Daddy's Little Girl

Mermaids - 7

Kat’s P.O.V

My-my daddy is alive? My daddy is alive! I knew it. He couldn’t of died, he wouldn’t. But he thinks I did…? Earle you’re lucky you’re cuffed to that damn pipe right now, ‘cause so help me God things would not be pretty if you weren’t! I think to myself as we all sit around waiting for Tre to fix the Walkie-talkie. My ribs sore, my arms tender, my lower lip and left eye slightly swollen. Cuts and bruises covering my skin like leopard spots.

“My God, it's like Times Square down there.” Trinity complains as she looks over the ledge.

“How’s the signal?” Moe asks.

“Like Dougherty's brain, weak.” Tre says. Earle flashes him the middle finger.

“Keep trying.”

“Why? There's nothing they can do. Not a damn thing.” Trinity is really starting to piss me off.

“Got some people outside the city is all.” Moe tells Reginald and I, “There's no refugee center. That's a pipe dream.”

“Then she right, we’re on our own.” Reginald says, “Up to us to find a way out.”

“Good luck with that. These streets ain't safe in this part of town from what I hear. Ain't that right, sugar t**s? Hey, honey bunch, what say you get me out of these cuffs, we go off somewhere and bump some uglies? Gonna die anyway.” Earle ‘charms’ as he stares at Trinity hungrily.

“I’d rather.” She says rolling her eyes, I let out a little laugh.

“Rug muncher. I figured as much.” Earle mutters.

“The streets ain't safe….” Reginald announces.

“Now there's an understatement.” Moe replies.

“What about under the streets? The sewers?” Reginald asks, he’s always a quick thinker. Probably why he was a sheriff. Everyone’s heads snap around and stare at Reginald with wide eyes.

“Oh man! Hey, David, check the alley. You see any manhole covers?” Moe tells David. David rushes over and almost falls of the damn building.

“No, must be all out on the street where the geeks are.” David says.

“Maybe not, old building like this built in the 20s. Big structures often had drainage tunnels into the sewers in case of flooding down in the subbasements.” The other woman tells us.

“How do you know that?” David asks, confused.

“It’s my job, was. I worked in the city zoning office.” She explains. We all head back inside the building, all of us except for Earle. We go down to the subbasement where low and behold are the drainage tunnels.

“This is it? You sure?” Moe asks doubtfully.

“I really scoped this place out the other times I was here. It's the only thing in the building that goes down. But I've never gone down it.” David describes, looking down the tunnel. “Who'd want to, right?” He questions with a mocking laugh, when he looks up, his laughing stops as he finds us all staring at him, “Oh. Great.”

“We'll be right behind you…” Trinity begins, but is cut off by David.

“No, you won't. Not you.”

“Why not me? Think I can't?” Trinity says getting upset.

“I wasn't….” David tries to reason, getting flustered.

“Speak your mind.” Reginald tells him.

“Look, until now I always came here by myself. In and out, grab a few things. No problem. The first time I bring a group. Everything goes to hell. No offense. If you want me to go down this gnarly hole, fine. But only if we do it my way. It's tight down there. If I run into something and have to get out quick, I don't want you all jammed up behind me getting me killed. I'll take one person.” David points out, looking around the group for those opposed. Reginald steps forward, but David shakes his head. “Not you either. You've got Earle's gun and I've seen you shoot. I'd feel better if you were out in that store watching those doors, covering our ass.”

He points to me and Trinity, “you two have got the only other guns so you should go with him.”

He points to Moe, “You be my wingman. Jacqui stays here. Something happens, yell down to us, get us back up here in a hurry.”

“Okay.” Everyone complies.

“Okay, everyone knows their jobs.” Reginald says to David patting his back. David puts his flashlight in his mouth, swinging his leg over the fence before climbing down the ladder, Moe right behind him. We leave the subbasement and head back to the main floor of the store. The moans from the Walkers so loud you could hear it all the way from the staircase.

“Sorry for the gun in your face.” Trinity apologizes to both me and Reginald. I roll my eyes, walking away to brose the store as Reginald answers her.

“People do things when they're afraid.”

“Not that it was entirely unjustified. You did get us into this.” I’m a few aisles across looking for something new to wear, mocking her under my breath as she talks.

“If I get us out, would that make up for it?” Reginald asks.

“No, but it'd be a start.” She says trying to be funny, I just flash her he middle finger and Reginald lets out a small laugh. We all look towards glass doors where the bagging and groaning is never ending.

“Next time though, take the safety off.” Reginald says, causing me to smile, “It won't shoot otherwise.”

“Dumbass.” I say under my breath but no one heard me.

“Oh.” Trinity says looking at her gun.

Reginald walks up closer to her, “Is that your gun?” he asks.

“It was a gift.” She answers, “Why?” He takes her gun and switches the safety off.

