Chapter 26: The Traitor

"Well, I think we could have a few guards train with some of the hydro and solar people at the power section. Move some of them at solar just in case of attack, and so they know how to handle and control of. Have them mostly go out with hydro for extra precautions. That was too close of a call yesterday." Bow nodded at Sunny's idea.
"That's smart. I like it-"
"How about this!" Some man ran up with short dark hair and crazy brown eyes. He held a knife as he ran at Sunny. He held it like a maniac and only looked straight at her. Then, just as suddenly as that man showed up, Tank rammed his body into the side of a building. The tall man held the short wanna-be attacker by. The throat and gave him one hell of a death glare. The smaller guy in the guard's grip dropped his weapon and possibly wet his pants. Tanks looked at the two of them. She was shocked but tried not to show it, and Bow gave him a nod.
"That was the last straw, sir. Now you are here by exiled from EastHaven and never to return." Now holding the maniac by the back of the neck and his bicep, Tank started to carry and sorta drag him towards the gate. She watched from where she stood. They opened the gates and simply threw him out. After they were closed Tank started walking back, possibly to talk to whatever family and friends he had.
But she knew, the man who was thrown out, was a traitor.

The smell of fuel was thick and sickening.
Sunny mindlessly ran toward the danger of the fire. Toward the possibility she may never see her son again. The smoke grew thicker and the fire hotter as she got closer to the door.
"Carl! Carl! Keira?" She shouted.
Sunny had let the strap of her quiver slide from her shoulders along with her bow before she got to the door.
"Carl! Carl!" She called pounding on the door. "Carl?"
The bastards who set the fire had done their job and left. They didn't even care enough to stay and kill anyone escaping.

Someone was shouting at Sunny, 'don't do it'. Their attempts failed horribly since Sunny couldn't hear anything other than the crackle of the fire and the pounding of her heart. If she was in her right state of mind other than in panic, Sunny would have known not to introduce any more air. She would have known that the sudden introduction of a large supply of oxygen would file the fire to its max. But she didn't know, she didn't think. No, Sunny was in complete inner turmoil. A mother, a protector, failing at their job. Or so she convinced herself. Running out of options Sunny picked the choice she should have known not to.
"Carl I'm coming!" She shouted, before kicking the door in.
And that was her mistake. The flames jumped at the sudden rush of air, exploding in a way. The force violently threw Sunny back. She could hardly even take in a breath as her body slammed into the ground. When she finally lay still, Sunny was barely able to choke out four words as black engulfed her vision.
"I'm coming..." She wheezed.
Again someone was calling her name as a blurry figure rushed over to her. Sunny could hardly make out the color of his eyes.
"... I'm... Coming."

With those two words, someone started to shake her. But everything turned white.

Eugene tried to struggle against the man who had saved him. But each time he tried the burns on his arm would bump against the man's neck. Shooting pain directly followed.

She couldn't be gone..
She just couldn't.
That meant they had to go back for her.

"Eugene. Just stop." The man told him. He held the shorter man's arm over his shoulder. Half helping him walk and half making sure he wouldn't get himself killed. He pulled the two into an empty room, losing his temper and shoving the burned man toward the bed.
"For fuck's sake Eugene knock it off."
Eugene had been so caught up in trying to go back for Kiera, he hadn't noticed all the familiarities of the man who saved him. So his eyes widened and mouth opened slightly.
There Abraham Ford's large frame blocked the doorway. A storm of rage and something else flashed in his eyes. Slowly, Eugene sat down on the bed. He lowered his head, looking at the necklace chain in his hand. Two silver promise rings lay in his hand. One attached to the chain, the other by itself. He remembered she wore the one with the word 'courage' around her thumb. The second said 'Trust'. She had explained to him once that her parents had had rings like this. She had wanted courage, and to find someone to trust. Somehow she had found that in him. Somehow, she had seen both.

There was a sigh before Abraham sat down next to Eugene.
"It's just Rosita and I. There are some people that she's with right now close to here, but they're from.." He stumbled to find the name. "Here." He informed softly.
"EastHaven." Eugene corrected, holding the rings tightly in his fist. If he didn't, he would lose them. And that would mean losing her.
"Yeah, alright. We haven't found anyone else from our group. Rosita wanted us to go to the farm, but I guess all plans change." Abraham paused looking over at Eugene. "She must have been somethin, got you all tore up like that."
Eugene nodded, slowly meeting his friend's eye. "Yeah. She was. Hair as good as the sun. Her smile could give a painting run for its money." They both lightly chuckled as Eugene could never forget the way she lit up when she laughed. How her cheeks would redden and she'd duck her head when she blushed.
No, he would never forget Keira. Not in a lifetime.
With a sigh Eugene looked at the wall.
"Daryl, and Aaron were with us. And Kiera, she, she was looking out for a kid. His name was CJ and his sister was killed. No one knows about his mother." He paused. "I don't know if they got out. Or away."

The two sat in silence, thinking of a million things to say. But none of them would change or make them forget what happened.

