What lies ahead
"I guess I’m losing hope that you can hear me," Rick began "But there’s always that chance, isn’t there? That slim chance. It’s all about slim chances now."
He paused, his gaze distant as he stared out over the landscape. "I try to do everything right, keep people safe. I tried, Morgan. I tried. Our group’s smaller now—we lost another, day before last. It was her choice. I won’t say I blame her, she lost faith." Rick’s voice softened "The CDC was a dead end. I met a man there, a scientist, he told me something—he told me…" His voice trailed off, shaking his head as if dismissing the thought. "It doesn’t matter. What matters is we’re moving on. Atlanta’s done. We’re going to try Fort Benning."
He sighed, the weight of responsibility pressing on his shoulders. "We’re facing a long, hard journey. Maybe harder than I can ever imagine, but it can’t be harder than our journey so far. Can it? 125 miles, that’s what lies ahead, and I’m trying hard not to lose faith."
Rick glanced back at the caravan, the group getting ready to move. "I can’t. If I do, the others—my family, my wife, my sons… There’s just a few of us now. So we gotta stick together, fight for each other. We gotta be willing to lay down our lives for each other if it comes to that."
Dale stepped up beside him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Son, let’s saddle up," he said quietly, his voice steady.
Rick nodded, gripping the walkie-talkie tighter. "It’s the only chance we got."
Grimes Car
The car moved steadily along the road as Lori turned toward Rick, a faint smile on her face as she reminisced. “Was just thinking about our trip to the Grand Canyon with Carl and Harry,” she said.
Rick let out a soft laugh at the memory, shaking his head. Carl, sitting in the backseat, looked puzzled. “I don’t remember that,” he said curiously.
“You wouldn’t,” Lori replied with a small chuckle. “You were just a baby, and Harry was about eleven. And besides, we never even made it past Fort Worth.”
Rick smiled as he glanced in the rearview mirror at Carl. “No, you got sick. I never knew a baby could throw up so much.”
Carl made a face, sticking out his tongue. “Ick,” he said.
“Yeah, ick,” Lori echoed teasingly. “The doctor in Texas said you’d live, though. Then we turned around and drove home.”
Carl folded his arms with a sigh. “That sucks.”
Lori shook her head gently. “No, it was a good trip.”
Rick nodded in agreement, his voice warm. “The best.”
Carl perked up slightly, looking at both of his parents. “Can we go see it? The Grand Canyon? I’d like to.”
Sophia, sitting beside him, chimed in eagerly. “I would too. Can we go?”
Rick’s voice softened, his expression serious yet kind. “We’d never go without you or your mom. That’s a promise.”
Inside the RV, Andrea sat at the small table, her gaze falling on the gun in Shane’s hands as he worked on cleaning it. “Looks complicated,” she remarked, watching his methodical movements.
Shane gave her a quick smile, not looking up from his work. “The trick is getting all these pieces back together the same way. I could clean yours, show you how.”
Andrea’s expression softened slightly. “Oh yeah?”
Shane nodded, holding up the gun. “It’s a sweet piece,” he said, admiring it.
Andrea’s eyes drifted to the weapon before she smiled faintly. “It was a gift from my father,” she said quietly. “He gave it to me just before Amy and I took off on our road trip. He said two girls on their own should be able to defend themselves.”
Shane inspected the handgun in his hands, nodding appreciatively. "Smart man, your father," he said, pointing out the mechanism. "Look, it’s a limited capacity. See? Only holds seven rounds." Andrea watched him work, the faint ghost of a smile flickering on her face as he carefully reassembled the weapon.
Meanwhile, the caravan slowed as the RV approached a section of abandoned vehicles. Dale leaned forward, peering through the windshield. "Oh, jeez," he muttered. "Aw no. See a way through?"
Glenn squinted at the clutter of cars blocking the road. "Uh, maybe we should just go back," he suggested hesitantly. "There’s an interstate bypass we could take—"
"We can’t spare the fuel," Dale cut in sharply.
Glenn sighed. "Jeez," he mumbled
One of the group in the RV called out, "Can we get through here?" The question hung in the air as the RV shuddered and then came to an abrupt stop with a loud hiss and a sharp crack.
Dale threw his hands in the air, frustration pouring out of him. "I said it! Didn’t I say it? A thousand times, dead in the water."
