“Last Survivor” -- Walking Dead / We’re Alive Crossover (Carley is found and saved.)

[Wrighty]

"Two likely suspects?" STFU Lilly.

Another great chapter, you managed to keep me interested during the action, something most fanfics don't manage. Keep em coming.

[ZombieGoBoom]

Originally Posted by RafaelBrasileiro

Lilly survived?
ah dammit!
Great chapter!

Sorry but she still gets trapped in that prison with no ammo and surrounded by hundreds of starving walkers.

[RafaelBrasileiro]

Originally Posted by ZombieGoBoom

Sorry but she still gets trapped in that prison with no ammo and surrounded by hundreds of starving walkers.

ok, that makes me more happy.: D

[Chiiyoko]

I'm actually starting to feel sorry for Lilly ;_;

Amazing chapter ! it keeps getting more and more interesting xD Can't wait for the next

[Carleyleo]

I agree with other comments, good chapter!

[ZombieGoBoom]

Chapter Seven: Travelier

It took over a month but Michael finally allowed me to come back to investigate this place. I wasn’t sure what I hoped to find. It felt like returning to the scene of a crime or your own grave.

The Travelier Motel.

The place was the same as I remembered it when we left it in a big hurry. I saw the gaping hole that Kenny’s escaping RV made in the hastily erect wall we built in front of the motel. Peering over part of the barrier that was still standing, my heart sank when I saw four walkers milling about on the inside of the motel parking area. It appeared no one had come back after we left.

Slowly, I crouched back down next to Saul, Burt and Riley. They all saw the look of sadness on my face.

“Nothing was touched,” I told them. “Everything looks just the same the day when we escaped.”

“I’m so sorry Carley.” Riley whispered.

“You don’t know,” Saul tried to offer me some hope. “Let’s get in there and get a better look for ourselves.”

“Besides,” Burt added. “Just because they didn’t come back means nothing. They might have found that boat and they’re off to a better place. No, that better place… You know what I mean.”

“I know what you meant but thank you.” I told him and he placed a gentle hand on my shoulder and gave a reassuring squeeze.

Burt looked to Riley. “You got the keys to get us in?”

“I’ve got them right here.” The French woman readied her compound hunting bow, nocking the first arrow on the string and she was ready to shoot. Peeking through a crack in the damaged wall, she waited until none of the walkers were facing her direction. Then she stood up, drawing back the string, with her target selected before letting the arrow loose.

Looking through another split in the wall, I was still amazed that the walkers barely reacted to one of their numbers falling to the ground with an arrow protruding from its head just feet from them. They heard the arrow striking and even stopped to look at their fallen comrade but its like they viewed it as something unimportant before continuing to shuffle about. It was just like on that night when I helped Glenn and Lee to try and save that girl not long ago.

How the walkers perceived our world around them I always wondered. Are they only drawn to movement, sound and smell? Why on earth do they need to attack the living? Is everything purely instinct to them? Regardless, I was thankful they were as dumb as a piece of furniture or we would really be in trouble.

I continued to watch Riley operate with the skill and precision of a surgeon. She easily dispatched the remaining three walkers in about a minute, never missing once and they had never clued in that we were here. She was amazing and I‘m glad she volunteered to help.

With the area cleared, Saul returned back to the humvee parked just 200 feet from the motel and brought up into the parking lot.

Being this close to the city of Macon, Michael and Burt made sure we were ready for trouble and gave everything we needed.

Beside her bow and quiver of thirty arrows, Riley also carried a pistol and pouches filled with several extra clips on her belt giving her almost 100 rounds if needed for any serious trouble.

Saul had his sidearm and his trusty M4 with every pouch on his carrying vest loaded with as many magazines he could haul. Altogether, he must have had nearly 700 rounds for his rifle and pistol.

As for Burt, well he only had his Desert Eagle gun name after his former wife, Shirley. Besides being a former marine, the man was also a champion marksman during his civilian life on the shooting range and so far I never saw him miss a shot yet.

