Chapter 10

Andi found Rick on the perch cradling Judith who was sleeping peacefully in his arm, she stopped for a moment and looked at him and for that single moment he looked totally at peace. She hated to interrupt the scene but it was really the only time she would get with Rick on his own. Ever since she had confronted him about Carl there had been an uneasy tension between them. He would still come to her to ask advice about securing the prison but in terms of any real social interactions, nothing.

"Rick" she said surprising him a little, she walked up the stairs and leaned on the bannister "she is very cute" she said of Judith "a quiet baby, always a good thing no matter what is happening around the world."

Rick nodded and placed her carefully back in her carrier, tucking her in and placing a kiss on her forehead.

"I think we need to clear the air a bit Rick" Andi said following him back down the stairs, taking hold of his arm to stop him walking any further "Carl is a good kid Rick but if all this falls down around us, if their buddies come lookin' for 'em, he needs to understand that when any of us tell him to do something it's not because we don't think he can't handle it, that it's because we can't be looking out for ourselves and him at the same time. And that goes for you to Rick. You're the leader here, people look to you. That's a lot on your plate at the best of times and then you have to watch out for your son to. I don't want to get killed by the dead or the living because I was too busy watching out for him to look after myself." She saw the look on Rick's face, she knew that had gotten his attention "Yeah that sounds selfish I know but, you know what? I've come so far in this world, in this life, to lose it because of something like that. I ain't doing it."

Rick stepped away from her and stood with his hands on his hips, he knew that everything she was saying was dead on correct. He knew that his own concentration had been effected because he was wondering if Carl was doing what he was told and not wandering off or trying to help.

"I know" he finally said turning to her "I know what you're saying and I think he has calmed down a lot since that episode with you and Daryl. I think it's been so long since he has been able to actually be a kid he's forgotten that he is only a child."

"But that's the thing Rick" Andi interrupted "I think in everything that has happened to him, the things he has had to do, he isn't a child anymore. Maybe we shouldn't treat him as one and make him realise the consequences of his actions." She paused and sighed, she was doing a lot of that lately "just a shame it now that he will have to learn that lesson."

Rick grunted and nodded, he didn't like it but he knew deep down that it was something that had to be done. He watched Andi stop in the kitchen to pick up some water and then head back out to the tower, she spent most nights out there, watching. Always watching the tree line.

Blake walked up to the fence and looked up at the prison. He had stumbled upon it by accident while looking for his older brother, John. He just knew that John was alive, that John was one tough son of a bitch; would take more than a couple of walkers to bring him down, either of them down really.

From where he stood it didn't look like the prison had anyone living in it, walkers roamed the inner fields, the lower gates wide open. But it was the little things he could see with the naked eye that rung the alarm bells. The top gate was secured shut, there were newly built and very random brick walls throughout the yard and huge beams along the wire fence in the top of the field. No prison had those kind of fortifications and the fact that the yard seemed clear of walkers meant that it was maintained, someone, he decided was living there.

He looked up at the tower, it was in ruins but he could have sworn he saw some movement in it.

"Give me the binoculars" he said to one of his men behind him, who were guarding against any walkers, not that they had their hands full at all most walkers seemed to be in the prison grounds. He looked through the lenses at the fences, the beams and prison itself, definitely no walkers in that top area. He then looked up at the guard tower, he focused the lenses for a while waiting to see if anyone popped their heads up or moved. He was sure that he had seen something.

"We'll wait 'til nightfall" he said turning to his men "then we'll go have a little look up in here" he grinned. Finally, maybe some competition.

Andi had a feeling something was out there, there was still a few hours before dusk and she trained her binoculars along the tree line.

"What's wrong?" Daryl asked sitting down and tucking into some venison stew that Carol and Beth had made for them while they were on guard duty. Andi had stopped dead in her tracks and was quiet, which meant that something was bothering her.

"Not sure" she said slowly "just have this feeling" she paused "something is out there, something that shouldn't be there."

She looked slowly along the tree line just outside the lower fence at the farthest point of the grounds and stopped, there was something there, movement just inside the tree line. And then three men pushed through the scrubs, one of them she recognised straight away.

"Daryl" she said turning to him, urgency in voice, their eyes meeting and for split second before she dropped to floor of the tower, hidden by the newly made railing and metal walls.

Daryl crawled over to her "what you see?" he asked not daring to even peek over the top of what used to be a door.

Andi turned over so she was facing Daryl and sighed "Blake" she said shaking her head "John's brother."

Andi should have known it, that it would have been Blake that would come looking. If Blake was here that meant that the group would not be very far away, which meant that everything they hoped would not happen was about to start.

"We need to warn Rick" Daryl said, he could make it to the stairs and down the stairs but how the hell would he make it across the yard and into the prison without being seen by the men?