“Little red dot means it's ready to fire. You may have occasion to use it.” He says handing her back the weapon.

“Good to know.” She smiles, off to her own business with the others. Reginald takes that as his que to make his way over to me.

“What’s up with you?” He questions jokingly, playfully nudging my hip with his as I try to choose between to tops. “I’d go with the grey one.” He comments.

“She’s a b***h and I don’t like her.” I state plainly making him laugh as I put the other shirt away and head to the changerooms. I walk in, not bothering to close the door as I throw off my old shirt and replace it with the better fitting, smelling quarter-sleeve shirt.

“I hear you, but I talking about what happened with you and Earle.” He calls, standing on the other end of the door. I stare at my reflection, my eye more swollen but I can still see out of it. Dark bruises forming under my skin, everywhere really.

“This isn’t the first time the piece of s**t acts like a piece of s**t, but next time he raises a hand to me it’ll be the last time he has hands.” I tell Reg plainly as I open the changeroom door, looking into his eyes. “I’m fine Reg, honestly. Just some bumps and cuts. My Daddy’s is alive and that’s all that matters to me. They’re out there, we just have to find them.” I smile, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“I know.” He smiles lightly, patting my hand with his. “I know this situation isn’t, ideal, but we need these peoples help. Do me a favor and try to get along with Trinity. We don’t know how long we’re gonna be with these people.”

“She pulled a gun on me.” I state, looking at her from across the store browsing the jewelry.

“We both know the safety was on.”

“She didn’t.” I counter. “I’ll try my best.” I smile, before making my way over towards her.

“Aww.” She whispers as she picks on up.

“See something you like?” I ask.

“Not for me, but I know someone who would. My sister.” She explains, playing with the necklace in her hand, “She's still such a kid in some ways. Unicorns, dragons, she's into all that stuff. But mermaids, they rule. She loves mermaids.”

“Why not take it?” I ask.

“There’s a cop staring at me.” She jokes causing all of us to chuckle, “Would it be considered looting?”

“I don't think those rules apply anymore. Do you?” Reginald asks, joining the two of us. Trinity looks at us than puts the necklace in her back pocket. Then all of a sudden, a glass window breaks bring us out of our happy little bubble. Reginald pulls his gun out and pushes me behind him as Moe, David and Jacqui rush in and joins us.

“What did you find down there?” Reginald asks not taking his eyes off the Walkers.

“Not a way out.” Moe says. Carp! I was really hopping we could get the hell out of here! I think as Trinity speaks up.

“We need to find a way. And soon!” We head up to the roof as Walkers pour into the first set of doors, Reginald takes a pair of binoculars and scouts the streets for any route out.

“That construction site, those trucks. They always keep keys on hand?” He asks handing the binoculars to Moe.

“You'll never make it past the Walkers.” Moe says.

“You got us out of that tank.” Reginald reminds looking over at David.

“Yeah, but they were feeding. They were distracted.” David explains.

“Can we distract them again?” Reginald asks.

“Right.” Earle speaks up, “Listen to him. He's onto something. A diversion, like on ‘Hogan's Heroes’…”

“God! Give it a rest.” Jacqui yells.

“They're drawn by sound, right?” Reginald asks.

“Right, like dogs. They hear a sound, they come.” David says.

“What else?” he asks.

“Aside from they hear you? They see you, smell you and if they catch you, they eat you.” Moe says.

“They can tell us by smell?” Reginald and I ask at the same time.

“Can't you?!” David asks, raising his voice.

“They smell dead, we don't. It's pretty distinct.” Trinity answers. We head back into the store, Reginald paces for a moment mumbling to himself of a moment before he faces the crowd.

“Hear me out, say we cover ourselves in their smell, camouflage ourselves, sneak past and make it to the construction site, and grab one of the cube vans and take off?” We all stand there like deer caught in headlights. I have to give it to old Reginald for thinking out of the box but how exactly are we going to cover ourselves in their smell? Reg answers my question, grabbing gloves and masks and trench coats. Looking at David and I who at each other before back at Reg.

“You can’t be serious?” I groan.

“If bad ideas were an Olympic event, this would take the gold.” David states as Reginald hands both of us gloves. I grumble to myself as I tie my hair up in a messy bum.

“He’s right.” I say as I tie my hair up with one of the hair ties I found in the store. If the walkers don’t get us, I’m gonna kill Reggie for this.

“Just stop, okay? Take some time to think this through.” Moe tries to reason, but sadly no ones listens as everyone else forms a circle around the three of us, waiting for further instructions from Reginald.

“How much time? They already got through one set of doors, that glass won't hold forever.” Reginald interrupts while throwing coats at me and David. He looks like he’s gonna throw up, and Lord know if he does I will too. Reg tells Moe and Tre to grab the walkers from the alley, Trinity to find the fire axe and the others stand and wait, everyone looking a few shades paler.