She took in a deep breath sitting underneath the willow. The long branches cascading down and flowing in the wind she hardly felt. The stream bubbled by the ancient tree giving an almost lifelike feel to it all. She had put her hands in the water earlier, but didn't feel the coolness of the stream. She knew what it was, but maybe not all the same.
Unlike the last time, Sunny found herself at the willow and the stream near Tom's farm house. In normal time she could have seen the house at the edge of the stream. But this was far from normal. And most of all, wasn't real. There was no old wooden chest, so Sunny took that as a sign she wasn't dying. Then again it could have been a horrible twist of fate where she had no way to save herself. So she sat there in the silence. Waiting.

Tick. Tick.. Tick.. Tick..
For the damndest of reasons her watch still worked. It's turning gears echoed through the stillness. When she looked down at the stupid thing around her wrist she noticed the angel wing necklace. Wrapping her hand around the two wings she forgot about the watch.
"I don't know weather to be flattered or weirded out that you still wear that Whisky." His voice hardly changed since the last time she heard it. But her hair still stood on end like it use to when he talked to her.
"Angel." She smiled bringing up a picture of him in her mind. She didn't look since she feared it'd turn into a repercussion to the last time she saw his ghost. Or for what she has done. For the countless Saviors she killed. Not protecting people. Not being a good mother. Like he use to, Angel just sat next to her giving her the silence she needed at the moment. He didn't push, didn't pry. Angel just sat there with his arm around her shoulders. The same way he sat beside her when Kylie died. Then he pulled her into him.
"It's gonna be alright. Everything's gonna be fine. You're gonna be home at this battle's end. So don't you worry."
Sunny finally looked up at him. His green and blue eyes looked down at her. Nothing was different. This was the real Angel. Not some demonic version in a hallucination. No, this was her Angel.
"You've kicked ass back when we were kids. So you're gonna set these bastards in their place with their tails between their legs."
She just let him talk, not about to interrupt his calming voice.
"You're gonna be fine. You're on your way home, Whisky. You're on your way home."
Angel's voice faded in the wind. His form disappeared so Sunny had to set her hand on the ground to keep herself upright. Then, with the wind her best friend was gone. Almost as quickly as he had faded the day he died. The day she had to put him down. With a sigh Sunny sat up straighter. There was a burning behind her eyes. That was the second time she had to let him go when she wasn't ready to. But Angel was gone, nothing could change that. Sunny stood wrapping her arm around the trunk of the willow. She closed her eyes, trying her hardest to feel the wind blow through the branches of the tree. She tried to forget all the lives that have been lost because of her.

There was a deep sigh. "It's beautiful here isn't it? Then again there never seems to be an ugly day, or bad view."
Sunny's eyes went wide at the voice. She stiffened as excitement coursed through her. She moved the branches out of her way as she stood beneath them. There, her blue eyes met with the amber brown she had missed so much.
"Well lookie there. There is a face I've been waiting to see up close again for a while."
A smile took over her lips. "Daddy!" She threw herself into his arms as Luca held her close. "Dad." She gripped onto his shirt, hiding her face in the light grey-ish fabric.
"Hello sweetheart." He kissed her hair. "I love you baby girl."
"I love you too daddy."
She felt like she was sixteen again. A little shorter and finding her father again after ten years apart. She was taken back to that time. Feeling herself almost shrink and her hair put up. Like River would be right begin her as she finally found him.
"I miss you. I miss you so much." The burning behind her eyes returned, only it intensified.
Luca patted her back. "I miss you too. But you have a whole life ahead of you."
"I love you. And I miss you, so much." Sunny repeated herself. The last thing on earth in this moment she was about to do, would be letting go.
"I remember you everyday daddy. Every day. I don't forget."
"I know baby girl, trust me I know." He kissed her forehead.
"I love you, remember that part too."
She gripped onto him tighter as the reality around her faded along with her father. It just disappeared, and it all turned back.
***

"H..e! Ho.e.. Hope! Hope wake up, please!"
Slowly sunny opened her eyes meeting those of Chanc- Eli. He still shook her shoulders only to stop when he noticed her looking at him. Concern shone in his eyes as the air was thick with smoke and ash. Quickly Sunny sat up finding most of the underground burnt. The fire was taking care of the rest of the destroyed building. Her hands turned to fists as she stood. The young Eli stood at her side unsure of how steady Sunny was. Ash with a few burns covered her face and arms. Eli looked as her as anger tried to build within her. She stood to her full height as she became tense. He was slightly getting scared. Mostly of the possibility she could collapse again.
Then her voice came out full of authority, and only if he actually knew her, worry. "Let's go."
"They couldn't have been there. There just couldn't." She mostly told herself as they quickly made their way towards Bow's neighborhood in the early mess of the morning as dawn shone through.

Sunny was so engrossed in telling herself she didn't lose her son, she wasn't watching for Saviors. Eli nervously looked around but oddly found no one as they got closer to the house. Sunny stopped in her tracks, causing the boy to run into h. She didn't budge. Eli leaned over to find her eyes wide and mouth slightly open. Her knees crashed into the earth as she stared at the mostly destroyed building that use to be the house she and the twins shared with Bow.
"No.. No.." She whispered, finding the strength to stand before running to the rubble.
She made her way through the collapsed building to find the picture frame that had once been on the gun cabinet. When Sunny picked it up, glass fell out landing next to her boots. Slipping the picture out she let the frame drop.

