The Walking Dead: Just Stay Alive
Season 5 Episode 10: To The Gallows
Day 304
Maria stood at the safezone center, overlooking as most of the men and women in the community contributed to building a large wooden structure. She walked around the structure, nodding her head, as the workers finally finished making the large podium that would soon be Maria's stage. They had worked through the night of the previous day and many were becoming exhausted.
"Give them all an hour or twos rest. Get them fed, get them some water, then get back to work." Maria ordered the construction foreman. When he didn't answer Maria looked down at him and saw him taking a knee with his eyes closed. "Jeremy."
"Right, right." the man said. He wiped his bald head of sweat and wiped his face off with a rag. "Let's go people!" Jeremy shouted. Maria nodded her head and began walking back to her house as the workers took their hard earned break.
Lucy was lying on the couch in Teresa and Jordan's apartment, not wanting to be alone since Mary and Nathan left on the orders of Jordan. Those two roomed with her in one of the apartment rooms, and she felt safer having others around her during the night. Her eyes slowly opened and she stretched slightly. A shocking pain hit her out of nowhere and her hands immediately went to her stomach.
"Teresa!" Lucy shouted out, causing Teresa to run out of her room and come to her side. Lucy held her stomach and shut her eyes, breathing quickly.
"What? What's going on?" Teresa asked, putting a hand on Lucy's stomach.
"Cramps." Lucy said breathlessly.
"Just breathe. Just breathe." Teresa said, getting up and grabbing a water bottle from the kitchen and bringing it back to her. "Relax and breathe." Teresa continued saying, taking a hold of Lucy's hand who squeezed it.
Jordan was checking up at the warehouse, making sure everything was in order with the prisoners. He had to spend the night being a guard since most of the militia was still in Jackson with Alicia, Lucas, and Joshua. He finally had some people take over for him and he made his way outside. Darnell was carrying a stack of wood over his shoulder walking by Jordan who was confused at the sight.
"Darnell?" Jordan called out, causing his friend to turn and look at him. "Where are you going with all that wood?"
"You didn't know? Maria has us building something in the middle of town." Darnell said with a shrug, turning back and walking to the center. Jordan's mouth hung open slightly and his eyes were squinted, staring at the back of Darnell's head.
"Wait a minute what are you building?" Jordan asked, jogging to catch up with Darnell.
"No idea man. She hasn't said what, just gave Jeremy instructions and he's leading us." Darnell said, adding the wood to an already large pile of it. Other workers were starting to return from their break while Jordan looked around. He ran over to Jeremy and stopped him as he was walking.
"Hey hey, Jeremy right?" Jordan asked, causing Jeremy to nod. "What is being built here?"
"Maria didn't tell you? She's building Gallows." Jeremy told him, walking by and beginning to order around his workers again.
"Where the hell are we going?" Trevor asked. Zach immediately grabbed a rag and stuffed it into his mouth, stopping him from talking. Trevor smiled and laughed to himself, turning his head and looking out the window.
"We need to head more North. I'm giving Jordan a few days to deal with Maria. He wants to keep you and your people alive. But, when we get back after two days, if there is still a problem I wouldn't mind seeing you die." Mary said, staring down the road as she drove. Nathan looked over at her and smirked.
"I'd kill him myself if I was given the chance." Nathan said. "I know though, Jordan has a reason for doing this."
"Why do you think he wants to keep them alive?" Zach asked, leaning forward so he could try to get farther away from Trevor, who looked over wanting to hear the answer.
"He's being smart. Not everyone needs to die." Nathan said. He turned his head and looked back at Zach and then kept his eyes connected with Trevor's. "Some people though, they don't have the sanity to be apart of a community."
"I'm not insane." Trevor spat, actually spitting the rag out of his mouth. Zach grabbed it and stuffed it back into his mouth, shutting him up again. He sat back in the seat and looked back out the window. Nathan smirked and leaned back in the front seat.
Over in Jackson, Lucas had been there for a day, bringing every little supplies with him to help those that are injured or starving. The people who were there with the General were sectioned off into their own part of the community. The militia had spread out and were working on clearing out all walkers that had started to surround the community.
