The supermarket wasn't large, but it was well-stocked. The owner was a middle-aged woman.
At the moment, she was arguing with a man
Standing off to the side, Samuel listened for a bit.
Apparently, the man had bought some frozen dumplings and a bottle of vinegar, planning to boil them at home. But the owner had given him soy sauce instead.
Now he wanted a refund, but the woman insisted he buy another bottle of vinegar. The previous items were perfectly fine, she claimed, it was his fault for not explaining clearly.
Standing nearby were Rick and Shane. Rick was trying to mediate, while Shane rubbed his temples, rolling his eyes.
"You already opened the soy sauce! Even if I gave you the wrong one, couldn't you just look at the label? I bet you did it on purpose."
Hands on her hips, the woman exuded the full, overwhelming aura.
Samuel had just begun watching when his attention was suddenly drawn to a young man loitering in the corner of the store.
It was obvious the guy was trying to steal something in the chaos.
A smile crept onto Samuel's face. He'd been wondering how to get close to Rick, now the opportunity had arrived.
The man pretended to browse idly, slowly moving toward the exit, acting like he was just another curious onlooker to the scene at the register.
After a few minutes, he figured the time was right. He turned and made for the door, but just as he did, a hand suddenly grabbed his arm and a voice spoke beside him.
"Hey, man. You planning to pay for that?"
Though the man stayed calm on the surface, he was actually panicking. After all, there were two cops standing right outside.
Now someone had grabbed his arm out of nowhere. He struggled hard, but the grip on him was surprisingly strong, he couldn't break free at all.
Instinctively, he glanced over at Rick and Shane. Seeing that they hadn't noticed yet, he felt a surge of hope.
But he didn't stop moving, his right hand suddenly whipped out a small knife and slashed toward Samuel's wrist.
"Ah, damn it!"
The next moment, the man's entire body was yanked violently to the side. Despite not being small, he was lifted clean off his feet and hurled toward Shane.
Just as Shane was lifting his head to see what was going on, a blur crashed down in front of him, someone holding a gleaming knife.
Instinct kicked in. He drew his sidearm and barked, "Don't move! Drop the weapon!"
The man lay dazed on the floor, completely stunned. He had just tried to get up when he noticed a pistol aimed squarely at him.
His heart sank.
"Damn it."
He tossed the knife away and put his hands behind his head with practiced ease. His eyes locked on Samuel, lips mouthing a silent threat.
You're dead.
Samuel understood, but didn't care.
By now, Rick and the store owner had also turned toward the commotion. Rick kicked the knife away, sending it skidding across the floor.
Even the loud customer finally shut up, muttering under his breath before turning and walking out of the store.
"What happened here?"
"How should I know? One second he's on the floor with a knife, the next he's in front of me."
Before they could say more, a young man nearby spoke up.
"Officers, here's what happened. I saw this guy trying to steal something during the commotion. You were dealing with the argument and didn't notice.
He was about to make a run for it, so I stepped in. I didn't expect him to pull a knife on me, so I just yanked him down, and he happened to land right in front of the officer.
After that, well, you know the rest."
The young man, of course, was Samuel. He spoke as he raised his hands slightly, looking innocent, just doing what had to be done.
Rick looked at Samuel without speaking, then crouched beside the man and searched him. As expected, he found plenty of stolen items from the store.
"Shane."
"Got it."
Click.
With perfect coordination, they cuffed the man.
As Shane hauled the suspect past Samuel, he gave him a nod and patted his shoulder without a word, then continued on toward the police car.
Rick turned to the store owner and said, "Annie, the guy's gone. That wraps things up here. We've got to take the thief back to the station."
He didn't wait for Annie to respond. Turning back to Samuel, he said, "Sir, thank you for stepping in."
"No problem, really. Just did what anyone should."
Rick smiled and nodded slightly. "I appreciate it. That said, would you mind coming with us to give a statement? If you're busy, we can arrange another time."
"No worries. I'm free today. I'll cooperate fully."
"Great, then please come with me."
Rick turned and headed toward the police car.
Samuel followed, a faint smile on his face. As a die-hard fan, this had to be the closest anyone had ever gotten to the real Rick Grimes.
…
"Thanks again for your cooperation, Mr. Samuel," Rick said, handing him an ID card.
As for how Samuel got his hands on the ID? That was thanks to some "professional help." It didn't need to last long, as it wouldn't matter soon anyway.
"You're too kind, Officer Grimes. I was just doing what I had to."
"You can call me Rick. All my friends do."
"Alright then, Rick. I won't keep you busy. I'll be going now. Goodbye."
"Goodbye."
Rick turned and headed for the patrol car. Shane, already in the driver's seat, waved at Samuel.
Watching the man's back, Samuel saw the silhouette of the leader he remembered from the show. In his heart, he thought.
'We'll definitely meet again, Rick.'
…
Now that the main connection was made, it was time to start preparing.
As Samuel turned away, a phone appeared in his hand, the one that had belonged to the would-be thief.
At first, Samuel assumed the guy was just a petty crook, but after chatting with Rick and Shane, he learned the man's name was Antoine, a low-ranking member of the city's largest gang, the Bloods.
A quick scan through the phone revealed some useful clues buried in all the junk.
'None of you are good people anyway. Might as well help me live a little better life when the world ends. Tsk… tsk…'
With a flick of his wrist, Samuel tossed the phone into a trash can and strolled off toward one of the Bloods' nightclubs.
The midday sun shone brightly, casting a hazy, almost ghostlike silhouette as Samuel's figure slipped into the alley and disappeared.