𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗽𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹𝘆𝗽𝘀𝗲

006

Chapter 6 - Guts

The oppressive heat of Atlanta clung to Verena and Glenn as they crouched on the rooftop, watching the streets below. The city, once filled with life, was now a graveyard, the streets teeming with the dead. The moans of the walkers echoed up to them, a chilling reminder of the danger that lurked at every corner.

Verena's eyes were locked on the military tank surrounded by a horde of walkers. Inside was a man, a stranger to them, who had made a desperate dash and now found himself trapped. Glenn adjusted his cap, his nerves on edge.

"Dumbass," Glenn muttered, shaking his head at the man's predicament. "He's not gonna last long in there."

Verena's expression was grim. She had seen too many close calls, too many people lost because no one dared to act. "We're not leaving him," she said firmly. "We're getting him out."

Glenn nodded, knowing there was no arguing with her. He grabbed the walkie-talkie and tuned in to the man's frequency, his voice cutting through the static.

"Hey, you. Dumbass. Yeah, you in the tank," Glenn said, trying to keep his voice steady. "You cozy in there?"

A moment of silence followed before the man's voice crackled through, filled with confusion and fear. "Who the hell is this?"

"Doesn't matter," Glenn replied, glancing at Verena. "We're up on the roof, and we're about to save your ass. But you need to listen to us."

Verena scanned the alleyway below, searching for a path. "Tell him to move when we say. We'll draw the walkers away, but he has to be fast."

Glenn relayed the plan to the man in the tank, who responded with shaky resolve. "I'll be ready."

Verena watched as the tank hatch creaked open. The man, who still had no name to them, climbed out, his movements frantic and panicked. The walkers, momentarily distracted by the noise around them, quickly turned their attention to him.

"Now!" Glenn shouted into the walkie-talkie.

The man scrambled out of the tank and bolted down the alleyway. The walkers immediately followed, their groans growing louder as they closed in. Verena moved swiftly, clearing the path of any straggling walkers with precise, lethal strikes.

They reached the end of the alley, where a ladder led up to the roof of a nearby building. Glenn and Verena climbed up first, the man following close behind. As they reached the top, Verena grabbed his arm, pulling him up to safety just as the walkers swarmed below them.

"Thanks," the man gasped, leaning against the wall to catch his breath. "I'm Rick. Rick Grimes."

"Glenn," the young man introduced himself. "And this is Verena."

Rick nodded, still trying to process everything that had happened. "I owe you both."