"HOW LONG HAS HE BEEN GONE?"

"Hard to say." Rick replied as he stepped out of the shed where they kept Randall, "The cuffs are still hooked. He must' slipped 'em."

"Is that possible?" Carol asked,

"It is if you've got nothing to lose." Marcie replied,

Vivian didn't get why they were so worried. Randall was still not fully recovered from his injury, and he doesn't have a weapon. He couldn't have been that far into the woods. And even then, he doesn't exactly know his way around. Daryl should be able to find him easily.

"Rick! Rick!" They heard someone screaming from the treeline. They turned to see Shane exiting the woods, blooding running down his face and chest,

"What happened?" Lori asked as Shane approached them,

"He's armed!" Shane ignored her question, "He's got my gun!"

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Little bastard just snuck up on me." Shane growled, "He clocked me in the face."

Marcie narrowed her eyes at the man, it doesn't add up. Randall, skinny, injured, underfed Randall, snuck up on Shane and knocked him out and stole his gun? Doesn't seem likely.

Rick turned to the group, "All right, Hershel, T-Dog, get everybody back in the house. Glenn, Marcie, Daryl, come with us." Rick looked over at the younger woman, "Go grab a gun."

Marcie nodded and sprinted towards the house,

"Just let him go. That was the plan, wasn't it, to just let him go?" Carol asked,

"The plan was to cut him loose far away from here, not on our front step with a gun." Rick growled,

"Don't go out there. Ya'll know what can happen!" Carol shouted,

"Get everybody back in the house. Lock all the doors and stay put!"  Rick yelled as they began walking towards the woods.

Marcie grabbed her gun from her bag and spotted the flare gun she found on the highway. Without a thought, she stuffed it into her waistband before running back out, following after the men who had already started walking away.

She accidentally kicked something metal that was hidden in the leaves. Marcie glanced up at the men walking in the woods before kneeling down and brushing the leaves away to reveal a gun.

Shane's gun.

Marcie put the gun in the back of her waistband before catching up with the men,

"I saw him head up through the trees that way before I blacked out." Shane explained as they got to the spot where he was knocked out, "I'm not sure how long."

"He couldn't have gotten far." Rick replied, "He's hobbled, exhausted."

"And armed." Glenn commented,

If Shane lied about Randall having his gun, what else did they lie about? Most likely, Randall's body is somewhere in the woods. So what was Shane's plan?

"So are we." Rick responded before turning to Daryl, "Can you track him?"

Daryl looked around on the ground, "Nah, I don't see nothin'."

Marcie wouldn't be surprised if Shane brought them to a different location to where he left Randall. 

She watched as Shane circled them, he was antsy, nervous. He reminded her of a dangerous animal caught in a corner, with no way out,

"Hey, look, there ain't no use in tracking him, okay? He went that way. We need to pair up." Shane stated, "We spread out, we just chase him down. That's it."

Daryl and Marcie shared a look before he turned to Shane,"Kid weighs a buck-25 soaking wet. You trying to tell us he got the jump on you?" Daryl asked,

"I say a rock pretty much evens those odds, wouldn't you?" Shane fired back,

"I wouldn't, actually." Marcie took a step forward and Rick raised his arm,

"Alright, knock it off." He turned to Daryl, "You and Glenn start heading up the right flank. Marcie, Shane, and I'll take the left." Rick ordered, "Remember, Randall's not the only threat out there. Keep an eye out for each other."

Daryl reached for Marcie's hand, "Hey, keep an eye on him. His story don't add up."

She nodded, "I agree." She showed him the flare gun, "I'll fire if we need any help."

He squeezed her hand before him and Glenn walked off to the right, leaving her with Rick and Shane.

"Looks like it's busted pretty bad." Rick commented as the three of them searched the woods,

"It's fine, man." Shane grunted, glancing over at Marcie, "Don't worry about me." He continued leading them through the dark trees.

Rick and Marcie shared a look before following after him, watching him carefully, "I have a bad feeling, Rick." She whispered to him, hoping Shane couldn't hear them,

He nodded, "So do I."

"Good." She replied, "So I can show you this." Marcie made sure Shane wasn't facing him before handing him the gun she found,

He stared down at the gun, a moment of realisation in his expression before he nodded and put it in his waistband, making sure his jacket covered it, "Stay alert."

They were walking for a long while, not seeing any sign that anything live had been through there. 

"Does this way feel right?" Rick asked him,

"As right as any." Shane replied,

He paused, staring at his friend, "Snatched your gun, huh?"

Shane nodded, "Yeah. It's my favorite piece too. Gonna wish he'd..." He paused, "Wish he'd kill me when I find his sorry ass."

They continued and Shane glanced over at her, "You should head back. Don't want to worry everyone."

"I'm good here." Marcie stated, "Besides, wouldn't want to run into Randall on the way back... all alone..."

Shane clenched his fists and continued forward. They eventually made it into an open field and Marcie's nervousness grew,

"You say he got you with a rock?" Rick asked, 

Shane began to slow down, letting the other two walk ahead, "That's what I said."

"Inside the shed?" The sheriff continued to question, "'Cause that door was shut when T-Dog rolled up."

"I saw that too." He replied, coming to a stop, "Must've slipped through the rafters in the roof."

Rick holstered his gun, "So this is where you planned to do it?"

Marcie's breathing hitched. She knew Shane was up to something, and after she gave Rick the gun, he knew, too. But she didn't think he was going to out the man so soon.

Especially since their backs were to him,

"It's a good place as any."

Marcie could hear the gun Shane had in his hand. Could hear him turn the safety off, "At least have the balls to call this what it is...", Rick turned to him, "Murder."

The brunette reached for her gun and Shane quickly raised it towards her, "Don't think about it."

She kept her breaths steady, standing between the men as they circled around her, "You really believe if you walk back onto that farm alone, no Rick, no me, no Randall-"

"Shut the fuck up, little girl." Shane growled at her,

"You really believe they're gonna buy whatever bullshit story you cook up?" Rick added,

"That's just it. It ain't no story. I saw that prisoner shoot the both of you down. I ran after him. I snapped his neck." Shane recited, "It ain't gonna be easy, but Lori and Carl, even Daryl, they'll get over the both of you."

Daryl. Marcie didn't think about it before. But Daryl wouldn't believe Shane, she knew he wouldn't believe the former cop. He would avenge them... right?

"They done it before. They just gonna have to." Shane changed his aim to Rick.

Marcie took that moment to raise her gun and pointed it towards the man, "Look, we can talk about this, guys."

No, they couldn't. She knew they couldn't. They couldn't go back from this moment. Shane was going to try and kill them.

But she needed to distract him. So Rick could take him out.

"It's too late for that." Shane stated before pulling the trigger,