NOVEL WEB S2E45 – On The Road Again…
A few days later, I’ve pretty much fully recovered. Got a bit of a scar but nothing too bad. I’m basically clear for service. Good timing, too, as we’re running low on food. I mean, I still have my MRE’s but I’d rather not break into those if we can help it. Going out to search is Glen, Gerard, Shane, Andrea, and yours truly. We all load up into two of the trucks. Not mine as it’s too much of a gas guzzler for that. Otis let us bring his truck, and we have the one that Gerard, Toby, and Kim took.
I ride with Gerard, sitting in the back and feeling the wind in my hair. In my lap is my M14 DMR with a couple extra mags placed on my body and in my inventory. Ammo isn’t really an issue for us anymore. The CDC had lots of nearly full ammo boxes in the back of those Humvees out front.
I haven’t actually fired this puppy just yet, so I decide to give her a whirl for a bit. I haven’t found out how exactly that whole dead eye thing works really, but it seems to activate right when I draw my hand gun. My rifle hasn’t really worked with it, so it may need to be leveled up for that.
While we’re driving, I notice a walker along the side of the road walking into it towards our truck. I hear Gerard speak up,
“Aye, we got a protestor blocking traffic.”
I answer,
“Don’t worry, I got it.”
Now that I’ve said that, watch me fail and embarrass myself. I aim the rifle at the walker, putting the dot right at the top of its head. As it crosses from the grass and onto the asphalt, I fire a shot, feeling a slightly powerful kick, but not nearly as bad as I thought it would be.
*PAH!*
The suppressor works wonders, as my ears are only mildly irritated by the gunfire. The bullet rips through the air and slams into the skull of the walker, detaching it’s jaw and popping it’s eyeballs out of the front of its skull. The body slumps backwards, back onto the grass. Gerard chuckles slightly and says,
“Goddamn. Alright then, boss lady.”
I smirk and sit back down in the bed before saying,
“I’m gettin’ better! About a month ago, I’d have missed the broad side of a barn!”
He snorts and says,
“Somehow I doubt that! So, how’d you end up bein’ the leader so quickly? It seems to have just happened outta nowhere.”
As I’m about to answer he quickly adds,
“Ah, not that I’m against it or anything, you’ve kept us alive. Just curious is all.”
I shrug my shoulders and say,
“I guess I just stepped up at the right time. I don’t wanna toot my own horn or anything, but I am the most level headed of the group. Rick and Shane, who were both most likely to be the leaders, are a bit too emotional to really lead the group. With Rick, he would do whatever he could to protect us, I have no doubt, but he would also probably end up accidentally getting quite a few people killed. Shane, on the other hand, will do anything to protect those he sees as close, even at the expense of those around him. *whisper* plus I kinda know the future…”
Gerard nods his head,
“Yeah, I can see that. Honestly, Toby and I were kinda confused when we saw how Shane acted around you. He was a good leader before you and Rick came, but we could always kinda tell that he didn’t REALLY care about keeping the whole group alive. How’d you get him so submissive anyway?”
I can tell that Gerard is the questioning type. I sigh and say,
“I guess he respects me, or something like that. Rick seems to be kinda following him in that. Could be cuz I’m not afraid to put myself in danger to protect others. Though, it seems that his wife, Lori, is trying to get him in the whole leader position.”
He nods his head and turns the wheel as we pass by a wrecked minivan,
“What’s her deal, anyway? She always seemed to be so stuck up and snooty. Like she felt she was better than everyone.”
I shake my head,
“No clue. I know she had the hots for Shane while she thought Rick was dead. She seems to place all the blame on Shane for their relationship, not realizing that it takes two to make a relationship. I don’t think either of them really did anything wrong. They both had good reason to believe that Rick was dead. They were already really close to one another, so it’s only natural for them to comfort each other. ‘Course, that’ll hurt Rick, but he seems to be an understanding guy.”
Gerard nods his head and grabs the water bottle by him, taking a sip before saying,
“She kinda seems like she doesn’t know how to take responsibility.”
I nod my head,
“Yeah. She definitely seems the type. As far as how she’s been acting, I think she enjoyed being Shane’s woman more than she liked being Rick’s wife. Maybe she likes guys who are in authority. Likes being ‘better’ than those around her. All I know is that I’m definitely gonna be keeping an eye on her. If she does something to endanger anyone in the group, I hate it for Rick and Carl, but I’ll have to act.”
Gerard looks straight ahead and says,
“Yeah. It’s a cruel world we live in, huh?”
I sigh and look at the truck following behind us, seeing Andrea and Shane having a conversation as they drive,
“Yep. It sure is.”
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