It was dark and there was a smooth hump of metal jammed into her back but Beth's mind went into overdrive. She quickly sorted through all the things she had been taught about what to do if your kidnapped before the change. Kick out the tail light, came to mind first. She wedged herself back and swung the booted heel of her good ankle hard in that direction. She heard a crack as it connected, drawing her foot back she slammed it in the same spot a few more times until she heard a final crunch and light streamed through.
Newer cars have emergency pulls in the trunk that will pop it open, was her next thought. Using the dim visibility the hole provided she searched frantically for a handle but came up short. Taking deep breaths she pulled the next thing from her mental file. Tire Iron. She felt around for the edge of the rough carpet, when she found it she peeled it back as far as her position would allow, she stuck her hand under blindly sweeping around the compartment holding the spare tire. Her knuckle connected hard with cold metal, she grabbed it. Pulling it free she turned it over in her hand, thankful for the first time to be in an older vehicle, it was heavy and long.
Watch for road signs, mile markers, land marks, and anything else to help you figure out where you are being taken. Beth scooted so she could she through the hole she had created. She did not recognize the area but she began making mental notes of places she could run back to for cover if need be. She noticed a large piece of plywood standing up to form what looked like a sign, but she could only see the back and it was blank.
They took a left turn a few hundred feet past and then came to a halt. Beth steadied herself, tightening her grip on the tire iron. She listened as the drivers door popped open and the heavy sound of boots stepping against the asphalt. She watched as dirty jeans filled her view where the tail light had been and she propped herself onto her elbow ready to spring upward. The key slid into the lock on the trunk, and the release clicked. He pulled the trunk up leaning down as he did, Beth sprang up catching his left eye socket hard with the iron. He yelled and she heard an audible crack. He fell backwards squirming as he clutched his face, she did not hesitate, jumping from the trunk she stood over him and brought the iron down furiously into his nose. Blood gushed freely and his breaths turned to gurgles. Beth raised her weapon above her head one last time bringing it down into the same spot with a battle cry. This time brain matter swelled up through the long crack snaking up his forehead.
Beth stumbled backwards taking in the sight of the man she had just killed, she felt a slow icy cold run down her spine. Hearing the familiar sound of walkers shuffling towards them she quickly felt his pockets and found the keys. Yanking the door open she slid into the driver's seat and turned over the engine. She dropped the tire iron next to her in the passenger's seat, the cloth fabric quickly absorbing the blood dripping from it.
XXX
Beth raced back down the black top checking her rear view mirror as she passed the plywood sign, she made out one word, Terminus. She followed the road for a mile or two before she came to a cross-road turning left. Following the little two lane street as far as she could before taking a right. A few more miles and one more left hand turn she felt she made it far enough from where they had stopped that she could pull over and lose herself into the woods.
She pulled the car as far as she could from the road and parked. She turned to check the back seat and saw the knife Daryl gave her sitting on there. Grabbing it and the tire iron, she climbed out of the car and made her way to the tree line. Taking a deep breath she looked back towards the car and down the road, she took a few steps forwards and then took off into a sprint. Her mind was a whirl of emotions the heaving in her chest the only thing keeping them from taking over. She dogged the trees as they loomed up in front of her, concentrating on every step willing her mind to calm. Daryl's face flashed before her eyes and she stopped in her tracks. Taking a deep breaths she ran through the things he'd taught her over the past month.
She needed to find a place to hunker down for the night. She looked up nothing but pine trees around, no good for climbing. She picked up walking making steady pace towards a break in the trees she spotted in the distance. Hanging just inside the tree line she spotted the trailer sitting at the bottom of the hill. She didn't see any walkers around, she inched down the hill. Sweeping her eyes across the field continuously as she approached the metal box, she stood on the tips of her toes and peered through the window quickly. She didn't see anyone or anything inside. Beth walked around to the door and jiggled the knob, it was unlocked. Pulling it open she stepped back throwing a few rasps against the door just loud enough to draw any walkers that may be inside. Nothing came forward so she stepped in knife at the ready. There was nothing in the space except for worn out stained mattress and a chair. The door to the bathroom hung open giving Beth a clear view inside, it was empty. She did a quick walk around the small space for her peace of mind, then locked the door and wedged the chair underneath it.
XXX
Beth woke up the next morning sprawled on the dirty mattress still gripping her knife and the tire iron in her hands. She sat up putting the weapons on the floor next to her and rubbed her eyes. She had passed out quickly bone weary from the adrenaline of the day before and slept until what looked to be dawn. Faint dusty lines of light streamed in from the window over the door.
