Command in a Crisis

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"Democratic?"

Evan's voice cut through the camp.

"This isn't a town hall, Lori. When walkers are on top of us, we don't have time to debate every move."

"A vote has its place. A crisis needs a chain of command. Someone makes the call, and everyone moves."

"Argue afterward. In the moment, hesitation gets people killed."

His tone left no room for argument.

Every word hit hard enough to leave her pale.

"Don't take it out on a woman."

Shane stepped in front of Lori and narrowed his eyes at Evan, warning plain on his face.

"And what are you going to do about it?"

Evan tilted his head. The bones in his neck cracked.

He did not bother reasoning with Shane. He dragged the Stone Sledgehammer straight up to him and stopped less than four inches away.

Evan stood over six feet tall, and the huge stone hammer made him even more intimidating.

That weapon could smash a walker's head apart in one blow. If it landed on a living person...

Merle swallowed, then stepped forward and tugged at Evan's arm.

"Brother, listen to me. Let it go. They ain't worth swinging on."

It sounded ugly, but everyone understood he was trying to stop Evan.

For once, Merle almost looked decent.

Glenn moved near Lori too and touched Shane's shoulder.

Daryl, Merle's own brother, did not move.

He only gave a quiet huff and looked at Evan's grip on the hammer.

'Reverse grip. He's planning to use the handle if he swings. At this distance, his fists would work better anyway.'

'He's scaring Lori and Shane. That's all.'

If Evan had heard Daryl's thoughts, he would have applauded.

Daryl had noticed more than expected.

He was right.

Evan was using the friction with Lori to get at Shane.

He knew Shane would step in the moment Lori looked wronged.

This was only the first step in bringing Shane under control.

First, break his confidence.

When Merle tugged his arm, Evan eased a fraction. Good. Someone on his side had stepped in at the right time.

He still wondered why Merle had been the one to step in.

In Evan's ideal version, Daryl or Andrea would have been the one to intervene.

Still, as long as the problem was solved, it did not matter much.

Shane was still glaring, but he held his ground without escalating. Evan dragged the hammer back to where he had been standing.

Leaning on it, he faced the camp.

"I don't know how Rick's group has been doing things."

"But my rule is simple. If you won't listen when survival is on the line, you leave."

"And if you do listen..."

His voice eased slightly. He spread both hands, inviting them to look around.

"You've seen the benefits yourselves."

The camp had to admit it.

Rick's group had tried to make decisions together, but the last week had been one crisis after another. Evan's smaller group had been better supplied, better rested, and better protected. That did not make him infallible, but it made his results hard to dismiss. Some began to wonder whether a stricter chain of command might be necessary.

After the hard push, Evan softened his tone.

"A lot of you probably think putting weapons in children's hands is cruel."

"But don't forget where we are or what we're facing."

"Good intentions won't teach anyone how to survive. Overprotecting children only stops them from growing the skills they need."

"And I never said children were going to fight walkers up close."

"I'm saying they need to learn how walkers move, how to get away, and how to protect themselves if one day you aren't standing next to them."

This time, Evan sounded sincere.

Hershel, Carol, Andrea, and even Lori, all the adults with children or younger loved ones nearby, eased a little.

Compared with the tension from moments ago, the idea began to make sense.

Rick and Shane had been police officers. Both had professional firearms training.

Daryl and Merle were hunters, comfortable with ranged weapons and tracking.

Glenn was the group's living map, quick around walkers and experienced at moving through danger.

As for Evan, no one standing there would claim they could take his hammer head-on.

When it came to close combat, no one disputed that Evan was the best.

Against a fighter as strong as Evan, most melee weapons offered little advantage.

Having people like that willing to teach the others was not a bad thing. In another camp, people might beg for the chance.

And they had almost rejected it.

Several people seemed to realize that at the same time.

Even Lori felt a sudden sting of regret.

Maybe she should not have objected so quickly.

Children would grow up eventually. Better to learn now than panic later.

The sooner they learned safely, the better chance they had later.

Carl, at least, had already been clamoring to fight walkers. Teaching him properly could only help.

"I'll help everyone get familiar with firearms," Rick said at last.

Only then did he relax.

Internal conflict was the last thing he wanted. But with Evan in the group, some problems might be forced into the open before they festered.

That was not necessarily bad.

Rick had already learned that leadership could not wait for unanimous agreement in a crisis. The group could discuss long-term choices, but when danger hit, someone had to make the call.

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