The ride was quiet. I still didn't want to talk to Shane or forgive him for the previous night. He said nothing in return. I decided when we stopped I would get in a different vehicle but when we finally pulled over at a small farm house to siphon gas it was decided we would leave behind two vehicles. Shane's jeep was one of them. We both would be riding in the RV.
I managed to obtain the passenger seat while Shane sat at the kitchen table with Andrea. I had the map in my lap and Glenn sat in a chair behind me helping me find a route. I watched as we drove out of Atlanta and passed the quarry where we stayed and so many had died.
I could hear the clinking of Shane's gun as he cleaned it. Andrea was sitting at the table with him. She commented on how it seemed complicated to take it all apart and piece it back together. I nearly snorted. I had been taught at a young age by my brother and Shane. It made my stomach churn to hear Shane teaching Andrea the same things he had taught me. He offered to clean hers and I could tell by the tone in her voice she was flirting.
"Joey?" I heard Glenn say from behind me as he set a hand on my shoulder. It was then that I noticed the edges of the map were crumpled in my fists. I relaxed me hands and nodded at Glenn.
"Oh Geez," Dale said from behind the wheel. I looked up to see a major road block in our way. Daryl pulled up beside Dale on his motorcycle and Dale asked if he could see a way through. Daryl nodded and led us through the wreckage. I sighed.
"Maybe we should just go back. There's an interstate bypass," Glenn started.
"We can't spare the fuel," Dale interrupted.
As we drove through the cars that had been flipped upside down and the doors left wide open I noticed the passengers of the cars were still inside. Only dead.
"Can we get through here?" I asked. About that time something popped from the front of the RV and steam rose over the hood. Dale grunted and shook his head bringing the RV to a stop. He stood up from his seat and left the RV. We all followed.
"I said it. Didn't I say it? A thousand times. Dead in the water."
"There a problem Dale?" Shane asked as I started to walk away from the group. I found a tailgate of a truck to sit on and watched the group from a distance. I saw the group start to scavenge supplies and Shane made his way over to me.
"Hey?" he said taking a seat next to me. "You can't stay mad at me forever," I didn't say anything. "Com'on Joey. We could die tomorrow. I know I don't want to go knowing you didn't forgive me. Just… please?" he said grabbing my hand in both of his and turning to face me. I looked up at him and saw it in his eyes he meant it. I nodded at him letting him know he was forgiven for now. "Okay?" he smiled at me and kissed my forehead. "Alright. Now let's go find some stuff."
He led me through the cars by my hand over to where Glenn stood looking for a piece to match the camper.
"Any luck?" I asked.
"Not sure," he said with his head under the hood of a van. "Come on."
I saw Shane walk off from the corner of my eye and turned to see him lift up the door of a truck revealing several large containers of water. He stepped back to survey what he'd found.
"Glenn? Were we short on water?" Shane asked and I came to stand next to him. Glenn looked up and gasped. Shane grabbed me and pulled me next to the truck were he snapped a top off of one of the containers letting the water pour down on the two of us.
"Shane!" I yelled laughing. Shane had his mouth open gulping the water down.
"Hey! Save me some!" Glenn said laughing.
"It's like being baptized man," Shane said wrapping an arm around my waist. After the water from the container had soaked me and Shane we turned to see everyone ducking under cars. I had just enough time to see the walkers coming down the road before Shane pushed me under the truck and grabbed Glenn down with us.
"Shh," Shane said holding his gun in his hand. I was squished between Shane and Glenn under the truck hiding from zombies. I was doing all I could to keep my breathing down. The walkers had made it past everyone in the group and were now passing us. I closed my eyes and focused on Shane's pulse against my arm.
When the shuffling of the walkers had passed we waited a few more seconds before crawling out from under the truck. We made our way back to the others in time to see a walker follow Sophia into the woods and Rick chase after them with his gun.
"Rick!" I started grabbing for the gun in the back of my pants. Shane grabbed my and stopped me stepping in front of me.
"He can handle it," Shane said. About 30 minutes later Rick returned to the interstate.
"Where's Sophia?" he asked.
"Not here," I said walking up to him as everyone else surrounded him. He was out of breath and soaked.
"Where's my baby?" Carol asked.
"We'll go back out there. Follow her trail," Daryl said walking off and Rick followed.
"I'll go too. Glenn. Come on," Shane said walking off after them. Lori took Carol into the RV to calm her down and I decided I better watch after Carl.
"Hey buddy," I said walking up to the boy.
"Aunt Joey, you think Sophia's okay?" he asked.
"I'm sure she is. Your dad and Shane are looking for her now. They'll find her," I said patting his head. "How about we go play go fish?" I said raising up a pack of cards I had found in a car. He nodded and we took a seat on a truck tailgate and started our game.
Shane and Glenn returned a little later. Lori kept Carol inside while Shane told the rest of us to scavenge whatever else we could and begin clearing the road so we could leave as soon as possible.