She stood up stretching and tested her ankle. She winced a little but it was better, she could manage. Reaching down she threaded the sheath of her knife onto her belt then settled the knife its self in leaving the snap at the hilt undone. She picked up the tire iron grimacing at the dried flaking blood that clung to the end. Stepping forward Beth drug the chair from the door and turned the lock. She pushed it opening quietly staring out into her surroundings. The field was still empty.
She tread quietly down the steps, her stomach clenched from hunger. She pushed the door shut behind her and turned to head into the tree line. There were only a few things she could catch with just her knife. Settling down at the base of a tree she watched and waited, praying the one lesson Daryl had given her on knife throwing would snag the bushy tail of a squirrel. A few hours passed until finally a small squirrel scampered down the tree in front of her, taking a deep breath she tossed the knife then squeezed her eyes shut with hope. Hearing a crack she looked up, pinned a to the thick trunk and squirming uncontrollably was the squirrel. Beth cheered quietly to herself then picked up the tire iron and hit it across the head.
She made her way back to the trailer and set down on the concrete steps as she dressed the animal. She built a small fire next to her only big enough to cook the meat and roasted it over the flame. As soon as it was finished cooking she stamped out the embers and strode back inside. Beth curled up Indian style on the floor and picked the body clean while she stared at the blank white wall.
Making her way back to the mattress she curled into a ball and slid her eyes closed, willing herself to sleep. As she drifted off Daryl's face floated around her consciousness. He was probably the only thing she had left in this world, and he was out there somewhere looking for her.
XXX
Shivers pulled her out of her sleep, it was still dark in the little trailer but she suspected the sun wasn't long to rise. stretching she sat up on the mattress. Beth did a few push-ups and some sit-ups to get the warm blood moving through her body. Now she had her knife out carving her name into the wooden floor. She'd decided she was going to go out looking for him too, so if he stumbled on to this place like she had, he would know she was alive.
Beth set out through the woods walking at an even pace in the direction she thought the funeral home sat. She knew he wouldn't have stayed there but she thought she might run across him tracking down a small animal for himself. It was the other side of noon as she realized the path she was taking began to head slightly uphill. She reached the edge of the trees and saw the train tracks stretching out before her. Stepping up on to them she looked down either direction and the path was clear. Up ahead she noticed the familiar sight of the plywood sign. She jogged towards it and when she reached the other side her mouth fell open.
Scrawled in rotting blood read 'Glen, Go to terminus. Maggie'. Beth blinked, she could not believe what she was reading. Her sister was alive, and looking for...Glen. Her heart sank, on some level she understood, Maggie's deep love for Glen was clear and she could imagine her sister was distraught if they had been separated. She couldn't silence the nagging feeling that Maggie could have managed four more letters to place her name next to his.
She took a few steps back, hating the joy of her sister being alive had been stolen away by her on emotions. Beth stepped forward again and studied the map. She could follow it and end up finding Maggie along the way but she did not know if that's what she wanted. Using her finger she traced the path from where she was up towards the apex labeled Terminus. He brows knitted together as the thought flitted across her mind that this might have been where the car was taking her, if Daryl had noticed a connection he was probably headed there too.
XXX
Beth set off, careful to stay inside the trees that lined the tracks, weary of being seen. It was ten or so miles from where she had started to where she was to end up. It was going to take a while but it wasnt impossible. She moved steadily only stopping to kill a few walkers along the way. She was she guessed a mile out when she noticed tracks in the leaves and dirt in front of her. She crouched down studying them the way Daryl had taught her. There were four separate sets of footprints, one just slightly smaller than the rest.
She crawled a little farther to where the tracks spread out and became more distinct. A smile stretched across her face as the tread from cowboy boots became plain as day, Rick. Beth kept low following the prints closely, she slowed down as a fence came into view in the distance. The prints split up just ahead and she decided to follow the ones she could name. Just before the fence line still shrouded by trees they stopped. She dropped down to the ground scanning the place laid out before her, she could make out non discript concrete buildings and rusty-red train cars lined up along the side. She looked down scanning the dirt to see if any of the other footprints met up with his when she notice the patch of ground right in front of her looked strange.
Daryl bending down to pick up a dead branch and holding it up next to the live one he'd just snapped off a tree filled her mind.
"Live branches don't fall t'the ground on their own, if you see 'em there, it's cause someone wanted 'em to be" he'd said. Warning her about how to watch for traps after her ankle had been injured.
