Chapter 4

[this chapter is bigger since I want to finish with the King County part.]

[***]

At the Grimes house after Rick Grimes, Morgan Jones, and Duane Jones entered.

"They're alive, my wife and son…at least they were when they left." Rick said with certainty as the man behind him frowned.

"How could you know that? Look at this place that-" Morgan asked him confused, he was going to say something else but was interrupted,

"I found empty drawers in the bedroom, they packed some clothes not a lot, but enough for travel." 

"Someone could've broken in, stole the clothes." Morgan tried to reason.

…

Outside the house Logan was ready to make his move the moment they stepped outside, he already checked the house they came from and it was empty, safe to say those three were the only ones around. 

"The kid must be the son of the shorter guy, it leaves a bad taste in my mouth to pull this on a kid, but can't never be safe enough. I hope things work out well. I may find some companions. Atlanta would be a good place to start with, a Refugee Center may be set there for survivors too." Logan planned his future actions, sneaking to the side of the house before he pointed his gun toward the door as the trio walked out. 

Not noticing him the trio walked forward before he came from behind them.

"Hands up where I can see them." Logan said in a serious tone as he pointed his handgun at them, the trio halted and their muscles tightened before they slowly rose their hands, 

"Turn around, slowly." 

The trio turned with frightened expression to face the larger and muscular blonde man, the two men although fearful still moved in front of the kid, who was probably too paralyzed from fear

'They periotized the kid's life over theirs even if they knew it was dangerous, at least I'm not dealing with cowards who would throw everyone's life for their own.'

"L-listen man, we don't mean any harm." The tall guy tried with his hands still up

"Grugh...Oghurgh!" The trio looked to the side as a Walker came from backyard limping toward them with stretched hands.

Logan acted, he picked a stone from the ground. In one move the stone flew as it made a whistling noise before it hit the walker in the head ith enough force that it went throught and the walker fell on the ground.

THUD!

The trio looked at the Walker then at Logan with blank expression, he only shrugged.

"I ain't gonna harm you too, just drop your weapons and I will lower my gun. Then we can have a chat." Logan said with no hostility as his intuition. Which always warns him when something is wrong or there is danger around isn't warning him of any danger coming from them, after they put their weapons on the ground and moved away from them he lowers his gun.

"You can keep your hands down, sorry about early but one can never be safe enough, I believe an introduction is needed, my name is Logan Barrett, but you can call me Logan" Logan said as he introduced himself.

"I'm Rick, Rick Grimes, this is Morgan Jones, and his son Duane Jones." The tall man, Rick as usual, took the lead and introduced himself and the other two.

"Glad to meet fellow survivors, I was beginning to think I was the only one left in this place." Logan walked to them as he shook their hands before giving the kid Duane a pat on the head, sighed as he spoke to them. 

"Same, nice to know that there are more people alive around these parts." Morgan said, still a bit shocked by the big guy in front of them.

"Honestly, I feel I'm lucky to survive this long considering I was in a coma in the hospital until yesterday, and find the world around me changed so much." Rick said with a little smile

"you were in a hospital all this time? Well, you must be the unluckiest man in the world mate. But first, can we go inside? Don't want to attract Walkers." Logan said with a little sympathetic look, this guys were not bad, two were a dad and his son, the other is a cop from the way he carry himself, normal people may not notice such thing, but for someone like him he already saw enough, he did sneak into their house before coming here to confront them, the duo father and son have lost their wife/mother which was an album of family photos in their house, and Rick? His movements were a bit stiff and from his story it must be a wound that caused him to be in coma. 

"Hey Rick, tell me have you been shot?" Logan asked Rick as he noted his movements after they went back inside.

"Can you tell?" Rick was surprised the guy they just met could tell he was shot.

"I also noticed the way you carry yourself in. You're a cop right?" Logan pointed toward Rick and he again surprised not only Rick, but even Morgan & Duane too.