For me, I still had my glock 17 with about 100 rounds for it but for added firepower Burt gave me an AR15 with my own smaller carrying vest with 300 rounds. It’s a civilian version of the military rifle, semi-automatic firing only but still uses 5.56 rounds. This rifle was also a gift from Burt to me for saving him from Ron during our run against Woodbury. The old marine may not be in the habit of saying thank you but when he did, he often said it with guns.

I was a little worried in trying to use something so complex compared to a handgun that it would jam up on me in no time. Using anything with too many moving parts or requiring batteries could be my downfall in life. However, after Burt gave me a crash course in how to use and care for it, my new rifle didn’t seem as intimating.

Now standing here in the park lot, I felt empty and as desolated as this place looks. I watched as Riley retrieved her arrows from the walkers giving them a quick cleaning wipe before placing them back in the quiver.

Then I felt everyone’s eyes were on me. This was once my home and they were trying to be respectful, just waiting for me to give the word. Well, time to get this over with.

“Food, weapons and medicine are stored in room 4. Fuel and engine parts will be in room 6.” I told them.

Strange, I was in such a hurry to get here and now to find it empty of life to the people I cared for, I just want to leave it as quickly as possible.

We did a thorough search and even though all the doors were shut and even locked we treated each of them like there might be a walker inside. One stayed on the roof of the humvee on lookout. Two would go into the room to sweep it and the last one remained in the doorway. No one gets out of sight of each other.

We found the food, weapons, medicine, fuel and engines parts exactly where they were supposed to be. Nothing was taken, a sure sign of no one returning here after we were gone. I think the ten cans of gasoline we collected would be the greatest help along with the medicine. We had some canned food left, just a couple weeks worth for seven people if rationed carefully. As for weapons, we had four hunting rifles, 2 shotguns and six handguns with about 400 rounds of assorted ammo.

Saul asked if we should leave something behind just in case. I just told them if they’re not back by now, they never will be. When those words left my mouth, it felt like someone else was talking, I need to get out of here but unfortunately I’m not done yet.

We approached the last room in this motel, the one I needed to visit. Probably the last chance I’ll ever get close to them again. I opened the door and walked in with my rifle ready. Just behind me was Riley as we carefully searched the room for any walkers. Saul stood in the door to watch us and to remain in sight of Burt at the humvee. We stayed in sight of each other like an unbroken chain.

The room looked clear but half of it was blocked by a curtain strung across it. The walls were covered with paper crayon drawings of sunrises, flowers, animals and people. One of the drawings looked like me. I felt my heart tightening in my chest. No, focus!

I move past the first bed, and it was made all nice and tidy. This was Lee’s and that man could keep his room in way better shape than I could with mine.

I dropped onto one knee and checked under the bed literally for monsters but found nothing. I stood back up and moved on to the curtain, walking pass a desk covered by more paper drawings and a crayon set. The chair at the desk had a brown leather coat hung over it.

I was now within a few feet of the curtain and I glanced over to Riley. She had her pistol out and she nodded that she was ready. Behind her in the doorway, I saw Saul raising his rifle too. Using my own rifle, I quickly pushed the curtain aside with the barrel only to find Clementine‘s bed. It too was nicely made and was left like that since the day we fled from here.

It was hard being in that room, their faces are haunting me. One more place to check and then I can finally relax. I stepped forwards and towards the bathroom. The door was open and I peered in. The shower curtains were thankfully drawn open too, allowing me a clear view. Empty.

“We’re good.” I told Riley and Saul while lowering my weapon.

There was a moment of silence and I felt their eyes on me again, waiting for me to do or say something. I needed to leave, too many memories for me to handle.

So I turned to head for the door. “Okay, let’s go.”

Riley looked surprised, stopping me. “Wait. Do you want to look around some more or take something with you? The way you spoke, these two meant a lot to you.”

“We may not come this way again for a long while, Carley.” Saul added. “Take something to remember them.”

