No Rest For the Wicked ~ A Walking Dead Fan Fiction

Chapter 30: Blood Runs Cold

Chapter 30

Blood Runs Cold

Third Person~

            "Yo, Randy."  T-dog called, banging on the shed door.  "Governor called.  You're off the hook."  He unlocked the door and stepped in to find an abandoned pair of bloody hand cuffs laying on the blanket where Randal used to sit.  He quickly looked around the empty shed, but of course the kid was gone.  "Oh, hell no."  He muttered running back to Rick.  They were all sitting in the car but Rick had left his door open, waiting for him to return with Randal.  "Hey!"  T-dog yelled as he ran over.  "Kid's gone!"  At this Rick shot out of the car, a look of dread on his face.

            "What do you mean, gone?"

            "As in Randal is no longer in the shed and not because I took him out."  T-dog panted.  Daryl and Kate circled around from the other side of the car.  No one was messing around as Rick and Daryl headed straight to the shed while Kate made a beeline for the house. T-dog and Andrea followed the men as Olivia, who was on the front porch, ran inside to alert the others.  They examined the shed quickly before stepping out to be met by a panicked crowd.

            "Cuffs are still hooked."  Rick announced, getting their attention.  "He musta slipped 'em."

            "Is that possible?"  Carol asked.

            "Yeah."  Kate confirmed, standing amid the group with Elsie securely tucked under her arm.  Everyone but Shane was gathered there and they all turned to look at her, instantly making assumptions about how she knew that so surely.  T-dog could see something flicker in her eyes but she held her chin high, not looking down.  He had to admire this.

            "The door was secured from the outside."  Hershel reminded everyone, bringing the focus back to the issue at hand. 

            "He could have slipped out the rafters.  The space looked big enough to do it."  Andrea said.

            "Rick!"  Shouting from the woods caused everyone's heads to simultaneously snap to the side to see Shane emerging from the trees, blood smeared down from his nose and mouth.  T-dog thought he looked damn freaky as he marched toward them.  "Rick!"  He shouted again, voice deep and raspy.

            "What happened?"  Lori yelled.

            "He's armed!  He's got my gun!"  Shane told them.

            "Are you okay?"  Carl yelped, noticing his beaten face.

            "I'm fine.  Little bastard just snuck up on me.  He clocked me in the face."  Shane told them, reaching the group at last.

            "All right, Hershel, T-Dog, Kate, get everybody back in the house."  Rick started barking out orders.  "Glenn, Daryl, Justin, Eric, come with us."  He selected the strongest of the men for his team. 

             T-dog was a little upset to be left out of that group but knew he was still on the up mend from his blood infection and therefore didn't fit the bill.  Kate on the other hand didn't look so accepting.  She was definitely one of the strongest; better than Eric or Glenn in a fight.

            "Rick, I'm coming too."  Kate said, taking her bow from her shoulder.

            "No, I want you in the house.  We need someone to be able to handle things here if he comes back, especially if he's already got his whole crew with him."  Rick commanded her, leaving no room for debate.  He was thinking of Daryl's eerie comment about their woman wishing they'd be dead, and didn't want Lori or any of the others wandering around outside.  Kate scowled but thankfully didn't argue.