"...You're right both times. I can understand you knowing I'm a cop, but how did you figure I was shot?" It was overwhelming to see someone figure you out like that, although he knew the giant was friendly.

"By connecting the dots. Don't be surprised, but I was observing you guys early today from when you got out of that house and kill that walker, I noticed there is a tiny limping in your steps and when you hit that Walker you fell down as if in pain, mostly because the said wound acted in the moment."

Logan stopped for a moment to let what he said sink in, before he continued

"Adding that you're a Cop, and how you were in Coma, I thought you may be in Coma for a different reason, but the wound wouldn't make any sense, nor the place you were wounded is located, which is hard for people usually to get injured in." the trio continued to listen

"First, I found you guys by the gunshot I heard yesterday, which was a bad idea, I found a Walker with a bullet hole in the head which eliminate that being the cause of the wound, then the other possibility is a bite from a Walker."

"..."

Seeing that Morgan here didn't put you down, means you weren't bite either, not that would last this long if it was a walker bite,  and seeing that you're a cop means it's not far fetched you were in some kind of shootout which resulted in your wound, and the coma by extent. Otherwise I don't see other possibilities, this is my intuition speaking. I trust my intuition." 

"Yo' man! You were like Sherlock Holmes there!" Duane said in excitement.

"Gotta agree, you're some kind of detective?" Morgan smiled at his son as he asked.

"With everything he said, I feel like I could believe it if he told me he is Sherlock Holmes." Rick joked with a little smile.

"Would like to. But I'm just a guy who accumulated vast and different skills, and this is simply one of them." Logan said lightly.

"You said 'Walkers' are what you call those out there who eat people?." Rick asked curious about the term.

"Right, but they don't eat people only, even animals, I encountered two of them eating a dog. You can say they eat flesh in general, but animals don't seem to be capable of turning to Walkers, seeing as one of two dogs stayed dead even if the head wasn't damaged." Logan answered him

"You know, I was kinda hoping to leave this place and go to Atlanta on my own, but I stumbled upon the gunshot yesterday which is a bad idea." Logan, basically revealed how he found them, which isn't hard to guess.

"My bad, sorry about that." Morgan raised a hand and sincerly apologized.

"Little advice, if you're in a populated city, just Imagine how many walkers you will bring on your a*s. Would make you think not twice but thrice before shooting a gun. Still, I'm grateful to you for shooting that gun, otherwise we may not meet." Logan gave them a little advice before

"Say, I was planning to go to Atlanta too, to search for my family in the refugee center there, would you like to go together?" Rick said happily since he may have one more companion on the road.

Logan agreed, thinking it would be good idea "Well, if you don't mind me tagging in, I would love some company, I've been alone for a while, and I admit I'm not the loner type honestly."

"But first, we have to get to the Sheriff's Department, to collect some stuff before departing. We were going there before we met you." Rick said as he got up from the couch.

"Let me get my Van and collect some stuff, and we can meet there before we depart? I got a map." Logan suggested, as the two men nod their heads

Logan stood, looked at his watch, the time was 8:31AM, and shook their hands,

"Alright let's meet there in an hour. See you later little guy, and take care of these old men for me until I get back." Patting Duane on the shoulder I offered him a smile noticing that even though Morgan was hiding it, Logan can still see the sadness hidden in his eyes. 

…

After parting ways temporarily, the trio went in a car to the sheriff's department.

Logan went to retrieve his Van after he decided to empty the gun shop. He may need them, at first he couldn't and choose not to take them since he got nowhere to put them, so he let them in the store which is almost impossible to rob without having a rocketlauncher to bust the steel bars that protect the door and windows.

logan decided now after seeing these guys may need some weapons too, since their only weapons were a single Taurus model 85, a Baseball Bat, and a Shovel, they may get some from that Police Station, but getting more doesn't hurt, plus we can ride three separated vehicles. And like that, they can carry some.

….

