This Chapter Has Been Revised! Thank You For your Time, Reviews, Favorites, and Follows!
"Shane! No! Stop!" Rick yelled as loud as he could over the hail of bullets. The others including Lori had already taken refuge behind the RV to avoid any returning bullets coming back in their direction. Sealing the deal and surrendering would've been more peaceful between both groups of survivors had Shane not returned fire like the belligerent man he'd become. This had to end. It had to end now before someone got injured or even killed.
The final bullet fired from Shane's shotgun pierced the windshield. "Stop! Don't shoot anymore! We surrender! Throw your gun out now!" A strong feminine voice shouted once the bullet had been fired. Sasha Williams had always been a woman of logic and quick decision making, especially being a former fire fighter pre-apocalypse. She knew how to remain calm under intense pressure and danger, especially when innocent bystanders were caught in the middle.
Blake, being a frightened teenager with a gun, didn't make the situation any better. He still had his pistol aimed out towards the doors of the minivan. "No! You saw them. That whack job tried to blast us away. We'd be dead if I hadn't have done something to keep us safe."
"We wouldn't be in a shootout if you hadn't pulled the trigger in the first place! Toss your gun out now Blake!"
From behind the RV, Lori, Carol, Dale and the others carefully looked around to see if the battle had come to an end. They all were very much so grateful to sigh a breath of relief once the pistol was tossed out of the minivan and onto the grass.
Shane on the other hand wasn't about to bring the gun battle to an abrupt end. He brought his shotgun up to eye level and prepared to give out another hail of bullets. Rick's eyes widened in fear of the realization that his best friend was about to begin shooting once more. He had to put a stop to this immediately or else someone could get hurt or even lose their life. "Shane. They've given up. Back down now." Rick ordered.
Shane refused to follow the orders of his best friend and the appointed group leaders. The title of leader had been his, that was until Rick showed up and stole that from him along with something much more precious. He glanced back where Rick stood with his hand held up, motioning for Shane to surrender as the other hand remained on his Python. His brown eyes also landed on Lori. His best friend of many years turned lover when they begun the affair. He had not only lost her to his best friend, but had even faced rejection back at the CDC where she even left scars running down his face.
"Shane! I said back down!" Rick shouted out his order yet again. He knew Shane. He knew him all too well. Well enough to know his facial expressions and when he was planning to deviate from his given orders. He could tell just by the look on Shane's face that surrendering wasn't in his plan anytime soon. Shane didn't bother to speak another word. Instead he just turned back towards the people that had begun to exit the van and raised the shotgun yet again, preparing to fire at the open targets. This left Rick with only one wise choice. He raced over to Shane and raised his Python up where he brought it down onto Shane's head with an intense amount of impact. At first the contact of the gun's weight stunned Shane in the moment, but then proceeded to render him unconscious.
As much as he didn't want to resort to this, it was the only choice he had left optionable.
"You're alright. He's out cold. I want you all to exit the van with your hands raised above your head." Rick carefully instructed stepping from behind the RV with caution.
It turned out they didn't have to wait longer than anticipated for the survivors to begin pouring out. First to appear was a muscular African-American with a medium skin tone, a petite young African-American woman with a lighter complexion, and two young African-American girls who appeared to be in their teenage years. One girl had a lighter complexion matching Sasha while the other girl had a medium skin complexion matching Tyreese.
Following behind were two young boys, one Caucasian and the other African-American. Both young men were very much so attractive and had well-built body structures that only stemmed from athletics and good exercise. These young men didn't seem to look as if they had problems with defending themselves. Following behind with her arms wrapped fearfully around the Caucasian boy was a young woman with full blonde locks and a petite frame. Madison had her chest pressed up against Blake's back, hiding behind her boyfriend as if he were her protective human shield.
And finally a second young Caucasian man with dirty blonde hair emerged and made his way over to his girlfriend Julie, Tyreese's eldest daughter with the lighter skin complexion. He bravely placed her behind him to shield his girlfriend from the strangers before them. After the
"Are these all your people? Are they all unarmed?" Rick questioned. He had his hand pressed over his Python just for safety precautions. Whose to say if any one of these people tried to make any sudden movements that appeared to be threatening. As a man in his field of work, he had learned to always be quick to react in the face of danger and threat.