All three of the little family smiled at her. It was in black and white and almost mocked her. Because the family was torn apart, two of the members only a memory. Then there was the chance that the young Carl could have made it out. He was so much like his father it seemed almost impossible to think he was dead. But he could be, and she would be in denial. Creating false hope.

She felt a soft muzzle rub the bag of her neck. Sunny turned to find Black Beauty looking back at her. She scratched his nose before leading him from the destroyed house. She got onto the horse, tucking the picture into the breast pocket of her plaid shirt. Riding the horse out to the middle of the street in front of the house, Sunny found Eli waiting. She pulled up the black fabric of her handkerchief to the bridge of her nose. Sunny looked down at the boy, he hands resting on the saddle horn.

"Hey! Hold up!" A voice came from down the street. Several people from EastHaven ran up, along with Heath, who had come with Jesus. They pointed weapons at one of the last few council members and a fifteen year old boy. Sunny just stared at them.
"You really wanna start this shit now?" She lowly growled. "If ya wanna shoot me, fine. But only after I kill the jackass who's in charge of the Saviors."
"Which one?" Heath asked as the confused EastHaveners put down their weapons.
Sunny set her arm on the saddle horn, leaning forward. "Either one, I don't give a shit. As long as the other one has enough scenes to get the damn message."
Heath turned to the other three. "You head back. I'm staying with them."
"You sure?" The one who first yelled at them asked.
"She's a friend of Jesus." With that they left.
"Speaking of that SOB, how is he, and where is he?" Sunny asked calmly. In her mind her plans were changing, so she got off of Beauty and shooed him off.
"I don't know. We all got separated the same night we got here."
Sunny nodded as the man and boy followed her closer to the houses on the other side of the street. There was one cement barrier that was never moved before the world became hell on earth. So it wa left where it was placed through all these years. The three walked over to it. Heath thought he saw something odd and went to check it out while Sunny and Eli stayed at the barrier that came to Sunny's middle.

There was a pop coming from where Heath just disappeared to. Uneasy, Sunny unlatch her holster cover so she could reach the handgun better. But if all else failed, she set her bow next to her feet so it wasn't around her, and pulled at the quiver strap. When a figure rushed out from behind a house Sunny grabbed onto Eli's shoulder, ready to pull him behind her. Then she caught the face of the person. It was Tank. He jogged toward them with an urgency to his stride.
"Hope, Chance we gotta get out of here." He told stopping a ways away from them.
She didn't get it. The Saviors should have taken him prisoner. If he escaped he would have been dead, or seriously hurt.
"S-Saviors are headed this way. C'mon, we need to move."
They had caught him. Sunny and Eli witnessed that. Something was still wrong.
"C'mon, what are you waiting for? We gotta move now! Hope. They. Are. On. Their. Way. Here. And as we speak!" Tank had never been this insistent. Sunny's hand was still on her gun as she stared at Tank. Her eyes moved from his to his hand.

"They found people. Help this place grow. Let in the right people... Let in the wrong people."
He had said that... About himself.
Tank hand his hand on his gun, much like Sunny, but in a more aggressive way. Then, it clicked.
He was one of them. He was the wrong person.
But Sunny was too late. Tank already had his gun raised and fired. Eli hunched over, sucking in a strangled breath. Then he collapsed. Immediately, she pulled her's out and shot him twice. Once in the chest, once in the head. She sat down, holding the wounded young boy.

"Eli? Eli!" She shook him as his eyes started to roll back. Sunny closed her eyes tightly.
"My full name... Is Aahana Hope Dixon...that's way they called me Hawna.." She paused taking in a deep breath as Eli's blood got onto her hands. "And... a-A woman by the same of Sierra... Gave me the scar on my shoulder.. Or-or at least I convinced myself she did. Remember? You asked about it once...
"No.. It was someone named Braxton. And she watched as it happened. He uh, grabbed the back of my shirt as I was going down the stairs. He pulled me toward him so... So forcefully it caused the railing to give. And when I landed, some of the wood speared my shoulder...
"The worst part about it is, that wasn't the worst thing he had ever done to me.."
As sunny trailed off she brushed some of Eli's hair from his face. She took her knife and forced it through the poor kid's skull so he wouldn't turn.
As sunny sat there, covered in not Tank and Eli's blood, and couldn't stop from telling...
This was all her fault.

A/N
Well, happy late Father's Day?

Ok, shit goes down. And this is one of my longest chapters out of this series at 3,231.
Writers block sucks.. Especially if ya get it every other flipping day.

- 3 chapters left -

Anyway
What happened with Daryl, Aaron, and CJ?
Who will Sunny run into next?
And
How, will sunny get past the "Saviors headed this way"?

Please remember to vote and comment and, until the next chapter!