to protect their power."
He shook his head as we ran. "A civil war broke out. When Crawford weakened, the hunters took the opportunity to attack Savannah for supplies. A lot of people are being killed because of them."
His voice hardened. "That's why we wanted to leave this place as soon as possible."
A bell suddenly rang out from the north.
A grim smile tugged at my lips. Molly.
Just as she promised, walkers began drifting toward the sound. At least one part of the plan was working.
We ran for another half hour before the Marsh House came into view, a tall, decaying hotel looming over the street. Broken cars littered the road, and piles of undead bodies were scattered around the area.
"That's it," Lee muttered.
Luckily, there weren't many walkers near the entrance. We moved quickly and quietly, taking them down before they could make a sound.
Then we slipped inside.
The interior was eerily quiet. A long, dark hallway stretched ahead, empty and oppressive. The hotel was massive, its silence pressing down on us as we moved forward.
"Clementine?" Lee called softly.
We checked each room one by one, opening doors and calling her name. There was no response.
The darkness made everything worse. No lights. No movement.
Blood smeared the floor near the entryway, dried footprints trailing deeper into the hotel. My chest tightened as we followed them.
"Clementine," I called again, louder this time. Still nothing.
Frustration and fear twisted in my gut. I stopped and forced myself to breathe, closing my eyes and listening, really listening.
Nearly a full minute passed.
Nothing.
No footsteps, whispers, not even shuffling walkers.
The realization hit hard. If Clementine wasn't here, we had no idea where to look next.
We cleared the entire first floor. Then the second. Room after room, all empty.
By the time we finished, Lee and I stood in the hallway, exhausted and disheartened. Panic crept in as the truth settled between us.
We had searched the whole hotel.
Clementine was nowhere to be found.
My thoughts spiraled. Where would she go? What did we miss?
Then—
A sharp burst of static crackled through the walkie-talkie.
"If you want to see her, come to the library."
A man's voice cut through the noise.
Lee grabbed the walkie-talkie from his belt. "Who the fuck are you!?"
His grip tightened as if he might crush the device.
"Language, please," the man replied calmly. "My daughter is here, and I don't want her influenced by you. I want to talk. Come to the library."
Lee opened his mouth to respond, but the signal abruptly cut off.
"Fuck!" he shouted.
Without looking at me, he stormed outside. I followed closely, struggling to keep my anger in check.
A voice came from above, from the rooftop.
"Did you find Clementine?" Molly asked, hope flickering in her eyes.
Lee didn't look up. He kept moving.
Molly stared after him, stunned. She had never seen Lee this angry before. Her gaze shifted to me, silently asking for answers.
"We're heading to the library," I said. "A man on the radio claims Clementine is with him."
Molly's face drained of color. "The library?" she whispered. Her eyes drifted away before snapping back. "That's Crawford's main command center. Do you have any idea how dangerous that is? People are killed there constantly. It's not safe."
"I don't fucking care," Lee growled, walking faster toward the city. "When I get my hands on that man, I'll kill him."
Molly and I hurried after him.
"Can't you understand?" Molly pleaded. "There's a full-blown war going on there. If we go in, we'll be killed. This is suicide!"
Lee ignored her. His eyes burned with rage, his hands trembling as he tightened his grip on the axe.
I stepped in front of him, forcing him to stop.
He glared at me. "Kid, I'm not in the mood for games."
He tried to move past me, but I blocked his path again.
"I care about Clementine, too," I said firmly. "But Molly's right. There are hundreds of people fighting in Crawford. Rushing in blindly will get us killed. So here's the plan: you stay here. Molly and I go over the rooftops—it's safer—and we rescue Clementine."
Lee exploded. "You want me to stay here while Clementine's been kidnapped by some bastard?"
"I want you to calm down," I replied. "Charging straight into Crawford will get you killed."
He stared at me in silence before finally asking, "Then what do you suggest I do?"
"Tell me how you got inside Crawford when you stole the supplies."
His eyes widened. "The sewer canal."
For a moment, hope lit his face, then faded. "But they blocked all the manholes after we escaped."
"Don't worry," I said. "Molly and I will go over the rooftops, open a manhole, and let you in. Once we rescue Clementine, we'll escape through the sewer."
Lee exhaled slowly, calmer now. He nodded.
"I'll distract the walkers and draw people away from the library," Molly said. Her expression was tense but determined as she scanned the area. "When you see an opening, open the manhole."
"Okay," I said. "Be safe."
We nodded to each other, split up, and Molly and I climbed the wall, pulling ourselves onto the rooftops.