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Synopsis
Mike's group continues to travel to find their group.

Plot
A few days have passed since Mike’s group had been attacked by Gavin’s group and they are still trying to find the others. The seven of them are trudging along the road, hungry, thirsty and tired.

Mike, Mitch and Stevie are walking slightly ahead of the others, leading them along. Stevie looks back and notices how exhausted the others look.

“Mike?” The other two look to her. “We should stop for a break.”

Mike looks back to the group. He then looks at Stevie. “We have to find a place to camp first.”

They walk through a traffic jam and look through the cars at the bodies inside.

Mitch slows down and waits so Billie can catch up to him. They’re towards the back of the group now. “I wonder if one of these cars works.” Billie says. “Then we could drive rather than walk.

Mitch looks at his boyfriend, who is still looking in the car windows. “Billie, can I ask you something?”

Billie looks to him now, nodding. “Yeah.”

“How many biters have you killed?” Mitch asks.

Billie shrugs. “I don’t know. I don’t count.”

“But you have killed them, right?” Mitch asks, earning a look of confusion from Billie. “Mitch, you’ve seen me do it. What’s up with you?”

Mitch stops him. “How well can you defend yourself?”

“Where is this coming from?” Billie asks.

“That man could have killed you the other night. You didn’t even fight back when he grabbed you. That’s why I want to know, because I want to make sure you can survive if we ever got separated again.”

Billie is staring at him, looking upset. “I didn’t fight back because I would have gotten killed, Mitch. Why didn’t you do anything to save me?” Mitch looks down slightly. “Exactly. That would have gotten someone killed.”

Mitch looks back up to him. “You and Ashleigh are all I have left. I don’t want to lose you two.”

Billie takes Mitch’s hand. “I’m not going anywhere. You need to worry about other things, not just me.” He says. He lets go off Mitch’s hand and starts walking forward. “Come on, we’re falling behind.”

Up ahead, Rikki is watching behind the group as they go, turning around every now and then. Maggie asks, “Why are you doing that?”

“In case someone or something comes at us from behind. I don’t want to be ambushed again.” Rikki says.

Maggie looks back with her. Maggie only sees Mitch and Billie walking towards them but then sees a girl a few yards away from them. The girl is ducked down and hides behind a car, panting. Maggie steps closer. “Hey, wasn’t she one of the girls that was with us before?” Maggie asks Rikki.

Rikki looks and nods. “Yeah, that’s Lola.”

Mitch and Billie pass her and she gasps, grabbing the two of them. They both gasp as they are pulled back and look, seeing Lola. “Lola, you’re alive!” Billie smiles.

“We have to stay down.” Lola whispers fearfully. “A herd was coming this way.”

Mitch’s eyes go wide and he starts running to the front of the group. Maggie asks as he passes her and Rikki. “What’s with him?” She asks. Rikki shrugs before looking back again and gasping.

Tobias, Amber and Cleo are running with Lola and Billie, a herd can be seen at least ten yards behind them.

Mitch gets to Mike and Stevie, stopping them both. They look at him with confusion. “There’s a herd coming. We have to hide.”

Stevie’s eyes go wide, Mike turns to the others. “Don’t panic!” He whispers, getting them all to stop running and panicking. Mike looks around to find an escape but ends up looking to the cars. “Hide under the cars. Don’t make a sound and don’t come out unless I tell you so.”

They all scatter to hide under the vehicles around them.

Cleo and Lola hide under a car together, Tobias and Amber hiding under the one beside them. Mitch has Billie hide under one, telling him to stay calm before hiding under the one next to him. Stevie and Mike are closeby them.

The group is all hidden and all anticipating the biters. Soon, three biters pass Rikki’s car, Rikki placing her pistol down between her and a corpse under the car with her in case she has to use it.

The survivors are surrounded by biters on each side of them. They all watch as the biters pass their vehicles, frightened and tense.

Tobias pulls Amber close to him, attempting to comfort her.

Mitch looks to Billie and Ashleigh, placing his fingers to his lips to tell them to keep quiet.

Soon, most of the biters had passed them. With only a few biters passing them, they decide to slip out from under the vehicles.

“Everyone okay?” Mike asks quietly. Everyone mumbles yes, Mike then looks to Tobias, Cleo and the others. “I’m glad you’re all okay. Have you seen any of the others?”

Cleo shakes her head. “Lo and I just found Tobias and Amber yesterday. We were heading north, thinking maybe others would be going that was, too.” She motions to all of them. “We were right, apparently. But no, you are the only ones we’ve found.”

Mitch looks slightly upset, letting out a frustrated sigh. “God, where the hell is Spencer?” He mumbles.

“I’m sure he’s alive.” Ashleigh replies. “He’s stronger than we think. He might have found a place to stay. Or maybe he’s heading north, too.”

“Well, we won’t find out by just standing here.” Rikki says. “The pack passed us, let’s go find a place to stay.”

Mike waves for everyone to start walking with him. Maggie let’s out an exaggerated sigh. “And now we walk more.” She says quietly, chuckling with Rikki and Cleo.

At The Trading Post, Spencer, Chase and Monet are seated at a table, Spencer tapping his fingers against the table impatiently. Chase eyes his hands, then looks to him. “What are we here for?”

“I need Kenny and the others here first. They need to hear this, too.” Spencer says, looking around for them.

Monet takes a sip from her drink before seeing them and placing it down. “There they are.” She says.