“All the important stuff is already loaded into the humvee and the people who lived here are gone,” I told them, trying hard not to think or feel, just handling the situation logically. “And with everything that happened, I shouldn’t be clinging to the past. We all lost people and I’m no different. A lot of us didn’t even have time to mourn.”

I started to leave again but Riley didn’t move, blocking my path. She looked at the all the crayon drawings adorning the walls. “She’s quite an artist. All of them bright and hopeful.”

I just wanted to get out of there. Just too many painful reminders surrounding me, why won’t she let me leave?

Slowly I looked at the drawings again and it made me think of her. My voice was a whisper. “She was. She… She was joy to be around and her optimism was infectious. She would brighten your day with a few words no matter how bad you felt.”

“Then why do you want to forget that?” Riley asked.

We were standing right in front of the desk and I found my hand resting on the back of the chair with the leather coat draped over it. It was Lee’s and on that day it was usually warm so he left it when everything happened. Slowly, I gripped the coat and lifted it up close to me until I found myself hugging it tightly to my chest.

“If we were to walk into a singles bar at the same time before all this happened, we probably wouldn’t give each other a second look.” I said quietly. “Not there was anything wrong with him but we… you know, have our own idea in our heads who we might hook up with.”

At the doorway, Saul lightly laughed. “What we want never matches with reality. Look at me and Lizzy.”

I just had to laugh back at him. “Saul, she looks like a supermodel! Oh it must be just horrible for you!”

“That’s not what I mean.” Saul said defensively. “Life can throw us curveballs. You never know what to expect.”

I paused, feeling sad. “He was not what I expected either. I never told you but he was a convicted felon, responsible for the death of the state senator a few years back. I knew it right from the start when I saw him, being a reporter and all. I even told him I knew and warned him about causing any trouble for us but promising to keep it to myself.”

Saul and Riley looked surprised at my confession, not that it mattered anymore. The French woman soon asked. “What did he do?”

“He merely thanked me and surprised me repeatedly with his helpfulness and compassion to all of us. He even saved my life,” I admitted to them. “I knew his secret and if he wanted me gone, he could have looked the other way and let the walkers have me but he saved me. Later he told me when he got into that fight with that state senator who had an affair with his wife, didn’t mean for his death. It was an accident and I truly believed him.”

“I remember reading a little about that cause,” Saul suddenly said. “Some thought that friends of the late senator were putting pressure to have the book thrown at Lee. Sure, a man died but the situation warranted perhaps manslaughter at most, not murder.”

“Yeah,” I said and I continued to talk about him. Why do I feel the need to talk about him now? Do I ready miss him that much? Yes, I do. “We… We never, you know. We flirted and teased one another. I even found out that I have a thing for men who saved my life. First it was Doug, then it was Lee and I have to admit I have a thing for Angel now when you found and saved me that night.”

“Oh?” Riley cocked an eyebrow in amusement. Angel had been busy trying to court the French woman for awhile now. “Do I have some competition?”

“Me against your good looks and that damn sexy French accent that men drool over?” I commented. “I don’t stand a chance and to be honest, being single suits me for now.”

I tried to smile but I felt incredibly depressed and I must have looked it because Riley suddenly hugged me. I returned it and even though I didn’t want to cry, I felt tears welling up in my good right eye. I glanced at the wall with all the pictures taped to it.

“I would like to take Clementine’s drawings too.”

Riley rubbed my back and released me. “Sure and I’ll help.”

Riley was giving me a hand in pulling the drawings down when suddenly Burt called to us from the parking area, still looking out for any approaching walkers. “Hey! What is taking so long?”

Still standing in the doorway, Saul got a devilish look on his face and turned to answer. “Quiet! Carley and Riley are making out!”

There was a short pause from Burt when he finally hollered back. “Take pictures!”

Saul was laughing until he turned to face our glaring eyes and he quickly tried to look innocent. “Come on, it was a joke. You know something you say to get a ha-ha? No? Oooookay, I’m just going to head around this corner and get out of sight because you are both armed and are starting to scare me.”

