Episode 3.7: Dust on the Trail

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Dust on the Trail is the seventh episode of the third season of the Walking Dead the Survival.
==Synopsis==
The survivors break bread with a friendly convoy, but soon learn the road to safe heaven is frought with danger and something other than walkers now stalks the living. 
==Episode==
We open on a grassy field; once a sports field now overgrown and looking like it might be more at home in the African planes. The sound of heavy breathing can be heard has a stranger bursts from the grass followed by an equally frightened woman.
Man: Come on we have to keep going.
Woman: Please Jake I can't..... go on with...
She slumps to her knees in exhaustion. The sound of horses and voices in the distance can be heard
Jake: Sharron I won't hear this we can make it.
Sharron: No.... at this rate we will just be leading them to the others... I can't live with myself if we did that.
Jake: No baby come one once we hit the tree line we will be home free.
He tries to get her to move but she remains stead fast. The pursuers are getting closer.
Sharron: Just go.... tell the others to move the camp.... tell Haley I'm sorry.
She looks at him resigned to her fate and he knows their is no way to talk her out of it and reluctantly runs off. Sharron pulls a locket of her neck and looks at the images inside has her pursuers a group of four tough looking guys on horseback appear.
Man: Ok your coming with us bitch!
Sharron: Like hell.
Before the men can react she pulls a gun from its strap on her waist and shoots herself in the head. The bloody locket falls to the ground a picture of two twin sisters covered in the warm red liquid.
Elsewhere
We se the survivors have made camp in an old campsite in the woods. A meal is cooking on the spit while everyone else gets about with chores. There is however a sign of unease in the camp after the events of the previous episode and there are also current problems. Penny is holding her little brother who is coughing badly while Tobias checks his breathing with a retrieved stethoscope. Penelope is off to one side watching with fear; a sick new born is every parent's worse nightmare but in this world its hell.
Penny: Is he going to be ok?
Tobias: He will be... he is a strong boy like his mother and sister.
Its a lie but it calms Penny who gose back to coddling the baby with a stuffed bear while Tobias gose to spek with Pennelope and Amy.
Penelope: So how is he really?
Tobias: I can not really say.... it could just be a cold.
Amy: Or it could be something else, what we need is some antibiotics to help him.
Penelope: And where the hell are we going to find those in the middle of the woods?
Tobias (Puts a hand on her shoulder) We will find something but for now you must be strong, not just for yourself but for the children also.
Penelope: I know.... thanks you two.
Elsewhere at the other side of the camp Karina is cleaning the knife wound she got in the fight in the last episode. She flashes back to the people she had to kill. She is brought out of her thoughts by a tap on the shoulder and turns sharply to face Nathan.
Nathan: Hey.... you ok?
Karina: I.... don't know.... I screwed up badly... it.
Nathan: Hey its ok no one is blaming you, Amy forgave you and those assholes got what they deserved.
He smile but she pulls away still not conviced.
Karina: I did a lot of terrible things and I had to do that.... in font of the kid it just....
Nathan: Penny's a strong kid and besides in this world we've all seen a lot of things we would prefer not to have.
Karina: I guess...
The sound of the bushes rusling distracts them and Adam and Michael appear along with Cage who has a dead deer slung over his back.
Adam: We ear tonight.
There are smiles all around at this and they re-enter the camp to get to work on the deer.
Later that evening most people are asleep while Tank, Moe and Tamera are on watch for any threats. We follow someone's point of view has they move silently through the camp. We do not know if they are man or woman but their slow steady movements show they are human. The sound of weak coughing draws their attention. 
We see Penny is up rocking her baby brother near the fire.
Penny: Its Ok, its Ok.
''
She hums softly rocking the baby back and forth but he still coughs and by the light of the fire we can see he has the makings of a high temperature.''
Voice: He need's medicine.
Penny whips around to face a figure half hidden in the shadows holding a bag of supplies. They do not make any threatening moves but the girl won't take any chances.