"Yes." Tyreese answered calmly trying to indicate he posed zero threats. He made sure to follow the simple instructions of keeping his hands up to be visible, just as Sasha and the others had as well. If there was one thing that needed to be done, it was gaining the trust of their potential allies. "We have no other weapons. No guns. No knives. Nothing but the clothes on her back. We've had a long journey and we're in need of food and medical attention. I've got my family and friends of my daughters' from school. We were just looking for a safe place to rest."
One thing was for certain now. The individuals inside of the minivan were not a threat, in fact, they were their own band of survivors like Rick and his group.
Relief begin to set in once Tyreese and Sasha secured Blake and Kyndall. He then led both boys onto the bus where Glenn and T-Dog acted as lookouts - only after they hauled the-still-unconscious Shane into the RV
Carol, Jacqui, and Lori brought out a bag filled up with a hearty helping of food and drinks. Lori and Carol's maternal instincts overpowered and they began providing care and whatever first aid they could to the new additions to their group. This was a a feeling they both were long without since they had been separated from Carl and Sophia.
This dangerous little encounter moved from deadly to somewhat welcoming. It was odd, yet it still felt comforting. With more people to add on from where they stood since the attack on the encampment, they now had a better chance with playing defenses against any walkers. That was the benefit to having more people join their group and improve their ranks. But the two negative aspects about it was they now had more mouths to feed. And lastly, who could be trusted?
"Fort Benning? Do you mind me asking why ya'll are looking to go so far up?" Sasha questioned. She took the bottle of water Jacqui handed her and took a generous mouthful of water that she required desperately.
"It's supposed to be safe. We may have a better chance than where we're standing." Rick explained. "We were going to to start making our way up there, but our plans changed."
Tyreese's eyes fell onto Rick when he mentioned Fort Benning. "You lost some people? I'm deeply sorry for the losses you and your people suffered."
"No we didn't lose people. We got separated from them. We were grabbing some supplies in a deserted town when a herd of walkers came crossing through. There were way too many of them. Nobody could take the risk to be seen. My son, Carol's daughter, Andrea's sister, and another man named Daryl were chased off into a wooded area by a mass of them. By the time it was safe to go down there, they were long gone."
Julie almost forgot, but it had crossed her mind that not all of her group members were present. "Wait. There's another guy with us. A kid around our age. We found him inside one of the stores when we were getting food. He saved me from this man that attacked me. If not for him, I probably wouldn't be alive."
"There's another boy in the van? Who is it?" Carol asked.
"Rick? Nick?" Julie tried recalling as she motioned towards the now wrecked vehicle. "He's a little banged up from the fight with the stranger though."
"He wasn't bit before you met him?" T-Dog asked.
"No. But he was cut by the man who attacked my daughter while we were gathering supplies." Tyreese flung open the second door to the van. "Come on. We found others. They're here to help." He spoke calmly to the young man concealed behind the doors.
"Help me out." An exhausted voice mumbled.
With little to no effort, Tyreese reached over and pulled the teenage inmate out of the van as gently as he could, hoping not to cause the boy more pain. The kid hissed in pain as he allowed his body to be carried over across the street and towards the group.
The more they inched up, the easier it became to study the kid's facial features. To most he was a stranger, someone they had never known before. But in the eyes of one person, it was a face they had not seen for a long time.
"Oh my God..."
"If you need a break anytime soon I can take over for you Amy. Whenever you're ready just let me know." Said a rather overly confident Carl. Now that the young boy had finally gotten firsthand experience with being behind the wheel, he couldn't help but want to give it another go.
Amy pulled away from the wheel and reached over her shoulder to tighten up her seat belt just a little more. Just at the thought of Carl's poor driving skills back at the townhouse development made her shudder. The only reason the sheriff deputy's son had driven them from the townhouse development was because of the walkers overrunning their . Carl had already been in the driver's seat - it was either have him drive or they all become a fleshy gourmet meal. "There's no need to worry about that. I'm doing pretty good over here. Thanks, but no thanks Carl. I think you've done your part already." Amy added, making a soft turn.
Daryl's eyes had widened in fear upon hearing Carl's terrifying request. He would admit that the truck he drove had been a piece of crap, but even he wouldn't want it to be demolished like the way Carl did to this car. "I think the girl's got it there kid. No need to kill us off any sooner than the walkers." He lowly muttered on the last part of his sentence.
"Huh?" Carl questioned looking over at Daryl.
"Hmm?" Daryl muttered playing dumb.
