Chapter 1
Rick felt his heart pound in his chest as he walked toward the light shining through the crack of the container. Hershel's face and words flashed through his mind as everyone waited on him to answer Abraham. Rick felt a rage building inside him and welcomed it. He was angry that they had worked so hard to sustain the prison, and the governor and his new group blew down their walls. He should have went with Michonne and tracked him down to the ends of the earth. They'd still have the prison, they'd still have Hershel, Beth, and Judith. Instead he had tried to beg the governor to work things out so that no one had to die. Phillip didn't care what he had to say. There were no words that could have saved his people. Rick clenched his jaw thinking about Hershel's face right before Michonne's katana had chopped into Hershel's neck. This world really had little use for words anymore… you take or you get taken, you kill or you get killed. That is where his mind was before Hershel had convinced him to take a step back from leadership. That is where his mind was now. He was done with words, done with trying to be civil to people who were only interested in devouring him and the ones he loved. This world was at war and Rick was going to win by any means necessary. The ray of sunlight beamed on part of his face as he turned to look at Abraham, "They're screwing with the wrong people." Rick said trying to control the anger building in him. That piece of shit Gareth was going to choke on his own blood, Rick was going to make sure of it.
Rick watched through the crack in the container as shadows passed by. He could hear Gareth's voice in the distance calmly giving orders to his group. Bastard wanted to cook them up and eat them. Sick fuck! Again Rick felt his stomach begin to burn with rage. He stepped away from the crack, it was so dark in the container that Rick could barely make out everyone's face. Everyone kept quiet and the new additions to the group, Abraham, Eugene, Rosita, and Tara the girl Rick recognized from the governor's old group, gave each other blank glances. Rick moved quickly to the corner of the container and gestured at Glenn and Daryl to join him. Glenn looked over at Maggie, gave her hand a quick squeeze and then followed Daryl over to Rick. Rick knelt to one knee and looked up to see Daryl and Glenn following him over into the corner. Rick, a little annoyed at his misread signal gave a sharp whistle out the side of his mouth and said "hey" in a low but demanding tone. He then gestured for everyone to meet him in the corner of the container. Everyone, including the new comers, Carl and Michonne began to gather around Rick. Glenn and Daryl knelt at either sides of Rick. Rick looked over at Glenn with a sharp gaze. "How long have you been here, and what have you seen?" Rick asked Glenn with a stern face. Glenn was a little taken back by the bluntness, but he realized it did make sense to compare information if they were going to get through this. Glenn looked at the ground and closed his eyes trying to recall everything that had happened since they had arrived.
Glenn told Rick and the others how they were greeted by the red-headed cook, Mary, when they arrived. He told them how others came out to welcome them on making it to Terminus, "their new sanctuary." Glenn said sarcastically and then continued. "They gave us food and some water, and told us that we could have a shower and our own dormitory, after we ate." Glenn eyes widened with anger and his voice grew to a louder whisper. "We sat down and ate, for like 5 minutes and I saw Sasha drop. They drugged us with something. Next thing I know I'm waking up in here." Rick could see how upset Glenn was getting and put a hand on his shoulder. "I let my guard down, Rick!" Glenn said shaking his head. "We were just so…tired." Maggie knelt by Glenn and put her head on his other shoulder trying to comfort him. Glenn looked at Rick, who had let out a little sigh. "Yeah well, we all fell for that line of bull, didn't we?" Rick said looking around at all their faces and then back at Glenn. Daryl shifted on his feet while kneeling. "Yeah, and it looks like they have more than one group in here." Daryl said looking over at Rick and then Glenn. Daryl gave a little shake of his head. "I heard other people in other containers out there." He whispered. "I saw at least fifteen containers, who knows how many people are in all of 'em." Daryl said as Rick nodded at him. "Yeah, and I counted at least five shooters on the roof, and six or seven at the fence." Rick said trying to get a confirmation from Daryl, who looked down and then nodded his head. "Yeah, bout that." Rick hesitated, not knowing if he should bring this up, but decided it might give the others the extra boost they needed to fight for survival. "While we were trying to find a way out of here…" Rick rubbed is chin. "I caught a smell of something rotten. And then when we got closer I saw human remains that had been stripped down to the bone."
Rick looked at all of them now, seeing the confusion and worried expressions. "What the hell are you saying?" Abraham asked Rick. Rick smiled a little. "I didn't notice any livestock when we were running through this place. You notice any?" Rick said tilting his head, his eye catching the ray of the sun to illuminate the different shades of blue filling his eyes. "That's an awful big grill for people that don't seem to have any animals around." Rick paused waiting for Abraham and the others to figure it out. Abraham's eyes grew larger as the idea sunk into his head and he grabbed his chin. Maggie stood back up and glared down at Rick with a look of surprise. "They're eating people? They want to eat us?" She asked as her gaze moved from Daryl to Rick. Rick nodded his head as he looks down at the ground. "Looks like." He says as he steady's himself on his feet. "But we're not going to be on their menu. We're getting the hell out of here." Rick said looking around at all their horrified faces. They continue to talk for another half hour, and Rick tells everyone to get some rest, they had a big day ahead of them tomorrow.
Rick, Glenn, Maggie, Michonne, and Daryl continued to talk for a couple of minutes before Glenn and Maggie returned to the side with the others, and Michonne headed over toward Carl who sat in the corner. They were losing the day light. The rays of light that cut through the container had dimmed, and the silence outside led them to think they were safe for the night. Rick continued to talk to Daryl, telling him that if anyone opened that door to the container they would need to kill them right away and take their weapon. That was the plan until they could come up with another one tomorrow. "Kill them with what?" Daryl asked, his voice a little hoarse from being so tired. Rick looked at him as best he could as the moonlight began to invade the container. Rick motioned for Daryl to follow him as he walked over to Michonne, who was sitting at the end of the container with her back straight against the container and her legs stretched out. Carl's sleeping head in her lap. Rick casually sat next to her and stretched one of his legs out and bent the other. He leaned over and stroked Carl's head lightly as he looked down at him and then Michonne. She looked at Rick with tired eyes. Rick tilted his head slightly. "You still got 'em?" Rick asked her in a low whisper as he raised an eyebrow. Daryl looked over at Michonne, who smiled and nodded. She gently scooted away from the wall, careful not to wake Carl, and reached into her blouse. Daryl eyes widened a little as he tried to focus in the darkness of the container. Michonne pulled two slender-shaped knives from her cleavage and handed them to Rick, who in turn handed one to Daryl. "Men almost never search women properly." Daryl nodded and looked down at the blade.
Rick leaned forward and slid his blade into his back pocket. Daryl slid his into his boot. "Had I known they wouldn't search you at all, I would have given you a gun or two." Michonne nodded, looked down and gently stroked Carl's head. "So we wait until morning and then what?" Daryl said finally sitting next to Rick on the wall. "I think they're going to bring food. Did you see that bowl and grainy stuff on the ground outside?" Rick said nodding his head toward the door and looking over at Daryl. "Yeah." "Well, when they bring us the food, you and I are going out. We'll get whatever weapons the closest asshole has and then everyone else will come out. They won't be expecting it." "Hmmm" Daryl said putting his head back against the container. "Get some rest, brother. Tomorrow we go to war." Rick said staring at the door to the container.
