𝟏𝟏. 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐑𝐨𝐰


Chapter 11.


Four months of battling with mother nature passed into a distant memory. Four dreadful months of being always on the run. To Echo, it was ridiculous how the group hasn't found a place they could lay low for a while, without the dead lingering and roaming the area.

Echo's head felt heavy, she could barely concentrate. Occasionally, when the group showed concern by asking if she was alright, she would shake it off with a lie. It wasn't right for her to lie to the group, even though she refused to let them down.

Rick on the other hand became distant toward's Lori. Deep down, she felt left in the dark. She showed moral concern for him, but the conversations with him never went anywhere. She decided to take a step back and gave him some space.

Maybe it was the weight of keeping the group alive that affected him. And the constant paranoia of keeping Carl and Lori alive. She couldn't blame him, it was something that she developed along the way.

The soil beneath her boots quenched the morning rain. She gripped her blade and stealthily approached the walker from behind. Echo, Daryl, and T-dog took out the first three walkers that occupied the yard of a pretty old home, that was isolated out in the country. She followed Rick on his heels as the group rushed inside the home. 

She aided Rick in clearing out the walkers that roamed in the entrance. Echo continued through the home and came across a long, opened closet that Rick had his eyes on. She took the lead and slowly searched the long, but narrow closet. 

The shelves were cleared out and the items that remained held no value. Rick followed on her heels, while that uneasy feeling began to grow in her stomach. Her eyes studied the door she came across. She began to listen closely to the creaks of the floor, seconds after she stopped, the shuffling on the opposite side of the door came to a halt.

Echo exchanged a quick look with Rick before reaching for the handle. With hesitation, her fingers hovered over the golden colour, door handle. A fire began to crawl through her veins, she ripped the door open.

A relieved sigh escaped her lips when it was only Daryl.

A small smirk formed on his face, and he lowered his crossbow. She stood there in silence, occupied only by her thoughts.

She turned away from Rick and Daryl, independently, and curiously, searching the whereabouts of each room. Carl continued to search the cluttered counters of the kitchen. His gaze snapped away from the counter and over to Echo. She quietly began to search the kitchen, her nose scrunched when she came across the opened fridge.

A wave of nausea consumed her, she turned away from the fridge and began to rapidly cough. Her eyes watered, and she felt as if she coughed out a lung. She stood hunched over and covered her mouth with her arm.

"I still cannot believe that you are used to the smell of walkers and not the fridge."

"I didn't say that. I'm never used to the smell." Echo implied Carl's comment. Echo's gaze snapped when the back door to the kitchen opened. She raised her gun, with her opposite hand. Maggie and Glenn held up their hands in defence. She lowered her gun without exchanging words with the two.

****

The group began to haul out the bodies of walkers, stacking them in a pile next to the staircase. Lori, Hannah, Breanne, Carol, Hershel, Beth, and Myles entered the wrecked home after the coast was clear. Daryl descended the stairs, plucking the feathers from the owl he managed to snag.

T-dog and the others gathered in the living room. Echo took a seat on the staircase, her gaze traced over Rick's tense form. He leaned against the frame of the door and allowed his mind to wander deep into the unknown. Echo opened her mouth, but no words came out. She wanted to ask what was bothering him, but her words retreated deep inside her.

Carl confidently placed down a couple of cans of dog food and began cracking into the can with a can opener, that he found in the kitchen. Uncertain stares the group exchanged with each other, besides Daryl who continued to occupy his thoughts by stripping the owl of its feathers.

 A deep breath came from Rick's lungs and he closed the doors. It was almost as if he didn't notice her when she exchanged half of a smile. Echo's lips slowly formed into a frown, she didn't allow it to get to the best of her.

Her wispy fingers raked through her dark, greasy locks. Echo wiped the sweat from her forehead, with her stained flannel. Occasionally, she began to have doubts that trying to understand Rick was achievable. Echo brushed off the uneasy feeling and joined the group in the living room.

It almost seemed as if Rick was frustrated. Rick's eyes traced over the cans of dog food his son cracked into. Rick ripped the incomplete, half-opened can and tossed it into the fireplace, making his presence known. Daryl's head jerked up after the startling sound.

Echo crossed her arms and huffed. Carl's mouth was agape after the impulsive action Rick did. Echo couldn't blame Rick for being so frustrated, but his rash actions were unjustified. Echo watched as Breanne's jaw locked. The aura in the room became unsettling and uneasy.

Certain types of dog food wouldn't affect the group, but they weren't animals. And the factorized and powdery slop wasn't made to satisfy specific proteins in their bodies. Curiously, her eyes began to wander around the room and to the window. The slow movement of a group of walkers making their way toward the house startled Echo.

"Shit," she warned the group with a curse.

"Pss." T-dog motioned the group quietly to the Kitchen. He jumped up from his uncomfortable position next to the window. Echo stared blankly at the window, calculating how many there were.

"Hey." Myles firmly said, breaking her from her thoughts. Echo began to chase after the group. The group stealthily rounded the overgrown backyard and to the vehicles. Glenn popped open the hatch to the vehicle and they began to toss their weapons in. Her heart began to pick up the pace, her mind was going through a frenzy of thoughts.

