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Solace

Chapter 27

Rick scowled, his mouth tightening in frustration.

“Shit!” he exclaimed through clenched teeth. He surveyed the room, glimpsing the walkers that were sending cracks down the thin glass door. “Okay, the back’s not an option. We’ll have to try the front. From what you saw, do you think it will be clear?” he asked as he strode in that direction.

Lindsey followed him and quietly answered, “It’s gonna be close.”

They reached the front door and Rick cracked it just enough to view the street. Walkers were already passing through the yard. The cluster nearest to him spotted the open door and advanced up the steps. He quickly slammed it shut and threw the lock. The alarming chorus of their gory, mangled hands pounding against the door pierced the silence within the still house.

Rick glanced at Lindsey – she appeared as nervous as he felt. Suddenly, her eyes lit up.

“I think I know of another way,” she announced, running down the hall in the direction that led them away from the herd. She brought him into a bedroom adorned by pictures of fairies and pink flowers, and pointed to a window over the twin-size bed. “Can we get through there?”

“We’re gonna have to,” Rick said, dropping his backpack onto the floor. He stepped up onto the thin mattress, unlocked the window, and lifted it open. A screen still hindered their escape, but he was relieved when it easily snapped out. He peered down to the ground and saw they were a little higher than he thought they would be. Apparently this side of the house was on a slope. Either way, this was their only exit – they had to make it work.

Rick swung a leg out and once he got a solid grip on the windowsill, he followed with the other. After lowering himself so that he hung completely outside, he let go. The joints in his ankles stung as he landed on the grass. The pain was nothing substantial – just another reminder that he was getting too old for this shit.

Lindsey’s worried face appeared outside of the window. “Rick, what about the packs?”

“Leave ‘em. We need to move.” He held out his arms and motioned to her with his hands. “Come on! I gotcha.”

Lindsey duplicated his earlier movements and sunk down far enough for Rick to grab her legs. She released her hold on the ledge and dropped into his arms.

*~*~*

Lindsey and Rick were currently leaning against the vinyl siding of a house halfway up the street. Their cars, which included a new Chevy Camaro, were setting in a driveway within their sight. That morning they’d been searching a garage for batteries and found the Camaro under a tarp – fully loaded, with a full tank of gas. Rick had made some comment about Atlanta and owing Glenn a ‘cool car.’ Whatever that meant.

The herd was rapidly progressing through the neighborhood. Their moans created an eerie droning sound that got louder as the wind carried it between the houses. They were running out of time.

“What’s the plan?” Lindsey asked as she focused her gaze on Rick. He didn’t look happy with what he was about to tell her.

“I’m gonna take the Camaro – and lead them away,” he began.

“Rick, no!” Lindsey protested.

“We can’t have them following us back to the prison. I have to steer them in the opposite direction.”

Lindsey continued to shake her head. “I can’t go back there without you. What am I supposed to tell Carl?”

“Tell him I had to do it to protect everyone, including him and Judith.” Rick dug into his pocket and produced a set of car keys. “Here, you’ll need these.”

He placed them in her open hand and she grasped his hand within her own. There were a million things that Lindsey wanted to say to him.

Before she could decide on one, Rick quickly kissed her on the lips.

“I love you,” he said fiercely.

Lindsey managed a weak smile. “I love you, too.” How could we have gone from this morning, which was pure bliss, to saying it now for perhaps the last time?

“Just get to the car and get out of here as fast as you can. I’ll cover you. You ready?” Rick asked, all business now. Lindsey nodded, but knew that she wasn’t. “Let’s go.”

They turned the corner and took off into a dash to the cars. There was no way they could stay out of view from the herd. Lindsey knew they were exposed and forced herself not to look back. It felt like it took forever to get to the vehicles when it had only been about twenty seconds. Lindsey went to open the driver-side door of the Hyundai, but hesitated when a crack echoed throughout the development. A male walker landed by her feet, the contents of his head spilling out onto the brick driveway. Her startled gaze shot up. Rick was standing by the Camaro, his gun raised.

“GO!” he urged and fired again.

