Chapter 20: All Members of the Mine Join
"Hey, hey, hey—what are you all talking about? Don't leave me out."
A drunk, slurred voice suddenly came from behind the crowd.
Everyone turned.
Merle Dixon staggered forward, reeking of cheap alcohol. His face was flushed, his eyes unfocused, and his clothes looked like he had slept in a ditch.
He had been drunk the night before and only just woke up. When he stepped out of his tent, the entire camp felt strangely quiet. Thinking something had gone wrong, he wandered over—only to find everyone gathered at the mine entrance.
Then he saw them.
Fully armed soldiers.
Black combat uniforms. Bulletproof vests. M4 rifles.
And standing at the front was a woman he recognized immediately.
Andrea.
Merle blinked hard, then grinned.
"Well, well… isn't this Andrea?"
He walked up and looked her up and down, his grin widening.
Neat blonde hair. Straight posture. Eyes sharp and confident.
Most importantly—
That uniform looked damn good.
"I heard you joined some Umbrella Corporation thing?" Merle chuckled. "Looks like you're doing well. How about Daryl and I join too?"
Andrea's expression darkened instantly.
This man again.
Loud. Rude. Trouble wherever he went.
"No," she said coldly. "People like you aren't welcome."
Merle's smile froze.
"Wait a second," Sandra stepped forward.
She looked at Andrea calmly. "You don't have the authority to reject anyone. The boss only assigned us recruitment duties, not judgment."
Andrea opened her mouth—but no words came out.
Sandra was right.
They were not decision-makers. Only executors.
Merle immediately smirked.
"See? This lady's more reasonable." He glanced at Andrea. "Once you put on that uniform, you forget who you are."
Andrea clenched her fists—but held back.
Wu Fan's words echoed in her mind:
We are a legitimate company.
She took a slow breath, then reached into her pocket.
A photograph.
Given to her by Wu Fan before she left.
Now, she finally understood its purpose.
She scanned the crowd—and her eyes stopped on a woman holding a child.
Lori Grimes.
"Lori," Andrea called.
She raised the photo.
"This is from my boss."
The crowd went silent.
All eyes turned.
Lori froze.
Confused, she walked forward and took the photo.
At first, she didn't understand.
Then she saw him.
A man in a hospital bed.
Thin. Bearded. Weak—but unmistakable.
Rick.
Her hands trembled.
She flipped to the next photo.
Rick doing rehabilitation exercises, supported by a nurse.
Another.
Rick lying in bed, giving a weak thumbs-up.
"…Rick," she whispered.
Her voice cracked.
"He's… alive…"
Tears welled in her eyes.
Carl rushed over. "Mom?"
Lori knelt and hugged him tightly, sobbing.
"Your father is alive… he's alive…"
Carl stared at the photo—and suddenly smiled brightly.
"Dad!"
The mother and son clung to each other, laughing and crying at the same time.
Sean stood frozen nearby.
Rick is alive.
His best friend… the man he left behind… was still alive.
His mind went blank.
Lori suddenly grabbed his arm.
"Sean, come with us. We're going to see him together."
Sean opened his mouth—but no words came out.
Finally, he nodded.
"…Alright."
But his thoughts were already spiraling.
How am I going to explain everything to Rick?
Glenn watched quietly, then raised his hand.
"I'll go too."
One by one, more people stepped forward.
Jackie, Morales and his family, T-Dog, Jim the mechanic, Dale, and others.
In just minutes, most of the mine had made their decision.
Sean watched in silence as people left.
Bitterness rose in his chest.
He had protected this place.
Kept order.
Kept people alive.
And yet they left without hesitation—for a promise from strangers.
Meanwhile, Andrea continued calling names, assigning roles, collecting survivors.
Then Merle suddenly froze.
"Shit—I forgot my brother."
Daryl.
He scratched his head.
"Damn… I don't even know how to write."
He turned to Andrea.
"Hey beautiful, write something for me. Tell him I went with Umbrella to the CDC. Food, safety, all that good stuff. Tell him to come find me."
Andrea rolled her eyes but took the paper.
After a few seconds, she handed it back.
Merle grinned, folded it, and stuck it on Daryl's motorcycle fuel tank under a rock.
Then he jogged back to the convoy and climbed aboard.
"Let's move!"
Sandra ordered.
The convoy started rolling.
Trucks, RVs, and a Humvee slowly left the mine behind.
Sean sat silently, staring out the window as the camp shrank into the distance.
Lori held Carl tightly, still staring at Rick's photo with tear-stained eyes.
Behind them, the mine grew quieter.
The fire died out.
The wind moved through empty tents.
And a single motorcycle stood alone—
With a note fluttering gently against its fuel tank.