After leaving the townhouse development, Daryl directed Amy onto the empty interstate that would eventually lead them to Fort Benning. Being the expert tracker he was, Daryl knew Just as Amy glanced down for a split second, the vehicle collided head on into the decomposing body of a walker crossing the road. Combined with the amount of impact from the body and the added amount of speed, the wheels of the car took them off the road, right onto the grass, and ended with the tires being lodged off into a ditch. The many tons of metal had made a sickening sound upon the impact made on the ditch.
Luckily for Amy, she didn't fall unconscious or begin to hyperventilate. The teenager found she was in a state of shock, but at least she wasn't seriously injured.
"Daryl? Carl? Sophia?" Amy breathed deeply in a panic while taking in her surroundings through panicked eyes and disheveled hair. Had her head fell forward into the steering wheel anyway, she would've most likely sustained a broken nose.
"I'm OK." Carl answered quickly enough.
A small panic attack had begun to arise inside Sophia from the crash. That had been scary even though it was a minor accident. She answered back before her breathing could become too fast and unsteady. "Me too." Sophia placed a shaky hand to her chest.
Daryl winced from the newly added pain developing in his neck. Although the accident had been a small one, he was still suffering from a small case of whiplash and would most likely feel it for quite sometime. "Don't get your panties in a bunch. I'm fine." He gruffly retorted.
Judging by the noise made, they were lucky to have not attracted any unwanted attention from any neighboring walkers nearby. Once Daryl and the two twelve-year-olds exited the vehicle one by one, all were standing beside the car while Amy tried in vain to drive the car out of the ditch and back onto the road. By the fourth try she had finally come to the conclusion that this was useless - they were all now without a vehicle once again and would have to continue on foot. She growled in annoyance and anger before slamming her fist on the wheel. "It's stuck. Dammit I hate walkers!"
"Ditto. Ain't got no map. Ain't got no car. Yeah, we're in a good fucking position. What's next?" Daryl muttered in defeat.
The kids all reacted in fear once a low groan was heard, coming from the walker splattered along the street. What was now left of its decomposing legs covered in sickly rotted flesh were merely broken bones visible and exposed to the outside world. The mandible bone sustained a great amount of the impact, which left it completely missing from the skull and the broken spine left it paralyzed. The aftermath of the collision left the reanimated man's body destroyed and completely helpless. Sophia ducked behind Carl out of the instinct to protected and shielded. Calm and casual as if it were a mere stroll in the park, Daryl stomped over to the walker as it hissed through its rotting teeth and helplessly clawed at Daryl's boot.
"Guess ya' shoulda learned to look both ways fore' crossin' the street." He swung the crossbow off his shoulder and made a flawless aim for the skull. With a simple pull on the trigger, an arrow shot right into the decomposed socket of the walker and silenced it permanently. "Dumbass."
Carl brushed away the new dirt which sat on his kneecaps. "We'd probably still have the car if you'd let me drive."
It turned out they didn't have to wait long for the sun to be fully visible up above in the sky. The brighter it got, the less inclined Daryl felt about letting the kids stop for a rest. They may as well cover as much ground as possible while the sun was up so they wouldn't all be subjected to the dangers of the darkness. And even thought they would be exhausted, sweaty, and griping it would all be worth it in the end. The detour they took to avoid and navigate around walkers was beginning to wear them all ragged, but they all kept at it without as much as a complaint. At least Daryl did. The longer they walked, the more Carl and Sophia began to lag behind. Amy however was the worst one of them all - she trailed right behind on Sophia's heels and was barely keeping up considering her leg muscle began to cramp.
As a cheerleader for North Atlanta High School, she had grown accustomed to dedicating time to fitness, gym workouts, yoga, and being in tip-top shape. And yet here she was post-apocalypse, an eighteen-year-old healthy young woman with every logical reason to run for her life, yet she could barely manage walking with a single muscle cramp. Her wavy, sweaty blonde hair continued to get caught in her mouth and eyes, the mosquitoes had now turned her into a mid-morning snack, and they still continued walking and sweating as he leg began cramping. Amy could deal with either one of these problems or maybe two. But all of them. Hell no she couldn't do it. If there was one of those things that could be fixed, it was her sweaty hair falling in her face and mouth.
"I need to stop for a second. Just for a second." Amy said aloud to everyone.
"Whatcha' need? We ain't got much time bullshittin'. If ya' need water, hurry up and grab a few gulps. If it's something else, make it quick because we gotta' find safety." That had been the first time he heard Amy speak since they begun walking. Daryl figured maybe the teenager needed to take a brief water break, which was acceptable in his book as they were trekking through the Georgia heat in the middle of summer.
