Chapter three- Near death experience
When Shane and Ace had returned from their sweep of the area, Rick found the kid sitting on a rock staring out at the city.
"hey…" Rick said softly as he took a seat by Ace, trying not to disturb him in his thoughts. The boy moved over to make room for Rick.
"Hey man," Ace said not taking his eyes off the city. Rick wondered if the kid was still mad at him and the group for talking about him behind his back. Rick cleared his throat, and put his hand on Ace's shoulder.
"I don't know how much you heard when we were talking, but I want you to stay with the group." Rick started softly, moving slightly as Ace turned his head and looked at him.
"Just because Shane doesn't like me here, doesn't mean I'm leaving man." Ace said as a ghost of a smirk crossed his face, causing Rick to have a small grin of his own.
"Dad? Can I go look for bugs?," Carl asked making both men turn around. Rick looked at Carl and said, "Someone has to be with you Carl, you know that."
"Hey man, I'll go. I'm bored here anyway." Ace said as he stood up, Rick stood up next to him and said, "Make sure you keep in yelling distance, so if you run into trouble we can find you easier."
"yeah,yeah, I know , that's all I ever here, come on dude lets go catch some bugs." Ace said as he sauntered off towards the forest.
Carl looked at his dad , who just shrugged and ran to catch up to Ace as he disappeared into the woods. Lori walked up and put her arms around Rick, who sighed and reached up, grabbing her hand.
"where are they headed to?," Lori asked as Rick moved her in front of him and wrapped his arms around her middle. Rick put his nose in her hair and nuzzled her softly before answering.
"They went to catch some bugs.", Rick laughed as he realized what a silly thing his son and his son's new buddy were up to. Lori laughed to , and they held hands as they returned down the path to the campground.
Twenty minutes later
Rick heard Lori scream before he saw her, he went running down the path and met with Shane who was staring at something past Lori. Rick closed the gap and saw Lori holding onto Carl and looking back towards the woods. Rick followed their gazes and saw something that shook him to the bone.
Ace was standing stock still , his gaze looking at something just past the tree line. Rick , Shane and Daryl moved slowly towards Ace their weapons drawn.
"What is it?," Shane asked not seeing anything when they came up to Ace. Ace glanced over and then nodded his head towards the trees, "walkers…two of them I think," he said quietly as he continued to watch the trees.
The others watched as well but saw nothing , Shane then demanded that they leave and go back because Ace was losing it, Ace denied that statement and swore to Rick that he had seen them in the trees. Rick and Daryl waited a few more minutes before Rick suggested that Ace should come back and lay down, that maybe the heat was getting to him.
As they all started back to the campground, Rick heard Ace swear under his breath, and the click of a shotgun. He whirled around and saw that Ace had indeed been right , there were walkers in the woods, but not just two…there were five more.