 Though her expression remained calm, there was a war going on inside her. That constant fear whispering in her ear that someone might die if she isn't the last to cover the group. She struggled to break the cycle. She hopped onto the dirt bike and began to follow the group as they pushed out of the driveway. Inches and the walkers gathered towards the vehicles.

They made it out on the end of a piece of thread. She followed the group until they came to a stop, assuring enough to know they were far enough from the walkers, that they might have followed.

"Stay here," Myles instructed Hannah. Before exiting the vehicle he stole a kiss from her.

Breanne dashed past Echo and accompanied Carl, near the front of Rick's truck.

"Don't run off too far, sweetheart. Be in eyes view." Echo advised her niece.

"Ya, I know," Breanne replied.

"Fifteen, you're on point." Rick directed Carl to take watch, while the adults crowded around the front of Rick's truck. Rows of trees accompanied the endless road ahead of them. Warm rays of sunshine kissed her skin with a warm embrace. She joined the group, keeping silent to comprehend and absorb the plan that would fall into action- if there is one.

Maggie unrolled a map of Georgia on the hood of the vehicle and began to methodize their next move. Lori stayed in the truck, Beth stood guard with the axe Maggie risked her life to get back to the house. Echo's eyes traced over the red markings on the maps, places they've marked where they've scavenged, took shelter for the night, and places that were covered in walkers.

A deep sigh escape Myles's lips, "We got nowhere left to go."

"When this herd meets up with us, we'll be cut off and we'll never make it south," Maggie mentioned. She traced her finger down the rigid and messy marker line.

"What'd you say the number was, 150 ahead?" Daryl questioned. Echo's stomach began to rotate into an uneasy feeling. It reminded her of the army of walkers back at the Military base. The Military refuge hundreds of families who sought safety. The beacon of hope began to tumble from her fingertips when the dead infested the base in less than four hours; and attacked everyone in sight, like a swarm of hornets.

"That could be last week, it could be twice that by now." Glenn corrected Daryl.

Hershel studied the map carefully and pointed out the large outline of a river that cuts through Gegogia Hershel shook his head, "This river could have delayed them. But if we move fast, we might just have a shot to tear right through there-"

"But if this group cuts through that way, the group could spill out this way." T-dog traced his finger across from the river and over to the location where the group was on the map.

"So, we're blocked..." Maggie muttered.

"The only thing we could do is double back up 27, and swing through Greenville," Rick suggested. T-dog shook his head with a firm expression.

"Yeah, but we picked through that already, it's like we split the winter running in circles." T-dog reminded Rick. Echo could see T-dog's intentions weren't to doubt Rick. But he was right, what was the use of going back when everything was scavenged.

"Yeah, I know. At noon we'll push through west, we haven't been through there yet. We can't keep going house to house. We need to find someplace we can hold up for a few weeks..." Rick replied to T-dog.

Echo crossed her arms and nodded, "I agree with you in one sense, Rick. But we need to find somewhere safe. Your wife and my sister-in-law cannot take much more of this. Imagine...just imagine what would happen; if we continue being on the road and Lori is ready to have her baby. Then next it will be Hannah." Echo reasoned with Rick, keeping her focus on the map.

With sincerity, Rick's eyes narrowed towards Lori who occupied herself with her thoughts. There was no doubt that she could hear them, but she chose to keep quiet. Even for Hannah, Echo cared for both. And now that there were going to be two children, crying and wailing during times in the night and day will attract the dead from afar.

Lori's stomach was like a balloon and swollen, and it seemed so painful to watch Lori like how Echo did. She and the children became the top priority in protection. Occasionally, Echo began to believe that she was too selfless. 

But no one could tell her otherwise, it made her feel good deep down. And her kindness masked the darkest side of her. She saved that side of her from the threats that threatened the will of the group.

"I know, but we're doing our best," Rick assured Echo.

Echo felt better knowing Rick was trying his best to benefit the group. The symphony of crickets became an impending cataclysm. T-dog nodded and tapped Rick on the arm before he spoke, "Alright, is it cool if we get down to the creek before we head out? It won't take long, we got to fill up on water. We can boil it later." T-dog summarized.

Maggie rolled up the map and accompanied Glenn and T-dog down to the creek.

"Knock yourself out," Rick replied.

Hershel furrowed his brows and stared at Rick until he noticed.

"She can't take much more of this moving about," Hershel stated.

"What else can we do? Let her give birth on the road?" Rick whispered in sarcasm.

Hershel shook his head and placed his hand on Rick's shoulder, "Do you see a way around that?"

Hershel's words left Rick at a loss for words. Myles joined Breanne and Carl before speaking, "Why don't you guys go play, I'll take watch." Myles offered the two.

"I guess I can teach you how to reload a clip," Carl whispered to Breanne, Myles immediately caught a whiff of the whisper.

"Just make sure you don't tell your mother." Echo stepped in.

Breanne furrowed her brows, her brown glossy eyes stared at Echo in confusion.

"How come?" she questioned curiously.