Riley and I let poor Saul sweat it out for a few more minutes before letting him off the hook. I will admit the joke was a little funny. With all of Clementine’s drawings rounded up and with Lee‘s coat, we started to leave the room but I stopped and turned around to grab one last thing.

We gathered around the humvee all set to go. Burt gave the items I was carrying a curious look.

“A worn leather coat, a bunch of kid’s sketches and a box of crayons,” The old marine commented softly. “You got what you came for?”

“No but this is as close as I might ever get.” I replied sadly. As I walked to the humvee with everyone else, the former marine gently patted me on the back. I really love old Burt. He’s the anti-Larry in our group.

I couldn’t thank them all enough for helping me to come back here and at least settle this piece of the puzzle. I may never know what happened to them but I have to believe that they’re okay and alive somewhere safe.

Before we departed for home, I finally agreed with leaving something behind in room 4. There, we left several cans of food to last at least five people for a couple of days, a pistol with thirty rounds of ammo, a can of gasoline and a two way radio with fresh batteries.

With it included a note from Burt.

To: Lee and friends

We’re trying to find you. Head south towards Amercus on Highway 19 and until you reach the turn off to County Road 46. When there, switch on the radio to channel 9. We’re constantly monitoring the emergency channel 24/7 for as long as we can. Be warned, we will know if it’s you or not.

From: Carley’s friends.

We have to keep hope alive and it’s just as important as merely surviving. It’s what gives us the will to get through til tomorrow and the day after that. Without it, we will become the walking dead.

Next Chapter: What was Lost

[skepticalguy90]

Very nice!

[Sir Fruitcakes]

It is definitely getting better, a typo here and there but overall it was really good, don't be pressured to spell check it as that would be difficult.

Looking forward to the next chapter!

[RafaelBrasileiro]

as always, Great Chapter, and waiting for the Next!

[AceStarr]

Amazing

[Cyreen]

Excellent, thank you!

P.S. I like Burt too.

[Red Panda]

Originally Posted by ZombieGoBoom

Be kind and leave some feedback.

You're doing this for yourself so I don't get why you want feed back but I'll give you some.

You write pulp fiction. Your characters are almost perfect. They don't have major flaws. The world gives them trouble sometime but they get out of it with little or no real trouble. And you use cliches a lot.

Your writing is popular b/c of this. People like familiar. The say, "Oh, that's what I would do or would expect to happen." And they think it's great b/c it fits their thinking. It works for TV and movies but then again that's why TV and movies are kind of boring.

There's nothing wrong with that but don't expect any Carley moments. Don't expect people to relate to your characters like the divide Lilly and Kenny created.

If you write from a perspective of "what would I do or expect?" then your characters will have the same personality. Seriously, none of your characters have any real distinguishable personality traits.

Hey man, all this is just advice. You can do whatever the fuck you want to do! lol

[ommmnomnomnom]

Originally Posted by Red Panda

You're doing this for yourself so I don't get why you want feed back but I'll give you some.

You write pulp fiction. Your characters are almost perfect. They don't have major flaws. The world gives them trouble sometime but they get out of it with little or no real trouble. And you use cliches a lot.

Your writing is popular b/c of this. People like familiar. The say, "Oh, that's what I would do or would expect to happen." And they think it's great b/c it fits their thinking. It works for TV and movies but then again that's why TV and movies are kind of boring.

There's nothing wrong with that but don't expect any Carley moments. Don't expect people to relate to your characters like the divide Lilly and Kenny created.

If you write from a perspective of "what would I do or expect?" then your characters will have the same personality. Seriously, none of your characters have any real distinguishable personality traits.

Hey man, all this is just advice. You can do whatever the fuck you want to do! lol

this.

[Cyreen]

Oh, the irony.

