It Comes With The Name

Chapter 24: I Know Places

The confrontation between Lauren and Hershel quickly subsided as they all whipped around to face the two figures standing in the doorway. Rick stepped forward protectively as the strangers moved inside the building.

It was two men. The shorter of the two swiftly took a seat at the table closest to him. The other, a big-bellied man sporting a stained white shirt along with a barrette took a seat at the bar near Hershel.

Rick eyed the two men when the first guy reached forward, grabbing the open bottle in front of him and pouring himself a glass.

"I'm Dave." He leaned back once he was satisfied with the amount of alcohol in his glass. "And that scrawny lookin' douchebag over there, that's Tony." He pointed at the man seated by Hershel.

"Eat me, Dave." His comrade laughed, scratching at his gut.

"We met on I-95 coming out of Philly," Dave explained, turning to face them once again and pouring a round of shots on the table in front of him. He pushed four of them forward once he finished, handing the other to his friend and keeping one himself. "What a damn shit show that was."

"I'm Glenn. It's nice to meet some new people." Glenn smiled, seeming a bit too inviting for Lauren's liking. Apparently, he didn't have the same feeling about these guys as she did.

"Rick Grimes. This is Lauren and that's Hershel." He said, nodding toward each of them.

Seriously, Rick? Giving them our real names? Lauren mentally scolded him. She watched as her brother stepped forward and took two of the shots. Walking back to the bar he handed one to Glenn and kept the other.

The stranger then looked at Lauren, expectantly. She eyed the drinks for a moment before shortly saying, "I don't drink."

The man nodded and looked at Hershel. "How about you, pal? Have one?"

"I just quit." Hershel told the man.

Dave laughed. "You've got a unique sense of timing, my friend."

"He lost people today," Rick explained. "A lot of them."

Dave's face fell into what Lauren was sure was supposed to be an empathetic look, but just made her even more on edge. Maybe it was just the fact that his companion kept eying her from where he sat on the opposite side of the bar, but something about this whole interaction felt off . She leaned forward, resting her elbows on the bar before her and watching the men intently.

"I am truly sorry to hear that." Dave said to Hershel, raising his glass in a toast. "To better days and to new friends. And to our dead... may they be in a better place."

The men downed the shots, raising their arms in a toast as well. As Dave lifted his arm again, his shirt lifted slightly and Lauren caught a glimpse of something shoved in his waistband.

"Not bad huh?" Dave smirked, pulling out a Colt Python almost identical to her brothers. He held it up, showing it off. "Got it off a cop."

"I'm a cop." Rick said.

"Well, this one was already dead."

Rick nodded slowly, crossing his arms and leaning back against the bar. "You fellas are a long way from Philadelphia."

"Feels like we're a long way from anywhere." Dave chuckled.

"Well, what drove you two South?" Rick questioned, he seemed to be having the same feeling about these guys as Lauren did, or starting to.

"Well, I can tell you it wasn't the weather. I must've dropped 30 lbs. In sweat alone down here." Dave joked.

"I wish." Tony added, laughing.