11 The return and on to the CDC
Like I figured I was just beginning to turn on to the trail to the quarry as the sun fell over the horizon. Personally I didn't think the plan to go towards Atlanta in a caravan of people was particularly safe, but I can't lie and say I wasn't feeling that excitement bubble up at the thought of it.
I mean here we have a group who almost had their scavengers get trapped in Atlanta, just for them follow the lead of a completely new guy just because he's the husband of Lori and the best friend of their leader. I'm not gonna complain though, more fun for me after all.
Pulling up into camp I was met with several flashlights shining at me and a few guns until they saw my signature humvee and lowered the guns. The first one to approach me was Rick and even in the low light I could see the worried look on his face.
"Will, where's Morgan and Duane? Are they alright?" I put on a sad expression and shake my head, letting out a breath of air I recount to Rick what happened.
"I found them both bit and turned right outside a house they had been looting." Rick's face paled and a deep sadness spread across his face, Shane stepped forward and placed a sympathetic hand on his shoulder.
"It seems that Jenny surprised them and they couldn't do what needed to be done. I went ahead and killed them so that they would have to walk around as the undead for the rest of their days." Rick numbly nodded his head and let out a shaky breath.
"Damn it, I should have forced them to come with us." I take a step forward.
"And what? Run the risk of the getting caught up in that situation in Atlanta? Do you think it would have worked out has their been more than just the 2 of us? No, you can't live life by what if's Rick, especially not now. You gotta have conviction to know that the decision you're making is the right one and handle the eventual consequences." Wow I'm so glad I've been practicing my monologues, just judging by his changing facial expression my words really resonated with him.
Rick straightened up, looking to Shane and then Darryl and Dale who had also came to see what was going on. He looked to me and gave an appreciative nod.
"Thanks Will, you're right." I give a nod in return and begin stretching with a yawn.
"Ahhh, alright we'll I'm going to go to bed. We got some important stuff going down in the morning and I'd hate to slow y'all down." Rick chuckles at this.
"Honestly Will, I think even in several days of no sleep you still wouldn't slow us down." I tilt my head while still stretching and think seriously about it. Hmmm he's probably right, my training with Marcus had a lot exercises where I had to go without sleep for several days and still be able to function.
"Eh, maybe you're right." I shrug out my final stretch and open the backseat to my humvee and hopped in.
"Night fellas." I said with a little wave as I shut the door and heard a couple chuckles and saw the lights head back towards the main part of the camp.
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I woke up at my usual time, just an hour before the sun rises, and began my routine of bathing and one last wash of my clothes before we move out. I decided to do one last search around the perimeter, it doesn't hurt to keep your skills sharp after all and I don't know the next time we'll be in the woods. About 20 minutes into my search I notice footprints in the soil that would only have come from someone trying to follow me, as I've learned to double back multiple times during searches.
Following these prints lead me to a hunched over Darryl that I had heard before I ever saw. He seems to be quite the skilled tracker if he's able to pick out the tiny disruption my presence caused. Though it wouldn't have helped him much considering if he was trying to kill me I would have been able to take him out already. Quieter than most he continues a crouched walk, straining his eyes for any evidence of my comings and goings.
Picking up a rock I toss it off to his left and moments after it connects, Darryl has drawn his crossbow and leveled it at the innocent tree. He then looks around intently for anything, but doesn't move from his spot nor call out. His face sets in a grim expression as he concentrates as hard as he can, yet I'm steadily inching closer. The lighting is not making this any easier for him as the rising sun is casting moving shadows along the forest floor.
Finally I toss one more rock near the location of the first I threw, and as he focuses in on that spot I reach out and tap his shoulder. He whips around with his crossbow, but I block his arm with mine. Dropping the crossbow he rips his knife out of its place and tries to slash out, but I block it too. Twisting his arm and wrist making him drop the knife, he swings with his free arm that I duck under before sweeping his legs.
"Oof!" He lands on to his back with a grunt and immediately rolls to where his crossbow is laying on the ground. Seems he has quite the good spatial awareness to remember where it fell even after being disoriented, guess I better stop him before he shoots me. Quickly raising my hands up and adding a slight panic to my voice.
"Wait! It's me, Will! Don't shoot!" He had finished his roll to the weapon and had it held up while on one knee, aimed straight at my chest as his own chest heaved from exercise. Looking intensely at me he huffs before lowering his crossbow and unknocking the arrow.
"What the fuck Will? I was about to skewer you just now!" He growls in frustration as he staggers off the ground to look for his knife that had been dropped into the leaves. I chuckle lightly, though made it sound nervous.
"Ya, glad ya didn't. Just wanted to see what you were doing out here, but when I tapped you on the shoulder you flipped out! Though it was pretty bad ass haha." I said while scratching the back of my head and I heard him grumble to himself, about idiot kids. Finally finding his knife he holds up the blade towards me and looks at me with an unamused expression.