Beth stood grabbed a dead branch not far behind her and began to brush lightly at the ones in front of her, once they were cleared off she could see the loosely packed soil. Something was buried here, and judging by the boot prints there was a good chance Rick had been the one to do it. She began to dig gently not knowing what lay beneath, soon she felt fabric, pushing more of the dirt away she felt a zipper. She grabbed the edge of what she believed was a bag and tugged, it was heavy. Moving more dirt away she finally freed it. Slowly she pulled the zipper back and inside she saw the gleam of metal. Guns and knifes.
XXX
The sound of gun fire cracked through the air and she hit the ground. It was in the distance coming from the camp on the other side of the fence. She crawled forward slowly pulling the bag with her to get a better look through the chain link fence. She watched hearing bullets stream through the air, then in the clearing by the dusty red train cars four figures appeared. Beth's hand flew to cover her mouth as she made out Carl, Rick, Michonne, and Daryl.
She watched silently as they surrendered, feeling a pain rack her as Daryl kicked his precious cross-bow away. They were herded toward the first car and she heard faint yelling but couldn't make out the words as one by one the stepped inside. The door slid shut behind them with a loud clang. She shuffled backwards quickly and took cover behind a tree. Her head was reeling, she had found them, found him.
Anger surged quickly into her throat, this was where the car had intended to take her she was sure. What was their operation? Beth drew in a deep breath, she needed to form a plan. She dug through the bag and began strapping weapons to her person, whatever she was going to do she would need these. Fishing into the bottom she found a pair of metal snips, they were heavy duty, the kind used to cut through bolts.
A plan began to form in her head. She would wait until dusk, when most likely they would be changing out guard duty, she would cut enough of the fence so she could slip through then she would sprint for the train cars a football field away. She would dart immediately underneath the one holding her people and slide around to the door where hopefully there would be a lock she could cut.
XXX
Dusk began to settle over the woods and Beth made her way up to the fence, squinting she could see a small glob of dark clothes and figured she was right about changing guard. Quickly she snipped the links and slid through the fence stopping only to drag the bag through behind her, reaching down she threw it over her shoulder and let out full speed across the field.
Thankful for all the years of softball she slid soundly underneath the train car just as boots marched past. She tucked herself against the pillar of concrete blocks helping hold it up. Beth waited steadying her breath until darkness fell fully on the camp. Carefully she slid the snips from the bag and inched towards the stairs. She stuck her head out and strained her eyes in either direction, no one was coming. In a flash she jumped up to the top step smiling as she found the simple padlock looped through the door. Lining up the snips she pushed down, there was no give, reality hit her like bricks, doing this required a lot of strength. Daryl had always taken point when these became a necessity. Daryl's face hung heavy in her mind as determination filled her body. She clamped down as hard and quickly as she could and when she heard the metal snap Daryl's lips turned up in a smirk. Reaching quickly back under the car she grabbed the bag and pushed the door opening flinging it in first then slipping herself through before closing the small gap behind her broken lock in hand.
Beth crouched next to the bag fishing for the flashlights she knew were inside. Clicking one on she stood up and cast the light in front of her, illuminating Rick's bewildered face. Smiling she reached out and handed him the other one. She cast the light across the back wall of the train car and was aghast to find so many people crammed inside. Her light fell on each face as she recognized them in turn. Carl, Michonne, Maggie, Glenn, Sasha, Bob, and three new people she couldn't place. Then in the far corner she caught his face, eyes wide and mouth hanging open. She stepped immediately towards him brushing past Maggie's arms seeking her in the darkness.
Once she was in front of him she clicked off the light, plunging forward she wrapped her arms around his neck burying her face in his chest. She felt his mouth close as he was suddenly no longer frozen and his arms crushed in around her, his chin tucking her head in neatly. They stood there silently wrapped in one another for too brief a moment before Ricks whisper bit through the air. She stepped back as his flashlight found her.
"How'd you know we were here? How'd you find the bag? How'd you do any of it?" He asked.
"I picked up your tracks in the wood line a mile or so back" she whispered in response "I followed them to the spot they stopped outside the fence, I was scanning the area when I noticed the live tree limbs on the ground in front of me" she felt Daryl's smirk behind her. She continued "Once I brushed them off I noticed the dirt and figured you must have buried something there, so I dug it up. I'd just taken stock when I heard the gun shots. I moved up and watched as they put y'all in here. The plan just kinda came together from there".
Rick had turned the flashlight upward between them so both faces were visible as she spoke. He blinked wide-eyed back at her response, rubbing the back of his neck as the realization that the silence had stretched on too long hit him.
"I don't know what t'say" he whispered honestly.
"Don't say anything just take over and get us all out of here" she responded.
XXX