Shane turned in his seat, raising an eyebrow at Dale. "Problem, Dale?" he asked.
Dale glared at him. "Oh, just a small matter of being stuck in the middle of nowhere, with no hope of—" He caught himself mid-sentence, realizing the futility of his complaint. He sighed. "Okay, that was dumb."
Shane looked at the cars "Can’t find a radiator hose here?"
Daryl, who had been sitting nearby, stood up, grabbing his crossbow. "There’s a whole bunch of stuff we can find," he said, already making his way toward the RV door.
T-Dog followed suit, gesturing toward the cars scattered on the roadside. "We can siphon more fuel from these cars, for a start."
Carol spoke up softly, her voice thoughtful. "Maybe some water."
"Or food," Glenn added, trying to keep his tone neutral.
Lori looked out at the sea of abandoned vehicles. Her voice trembled slightly as she whispered, "This is a graveyard. I don’t know how I feel about this."
Shane brushed past her "Come on, y’all. Look around, gather what you can."
The group began to fan out cautiously, scanning the cars for supplies. Lori, Carol, Carl, and Sophia moved together, their steps slow and deliberate. As they passed a car, Lori caught sight of the decomposed remains of a woman slumped in the passenger seat. Flies buzzed around the body, the stench of decay heavy in the air.
Carol stepped in quickly "Kids, don’t look," she said, turning Sophia and Carl away from the grim sight. Lori placed a protective hand on Carl’s shoulder, her heart sinking.
Farther ahead, Harry and Amy worked quickly, a few feet ahead of the others who were busy scavenging supplies from abandoned cars. Carley, Doug, and Kenny were crouched by a line of vehicles, siphoning gas with. The steady trickle of fuel echoed faintly in the otherwise quiet area.
Leaning closer to Amy, Harry muttered under his breath “Don’t tell my parents I know how to do this,” he said.
Amy tilted her head, turning to face him with a look of confusion. “What are you—” she began, but Harry cut her off, smashing the brake light of the car they’d been circling. The sharp sound made Amy flinch slightly, but Harry was already shining a small flashlight into the newly made opening, peering inside the trunk to make sure there wasn’t a walker lurking within.
Satisfied that the trunk was clear, he nodded and shoved his hand through the opening, his face lighting up with satisfaction as the latch popped open. The trunk creaked upward, revealing its contents.
Amy stepped closer, her curiosity piqued. “How’d you know to do that?” she asked, glancing at him.
Harry’s smirk widened as he turned to her. “No one suspects the good, smart straight-A student,” he replied smugly, pushing the trunk lid all the way open.
Harry let out a low whistle. “Look here,” he muttered. His hand reached in, pulling out a well-preserved bow. He tested its drawstring, nodding to himself as he slung it over his shoulder.
“Bow, glove, armguard, quiver with quite a few arrows,” Harry listed, inspecting the items thoroughly. “Bet whoever owned this was an archery nut.” He adjusted the strap on the bow “Dibs on the bow,” he told Amy, grinning slightly.
“Not bad,” Amy admitted.
Glenn crouched near the engine, tools scattered around him. “Hey, which one?” he called out, glancing up at Dale, who stood nearby with his arms crossed.
“Flathead,” Dale replied without hesitation. “Radiator hose clamp is always a flathead.” He handed the tool to Glenn, his expression firm. “Here, you do it. Learn something.”
Glenn sighed but took the screwdriver, muttering under his breath as he got to work.
Meanwhile, Carol, Katjaa, Lori, and the kids were sorting through a pile of clothes they’d scavenged from the abandoned cars. Carol held up a blouse, her fingers brushing over the fabric. “Ed never let me wear nice things like this,” she said softly, a hint of sadness in her voice. She folded the blouse carefully and added, “We’re going to need clothes.”
Lori glanced over at Carl, who was wandering a little too far for her comfort. “Hey, Carl? Always within my sight, okay?” she called out.
Carol turned to Sophia, who was standing nearby. “You too, Sophia,” she added, Katjaa doing the same to Duck and Clementine.
Back at the camper, Dale had climbed onto the roof, his binoculars scanning the horizon. “It’s all good,” he called down.
Andrea, standing near the door, nodded. “Okay. Alright,” she said.