[ZombieGoBoom]

Chapter Eight: What was Lost

Winter came and went and despite the harsh temperatures and blowing snow, we received a much needed reprieve from the walkers. The drop in temperature froze them solid and allowed us to easily venture out more as long as the snow didn’t made the roads too impassable. The only danger besides the cold was the bandits and other survivors willing to fight over what was left which ended often in gunfire whenever we met. We suffered a few wounded from gunshots but nothing too serious except for one member from our group. His name was Andy, a middle-aged gentleman who was always eager to help out and we talked to each other often. He often said how glad he felt not to be worrying about walkers but instead he forgot to worry more about the bandits. Bastards.

Food and gas are a few things that are becoming an increasing concern because we know eventually it’s all going to run out. With the approach of spring and warmer weather we’re outlining some plans to become more self-sufficient. Pegs wants to expand her garden which means perhaps building a new wall or barrier to keep any walkers from trampling it or bandits from raiding it.

We’re looking at locating some solar panels or making wind turbines so we don’t have to burn precious gasoline running the generators. Michael is not crazy at the idea of sticking windmills high up in the air all around us. It could attract unwanted attention and a few of us tend to agree.

Spring is not far off and I’m heading out with the others to do a quick grab for whatever supplies are left before the walkers completely unthaw along with the melting snow. There are a few places in the neighboring towns we haven’t tried yet.

I still think about them when I’m alone with a moment to myself or lying in bed trying to sleep. Lee, Clementine, Kenny, Katjaa, Duck and Ben, I hope you are all safe.

***

Driving along the road to their next destination, they were forced to rely on the more fuel efficient vehicles. It was one of new Ford Escape hybrid SUVs. It definitely had better mileage compared to their gas hog humvee but without the protection and carrying capacity. Still, they have to make every drop of gas count now. The humvee will still be reserved for travelling into more dangerous areas.

In places there was still snow on the ground but the roads were completely passable now.

From behind the wheel Angel groaned as they drove around a bend in the road. “That’s not good.”

From the backseat of the vehicle, Riley and Carley were chatting amongst themselves when they looked up.

“What is it?” Carley asked when she saw it. “Damn.”

It was a walker crossing the road. They were starting to thaw in the warming weather, a little sooner than they had hoped. Its movements were very sluggish. The cold was still having an impact on it as the lone walker struggled along as Angel just drove around it.

In the passenger seat, Michael tried to remain upbeat. “We knew it was going to happen eventually but hopefully not all of them are mobile yet.”

They were driving eastward on Road 27 when a few miles later, Angel spotted a small blue car parked along side of the road pointed west.

“Hey, Michael I think that’s new.” He pointed out to the sergeant.

“Yeah,” Michael replied. They droved along this road two weeks before and this car definitely wasn’t here last time. “Pull up and let’s take a look.”

Angel stopped their SUV right beside the apparently abandoned car. They all got out with weapons at the ready. The hood to the engine was up and Angel went over to inspect it as Riley and Carley watched their surroundings.

Michael checked the doors to the car to find them locked before trying to peer through the windows. “Definitely looks like someone has been living out of this vehicle. I see blankets, a few water bottles, clothes and canned goods.”

“Looks like they had problems with the radiator,” Angel said before holding up a roll of duct tape he found lying just inside the engine compartment. “And they tried to fix it.”

“So where are they?” Riley asked, eyeing the nearby tree line. “Did they try to walk out?”

“I see some tracks here,” Carley pointed out, seeing some footprints in the remaining snow. Also listening, she could faintly hear the running water from a nearby stream before turning to the others. “I think they might have gone into the woods for water, maybe for the radiator.”

Angel put his hand on the motor of the car and it was cold. “If they did, they must be taking their time. Think we should investigate?”

Michael thought it over for a second before shaking his head. “No. The owners might return at any second and I don’t want any confrontations. Let’s go.”

They started to return to their vehicle when Carley walked around the car but paused to look inside when her eye caught something familiar looking in the back seat. She leaned in closer to the car window when they all heard a gunshot ringing out from the woods in the direction of the sound of the running stream.

Alert they lifted their weapons at the ready but they quickly realized they weren’t the targets.

