The camp stayed silent for a while. We were still all taking the recent events in. None of us wanting to break the silence. The only noise is the sound of Noah and Maya's cries. We stayed on the lookout, though. We can't risk loosing someone else.
"We need to head out," Liam finally said.
"I have to bury her," protested Noah, "I can't leave her here for them to feast on."
"You can bury her, and we can take down the tents."
"Why did we have to send them out while we were being attacked if we could have just waited until we took down the tents?" Noah was now standing up from his crouching position.
"I thought we'd have to leave right then and there. I didn't make the right call and it's my fault she died. I'm sorry, Noah and Maya, but we have to get going now."
"No, Liam. It's not all your fault," Noah disagreed, "If I would have been more careful and more observant, Mom would still be alive."
"Noah, it's not your fault."
"We can't just stand here all night arguing about who's fault this is," Maya cut the two off, "We need go discuss what we do now."
"We should make one more trip into town for supplies," Damien suggested.
"Yeah, that's a good idea," I agree.
"Who wants to go into town then?" Lucas questioned.
"The real question is," Adrian turned to everyone, "who wants to stay?"
"I'll go with you, dad," Wyatt looked up to me from my left.
I turn to Thea to ask her if he can go.
"I don't know, Nico," she replied.
"I think he needs some experience out there. I'll make sure he stays safe. You can trust me."
Thea stayed silent, thinking. She then responded with, "Okay, but make sure he doesn't get into trouble."
I nodded to her.
"Where are we going when we get back?" Wyatt asked.
When everyone else stayed silent, Adrian suggested we go to South Carolina.
"Where in South Carolina?" I questioned.
"That's where I used to live. In North Augusta. It's right beside the border of Georgia."
"Alright," Liam says, "we can go there. When the ones going out get back we will be ready to leave."
After we decided who was gonna go into town and who was gonna stay, we came up with the groups.
"Here's our teams," Coby stood from where he was knelt, "Nico, Wyatt, me, and Archer are known as Alpha team. Name was requested by Wyatt."
The four of us split from the others and stood together.
"Adrian, Adira, Damien, and Nat," continued Coby, "are known as Code Black."
Those four backed up and did the same as us.
"Last up is Lucas, Sadie, Robert, and Arya. I don't have a name for them," he looked up from his paper, "Does anyone have an idea for one?"
"Corporate Punishment," Adrian shrugged.
Coby laughed a little and said, "Corporate Punishment it is."
"Here's who's saying here with me," Liam stood by Coby, "Noah, Maya, Daniela, Katrina, and Thea."
"You don't have a group name?" questioned Coby.
Liam asked the camp, "Do you have an idea for one?"
"Google," suggested my son.
"Google Home," Coby laughed and Wyatt joined him.
"Alright. We are Google Home," Thea chuckled with the two boys, "you should get going now."
"Before we do that," Adrian stopped us, "why didn't you answer our calls?"
"You sent calls?" Liam's eyebrows rose.
Coby lifted his right hand to his mouth and muttered "The battery in the radio was low."
Adrian stopped talking to Liam and looked to Coby, "how many times do I have to say it? The radio has low battery!" He punctuated the last two words by hitting his hand against his other palm.
They checked the batteries in all the radios we will be taking and changed them if needed.
Everyone who is leaving, except Coby, walked over to where Thea, Daniela, and and Katrina had brought the backpacks and duffel bags for us.
While we got the bags, Liam, Coby, Adrian, and Robert made the routes every team will take.
Wyatt, Archer, and I waited in Coby's truck while Coby made the route plan with the other drivers and Liam. I sat in the back cargo bed with Wyatt. Archer sat in the front passenger seat.
After Coby came over and got behind the wheel, he tested his radio. Once he knew it worked he started the engine and the three vehicles pulled out onto the dirt road.
"What did you do while you were alone?" Wyatt glanced up at me from where he sat across from me, "All you told us last night is how you missed me and Mom and how you thought of us everyday, but what else did you do? You had to have done something to survive, right?"
I thought about it for a few seconds, then said this. "Yeah. I had to do stuff to survive. When I got back to Canton and I realized you guys were gone, I-" I paused for a moment, "I boarded up all the windows and the back door. I had blankets and sheets over them so the walkers weren't attracted to the house. I would only leave if I absolutely needed to. Then one day I had to leave and when I was on my way back some walkers attacked me. Noah shot one with an arrow, and that's how we met. What did you do while I was gone?"
"Um," sighed Wyatt, "I'm trying to remember it all. You left and Liam came and told Mom that we could come down to Atlanta and we could stay there. He said that there's more survivors there. Mom wasn't sure at first, but she later agreed to, so we packed up some of our things and we left."
"Sounds like you had it easier than me."
"Yeah," he let out a small laugh.
"We should be coming up on the first stop. You ready?"
"Yeah," Wyatt's breath was shaky. The gun Liam gave him was shaking in his hands.
"It'll be okay," I put a hand on his face, "I won't let them get you."
Coby pulled us into the parking lot of our first stop, a convenience store.
Wyatt and I hopped out of the back and Coby and Archer got out.
"We're gonna go in, get as much food as we can, then get out," explained Coby.
"Sounds like a good plan," I say, "Wyatt, you stay with me at all times."
We got our weapons out and prepared to take out any walkers if needed.
Only a couple were in there. After we took care of them we got shopping carts and started looking around.
"Dad," Wyatt says as he stopped walking.
"What is it?"
"What happened while you were in Cartersville?"
"A lot of bad things. I'll tell you some other time."
"Why not now?"
"I don't think it's the right time, Wyatt."
Wyatt dropped some cans of green beans and baked beans into the cart, "Is it because I'm too young?"
"If you want to know so bad then fine. I watched people get ripped apart. Some of them were my friends as well. I saw walkers tear into their skin and pull them apart. The whole town was full of screams of terror and people screaming for help. We tried our best, but we couldn't save everyone. ."
Wyatt stayed silent while he put more food in the cart.
"Is that what you wanted to hear?" I asked.
"It's not what I expected, but I just wanted to know. I wanted to know what it was like for you."
The two of us went down the other isles, getting food in silence. Our cart wasn't very full, but we're making other stops so it's not to big of a deal.
"Dad?"
"Yeah?"
"Are you mad at me for asking about what happened?"
"No. What would make you think that?"
"You've been quiet and when I asked you didn't want to tell me. I kept asking then when you finally told me you seemed a bit annoyed with me."
"Wyatt, I'm not mad at you for wondering things. You're definitely not to young to know these things. I just need to get your mom to understand that. Once she understands that you'll be okay, you can go with me wherever I go."
Wyatt and I cleared the isle and had started on the next when Coby shouted to us.
"Are you guys almost done? We're ready when you are."
"We have this isle left then we'll be done." I respond.
"Hey Dad. Do you think we'll be able to find a place to stay in North Augusta?"
I thought about this for a second, "I think we will."
"I trust Adrian, but I don't know if we will be able to find a place where we will be fine. A place that is better than our camp in the woods, not including what just happened."
"We can talk about this more later. We need to get going."
"Okay."