Glenn emerged from the camper, wiping his hands on a rag. “Come on,” he said, motioning for the others to follow.
Shane opened a door to a truck, seeing jugs of water in it “Glenn. Were we short on water?” he asked, dumping some on himself
“Hey, save me some,” Glenn replied, eyeing the bottle.
Shane grinned, wiping his mouth. “It’s like being baptized, man,” he said with a chuckle.
Dale’s voice suddenly cut through the moment “Herd coming!” he shouted from his perch.
Rick’s head snapped up, his expression grim. “Oh, Christ,” he muttered. He turned to Lori “Lori, under the cars. Under the cars. Get down now.”
Lori grabbed Carl’s hand “Shh,” she whispered, pulling him down with her.
“What?” Glenn asked, his voice tinged with confusion.
“Shh,” Lori repeated, her eyes wide with fear.
The group quickly scrambled under the nearest vehicles, their breaths held as the sound of shuffling feet and guttural groans grew louder. Carol’s quiet sobs broke the silence as she clutched Sophia tightly.
Inside the RV, Andrea was in the bathroom, frantically trying to reassemble her gun. Her hands trembled as she worked, the pieces slipping through her fingers. “Okay, okay,” she muttered to herself, her voice shaking. “Oh, shit. Ahh!” she cried out as a piece clattered to the floor, the sound echoing ominously in RV.
Amy, Harry, Doug, Kenny, and Carley were pressed under separate cars, their breaths shallow as the sound of shuffling feet and guttural groans filled the air. Just a few feet away, Ben and Travis huddled under a truck, their faces pale with fear.
A few cars down, T-Dog lay under another vehicle, his face twisted in pain. He pressed a rag against the gash on his arm, blood seeping through the makeshift bandage.
Harry’s eyes darted toward Ben and Travis, his stomach sinking as he noticed Travis shifting nervously. The boy’s movements were small but enough to make Harry’s heart race. “Stay put,” Harry mouthed silently, his expression urgent. He knew Travis couldn’t hear him, but he hoped the boy would sense the danger.
Travis, however, seemed to think the worst had passed. Slowly, he began crawling out from under the truck. For a brief moment, it looked like he might make it—but then he froze. His eyes widened in terror as two walkers turned toward him.
“Shit,” Harry hissed under his breath, his fists clenching as he watched the scene unfold. Travis let out a string of curses, stumbling backward before breaking into a panicked sprint toward the woods. The walkers snarled and went after him.
The group slowly emerged from under the cars as the walkers continued to fade into the distance. Rick stood tall, scanning the group with sharp eyes "Is everyone alright?" he asked.
Ben stepped forward, his face pale, voice trembling. "Travis... Travis was chased into the woods by two walkers,"
Rick’s jaw tightened as he absorbed the news. He turned to Shane. "I’ll find him," Rick stated firmly. "Shane, watch everyone else. Keep them safe."
Shane opened his mouth, ready to protest, but Rick’s expression silenced him. He nodded "Alright. Be careful, man," Shane said, his voice grim.
Rick moved through the dense woods. The distant rustling of leaves caught Rick's attention. He gripped his weapon tightly, his senses on high alert. Moments later, he spotted movement in the underbrush—a walker, groaning and stumbling toward him. Another emerged just behind it, the two undead figures shuffling in the same direction Travis had fled. Rick’s jaw tightened, and he slowly crept forwards. The first walker dropped with a stab to the head, collapsing to the ground in a lifeless heap. The second lunged toward him asRick stepped back, steadying himself before pinning it down and stabbing it.
Rick exhaled deeply, lowering his weapon. He scanned the area once more, calling out cautiously, “Travis! Travis, can you hear me?” His voice echoed through the woods, but the only response was the sound of wind rustling the leaves. Rick’s heart sank. Travis was nowhere to be found.
Back at the highway, Doug and Katjaa worked to tend to T-Dog’s injuries. The man sat on the edge of the RV’s steps, his face pale and contorted in pain as Katjaa carefully cleaned the gash on his arm.
“We’ll stop the bleeding,” Katjaa said calmly “You’ll be fine.”
Doug handed her a roll of bandages, “This should help,” he said quietly, glancing at T-Dog’s grimace.
“I appreciate it,” T-Dog muttered, his voice strained as he clenched his jaw against the pain.