Carl and Sophia were relieved Amy had been the first to speak up and would thank her later when their guardian wasn't around. Both pre-teens took the opportunity to take their breaks and rest on the soft grass. Daryl on the other hand was a bit annoyed Amy had stopped and allowed herself and the kids to display such slothful behavior. His irritation skyrocketed when he watched Amy do the unthinkable just as they were supposed to be finding a safe haven.
The girl had stopped to reach into her pocket and pulled out a ponytail holder, and proceeded to place her hair in a rather appealing ponytail. Seemingly unsatisfied, she then pulled her hair out of the ponytail and tied it into a bun. Unbelievable. At the wrong place and wrong time, Amy had decided her appearance was a first priority rather than them all getting to safety. "Un-fucking-believable." Daryl groaned.
This was just pitiful. The very first time Daryl noticed Amy was back at the camp when she had screamed from one of the least intimidating creatures on the plant Earth: a damn frog. The stupid girl had screamed because Carl had decided to show off a frog he'd caught at the quarry and it scared Amy to the point where the stupid girl damn near pissed her pants. Only spoiled and well-polished city brats like that would be terrified of a non-threatening amphibian that couldn't do half as much damage hopping on them than a walker would tearing into tendons and muscle which can cause severe blood loss and shock. Had he not kept his thoughts to himself then Amy would've had her feelings hurt right there and then on the spot. But he'd figured she'd embarrassed herself enough in the course of those sixty seconds that day at camp. However, being terrified of a frog was minimal compared to doing her hair up when they had no idea where they even were.
"What? I had to fix my hair." Amy asked Daryl. She noticed he had been studying her for what felt like minutes. The look on his face was far from a good look and she knew she was about to catch hell for stopping to do her hair.
"Amy look at me. The car we were driving has been totaled. We ain't got any other way to get around other than using our damn legs. And of all places to do that, its on a trail where anything can happen at any given time. Which means walkers could show up and tear into Carl or Sophia like they're at an all-you-can-eat at the Outback Steakhouse. We've got much bigger problems to worry about and you're worried about your fucking hair looking good?! I got every damn reason to shoot ya' like a crippled dog and leave ya' ass behind." Daryl glared with much venom and anger boiling inside his core. He had never been one to sugar coat his opinion and he definitely wasn't about to do that here. "Ya' sister ain't my favorite person in the world, so don't think I'll have a problem lying to her. What'll it be?"
"I'm sorry. It won't happen again Daryl. I promise."
He had turned his back on her and begun to walk once again. "You best make good on that promise. Because if I catch ya' doing that shit again, all that pretty hair's gonna be chopped off with my knife. Now keep on walkin'!"
After getting ripped a new asshole by the man she secretly crushed on, Amy carried on with the same hint of defeat evident on her face. It felt as if a hard rock dropped in her stomach. All she could do was suck up the pain from her aching feet. Every now and then she would catch Daryl's silent stare aimed at her as he maintained his position in the front. It only became even more obvious as he continued to glance back only to catch her eyes as well.
As Amy had continued to walk she felt what was possibly the worst Charley Horse flare up in her left calf muscle. It wasn't that she'd never had a Charley Horse as painful this current one. She'd gotten plenty of them when she used to cheer in high school and would have them relieved with relaxing massages and electrolytes. The main problem with relieving a Charley Horse in the middle of the apocalypse was the potential danger lurking in every direction of the woods Daryl led them through. And knowing Daryl, he would only encourage her to suck up the pain and not fall behind. Especially after his threats to shoot her and cut off her hair.
Louder this time she whimpered to force herself to endure the long trek through the woods with an equally exhausted Carl and Sophia. The pain only intensified as they walked longer and further, and at that point Amy knew she needed to stop soon and assess the leg cramp. Best case scenario was that they'd have to stop until her leg improved and they could return to their small journey. Worse case scenario was that the Charley Horse became worse and crippled Amy momentarily or she developed another one in the other leg and made matters worse. They hadn't even reached an area of unwooded area they could use to take a small break. Her painful whimpers caught the attention of Carl. He looked at Amy and she just played it off with a pathetic half-assed smile through the beads of sweat forming on her forehead.
Carl, becoming the observant child he now was, hadn't failed to notice Amy's whimpers as they all walked through the heat and woods. "Amy? Are you OK? You've been whimpering like that for sometime. Did you hurt yourself in the accident?" Carl whispered.
