No Guarantees

Stepping away from the group I blocked out their words as I headed to mine and Rick's car. The trunk was still open from before and when I reached it I opened up the gun bag to all the different guns and ammo types. My mind was racing as I came down from my outburst.

I knew I was pushing Shane, antagonizing to use Rick's words. Something about him just didn't sit right with me. His demeanor, his actions all screamed, problem, to my instincts. But he was Rick's friend, brother even, they were that close. Not to mention Shane kept Rick's family safe since this all started.

While these thoughts organized themselves in my head, tracking relevant information and filtering out things that weren't. My hands were also organizing the guns and ammo. Loading magazines with bullets, shotguns with shells and so on. I heard footsteps coming up and looked up through the fading darkness to see Rick.

"I won't take back what I said Rick. I mean it. If I'm going to be a part of a group I can't have my age being the reason they second guess things i say. The skills and knowledge I have would be wasted." I said while still loading.

"I didn't come here to argue that. I've seen you in action first hand, I know what you're capable of. At least what you've showed me so far." Rick replied.

"You want to know more about me?" I asked.

"If you want. I know we've only known each other a couple days now, but the way I see it with the way the world is we don't have time for secrets. Though i understand if you don't. However you gotta know that talking that way to adults, regardless of how you feel, they aren't going to like it when it comes from a kid." He stopped next to the car to watch me as I rifled through the guns and ammo.

"I know. I didn't have much socialization with people that would doubt me. It's taking some adjusting, and it annoyed more than I thought it would." I said, putting down another mag and sighing as I zipped up the bag. I could finish loading mags another time, the rest of the camp will need help dealing with the bodies.

"How about for now you bring your concerns and ideas to me. Now I'm not trying to take credit, but I just think the group will be more open hearing things if it comes from an adult." Rick posed, watching me for my reaction.

"I don't care about credit or anything like that. I don't need to be popular, I just want to help keep these people alive." I said. Turning to another set of steps belonging to Shane.

"Rick, Adam." He nodded in greeting as he stepped up by the car, wiping a hand down his face.

"Rick can I speak with Adam for a moment?" Shane asked looking more to me than Rick. Rick looked to me and I nodded as I turned to Shane.

"Alright, but don't talk for too long. We're gonna need help with the dead." Rick said as he turned back to camp.

I leaned against the car as I watched Shane, many different thoughts and emotions seemed to be warring within him. Surprisingly I mostly saw guilt and regret in his expressions.

"Look." He started as he propped his hands on his hips, trying to figure out what he wanted to say.

"Look, I cooled off a little and while I was thinking I realized I may have been unfair to you. But surely you can see why? The moment down by the lake with you accusing me and Lori. I have a responsibility for the people here and I can't have a kid trying to play games with the lives of these people." He said as he looked at me. The only thing I was thinking was that that wasn't much of an apology.

"Playing games? You thought that's what I was trying to do by warning you about those walkers? I'm not going to argue about that whole situation. I want the safety of these people as well, Shane. I know I haven't been here as long as you, which is why I searched for uou specifically to tell about the walkers, but there's a few people that have already accepted me as part of their own." I responded keeping the annoyance from creeping back up. If I let my emotions get the better of me every time then I really would just be another kid.

"It seems we want the same things then. Can we put this behind us? We both try not to antagonize the other?" He asked sincerely as he held out his hand.

I eyed him for a couple seconds before gripping his hand for a shake.

"Sure." I said, but I knew I was going to need to keep an eye on him. There were no guarantees out in this world now, though I guess there never was. But regardless of his attitude, Shane will definitely be useful for a while. The real question is how to bring up whatever he has going on with Lori to Rick.

"Good. Now let's help with those bodies." He said smiling.

The work took the rest of the night and into the afternoon. Loading the bodies of the people from the camp into a truck and hauling them up to where Jim had been digging the graves. Burning the bodies of the walkers that had attacked. Personally I thought we should just burn them all.

Staying here for any longer than we needed to just didn't seem right to me. I'm sure more could get separated from the road by that truck and end up here just like before. But I agree we should try to keep our humanity as much as possible and if burying and mourning the dead helps the people of this group do that then that's what we'll do.

"I've been thinking about Rick's plan. Now look, there are no— there are no guarantees either way. I'll be the first one to admit that." Shane began to what was left of the group. A group that lost half its members in just a couple hours. They were all looking for someone to guide them. To keep them safe, and for a while Shane has been that person for them. Even now after the loss they are still looking to him for help.