Woods
Daryl led the way, his crossbow raised. scanning for any sign of movement. Rick followed close behind, his grip tight on his weapon.
“Anything?” Rick called out softly, his voice barely louder than a whisper.
“Not yet,” Daryl replied, his tone gruff as he crouched to examine a broken branch. “But this kid’s gotta be close. Looks like he ran through here in a hurry.”
Shane glanced around “What the hell was he thinkin’, running off like that?” he muttered, shaking his head.
Glenn moved slightly ahead, his steps careful as he peered through the trees. “I don’t think he was thinking at all,” Glenn said “He panicked.”
Daryl nodded, gesturing toward the ground where faint footprints led deeper into the woods. “Tracks head this way,” he said, motioning for the others to follow.
Rick stepped up beside him “Let’s stick together. Don’t split up,” he instructed.
The group moved further into the forest, the shadows growing longer as the canopy overhead thickened. Rick’s heart raced as he scanned the treeline, calling out softly, “Travis! Travis, it’s Rick! Can you hear me?”
Glenn paused, frowning as he pointed to a torn piece of fabric snagged on a branch. “That his?” he asked, glancing at Rick.
Rick stepped closer, inspecting the fabric. “Could be,” he replied, his jaw tightening. “He’s gotta be close.”
The group continued forward, their unease growing with every step. Daryl suddenly stopped, raising his hand to signal the others. “Wait,” he murmured, his voice low.
Ahead, two walkers stumbled through the brush, Without hesitation, Daryl raised his crossbow and fired, the bolt striking the first walker squarely in the head. Rick followed suit, taking down the second.
Rick scanned the area, his frustration mounting. “Where the hell is he?” he muttered, running a hand through his hair.
“We’ll find him,” Daryl said.
Shane sighed, his grip tightening on his shotgun. “We’d better hurry. If he’s out here alone, he’s not gonna last long.”
Interstate
Dale addressed everyone. “We have to clear enough room so I can get the RV turned around as soon as it’s running,” he said, his voice steady but urgent. “Now that we have fuel, we can double back to a bypass that Glenn flagged on the map.”
Shane nodded, glancing at the mess of abandoned cars ahead. “Going back’s going to be easier than trying to get through this mess,” he agreed.
Ben stepped forward, his face pale “What about Travis?” he asked, his voice trembling. “We can’t leave without him.”
Lori placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “Hey, that goes without saying,” she said firmly.
Shane gestured toward the woods. “Rick and Daryl, they’re on it, okay? Just a matter of time,” he said.
Andrea crossed her arms, her expression uneasy. “Can’t be soon enough for me,” she muttered. “I’m still freaked out from that herd that passed us by, or whatever you’d call it.”
Glenn nodded, his brow furrowed. “Yeah, what was that? All of them just marching along like that.”
Shane shrugged, his grip tightening on his shotgun. “A herd. That sounds about right,” he said. “We’ve seen it. It’s like the night camp got attacked. Some wandering pack, only fewer.” He clapped his hands together, his voice rising to rally the group. “Okay. Come on, people. We still got a lot to do. Let’s stay on it. Let’s go, come on.”
Back in the woods, Rick and Daryl moved cautiously through the underbrush, their weapons at the ready. Rick stopped abruptly, scanning the ground. “Tracks are gone,” he said, frustration creeping into his voice.
Daryl crouched down, his sharp eyes studying the faint impressions in the dirt. “No, they’re faint, but they ain’t gone,” he replied, pointing to a barely visible trail. “He came through here.”
Rick frowned, squinting at the ground. “How can you tell? I don’t see anything. Dirt, grass,” he said, shaking his head.
Daryl stood, his expression unimpressed. “You want a lesson in tracking, or you want to find that kid and get our a*s off that interstate?” he shot back, his tone gruff but focused.
Interstate
Carl’s eyes lit up as he rummaged through the stash he’d found in the backseat of an abandoned car. Among the items was a small, hatchet. He picked it up, turning it over in his hands with a mix of curiosity and excitement.
“Harry, can I keep it?” Carl asked eagerly, holding the hatchet up for Harry to see.
Harry glanced at him “That’s a question for mom.”
Carl frowned but nodded, carrying the hatchet over to Lori, who was sorting through supplies nearby. “Mom, can I keep it?” he asked, his voice hopeful.
