Promises (SWB)

Synopsis
Spencer makes a discovery as Caroline searches for the rest of their group.

Plot
In The Trading Post, Spencer and Chase are walking together. They are approaching the Vendor Square. “I don’t know, Chase. The entire situation was way too dangerous. I’m just not a hundred percent sure we should trust him.”

“Spence, you heard him. He did that to protect his people. To protect us. He didn’t want to get Axel killed, it was a choice he made to save more than one person.” Chase says. Spencer lets out a sigh, mumbling, “I know.”

“But what if it comes down to one of us? What if he sells out Caroline, or Monet, or you? I don’t want to risk it.” Spencer adds.

Chase looks to the teen with sorrow. “You shouldn’t have to think like this. When I was your age, I worried about college, not survival.”

“Don’t pity me, Chase. I don’t like it when people do.” Spencer says, looking forward. Chase apologizes softly as they walk on. “I’ll talk to Gale later, try sorting things out.”

As they walk, they pass a vendor named Sera. She is seated in a small cafe-like area with a man.

“I told you, Sera, I need more.” Gale says to her, implying he’s asked multiple times.

“No.” Sera replies simply.

“Can you please say anything besides no?” Gale says, slightly frustrated.

“You know my deal, Gale.” Sera says.

Gale looks down, shaking his head. “Alright. How many do you want this time?”

“I never said I wanted to make another deal with you. Don’t you remember the last two you gave me? They put up such a fight, I had to shoot the fuckers and add them to the fence.”

“I’ll get you ones that won’t put up a fight, please.” Gale says, his hands gripping the table. Sera smiles, sitting back as she is aware that he is wrapped around her finger.

“Get me one and I can give you at least three bottles, plus five boxes food, water and ammunition. However, if you can get two that aren’t like the last ones,” She smiles widely, “then maybe I can bring you double that.”

Gale sighs and looks down, disappointed in himself. He hesitates before looking up at her. “I’ll get them to you soon.”

In an RV driving down a road, Caroline is resting on one of the beds when Lana shakes her and tells her, “We’re getting close.”

Caroline gets up and follows Lana to the front of the RV with the others. Warren is talking to Jerry, who is driving, and Dahlia.

“Hey, are we even sure these people are alive? For all you know, the dead got ‘em.” Jerry says to Lana and Caroline as they come up. The two of them frown at him, Warren had stopped speaking uncomfortably.

“No, we aren’t sure.” Caroline says. “That’s why we’re looking for them.”

Warren sighs, changing the subject and says, “Jerry, it’s the next left.”

The RV pulls up to the town square, Jerry opening the door and everyone exiting. Jerry stays by the RV as the others walk on.

Caroline nudges Lana and points ahead at four walkers around a body. Lana frowns. “Do you think it’s one of us?” She asks.

Pulling out her pistol, Caroline replies, “I sure hope not,” before taking aim.

Dahlia sees her about to pull the trigger and quickly snatches the pistol. “Are you crazy?” She almost yells. “The sound draws more of those things. Only use these if you’re truly in danger.”

Dahlia pulls out a knife from her holster and hands it to Lana. “Use the knife. Just a stab to the head and it’ll take ‘em down without risking sound.”

Lana takes the blade. Caroline is offered Warren’s knife, which she accepts. The two begin walking towards the biters. Lana grabs one by it’s shoulder and turns it around. She stabs the knife through the walker’s eye, killing it instantly.

Caroline grabs the back of her walker’s shirt and pulls it towards her and stabs it in the back of its head before shoving the corpse into another biter, knocking it down. She runs up to it and shoves it against the ground and pinning it before stabbing it in its temple. She rips the knife out as Lana stabs the last biter.

They look down at the body and see it’s James. Caroline covers her mouth as Lana begins looking around. “I don’t see more bodies. Do you think the rest of them got away?” Lana asks.

Caroline is still staring at James when she says, “I hope so.”

She continues staring, beginning to glare at the corpse. “He killed Charlie.” She says bitterly. “He ratted us out and shot Charlie. He deserved this.”

Lana pulls Caroline’s arm lightly. “Caroline, stop dwelling. He’s dead now. The others could be close by, we have to find them.”

“They aren’t. He looks like he’s been dead for a while, maybe even days. If any of the others were around him, they’re gone.” Caroline states, turning away from the body. “Come on, the others are waiting.”