She made the mistake of looking back. The entire herd was crushing down on them. Rick was going to run out of bullets if she didn’t get her ass in gear. She yanked the door open and slid into the front seat. Her hands shook as she jammed the key inside the ignition. Shifting the car into gear, she tore out of the driveway. Walkers impeded the street so she deviated onto the grass. She hoped there wasn’t anything hidden along the way – the last thing she needed with a fucking flat tire.

Finally, the road cleared and she swerved back onto the smooth surface. Glancing in her rearview mirror, she wasn’t overwhelmed with relief when she saw that the herd was moving away. Behind her, she heard the roar of an engine and squealing tires. Sunlight reflected off of the silver Camaro, making it appear like a bullet as it burned rubber down the road. She watched the car shrink in her mirror until it completely disappeared.

Lindsey couldn’t breathe. It was impossible to try to comprehend what she was doing. Why wasn’t she with him? What purpose did she have to go back to the prison alone?

With a curse, she slammed her hand against the steering wheel.

*~*~*

Lindsey sped up the road to the prison, loose gravel churning under the tires. Daryl was on watch and swiftly opened the gate to let her in. She steered the car up the drive and felt her heart rate pick up as she parked by the entrance to Cell Block C. Carol exited the building, Judith in her arms, and Carl wasn’t far behind. How was she going to do this?

She stepped out of the car and noticed Carl looking around frantically, his eyes wide. “Where’s my dad?”

Daryl jogged up next to her and she could tell he was just as confused as everyone else. He peeked into the car, came up empty, and proceeded to carefully study her face as she spoke.

“He was okay the last time I saw him. We ran into a herd – the biggest one I’ve ever seen,” Lindsey said.

“How big?” Carol questioned nervously.

“Thousands.” Lindsey watched fear ripple through the small group. “Rick took another car and led them away.”

“And you didn’t try to stop him?” Carl asked.

“Believe me, I tried, but he was afraid that we’d steer them right back here. We had to take the prison out of their path,” Lindsey explained, her expression as tortured as Carl’s.

“Why couldn’t you have done it? You have nothing to lose,” he uttered in return.

Lindsey blinked as she was overcome with shame.

“Carl,” Daryl cautioned in a low voice.

“My dad has me and Judith – and who do you have? No one!” Carl shouted.

“’EY! That was way outta line! I’d better hear an apology real quick,” Daryl threatened as he stepped toward the irate boy.

“WHAT? NO! Y’all were thinkin’ it, but you’re too damn sensitive to say it out loud,” Carl spat.

“’Kay, that’s enough!”

Daryl reached for Carl’s arm but he jerked out of the man’s grasp. After glaring at Lindsey once more, he spun around and ran into the prison.

Lindsey dropped her head in embarrassment, not for Carl, but for herself. Daryl sighed as the boy disappeared into his cell block. Turning around to look at Lindsey now, he dipped his head to see her face.

“Lindsey, hey…” he said softly.

She waved him away before he could go any further.

“He’s right. It should have been me,” she mumbled as she picked up a rifle and headed down to the guard tower to wait for Rick.

Notes

A/N: I'm loving all of your comments! Thank you so much! I hope I'm not updating too much. Just let me know if I am - or if you want more! ;)

Comments

@Corall
Aw thank you so much!! :D

bluecrush611 bluecrush611
5/18/16

I just finished reading this story :) and its the most amazing story ever :D

Corall Corall
5/17/16

@Kandy
No worries. I actually used Paint, haha. I just figured out what size the banner needed to be (by trial and error) and then cut the image down until it fit.

bluecrush611 bluecrush611
4/13/16

@bluecrush611

Also, Another Annoying Question. Where did you make that Banner of Lauren And Andrew? I need to get a good Banner place thingy and i need advice xD

Mother Dick Mother Dick
4/12/16

@Walker Witch
Thank you so much for the kind words and for following along!

@eventualprocrastination
Thanks for all of your comments! I actually just published a book, so that's the direction I'm taking for now, but who knows. Maybe I'll post something here and there. :)

bluecrush611 bluecrush611
4/10/16