Andi agreed "will have to risk it, damn, we should have bought those bloody radios up here" she scolded herself for not remembering to bring them up, they were sitting on the table in the living area waiting to come. "You go; I'll stay here keep watch. If they see you, only one person we might be able to get away with it. Make sure no-one else comes out here, especially Carol, Maggie or Beth."

Daryl nodded and then froze; Andi was lying directly in his path, to get to the door he would have to crawl over her back. There was no way she could sit up to let him passed so he would have to do it.

"Go" she said impatiently waving the man over her, god-damn she thought, now is not the time to be a gentleman, war was coming to them, any other circumstances and she would have found it quite sweet but not now, time was a very big key here.

Daryl crawled over her, hoping that she wouldn't turn around and see him blushing at the fact he had touched her arse. He headed straight down the stairs without looking back. He stopped at the door at the bottom and waited, gathered his thoughts, took a deep breath and then walked outside as if he didn't have a care in the world.

Not wanting to draw attention to himself, Daryl walked calmly across the yard, if Blake saw that he was rushing it would alert them to the fact someone in the prison had seen them, and that was the last thing that he wanted. He wanted to be able to surprise them should they come up and try to take them. He stopped and looked out over the grounds for one last time and then pulled open the huge door and walked inside.

Andi grabbed her rifle, one of the things she had made sure was included with all of the prisons new additions were "peep" holes, big enough to put a gun or rifle through and also so they would be able to look through without being seen. She used the scope of her gun to look back on the tree line, the men had gone. She looked up to the sky, about two hours until sunset she thought sweeping the scope alone the tree line to make sure there was still no one there, nothing but walkers. She sat up and rubbed her head with her hands, how the hell do they play this? The bottom gates were left purposefully open; not only to let more walkers in but to give the impression that no-one was here. People would take one look and drive past, not wanting to get involved with the walkers in their path. But Andi knew that Blake, regardless of whether or not he thought his brother was in here, would want to check the place out. She knew that he would come looking for supplies, guns and ammunition.

She stood up; she had a small window now to get into the prison to go over the plan of action. Blake would come in just as night was setting in, he was a careful man and would not risk an ambush on his own men but rather be the ones doing the surprise attack. She ran quickly down the stairs and like Daryl calmly across the yard, if they were looking she didn't want them to think she as on to them. And again like Daryl she stopped at the door to the prison and looked back out, five minutes she thought, and then we have to get people out on watch. She pushed the door open and slid inside.

Everyone was gathered around in the living area listening to Rick telling them their options. They, Rick, Daryl, Andi and Michonne had already discussed options and some tactics of what to do if people came to the prison. They were prepared and it helped save valuable time. It was agreed that they would all stay, if they were lucky Blake and his team would come in see they had nothing and either fling them out or worse. If it was the latter then they would be prepared for a fight.

John was knocked out by Daryl's bow to his face and then while out cold he was gagged and tied up securely.

"Hopefully he stays out cold" Daryl said to Rick as they moved the heavy man to the end of the block, into the cell farthest away from the door.

They then bought Wayne and Tyler in, both knocked out, placing them in separate cells making sure they were secure and had nothing around them that they could use to either get free and get their gags off, the last thing they needed was these three men talking to each other or making noises. They were tied up so that they could not reach the cells doors at all, so if Blake looked in they could not get his attention unless he walked all the way down to the end of the block.

"Hopefully nothing comes of this" Rick sighed as he closed the main door to the cell and locked it. The pair went back into the living area and gathered their weapons and headed out to the yard. Only Rick, Daryl, Glenn and Michonne would be visible should Blake and his group come up to the prison.

Andi would be hiding amongst some rubble in a position that she could take anyone out if needed but be accessible if she needed to come out and help.

"They can't see me" she had said when making the plans "Blake knows me, like John and it could inflame things a hell of a lot if he knows I'm here." She paused for a second before adding "I killed a fair few o' their men."

Everyone else would be hiding down in the tombs, areas that had been cleared but it would be up to Maggie and Carl to keep the group safe from walkers. Carl was told to do everything that Maggie told him, that it was life or death and if he wandered off he was signing all of their death sentences.

Andi watched from Rick come out from the prison followed by Daryl just as a familiar white SUV appeared at the lower gates, the two men looked at each other and nodded. Rick looked over to Michonne who was standing by the locked gate while Daryl looked over at Andi and gave her a small smile before following Rick to the gate. He was glad Andi was watching his back, all of their backs, of everyone in the group he trusted her most to keep him alive.

Andi took in a deep breath, cocked her rifle and got into position to trail the SUV as it came up the road to the prison; it was time for Andi to go to work.