“That shot was in the other direction.” Riley observed.

“Now should we check?” Angel asked.

Then there was another gunshot, followed by two more. Michael didn’t like this and wasn‘t going to risk anyone’s life by walking into those woods. “Not worth the chance. Everyone back into the vehicle.”

Carley didn’t move an inch from the blue car as she stared back through the car window again. Her eyes were focused on a very familiar looking blue and white baseball cap resting on the backseat. Carley felt the blood drain from her body straight down to her feet, when she heard the gunshots again.

“Impossible.” Carley looked into the woods, towards the source of the discharging firearm. It was probably one in a million but it had to be hers! If she was here, then he had to be here as well.

Michael, Riley and Angel were getting into the vehicle as the sergeant called out to her. “Let’s go Carley.” Then he watched helplessly as she took off into the woods, in a full run, towards the gunshots. “CARLEY!” He shouted after her.

The running woman paused only for a second to yell back. “They’re out there!”

A surprised Angel and Riley looked to Michael before the army sergeant just grimaced in confusion over Carley’s sudden rash behavior. “Shit! After her!”

Together they chased after Carley as Michael wondered what the hell she was talking about. Whatever she was up to, Carley was putting herself and all of them at risk. There was no way of knowing what was waiting for them in the forest.

Still pursuing Carley, they watched as she reached a sharp slope as the sound of the running stream growing louder. She disappeared out of sight for a moment as she ran down the incline. When they reached the edge of the slope themselves they all came to a halt at what they saw below them.

There at the bottom of the slope, close to the stream was a little girl, next to the body of a fallen adult, concealed under a blanket with countless walkers closing in on them. The undead moved like a wave, shuffling forward amongst the trees and across the stream towards the child and the motionless adult. Charging to meet them was Carley, firing her rifle as she rushed to the girl’s side pushing her down to place herself between the walkers and the two helpless victims.

Michael had a choice, either help or abandon them but of the two there was only one he could live with. He ran forward towards the undead horde with Riley and Angel just behind him. Together on each side they formed up on Carley into a defensive line before adding their firepower to hers into the mass of walkers at a range of barely hundred feet.

On paper, Michael’s team held every advantage possible except for one, numbers. There must have been 200 plus walkers facing them and a lot of things could go wrong and Michael had seen it all happen countless times. The US military was wiped out within a couple of weeks of the outbreak trying to contain it and that was the problem, the outbreak couldn’t possibly be contained. By the time everyone realized the sheer magnitude of the situation they were dealing with it was too late.

Smaller military units simply ran out of ammo quickly against the sheer numbers of walkers they encountered and were killed. Some of them didn’t have men or the firepower to stop the undead masses which advanced faster than they could kill them, overrunning their positions.

Tunnel vision is another danger for individual soldiers, get too focus on what is ahead, you could forget to check your flanks and rear and the miss the one’s creeping up on you. Another is that people, even veteran soldiers could simply crack and panic from the stress because there are some things the human mind can’t simply handle. Like fighting walking corpses, day after nightmarish day. These are problems they were still facing today.

Michael kept doing a quick check on their flanks and rear every ten seconds when his rifle suddenly ran dry. In one smooth motion, he ejected the empty magazine and slapped a fresh one in and continued firing.

There were just so many of them but the cold was still affecting their movements and slowing them. Michael’s team was also managing to kill them fast enough that the bodies were piling up. So much that the walkers started tripping and falling over the bodies of their slain companions. Still, the undead kept on coming, either walking or crawling and a hit to the head was the only thing that would stop them permanently.

After a while Michael started to feel more like a robot than human. A computerized firing control system might as well have been operating his weapon.

Select Target… Lock on… Shoot!
Select Target… Lock on… Shoot!
Select Target… Lock on… Shoot!
Select Target… Lock on… Shoot!

Slowly, after what felt like forever, the mass of walkers slowly begin to thin out until his team’s guns finally grew silent. They all simply ran out of targets to shoot at.

