My Damaged Protector

Chapter Twelve ~ Better Angles

Shane was rambling on, drawing in more and more of our people with the commotion. We had all stopped at the shed, Shane swinging the wood open to show us the empty space. Randal's handcuffs were coated with blood from his pulling but there seemed to be no sign of struggling, or that he had managed to break out and escape.

"Little bastards got my gun. Clocked me in the face." Shane yelled, slamming the door shut on the shed.

Rick looked around at the forming group. "Alright, Hershel, T-Dog, get everyone back in the house. Glenn, Daryl come with us." My hand dropped down to my thigh to make sure my gun was there before I nodded a bit. Daryl loaded an arrow into his bow and held it up against his shoulder.

My eyes met his, fear clearly showing through my brown eyes. "Be careful. Please. I can't lose someone else." Daryl gave me the slightest of nods and squeezed my shoulder gently as he followed Glenn into the woods.

Maggie had come over to start pulling me with her and the rest of the group back up to the house. We all trailed through the front door, going around the house to lock up all the windows and make sure everyone else was safe.

My eyes trailed through the main rooms of the first floor, taking in all the bags that belonged to the people of my group. "When did all this stuff get in here?" I looked to Maggie for an answer. How did they move everything in and I didn't notice? My things were tossed into a far corner of the living room with a bag that obviously belonged to Daryl, due to the arrows sticking out the side pocket.

"This morning. My dad decided to let you all in for the winter." She smiled, coming to stand at my side.

Carl stomped loudly down the stairs. "Mom! Have you seen the binoculars?"

I waited for Lori to answer her son, but when she didn't, I spoke up. "On the dining room table over there, Carl." He ran the few yards to grab the bag before tearing back up the stairs as quickly as he could.

As everyone began settling in, I made my way over to my bag. Sliding down the wall, I sat beside my bag and dug through the main pocket, pulling out my weapons belt and checking for my knife and gun as I clipped it on.

Everything around me became a blur as I focused on listening out the window by my head that was just barely cracked open. The shadows on the floor slowly stretched before disappearing all together as the sun set. They still weren't back. They still weren't back, and I was beginning to worry.

Lori was pacing in front of the window I was seated by. "Hey, they're going to be alright. Rick is out there with three of ours, he'll come back." She glanced at me with a small smile but didn't stop her pacing, a hand held protectively over her lower abdomen.

Just as I was about to ask Lori about her stance, Glenn and Daryl burst through the front door. "Rick and Shane ain't back yet?" Daryl asked, moving through the house, and pulling me to my feet beside him, Glenn going straight to Maggie.

"No." Lori said, throwing her hands in the air and looking out the front door.

"We heard a shot." Daryl motioned to Glenn who nodded in agreement.

"Then maybe they found Randal." I reasoned to try and calm the look for fear covering Lori's face.

"Nah we found him." Daryl shrugged his bow up a bit higher on his shoulder.

"Is he back in the shed?"

Daryl and Glenn shook their heads. "He's a walker."

Hershel stepped up beside his daughters and Patricia. "Did you find the walker that bit 'im?"

"Weird this is, he wasn't bit." Glenn said. Everyone looked at Glenn in confusion. The only way to turn was to be bit, right?

"His neck was broke. He fought back." Daryl said. "Shane and Randal's tracks were right on top of each other. Shane ain't no tracker so he didn't come up behind him." So, the story Shane gave up was bullshit.