Chapter 75 Carl’s Determination!

“Don’t even think about coming after us.” Magnus Vane could tell from Rick’s expression exactly where his thoughts were going, so he shut that idea down before Rick could say anything. “If Shane and I run into something we can’t handle, we pull back. We’re scouting, not trying to conquer half the prison in one day.” Rick studied him for a long moment before finally giving a slow nod, though Magnus could see that most of his concern was actually directed toward Shane.

Rick knew Shane better than anyone and understood how quickly his old partner could become impatient when a situation started going wrong. Magnus, on the other hand, had already survived more situations that should have killed an ordinary man than Rick cared to count, including two Blood Moons and whatever had happened during his disappearance at the church. From Rick’s perspective, worrying about Magnus almost felt pointless by now. Lori apparently reached a similar conclusion as she walked over carrying two cups of warm water.

“You could wear Rick’s heavier gear,” Lori suggested as she handed Magnus one of the cups. “At least while you’re going that deep inside.”

“No need.” Magnus drank the water in one long swallow and felt considerably better after his sleepless night. His system equipment already provided real protection without restricting his movement, while the bulky firefighting gear would only slow his reactions and interfere with his preferred fighting style. If he were bringing a larger team, extra protection might have been worth the tradeoff, but with only Shane accompanying him, Magnus intended to move fast and light.

Shane emerged a moment later already wearing the heavier turnout gear. A long shotgun rested in his hands, while a machete and handgun sat at his waist and a small ammunition pouch crossed his chest. The shotgun used 12-gauge shells, giving Shane far more stopping power than he would reasonably need against an ordinary walker, but the narrow corridors of the prison made close-range firepower useful if several dead suddenly appeared together. Magnus’s own Remington 870 Police used the same gauge, which simplified ammunition between them.

Magnus gave Shane a brief nod and picked up his Stone Sledgehammer. Shane followed without speaking, his expression harder than it had been at breakfast. Somewhere inside, he probably understood why Magnus had chosen him alone for this trip. Yesterday Magnus had offered him responsibility; today was the first chance to prove he could carry it.

They stopped at the secured gate leading toward the rear entrance of Cell Block C. Rick, Lori, Daryl, Carol, Carl, Sophia, and several others had followed to see them off, so Magnus turned before unlocking anything. “We’ll be back before dark. If we aren’t, nobody comes charging in after us without a plan.”

Rick nodded.

Magnus pointed toward the fenced recreation yard they had not yet fully cleared. “Use today to thin the walkers in there with melee weapons. Keep the noise down, and don’t put too much pressure on the fence.” The double-fence corridor gave the group a major advantage; with the dead trapped behind chain-link, long weapons such as crowbars, spears, and axes could eliminate them one at a time without anyone getting close enough to be bitten. “Anyone in camp who still hasn’t killed a walker personally should get supervised practice today.”

Daryl stepped forward after Rick agreed. His crossbow hung ready at his side, and the slight shift of his stance made it obvious he would follow Magnus through the gate immediately if asked. “You sure you don’t want us?” he asked. “Say the word and we’ll go.”

Magnus spun the Stone Sledgehammer once in his hand. “You know me.”

Daryl grunted.

“While I’m gone, protect the camp.”

That answer was enough. Daryl gave a short nod and stepped back, though he clearly didn’t like remaining behind while Magnus and Shane entered unknown territory. Magnus understood the feeling, but leaving the administration building without one of their strongest people would defeat the purpose of creating a secure base in the first place.

Carol approached next. She had slept much later than usual after the previous day’s work and had only recently learned that Magnus planned to enter the deeper prison sections again. Without saying anything at first, she wrapped her arms around him in a gentle hug, then stepped back and looked directly at his face. “We’ve got potatoes and venison for tonight. I’ll have dinner waiting when you come back.”

Magnus immediately remembered the look she had given him after the spaghetti incident and found himself avoiding her eyes again. “Shane and I are actually working today, so make that two servings.”

Carol smiled.

“Oh, and take this.”

Magnus reached into his gear and handed her the compact pistol he had found in the warden’s office the previous day. “Small enough for you to carry without it getting in the way. Rick or Shane can show you the basics later.”

Carol accepted it carefully.

Magnus still couldn’t shake the strange feeling that she had started treating him like another son. There was nothing romantic or complicated about it; Carol simply possessed a warmth that had survived despite everything Ed had put her through and everything the apocalypse had taken from her. Her eyes were already becoming slightly red when she stepped aside.

Magnus was about to move when something wrapped around his thigh.

He looked down.

“Sophia…”

The girl barely reached his waist and held onto him with one arm while clutching her doll tightly in the other. She didn’t say anything, simply looking upward as though feeling that Magnus was still there was enough. Magnus sighed softly and placed a hand on her head.

Sophia and Carl had adapted to the apocalypse in completely different ways. Carl constantly wanted to prove that he could fight, move, and contribute like the adults, while Sophia remained quiet, gentle, and much more comfortable when protected by people she trusted. Magnus saw nothing wrong with that. Not every child needed to become a soldier simply because the world had become cruel.

He stroked her hair slowly.

For once, he couldn’t think of anything useful to say.

So he simply stayed there until Sophia released him on her own and returned to Carol.

Carl was waiting beside her.

Unlike the previous day, he didn’t cling to Magnus or try to sneak toward the gate. His small fists were clenched at his sides, and stubborn determination filled his face. “Magnus, when can I actually start going on missions with you?”

Rick immediately looked toward his son.

Lori’s expression tightened.

Even Shane opened his mouth as though he intended to answer, but after a moment he stopped himself and remained silent.

Magnus studied Carl instead.

He understood the question better than Rick probably realized. In the original timeline, Carl had become increasingly willing to kill walkers and take dangerous responsibilities, but it had never simply been because he enjoyed violence. The world had forced him to grow up quickly, and beneath that pressure was a constant desire to prove that he could protect people instead of always being the one protected.

Carl wanted to matter.

That was all.

Magnus crouched beside him and gently turned the boy so they were both facing the prison’s outer fencing. “See the two chain-link fences around the corridor?”

Carl squinted into the distance.

Then nodded.

“There’s an inner fence and an outer fence,” Magnus explained. “The openings aren’t very wide, and the two layers don’t line up perfectly from every angle.”

Carl listened carefully.

“You still have the Primitive Bow I made for you.”

Another nod.

Magnus pointed toward the fencing. “Someday, when you can stand about ten feet away and put an arrow through an opening in the first fence, through an opening in the second, and into a walker’s head on the other side, then you can start joining me on real camp missions.”

Several adults stared at Magnus.

Daryl’s eyebrows rose.

Even with years of crossbow experience, placing a shot through two separate layers of chain-link and still making a killing hit would require excellent timing, angle, and precision. Carl’s Primitive Bow was nowhere near as forgiving as Daryl’s crossbow, making the challenge extremely difficult even for an adult. Everyone understood immediately what Magnus had done.

He hadn’t told Carl no.

He had simply given him a standard high enough to keep him training safely for a long time.

Carl didn’t complain.

He didn’t argue that it was unfair.

He only stared at the distant fence for several seconds before turning back toward Magnus.

“I can do it.”

His voice was completely serious.

Magnus smiled and rested one hand on his shoulder. “Then I’ll be waiting for the day you’re good enough to watch my back.”

Carl nodded firmly.

This time Magnus didn’t linger. He stood, looked once toward Rick and the others, then turned toward the secured gate. Shane moved beside him with shotgun ready.

The gate opened.

Magnus and Shane stepped through.

Then the metal barrier closed behind them.