The Twisting Knife of Loving You

Chapter 9

Rick climbed up onto the back of the truck and checked the surrounding area with his binoculars. They had been fortunate to only encounter the odd stray walker on their way to the superstore. But they were keeping a close eye out for the two large herds they knew frequented that spot. Daryl and the others were loading up on canned goods and other essentials, whilst Rick kept watch. He thought he could see something moving on the horizon, and focused in for a closer look. What he saw filled him with horror, and he quickly ran to get the others.

"We gotta get out of here, NOW," Rick roared as he sprinted into the store.

They grabbed whatever they could and ran back to the truck, as the biggest herd of walkers that they had ever seen, slowly advanced closer to them.

"There must be hundreds, maybe even a thousand of those things," Daryl said as he took a quick look through the binoculars.

"Let's get the hell outta here," Rick said as he finished securing the back of the truck.

They sped away as fast as they could from the herd, and had soon moved far out of its path. But in the back of their minds, was the worry that its progress could eventually bring it closer to the prison. The road branched off at various points and there were towns and other obstacles that could slow them down. But even if the herd got thinned out a little, there would still be enough walkers left to pose a significant threat. It was yet another potential problem for them to add, to what was already becoming, a long list.

Rick frowned, as he thought about what the others would say when they got back to the prison. He reasoned it would probably be best not to mention anything to the wider group, because the inner-circle was already giving him enough headaches. He was grateful that they had been able to gather plenty of supplies before their run got cut short. It mitigated one of his problems, at least, even if there were plenty more to plague him.


Maggie and Glenn were waiting for them at the gate on their return, and Rick could tell from their faces that things were about to go from bad to worse.

"What is it?" He questioned as he stepped out of the truck.

They exchanged a look as neither of them wanted to be the one to tell him.

"The Governor's got Beth," Glenn finally blurted out.

Rick wasn't sure what he had been expecting to hear, but it definitely wasn't that. He felt the world slipping away from him again, and he couldn't bear it.

"What?" He finally managed to say with disbelief.

"Come on inside," Maggie reached out her hand to guide him into the cell block.

His eyes had begun to glaze over, and she recognised that look on his face, from when she had brought Judith out into the yard without Lori. She didn't want him to disconnect from them the way he had before, not when they needed him to help get Beth back.

Rick felt himself begin to fill with rage and his lip curled up in anger.

"How did this happen?" He snarled.

Maggie quickly told him everything they knew, and he marched into the cell block to see the Governor's letter. He glanced over the note and then slammed it down onto a table, with such force that it overturned and crashed to the floor.

"No, not Beth," he began whispering over and over again until he caught sight of Hershel.

The old man looked in worse shape than when he'd had his leg chopped off.

Rick knew he had to pull himself together and figure something out.

"We're gonna get Beth back, and then I'm gonna kill that son-of-a-bitch," he vowed.


Beth struggled against her restraints, but they were fastened too tightly and writhing about was only making her wrists and ankles sore. She felt completely powerless and began to despair. The blindfold made it impossible for her to get any sense of her surroundings, other than that she seemed to be on some kind of metal flooring. She had been able to distinguish at least three different voices since her arrival at this place. But only the man who took her from the prison had spoken directly to her. Beth was sure she'd never felt this terrified before, not even on her first supply run, when Bud and his father had intended to rape her. This time was different, because Rick wasn't close by to come and save her. Although, she clung to the hope that he would still somehow ride to her rescue.

The air around her was hot and stale, which made her feel light-headed. The sudden sound of a door creaking open made her instinctively turn her head towards it. Beth was grateful to feel the rush of a cool breeze on her face, and it revived her a little. She heard heavy footsteps coming towards her, and she drew back as far as her restraints would allow. But she knew that she was trapped, and then, a pair of rough hands grabbed hold of her. She was instantly hauled up onto her feet and pushed forwards.

"Move," A gruff male voice ordered as she was manhandled out of the doorway.

They walked out in the open for a short distance; until she was directed up a small set of steps into what she thought was a trailer of some kind. She was then pushed down onto a chair, and her blindfold was removed. She blinked at the sudden burst of sunlight in her eyes through the dirt stained windows.

"Well, hello there, little lady," a grinning man wearing an eye-patch, addressed her from across the desk that they were both seated at.

Beth instantly recognised the man as the Governor, from the descriptions she had heard from the others. She was trembling with fear and began to feel sick. Whatever he wanted with her, it wasn't going to be anything good, that much she did know. She turned and looked over at the handler who'd brought her to him. She saw that he was the one who had snatched her from the prison. Martinez offered her a sinister smile that made her stomach lurch, and she turned back to face the Governor.

"You're Beth Greene, Maggie's little sister, huh? I have to say, you don't look much like her."

He appraised her with a long lingering glance.

"Maybe I should have you strip off too, just like I did your big sister, hmm? Maybe I'll see the family resemblance then," the man with the eye-patch started to snicker as he leered at her.

Beth was so afraid, she felt like she was going to pass out, and all she could think about was Rick. She didn't even know if he'd made it back from the supply run in one piece, or if he knew she had been taken.

"Are you alright, dear, you look quite pale?" He questioned in a patronising manner.

"Why am I here?" She asked in a shaky voice.

"I was told that you and Rick have a special... connection, but you seem to be a little on the young side. I didn't figure a former law enforcement officer for someone who was into jail bait, but then, he is already living in a prison."

The Governor snorted with laughter at his own quip, and looked over to check that Martinez was likewise amused.

"How old are you, my dear?" He asked.

"Eighteen," Beth replied in a quiet voice.

"Eighteen?" He whistled.

"Well, ain't that sweet. Oh, I'll just bet that Rick has been having a high old time breaking you in," the Governor sneered at her.

"You don't know a thing about us," she raged.

Her temper started to flare, but she soon fell silent once more, as she remembered her predicament.

"I know that Rick ain't ever gonna get to park his gun in your tight little holster again, unless I get what I want," he said threateningly.

Beth was shaking with fear and started to feel bile rising into her throat, but she swallowed it back. She willed herself to stay strong, in the hope that she would somehow get through this and make it back to her loved ones.

"I guess we'll all find out soon enough, if Rick likes being inside you more than he likes having a friend, who's handy with a sword of a different kind."

The Governor's laughter followed her outside as she was blindfolded again and led back to her cage.