"Any sign of them?" The Governor asked the moment Merle stepped through the door, followed by Shumpert and Martinez.
"Signs of what? What exactly is happening out there?" Milton asked, panic lacing his voice.
"Some assholes want what we have," Merle explained.
"Then what are we doing waiting around here?" Andrea asked, looking to the Governor.
"Damn straight. Let's take these sons of bitches out."
Anna rolled her eyes. "We can't go out there half-cocked. We need a plan."
"How do we know the perimeter was actually breached? Did anyone actually see them?" Milton asked, nodding along to Anna's assertion.
"They killed Warren," Merle declared, looking around the room. "Got up close, stuck a stake through his neck."
The Governor stood straighter. "We need patrols, now. Can't take chances with these terrorists." He turned to Andrea and Anna. "You two check on our people, make sure they're safe."
"You want us to do house calls? Make sure everyone's tucked in?" Andrea asked, incredulous.
"These guys could be holed up in one of our residences. They could be holding someone captive, or worse." The Governor said.
"Exactly – Andrea, this isn't about your ego," Anna agreed, crossing her arms over her chest. Anna got a sudden rush of Deja vu that nearly brought a smile to her face.
"Thank you." The Governor nodded and stalked off. "The rest of you split up. Merle will lead the search."
Andrea wasn't done, unfortunately, and followed after the Governor to argue her case.
"You be careful out there, kid," Merle grumbled, stepping up to Anna.
Anna looked to the man in question. This was the first time she'd seen him since the arena. His nose had a bandage over it, blood staining the cloth, and he had a split lip.
"I can take care of myself," she replied evenly.
Merle nodded. "Right. Well, hop to it then," he said before turning away from her to organize the search group.
Anna stared at his back for a moment before she turned her attention to Andrea approaching her.
"Do you always have to be against me?" The woman asked, an irritated look on her face.
"We'll take opposite sides of the street, cover more ground that way," Anna stated, brushing past Andrea and ignoring her question. "Think of it as being on our own special search mission – there's a chance we'll find the terrorists," Anna muttered when she saw that Andrea was walking beside her.
"You say that like they're not."
"Because, they aren't." Anna narrowed her eyes at Andrea. "A terrorist attacks with the purpose of eliciting terror. These guys are just trying to take our shit," Anna explained. "At least according to Merle. They're bandits"
"Does it really matter what we call them? They're dangerous."
Anna stopped walking and tilted her head to the side.
"You know, seven months ago, I would have said yes. Now, I'm not so sure."
The two made their way outside and found the streets filled with smoke and heavy gunfire. They drew their weapons, keeping their heads low and bodies close to the wall as they made their way down the sidewalk towards the noise.
They positioned themselves against a red brick building and opened fire on the figures moving in the smoke. It was like they were chasing ghosts, the way the figures darted in and out of sight.
"You all right?" The Governor asked as he appeared behind them.
"I saw them," Andrea said breathlessly, not taking her eyes off her targets for even a moment as they took cover within what looked like an alcove. "One of them, at least. Black guy, young. Looked like he was wearing a prison jumpsuit," Andrea explained.
Anna hadn't seen him. Ready to fire the second she saw them, her focus was on the alcove, where the offending party was taking refuge.
"Escaped convicts."
Anna saw Merle, Martinez, and Shumpert moving forward to take cover behind a bench and trashcan. She took a deep breath and sprinted the distance between her and the men, ducking her head to avoid enemy fire and sliding in beside Merle.
"The hell are you doin' out here, kid?" Merle shouted over the thunderous gunfire.
"Someone's gotta take care of you," Anna snapped, shooting again at the alcove.
Merle huffed at her, aiming his submachine gun.
"Gee, don't I feel special."
One man came out from the alcove then and tossed something towards them. Anna flinched back, her eyes trained on the object rolling along the street, emitting more smoke.
"Damn it," she hissed. She could barely see the forms of the enemy making a run for the buses that made up the back wall. She aimed at the biggest target, ready to fire, when a barrage of bullets rained down on her. She fell back, shouting a slew of curses at the searing pain emitting from her left forearm.
"Kid!" Merle shouted, his voice sounding distant.
"Ah, fuck," She groaned out, trying to staunch the rapid bleeding. "I'm alright!" She snapped, feeling Merle's hand clasp around her arm. She pulled away from him, feeling her body spasm in pain, "Fuck." she hissed. "Bastard fucking shot me."
"Yeah, he got you good," Merle sighed.
The sound of gun fire subsided and Merle hauled her to her feet, wrapping her right arm over his shoulder to drag her down the street. She found herself growing agitated at the way her feet refused stay under her.
