safe

Chapter 57

We've been walking for days.

Max is dragging along holding my hand and Daisy is sleeping soundly in the open baby bag.

"You want me to take her?" Michonne asks kindly.

"Really? Thank you." I reply softly as I let Max's hand go to pull the strap of the bag over my head.

"Not too long to Terminus now." Rick shouts from ahead.

"It's even closer to nightfall." I reply as I hand the bag to Michonne.

"There's a car up ahead we'll go there for the night." Michonne informs us.

"We have enough cans to last us a week." I tell everyone.

"Well we can halve the cans between us tonight." Michonne decides.

"Here we go." Rick says throwing a bag down in front of an empty van.

I rub the stains on the window away with my sleeve and peer inside to find it empty.

I turn the handle and open the door to see through to the back of the van and make sure there aren't any mangled walker bodies inside.

All clear once again.

I walk around to the back of the van and swing the back doors open.

"I'm sleeping right here right now." I declare happily.

"I'll keep watch for you." Rick chuckles in response.

Max walks over holding Daisy in her baby bag.

"Can we sleep too?" He asks sweetly.

I reach down and pick them both up in a bear hug.

"Of course."

Max jumps put of my embrace and crawls into the back of the van and lays down.

I untie a sweater from around my waist and ball it up to use as a pillow.

Max does the same with his a shirt from his backpack.

I put get Daisy out of her bag so I can change her before I sleep and she wakes up cooing and gaping.

"Hello." I baby talk her awake.

I tickle underneath her neck and she squirms cutely.

I sit down on the van floor and pull my legs in so Max can shut the door.

"Lock it if you can." I tell him as I finish changing Daisy.

He climbs through to the front and presses the lock button on the car.

I swaddle Daisy in a blanket and lay her down in the baby bag again.

"The car doesn't start but the keys have a clicky lock I'll go give it to Rick." He tell me before leaving the van through the front.

I push the baby bag behind the Van's seats so she won't get walked on or rolled on.

I lay down on my sweater pillow and hear the car lock click again.

"Night Ruby." Max says as he lays next to me.

------------------time skip----------------

I hear the door handle rattle and my eyes jolt open.

I get up onto my knees and press my ear to the door.

Michonne, Rick and Carl would tell me if they wanted to get in even in an emergency.

I quickly turn to look out the windscreen but it's fogged and smeared with all sorts and I can only make out blurred figures.

There's at least six of them.

Then I hear Carl scream.

Max blots awake and I put my hand over his mouth.

His eyes are rife with pure panic and I shake my head as to tell him not to speak.

I take my hand off his mouth and reach for my gun.

I crawl over the seats and Max sits still, hovering over Daisy.

I grab his arm and whisper to him.

"Hide yourselves in case of emergency." I tell him as I hand him a piece of mouldy old carpet from underneath my feet.

He grabs Daisy and moves into the corner and lies flat. I look out of the smudge I made in the window and see a dirty old leather clad man smiling towards where Rick and the gang were sitting.

I grab the door handle and wince as I pull it.

It better be automatic unlock.

The door clicks softly and opens.

I budge it open slowly and hear malicious laughing.

"You killed one of our own... But we need insurance so all of yours have to die." I hear a man growl from where my group should be.

I slip out of the door without being noticed so I lay down and roll under the van. I see Rick on his knees next to Michonne.

The guy is still talking and I notice Carl on the ground with a sweaty old fat man on top of him.

Without thinking I roll out from under the car and shoot the man straight through the head.

I walk out and shoot the guy holding Michonne, followed by the guy from the other side and a random in front of Rick.

Rick pulls the guy holding him over and rips his trachea out with his teeth.

I hear a shot ring out from behind me and a searing pain enter my shoulder followed by Daryl shooting the assailant down behind me.

I look behind me and see the guy fall to the ground.

I hear another shot ring out and hear someone drop from over near Daryl.

I run over to Carl and pull the man from on top of him.

Carl clambers out from underneath and hugs me tightly, tears in his eyes and fear in bis face.

"It's okay, it's okay." I say stroking his back softly.

"It's okay."