Author's Note:
Hey guys! I decided to post another chapter so soon! The new episode tonight got me a little excited and anxious. I'm going to try and get updates out on Thursdays and Sundays from now one. This one is a little slow, but I promise the next couple will pick up speed. Kida will be meeting a certain Dixon brother soon ;)
Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT FOR KIDADA, ADRIENNE, CHARLIE, AND JACOB.
Chapter 2
Kida followed Shane and what was left of the Grimes family down the highway. Adrienne sat in the passenger seat, knees pulled to her chest while sobbing at what they all had just witnessed while Charlie sat silently in the backseat staring out the window. He was never quiet and he was almost always restless. The reality of what was happening was beginning to hit the James siblings.
She wasn't hardened by her job as a police officer, but Kida had almost seen it all during her five years with the King County Sheriff's Department. Her first call on the job was a joint suicide by an old couple in a local nursing, something she wasn't expecting of course. She had thrown up on scene and cried as soon as she was in the safety of her police car and away from everyone else. She didn't want anyone to think she was weak, especially being the only female on the force and only being on one call. She learned after that day to shut her emotions off while on the job. Rick Grimes himself told her it gets easier to deal with after noticing the red and puffy eyes she sported when returning to the station to write up a report.
Rick.
As Kida drove in silence with Adrienne and Charlie she let her mind wander. She wondered where Rick was now, especially after the big scene outside of Atlanta. The city wasn't safe anymore and the broadcasts had said that hospitals were evacuating their patients to the nearest cities with large hospitals. Maybe he was sent somewhere else, somewhere that hasn't been hit as bad as everywhere they have been. She couldn't even begin to imagine what Lori and Carl were going through knowing that Rick was in the hospital and vulnerable to attacks. Or maybe they had gone to find him like Kida had gone to find Adrienne and Charlie. Maybe he wasn't able to be saved. Her heart dropped at the thought.
Shane's jeep slowed to a half a few feet ahead and all of the other cars following stopped in a semi-circle around him. He held out his hand to signal to the others not to exit their vehicles. He met Kida's eyes through the windshield and jerked his head toward the trees surrounding them. She reached back and grabbed a rile from the back seat next to Charlie and hopped out of her own jeep. She made her way over to Shane, taking in the lay of the land. None of those things were there- at least not yet.
"We need to check out this area. Make sure it's safe," Shane told her.
Kida nodded and glanced around. It was getting way too dark to be out on the roads, especially with the situation at hand. "Set up camp?"
"Yeah. Lori and Carl need to rest. It uh… It's been a long day for all of us," he said. His demeanor completely changed in a matter of seconds as he stared at the ground between them. It took her a moment, but she understood what he meant. She had thought about Rick during their travel and she knew that he and Shane were best friends. Hell, they were practically brothers.
"Rick…" she whispered. Shane lifted his head and met her eyes. She could see the sadness overcome them and she let out a rigid sigh. He was a good man. At least he didn't have to be out in this world. She just hoped he went quickly and painlessly and did not suffer the horrible fate whatever those monsters were served to those they attacked.
Kida strapped the rifle to her back and leaned forward to hug Shane, which he immediately returned. He squeezed her for a moment as his body shook. She knew he was crying and all she could do was let him. It wasn't too long, maybe a matter of a couple minutes, before he regained his composure. They both turned when they heard a car door open.
"Excuse me, I don't mean to interrupt but my family and I need to get out of this car. My wife needs to stretch her legs," a man called to them. He was tall, quite a bit taller than Kida. She could tell from his accent that he was Hispanic and she could see the light from the inside of the car illuminating over his family.
"We're going to check out this area and make sure none of those things are nearby. If it's all clear we will set up camp. Just give us a few minutes," Shane told him. The man nodded and got back into the car.
They had only found one of those monsters lurking around. Shane stabbed it through its temple to avoid wasting ammo and attracting more of them. They'd all noticed on the highway that even though there was plenty of fresh meat for them nearby, the gunfire and explosion drew them away and toward the sound. As long as they managed to keep quiet, they could get a good night of rest and formulate a plan in the morning.