I was helping Lori and Carl bring stuff up to the RV. Carol was questioning Dale about why we were moving cars instead of looking for Sophia.
"Rick and Daryl are our there," Shane assured. "They're on it. Just a matter of time and we can leave."
"The sooner the better," Andrea said coming up to us. "I'm still freaked out from that herd that came through."
"Yeah what was that?" Glenn asked.
"Herd? Yeah, that sounds about right," Shane said looking to Andrea who grinned at him. My insides boiled. "Come on. We still got a lot to do. Let's stay on it."
Shane's POV
I could see the way Joey looked at Andrea every time we spoke. I wasn't allowed to talk to Carl because Lori thought it was inappropriate. I couldn't forgive myself for the way I had acted towards Joey that night at the CDC. I figured the best thing for me to do is leave.
I was working on hotwiring a car for me to take when Carl came running up to me with a black bundle excited.
"Shane check it out!" he said unrolling it and revealing a Gerber weapons kit. "It's an arsenal."
"That's cool bud. Go give 'em to Dale," I said without looking up at the boy.
"Check this one out!" Carl said pulling out one of the weapons. "It's a hatchet!
"Careful don't play with those," Lori said walking up to him.
"They're really sharp," the boy said obviously proud of his findings.
"What did I just say?" Lori said.
"Can I keep one?" Carl asked.
"Are you crazy?" Lori said taking the hatchet from him.
"Shane? Shane tell her to let me keep one," he said practically begging me. I looked up at the boy and set my tools down.
"Hey man! Go give 'em all to Dale!" I said strictly. "Now! Go!" The look on Carl's face was pure disappointment as he took the bundle off to the RV.
"What was that?" Lori asked as I closed the hood to the Hyundai.
"What was what?" I asked walking to the drivers side.
"The way you blew him off just then. You crushed him." I ignored her as I packed my things into the backseat. "I don't believe it. You're giving me the cold shoulder?"
"Isn't that what you want? Aren't you the one who said stay the hell away from him and you?"
"I know about the CDC. With Joey?" she said and I looked up shocked. "She told me. Poor girl. You scared her to death."
"I made a mistake. One that I admit to. I've made a lot of mistakes. So have you," I said and turned back to the car.
"No debate there but Shane, we need to stop this. For the sake of Carl. And Joey."
"Why do you think I'm prepping my new ride," I said leaning against the door. "I'm leaving."
"Leaving?"
"Gone for good. First chance I get." I slipped into the car and started it up. An emergency signal came on over the radio signaling that help would be on the way. The group came over and listened to it. It was a false hope. We all knew there was no help to come. I cut the car off and stood up out of the car.
"Asshole," I mumbled and looked up to see Joey looking at me with concerned eyes. "Let's get back to work." Joey and the rest of the group walked off and I continued to pack my bags.
The sun was starting to set when Andrea decided to make a scene about her gun. Dale had taken it to keep since Andrea was thought to be suicidal after the CDC incident. I didn't blame him for keeping it. But I did need to settle the dispute.
"Everything cool?" I asked walking up to the two.
"No! I want my gun back," Andrea said.
"I don't think it's a good idea right now," Dale said.
"Why not?" I asked him just so Andrea could hear his reasoning.
"I'm not comfortable with it," he said and Andrea gave a irritated laugh.
"Well truth is, the less guns we have floating around camp the better," I said.
"You turning over your weapon?" Andrea asked crossing her arms.
"Nah. But I'm trained in it's use," I said.
"And your little girlfriend? Why does she get one?"
"She's trained as well. I assure you she knows what she's doing," I said getting defensive without realizing. "That's what everyone needs. Training. But until then I think it's best that Dale keeps them all accounted for." Andrea huffed and walked off. I looked up to see Joey staring from her spot with Carl.
"Oh god! They're back!" Glenn said. Rick and Daryl were walking up the embankment of the road but still didn't have Sophia.
"You didn't find her?" Carol asked wringing her hands.
"Trail went cold. We'll pick it up at first light," Rick said coming into our temporary camp.
"You can't just leave her out there. To spend the night in the woods. She's twelve. You didn't find anything?"
"Look I know this is hard but I'm asking you not to panic," Rick said calmly. "We know she was out there. Daryl knows the woods better than anybody. I've asked him to oversee this."
"How could you just leave her out there?" Carol asked taking a seat and staring at Rick with hatred. "How could you just leave her?"
Rick tried his best to explain to Carol why he did what he did. I backed him up the best I could but she still rambled on blaming Rick. After it was obvious reassuring Carol was useless Rick walked off from the group. Andrea and Lori sat by Carol to comfort her and I walked off to find Joey because frankly I didn't know what else to do. I found her on the roof of the RV taking watch.
"Hey," I said joining her.
"Hey," she said smiling. "Tell me honestly. Do you think we'll find her?"
"No," I said shortly. The look on Joey's face was surprised. She knew what my answer would be because she knew it too. "I think we need to move on but I know Carol won't have it."
"That's her daughter Shane," Joey said quietly. "It must be hard."