Lowering the smoking barrels of their weapons, just starting twenty feet away was a massive pile of undead. It was almost four feet high in places, fifty feet wide and nearly sixty feet deep. The silence was so deafening to Michael before he heard someone cursing.

“Oh fuck, fuck,” It was Angel trying to calm his nerves. “Let’s never try that again!”

Michael quietly nodded in agreement. If they had to fight walkers, it would be from strong defensive positions and preferably at longer distances, not in the open and at near point blank range. What they did was dangerous and stupid but at least they survived.

** “Je crois que je viens âgée de 10 ans en 30 secondes!” Riley uttered in her native language as she replaced a fresh magazine into her pistol, her hands trembling slightly. (** “I think I just aged 10 years in 30 seconds!”)

Angel looked at her. “I don’t know what you said but I agree!”

Then Michael heard another new sound, the little girl behind them was crying. He turned and saw Carley moving to check her but all he felt was anger at the moment. Carley took such a foolish risk rushing out here not knowing what was waiting for them and putting the rest of them in danger too. Michael opened his mouth to speak but he was instantly silenced when the little girl, dressed in winter clothing and cap cried out literally flinging herself into the woman’s waiting arms.

“Carley!”

Michael was taken back. What? They know each other?

Carley dropped to her knees, embracing the little girl tightly. “It’s okay Clementine, we’re here. You’re safe.”

Clementine?

Now Michael was staring at the situation before him in utter disbelief. Michael is an army Sergeant in the US military (or was) and is a very practical and realistic man. He doesn’t really believe in luck or even a guiding hand of a higher power. His experience in Iraq and the events of the last few months of the apocalypse showed him that things occur if you make it happen, let it happen or it will simply happen regardless whatever you do.

However, the odds of them just stumbling across the very two people that Carley had been hunting for months in a state the size of Georgia is immeasurable. It would be right up there with, well the dead raising from the grave and now it looks like both just happened.

For a moment, he wondered if something did guide them here because nothing else made sense.

He turned his attention to the figure on the ground covered by a heavy blanket. He could see the person’s head and it was a black male.

Lee Everett, I presume.

Carefully he approached him and knelt down and checked his neck for a pulse and found one, it was weak though.

“Michael is he?” Carley asked hesitantly.

He looked up and found both the woman and the little girl, in her arms, were staring at him nervously. The little girl had the most intense brown eyes ever and they were now locked on onto his, with tears flowing freely, waiting for his reply.

“He’s alive but barely.” He told them, grateful it was indeed good news. He kept checking him and found some bandages soaked with dry blood on forehead.

Michael looked to the little girl again. “Sweetheart, what happened here?”

“The car overheated and Lee fixed it. We needed some water but he was concerned about using our own drinking water because we had so little left,” Clementine explained as she struggled to compose herself, wiping her eyes. “We then heard the stream nearby and we tried to get some there but Lee slipped and hit his head. He wouldn’t wake-up and it was getting dark so I went back to the car and grabbed some blankets.”

She protected him from the cold but a troubling thought occurred to Michael. “How long were you out here?”

“Two days.”

“You were out here alone for two days!” Riley gasped, imagining the two of them exposed to the cold nights and the walkers.

Clementine nodded and a stunned Carley held her a bit tighter but Michael found himself admiring her. She was a brave and smart little kid, covering him trying to keep him warm.

“Clementine,” Carley slowly released the young girl to talk to her. “Where’s Ben and Kenny and his family?”

For a moment, Clementine looked sad again but she held back the tears and said softly. “Gone.”

As Carley comforted Clementine, Angel spotted something on the ground close to him. It was an emptied glock and he picked up the discarded pistol. It wasn’t one of theirs. “Who fired this?”

“I did,” Clementine answered quietly. “I knew the noise attracted them but one of them found us and I had to.”

A look of shock came over Angel’s face that an eight year old was trained to shoot a gun but all he could say at the moment was. “Did you get him?”

