Rick walked alongside the tall man as he walked them into the compound. His name was Grayson. Daryl watched as the other men shut the steel gates behind them, leaving the group's cars and personal belongings in the open. A cool breeze rolled through the open plain they walked across; ahead of them was the outer layer of the prison, a dull brick fort. Daryl watched shadows move slowly across the roof.
"What kind of a place is this?" Rick and Grayson turned around, as Daryl pointed his crossbow at the flat roof of the prison.
"This is the safest place you'll ever find again friend. " Grayson continued walking towards the large iron set doors which looked to be the only direct entrance into the prison. Daryl mumbled incoherently to himself, making Rick turn around with a sharp look. Daryl brushed it off and watched as the rest of the group walked past. Carol raised an eyebrow at him as if to say I told you so. He kicked his right foot out, a cloud of dust and gravel swirling in the air like a tornado. He walked on, staring back at one shadow that was hooded and staring right back at him.
The prison was lit up with harsh white lights, enough for anyone to get a migraine within ten minutes of being inside.
"This is the mess hall, we've got nine others, but I'll tell y'all 'bout that later." Grayson maneuvered his way through the stained metal tables. Music was being played throughout the prison through speakers in the corners of the rooms, dating back to the 50s. This wasn't the typical entrance to the prison, so clearly something had gone down in the usual secure strict sector when this was still a prison.
"Where are all the inmates?" Lori asked, keeping two hands on Carl's shoulders as they walked. Grayson looked over his shoulder at the dark haired woman, he smirked.
"All over."
Lori squeezed Carl's shoulders and ushered him forward. Rick went to touch her but she quickly moved past him, throwing him a glare. Carol also glared at him as she walked past behind Lori. Grayson watched with interest. The group huddled together by an unlocked steel gate. Grayson pressed an intercom on the wall and talked quickly to the person on the other side. He smirked then turned back to the group.
"Up to the center tower my friends."
Daryl kept turning around, hearing footsteps on the metal walkways surrounding the mess hall. Again a shadow was staring at him as he looked up to the far left corner. The others were walking out, guided by an armed man who had clearly just come from watch. Grayson stood beside the gate.
"We've got another who fancy themselves a Robin Hood." Grayson smiled. Daryl walked toward him, alert as always.
"What's his name?" Daryl asked a slight hope in his voice that it could be Merle.
"He is a she… Ya comin' redneck?" Grayson held the gate open before going to lock it; Daryl's eyes lowered and he snarled viciously.
"Go to hell son of a bitch." He strode past, running to catch up with the others.
Endless corridors and the smell of stale piss hung in the air. Grayson caught up with Rick at the front and told him only he and one other could talk to the Governor. He decided on Daryl, even though his temper was up at the moment. The rest of the group remained in the glass dome… bang, smack in the middle of the prison; they were being watched by the same two men from the gates at the opening. The stairs were winding up and the walls were pristine white compared to the stained, paint peeled walls of the corridors. Rick approached Herschel and whispered to him so Grayson couldn't hear. The elder man nodded and Rick whistled for Daryl who walked over, ready to ascend to the heavens.
As they walked higher they could eventually see the whole of the compound; rows and rows of cell blocks, watch towers, maintenance rooms and recreational areas. When they eventually got to the top of the great, glass tower they saw a leather desk chair, looking out over the prison. Grayson walked in, holding the door open for the two other men.
"This is them Gov." The chair turned, and a middle aged man sat with his hands held against his mouth. He lowered them, and smiled ever so slightly.
"What're your names?" He said in a coarse, smokers voice.
"I'm Rick, Rick Grimes and this here is Daryl." The Governor nodded and looked both of them over. The two men looked right back; his hair was golden brown, wavy and greying slightly, his eyes were a green/brown in colour, and his face was worn and tired looking. They looked at each other, and then back at him.
"Well hello Rick Grimes and Daryl, what can I do you for?"
"You're in charge here?" Daryl asked, noticing the man had no outstanding attributes about him; he wasn't the tallest, or burliest, hell he didn't even look like a warden.
"Why yes Daryl I am. My brother was the warden of this place, Jacob… he died just a month or so ago," The Governor took a deep breath and held it in for a moment. "I took over after he passed. I look after everyone here."
"How many of you are there?" Rick asked, worried about being outnumbered.
"There are twenty of us day to day; guards, some small timers and a few stranded who came here for salvation."
"No prisoners?" The Governor looked up at Rick.
"Thirty or so, on the mile… we keep them there until their sentence is up. Then they can join us, or go free." Rick and Daryl looked at each other.
"Good a place as any… safer for now." Daryl said to Rick, tucking both hands in his pockets. Rick nodded.
"You're welcome to stay just as long as you want; we'll eventually get you all working and help run the place if that's not too much to ask." Rick smiled ever so slightly, the first Daryl had seen since back at the farm.
"Well alrigh'. Thanks…" The Governor stood; he was small in height, but had broadness about him.
"Philip, Philip Blake." The two men shook hands. Daryl watched Grayson closely as he seemed to grimace. He raised an eyebrow at him. Grayson lost the grimace and replaced it with a smirk.
Once they had descended back down the stairs, Grayson pulled a frequency radio from his pocket and began talking into it. Meanwhile, Rick introduced Philip to the rest of the group. Lori began asking questions before being interrupted by Gray.
"They're meeting us in the mess hall Gov." Philip smiled at him and nodded. Grayson left the group then, leaving Philip to walk them back to the mess hall.
"We have another child too," Philip said to Carl who walked alongside him with Lori. His eyes lit up. "Yeah a little girl, goes by the name Clementine, she'll be helping cook out I expect." Carl smiled and began chatting to the man comfortably.
Daryl walked at the back with Rick, the two men keeping their guards up.
"You trust him?" Daryl asked.
"Not yet, but he seems decent. We're meeting the others now."
As the Governor opened the gate to the mess hall a group of ten men stood there, all with sniper rifles swung around their backs. He laughed.
"They're not so scary once you get to know them." He formally introduced the two men who met them at the gates, Grayson they already knew, and the other seven men who had been guards at the prison. Then two women appeared from one of the wreck rooms nearby, one young, only a teenager and the other clearly related. "This is Maria and Madison; my sister in law and niece." Philip squeezed Maria's shoulder, the mother. She smiled and looked at the group curiously. A large man stepped out from the kitchen, followed by two other men dressed in marine uniform. "Chef and his minions, oh and there's little Clem." A little girl emerged from the kitchen, carrying two chocolate bars; she had dark brown curls atop of her head and big brown pebbles for eyes. Clementine ran up to Philip before spotting Carl, she stepped toward him, holding out one of the chocolate bars. Carl smiled at the smaller girl as did Lori.
"Th-thank you Clementine."
The metal walkway above them rattled as someone came in from the roof. It was the hooded shadow figure from earlier. Daryl watched them like a hawk, his crossbow raised slightly.
"Oh and here's Sam."
She jumped across the railing and down a pole, which landed directly behind Philip. He jumped ever so slightly when she landed on her feet. Clementine ran to her instinctively. Daryl lowered his crossbow as she pulled her hood down. She was tall, slender and much like Clementine had chocolate brown curls down past her shoulder. Her skin was pale and her eyes were grey in colour. She had a scar on her neck which looked like a burn mark.
"This is Samantha, resident Robin Hood." It was then Daryl noticed the quiver of arrows she had hanging off her shoulder. She bent down to pick Clementine up, before looking at Rick.
"Welcome to hell." She said, watching the group carefully.