Cowboy

10) I'm a Good Shot

The group, besides Rick and Daryl, were all moving cars, clearing a path for the RV.

"Why aren't we all out there looking? Why are we moving cars?" Carol asked.

"We have to clear enough room so I can get the R.V. turned around as soon as it's running. Now that we have fuel we can double back to a bypass that Glenn flagged on the map." Dale explained, offering Carol a small smile.

"Going back's going to be easier than trying to get through this mess." Shane huffed, his hands on his hips.

"We're not going anywhere till my daughter gets back." Carol said, slightly panicking.

"Hey, that goes without saying." Lori assured her.

Alicia nodded. "Yeah. We're not going anywhere till Sophia's safe and sound back with us." She smiled, putting a hand on Carols shoulder.

"Rick and Daryl, they're on it, okay? Just a matter of time." Shane nodded to her.

Andrea sighed. "Can't be soon enough for me. I'm still freaked out from that herd that passed us by, or whatever you'd call it."

"Yeah, what was that? All of them just marching along like that." Glenn asked.

"A herd. That sounds about right." Shane nodded. "We've seen it. It's like the night camp got attacked. Some wandering pack, only fewer. Okay. Come on, people. We still got a lot to do. Let's stay on it. Let's go, come on."

Alicia sighed as they all began to move the cars again. "For the record I agree with you." She said to Carol. "We should be out there looking too."

—————
"It's late. Gonna be dark soon." Carol said, staring into the woods.

"They're gonna find her soon." Alicia smiled at her. "Rick's a good leader and Daryl's a good tracker."

Carol nodded, leaning against the highway railing. "You have any kids?" She asked.

Alicia sighed. "I did." She nodded. "A little boy." She smiled, holding her stomach.

Carol looked over. "What happened?"

"Miscarriage." Alicia sighed. "My boyfriend broke up with me after he found out anyway."

"Sounds like a bastard." Carol chuckled.

"Yeah... he was." Alicia nodded. She pulled out a cigarette from the pack Daryl gave her.

"What was his name? Your sons?"

"Ne-"

"Oh God, they're back!" Glenn cut Alicia off, pointing to Daryl and Rick.

"You didn't find her?" Carol panicked.

"Her trail went cold. We'll pick it up again at first light." Rick said calmly.

"You can't leave my daughter out there on her own to spend the night alone in the woods." Carol pleaded with him. Alicia put her hand on Carols shoulder, trying to calm her.

"Out in the dark's no good. We'd just be tripping over ourselves. More people get lost." Daryl explained, looking to Alicia.

"But she's 12. She can't be out there on her own. You didn't find anything?" Carol asked.

"I know this is hard. But I'm asking you not to panic. We know she was out there." Rick sighed.

"And we tracked her for a while." Daryl added.

"We have to make this an organized effort. Daryl knows the woods better than anybody. I've asked him to oversee this." Rick nodded to Daryl.

"Is that blood?" Alicia asked, looking at Daryl's red stained hands.

"We took down a walker." Rick nodded.

"Walker?" Carol breathed. "Oh my god."

"There was no sign it was ever anywhere near Sophia." Rick tried to call her down.

"How can you know that for sure?" Alicia asked Daryl.

"We cut the son of a bitch open, made sure." He grunted, beginning to walk away.

Alicia followed him, grabbing his arm. "Is she alive?"

Daryl furrowed his brows. "Yeah, we done told you that."

She nodded, sighing. "I know. Sorry. I was just... making sure."

—————

"Everybody takes a weapon." Rick said, laying out a bunch of knifes and axes on the hood of a car.

"These aren't the kind of weapons we need. What about the gun?" Andrea scoffed, glaring at Shane.

"We've been over that. Daryl, Rick and I are carrying. We can't have people popping off rounds every time a tree rustles." Shane said.

"It's not the trees I'm worried about."

"Wait a second... I don't get a gun?" Alicia said, looking around at Rick. "Isn't that the whole reason you asked me to stay? Because I'm a good shot?"

"She has a point." Rick nodded. "We did ask her to stay so we'd have the extra man power."

"I've only seen her shoot that one time. I need to know she's not gonna fire at every little thing." Shane said, looking skeptically at Alicia.

"I can't believe you!" She scoffed. "You ask me to stay because I'm a good shot... and then you take away my gun!"

"Let her keep the gun." Daryl spoke up. "You can trust her... let her keep it."

Shane looked to Rick who just nodded. "Fine." He sighed.

Alicia smiled up to Daryl, mouthing a quick thank you.

He nodded. "Don't mention it."