Lori turned to him, her expression immediately serious. “No, Carl,” she said firmly. “Give it to Dale.”
Carl’s face fell, and he tried to argue. “But Mom, I found it! I can keep it safe—”
Shane stepped in, his voice cutting through Carl’s protests. “Hey, listen to her,” he said sharply. “Give it to Dale.”
Carl scowled “Now, go give it to Dale,” she instructed, her tone leaving no room for debate.
Grumbling under his breath, Carl turned and stomped toward Dale, muttering the whole way.
The crackling voice of the radio filled the RV, cutting through the silence. “The emergency alert system has been activated. The Office of Civil Defense has issued the following message: Normal broadcasting will cease immediately. This is a civil emergency.”
Glenn leaned closer to the radio, his brow furrowed. “Is that a local signal?” he asked.
Dale adjusted the dial slightly, listening intently. “It’s got to be within 50 miles of here,” he replied
The radio continued, the monotone voice delivering its grim warning. “Avoid anyone infected at all costs. Remain calm. Help is on the way. The emergency alert system has been activated.”
Shane scoffed, shaking his head as he turned away. “Asshole,” he muttered under his breath. “Okay, let’s get back to work.”
Deep in the woods, Rick and Daryl crouched over the body of a walker, their expressions grim as they examined the corpse. Daryl called out, his voice sharp. “Travis! What are you looking for?” he asked, glancing at Rick.
Rick didn’t look up, his focus on the walker’s hands. “Skin under the fingernails,” he said. “It fed recently. There’s flesh caught in its teeth.”
Daryl raised an eyebrow, leaning in slightly. “Yeah, what kind of flesh?” he asked, his voice low.
Rick sighed, his jaw tightening. “Only one way to know for sure.”
Daryl pulled out his knife “Here, I’ll do it,” he said, “How many kills you skin and gut in your life? Anyway, mine is sharper.” he began gutting the dead walker
Now comes the bad part.” He grimaced as he worked“Yeah, Hoss had a big meal not long ago. I feel it in there. Here’s the gut bag.”
Rick took the bag “I got this,” he said.
Daryl stepped back, wiping his knife on the walker’s tattered clothing. “This gross bastard had himself a woodchuck for lunch,” he said, his tone laced with disgust.
Rick exhaled, relief flickering across his face. “At least we know,” he said quietly.
Daryl nodded, his expression hard. “At least we know.”
Back at the highway, the group was growing restless. Ben glanced at the horizon, his voice breaking the uneasy silence. “It’s late. Gonna be dark soon,” he said, his worry evident.
Andrea crossed her arms, her gaze fixed on the treeline. “They’ll find him,” she said,
The group gathered near the RV as Glenn spotted Rick and Daryl returning from the woods. “Oh God, they’re back,” he said, relief and apprehension in his voice.
Ben rushed forward, his face pale with worry. “You didn’t find him?” he asked
Rick shook his head, his expression grim. “Trail went cold,” he admitted. “We’ll pick it up again at first light.”
“You can’t leave him on his own to spend the night alone in the woods.”
Daryl stepped in “Out in the dark’s no good,” he said. “We’d just be tripping over ourselves. More people get lost.”
Carol’s eyes darted between Rick and Daryl. “You didn’t find anything?” she pressed.
Rick nodded slightly. “We know he was out there,” he said.
“And we tracked him for a while,” Daryl added, his voice calm but resolute.
Rick glanced at the group, his tone serious. “We have to make this an organized effort. Daryl knows the woods better than anybody. I’ve asked him to oversee this.”
Carol’s gaze dropped to Rick’s hands, her voice catching. “Is that blood?” she asked, her face paling further.
Rick sighed. “We took down a walker,” he explained.
“Walker? Oh my God,” Ben whispered.
Rick shook his head. “There was no sign it was ever anywhere near Travis,” he said firmly.
Andrea stepped forward, her tone skeptical. “How can you know that?” she asked.
Daryl’s reply was blunt. “We cut the son of a bitch open, made sure,” he said.
The next morning, Rick addressed the group as they prepared to head back into the woods. “Everybody takes a weapon,” he said, his tone commanding.
Andrea frowned “These aren’t the kind of weapons we need. What about the guns?”