"No it's wasn't from the accident thank God. My leg's cramping. I think it might be a Charley Horse." The blonde responded quicker with her own whisper as she felt another sensation of pain shoot through her muscle.
Carl jumped over a thick log that blocked the path they traveled down. He didn't want to trip over it and end up with a sore leg like Amy. "You should tell Daryl so we can take a break."
"No! You heard him a few moments ago. He'd freak out if any of us asked to take a break."
The conversation between the two youngsters didn't go unheard by Daryl. Not that they could successfully keep anything hidden from an observant man like Daryl. He'd been aware for some time that Amy was having problems with her leg, and he'd honestly say that he felt guilty for allowing her to literally walk the pain out. He didn't mean to be harsh on her for earlier - he just wished for her to understand the importance of locating a safe area. They had just now exited the woods and reached a street that had a shopping outlet across from it. They were damn near home free and he just hoped Amy could somehow suck up the pain until they reached the shopping outlet.
The silence around them all ended when Sophia let out a scream. Daryl was about to tear into her when he caught notice of what caused her to scream: walkers. A small horde coming from all sides had began closing in when they noticed food for the first time in days. They were coming from behind and the side. The walking dead beasts snarled through their teeth and proceeded to limp towards the small group as they stood in momentary shock.
"Shit! Run!" Daryl instructed them all. He ran with his crossbow being held over his left shoulder.
Sophia didn't hesitate to do just as she was told. She didn't realize how fortunate she was to have the body of a tall and awkward preteen. Thanks to the length of her long legs, she was able to stay ahead of Carl who trailed right on her heels. In that moment right there, Sophia truly looked like a track star training for a marathon.
Carl on the other hand stood a few inches below Sophia, not to mention was the shortest out of the group of four. Not being the most athletic or tallest, he struggled somewhat to keep up with Sophia who kept a little distance ahead of him. But with the fear and adrenaline pumping through his small body, it gave him the motivation to continue to run as fast as he could.
Amy was the most unfortunate one and in the worst shape of all. The Charley Horse in her leg hadn't let up one bit and she needed her legs to flee from the walkers and reach the safety of the outlet. The unbelievable pain made her run with a terrible limp that slowed her down more. Her eyebrows were crinkled in pain and the sweat began to fall down her face from exhaustion. The outlet seemed to be farther and farther away as they all proceeded to race up the hills.
"Hurry up lil girl! Daryl yelled behind to Amy. Due to her sore leg it was a little more difficult for her to get up the hill at a quickened pace than it was for Carl or Sophia. And if her leg gave out on her at the wrong place and time, she just might end up tumbling down the hill where more hungry walkers that emerged from the area were. The walkers struggled to get up the hill with their poor limbs and badly decayed bodies. Not allowing her to fall behind and become a victim, Daryl grabbed Amy's forearm and pushed her uphill to give her an advantage in the race. Having already planned out their escape, Daryl looked for anything to help boost them all up to the roof of the shortest building.
He was currently helping Amy run through the parking lot while Carl and Sophia kept the lead. As they made their way in the outlet and raced through, Daryl sighed in relief when he spotted some tall dumpsters and crates. "We need to get up on the roof. Everybody help me with these." He motioned to the dumpsters and crates.
Working together like the team they were, Daryl and Amy pushed the dumpsters up closer to the buildings while Carl and Sophia carried the crates over. After stacking everything accordingly so the younger ones could safety boost themselves up, Daryl stood up on the dumpster and first helped guide up Carl and Sophia to the roof of the building. Once Carl had been boosted up then Amy was next. And with her leg temporarily crippled from the Charley Horse she needed just as much help as the kids needed if not more. He quickly shoved Amy upwards toward the roof where Carl and Sophia helped pull her towards them by her arms and shirt. And in the pain she was in now it caused more of a struggle.
"Fuck my leg!" Amy hissed in pain as she strained to get herself up onto the roof.
Underneath her weight, Daryl strained just a little bit himself when he felt her body give out from the pain and exhaustion. "Come on now Amy we ain't got time for that shit. Pull yourself up there. You can do it."
Using the crates to give himself more leverage and leaping helped Daryl land on the side of the roof, but his lower body was still hanging off from the side of the building. Carl and Sophia repeated the process and helped pull Daryl up onto the roof. Sophia tugged with all her strength on Daryl's upper body while Carl guided his legs over the side of the building. Landing onto the rock hard roof in a dramatic finish, Daryl finally huffed with relief and exhaustion. The days of escaping from the living dead were becoming more exhausting.