"I say the most important thing here is we need to stay together. So those of you that agree, we leave first thing in the morning. Okay?" Shane spoke calmly and confidently and it seemed to resonate with what was left of the survivors. I had to hand it to him he had the charisma of a leader. Knew how to talk to his people.

The next morning I found Rick talking into the walkie before we headed out.

"Anything?" I asked, crouching beside Rick. He jolted as he turned to look at me, nearly dropping the walkie.

"A little warning next time?" He asked as he righted himself and then stood.

"Sorry, hah. I forget that not everyone is always paying attention to their surroundings." I replied standing with him.

"Ya. As for the walkie… no. Haven't been able to get a hold of Morgan." He said while looking at the radio.

"I'm sure they're fine. Maybe the distance is messing with the signal." I lied. The walkies were crap, but from this hill it should still be able to connect as long as Morgan wasn't underground. They were likely dead, but maybe it has just been bad timing on the walkies. With us moving so much though I don't know if they'll ever catch up, unless the CDC is actually still operational.

"I gotta say, I'm kind of with Shane on this one. I don't think the CDC is worth the risk." I said. Walking side by side with Rick back to the camp.

"Why are you saying this now?" He asked, looking at me out of the corner of his eye.

"Because. Didn't seem right to try and speak up while y'all were discussing it earlier. I don't like it, but if it's for the sake of not causing problems I can take a backseat on speaking my opinions to the group." I replied.

"I just think that if the CDC was still running that Atlanta wouldn't be so much of a walking graveyard. If I was running the place I would be steadily extending a perimeter around it. Looting buildings and ideally eventually securing the entire city. That hasn't happened, so either there are very few survivors or there are none." I continued.

"So you think we should be going to Fort Benning, and let an innocent man die? Let Jim die? Who might be saved if we go to the CDC?" He turned to me.

"That's not what I said. What I'm saying is that sometime, we're going to have to realize that there may not be a right answer. Do I think Fort Benning has a higher chance of still being operational? Yes. It's not too close from any major cities, and it didn't get damn napalm dropped on it based on what we know." Rick chewed on my words as we stood there.

"I can't let that man die." Rick finally said.

"I never said you should. But it may not be about letting him die. What are you going to do when you can't stop it. So far we've only had to worry about the dead trying to kill us, but if I'm honest I'm more concerned about other people. Bad people with bad intentions and the guns to enforce those intentions on others. Thats why I didn't speak against the CDC. For the most part we know Atlanta. But 100 miles of new area? We may wind up on somebody's territory and they may not like that too much." I responded.

"Well let's hope it doesn't come to that." Rick replied. I didn't say anything, but my gut and instincts were telling me that it would come to that and that I needed to be ready when it did. We all needed to be ready.

Everyone was standing around waiting to head, and Shane came to start giving the instructions.

"Everybody Listen up. Those of you with C.B.s, were gonna be on channel 40. Let's 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 but your horn one time. That'll stop the caravan. Any questions?"

"We're, uh… we're not going." Morales spoke up, and then his wife followed it up.

"We have family in Birmingham. We want to be with our people."

"You go in your own, you won't have anyone to watch your back." Shane said.

"We'll take the chance. I gotta do what's best for my family." Morales said with confidence as he held Rick and Shane's gaze.

"You sure?" Rick asked.

"We talked about it. We're sure." Morales said.

Rick and Shane dug them out a .357 revolver and a box of ammo from the gun bag. The group began their goodbyes as I watched from my place next to Andrea and Amy, they soon went to give their goodbyes as well.

Seeing them break off from the group had me thinking about such a scenario for myself. Would I get the same amount of emotion from the others if I left? Maybe Rick, Andrea and Amy, but I couldn't see many more past that. Maybe it just takes time. They've all been camping here for weeks together. Time to get to know each other.

"Channel 40 if you change your minds. Alright?" Rick said to Morales.

"What makes you think our odds are any better?" Shane asked Rick. Clearly still not sold on the CDC venture and I couldn't really blame him. I like Rick's hope and willingness to try and save people, but there's a limit. Hopefully this journey won't be the one that proves that because a camp solely led by Shane wouldn't do much better.

We all started loading up into our vehicles. Me, Amy, and Andrea rode with T-Dog in his van, settled in the middle of the caravan. We were all quiet, me not having much to say but they just seemed stunned still. Andrea and T-Dog knew what the city was like and now we were taking a multiple vehicles and just about our whole group. Our ride was silent until a singular honk came from Dale's RV, and he rolled to a stop.