succumb - glenn rhee

[THIRTY-FOUR] missing

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR// MISSING
"COULD BE LIKE HARRY HOUDINI'S
LONG LOST SON."

ִֶָ 𓂃⊹ ִֶָ

Jade stood in front of the RV, trying to get the vehicle to turn back on to be moved closer to the house. Her father's toolbox was placed on the ground beside her feet, ready for if she needed a different tool. Andrea soon walked over, having been sent by Rick to check on the progress she was making with the engine.

"How's it going?" Andrea asked quietly, knowing that she and the brunette didn't have a great friendship.

"Uh, can you hand me the file?" Jade responded, glancing down to the bag at her feet. Andrea nodded, leaning down and grabbing it from the side pocket before handing it over.

"I'm really sorry, for your loss, Jade. Dale was a great man, and an even better mechanic." Andrea described, watching at the other girl's face contorted with tears as she slammed her hand on the front of the car.

"I'm sorry, sorry. I just... I really don't want to cry again." Jade apologized, having scared Andrea with the sudden thud.

"It's okay." Andrea replied. "He was really proud of you, Jade, he never stopped talking about you. Maybe not so much in that moment, but he really was."

"Thanks, Andrea. I kind of hate to admit it, but my dad thought of you like another daughter. So, thank you for always being there for him." The Horvath spoke with a sigh, shutting the front.

"We don't have to hug now, do we?" The blonde questioned.

"No." Jade laughed. "We don't and that should be good."

x

Jade was moving in a stack of two boxes out from the RV and into the house, careful as she walked up the steps so she wouldn't fall. "He's gone!" Daryl screamed as he walked out of the barn where Randall had been kept, having the intentions of driving him out.

The Horvath's head turned as she quickly put the boxes down before running off with the others who were around. "How is he missing?" Jade called out, watching as Rick and Daryl each shrugged.

"How long's he been gone?" Hershel questioned.

"I have no idea." Daryl answered.

"The cuffs are still hooked. He must've slipped 'em." Rick explained as he ran out the barn.

"Is that even possible?" Carol asked in disbelief.

"If you've got nothin' else to lose? Hell yeah." Jade replied.

"Door was secured from the outside." Hershel explained. "How in the world did he get out?"

"Could be like Harry Houdini's long lost kid." Jade joked.

"Rick! Rick!" Shane shouted as he walked out the forest with a bloody, and most likely broken, nose.

"What happened?" Lori called out.

"He's armed! He's got my gun!" The Walsh answered with a grunt.

"How in the hell did that happen?" Nick questioned in confusion.

"Little bastard just snuck up on me. Clocked me in the face." Shane shouted.

"Alright, Hershel, T-Dog, get everyone back in the house. Glenn, Daryl, Nick. You're with us." Rick ordered with a clap of his hands.

"What, no. I want to go." Jade spoke.

"No way. You know what he said those men are capable of." Daryl replied, watching as Glenn, Shane, and Rick all brought out their weapons.

"Seriousl-"

"Just stay here, Liz. Please." Glenn whispered, giving her a quick kiss before moving to follow after Rick.

"Be careful, okay? I'm not gonna be there to save your ass." Jade spoke, trying to joke to hide the worry in her voice.

"I got him, your brother too." Daryl assured as he nodded at her.

"Just let him go. That was the plan, wasn't it? To just let him go?" Carol brought up innocently.

"Plan was to cut him loose far away from here, not on our front step with a gun" Rick spat angrily.

"Don't go out there. Y'all know what can happen." Carol pleaded.

"Just get everyone back in the house." The Grimes repeated. "Lock all the doors and stay put!"

Jade began assisting T-Dog in ushering everyone inside, keeping a hand on her niece now that her father was going out. She stayed close to the door, looking out through the cracks in the boarded up windows to look out at the forest line.

She watched as it got dark, the girl getting immensely scared for her brother and Glenn. Jade was terrified to lose anyone else close to her. She couldn't bear it.

"I'm sure they will all be fine." Lori reminded, having been watching the girl look out the window the whole time.

"Yeah, yeah. You're probably right. I'm just still worried." Jade replied, trying to remain civil with the pregnant woman.

"I'm going after them." Andrea declared, having decided it for herself that they had been waiting long enough.

"Don't. They could be anywhere." Lori stopped, placing an arm in front of where Andrea tried to move past her. "And if Randall comes back we're going to need Jade and you."

Just as Lori finished speaking, the door slammed open, followed by Glenn, Nick, and Daryl rushing inside. Glenn immediately looked to the side, having spotted Jade through the crack in the boards. The two smiled at one another as Glenn pulled Jade into a hug, the boy needing a form of relief.

"Rick and Shane ain't back?" Daryl asked after glancing back at the pair.

"No." Lori answered.

"We heard a shot." Daryl spoke in confusion.

"Maybe they found Randall?" Andrea proposed as she scratched the back of her neck.

"No, we found him." Glenn replied as he and Jade began to walk towards the rest of the group. "He's a walker."

"Well, did you find the walker that bit him?" Hershel asked with worry.

"No, the weird thing is he wasn't bit." The Rhee answered.

"His neck was broke." Daryl said with a scoff. "Thing is, Randall and Shane's tracks were right on top of each other. And Shane ain't no tracker, so he didn't come up behind him. They were together."

"Jesus, I knew there was something up with that asshole." Jade mumbled with a sigh.

"Would you please get back out there, find Rick and Shane and find out what on Earth is going on?" Lori pleaded as she stood in front of Daryl with her hands together.

"You got it." Daryl spoke quickly with a nod before moving back to the front door. "Uh, y'all gonna want to see this."

Everybody glanced to one another frantically as they heard slight panic in the Dixon's voice before following one another out the house. They gathered along the edge of the porch, looking out to the edges of the fence, noting the thousands of walkers moving together in a herd.

"Holy shit."

xx
word count: 1076