[40] ambush pt.1

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AMBUSH PT.1
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DENISE, ROSITA, KAI AND DARYL, all managed to squeeze into the tiny truck. Kai was sitting in the middle of Denise and Daryl, who was driving. The drive was silent for the most part minus the truck that continued to stall, making the ride bumpy and hard to enjoy. Daryl was clearly having struggles with it, and it created a tension in the air as they sat there as he tried to figure it out.

"Uh, I think maybe you're disengaging it too soon." Denise states, Daryl sending her a look of suspicion, "I've been driving stick since I was fifteen, usually beat-up trucks like this. I mean, before—you know, before I left home. My brother taught me, so I just know."

Denise stopped talking as the gears inside the truck were grinding against each other, causing an awful screeching noise to fill the space. Kai flinched and slightly covered his ears, trying to block out the awful noise.

When it was over, Kai uncovered his ears, once again Daryl struggling to do it. To ease the tension of Daryl's frustration, Kai spoke up, "Maeve took me driving once."

Rosita leaned forward a bit and questioned, "Just once?"

Kai nodded his head, with a tiny laugh in his voice as he replied, "Once is all it took for me to total the car."

"How? Not like there's cars around to hit." Daryl questioned, looking down to his side at Kai who was just smiling.

"You'd be surprised."

Daryl looks away, the faintest of smiles on his face, but when his eyes land on the road again—his smile drops. Noticing the tree that was blocking the road for their journey. Daryl stopped the truck, and him and Rosita slid out but not before Daryl instructed both of them to stay put.

In the truck, Kai watched as Rosita and Daryl bravely went out and checked it out. He glanced over at Denise, seeing how she looked ill, like she was scared and nervous but trying to remain brave.

"Why'd you want to come?" Kai asked her, making Denise look at him, and he was able to see his reflection in her glasses.

"Needed to prove I could do it." Denise answered vaguely, clearly just trying to keep it together. "What about you?"

"Same." Kai answered, it wasn't his only reason, Louis being the first thing on his mind. But there was one more reason, one more thing that made Kai so dead set on coming along, "Also didn't want you coming out here alone."

Denise looked stunned to hear that, shocked that a seventeen year old boy was out here partly for her, "Why?"

Kai shrugged a little, acting as if he didn't know, but then gave a heartwarming answer, "You're my mentor, Denise. I follow you, and if you're doing this—I'm doing it with you."

Denise smiles, and for the first time since leaving the gates she doesn't look like she's going to be sick any second. Kai smiled back as she said, "You're a good kid, Kai. As your mentor and friend, I'm very proud of you."

Then, Denise looks back at the scene in front of them just as Daryl is waving them to come out. Denise swallows the lump in her throat, getting all her nerves back. Kai noticed this, noticed how she gripped the bag in her hands tighter knowing she had to leave the safety of the truck.

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