In the Very End: Book One

Chapter 17

*WARNING: Please be advised that this chapter contains mature content and strong language.*

Chapter 17
Quinn's POV

"Dale could get under your skin. He sure got under mine, because he wasn't afraid to say exactly what he thought and how he felt. That kind of honesty is rare and brave. Whenever I made a decision, I'd look at Dale. He'd be looking back at me with that look he had. We've all seen it one time or another. I couldn't always read him, but he could read us. He saw people for who they were. He knew things about us, the truth, that we really are. In the end, he was talking about losing all humanity; he said this group was broken. The best way to honor him is to unbreak it. Set aside our differences and pull together. Stop feelin' sorry for ourselves and take control of our lives, our safty, our future. We're not broken. We're gonna prove him wrong. From now on, we do it his way. That is how we honor Dale."

___

"It'll be tight," Rick informed. "Fourteen people in one house."

"Don't worry about that," Hershel said. "With the swamp hardenin', the creek dryin' up..."

"With fifty heads of cattle on the property, we might as well ring a damn dinner bell," Maggie pointed out.

"She's right," Hershel agreed. "We should of moved ya in a while ago."

"Alright, let's move the vehicles near each of the doors, facing out toward the road," Rick ordered. "We'll have a look out at the windmill and another in the barn loft; that should give us sight lines on both sides of the property." Rick paused. "Quinn, you take the perimeter around the house and keep track of everyone comin' and goin'."

"What about standin' guard?" I asked.

"I need you and T-dog to go on double duty."

"Got it."

"What about patrols?" Andrea asked.

"Let's get this area locked down first. After that, Shane will assign shifts while Daryl and I take Randall off sight and cut 'im loose."

Rick and Shane threw a couple argues back and forth. I got into the blue truck and started it up. I drove up towards the house and faced it towards the road, like Rick said. I got out of the truck and went back down to help the others carry boxes.

I heard Rick's familiar southern drawl. "Quinn?"

I stopped and turned to him. "Yeah?"

"While Daryl and I bring Randall out—we're thinkin' about headin' out to Sinoy—will you keep an eye on Shane? Keep him in line?"

"You want me to babysit Shane?" I asked, waiting for him to reach my side.

"I just need to make sure that every time I leave, all hell doesn't break loose."

"Well maybe you should stop leaving," I said, a daring tone in my voice.

I started to walk away when Rick called to me, ignoring my comment, "Will you keep an eye on things?"

"Of course," I said, not bothering to turn around.

___

"Hey, Quinn?"

"Hey, kid," I said ruffling Carl's hair as he wandered over to me.

"If I tell you something, will you promise not to tell my parents?"

"That's probably a bad idea for the both of us," I answered, continuing to load wood into the back of Shane's car.

He nodded and started to walk away.