On my left, Shane produced a loud whistle sharp enough to make me flinch and clap my hand over my closest ear.
"Oi! Peach man"
I sent a glare at the side of his head as I held my ear, before leaning over the hood of the yellowish Cherokee once again.
"Creek flows South, past that farm house Daryl found. Maybe Sophia dropped the doll there, current brought it downstream." Rick continued from the head of the hood, after that startling interruption from his partner.
You'd think he could hold out on having a peach 'till we're done talkin' about finding a lost child.
"So what, you think she took this road here then she went North?" Shane ran his finger over the map, returning his focus to the man on his left.
"Yeah. What's up that way?" Rick looked to Jimmy on his left.
"Housing development. It went in maybe 10 years ago" Jimmy answered, resting his chin on his palm opposite of me.
"Take a run up there after gun practice." Rick looked to Shane. "I'll hold down the fort here, but take backup." He urged.
"After what went down with Daryl, I don't want anyone going out alone— that includes you." Rick pointed at me, "We stay in pairs."
"I'll take suggestions on a partner" Shane turned as Glenn came up with a basket; taking a peach off the top.
"See how they do on the range, then take your pick." Rick turned, taking his own fruit.
I waved my hand, passing on the offering of food for once. I don't wanna eat right before I go out. Not if running is all but a guarantee. Even if we're doin' gun training first.
...He's not making eye contact.
"Thanks" Jimmy took a piece of fruit.
I eyed Glenn suspiciously and watched him look over his shoulder. My eyebrows knit together, following his line of sight to Lori, who is also looking this way— at Glenn.
No one else seemed to notice, surprisingly, but she looks nervous.
Glenn looks like he wants to say something, to Rick.
Oooo, I smell a secret.
I gave him an encouraging glance, trying to persuade him to speak his mind but before he could even open his mouth, Shane spoke around his mouthful.
"Binoculars"
"Huh? Yeah— oh yeah" Glenn put down the basket and pulled the optical device off his shoulder, handing them over to Shane.
I sighed and eyed Glenn with a 'We will talk later' look and I know he caught it because he grabbed that basket and is all but running away, with two rushed words, "Okay, bye."
Rick & Shane shared a look with a me. So they did notice that, if not anything before.
Shane snorted and chuckled with Rick, shaking his head.
Whatever Glenn's hiding, it involves Lori. Unless he was looking at another nervous homo sapien that I, a being with perfect 20/20 eyesight(last I checked), managed to miss.
I hoisted myself up onto the hood, leaning on my hand so I could see the map better and get off my feet for a bit. My heels are starting to complain.
Also, maybe, so I can get a better view of one Sheriff's wife and low-key observe her behavior for a bit. Wow, that sounded way more stalker-ish than intended.
Why she and Glenn of all people are keeping a secret, is unusual, and concerning to say the least.
I don't like being nosy, but being out of the loop is not only worse(for me), but nowadays it's downright dangerous not to know what's going on.
I'll have to deal with the issue later though, I've gotta decide where I'm searching today.
If I'm gonna have a partner that isn't as comfortable— or accustomed as Daryl & I in the woods, it's gonna be different than the route I had planned for today.
I was gonna head up to that ridge Daryl went to, where he found the doll, but that's too far out and too dangerous for just anyone—
"We'd like to join you for gun trainin' today."
I looked up to two blondes, Patricia & Beth, approaching behind Jimmy.
"Hershel's been very clear. I can't involve any of you in what we do without his okay" Rick shifted from foot to foot, swallowing his mouthful.
That is very police-officer-like. It continues to surprise me, how much law enforcement behavior he displays in simple day to day life.
"He doesn't like it, but he consented." Beth assured him.
"Otis was the only one who knew guns." Patricia spoke up, and at the mention of Otis, Shane went stiff. Rick shifted uncomfortably.
"Now that he's gone… we gotta learn to protect ourselves." Patricia went on. "Her father saw the sense in that."
I'm glad Patricia's doing better.
I heard the click of a knife and looked over just as Shane started towards Carl; who was leaning against the RV, sharpening a stick with his switchblade.
I never got to meet Otis, but from what I know, he was a good person.
"No offense, but I'll ask Hershel myself." I can understand Rick's lack of excitement to take risks right now.
We're not exactly on the best of terms with Hershel from what I know. He is really bothered with us, for whatever reason.
I don't understand what his problem is. As far as I know, we've held up our end of the deal.
Except I haven't turned over my piece yet. I've been going out early and comin' back so late I haven't had a chance, but in my defense, I've been going out every day, all day.
It makes little to no sense to turn over my piece for a measly few hours while I sleep before I need to get it out and take off again.
Besides, It's not like I don't know what I'm doing with guns; and I rarely use my piece in the first place.
It could probably use a cleaning, now that I think about it. I could do that during gun training, I suppose.