They all look to see Kenny, Nathan, Lilly, Rochelle and Matthew approaching. Nathan pushes Lilly’s wheelchair to the table before they all pull up chairs and take a seat.

“Alright, if this is about Axel’s death-” Rochelle begins.

“It’s not.” Spencer interrupts. “It’s about Gale.”

Kenny gives him a look before saying, “I told you before he isn’t a bad guy. He just does what he has to in order to protect the people around him.”

“I understand that about him. I can accept that he has to do what he has to do. But I found something in his office yesterday and it has made me so angry with him that I don’t want any of us here.” Spencer says. “He… I think he may be a pill popper.”

“What the fuck is he talking about?” Matthew asks Rochelle, who shushes him. “Go on, Spence.” Rochelle says.

Spencer huffs, shaking his head. “I found multiple empty pill bottles in his office. They were xanax. I think he’s addicted to them.”

Chase looks at Spencer with confusion. “Xanax? Aren’t those anxiety pills?” Chase asks.

“They’re sedatives, yes. They’re used to treat anxiety and panic disorders, but they’re really dangerous. Sometimes they make people paranoid and cause bad judgement.” Monet explains. “Before everything, I worked in a pharmacy and a lot of people got these pills.”

Kenny looks at them in disbelief. “Shit.” He whispers. “I swear, I thought he was a good man.”

“He’s not a bad person.” Spencer says, looking them all over. “I never said he was. He’s just not safe, especially if he is addicted to those pills.”

Lilly sees past Spencer and sees Gale approaching them. “He’s coming this way.” She alerts them all. The entire group looks at him as he comes closer.

Gale stops before them, seeing them all looking to him. “I’m going to assume that you were all just talking about me.” He says.

“You assume right.” Nathan says, shaking his head. “Damn it, Gale, what are you thinking? Do you know how dangerous these things are?”

Gale grabs a chair and sits down with the others. “Let me explain myself, please.” He says. The others decide to let him, all listening.

“When I was about 35, my best friend had given me these pills when I had a panic attack after my mother’s funeral. He said they’d calm me down, so I took one. He gave me a handful of them, so I stored them away and vowed to only take them when I had to. Overtime, I began to take them whenever I felt like. Eventually I ran out so I had him get me more, but then the dead came and I set this place up with a few other survivors. There was a woman who noticed how stressed I was and she set up a deal to get me more pills. Since then, I’ve been dealing with this woman.” He explains. “I don’t want this to be how I am, but it’s too late. And I can’t just step down as leader, then no one will take over. I’ve made it this far without messing up, haven’t I?”

The others all stare at him, unsure of what to say. Spencer sits up. “You may have yourself under control, but if you have stress problems and rely on those pills to keep you calm, I’m not staying. By the sounds of it, if one thing goes wrong, then you will start taking more and more pills. They’ll kill you, Gale.”

“Spencer, please, I made you a promise-”

“And you’ll break it. I told you, I’m not putting my group in harm’s way.” Spencer says before standing. “My choice is final. When Caroline and Lana return, we’re leaving.” He walks away, the others looking between the two.

Chase stands, running after Spencer. The others all stand and leave as well, except Kenny, who just stares at Gale. “I hope you find your way through this.” He says before standing and leaving as well.

Later, Mike and the others are walking down a road when they find large wall surrounded by a hedge. They all look at it before looking to each other.

“Do you think it’s safe back there?” Stevie asks.

Mike begins walking to the gate a few feet away when a man emerges from the hedge with a gun, hitting Mike in the face with the butt of it. The others all cry out as Mike falls to the ground, the man pointing his gun at him. “Alright, fuckers, stay back!”

Mitch takes charge, holding his hands up to the man. “Let’s be cool here, sir. We’re just passing by, we don’t mean any trouble.” He says.

The man glares at him and is about to say something when the gates open. A woman and two men walk out, all looking curious.

“Lorenzo, what are you doing?” The woman asks.

The man, Lorenzo, lowers the weapon. “I wasn’t going to kill them.” He glares down to Mike. “I just wanted to scare the fuckers enough so they’d leave.”

The woman walks to them. “Lorenzo, that’s not what we do.” She looks down to Mike and offers her hand. “I’m sorry about him. He’s very defensive.”

“That’s one way of putting it.” One man, Tommy says, earning a glare from Lorenzo.

Mike takes the woman’s hand and she helps pull him up. She gives him a friendly smile. “Where are you all heading?”

“Nowhere specific. Just heading as far north as we can.” Mike says. “We’re looking for the rest of our group.”

Mitch lowers his arms. “You haven’t seen them, have you?”

Clair shakes her head. “No, I haven’t. I’m sorry.” She looks over the group. “Oh, you all look exhausted!” She turns back to one the others. “Parker, go set up a few rooms, and tell your brother and Valentina to get some food and water for these people.”

The boy nods, running back into the gated area. Lorenzo looks to her in disbelief. “Clair, what are you doing?” He mumbles.

“The right thing to do.” She replies before turning to Mike. “What’s your name?”

“Mike Danvers.”

“Mike, I’m Clair Malloy. This is the Malloy Mansion. Please, come in.” She says, turning and leading them all inside.

Deaths
None

Trivia

 * First appearance of Lorenzo McCaul.
 * First appearance of Clair Malloy.
 * First appearance of Thomas Jameson.
 * First appearance of Parker Malloy.
 * This episode marks the 25th appearance of Billie Kyle.