Penny: Moe, Tamera Tank!
Like a shot the three come running before stranger can think of running. Weapons drawn ready for trouble.
Moe: Hand's up slowly.
Voice: I mean you no harm.
Tank: Well call us cautious but no one that friendly sneaks up on a kid in the middle of the night.
The stand off is getting tense and the others are starting to arrive. At last the stranger relents.
Voice: Ok, but promise you won't shoot.
Tamera: Just don't give us a reason and all will be well.
The figure nods and comes out revealing a teenage girl of about 16 or 17 she looks Native American.
Holly: My names Holly.
Tank: Well Holly care to tell us what your doing aneeking around our camp.?
She drops the bag showing it is full of canned foods and other supplies.
Holly: Surviving, same as you.
Tamera: Looks to me like your stealing to.
Holly: Hey at least I am just taking a little, other folks might not be so generous.... especially with kids and women.
The group knows she has a point.
Moe: So why are you still here?
Penny: She said she could help my brother, that he needed medicine...
Penelope (comes over and scopes the baby up protectively) Its just a cold and how would you know anyway!
Holly: My dad's a doctor and trust I have seen enough sick people to know the little guy is sick.
She turns and starts to leave but the others remain still.
Holly: Look my camp isn't that far from here... we have walls and its better than risking being found in the open withought transport.
Slade: Has tempting has the sounds how do we know we can trust you, besides we've slipped walkers in the dark before now.
 
Holly: You don't but its not the walkers you be worried about.
Moe can see fear in the girl's eyes.
Moe: What are you worried about?
Holly: I.... its hard to explain, look I'm on a strict schedule if I don't get back soon my people are going to freak, look how about a trade.
The group eyes each other warily, they have had little luck with other groups in the past.
Moe: What kind of trade?
Holly: Look we have medicine, more than we can use but we are short of food, and you people seam in the reverse situation, hell I could even try and convince my Dad to spare you a viechle.
Her eyes are pleading and Moe is unsure but the sound of the baby's choughs get to him.
Moe: Ok... but we all go, no tricks!
Slade: Moe are you sure? We could be walking into a trap.
Moe: I know..... but the boy needs help.... I will not see anymore dead.... at least not if it can be helped.
He looks at Holly.
Moe: Lead the way then.
We shift to a different part of the forest illuminated by torches, one is illuminated on an impaled walker; wriginling weakly on a wooden stake; one of many outside a walled compound. From above we can se its an old manor house or farm that had several refurbishments a few years past but was uncared for until its new ocupants came along. Despite the wall around the house we se several people patrolling the walls and a trench has been dug in font of the gate filled with stakes and rotting bodies. Supports for a plank bridge show the way in. 
Holly: Valentine its me open up.
A man sticks a torch on the illuminates the face of Holly and the crowd of survivors. A gun clicks and we can se a pair of sentries on either side of the gate pointing guns.
Valentine: Holly what's this?
Holly: It's Ok, I brought them here.
Valentine: The hell you know how stupid that was they could be with the Dogs of Ares.
Holly: God dam it they have a kid with them, a sick kid now stop arguing and lower the bridge now!
Valentine: I.... 
Sebastian: It's all right Valentine.
Everyone turns to see a man has arrived from inside the large house, its warm light spilling into the darkness. From the man's appearance and dark hair we can tell this is Holly's father. There is also a calm in his eyes that is out of place in this new world. The look of a man who long ago excepted what life threw at him and now takes everything in its stride.
Valentine: Sebastian.... we already.... this could be.....
Sebastian: I took an oath Valentine... you remember that, so if there is someone ill in that group I will se them.
Valentine:(defeated) Get the bridge out.
The gate swings open and the bridge is slid across to the group.
Valentine: Well get moving we are not holding this thing open all night.
Everyone complies and crosses and the gate is shut. Moe and Sebastian look each other over, Moe is wary, the past having taught him to be wary of others but the sight behind him allows him to lower his guard somewhat has several figures a mix of adults and children stick their heads out to watch the commotion. They do not have the look or feel of brutes and murders about them; just a small be it somewhat wary community trying to get by.
