Alicia's POV
We were the first to reach the origin of the terror stricken scream and soon located the woman in question, one hand thrown up to her mouth to stifle the sound with an abandoned carton of water slowly leaking into the ground at her feet.
The precious waste of resources was soon forgotten when my gaze drifted out to follow her wide eyed stare and my breath hitched in my throat at what I saw. Elyza was similarly stunned, her mouth falling open as she processed the situation.
Octavia and Raven were quickly at our heels, their faces forming a shared sense of dread when they glimpsed the approaching danger.
"Shit," Raven muttered, taking only a brief moment to assess the oncoming cloud of dust before retreating back to camp at a rapid pace.
I couldn't tear my eyes away from the landscape, fixated on the horde of walkers that were surging purposefully towards our location. A small figure could be seen fleeing a fair distance in front of them, lurching desperately towards the campsite in hopes of rescue.
Perhaps they had thought to outrun the walkers, to escape unharmed, but now we were all in danger.
Voices burst into life over the radio as the imminent threat was reported to the camp leaders. There was no time to waste if the site was to be evacuated without sustaining casualties. There were too many walkers to even consider constructing some level of defence, retreating was the only safe option.
"What the hell?" Elyza muttered softly, squinting into the distance with one hand raised to block the suns glare. "It can't be..."
I briefly glanced across at her, unsure what had caught her attention but it was Octavia who provided an explanation.
"Is that Miller?" The dark haired girl hurried to retrieve binoculars and exhaled loudly as she peered through the lenses.
"Miller? As in the Nathan Miller who was captured by the prison gang?" I asked uncertainly.
Elyza nodded and retrieved the binoculars from Octavia to see for herself. "The one and only."
Hopes of saving Nathan had been virtually non existent after Elyza and Bel's disappointing adventure into the sewers. By all accounts the prison had been virtually impenetrable and any thoughts of saving the boy had soon dwindled in the face of such impossible odds.
There were many questions regarding his escape but there was no time to dwell on them now. The whole camp was in danger.
"...A horde? Damn it. I don't know if I can get these kids evacuated in time. I'll need some extra hands over here."
Octavia lifted the radio to her mouth even before the sentence was complete. "I'm on my way, do what you can until I get there."
"We'll come with you," Elyza volunteered, retreating with Octavia back towards camp until she realised that I wasn't following. "Alicia?"
She paused and turned back to catch my eye, frowning to see that I hadn't even taken a single step.
"We've still got some time. I'll pack our belongings and wait here for Nathan to make sure he's okay."
He would be in dire need of water and potentially medical aid when he did arrive and it would give me enough time to gather our belongings in the meantime. We would be joining the rest of the group without delay.
Elyza considered my offer for a moment before nodding sharply. "Okay, but don't stay here any longer than you need to. We'll leave a vehicle for you in case he's injured. You know the rendezvous point?"
"Of course, we'll follow you there."
"Good, because I'll fight through that horde myself if you don't," she replied, flashing a half smile before Octavia urged her on and she could only wave briefly before they resumed their retreat to the far side of camp.
A warmth spread in my chest as I welcomed the trust that had formed between us. Despite our new relationship and the uncertainty that came with it, I could always rely on the knowledge that we had each others backs no matter what.
I turned back to the terror that was unfolding in the distance and estimated that I had about fifteen minutes, if not more, until Nathan arrived at my position. That was all the time I would need.
Our caravan was only a short distance away and I rushed back to it, past the last thinning crowds of panicking inhabitants who were hastily retreating under their assigned supervisors instruction.
Inside the vehicle I scooped up spare clothes and supplies to shove into rucksacks without delay. I then found the necessary medical supplies for Nathan and loaded it into the waiting vehicle outside.
I was grateful that Elyza had thought to leave it for us, because there was no way I would have been able to carry all of our stuff and help Nathan along without it.
With the car loaded and ready to go, I hurried back to the viewpoint and was relieved to see Nathan scrambling up the slight incline towards me. He still had enough ground on the walkers to take his time, but his face was strained as he hurled himself over the landscape with clear physical exertion.
Relief flooded his expression when he finally glanced up at his destination and saw me waiting, fresh energy fuelling his upward momentum until he staggered onto the even ground in front of me and dropped to one knee with shuddering breaths.
