As they moved toward the hardware store, luck briefly seemed to favor them. Everyone had gathered near the front gate, making it easier to advance. Carver's men lay scattered around the entrance; none had been prepared for the Saviors' ambush.
From the way events were unfolding, it was clear they were doomed. Carver had only fifteen men left alive, while the enemy had more than thirty armed, organized, and ready for a fight.
The gunfire stopped.
A man standing on a jeep shouted, "We Saviors don't want needless deaths. Surrender and come down from the roof. Carver, if you keep being stubborn, you'll die with your men. Help us save bullets and surrender. You should've accepted Negan's deal."
Carver gritted his teeth, glaring down at the camp where dozens of guns were trained on him. Before he could respond, one of his men threw his weapon to the ground and stepped out of hiding. He wasn't willing to die for Carver. Others began to waver, but before they could act, the man was shot in the head.
"Fucking coward," Carver snarled, turning to the rest of his men. "Keep fighting. We can still win. They're running out of ammo... we just have to hold on. Once they're empty, we take them down!"
His words reignited their resolve. Though outnumbered, they had more ammunition and could afford to keep firing. If they endured long enough, the advantage would shift.
"Bonnie! Get more ammo from the armory!" Carver shouted, firing relentlessly at the Saviors.
Gunfire erupted again.
"Okay!" Bonnie yelled back, panic in her voice as she sprinted toward the stairs.
She never saw the axe coming.
It flew across the room and buried itself in her chest. She collapsed onto the steps with a scream.
"AHAHA!"
"Are you okay?" Carver shouted, glancing toward the staircase. "Answer me, damn it!"
Silence.
Frustration twisted his face. "Tavia, go downstairs and see what..."
A bullet tore through him before he could finish.
"Die, you motherfucker!" Kenny roared, unloading round after round into Carver's body.
Tavia and the others opened fire on Kenny. He ducked behind cover and hurled a grenade, killing three of them before retreating downstairs, blood pouring from his wounded arm.
At the same time, the Saviors launched explosives from below. Blasts ripped through the camp, and in the chaos, most of Carver's remaining men were killed. Only a handful survived. Realizing victory was impossible, they fled in panic.
Seeing them run, the Saviors advanced. "Move! Finish this and loot everything before the dead start gathering."
The lights went out, plunging the camp into darkness.
They switched on their bike and car headlights, flooding the area with harsh white beams.
Clementine and the others slipped quietly out of the hardware store, searching for an escape route other than the front gate. The surrounding wall was tall and solid, too high to climb and too thick to break without wasting precious time.
"The gunfire stopped. We need to hurry and find a way out," Clementine said, gripping her rifle.
"Fuck, I can barely see anything," Rebecca muttered, holding her swollen belly, struggling to breathe.
"Then stop complaining and keep moving," Jane snapped. "We're all in the same mess."
"Who the hell do you think you are, ordering me around, little girl?" Rebecca shot back.
"Watch your mouth, old hag, or I'll forget you're pregnant."
Before the argument could escalate, Clementine stepped between them. "This is not the time. Both of you... Stop."
In the distance, scattered gunfire erupted, flashlights cut through the darkness, sweeping toward them.
The Saviors were killing anyone they found as they searched the camp for survivors.
"There's no way out except the gate," Carlos said, tightening his grip on Sarah's hand. "We need to do something fast before they find us."
Everyone felt it; the situation was spiraling out of control. The Saviors were closing in quickly.
"If we had explosives, we could blow a hole in this wall," Luke muttered, kicking a log in frustration.
"I have some fucking explosives."
Kenny emerged from the darkness, clutching his bleeding arm. He tossed a bag onto the ground. "Took these from the armory. Will it be enough?"
He smiled weakly.
Clementine rushed to examine his wound, but Kenny pushed her hand away. "Not now, Clem."
"You'll bleed out if we don't stop it," she said firmly.
"I don't give a shit. Focus on getting everyone out."
Clementine swallowed her protest.
Luke and Jane quickly set the explosives.
"As soon as wall blows, they'll come running," Clementine warned. "Head straight for the woods. Don't stop."
They backed away.
BOOM.
The explosion tore through the wall, leaving a massive hole.
"Rebecca, Sarah, Carlos... you three go first!" Clementine ordered. "The rest of us will cover you!"
They nodded and ran.
Behind them, beams of white light swung wildly through the darkness. Clementine, Jane, Luke, and Kenny turned and fired into the glare, covering the others as they fled.
The Saviors returned fire, charging after them.
The group shot blindly, dropping a few pursuers, but more kept coming. With darkness on their side, they became harder targets.
Clementine spun and fired again.
Click.
Empty.
"Damn it!" She tossed the useless rifle aside and ran faster. The others had run dry, too.
"They're out of bullets! Don't hesitate... chase them!" a Savior shouted. "Don't let them reach the woods!"
The Saviors surged forward.
Everyone was exhausted, especially Rebecca. She stumbled and fell to her knees, gasping. Pain twisted her face as she clutched her belly and tried to push herself up.
Clementine saw her fall and ran back.
Behind them, the Saviors were closing in.
"Clementine, what the fuck are you doing?" Jane yelled, seeing Clementine fall back to help Rebecca, who was struggling to keep up with the rest of the group. "Leave her! We can't save her!"
The group slowed as they realized Rebecca was falling behind.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Kenny shouted, fury blazing in his eyes. "She's pregnant!"
"We can't leave her, Jane!" Luke said, though doubt crept into his voice.
"Don't you see? She can't run!" Jane snapped. "If we help her, we all going to die!"
Luke clenched his jaw, unable to argue.
Silence fell between them heavy and terrible. No one wanted to admit it, but all of them knew Jane was right.