Moe: Penelope.
Penelope warily comes forward the baby held in her arms. Sebastian just nods and turns indicating the others inside. We then switch to inside the mannor house. Many of the rooms have been converted into whatever the survivors could desire we se our heroes in a library slash examination room where Amy holds the baby for Sebastian to examine on a desk. Holly stands by the ever dutiful nurse while the others watch and wait. At last Sebastian lowers his stephascope.
Sebastian: Holly can you fetch the Ibuproffin?
Holly: Got it.
Cage: So is the little tyke gonna pull through.
Sebastian: He will but you were lucky you ran into my daughter when you did a fever like that can finish someone his age.
Penelope: Thank you so what happens now?
Sebastian: Give him the tablets in small doses to bring the fear down and this.... (wanders over to a windowsill full of plants and plucks a handful of leaves from one plant and places them in a small bag before handing to Amy who sniffs them in curiosity)
Amy: Echaliptus.
Sebastian: Yes for the fever it should...... (the sound of a crash from the next room draws his attention) Dam it.
He heads off into the next room and Moe and Slade follow to see Holly and Haley struggling to hold down a hysterical Jake who has pulled an Iv drip from his arm.
Jake: Let me go we have.... to the dogs are coming for us, Caster's going to throw us all to the lions!
He is completely hysterical and while these could be the ravings of a lunatic Moe knows that look, that this man has seen something terrible and its all but destroyed him. Holly manages to stick him with a sedative and his body gose limp. The two women sigh in relief.
Holly: That was close... you want me to sit with him now Haley?
Haley: No its ok.
Sebastian seeing all is calm turns to face Moe who's face wants one thing answers.
Sebastian: We can speak next door.
Back in the treatment room Sebastian is standing up while the others listen to him, Moe has already told him of their journey plans.
Sebastian: From what you have tolled me the direction your taking will not be an easy one, with Castor's men watching the roads.
Karina: Who's this Castor guy them some local nut job?
Sebastian: That dose not even cover it, its not even his real name but he turned up some months ago with his own private army and took over the local wildlife gardens killed the people living there.
Nathan: Sound's a charmer.
Sebastian that's not the worst of it, since he sends out his goons, his Dogs of Areas to hunt down any surviors they can find.... we thought he was killing them for supplies.... then about six months ago a man, half dead found his way to our winter compound. Before he passed his tolled up that Castor has set himself up as the emeperor of the area... those he captures are thrown to an arena where they fight to the death for the privalage of being part of his empire.
There is an uneasy silence at this.
Tamera: Fuck, this guy makes Cole sound a saint.
Sebastian: Jake the man in the next room lost his wife today and Haley lost her sister, you can stay here for the night but you have to understand this place operates on secrecy, to many people means a bigger likehood of one of his patrols catching one of our scavengrs and finding this place.
Moe: I understand but we have come to far to turn back now, (he looks at the others to see they are all in agreement).
Moe: Come the dawn we are crossing the lion's den.
End
== Cast ==
=== Main Cast ===
* Naveen Andrews as Muhammed Saied "Moe" Abdullah Alkwar
* Slade Johnson
* Gareth David Lloyd as Nathan Holt
* Michele Rodriguez as Karina Djovovich
* IronE Singleton as Thomas "Tank Engine" Elkiroone
* Bill Goldberg as Cage "Hunter" Jackson
* Eric Mabius as Michael Everet
* Mila Kunis as Tamara Jason
* Jeremy Irons as Tobias Redcliff
* Jessica Biel as Penelope Bryte
* Emily DeRavin as Amy Sylas
* Joey Graceffa as Joshua Dems
* Bailee Madison as Penny Bryte
* Ian Nelson as James Dodson
* Emmet Skilkton as Adam Park
=== Guest Stars ===
* Devery Jacobs as Holly
* Rusell Means as Sebastian