The little girl actually smiled slightly. “Yes.”

Brave, smart and apparently very capable, and firing that gun brought us to the rescue. Michael thought.

“Michael?” The tone of Riley’s voice alerted everyone.

Looking up they spotted even more walkers approaching. Not as many they faced the first time but enough to get Michael and the others moving.

“Everyone, back to the vehicle,” The Sergeant ordered as he reached down and grabbed Lee‘s unconscious body. “Angel, you’re on point. Riley, guard our rear and Carley and I will stay between you.”

Scooping Clementine in her arms, Carley watched as Michael lifted Lee up into a fireman’s carry. She had to fight down the instinct to ask if it was safe to move him simply because they didn’t have a choice. They had to get out of here before they’d eventually be overwhelmed by walkers. No telling how many of the undead heard their gun battle and were now closing in on them from every direction.

With Angel leading the way, they started back up the slope. Carley was following Michael and more than once she thought he was going to slip and fall. It wasn’t a steep climb but the ground was covered in a mixture of partially melted snow and ice but Michael kept his balance.

Once on level ground, they all easily hurried through the woods and back to the road and their vehicle. By the time they placed Lee in the back several walkers started appearing from the woods on either side of them, drawn by their gunfire.

Angel ushered Carley to the front passenger seat with Clementine still in her arms as he jumped into the back seat with Lee and Riley. Michael was already behind the wheel, starting the engine. They all got in and shut the doors. Putting it in gear, he hit the gas before quickly pulling a quick U-turn to put them on a course back for home.

Even more walkers were stepping out of the woods and onto the road. By now and Michael sped up to escape before they could block their path. He was heading straight into a small group in the middle of the road and he had no choice but to go through them.

Suddenly, Carley heard Michael exclaime. “Shit!”

He immediately hit the brakes and slowed the vehicle down to a crawl and almost gently bumped into the walkers, knocking them down. Then he hit the gas again and they all felt the vehicle rocked as the tires went over the undead bodies. In moments they were all in the clear.

Gasping and still tightly holding onto Clementine, Carley looked over to Michael. “What was that all about with hitting the brakes?”

Michael actually looked a little pale. “I almost forgot.” He replied.

“Forgot what?”

The sergeant glanced at her. “Look at what you are both sitting in front of.”

Carley glanced at Clementine who was seated on her lap before looking at the vehicle’s dashboard and felt a chill. She forgot about it too. On the dashboard directly in front of them was a large panel with small simple lettering in the bottom right corner, spelling out the word: AIRBAG.

If Michael would have hit those walkers with enough speed to deploy the airbag with Clementine on her lap, Carley didn’t want to think about it.

“Oh shit.” Carley muttered.

“That’s a swear.” Clementine said, not realizing how close she came to being seriously injured or worse.

Smiling, she quickly kissed the top of Clementine’s head before looking back. “How is he?”

Riley was cleaning and changing the bandage to the wound on his forehead. “Vitals are still weak but he’s still with us.”

“Keep checking his pulse every five minutes.” Michael ordered. “Angel?”

From the back came his even reply. “I’m ready.”

Carley grew silent as she knew what was happening behind her. With Lee between them, Riley would be monitoring his vitals to be sure he’s still alive. As she did that, Angel would secure Lee’s wrist together with plastic ties, while watching him closely keeping his sidearm at the ready.

They all have seen how fast a person can turn, literally within minutes after death.

Quietly, Carley tried to will their vehicle back to the Nest and to the care of Doctor Cottle faster.

Next Chapter: Fatal Hope

Yeah, so if Carley is alive in my story why not go all out and save Lee while I’m at it.

[sQOrPION]

Great chapter,can't wait for next!

[RafaelBrasileiro]

Can´t wait for the next.: D

[skepticalguy90]

Nice writing, I'm excited for the next chapter

[TheNNerdGamer]

you should contact a book publisher to publish this and make BIG BUTTS!
I meant BIG BUCKS!

[Sbou]

Moooooore