Shane stepped in, his tone clipped. “We’ve been over that. Daryl, Rick, and I are carrying. We can’t have people popping off rounds every time a tree rustles.”
Andrea crossed her arms “It’s not the trees I’m worried about,” she said.
Shane’s voice hardened. “Say somebody fires at the wrong moment, a herd happens to be passing by. See, then it’s game over for all of us. So you need to get over it.”
Daryl gestured toward the map, his tone practical. “The idea is to take the creek up about five miles, turn around, and come back down the other side,” he explained. “Chances are he’ll be by the creek. It’s his only landmark.”
Rick nodded, addressing the group. “Stay quiet and stay sharp. Keep space between you but always stay within sight of each other.”
Shane clapped his hands, rallying the group. “Everybody assemble your packs. Keep on those repairs. We’ve got to get this RV ready to move.”
Dale added, his voice steady. “We won’t stay here a minute longer than we have to. Good luck out there. Bring Travis back.”
Rick turned to Lori, his expression softening. “Keep an eye on Carl while we’re gone,” he said.
Carl stepped forward, his voice determined. “I’m going with you. You need people, right? To cover as much ground as possible.”
Lori hesitated, glancing at Rick. “Your call,” she said quietly. “I can’t always be the bad guy.”
Dale chimed in “Well, he has all of you to look after him. I’d say he’s in good hands.”
Rick sighed, nodding reluctantly. “Okay. Okay. But always within our sight, no exceptions,” he said firmly.
An hour into the search, the group stumbled upon a small tent in the woods. Shane stepped forward cautiously, his hand resting on his weapon. “He could be in there,” he said, his voice low and tense.
Daryl shook his head, his crossbow raised. “Could be a whole bunch of things in there,” he muttered, his tone grim.
Ben stepped closer, his voice trembling as he called out, “Travis? Are you in there?”
Daryl’s expression didn’t change as he replied, “It ain’t him.”
Ben hesitated, his curiosity getting the better of him. “What’s in there?” he asked.
Daryl pulled back the flap of the tent, revealing a lifeless figure slumped inside. “Some guy,” he said flatly. “Did what Jenner said. Opted out. Ain’t that what he called it?”
Suddenly, the sound of church bells echoed through the woods, breaking the stillness.
Shane turned sharply, his eyes scanning the trees. “What direction?” he asked
Rick pointed, uncertain. “I think that way. I’m pretty sure.”
Shane frowned, shaking his head. “Damn, it’s hard to tell out here.”
Ben’s voice broke through the tension, filled with hope. “If we heard them, maybe Travis did too,” he said.
Glenn nodded, his brow furrowed. “Someone’s ringing those bells, maybe calling others,” he suggested.
Andrea’s tone was more cautious. “Or signaling they found him,” she said.
Rick’s expression hardened “He could be ringing them himself. Come on,” he said, leading the group toward the sound.
Back at the highway, Dale stood on top of the RV, scanning the horizon. T-Dog leaned against the side, watching him. “Ain’t you supposed to be fixing that radiator?” T-Dog asked. “What if they come back with Travis and Rick wants to move on right away?”
Dale glanced down, a faint smirk on his face. “I had it fixed yesterday,” he admitted.
T-Dog raised an eyebrow. “What? What was all that rubbing and sanding for then? That just bullshit?”
Dale shrugged. “Yeah, that’s one word. Another word would be pantomime—just for show. No one else needs to know that.”
T-Dog chuckled, shaking his head. “Pantomime.”
Dale’s expression grew more serious. “If the others know we’re mobile, they’ll want to mobilize and move on.”
T-Dog’s smile faded. “So you don’t think they’re gonna find Travis, that it?” he asked.
Dale sighed, his gaze distant. “I’m just guarding against the worst. Sooner or later, if he’s not found, people will start doing math. I want to hold off the needs-of-the-many-versus-the-needs-of-the-few arguments as long as I can.”
T-Dog nodded slowly. “That is one tricky hose, huh?”
Dale smiled faintly. “Very.”
The group reached the church where the bells had been ringing, but Shane frowned as he looked at the building. “That can’t be it. Got no steeple, no bells,” he said, glancing at Rick.
Inside the church, the group found walkers sitting in the pews, their dead eyes fixed on the cross at the front. As the group entered, the walkers rose, snarling and lurching toward them. The group quickly dispatched the undead.
