Carter's P.O.V
" My God, it's like Times Square down there," Andrea states.
" How's the signal?" Morales asks T-Dog, giving him a glance.
" Like Dixon's brain...Weak," he responds. I cough to cover my laugh, Merle responding with the bird. Morales mutters for T to keep trying.
" Why?" Andrea questions. " There's nothing they can do. Not a damn thing." Morales then explains to Rick and me about their camp outside the city.
" Then she's right. We're on our own. It's up to us to find a way out." I was about to tell Rick an idea until Merle beats me to speak.
" Good luck with that. These streets ain't safe in this part of town from what I hear. Ain't that right sugar tits?" Merle asks Andrea. I bite my lip to hide a smirk at her expression. " Hey, honeybunch, what say you get me out of these cuffs, we go off somewhere and bump some uglies? Gonna die anyway."
" The streets ain't safe. Now there's an understatement," Morales adds.
" What about under the streets? The sewers?"
" Oh man." Morales then looks at Glenn before saying, " Hey, Glenn, check the alley. You see any manhole covers?"
" No, must be all out on the street where the geeks are."
" Maybe not. The old building like this built in the '20s... Big structures often had drainage tunnels into sewers in case flooding down in the subbasements."
We all stare at Jacqui for a moment before Glenn asks, " How do you know that?"
" It's my job...was. I worked in the city zoning office."
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Carter's P.O.V
" I really scoped this place out the other times I was here. It's the only thing in the building that goes down. But I've never gone down it. Who'd want to, right?" We all stare at him. I push an eyebrow up at him. He sees our reply, muttering, " Oh. Great."
" We'll be right behind you."
" No, you won't. Not you."
Andrea steps forward, questioning, " Why not me? Think I can't?"
" I wasn't-"
" He doesn't want the whole group coming with him to ride up like a stick in his ass." Andrea glares at me, not like it bothers me. Glenn nods at me in thanks and tells us where we will be.
Glenn goes down there with Morales. Jacqui stays in the basement to warn them if something goes wrong. Andrea and Rick are at the front of the store, making sure no geeks come through, while I and T-Dog go up on the roof.
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Carter's P.O.V
T-Dog has been trying for a few minutes to get a response on the radio and failing miserably every time. I've been taking my Glock apart before putting back together.
" You really know a lot about guns, don't you sweetie?" I shrug, checking the chamber and the mag again, putting it in safety mode and back into the waistband of my jeans. I grab my bag, looking for a mirror to see how bad my face is until Merle interrupts my thoughts.
" You really need to smile more sweet pea. Maybe you'll get a guy faster." I roll my eyes as I grab my mirror. I put my bow and quiver down beside me before looking at myself. I have a bruise and on my cheek from the gun and an open wound on my eyebrow. I shrug again before throwing T-Dog the mirror.
" What's it for?"
" Thought you'd wanna check out your face," I say. He nods in agreement before looking. T cringes a moment before throwing the mirror back to me. He gives thanks as I stick it back in my bag.
" What's your name anyhow?"
" Carter." He nods in understanding as Merle tries to persuade us again.
" I'll tell you what... You get me out of these things and I'll be all 'Sammy Sunshine' positive for you. Hey, see that hacksaw over there in that toolbar? Get it for me, hm? Make it worth your while. What do you say? How about you sweetie?" I glance to see him licking his lips at me. I internally vomit before going to mess with his rifle as T-Dog speaks.
" So you can beat my ass again? Or call me n*gger some more?"
" Come on now. Nothing personal man. Just your kind and my kind don't mix you know-"
" Then please explain how I am both black and white meat, Merle?" I question. Both boys look over to me, Merle with a grin before letting a chuckle.
" Girl, your father raped your ma then. Or your momma is just a damn slut." I reload his rifle and aim it at him, T-Dog getting up to stop me.
" C'mon Carter he ain't worth the bullet. Stop it." I stare at T-Dog for a moment, questioning if I should shoot the man or not.
" Why the hell am I standing up for the bastards anyhow?" I mutter out loud. I look at him for a few moments before sitting down and closing my eyes, letting the weights of my eyelids win.
3rd P.O.V
T-Dog notices Carter fall asleep, but doesn't bother waking her up. The lines under her eyes show she hasn't slept much.
" Hey, maybe we can fuck her while she's sleeping. Man, wouldn't that be nice?" T-Dog rolls his eyes and tries the radio again. Though doubtful it'll work he still continues.