"Your mother doesn't think you should be handling weapons just yet-"

Carl interrupted Echo, "Breanne's the only one in the group that doesn't know how to defend herself. And she doesn't want her to be handling a weapon?" Carl voiced his opinion, then rather treading water around the situation.

A part of her was with Carl, but in the end, she didn't say anything, Echo just allowed her brother to handle it.

He turned to Breanne and spoke confidently with truth, "I am unsure if that is a good idea, if your mother finds out that I allow Carl to teach you without supervision, she will skin us both. Then it will be an ear load-" Myles began to ramble.

"Dad, you can supervise us," Breanne suggested after seeing her father very hesitant.

Myles bit his lip and his eyes began to wander over to Hannah. She sat in the front seat, sound asleep, and her head pressed up against the window.

"If she finds out, you can blame the idea on me." Echo suggested out of the blue. Myles's gaze snapped from his thought process and locked on Echo's icy eyes.

The corner of his lip raised in hesitation, then his lip dropped. He shook his head, "I can't allow you to take the blame."

"Why not? I am used to taking shit-"

"Language." Myles interrupted Echo. Echo froze and realized she allowed herself to let her mouth run freely, without being mindful there were two kids around.

"Sorry," Echo muttered.

"Don't worry about it," Carl replied. Echo shook her head knowing it wasn't okay. The worst part was the two were close to becoming teenagers and then they would be under the influence of swearing.

Echo gave him a half-smile, one of sincerity. She reached towards his head, stole his hat, and ruffled his hair.

"You're a good kid, Carl. Stay out of trouble." Echo complimented. She returned the hat on top of his head.

She held her hand out, motioning him to pass her the gun.

Carl took a moment to understand what she was asking for. He passed her his handgun that was tapped with a flashlight over the end of the barrel, used as a homemade silencer.

She pulled the chamber back and popped the bullet out and caught it. Momentarily, she took a couple of seconds to pass his gun back.

"Alright." Carl began.

Echo turned away from the three and stood nearby Rick's truck, she tried her best to not make herself look like she was eavesdropping. But she couldn't help but begin to hear the worried discussion Hershel presented with Rick.

She began fiddling with her dog tags, reading her name, numbers, and blood type several times.

"We are focussing first on personnel." Echo began to mutter a memory of her first meeting with her Commander. Tags to every soldier were a symbol for warriors saying "screw you" to the reaper before they stepped into battle. But most importantly it reminded Echo of who she was. To her, her tags brought comfort and many times psychologically calmed her fears before facing possible death.

"Hey, while everyone is washin' our panties, let's go huntin'. Not all of that exactly hit the spot." Daryl implied, reminding Rick of the food they preserved and rationed this week. It was hard enough, and some of them would have to go without a meal. It made things much harder for them.

Rick nodded, "Chambers." Rick called out.

Echo's gaze snapped over to Rick, he motioned his head to the side, for her to follow. Daryl stood in silence and stared at her. His expression was unreadable. She knew he had some right to think it was a bad idea to bring her along after the latest incidents. But he began to think more about the benefits, she might as well brag she was almost as good as Daryl was at hunting.

Daryl loaded his crossbow and took the lead, Rick followed Daryl with a 22-hunting rifle in his grip. With a quick pace, they followed the road and came across some train tracks that led further into the countryside.

It wasn't long until Echo began to drown in her thoughts. She snapped out of her thoughts and listened closely to the thuds her boots made on the old boards of the tracks. Daryl turns his gaze away from the tracks and narrows towards an abandoned prison, with decently sturdy fences, intertwined at the top with barbwire.

The prison's yard was taken by walkers that wandered the yard. Rick stared at the prison and his eyes lit up brightly with hope and his mouth was left partially open. Echo inhaled deeply, this is what the group lacked was: safety. 

She began to visualize the group being safer behind concrete walls and barbed fences. The prison may lack comfort and enrichment but it was enough for her and better than sleeping on the ground, getting a minimum of four to five hours of sleep.

But of course, it all came to a cost. She wasn't going to politely offer them a girl scout's box of cookies and ask them to leave without being devoured. It came to a cost of cleaning out the entire prison, to whatever opposed a threat to her group and her family. Scratch that, her group was a part of her family.

What remained unquestionable to her was; why there were so many of the infected in the yards of the prison? All she could acquire in her mind is that the virus must have begun to outbreak in the prison and caused it to a lockdown, possibly the guards were ordered to treat or kill the infected. She guessed the prisoners were sent down the path of death row.

But it was out in the middle of nowhere, during the pandemic, most paramedics and doctors abandoned their positions to be with their families. But the few brave ones were committed to staying and helping patients that couldn't be saved even after being bitten.

"It's a shame," Daryl commented.

Rick stood in silence and traced his focus over the guard towers. The prison was a perfect place to call a shelter and build a new beacon of hope. Maybe even a temporary place for Lori or Hannah to have their kids without giving birth on the road.

Echo licked her chapped lips and smiled, her focus remained a top priority on the prison. Even calculating the risk factors, the odds remained even. Things could go south or it could go the way she planned it.


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