Adrienne and Charlie sat around the fire with the others that had followed. Kida could hear a conversation going on but she chose to keep to herself and take stock of what weapons and how much ammo they all had between them. Between her and Shane they had a decent amount but the others had next to nothing. The Hispanic man that had gotten out of the car before they scouted the area and a black man that had followed them with an Asian man in tow were the only ones with good enough weapons to defend themselves. The family that Kida had spotting looking after Carl on the highway after Shane and Lori took off had nothing with them.
"You should come join us," a voice said behind her. Kida's head shot up and she turned, coming face to face with Lori.
"I um, I should stay here. I'm taking inventory," she told her. The woman looked rough, and Kida couldn't blame her after everything she had gone through.
"That will be there in the morning. Kidada you've been such a huge help. If it weren't for you and Shane, Carl and I… You should come sit with us. Get to know everyone and have something to eat. You'll need your strength for tomorrow."
Kida hated being called by her full first name. She had wrinkled her nose subconsciously when Lori had said it but she could see the urgency in her eyes. She wanted everyone safe and in one place. Placing the clip she had been messing with back in her trunk, Kida reluctantly agreed. She was a bit curious about the people that had followed them, she needed to know who they were and make sure Adrienne and Charlie would be safe around them.
"Hey kid," she said, taking a seat next to Charlie. He was eating something out of a bowl and turned to her to smile. He actually looked happy.
"Hey! We saved you some. I practically had to fight Glenn to save this can for you," he told her while shoving a can at her. An immediate smile came over her face as she read the label. Charlie knew how much she loved spaghetti-o's. "AND it has those gross meatballs in it that you love," he told her, his face scrunched up in disgust. She immediately grabbed the can opener as Charlie handed her a bowl.
"The damn apocalypse is here and you're excited over a can of nasty ass spaghetti-o's?," Shane called to her from across the fire, a look of amusement set on his face. The rest of the group laughed and continued on with their own meals.
"I'll have you know Shane Walsh, I have always loved these. We didn't have much money growing up and my parents use to make me eat spaghetti-o's and Chef Boyardee everything. I don't even give a shit, I love it all," Kida told him as she heated the can over the fire. She watched him smile and shake his head after imitating fake vomiting.
"I like spaghetti-o's," a little girl piped in. Kida looked at her and smiled. She was small, maybe around Carl's age. She was a part of the family that had watched over him briefly on the highway.
"Someone with some good taste," Kida complimented her with a grin.
The girl's father glared at her and she immediately clammed up and looked down at the ground. He was large, ugly, and had a look of annoyance across his face. His wife was timid, thin, and had short graying hair. She later learned their names to be Ed and Carol Peltier, their daughter was Sophia. Kida didn't like the attitude and looks Ed was giving his wife and daughter, and she wasn't the only one who noticed the exchange between him and his daughter.
On the other side of Shane, Lori was whispering to Carl and every once in awhile he would nod his head. The poor kid lost his father, but at least he was lucky enough to make it out of King County with his mother and Shane. The Hispanic man they had met earlier was engaged in conversation with Shane about a possible plan for the morning. He insisted that he be called Morales instead of his first name. The entire Morales family was kind, and she even saw Adrienne talking to his wife. She looked more relaxed than she had been after leaving home. Kida knew she was still stuck on the fact Jake was still out there, but she would have to learn to let it go for now.
Charlie was laughing and joking around with T-Dog and Glenn, the black and Asian men who were traveling together and she couldn't help but crack a grin of her own. If she didn't know better, she wouldn't have guessed that Charlie killed his mother and brother just hours before. Finding this group was a much needed distraction, at least for the time being. She knew she'd have to keep a close eye on Ed Peltier, but everyone else seemed good. No one else set off an alarm to her.
As Kida leaned back and enjoyed her spaghetti-o's while listening in on the different conversations, she began to gain a bit of hope. Maybe they would survive this after all.
Thank you so much for reading guys! Please review and let me know what you think! Also, please check out the author crowfliesmyass and her new story "Rope" because it is so good and deserves lots of reads.
