BOUND BY BLOOD AND BRAINS || TWD¹

04 || Idiot in the Tank

Season one, episode two

AUTUMN

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"HEY YOU, Idiot in the tank. You cozy in there?"

The voice crackled through the radio, breaking the silence and making Audie jump.

"Hey, you alive in there?"

Rick leapt to his feet, and in his haste to reach the radio, hit his head hard against one of the metal poles running along the top of the tank. Despite everything that had happened moments before, Audie couldn't help but let out a small laugh as she watched the man try to collet himself.

Ignoring her, Rick picked up the radio, holding it against his mouth, "Hello? Hello?"

"There you are. You had me wondering."

"Where are you? Outside? Can you see me right now?" Rick didn't seem too intent on making a good first impression with this man, cutting straight to the point.

"Yeah, I can see you. You're surrounded by walkers, that's the bad news."

"There's good news?"

"No."

"Listen, whoever you are, I've got a kid with me and I don't mind telling you I'm a little concerned here."

"Oh man. You should see what it's like from over here. You'd be having a major freak-out."

That is definitely not what Audie wanted to hear.

"Got any advice for me?" Rick sounded sceptical.

"Yeah, I' say make a run for it."

There was a moment of silence before Rick spoke again, "Thats it? "Make a run for it"?"

"My ways 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. You with me so far?"

The image of the horse being torn apart flashed up in Audie's mind as Rick replied, "So far."

"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 the duffle bag I dropped out there, and guns. Can I get to it?"

"Forget the bag, okay? It's not an option. What have you got on you?"

"Hang on," Rick unloaded his gun before crawling back across the tank to where the body of a soldier rested, still dressed in full uniform. As Rick searched through the dead man's pockets to no avail, Audie scanned the tanks shelves. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted something round towards one side. Picking it up her heart dropped, it was a grenade, at least it looked like one, the clip still attached.

"Hey, would this help?" She asked, carefully holding out the object to Rick.

He turned away from the body, looking down at her hand before nodding, "Yeah, yeah." Taking the object he crawled back across the floor, picking up the radio again. "I've got a Beretta with one clip, fifteen rounds."

"Make 'em count. Jump off the right side of the tank, keep going in that direction. There's an ally up the street maybe fifty yards, be there."

"Hey, what's your name?"

"Have you been listening? You're running out of time."

"Right," Rick dropped the radio, grabbing a shovel left attached to one of the walls and turning to Audie, "You ready?"