Carin had sent one of his men to look for the camera which was located At the quartermaster's office. He was the one in charge of material resources and weapons.
Meanwhile, the council chamber was very quiet, surely due to the tension of the situation.
Carin looked at her brother with a worried expression, tinged with anger. She had many burdens to bear, but Kodji was a far greater one.
Casting aside all her thoughts, she began to speak to him
"Tell me, brothers, when you came back I heard you returned with a mysterious young girl. Who was she?"
The question unsettled him a little, but without too much remorse he could answer without too much worry; in any case, sooner or later she would have met him.
"Hmm, you must be talking about Elie... Yes, I came home with her and left her in the medical ward for some routine tests, nothing too extraordinary."
"I see... And she's pretty"
Carin definitely had a knack for destabilizing her brother, it's crazy!
Upon hearing her question, he was embarrassed, then cleared his throat slightly before answering.
"Yes!! I am, she is very pretty, there's no denying it, the sky is blue, what else... Nothing special."
Behind them, Denise and Michael were giggling softly in their corner, while Yannick was very calm.
Carin, for her part, burst out laughing
"I know you too well, it shows when you're embarrassed... Make her feel good, okay?"
He didn't answer and had a sullen look on his face; he didn't like feeling so exposed.
Suddenly Carin's expression became more serious
"Kodji!!... Take up arms again!"
The atmosphere changed completely once again; they all became very serious, as if they were revisiting an old wound he no longer wanted to mention.
"I don't want to talk about that now, we have other priorities."
"I understand, but it's necessary. I know you feel bad because of what happened when we were still in the east, but we have to move forward...."
Kodji stood up, leaving a loud noise behind him.
"I don't want to talk about it I don't want to be touched by gunfire anymore."
He wanted to leave, but Yannick stopped him.
"Your sister is right, you don't have to run away like that! How much longer do you plan to do this?!"
"I don't know, but that's fine with me."
Yannick got up and approached him, grabbed his collar and pressed him against the nearest wall.
"Yannick!! Stop!"
"Carin! I know he's your brother, I know he's been through a lot, but if he keeps going like this! He's going to die like a dog!!"
Kodji placed his hand on Yannick's, who was holding him against the wall, and looked at himself with a dark gaze, so intense and profound that it could make anyone waver, his pupils usually brown It seemed to turn black; it was a killer's stare
"In my place, you would have done better! You would have saved him from this torture and this torpor!! Wouldn't you, and you know why? Because we are weak!! Both of us! No! Everyone here, and even everyone in the camp, we are all weak!"
The tension was mounting, and Michael knew he had to act. He stood up, approached the two young men who were arguing, and separated them with incredible composure and strength.
"This isn't the time to argue, we have more urgent things to deal with right now, so stop for the moment."
At the same moment, Hayden, one of Carin's assistants, entered with the camera containing the footage and was about to play the video.
"I'm back with the... Oh! Did I come at the wrong time?"
"No, you can come in... We have other priorities"
After pushing Yannick away, Kodji left without a word and closed the council chamber behind him.
"Is the little one having another tantrum?"
"Hayden! Mind your own business and show us the video!"
In the end, the council meeting concluded without Kodji; his sister was deeply hurt by her brother's words and behavior.
***
To clear his head, Kodji headed towards one of the turrets to feel the breeze on his face. He passed several acquaintances before being stopped by Mike Their mechanic was sitting on an engine, tinkering with a car part using a small wrench.
Mike was a simple man who liked to fix things; he was quite stout and rather tall, and also one of the oldest in the camp, which showed on his face, which had quite a few wrinkles. And on his smooth head reflecting the sunlight This lack was compensated for by a large black and white beard. , he wore a white t-shirt stained with motor oil and sweat and jeans, the typical mechanic's style
"Ah, bald guy, how's the wind today? Could you give me a weather forecast?"
"You insolent little brat, the way you talk to an elder, I could be your grandfather."
"No way, there are no bald people in my family"
Mike threw the wrench he was holding, but Kodji narrowly dodged it.
"Otherwise, why are you calling me?"
"I want to know how you are?"
He forced a smile and looked at his old friend.
"I'm fine... You don't have to worry."
Mike wasn't stupid; he knew perfectly well that something was wrong but decided not to prolong the discussion any longer than necessary.
"If you say so... But don't push yourself too hard, you can count on people from time to time."
He gestured for him to throw back the wrench he had thrown, and Kodji turned around to get it and threw it back at him.
"Thank you for your concern, but as I said, I'll manage."
He continued on his way, and Mike continued his tinkering.
Once he arrived, he looked for the least occupied tower and climbed the western one.
After climbing the stairs, he lightly tapped the shoulder of the guard standing there to indicate his presence.
"Yo! You can rest, I'll take over."
"Are you sure? Okay"
He couldn't help but laugh at the guard's nonchalance, though who wouldn't mind a little rest?
In short, instead of staying in the turret he climbed onto the roof, perhaps in search of a little peace and quiet.
He relaxed and crossed his legs, then began to observe
In fact, there was nothing to see: a few zombies wandering in the distance, nearby trees, buildings visible in the distance, and the equally blue sky.
Perhaps it would have been a normal day if the world hadn't become what it was.
Lost in thought, Kodji gazed at the sky when he was called out from below by a woman's voice.
"Kodji, what are you doing up there?!"
That voice was Elie, returning from his medical visit; his silhouette, seen from the turret, seemed ridiculously small.
"That's none of your business! ... But if you want to know, I invite you to climb up here."
He stared at her with a mocking smile that could be seen from a distance and that had infuriated Elie.
"Wait, you'll see"
The next moment she headed towards the tower where KODJI was and used the iron ladder to get there; after a few minutes of climbing she reached the top of the tower.
That's when KODJI bent down and looked at her with that wicked grin.
"Hmm, you did it! Congratulations!!"
"Shut up!!"
He left the roof to join Elie in the tower; if she were to climb onto the roof and injure herself in any way, Michael would kill him.
"So what do you want from me?!"
She thought about it for a few minutes.
"I actually have no idea."
He thought about it for a moment before suggesting something to her
"How about being bored with me?"
"It depends if the way you're bored is funny"
Elie's words made absolutely no sense, but they made him smile.
"I'm observing the surroundings"
"There's nothing funny about that!!"
"It's true "
They sat on the ledge, silently observing the landscape, both magnificent and dystopian; it was, among other things, their last source of comfort.
"I haven't had a chance to thank you for bringing me here, I feel quite comfortable here and the people are very welcoming."
"You don't have to thank me, it's normal to do that..."
"Not in the current situation, in a world where there are no longer any rules, kind people are becoming rare,"
With a smile full of melancholy and regret, he nodded in agreement with her remarks.
"Yes, you're right... They're becoming rare, but this kindness can cause many problems; the important thing is to survive."
Although their discussion was in full swing, they didn't have a chance to finish it before something happened in the distance, and Elie noticed it first.
"Did you see what's happening over there?!"
While pointing in the direction, Kodji in turn noticed what was happening, and their expressions were filled with dread.
"What is this?"
By focusing his gaze on the target, he saw what it was.
"It's a horde of biters!!"