The women begin walking back to the RV when gunshots make the entire group duck down. Jerry panics and rushes into the RV, closing the door and starting it. Dahlia runs to open it again, but Jerry has begun driving off. Caroline and Lana run to Warren and Dahlia, who have ducked behind a car.

The four watch in horror as the RV drives off. “Where the fuck is he going?” Caroline asks angrily.

Dahlia looks shocked. “H-He left us…” She whispers.

“Don’t try anything stupid!” One of the shooters yell as him and two others begin approaching, pistols aimed forward. Caroline looks to the others. “What do we do?”

Lana takes Caroline’s pistol from Dahlia. “I say we make this fight a little more even.”

Caroline tries to stop her but Lana jumps out and aims the pistol forward before shooting at them, but the three approaching all shoot back at her. Caroline stares in shock as Lana is shot four times and she falls to the ground lifeless.

The three men approach and looks down at the other three. Marco smiles at them, keeping his pistol pointed at Caroline’s head. “Marco, just shoot ‘em now!” G demands.

“No. He needs more people right now.” Marco replies. “Take ‘em.”

Each man grabs one of them and they drag them back towards where they came. They approach a truck and shove the three captives in the back. Caroline slams her fists against the door as it closes. “Fuckers!”

She takes a moment to breathe and calm down. “We have to get out of here.”

“There isn’t a way out.” A familiar voice says. Caroline turns to see Angel and Devil huddled together in the corner. “These guys… They’re not people you ever want to run into.”

Back at The Trading Post, Spencer walks into Gale’s office and notices he isn’t there. Before he can leave, however, he sees something on his desk and curiously walks towards it. He picks up a pill and looks closely at it. “Xanax?” He whispers.

He begins looking through a few drawers before finding multiple empty bottles in one.

Suddenly, the door opens and Spencer looks up, eyes wide. Gale is at the door and looks at him questionably. Spencer glares at him, picking up the bottles and pill.

“We’re safe here, huh?” Spencer says. “How safe is my group supposed to be when the leader of this place is doped up?”

Gale looks at him with a guilty expression. “I… I made you a promise, Spencer. You are safe here. Look, these pills aren’t doing anything bad to me, I use them for stress.”

“I know what they do, my mom used them.” Spencer says angrily. “And when she used them, she became tired and angry. She started acting crazy, fighting with my dad each night, sometimes even starting fights with me. She sometimes started throwing things at us.”

Gale looks down in disappointment. “I don’t care what you promise. I’m not letting my group stay with a leader with an addiction.” Spencer continues, turning to the door and walking out of the office.

Elsewhere, Tobias and Amber are walking down the streets of Asheville when they hear gunshots. Amber’s face sinks. “Oh, no… W-What if that’s them?”

“You don’t know that.” Tobias says calmly, trying to soothe her. “It may be some other survivors.”

Amber shakes her head, unsure. Before Tobias can continue, a biter lunges at them from behind and knocks Tobias into Amber, both of them falling to the gravel. Tobias manages to kick the biter away, but Amber has dropped her gun and searches for it.

The biter is about to lunge at them again when someone approaches behind it and stabs it in the back of the head. As it falls, Cleo Mara is standing there with a smirk, wiping off the blood off her knife with a rag. “Hey, guys. Did you miss us?” She says cheekily, Lola standing behind her.

Amber’s shocked expression changes to relieved and she stands up, helping Tobias as well. Amber and Cleo embrace one another. “Oh, God, I’m so glad you’re okay.” Cleo says. “Where is everyone else?”

Amber pulls away sadly. “We don’t really know. We all got split up.”

Cleo and Lola look to one another. “We should catch up later. We should find a place to stay. Cleo and I thought we’d head north. All of us can go together now.” Lola says.

Amber smiles, nodding happily. “Maybe the others will think the same thing.” She looks to Tobias. “Dale and the others are still at the house, let’s get them and go!”

“Are you sure?” Tobias asks, earning a nod from Amber.

Cleo tucks her knife away, smiling to the others. “Alright, let’s go.” The group walks down the street, heading to the house.

Co-Stars

 * Cal Bartlett as Jerry Harbor
 * Kyle Gallner as Daniel
 * Anthony Guajardo as G

Special Guest Stars

 * Patrick Dempsey as James Harris (Corpse)

Deaths

 * Lana Riley

Trivia

 * First appearance of Sera.
 * Last appearance of James Harris. (Corpse)
 * Last appearance of Lana Riley.
 * This episode marks the return of Cleo Mara and Lola.