Daryl couldn't believe what Jess wanted to do. Teach this woman how to shoot? Teach a nine-year-old girl how to shoot? It would be nothing but a waste of ammo. Something that was not easy to find. Something that they could not afford to waste.
The four of them walked through the woods until Jess found a decent place to set up. He placed a couple of bottles on a log. He pulled out two .9mm pistols, handing each of the girls one.
"First thing to remember, is that it's not a toy." Jess looked down toward Cheyanne, who looked terrified at the thing in her hands. Nicole lowered herself down to her daughter.
"Mama, it's heavy." She complained, looking to her.
"You'll get used to it, kid." Daryl sniggered from farther away.
Jess sighed as Nicole stood back up. "They aren't loaded. You need to know a few things first." The two girls nodded. "Okay, right now, your safety is on. That means that you cannot shoot."
He walked forwards, embracing Nicole's hands. He moved her thumb to the little switch that turns it off. "That is how you turn it off." He bent down to show Cheyanne.
"Okay, pull back the top." Both of them did what he said to do. "That's your chamber -- where the bullet will go."
"You need to make sure that it is empty if you ever decide to clean it." He glanced to Daryl, who was shifting side to side. Jess knew his opinion on doing this.
"Okay," Jess pulled out two clips. "These hold 17 rounds." He handed on both the girls. "You pop it in right there," he pointed to the bottom. "You take it out by pressing that button on the grip."
Nicole looked at the weapon in hand, while Cheyanne was still scared of it. "Okay, you guys are ready." They turned toward the log two yards in front of them. "Turn the safety off."
Once again, they did as they were told. "Aim right down that notch, and right before you shoot, take a breath. I find it is easier to shoot that way."
Nicole took a small breath. "Okay, fire." Two shots went off but nothing was hit. Daryl scoffed as he became more alert. "It's okay. Y'all will get it. Try again."
After about thirty minutes, the two had managed to empty their clips and hit some targets. "Good job, Y'all. Let's head back."
The group started to make their way back to the cabin. "I appreciate you doing this, Jess." Nicole offered a smile to the man who walked beside her.
"It's my pleasure."
When they got back to the cabin, Jess asked to speak with both Daryl and Nicole. Cheyanne went into the other room to read a book that Jess had given to her.
The three sat down at the table as Jess pulled out a map of Georgia. "We're gonna need to leave soon. We can't stay here for the long haul."
"I say, we go find Merle." Daryl pointed to the map before chewing his thumbnail.
Nicole looked over to him, quirking a brow. "Merle's your brother, right?" He grunted in response.
Jess glanced between the two, before pointing to Atlanta. "Our best bet is here."
"Why in the city? Wouldn't he get outta Dodge?" Nicole inquired as she leaned against the table with her arms crossed. "It's been close to a month."
Daryl sat quietly, examining the woman beside him. Her greasy blonde hair was she pinned back in a messy bun and her skin was covered in dirt. He couldn't figure her out. He couldn't figure out why she was staying with them, especially after the shit he'd said.
"Merle wouldn' be in the city, most likely around it. Jus' gotta find him," Jess told Nicole. "We're leavin' in the morning. You don't have to come with us."
Nicole took a sharp breath. "We'll come."
A gentle smile crossed Jess' face. "Sounds like a plan then." He closed up the map and stood up. "Rest up, you two. We leave at first light."
Pounding on the front door woke up the group inside the cabin. Nicole rushed to put on her shoes and get Cheyanne ready to run. "Nicole, c'mon. We gotta go." Daryl opened up the bedroom door.
Nicole slung her backpack on her back and gave Cheyanne her's. She tucked her gun into her jeans and grabbed her baseball bat. Her hands wrapped around Cheyanne's as she tugged her out the door.
"Aw, shit. They're everywhere," Jess announced as he looked through one of the boarded up windows.
"What're we going to do?" Nicole cried out, clutching her daughter close.
Jess ran his hands through his hair, "Our truck's out front. It's low on gas though." He let out a sigh, "I know there is a gallon in the maintenance shed out back."
"I can run around, go get it," Daryl offered, taking his crossbow from his back. "Y'all run to the truck and I'll be there in a second."
"No way in hell you're going alone, Daryl," Nicole stated, clutching her bat tightly. "Jess, I'll go with him."
His brow quirked, "You sure?"
"Just take care of my little girl," Nicole started to back up. "You watch his back, Chey."
Nicole and Daryl turned to go out the back. They went out the back door, instantly crouching at the sound of that horrid snarl. "I got 'im." Daryl unsheathed his hunting knife and began stalking toward the monster.
In a single, swift movement the knife got embedded into the monster's skull and it was on the ground. Daryl waved for Nicole to come up. Her pace was slow as she caught up to him. When they turned the corner, there were at least seven of the monsters.
Nicole and Daryl spotted the maintenance shed a little ways away. The duo stalked their way over to it, killing two monsters in the process. "I'll grab it. Cover me," Nicole whispered before she opened it. She cringed as the hinges creaked.
She went in and grabbed the can. When she went back out, Daryl shot a monster. Its attention was pulled to the creak of the door. Other monsters started to crowd around him. Nicole set down the can and started swinging her bat -- the blunt end meeting the head with a sickening crack.
The pair killed the surrounding monsters, but more were coming to the sound. "Shit," Daryl cursed before grabbing the gas can. An unexpected gunshot went off, causing Nicole to jump.
"Cheyanne." She began to panic before she broke into a sprint toward the vehicle. She could hear Daryl behind her. The monsters were surrounding Jess and Cheyanne. Jess' arm was bloody, but he kept fighting. Cheyanne looked down at the ground. Her eyes pinned to the dead monster on the ground.
Nicole swung her bat at the monsters. There were a couple of them clustering together. She smacked one in the back of the head and kicked the other in the back of the knee. It's face planted and she continued to run to her daughter.
"We got it! Get in the truck!" She yelled. Jess and Cheyanne scrambled to get in. Nicole and Daryl climbed into it as well. Daryl slammed the door. It was cramped, but that was the least of their worries. "Drive!"
Jess turned the keys and moved the gears into drive. He slammed on the gas and the wheels spun before he sped off to the road.