Sneaky

Chapter 27

"How much farther?" Lori asked

"Not much. Maybe a hundred yards. As the crow flies" Daryl answered.

He sounds exhausted, I don't blame him. We're all running on empty. I'm trying not to wheeze but I sound like a dying car's tailpipe. A leaking can of aerosol.

"Too bad we're not crows" Andrea stomped to the side of me as she walked. Feet crashing on leaves and sticks with every step.

Glenn nudged me and pointed to a strangely warped mushroom on a log. The corner of my lip lifted and my feet came to halt in front of it.

I stiffly leaned down to pick it, attempting to not be too obvious in holding my side as I did it, when a scream snapped my attention away from it.

"Andrea?!" Lori called out, head's swivelling in every direction to check for the grumpy blonde before several pairs of heavy steps were running towards the screams.

The fall slowed me down quite a bit more than I'd have liked but I still kept pace with them, opting to stay next to Carol near the back.

We ran through the trees, headed for a patch of tan until we came to a stop several feet from a girl on a horse but I don't see Andrea.

My first instinct was to pull my gun on the girl but that flew out the window when she spoke.

"Lori? Lori Grimes? Whoa" How the crap does she know her name?

"I'm Lori" said woman panted next to me, staring.

"Rick sent me you gotta come now" the girl rushed the words out as fast as humanly possible.

"What?" Lori's brow scrunched in confusing; a state of nonplussed sweeping over the rest of the group.

"There's been a accident. Carl's been shot" Oh my God "He's still alive, but you gotta come now"

My brow shot to my hairline, mouth falling ajar, and eyes shooting to Lori.

She gaped like a fish out of water, eyes wide, mouth opening and closing in disbelief.

"Rick needs you, just come!"

Lori's backpack hit the ground with a thud and was already getting on the horse before Daryl could get two words out.

"Whoa whoa whoa, we don't know this girl. You can't get on that horse-" he tried to stop Lori without touching her.

I grabbed Daryl's arm and shook my head. Nothing he— or anyone says is gonna change Lori's mind about going with this woman, rightfully so.

If what she says is true, it's worth the risk.

"Rick said you had others on the highway. That big traffic snarl?" she looked at Glenn.

"Uh-huh" Glenn nodded in a complete daze, chest heaving from running.

"Backtrack to Fairburn road. Two miles down is our farm. You'll see the mailbox, the name's Greene. Hiyah!" And just like that, the two rode off into the woods, leaving the rest of us standing here like deer in headlights.

All eyes staring after the horse even after it was long gone.

I spotted Andrea in the dirt several feet from back the way she came. Her face twisted in shock.

I moved around Daryl, going to her side and normally I would've crouched to see if she's okay but under the circumstances I offered my hand instead, giving her a once over as she stared at my palm.