The alley smelled like death.
Rick leaned against the brick wall, still trying to process everything that had happened in the last hour.
Walkers.
Hundreds of them.
The tank.
The city completely overrun.
And now the strange masked man who had pulled him out of certain death.
Across from him stood Ghost.
Silent.
Watching the street.
The red lenses of his mask reflected the dim light from the end of the alley.
Cole checked his rifle again.
"We should move."
Ramirez nodded.
"Walkers won't stay distracted forever."
Jackson peered around the corner.
"Street's still packed."
Rick rubbed his forehead.
"Great."
He looked toward Ghost.
"So what's the plan?"
Ghost opened his mouth to answer.
But suddenly a crackling sound came from Rick's police radio.
—Hello? Anyone alive out there?
Everyone froze.
Rick grabbed the radio immediately.
"Hello?!"
The voice responded instantly.
You the idiot who rode a horse into downtown Atlanta?
Jackson burst out laughing.
Cole smirked.
Rick blinked.
"…Yeah."
Thought so.
Rick looked confused.
"Who is this?"
Name's Glenn.
Glenn Rhee.
Rick exchanged a glance with Ghost.
Another survivor.
Rick spoke again.
"Where are you?"
Glenn's voice came through clearly.
Watching you.
Rick frowned.
"Watching us from where?"
A small pause followed.
Then Glenn replied casually.
Roof across the street.
Everyone looked up.
Sure enough, a small figure stood on top of a nearby building.
He waved.
Rick exhaled in relief.
"Well… that's comforting."
Glenn spoke again through the radio.
You guys picked a bad place to hide.
Rick glanced at the street again.
Walkers shuffled slowly between abandoned cars.
"Yeah… we noticed."
Glenn continued.
There's a department store two blocks from you. Some survivors are hiding there.
Rick straightened slightly.
"That sounds good."
Problem is the streets between you and us are full of walkers.
Cole sighed.
"Of course they are."
Rick looked toward Ghost.
Ghost spoke calmly.
"Solution?"
Rick raised the radio again.
"Glenn… any ideas?"
Glenn chuckled.
Actually yeah.
Rick waited.
I've got a car.
Jackson raised an eyebrow.
"In this traffic?"
Glenn laughed.
Trust me.
Rick glanced toward Ghost again.
Ghost nodded once.
Rick spoke into the radio.
"Alright Glenn. What do we do?"
Glenn replied.
Stay where you are.
Rick frowned.
"Why?"
The sound of an engine suddenly roared through the street.
Everyone looked toward the intersection.
A bright red sports car suddenly drifted around the corner at full speed.
The horn blasted loudly.
Walkers turned instantly toward the noise.
Jackson stared.
"…No way."
The car sped past the alley entrance, drawing the entire horde behind it.
Within seconds the street was nearly empty.
Glenn's voice came through the radio again.
Alright boys… street's clear.
Rick stared in disbelief.
"That actually worked."
Ghost stepped forward.
"Move."
The group left the alley and began running toward the department store Glenn had mentioned.
Rick glanced at Ghost while they ran.
"You trust this guy?"
Ghost answered calmly.
"He saved us."
Rick nodded.
"Fair point."
Several minutes later they reached the building Glenn had described.
A glass department store.
The doors were slightly open.
Rick pushed them inside.
The store was dark.
Quiet.
But suddenly several voices shouted.
"Don't move!"
Multiple guns pointed at them from the shadows.
Rick slowly raised his hands.
"Easy!"
A young man stepped forward from behind a counter.
Asian.
Nervous.
Holding a rifle.
Glenn.
He looked between Rick and the masked figure behind him.
"…Okay."
He lowered the rifle slowly.
"Which one of you is the horse guy?"
Rick raised his hand.
"Guilty."
Glenn nodded.
"Well… welcome to the worst shopping trip in human history."