"Woah, take it easy. Nathan right?" I began, approaching him with an outstretched arm to offer him the water. He took it gratefully, unscrewing the top and gulping back a large mouthful of the refreshing liquid before replying.
"Yeah, thanks," he gasped, dark brown eyes sweeping over me as he passed back the water. "I don't mean to be rude, but we need to move fast. The gang sounded pretty intent on taking out their anger on my people for this epic disaster. I need to warn them."
Wonderful, I thought to myself. Not only was there a horde closing in, but also the danger of pissed thugs with an arsenal of weapons. The tension between the two groups of survivors had been building for months, reaching a peak when they had abducted Miller, but this was the tipping point that marked the beginning of all out war.
"We've got a car to take us to the rendezvous location. We'll get there in plenty of time," I reassured him, glad to see some of the tension easing from his expression as he bowed his head and summoned the energy to stand after his extensive journey to find us.
"You can call me Miller," he finally said, looking up at me curiously. "New arrival?"
"Something like that," I said, reaching out a hand to pull him to his feet. "Come on, the cars not far."
I quickly assessed his appearance but other than the subtle limp gracing his step and an assortment of cuts and bruises, he appeared to have obtained no serious injuries during his escape. It was a miracle really.
"I'm Alicia by the way, a friend of Elyza's," I offered as we turned away from the oncoming horde and hurried to the waiting vehicle. "What the hell happened out there? If you don't mind me asking."
We were only a few hundred yards away from the car but Miller froze as soon as the question left my lips and I immediately regretted being so forward. Events within the prison would have been traumatic to say the least and we had bigger problems right now.
"I'm sorry, all those questions can wait. Let's just get out of here," I offered, suddenly uncertain of what had offended the boy to such a degree as he fixed me with a weighted stare.
Perhaps it was mentioning Elyza? He wouldn't have known that she was back with the group and it might have been somewhat shocking to learn of her return after the traumatic history she shared with the survivors. Most likely it was the inconsiderate questioning of how the boy had escaped and I couldn't blame him for reacting so strongly. That was the last thing he wanted to think about.
That was my main stream of thought when I became caught in his indecipherable gaze, but what he said next was entirely unexpected.
"Alicia? Are you Alicia Clark?" he uttered, realisation dawning on his face as my identity was revealed.
My breath caught for a moment at his question. There was only one way that he could know that.
The shock on my face was the only answer he needed. "Your family, they were in the prison with me. I only escaped because of them."
I surged forwards instinctively until I was standing in front of him, a thousand questions desperate to be asked but not enough time to discover the answers.
"What did they say?" I snapped with unintentional force, internally wincing at how desperate I sounded but unable to fight the tension that was building in my chest.
"They heard your broadcasts and came to find you, but they stumbled across the prison gang on the way. It was their plan to release some of the walkers as a distraction to escape, but things didn't go quite to plan," he explained, apparently not bothered by my outburst.
I wasn't quite sure how to process this information. My family were alive. They had been so close and yet so far away at the same time.
"Where are they now?" I asked in a softer tone, subconsciously biting my lip as I dreaded to hear the answer. "Are they alive?"
Nathan hesitated and I felt my heart plummet as he settled for a frustrated shrug. "I don't know, we got split up when the walkers overran the prison and there was nothing I could do but run."
I exhaled slowly and ran a nervous hand through my hair, turning away from the boys dejected expression to consider my options.
My family could have survived and escaped. They might not have. The prison gang might have killed them before they even had a chance to flee, or they might have been too preoccupied with the massing walkers to notice. There were too many variables and uncertainties involved, but there was still the possibility that they were alive. That had to count for something and I couldn't just ignore the hope that we could be reunited again.
"Take the car and catch up with the others, I have to find my family."
Nathan was clearly not convinced by this idea and a deep frown furrowed his brow. "It's not safe Alicia, there are walkers everywhere and your family could be caught right in the middle of them."
"Which is exactly why I need to find them. They might need my help."
I wasn't going to be deterred from my decision and I gathered my weapons from the car before addressing Nathan again, hoping to reassure him that this was the best way.
"They most likely would have followed you or the horde if they knew you were coming here. Chances are they're nearby and I can help them. You need to go back to camp and tell Elyza everything, she can organise a car to return once the horde has dispersed and pick us up once I've found them. If not, I know the rendezvous point and we can meet you there."
