Sneaky

Chapter 117

I moved as quick as I could to the end, putting my back against the checkout belt/counter thing, so there's less of a chance I'll be seen; Like sticking to a wall beneath a window that someone's looking out of when you're trying to sneak past.

I glanced into the aisle again, trying to construct a mental map. 'Kay, Mr.Bloat is still busy. I can hear that one in the aisle growling at dinnerware. And Mr.Pringle with the half-a-shirt is behind the counter. But he's way too stealthy for my liking.'

I glanced at the guy's outside one last time — Glenn giving me a thumbs up to let me know I'm good — before I crawled into the aisle, disappearing from their sight, and as fast as I could manage while still trying to keep quiet towards that basket.

I pulled it off the shelf and grabbed the first two balls I could see.

I had to put my knife in the basket so I could carry it with one hand and still crawl without making noise but oh god my ribs do not like this.

The second I slid back into the aisle, I grabbed one of the balls and used my arm like a frickin' catapult, chucking it as hard as I could to the other side of the store.

It wasn't half a second before I jumped out of my skin and all I could hear was glass smashing in what had to be the loudest way physically possible.

I looked towards the door just as Daryl ripped it open and the 3 of them came sliding in, crouched behind the counter next to me with Rick right behind them.

I looked the other way, cringing and flinching with every sound as things kept breaking — Jesus it's like someone put a bunch of mugs on an escalator out a window.

The bloated walker barreled right past me on the end of the lane and I almost gagged at the smell it left in its wake.

But I avoided looking at the others at all cost. Why? Because I can feel Daryl staring at me. And it's not a fun one. It's that wonderful 'The Hell did you do' kind of stare.

You know that one that people give you when everyone's trying to be quiet and your the muffin brain who knocked over a towering stack of cans? Yeah.

Only this time, it's a waterfall of never-ending glass apparently. And our lives are at risk.

I shook my head, taking my knives back out as I leaned around the corner to look and — oh my god— that's a lot.

Hooo ok. Uhhh...

The glass finally stopped but the crunching from the half a dozen or so walkers down there trampling on the remains is not giving me any peace of mind. At least their movement will cover ours.

Where the Hell did all those things come from?

I did a quick head count and looked back at Daryl, who's already looking at me, and held up 6 fingers, using my thumbs to keep hold of my blades.

There's 6 of them and 5 of us. But Daryl's the only one with a long ranged weapon that isn't gonna make a shit ton of noise.

Not that it matters much anymore. If there's any walkers in those other buildings, or if this place has a backdoor or something, I might as well have just announced our presence to the whole neighborhood.

Fantastic job, me. Let me just give myself a slow clap here.

Those gurgling sounds — the kind of thing you expect to hear as a sound effect in a movie — are pretty vicious. It sounds like we really riled them up.

"Eve, Daryl," Rick whispered at us and we both turned. "Draw their attention, and go that way." He pointed down the space in front of the aisles. "Take the first two."

"Glenn, Maggie and I will come up from behind and take the other 3."

"I can take the last one too." Daryl pulled his hunting knife from it's sheath on his belt behind him. Holding his crossbow now with his knife in his steadying hand.

Rick nodded. "On 3"

I took a breath, puffing out my cheeks and got ready. Been a while since I was the one playing distraction.

"1... 2... 3"

I grabbed another ball from the basket and jumped into the aisle, throwing it right at the center of the walkers right as Daryl whistled.

The center walker turned and the ball hit it smack in the face, knocking it backwards into the shelf and immediately 6 sets of bulging veiny eyes of varying discolors set on us.

Daryl stepped just in front of me and shot the closest one to the back side — the side the others will pop out from — and I focused on the one trying to charge us while Daryl tossed his crossbow on the checkout belt.

Instead of risking the wait for it to stumble too close and the possibility of a physical confrontation in my state, I tossed my knife up and caught it by the tip of the blade before throwing it dead center of it's mushy green perforated eye.

I grabbed Daryl's elbow, pulling him backwards as they all shambled in a haphazard line towards us, looking behind me so we don't trip, until we're far enough the others will be able to jump out unhindered.

Daryl filleted the next one that came close, just before Glenn and Maggie jumped the two at the back and it was almost simultaneous how the 3 bodies dropped, and Rick stabbed the last one right in the back of the head and let gravity pull his knife free as it hit the floor in a crumpled heap over the other ones.

Well, that was easier than I thought.

Glenn panted a little, before pulling my blade out of the one beside his foot and looked at me. "Since when could you throw knives?"

I gave him an odd look. Hasn't he seen me throw them before?

Rick looked at him too. "You didn't know? She taught me back at the farm."

"Hol' up," Daryl turned to me. "You taught 'im how to throw knives? When?"

I gave him an odd look too. I could've sworn he was there when Rick asked me.

"Not to break up this little... whatever it is, but can we clear the rest of the store please? I'm starvin'." Maggie's got a point.

The 4 of us nodded, Glenn muttering "Right, sorry" and we got back on task.

I got my knife back from Glenn while Daryl got his bow and he motioned with a slight jerk of his head for me to follow to the back, after he finished reloading it.

I let him go first, as usual but if there was anything else in the store — that isn't stuck or something — I'm pretty sure it would've come out by now.

No I didn't grab several packages of cookies as soon as we cleared the store and no one was looking. No Daryl didn't give me a look as he just stood there and watched me. Or shake his head and secure his crossbow over his back and pick up one of the plastic handheld store baskets. And of course it would just be crazy talk if he swiped the rest of the shelf into the green thing before handing it to me.

And there most certainly wasn't a cheeky smile on my face as I took it and grabbed several packages of beef jerky for him.

I don't know what you're smokin'. But none of that happened.

'Oof' The muscles in my arm strained as I stowed my knife and grabbed it with both hands.

This stuff is heavier than it looks.

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I was so out of it today I almost forgot it was Monday.

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