I'm supposed to be a supervising lookout, to be honest. In case the gunfire attracts some unwanted attention.
I'll be teaching at least 1 person I know that but it's mostly stuff they've just gotta get a feel for.
"Rick" Shane came stalking back, Carl in tow, looking somewhat peeved but mostly something I can't place.
Carl's eyes were trained on the ground and even a blind person could recognize the posture of a kid who knows they're about to be in a lot of trouble.
Shane held up a small black revolver as he got closer and I sighed, shielding my eyes with my hand.
This will end badly.
I dragged my hand down my face, kneading my cheeks before heading towards Carl.
"How the Hell did this happen?" Lori flicked the revolver's bullet chamber shut with a snap as she came back over from where Carl was sat on a log in camp, and stood next to me in the circle of adults dealing with this.
"Well, It's my fault. I let him into the RV." Dale spoke regretfully across from me.
"He said he wanted a walkie— that you sent him for one." he gestured at Rick.
"So on top of everything else, he lied." Lori put her hands on her hips, shoving the gun into her back pocket.
Carl's eyes caught mine for a moment before he looked back down at his hands, clasped in front of him; resting his elbows on his knees.
He doesn't look remorseful. He got caught but he doesn't look as upset as expected of a kid his age. Honestly, he looks more…grown up.
Lori looked at her son, then her husband and whispered, "What's he thinking?"
"He wants to learn how to shoot." Shane answered, even though the question wasn't directed at him.
"He asked me to teach him. Now. It's— it's none of my business but I'm happy to do it. It's… it's your call."
"Well I'm not comfortable with it." Lori laughed humorlessly.
Shane sighed on my right, clenching his jaw. Rick straightened up on Lori's left, holding his breath and looked at Shane & me.
Shane sighed again, shaking his head a little.
I gave an ambivalent half-smile, accompanied by a stiff shrug.
I can see why Lori wouldn't want Carl to, from a mother's standpoint; She wants to protect him. But nowadays, that's just not possible. Not completely.
We can't protect him 24/7, and God forbid something happens to her or Rick, or the rest of us, and he be left to fend for himself.
"OH, don't make me out to be the unreasonable one here. Rick?" Lori looked at her husband expectantly.
Rick turned towards his wife, already posturing to argue with her. I've seen him do this enough to know when he's approaching an argument with a diffusing state of mind.
"I know. I have my concerns too but—" Rick started
"There's no but. He was just shot. He is just back on his feet and he wants a gun?" Lori makes a good point but—
"Better than him being afraid of 'em." Rick argued. "There are guns in camp for a reason he should learn how to handle them safely."
I gotta wonder how many times Rick's argued with people like this. He's scarily good at reasonable arguments.
"I don't want my kid walkin' around with a gun." Lori near hissed.
Who said anything about walking around? Not even we can have our guns in camp. Hershel doesn't even trust two previous police officers to walk around with their sidearms why on Earth would we let a kid?
"How can you defend that?" Rick looked off to the side for a moment. "You can't let him go around without protection."
"He's as safe as he'll ever be right here." Lori argued. Rick shook his head, shifting on his feet.
"Like Sophia was?" I spoke up. All eyes turned to me, even Carl glanced up.
I hate to be the one to say it, but we fucked up. We're not perfect, we can't protect anyone 24/7 not even ourselves. The world is not going to let us have it our way.
Better we accept that now and make peace with it while we have the chance, or be forced to later.
"Look, everything you're sayin' makes perfect sense." Lori looked at Rick. "It feels wrong. I mean, I didn't feel good about him following you out into the woods, and I wish I'd said something. I should've gone with my gut."
"He's growin' up. Thank God." Rick argued. "We need— we need to start treatin' him more like an adult."
"Then he needs to act like one. He's not mature enough to handle a gun." Lori looked at Carl pointedly.
Carl abruptly stood and came towards us. "I'm not gonna play with it mom."
...
"It's not a toy. I'm sorry I disappointed you, but I wanna look for Sophia, and I wanna defend our camp. I can't do that without a gun." Carl shook his head.
Phew. You put up a tough argument, kid. I'm startin' to see why Shane calls you 'little man'.
"Shane's the best instructor I know. I've seen him teach kids younger than Carl." Rick spared a look at his partner.
Lori glanced before staring at her husband in contemplative silence for several more seconds.
She started moving and for a moment I thought she was gonna walk away but she stopped in front of Carl and took his chin, raising his eyeline up to hers.
"You will take this seriously. And you will behave responsibly. And if I hear from anybody in this camp that you are not livin' up to our expectations—"
"He won't let you down." Rick intervened before Lori could draw the kid an impossible-to-follow list, a mile long.
"Yeah." Carl gave a firm nod; Wisely, siding with his father.
Damn, that was a hard fought battle but I think we just won.
Your mama really knows how to make people sweat, kiddo.