If anything, it was nice to hear the plan spoken aloud if only to reassure myself that this was not a foolish idea. I wasn't sure who I was trying to convince.
"I can come with you," Nathan offered, gesturing to the loaded car. "We can both drive back and do a sweep of the area to find them."
"We don't have time for this!" I snapped, holstering the gun securely at my waist. "I can travel discretely on foot without attracting the walkers and find a safe place to take cover. You need to warn your friends about the gang and get to safety. You've been through enough already."
Miller was smart enough to recognise a lost cause and wisely abandoned his efforts to convince me otherwise, sighing deeply at the reckless act. We had spent too long talking already and the walkers wouldn't be far away.
He nodded regretfully and began to lope towards the car, aware of the pressing situation. I knew that Elyza would share his concerns and perhaps rightly so, but I couldn't just turn away from my family. Not when they were so close. By the time we caught up with the main group and organised a return scout when it was safe, it could already be too late. I couldn't risk that happening.
"Hey," I called out as an afterthought, pulling Miller's attention back to me as he opened the creaking car door. "Tell Elyza...that I'm sorry and I'll make it up to her."
He nodded hesitantly, unaware of my relationship with the girl but agreed all the same. It was lame and half hearted, but it was better than nothing. I could apologise properly when I saw her again and it was going to be one hell of an apology if she were as furious with me as I imagined.
Within minutes he was reluctantly packed into the small car and hurtling around the now abandoned motorhomes in search of his people. At least he would return to them safely, that I could do for them.
One task had been achieved successfully, now came the more difficult one. Finding my family.
The surging chorus of groaning undead had been growing steadily for the last few minutes and I knew that they would soon overwhelm my position if I didn't move quickly.
Thoughts of seeing my family again smothered any rising fear and, with adrenaline coursing through my veins, I carefully rushed to the left and set a demanding pace that would hopefully steer me around the horde undetected. If this worked then it would all be worth it, if not then I would have a lot of explaining to do.
Elyza's POV
With Raven and I providing much needed support to the stragglers, we soon had the smaller group gathered with as many supplies that they could carry and safely accompanied along the thirty minute journey to the rendezvous point.
It took us directly out of the horde's path and provided suitable temporary accommodation whilst we planned our next steps. The location in question was a large warehouse that had once housed mattresses. It had long since been abandoned and left to ruin but it would serve our needs well enough.
The straight road stretched hazily into the distance, quivering in the midday heat as it tore through the barren landscape. The RV park had been a welcome relief from the never ending travelling and it become a comfort of sorts to find a place that could be inhabited for a substantial period of time.
Only a few months earlier I would have detested the thought of settling anywhere, more than content to continue my exploration of this world to experience both the challenges and benefits of a life on the road. Now I had something to stay for.
I was jerked from my thoughts when the distant roar of an engine puttered along the road behind us and we stepped carefully to the side as the vehicle swiftly closed the distance. I recognised the beaten exterior and a brief smile flitted into existence at the thought of Alicia and Millers return.
There may be a horde on our tail, perhaps the prison gang, but there was still something good to come out of this.
My initial excitement faded when the car cruised to a stop beside us and I found myself staring back into Miller's solemn gaze.
"Long time no see," the boy called through the open window, ignoring the suspicious glances that he drew from the youngest members of our small group who didn't immediately recognise him.
"It's damn good to see you Miller, we were beginning to fear the worst," Raven admitted, stepping up beside me to address her friend with a broad smile.
"Where's Alicia?" I asked curtly, trying and failing to hide my concern when I identified no other passengers in the car.
"She went back for her family," Miller explained, waving a hand in frustration when he received a confused frown in response. "I don't have time to explain right now. The prison gang might be coming after us and I need to warn the others. I'll tell you everything once we're safe."
I swallowed my disappointment and nodded, pausing only to direct a few of our youngest members into the vehicle to speed up our progress. Within minutes Miller was back on the road with his additional passengers, tearing along with determined speed.
The urge to turn and charge back to find Alicia was unquenchable, but I was needed here. With the threat of a horde and a violent gang to contend with, they would need every able bodied fighter available.
"You okay?" Octavia asked carefully, taking note of the renewed pace with which we were travelling as I silently channelled my frustration into a physical outlet.
"I will be."