" Heh. Looks like she's a veteran," Merle states. T-Dog gives a confused expression before looking. The sunlight glistens on the dog tags around her neck that were hidden by her jacket.
" You know, you have a nice way of showing veterans respect." T was about to continue with the radio until the sounds of people's feet up the stairs are heard. Carter is forced awake by it.
Carter's P.O.V
The sound of people's feet on the stairs is heard, yet don't open my eyes until the door opens with a bang. I look to see the rest of them running up here. All of us except Merle and I look over the ledge, trying to find an idea.
Rick then spots a truck, creating an idea, it's a dumbass one, really dumb, but it's a plan.
-
Carter's P.O.V
Rick starts grabbing a few trench coats and gloves for the rest of us. " If bad ideas were an Olympic event, this would take the gold," Glenn complains.
" He's right. Just stop, okay? Take some time to think this through," Morales adds. I only shake my head.
" How much time? They already got through one set of doors, that glass won't hold forever."
We move outside as Morale and Glenn drag out one of the geeks killed in the store. Rick grabs a fire ax as we all put on trench coats so no blood will stain our clothes. Rick searches the geek to find his I.D, which he does.
" Wayne Dunlap. Georgia license. Born in 1979. He had $28 in his pocket when he died." There's a moment of silence before Ricks starts to hack away at the body. Guts and blood fly out, the group gagging. I roll my eyes at the childish behavior.
They all begin to whine as Rick hands Morales an ax, he frantically shakes his head no. I stick my hand out for the ax, which he gladly gives to me before I hack away at the body with Rick.
" Everybody got gloves? Don't get any on your skin or in your eyes."
When we begin to apply the guts and blood on the two. Glenn instantly whines.
" Oh God! Oh jeez. Oh, this is bad. This is really bad."
" Think about something else... Puppies and kittens. Dead puppies and kitten." Glenn vomits as I give a silent laugh. I nod to Rick with a slight smirk as he nods back with a small smile.
" That is just evil. What is wrong with you?" Andrea asks making me roll my eyes. I question how these people haven't popped my eyes out of my head.
" Next time let the cracker beat his ass," Jacqui adds.
" I'm sorry," Rick apologizes, but I can hear a small hint of amusement in his voice before asking, " Do we smell like them?"
" Oh yeah. Glenn. Just in case," Andrea says handing him a gun.
" If we make it back, be ready."
" What about Merle Dixon?" T-Dog questions. Rick tosses the keys to him, which he catches with ease. Rick starts to chop the body again, which I follow.
-
Carter's P.O.V
On the roof, looking at the road, the two shuffling through the horde. A static noise begins to go off on the radio. They try to communicate with their camp as I look up at the clouds, a problem forming.
" They're in trouble," I mutter but Morales hears.
" What do mean trouble?" he questions, the group looking at me. I point up at the sky when thunder roars. It begins to pour, a nice ass amount I might add too.
" Oh," he lets out before going over to look at the ledge.
We all hear them yell as they begin running to the fence. They throw their weapons over the fence before hopping over themselves. We sigh in relief. They get in a truck and drive away, the group panicking as the rain begins to clear.
" They're leaving us." Andrea then begins to hyperventilate a bit while walking back and forth.
" What? What?" Merle asks.
" Where they going? Where are they going?" Morales questions. Andrea begins to mutter things as I sit down next to Merle, tired of their whining.
" They aren't really leaving us are they?" Merle questions. I shake my head no. " Where the hell they going and why the hell can't you speak...whatever your name is!"
" They need a distraction, too many to stroll through. Don't like talking much to people. Names Carter Foyer, Merle Dixon." I close my eyes, leaning my head back on the pipe.
He then smirks at me, " You're smarter than most of the bastards here. Might wanna talk more to save their asses sweetie." I shrug, trying to get a few seconds of sleep until a car horn rings off. I groan in annoyance, getting up and looking over the ledge.
Everyone begins to go to the back of the store. I stay since Dixon is still handcuffed. He begins to yell for T-Dog, luckily making him come back. He runs towards us but trips, dropping the key into a drain. He apologizes, running off, leaving me and Merle. He's begging me not to leave.
I grab a pair of bolt cutters and a saw from the toolbox and put them beside Merle. I kiss his forehead and whisper to him, " Wait." I grab my bag, quiver, and bow before running to the door, locking it with a chain and a padlock.
When I make it down to the store I see the geeks have broken through and the group already left. I curse out loud before running to the emergency exit. I open the door and run down the alley, dodging a few before hopping onto my bike, driving away at full speed as I follow the sound of the car alarm from this hell hole.