"She really has your eyes." Sarah said sitting next to Adelaide's mother, Jenny, as her daughter left the room and played with all the clothes in the store. The mother and daughter had hidden in the store while everyone else went out that day just for Adelaide's safety but the everyone was back waiting for Lauren N. and Nina to come back from their small mission.
"Thanks, but everyone always tells me that she has her daddy's smile and sharp wit." Jenny smiled.
"We never really talked about how you ended up with Lauren and Nuria."
"There was also your friend, Adrienne." Jenny said. Sarah just looked down. The other girls in the room also looked down. "I, uh, I'm sorry...I didn't mean to rehash..."
"It's okay." LeAndria said from her corner as she started polishing a few of the blunt weapons.
JC walked into the small room in the back with the other guys and offered the girls the canned food they had found while raiding a few of the houses. "Two zombies nearly got us." Jiko said.
"Thank God that Jiko had sharpened his knives." Owen said.
"One swift move and I had those suckers knocked out."
"Where's Susie?" JC just noticed. Christa got up and brought JC to the back room where the dressers were. Jiko and Owen put their bags down, scanning each woman's face trying to get an answer without a single word. Suddenly they all heard JC shout and break down from the other room and a single tear ran down Owen's face when he realized what had happened.
"Her body??" Owen asked. "Where is her body?"
Sarah stood up. "We couldn't grab her...it was too dangerous and it's getting late out there. "
"Then what about the other two girls?" Jiko asked about Lauren N. and Nuria.
"They should have been back by now..." Devin said looking at the older girls for reassurance. LeAndria explained their mission to the two guys.
JC and Christa walked back into the room and and sat around with the rest of the group.
"I think it's really time to hash something out." Christa began. "We only have one car that seems to be working right now. What I suggest we do is we send a group out to find another car and bring it back so we have enough for our entire group."
"What if they leave us behind?" Caroline asked.
"We send who we trust the most." Christa responded. Everyone looked at each other but said nothing.
"Then you should go." Devin suggested to Christa.
"I will if that's what you want. Who else will go with me?"
"I will." Lauren H. raised her hands.
"I will too." LeAndria said.
"Yup." Jiko responded.
They all agreed that the four of them would be enough for this trip and at first light they would leave their hiding spot to find another car. The rest of the group would scout from the roof and close vicinity to make sure that the others or any zombies would block them from fleeing.
Jenny got up and left the room to look for Adelaide.
"Hey guys!" Mel returned into the room from guarding the back door. "Nina and Lauren are back! They're just freshening up in the bathroom."
Lauren N. and Nina walked in utterly exhausted and explained their ordeal.
"Kelly and David?" Lauren H. sounded surprised. "They also went to stop the cops?"
"Where was Elizabeth? I feel like she controls everything they do." Sarah asked.
Lauren N. shook her head and didn't have anything to say.
"Let them rest...they had a lot happen." Christa said.
Jenny ran back into the room after minutes, a panicked look on her face.
"I can't find Adelaide!" Everyone fell silent and jumped up to scout the entire store.
"ADELAIDE?!" Jenny whispered loudly.
Owen entered the main area of the store where everyone was searching. "You guys! You might want to see this!"
He led everyone to the back door. It was slightly open with a small breeze coming through.
"She must have walked out when Mel came back with the others."
"Don't blame me!" Mel said.
"I'm not blaming you...but that's the only time it could have happened."
JC walked out of the room and back a few moments later. "Jiko grab this." He tossed Jiko a machete. "Owen you packing?" Owen smiled and showed him his loaded gun. "Boys, we have a little girl to find."
"I have to come with you." Jenny said.
"Have you ever shot a gun?" JC asked.
"No, but I...I have to..."
"It's better you stay here. Ma'am, I promise you we'll find your daughter." JC reassured her. He motioned for the two boys to follow him and they crept quietly into the dark.
***
"Momma?" Adelaide whispered in the darkness after losing her way. "Momma? I'm scared." She said.
"Are you lost little girl?" Adelaide jumped back and turned around to see someone standing behind her. Adelaide shook her head.
"Come here...I'll help you find your way home. It's dangerous out here. You never know what kind of mean people you might run into..."
The stranger took Adelaide by the hand and disappeared into the night...
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