After taking the roads with fewer Walkers he finally got to the Gun Store, took three large empty bags and went inside to collect everything, Taking three bags filled with weapons, and putting them on top of the van and tying them tightly beside the bags filled with supplies he scavenged, keep them from falling, Logan got in the van and started driving toward his next destination. Sheriff's Department.

…

"Hey Logan, surprised to see you collect that much stuff, it's like you're moving out?" Morgan teased, he and Rick were speaking and Duane was sitting in a car, Logan shook their hands and waved at Duane who waved back.

"What can I say? I love to prepare as much as I can. Are you guys ready to depart?" Standing beside them with hands on their waist.

"About that, it seems Morgan and Duane will stay a bit longer here." Rick said as he passed his hand through his hair.

"Really? Why would you guys stay longer here? It's safer to travel together than separated." Logan asked Morgan curiously.

"It's a bit complicated, but the thing is…" Morgan started telling him about what happened.

"... I am sorry for your loss, but you still have your son, it may not be easy to take down the Walker who was your wife before, but you have to do it. Not for yourself, but for Duane's sake and safety." Logan offered his condolences to Morgan with a hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah I know that, Thank you. Both of you are good men, y'know that. Once I finish things here I will come find you in Atlanta." Morgan was grateful, all the pain of losing his wife was bottled as he never had anyone to share his grief with, and he didn't want it to affect his son. He had to look strong for him.

Turning to Rick, "Thank you Rick, I hope you can find your wife and child." Both gave each other a shoulder hug before he turned to me and did the same.

"It's a shame you won't be coming with us, but I got some things for you Morgan, take it as an apology for early, and hopefully we can meet in the near future." Taking the two bags filled with food cans along with a bag of weapons with ammo for each one.

"Wow, Where did this many weapons come from?" Morgan & Rick were stunned. 

"I kinda worked in the Town's Gun Shop as the Firearms Instructor in its firearms range, the owner John McGroove left for a vacation out of the country two months ago, and left me in charge of the store, btw Rick, think I did meet one or two of your colleagues and teached one of them how to shoot." Logan explained as Rick's eyes widened in surprise.

"I totally forgot about it, the Sheriff's Department's firearms maintenance and ammo supplies come from that place." Rick rubbed his head clearly, having a hard time believing he forgot about such an important place.

"You don't need to beat yourself about it Rick, you just woke in hospital to find the whole world went down to sh*t, and your mind is already occupied with finding your wife and son. I myself forgot about the Sheriff's Depart. until I found out you're a Cop back there." Logan patted his back and told him not to overthink things.

"Anyway, I got another bag that I hope you can carry in your car Rick, since my van is already full." Logan asked, Rick nodded his head "I got room in my car so I don't mind, we now have more guns which is good, I gave Morgan a Walkie-Talkie, and here is one for you, now we can all communicate when we have time." Rick handed Logan a Radio 

"Shall we move on-" Morgan offered but was interrupted,

"Ugh grughogh…grughorgh!" A Walker, one who wears a similar outfit to Rick, which means he was a Cop before.

"Leon Basset?...didn't think much of him 'dumb and careless', but I can't leave him like that." Rick walked forward, Logan recognized him too but didn't react, one of the two guys he saw in the firearms range, in fact this was the one who he instructed on how to use a gun.

"If you shoot that gun, it will draw more of them like yesterday." Morgan warned.

"Then better not be here when they come." Rick is adamant on killing the walker who was an acquaintance of his.

Logan pulled a military knife from one of the bags he wanted Rick to carry and offered it to him, "use this instead, it may be harder to do it this way, but no noise, plus we can't afford to lose bullets." Logan offered, but the decision lay in Rick's hand.

Considering the suggestion for a moment, Rick shook his head, "I understand that, but I'm sorry, because I don't think I can do it with that." He apologized, took his Colt Python and moved toward the walker, seeing that both Morgan & Logan moved onto their vehicles ready to leave,

BANG!

The gunshot noise rang in the whole area as Rick moved from the downed Walker toward his police car, and the three of them moved out, two in the same direction, and the other in the opposite direction.