"I was looking for you. Sneaking off on your own before the sun even rises, looks mighty suspicious if you ask me." He turned away as he pocketed his knife and went in the direction towards the camp.
"Hmm, I guess I can see what you're saying. Though I was mostly just trying to enjoy the woods one last time before we head into Atlanta. After all of the CDC is good, we may not be back out here for a while." Pausing Darryl turns and looks me over, finally relaxing the intense look he had on his face before sighing.
"How did you sneak up on me anyways?" I just tilt my head as I look back at him and shrug.
"I don't know, I saw you in the distance so I began to approach you. You seemed spooked so I didn't want to startle you while you had a crossbow and a hair trigger." He looks at me incredulously.
"So you thought it would be a good idea to tap me on the shoulder?" I just shrugged again as I matched his pace, making sure to make a similar amount of noise with each step.
"Eh, it worked out didn't it?" He shakes his head with a laugh.
"Fuckin kids."
We didn't speak the rest of the time as we made our way back, we used typical Hunter signals to alert the other to various small animals and we were able to take out a rabbit, 3 squirrels and an owl that had just returned to its nest to sleep for the day.
"You know how to prep your game?" He said while looking at me and I just gave a nod in response as I took the offered owl and one of the squirrels I had shot down. We split off and I dressed and cleaned the 2 animals before tightly wrapping the meat in meat paper and a bit of Saran Wrap I kept in the humvee. It wouldn't keep it from going bad, but it should prevent anything getting in to it.
While washing up I was met with a wide eyed Amy and a slightly green faced Andrea.
"Whats wrong? Didn't y'all skin the fish?" Andrea shakes her head before looking away, but Amy couldn't seem to do the same as she just looked at the bloody aftermath.
"Fish are no where near as… messy." Andrea says in between deep breaths, before finally walking away and I let out a small chuckle.
"What about you Amy?" Her eyes left the gore to find mine and she then quickly shook her head.
"I was just surprised honestly. Though it was pretty gross." I smiled as I finished cleaning up the area and looked at her out of the corner of my eye.
"I could teach you this if you want? It would be good to know, especially with everything going on." She keeps her eyes trained on me, though I did catch them roaming down my body when she though I wasn't looking.
"That would be great, I'd love for you to teach me." Wiping off the last bits of blood, I stand and face her, slipping back into my usual black long sleeved shirt. I saw her face fall ever so slightly as I cover myself.
"It's decided then, next time I'll teach you how to clean and dress them." She shows a big smile and nods.
"I look forward to it." I nod back to her and just before I could speak again I hear Shane calling.
"Alright everyone lets gather around for the meeting before we leave." Putting away the meat, me and Amy walk to gathered mass together, drawing a few pairs of eyes.
"Everybody listen up. Those of you with C.B.s, we're gonna be on channel 40. Lets keep the chatter down, okay? Now you got a problem, Don't have a C.B., can't get a signal or anything at all, you're gonna hit your horn one time. That'll stop the caravan. Any questions?" He finishes and the immediately after Morales makes it known that they are leaving the group. Apparently they have family in Birmingham.
After giving them a handgun and a box of ammunition to go with it and a tearful goodbye from their friends they had made while here, they hopped in their car and us in ours. We left behind the box truck that had been stripped clean of parts for the RV. Personally I thought we should have taken it strictly for the storage space it allows for, but the RV needed a new hose. Besides I have my Humvee so it's not like it put me out any, and Glenn got keep the charger he lifted from Atlanta.
He was giddier than I'd ever seen him, but sadly for him it would most likely be the first car gone since it guzzles gas and has less passenger room and storage than any of the other vehicles. Amy had decided to ride with me while her sister ride with Dale and Jackie in the RV. With Dale in the front and me at the rear we made our way to Atlanta, leaving behind the place they had been calling home for over a month now.
(AN: Another chapter bites the dust. Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter, and I know not much happened, but we'll be in Atlanta and the CDC next time so some fun stuff should happen.
How many of you thought I was gonna kill Darryl? Lol. This scene may have seemed unnecessary, but the MC just wanted to test himself against someone he felt was even the smallest bit similar to him. The tracking and hunting aspect and well as the quiet footsteps. Will is actively judging and grading each of the members to see how useful they are and how much of a threat they would be. This also worked another way in that Darryl, while feeling nervous about Will sneaking up on him, will still think he can take him in a head on fight.
As we know as people that have watched the TV show, Darryl is not going to go betraying the group, but Will doesn't know that. He's still wary of everyone and making sure he's staying in control of the situation. Hope that clears up any confusion, if there was any.
See you next chapter.
