𝒍𝒐𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒂 ➶ [ s. walsh ]

viii. | ❝ officer not-so-friendly. ❞

LOLITA.
viii. | ❝ officer not-so-friendly. ❞

✧

DAWN BROKE in the manner that it usually did; the sound of birdsong harmonising with the faint rustle of the trees that surrounded the now disparate camp, and the blinding sun beating down on the few survivors left after the carnage that had taken place the night before.

Rick, Glenn, T-Dog and Daryl had returned from their journey to Atlanta just in the nick of time - incidentally saving several lives with their newly-obtained guns. For the likes of Amy, Ed, and several others, however, it was too late.

"What if we can get him help?" Rick murmured, referring to a dark-haired man named Jim, who'd been bitten. "I heard the CDC was working on a cure."

Shane scoffed, raking a hand through his tousled curls. "I heard a lot of things before the world went to shit."

"What if the CDC is still up and running?" Rick persisted.

"Man, that is a stretch right there," Shane replied, shaking his head.

"Why? If there's any government left, any structure at all, they'd protect the CDC at all costs, wouldn't they? I think it's our best shot. Shelter, protection, rescue-"

"Okay, Rick, you want all those things, right?" the dark-haired deputy interrupted, folding his arms. "I do, too. Okay? Now if they exist, they're at the army base. Fort Benning."

"That's a hundred miles in the opposite direction," Lori argued.

"That is right," Shane agreed. "But it's away from the hot zone. Now, listen to me. If that place is operational, it'll be heavily armed. We'd be safe there."

Cassandra, with a thin sheen of sweat gracing her high forehead and a shovel in her hand, wandered over and stood beside Shane with a defiant gleam in her eye. "I think Shane's right," she intervened, noting the fleeting glance that Rick and Lori shared.

There was a brief pause, before Rick simply sighed and continued. "Look, the military were on the front lines of this thing. They got overrun. We've all seen that. The CDC is our best choice and Jim's only chance."

Shane shook his head, pressing his lips together. "I disagree-" he began, before Cassandra interrupted, her gaze cool and calculating as she stared Rick down.

"How about you go to the CDC, and Shane and I go to Fort Benning?" she inquired lightly, ignoring the venomous look Lori shot her. "It would save a lot of arguments."

Rick raised an eyebrow, clearly curious as to why she seemed so keen to cling to Shane. His sharp gaze snagged that of the curly-haired deputy, who simply shrugged his broad shoulders at the strawberry blonde's pert suggestion. "Why not? Can't be much worse than hangin' 'round you sons of bitches," he said breezily, hooking his thumbs in the belt loops of his trousers.

There was a brief pause. "Then it's settled," Rick stated quietly, trying to hide his annoyance at Shane's disloyalty. Maybe it's for the best, he thought. After all, there was no denying that Shane and Rick's relationship had somewhat deteriorated since the blue-eyed sheriff had been reunited with his wife and son. "You can leave whenever you want. We'll give you a vehicle and a couple of guns.... Some supplies."

"Thanks, man," Shane replied, his tone gruff as he nodded curtly in Rick's direction. He turned to Cassandra, reaching up to rub the back of his head with the palm of his hand. "You sure you're okay with this? If y'all wanna back out - go to the CDC - now would be the time to say."

The brown-eyed beauty shook her head, folding her arms swiftly. "Certainly not." She paused, a cheeky grin tracing her pretty features as her warm gaze snagged his from beneath her long, dark lashes. "Looks like you're stuck with me now, Officer Not-So-Friendly."

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