Merle supported most of her weight for the entirety of the journey to the infirmary. Inside, she finally managed to take control of her wobbly legs again, and she collapsed on the first available bed.
"I'll get the Doc," Merle grumbled, striding out of the room.
A moment later, Doctor Stevens came flying through the door. She inspected the wound carefully, poking and prodding at the puckered flesh.
"Well, it's still in there," the woman muttered before turning away to dig inside a cabinet. She returned with her hands filled with a bottle of Jack Daniels and a small bowl that held forceps, thread, and a needle.
"Here," Stevens said, shoving the bottle into Anna's right hand. "You'll want to take a drink of that before I get started. "
Anna complied and winced as the burning liquid slid down her throat. She handed the bottle back to Stevens, who immediately poured it on the bullet hole in her arm. Anna cursed at the stinging pain, but otherwise held still as Stevens dug the slug out.
"You'll live, thank God," Stevens muttered as she dropped the bullet into the dish. "You won't be able to move that arm normally for a while, if ever – but you'll live."
Anna glared at the floor as Stevens made quick work of stitching and bandaging the wound. Once the woman was finished with her work, Merle came back into the room.
"How is everyone?" Anna immediately asked.
"Governor got hurt, but he'll live. He wants everyone to gather at the arena," Merle explained.
"Why? We should be regrouping in case those assholes come back. They made it over the fence—" Merle held up his hand to cut her off.
"Not all of them."
Anna retrieved Marley from the apartment, explaining everything that had happened. Marley hadn't been too happy that Anna was so willing to help out Woodbury after everything the Governor had done, but Anna was too exhausted to even try defending herself.
If she were being honest, she had only an inkling as to why she had helped the town. They weren't just faceless monsters anymore, and they weren't just soldiers, but innocent people. Of course, Anna couldn't bring herself to say any of this aloud to her friend.
The two didn't bother trying to climb the bleachers. It was much like the night before, only there were no walkers chained to the cement and no gladiators pitted against each other. There was a low murmur of confusion from the crowd as they waited for the Governor to make his appearance. And so, he did. With a white patch of cloth held to his eye by gauze and a long, dark grey duster, the Governor made his way to the center of the arena, his steps languid.
Anna could see how exhausted he was. How exhausted they all were.
"What can I say?" The Governor asked the moment everyone fell silent. "Hasn't been a night like this since the walls were completed." He looked to everyone surrounding him. "And I thought we were past it—" He swallowed hard, looking to his feet. "Past the days when we all sat huddled, scared, in front of the TV during the early days of the outbreak."
Anna averted her gaze, allowing herself to remember the days spent cooped up in a stranger's apartment, watching and listening and waiting for it all to be over. Her heart ached with the memory of Anderson and Evan.
"The fear we all felt then, we felt it again tonight... I failed you," The Governor sighed. "I promised to keep you safe. Hell, look at me. You know, I— I should tell you that we'll be okay, that we're safe, that tomorrow we'll bury our dead and endure, but I— I won't, because I can't. Because I'm afraid."
Anna looked back to the Governor, watching the way he had the slightest stumble in his steps, and listened to the slightest slur in his words.
"I'm afraid of terrorists who want what we have. Want to destroy us! And worse…" He'd either been drinking, or he was high off pain killers. Or both. Anna didn't care either way as the next words fell from his mouth. "Because one of those terrorists… is one of our own."
Anna swallowed hard, her grip on Marley tightening. Her body was telling her be ready to run but her mind was faltering. The murmuring of the crowd picked up again. Anna cast her eyes about for anyone who may be looking at them, and then focused on The Governor, who stared at nothing.
He raised his hand slowly to point behind him.
"Merle." Anna's eyes went wide as she watched Shumpert and Martinez aim their weapons at him.
Her heart plunged into her guts. No. Anna couldn't quite explain to herself why she was so adverse to the thought of Merle getting hurt. But there she was, staring wide-eyed as two more men came and disarmed him.
"The man I counted on, the man I trusted. He led 'em here. He let 'em in. It was you." The Governor said, staring down Merle. "You lied, betrayed us all."
Anna saw movement out of her peripheral and turned to see a man being led into the arena, his face covered with a sack, fighting against his captures.
Martinez shoved Merle into the arena.
"This is one of the terrorists," The Governor declared as he grabbed hold of the man's arm, pulling him close. He ripped the hood from the man's head, presenting him to the audience.
Her heart stopped beating. She couldn't hear anything over the ringing in her ears and her eyes felt very dry, but she couldn't bring herself to blink. Couldn't bring herself to look away from him. She breathed his name, her lungs feeling like they were on the verge of collapse.
"Daryl."
