Sneaky

Chapter 47

"You sure you've never had training?" I finally asked the question that's been burning me since I found out she took that shot with the rifle.

"Nah. None." Andrea turned around, thumb hooked through her belt loop.

Unreal, man.

I still don't totally believe her but facts are facts. She did graze Daryl at that range, without a spotter, or any prior knowledge of what goes into being a sniper.

I smiled, shaking my head, and stowed my piece.

You know, she looks different. Much different than the lawyer I met in Atlanta. It feels like so long ago, but it hasn't even been a whole year yet.

With that beige stetson, deep blue jeans, those dark brown boots, and the gun in her hand, she really looks like she belongs out here; Like she grew up country. It's a good look for her, surprisingly.

Amy would never let her live this down. Her sister the civil rights lawyer, turned cowgirl gunslinger extraordinaire.

The thought made me smile, and I glanced down the line of fine shooters we've wrangled up and managed to train, in just a few hours.

You'd be surprised what the right sort of motivation does to a person.

-

Target practice came to a close and I still haven't been able to make a decision.

Everyone I can and have considered, has something to disqualify them. Even Shane already chose my first choice, Andrea, as his partner.

I'd be a little more peeved about that, if he wasn't training her with moving targets before they go check out the housing development Jimmy mentioned this morning.

I blew a frustrated breath through my lips and ran a hand down my face, pulling the skin from my cheekbones down and letting it snap back as I reached my designated ride.

Lifting my knee up to my chest, I hopped into the bed of the blue truck and extended my hand to help Carl(who begged his mom to be able to), and sat with my back against the cabin alongside the kid.

At this rate, I'm either gonna have to deliberately go against what Rick said and go alone, or I'll have to drag that very man out with me— despite him being on 'Hold down the fort' duty today.

The truck roared to life and rocked from side to side unevenly while it began pulling out and turning around to follow the other vehicles back the way we came.

I laced my fingers together, stretching them out and up in front of me. Tight muscles pulling until they relented to loosen gloriously, and I let them down again to relax.

The bed jostled as my arms dropped back down and a strangled grunt seized my vocal cords as my teeth clenched and my entire arm zinged up to my shoulder every half second.

A fit of laughter exploded beside me while I cradled the painfully tingling elbow and my jaw dropped, shooting a scandalized gape at the boy at my side.

How dare you laugh at my pain, you lil' shit—

I grabbed Carl in a headlock and started giving him the noogie I perfected in 7th grade.

He yelled, laughed, and squirmed; trying to get away but you are no match for me, child.

Muahahahaha! You shall feel my wrath—

The truck bed bounced and my heart lurched as the ground disappeared from under us.

Before my brain could even catch up to what had happened, the back of my legs slammed back onto the bed with an audible 'smack' and my hand grabbed the side of the bed faster than I knew possible; the other tightly wrapped around Carl's shoulders to keep him from leaving my grasp.

I looked around; head on a swivel between the trees, the road behind the truck, and into the cabin over my shoulder, but as soon as I realized it as just a dip in the trail behind us, I looked at Carl.

The boy looked scared shitless— pale as a sheet and hands gripping my knee/thigh for dear life before I burst out laughing; Carl's own following suit.

"Hey"

I looked over my left shoulder at Lori who was leaning out of the cabin window. "No more roughhousing, okay?"

I chewed my bottom lip, nodding. Not out of guilt, but trying to contain the laugh that so desperately wanted to escape.

"You're in the back of a moving vehicle. You both could get seriously hurt if somethin' were to happen."

I glanced at Carl who was doing worse at hiding his giggles and was using my jacket/shoulder to smother most of it, in combination with covering his mouth and nose. He at least has the courtesy of looking a bit guilty about the whole thing but I doubt Lori would care, if he started laughing now.

"Just keep the rough-housing down, okay, Eve? I let Carl ride back there because I trust you'll keep him safe."

I nodded, releasing my lip, to show I am taking his safety seriously; Squeezing Carl into my side for good measure and she gave a firm nod before we hit another small bump and she ducked back inside the cabin.

I turned back to Carl with wide eyes, blowing air out my mouth slowly.

Carl snorted and I joined him —quietly— after pulling a face and licked my dry lips.

Merlin's funny uncle, I just got scolded like a teenager.

I haven't felt parental wrath since I was still afraid of my 3rd grade teacher.

We did as told, fearing another beratement, and quit with the rough-housing in favor of having a thumb war— well, me pinning Carl's thumb so many times he got frustrated and I showed him the trick to winning.

-

Halfway back to the farm, I banged the side of the truck and T-Dog stopped.

I gave Carl's hair a tussle before I hopped out and leaned through Lori's window to grab the map.

"What's goin' on?" T looked at me from the driver's seat, over Patricia and Lori beside him.

Sorry, Rick. My partner's outta commission at the moment and I can't just sit on my hands because I don't have a search buddy.

The best I got is this compromise of sorts, for the time being.

I can at least treck the rest of the way back from here on foot. Cover some ground whilst we're already out here, save us some search time at the very least.

Once I get back, I'll decide properly on a partner for tomorrow, in case Daryl's still outta commission but I don't know how long he'll actually heed the doctor's orders and stay put.

Maybe I'll drag Glenn out— because he should be done with "mechanics" by then.

I sure hope Dale actually made him learn something.

It's not like it won't come in handy to have more than one or two people who know how to work on an engine.

I mean Daryl knows how to keep Merle's bike in good condition but I've no idea how much he knows about normal cars. Or RV's for that matter.

I know enough to get by, but I couldn't build or maintain an engine from scratch, on my own.