Chapter Seventeen
Shane wasn’t far from him, obviously watching my brother’s
back at a distance and it made me laugh.
Shane had always been the protector.
Ricky was no wuss, but he was a gangly kid…and it seemed Shane was
always getting into fights with the older kids to protect him.
“So, where headed to the CDC?” I asked, coming up from behind and squeezing
Shane’s waist.
Chapter Eighteen
It was decided shortly after by Morales and his wife that
they wouldn’t be headed with us to the CDC, opting instead to try and make it
to Alabama. I thought they were crazy
for leaving the safety of the group when they saw firsthand what could happen
when you split numbers. I hoped the best
for them though; it was all I could do.
Everyone was uncomfortable as the last bit of the fires
burned down. Jacqui and Glenn looked
disheartened. T-dog looked like the rest
of us…ready to get out of this graveyard.
It was tearful goodbye for everybody…Carl, Ricky and
Lori—who had decided to take charge of the Peletier’s Cherokee wagon with Sophia, Carol and a handcuffed Ed in
the boot—looked reluctant to let me part from them.
“You keep your eyes open, now,” Shane told me sternly,
dropping a kiss to my forehead and squeezing my side tightly in a hug.
“I got’er.” Daryl huffed, nodding his head to me. Yay me, I get the redneck babysitter.
Shane kissed my head once more before jumping in his jeep
along with T and skirting around us to head up the road.
In the end, Jim was left sitting under a shade tree and
would most likely be rising again within the hour…needless to say; I was ready
to get the fuck out of here.
“Ricky,” I said fearfully as I took in the mass of infected
littered about the grounds of the CDC.
“I don’t think this is a good idea.”
“It’ll be fine.” He
replied, a little stiffly for him.
Apparently big brother wasn’t so sure of himself anymore.
“Just keep movin’,” Shane said softly, gripping my elbow
almost painfully as we quickly moved across the lawn and up to the sidewalk. “Stay quiet.”
“Don’t you dare fuckin’ yell at her!” Shane yelled, pointing a threatening finger
in my brother’s face. “Let’s get out of
here. Let’s just go.”
Just as the walkers were closing in and we thought that hope
was lost, light appeared from the cracks of the door and suddenly we were blinded.
I had no idea what would await us on the other side of those
doors…but all I could pray for was salvation.
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