The heat overhead was intense but not humid, making it almost bearable. Rick looked over his shoulder and at his fragile little group. The fact that it wasn't humid made it easier for them to travel, but in the end the extra distance and the unwavering heat was taking a toll on the group.
"Alright guys, I know it's been a long day and I know you're all tired, but we are on the edge of a small town in the valley," Rick said as he approached the group, "It's only a few more miles and we will be in a new town."
Many of the people groaned but knew Rick wouldn't stop until they could stay somewhere safe for at least one night. The sun was still high in the sky despite the fact that it was nearing 6 o'clock, and the heat was still just as relentless as ever.
"Damn! Are there even any clouds round here?" Daryl grunted as he wiped the sweat from his face.
"Nope. Not a single one. This is the real sunshine state you know," Rick chuckled, "I spent three weeks in December with my Grandparents that had moved out here when I was a boy. I could walk around in just a long sleeve and pants and I was fine. Rained all of twice while I was here. Other than that, clear skies the whole time."
"Ain't that rich? Nothing but heat and sunlight. At least in Georgia we had our rains." Daryl grunted wiping his arm across his very red face.
"Welcome to California!" Glenn chirped. The whole group laughed and eventually fell silent as they continued their journey.
"What is the own that we are going into called?" Maggie asked as they began to see more signs of civilization.
"Um, it's a small town in the valley called Modesto. It rests away from most major cities so we might have very few walkers to deal with." Rick said as they got closer to a convenient store on the edge of town.
"There're a couple cars in that parking lot. And if we're lucky the store will have some good stuff too." Glenn said to Rick as he tried to see inside the store from afar.
"It looks okay. Plus I haven't seen a walker in a while. Still have your weapon ready." Rick stated and nodded to Glenn. As soon as Rick gave the okay, Glenn and Maggie shot off towards the store. A few minutes passed and the group anxiously waited for Glenn and Maggie to give the all clear. Finally they came back out the front door and waved. Rich all but sighed and motioned for the rest of the group to join Glenn and Maggie. Everyone gathered their bags up and trotted towards the store, everyone except Rick. Eight people, that's all they had left now. People he had grown to know and love all gone. Carol was the last to go, and that's when the group decided it was time to leave Georgia. Too much of their loved one's blood was in that soil, so they headed west.
"Hey Rick! Both of these cars have keys and gas!" Glenn shouted across the parking lot, a huge grin spread across his face. Rick wiped the stray tears from his face and walked to join the rest of the group.
"The store is almost completely full too. People here must have got word and got the hell out of dodge." Daryl said as Rick approached the store front, "It's like no one has touched it since before the outbreak. Do you think?" Daryl leaned in close and whispered the last part.
"I don't know. Maybe the outbreak wasn't as bad out here. But I just can't be sure." Rick whispered back. He wanted to hope, they all did. He was pretty sure that every person in the group hoped that the outbreak hadn't affected here and that they would find a little utopia and live happily ever after. But they lived in the real world where the shit never seemed to stop hitting the fan.
Daryl just nodded and walked back into the store. He stalked over to the counter and hopped over. He smirked to himself as he took his knife and jabbed it in the lock and popped it open. Even in the dark Daryl found his brand in a hot second, Marlboro Greens. Quickly, he snatched a lighter off the counter behind him and lit one up. The smell of tobacco and mint soothed him. He grabbed a couple more packs and a few lighters and threw them into his backpack. He moved further down and found the liquor cabinet. Again he popped off the lock and searched through all the bottles, until he found exactly what he wanted. The biggest bottle of Jim Bean Black they had, it had always been his favorite, even if Merle thought it was just "glorified shit water".
Satisfied with what he had, he jumped back over the counter and headed over to the candy aisle. He grabbed a few packs of Big Red gum, his only guilty pleasure. Finally he trotted back outside to meet the rest of the group. The new cars were all loaded up and everyone was idly talking.
"I got the smokes and booze locks off y'all." He said as he approached, and Maggie all but ran off with Glenn in tow.
"Daryl, you're going to be riding with me and the kid, if that's all right with you." Rick almost whispered. Daryl looked over and Rick was looking at the ground and shuffling his feet.
"Ya know? I would down right enjoy that." Daryl smiled and patted Rick on the shoulder as he rounded the car to out his gear in the back. When Carol died, people seemed to tip toe around him again. Rick still wasn't doing all that well and everyone tip toed around him almost as much as Daryl. When either man was around things were always tense. And when they weren't trying not to set them off, they wanted to talk about feelings.
Carl and Judy were already in the car, so Daryl stood outside and smoked another cigarette. Tonight was going to be a good ride, he could just feel it. He loved little Judy, she was the little ray of sunlight that kept him in the group sometimes. And Carl was turning into a fine young man, especially considering where he was growing up. Rick was like him in so many ways. Both men were broken, but trying to heal. No walking on eggshells or trying to soul search, just two guys riding in a car with a job at hand. Like normal again. He stomped his cigarette out and got in the car. Rick got in almost right after he did and started up the car. The cars hit the high way and as the clock hit 6 the sun continued to beat down, high and viciously hot.
"The kids are out; do you want to see if the tape player works?" Rick said about half an hour into the car ride. The car they were in was an older Toyota with a tape and CD player. Daryl looked through the glove box and found three numbered tapes. He looked over at Rick who just shrugged his shoulders, so he popped in the number one tape.
"Well, hello there folks, I'm Eric Turner and if your hearing this that means you've survived long enough to find my cars," the voice that came on startled both men. Quickly Rick flashed his lights and stopped the tape and the car. He opened his door and waved everyone else over to them.
"What's going on?" Hershel asked in a strained voice looking for the children in the back seat.
"We have a tape in our car from the man who left us the cars." Rick announced and everyone's jaws dropped, "He said his name was Eric Turner and that he left us these cars." He then reached over and pressed play again.
"I never really did anything good in my life worth noting, so I thought I could help from beyond the grave. I won the lotto at that store right there, two million dollars. I bought the store, and let the money change me. I lost my wife, my daughter turned into a gold digging tramp and my son committed suicide. When stuff got crazy, I tried to get my family together, but it was too late. I had lost everyone I loved. This was going to be the tape that my suicide confessions would be on, but then I thought, 'why be so lame? What if a real survivor finds this? It will just be the winey last words of a man who couldn't deal.' I grew some balls and went into action. My neighbor volunteered to come with me and we left for my store.
"I filled both of our cars up when we got here and I gave him my delivery van and supplies and sent him on his way. I left you my most beloved tapes, and I know the tapes may be out dated, the music on them lives forever." Moments after his voice stopped Something by The Beatles started to flow from the speakers.
Daryl looked around the group and everyone was smiling. There was mist in some of the eyes, but they were all smiling. No one said anything, there was no need. The others just smiled and went back to their car. Rick and Daryl closed their doors and followed the other car in silence for a while. Great song after great song pumped from the speakers.
"I puked on my prom date at while this song was playing," Daryl chuckled as Let's Dance by David Bowie started to play, "Merle got me real drunk and I was already so nervous. One second we were dancing and having fun and the next I was vomiting all over the front of her dress." Both men started to laugh and relax more.
"Shane really loved David Bowie. He even had a red mullet at one point," Rick said eyes distant with memory, "All of us guys would tease him but he didn't even bat an eyelash." Rick rolled his window rolled down his window and let his arm hang out. Daryl leaned his seat back a bit and took a deep breath. Right now, all was right. Things were good.