After his first night, Lucas had began going over the people that had been lost and making sure they were properly buried. Alicia and Joshua had been helping him go over it, marking the graves with pieces of wood that stuck out of the ground.
"What does this dot mean?" Lucas asked, going over the list. Alicia walked over and looked at the list she had made.
"The body wasn't recovered." Alicia answered, then headed back to mark more of the graves.
"Jose wasn't recovered?!" Lucas asked, almost yelling at the two. Joshua and Alicia looked at each other before looking back at Lucas. "Where the hell is his body then?"
"Devoured." Alicia said with a shrug.
"After he was killed we had to press forward. Walkers started coming at we ran inside the walls as quick as we could. He wasn't the only one left out there." Joshua said. "I doubt the walkers left anything worth burying."
"What the hell did you just say?" Lucas threatened, taking a step towards Joshua. Joshua's grip on one of the sticks tightened and Alicia stepped between the two.
"Relax. If we can clear enough walkers by sundown we'll go out and look. Right now it's not safe for anyone to even think about leaving. It's a miracle you got in here." Alicia said, calming Lucas down. Lucas continued to glare at Joshua, who kept eye contact. The two eventually walked away, going to different parts of the cemetery. Alicia rolled her eyes and sighed, putting her hands on her hips and taking a break of her own.
"Stop up here." Nathan said, pointing to a small dirt road that led to a parking area. It was a small area for people to park while they went for a hike or a walk in the woods. Mary pulled into a parking spot and turned off the car, putting the keys in her pocket. Nathan held his FAL, closing his eyes. "Small rest."
"We're just stopping?" Trevor asked, having spit the rag out again but not talking since it happened.
"Shut up and get some sleep." Zach told him, turning on his side so he didn't have to look at his enemy. Trevor noticed how everyone had their eyes closed. He turned so his back was towards the door and began to try and pull the door handle open. His hands finally got a hold of it and he managed to pull the handle forward, slowly opening the car door. Once the door was open enough, Trevor fell out of it, making a loud thud on the ground. Zach's eyes slowly opened and saw the door open.
"Oh shit! Nathan! Mary!" Zach said, opening his door and looking over at where Trevor was on the ground. Trevor found a way to get up with his hands behind his back and began running into the woods.
"Shit!" Nathan shouted, looking out the window to see him getting away. "Let's go." he said, opening his door and getting out, running after him.
Maria looked out her window, making sure construction was going as planned. The gallows were almost finished, nooses already hanging off the support beams at the top of the structure. While she was looking out the window her eyes landed on Chelsea, not recognizing her as part of the original community that she was in charge of. In her mind, she recognized Chelsea from the group that had attacked them.
"Son of a bitch." Maria said slamming a hand down on her desk. She got up and went outside. Instead of going towards Chelsea, she walked over to Jordan and Teresa who were just walking up to their apartment building.
"Queen." Jordan said with a slight nod.
"Don't give me that bullshit." Maria said, getting right into Jordan's face. He looked down at her, having the height advantage and squinted his eyes.
"What?" Jordan asked.
"What the hell is that killer doing outside of the prison gates? Did you let her out?" Maria asked.
"Ye-" Teresa began to say before Maria stuck her hand up in her face.
"Shut your mouth. I'm not talking to you." Maria ordered. Teresa was stunned. "I did not order you to let any of those scumbags out. She should not be allowed to walk free."
"She didn't-" Jordan tried to reason. Maria shut him up by putting a hand on the gun in her holster. Both Jordan and Teresa went wide eyed, closing their mouths and taking a step back.
"I will not stand for this. I'm in charge here. I am the boss, the Queen! Try to go over my head again and you will see what happens." Maria threatened. She turned around and Jordan turned and looked at Teresa, a slight smirk on his face. "I won't have you throw her back into the cell, but if anymore of them are seen walking around, after what they did, I will have all of them thrown out into the woods with nothing. Even the people in Jackson. Innocent or not. You can't come in here and expect to take over. I made you a part of the council as a show of good faith. I'm regretting it, and don't let your actions kill those innocent people." Maria said. She then walked away, leaving Jordan speechless and staring at her as she went back inside her house.