They had made it.
A victory dance would be in place as of now if not for their shortage of breath and hearts thumping wildly in their chests. For now, all Daryl, Amy, Carl, and Sophia wished to do at that time was to rest up. They had evaded the face of danger yet again.
Amy was more than thankful to have been spared the fate of death yet again. Had Daryl and the kids not been there to help her onto the roof, she would've been as good as dead. She was beginning to realize that Daryl was not just her savior by luck - he really truly had become her hero. Her hero with an invisible halo. The Charley Horse now had plenty of time to subside since they had reached safety and gave her plenty of time to relax herself. In those moments of relaxation, Amy got the idea to further explore their environment since they were in a shopping outlet. Inside of a mall they'd be able to find food, clean clothes, and much more needed items.
"Hey. You guys feel like doing some shopping?" Amy questioned.
The familiar sound of voice filled his ears, a voice he never thought he'd hear again way longer since the dead began to walk. He lifted his head up to confirm his deepest hopes as he allowed the voice to guide him.
"Holy shit." The wounded teenager said through labored breathing. It was a miracle like no other to stumble across Tyreese and his band of young survivors inside the gas station. Nick had been taking refuge there for sometime after he'd managed to go from safe haven to safe haven after successfully escaping the juvenile detention. The security had been breached when the entire facility had been overrun by the walkers and Nick had been intelligent enough to plan his escape before the worst could happen. The attack left many of his friends and bunk mates dead, but he had been one of the few fortunate people to escape with his life.
And now here he was having survived an automobile accident and brief shootout to hear and see his mother for the first time in months.
Carol cupped her delicate hands over her mouth, before the sobs began to pour out. "Nick?" Her feet took over her body, further dragging her away from the members of her camp and closer to a loved one she had long laid eyes on for the longest. "Nick!" Carol joyfully screamed.
Both mother and son had finally been reunited.
Despite the pain shooting into his body, Nick allowed himself to fall further behind from Tyreese as he raced over to Carol. "Mom! Mom!" His feet suddenly felt less heavier, making it easier for him to rush up and embrace his mother.
Nick could swallow his pride for five minutes and try not to keep the tough guy act up any longer. As for now he just wanted to show his mother how greatly he loved and missed her and that he wasn't leaving her side ever again.
"You scared the shit out of me mom." Nick sniffed heavily, fighting back the flow of tears. His response earning him an even tighter embrace than before. "I'm sorry. This is all my fault. If I hadn't have been locked up in the first place, I would've never been away from you and Sophia."
"It's alright honey. I'm not mad I promise. I'm just glad you're safe."
"Sophia! Sophia!" Nick pulled away from Carol, desperately searching around for his sister. In his moment of excitement of being reunited with his loved ones, he failed to notice the others pained expressions as he carried on searching and calling out to Sophia. "Come on! Sophia!"
His feet carried him farther along the road, looking all around him. It didn't make any sense. She would've been out there by now hugging him too. Nick quickly turned to the sound of dry grass crunching under someone's shoe. It was Rick and judging by his sorrow demeanor something was wrong. Horribly wrong. "Nick, I'm afraid I have some bad news to tell you."
Sixteen-year-old Nick Peletier's life seemed to finally have made a turn for the better. He had managed to survive for a large number of days in and from the detention center. He had finally been reunited with his mother, but his father and sister were nowhere to be found and here he had some man in a sheriff deputy's hat giving him the look of troubled grief.
"My dad. He's dead isn't he?" Nick asked rather coldly. God forgive him for having no remorse or sorrow in his eyes, but if he heard that his father was dead then that would be a blessing in disguise. He had wished nothing but pure misery on the man the day he broke his arm when he was only eleven-years-old.
"Yes. There was an attack on our camp. He had already been dead by the time we had come back from the city. I'm so sorry for your loss son."
Nick released a quick bout of laughter, shaking his head. "Don't be. That's the best news I've heard in a long time." he paused for a minute before looking back into Rick's eyes. "What about Sophia?" His attitude changed instantly now that the subject switched over to his sister. His eyes held back tears yet were filled hope. Making it harder on both sides.
"There's a chance she may be alive. What we do know is that she is with some of our other people. We'll never know unless we find them." Rick sighed while removing his hat slowly.
"You mean when we find them. I don't give a shit how long it takes or where we have to go. I'm not leaving my sister behind. Not again."