Abram listened as Samantha spoke, seeming like she had just activated her survival thinking. "That was pretty much what I was thinking, so I think you're right." He positioned the middle mirror so he could look at her. "We can start looking when we hit the outskirts. We've only got two exits left." He said. He was comforted by the fact that Samantha seemed to at least have an idea of what she was talking about. He knew Jess was capable, but she had to worry about ben. Turisa looked like she was a ghost; nearly completely unresponsive to anything he said. He had no idea how Leah was when put under pressure; she hadn't really said much since he'd found her.
As the exit to Baton Rogue came upon them, Abram turned up the off ramp with caution, slowing the vehicle. As he saw the street was empty, he continued to turn right into a small neighborhood. The man pulled to a halt, weighing his options. Behind them, a bridge crossed above the interstate and headed into the city, but in front of them was the beginning of a neighborhood. A small part of him wanted to journey in to the city to find supplies, but the smarter part of him said to go into the neighborhoods. In the initial outbreaks, he'd always seen the heaviest infected population towards the most alive part of the city were everyone was. Meandering among small houses was far safer that winding through a maze of skyscrapers and office buildings.
Abram assumed the safer option, turning around the curbs and heading down the row of houses. The neighborhood slightly reminded him of his own home, long before the outbreak. Small, blue, cliche fenced in backyard... His only regret was that he'd been deployed so much that he didn't have half the memories of it that he wished he had. Of course, he'd made it for most of his daughter's birthdays, but he'd only been to two of her track meets; he'd only met the boy she'd fallen for in college once, and he felt like an overall failure as a father.
Shaking the memories from his head, he focused on driving; intending to get farther into the streets. The farther they were from the big city, the less chance they had of encountering a herd of walkers. He glanced to the right; spotting a rather fat-looking biter meandering around the front yard of a green house. He let it be, continuing down the street, but driving faster so as not to give it a chance to follow them.
Abram pulled to a halt when he arrive in a circular cul-de-sac. A tall house in the middle of the circle had boarded windows, appearing far more secure than the other ones around it. "Samantha, let's check this place out." He said. "Jess, Leah, and Turisa: wait till we come back." The man climbed out, grabbing his pistol from his belt. He left his rifle in the trunk, but drew his knife. He directed Sam to the driveway, going around the back of the house. A walker stood on the far side of the yard, unaware of Abram. He motioned for Samantha to stay, and he crept forward. Apparently, he'd earned the walkers attention, as it turned slowly towards him and snapped at him.
Abram quickly jumped towards the walker, plunging his knife into it's skull. He let it fall to the ground, then dragged it into the bushes. He turned and motioned for Sam to come around. The back of the house was accessible by a porch, and he stepped towards, looking to her. "Shall we?"