“Travis!” Rick called out.
Daryl glanced at the cross, his tone dry. “Yo, J.C., you taking requests?” he muttered.
Shane shook his head “I’m telling you, it’s the wrong church. It’s got no steeple, Rick. There’s no steeple.”
Daryl moved toward the bells, inspecting the mechanism. “A timer,” he said. “It’s on a timer.”
Ben hesitated, his voice quiet. “I’m gonna go back in for a bit.”
“Got to move here, man. These people are spent. There’s only so many hours of daylight left. We still got a long way back.”
Rick’s jaw tightened. “I can’t stop yet,” he said.
Shane sighed, his voice softening slightly. “We still got a lot of ground to cover, whole other side of the creek bed. So we search that on the way back.”
Rick nodded reluctantly. “He would have heard those church bells. He could be nearby,” he said.
Shane’s expression darkened. “He could be a lot of things,” he muttered.
Shane turned to the group. “Y’all gonna follow the creek bed back, okay? Daryl, you’re in charge. Me and Rick, we’re just gonna hang back, search this area another hour or so just to be thorough.”
Daryl raised an eyebrow. “You’re splitting us up. You sure?” he asked.
Shane nodded. “Yeah, we’ll catch up to you.”
Carl stepped forward, his voice firm. “I want to stay too.”
Lori hesitated, glancing at Rick. “Just be careful, okay?” she said softly.
Carl nodded. “I will.”
Rick handed Lori his gun. “I’ll be along soon enough. Here, take this. Remember how to use it?”
Lori shook her head. “I’m not taking your gun and leaving you unarmed,” she said.
Daryl stepped in, handing her a pistol. “Here, got a spare. Take it,” he said.
Rick sighed. “Give me a minute?” he asked.
Shane nodded. “Yeah. Come on,” he said, leading the group back toward the highway. Rick, Shane, and Carl stayed behind, determined to keep searching for Travis.
Inside the church, Rick stood alone, his voice low as he spoke to the cross. “I don’t know if you’re looking at me with what? Sadness? Scorn? Pity? Love? Maybe it’s just indifference,” he said. “I guess you already know I’m not much of a believer. I guess I just chose to put my faith elsewhere. My family, mostly. My friends. My job. The thing is, we—I could use a little something to help keep us going. Some kind of... acknowledgment. Some indication I’m doing the right thing. You don’t know how hard that is to know. Well, maybe you do—Hey look, I don’t need all the answers. Just a little nudge. A sign. Any sign will do.”
Rick walked outside, his expression unreadable. Shane was waiting for him. “Get what you needed?” Shane asked.
Rick sighed. “Guess I’ll find out,” he replied.
Shane nodded. “Come on,” he said, leading the way.
The group making their way back to the highway moved through the woods, their steps cautious. Ben glanced around, his voice tinged with frustration. “So this is it? This the whole plan?” he asked.
Daryl shrugged. “I guess the plan is to whittle us down into smaller and smaller groups,” he said.
Andrea frowned, her tone sharp. “Carrying knives and pointy sticks. I see you have a gun,” she said, glancing at Lori.
Lori’s expression hardened. “Why, you want it? Here, take it. I’m sick of the looks you’re giving me,” she said, handing Andrea the gun.
Andrea hesitated before taking it, her expression softening. Lori’s voice rose, her frustration spilling over. “All of you. Y’all look to him and then you blame him when he’s not perfect. If you think you can do this without him, go right ahead. Nobody is stopping you.”
Andrea handed the gun back to Lori, her voice quiet. “We should keep moving,” she said.
Back in the woods, Rick, Shane, and Carl moved cautiously. Carl suddenly stopped, his eyes widening as he spotted a deer standing in a clearing. The animal was still, its gaze fixed on the boy.
“Shane,”
Carl stepped closer to the deer, his movements slow as he was just a foot away, his hand reaching out toward the animal. The deer didn’t run.
The silence was shattered by a sudden gunshot. Carl hit the ground with a thud, the sound echoing through the woods. Rick and Shane froze, their faces etched with shock before they raced toward the boy.
Rick’s voice broke as he reached Carl. “Oh no. No. No, no, no, no!” he cried, his hands trembling as he knelt beside his son.