Worth It

Chapter 2: Guts

I laugh, falling back against the wall of the tank. I squeezed Butter in my shirt, smiling as I hugged him.

"Hey, is either one of you alive in there?" The guy asks us. Rick rushes over to the radio, banging his head on one of the pipes. He falls back before standing upright again. I stifle a laugh as he jumps right back up and grabs the radio. "Hello? Hello?"

"There you are." The guy says, relief filling his voice. "You guys had me wondering."

"Where are you? Outside? Can you see us right now?" Rick asks frantically. "Yeah, I can see you. You're surrounded by walkers. That's the bad news." Rick rolls his eyes at me. "There's good news?" He asks. The guy waits a moment before responding. "No."

"Listen, whoever you are, I don't mind telling you we're a little concerned in here." He says, looking around the inside of the tank. "Oh man." He scoffs. "You should see it from over here. You'd be having a major freak out." Rick rolls his eyes again and sighs. "Got any advice for us?"

"Yea, I'd say make a run for it."

"That's it? Make a run for it?" I stare at Rick with disbelief. This guy must be high. I sighed. What I would give to be high right now.

"My way's not as dumb as it sounds. You've got eyes on the outside here. There's one geek still up on the tank but the others have climbed down and joined the feeding frenzy where the horse went down. With me so far?"

"So far." Rick tells him, a hidden meaning in his words.

"Okay, the street on the other side of the tank is less crowded. If you move now while they're distracted, you stand a chance. Got ammo?"

"In that duffel bag I dropped out there, and guns. Can I get to it?"

"Forget the bag, okay?" It sounded like he was shaking his head. "It's not an option. What do you have on you?"

"Hang on." He says. He unloads his gun, counting before putting it back together.

"I got a Beretta with one clip, 7 rounds." He looks at me. "8 rounds. The rest of my ammo is in my bag."

"15 in total." Rick tells him.

"Make 'em count." He says. "Jump off the right side of the tank, keep going in that direction. There's an alley up the street, maybe 50 yards. Be there." The right side. That's where I threw my bag. I began climbing the stairs, tucking Butter into my jacket and zippering it up, making sure he won't fall out.

"Hey what's your name?" I look back down at Rick like he's an idiot, but the man on the radio beats me to saying something. "Have you been listening? You're running out of time!"

"Right." Rick says before grabbing a shovel and looking up at me. "Ready?" I ask. He nods.

I open the lid of the tank, and jump off the side while Rick hits the walker on top with a shovel, cutting its face open. I grab my bag and run down the street, Rick next to me, shooting any walker that comes near.

When I reach the alley way, a guy stops me. He meets face to face with my gun.

"Woah! Not dead! Come on! Come on! Back here!" He says before running towards a ladder in the alley. He begins the climb up with me shortly after him and Rick right after me. When we get half way up, we stop on a platform, and I unzip my jacket to check on Butter.

His tongue is hanging out, but he looks fine. I pet him and smile.

"Nice moves there Clint Eastwood. You the new sheriff come riding in to clean up the town with his dutiful side kick?" I laugh at him and zipper my jacket back up, but leave enough open so Butter can stick his head through.