The forest was quiet.
Too quiet.
Ghost moved silently between the trees.
His eyes scanned the ground.
Small footprints.
Broken leaves.
Sophia's trail.
He followed it deeper into the woods.
A walker suddenly stumbled from behind a tree.
Ghost stepped aside.
His knife pierced its skull before it even realized he was there.
He kept moving.
Minutes later he heard something.
Crying.
Soft.
Terrified.
Ghost moved toward the sound carefully.
Behind a fallen tree he found her.
Sophia sat curled up in the dirt.
Tears streaked down her face.
When she saw the masked figure she froze in fear.
"Please don't hurt me…"
Ghost crouched down slowly.
"You're safe."
Sophia blinked.
"Mom?"
Ghost shook his head.
"But I will take you back."
She hesitated.
Then slowly stood up.
Behind them a walker groaned.
Then another.
Three walkers emerged from the trees.
Sophia panicked.
Ghost stepped forward.
Three quick strikes.
Three walkers fell.
Sophia stared in amazement.
"You're like a superhero."
Ghost wiped his knife clean.
"No."
He looked toward the distant camp.
"Just a soldier."
He held out his hand.
Sophia took it.
Together they began walking back toward the quarry.
And somewhere in the distance…
Rick's search party was still looking.
Not knowing the girl was already safe.