My head was spinning with thoughts of Alicia and her family, but without an explanation I could only guess as to the circumstances. I just hoped that she was okay, that they would all be okay.
We arrived at the rendezvous location in record time, ushering the youngest members into the warehouse before reuniting with Bellamy and the other appointed leaders. Miller was standing before them in a quiet corner of the warehouse, quietly recounting what had taken place at the prison.
"...Releasing the walkers was a good plan to divert those sons of bitches, but it got out of hand and there were too many to be contained."
The gang had been well known for their use of walkers to intimidate survivors and prisoners but they clearly hadn't been very careful in their methods. Over confidence had been their downfall. They had used the walkers once before to drive the survivors from their previous base and now they were forced to use more conventional methods to seek vengeance.
I arrived in time to catch the end of the story, only partially interested in the prison as I fought the urge to interrupt and put forth my own burning questions.
"If any of them survived, the gang won't take this loss lightly. They'll come after us for revenge just to make themselves feel better." Miller continued, not yet noticing my presence as he addressed his audience. "We have to be prepared for retaliation."
Everyone was predictably unhappy about these newfound circumstances, especially considering our lack of involvement with the entire mess, but it was a reality that we would have to adapt to.
Bellamy quickly began to fire out instructions, consulting Raven and Octavia with consideration of how to divide our small force between defensive and scouting duties. It was a pressing concern that wasn't lost on me, but I had unanswered questions of my own.
"You promised me an explanation," I directed at Miller, keeping my voice low so as not to disrupt the tense proceedings. Dark eyes swept towards me and he took a step away from the oblivious leaders to address me.
"Alicia's family heard the radio broadcasts, but they couldn't get a good enough signal to reply so tried to find her. Instead they found the gang and were captured alongside me for their trouble. They helped me to escape but we were split up and I couldn't find them again."
He kept his explanation short and to the point, only providing the information that I needed to know. I didn't want a long, rambling tale of their time in captivity, I just wanted to know where Alicia was.
"Your friend thought that her family could be in trouble and went back to help them. If she finds them, they'll return here to meet us," Miller explained, the words spoken with visible effort as the exhaustion from his recent ordeal began to show.
I clenched my teeth in frustration and turned away from Miller, not wanting to tinge his return with my own personal grievances. Alicia was taking a huge risk and I didn't appreciate the reckless act. She could have returned with Miller and spoken to me, she knew that I wouldn't let her do this by herself. I could've helped her.
"She also wanted you to know that she's sorry," Miller continued, recalling the brunette's message before they had parted ways. "That she would find a way to make it up to you."
If she survives.
I immediately vanquished the thought but I couldn't completely defy it's existence. She was attempting to avoid a horde and the prison gang with the half hatched belief that her family were caught in the middle.
Perhaps they were, but they also might have been miles away by now.
Raven clapped her hands together and I glanced back over at the huddle of survivors as they each set about on their individual assignments with determination. Neither the living nor the dead would be stumbling across our temporary shelter, not if they had anything to do with it.
I didn't quite know what to think let alone say and quietly slipped away when Bryan came jogging back to his boyfriend with a concerned frown. They needed their own privacy and I wasn't in the mood for company.
"I'll take watch on the perimeter," I told Octavia as I brushed past her, intent on claiming the role of solitude that would allow me time to think whilst still remaining useful.
"No you're not," she replied swiftly, taking me aback with the instant refusal and I spun to stare at her questioningly. "I heard what happened with Alicia and we need full attention out there. You should get some rest, think about how best we can help her once this has settled down."
"You can't be serious?"
She nodded resolutely and gestured to the others. "In fact, we all are."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing and crossed my arms over my chest in disbelief, shifting my weight back onto one leg as I swept my gaze over my friends. "So you've all decided that I'm not fit to defend us and you're sitting me aside with the children?"
Bellamy stepped forwards, arms outstretched in a peaceful gesture as Raven chuckled softly to herself. "No, we want you to be able to focus on how best to help Alicia whilst we take care of the basic perimeter scouts. We've got a few tricks of our own to play with."
There was no way I was going to convince them otherwise and threw my hands into the air in frustration and sighed. "Whatever, do what you want."
I strode away from their heavy gazes and found myself a quiet corner to settle in. Leadership wasn't necessarily a role that I wanted to reclaim, more than happy with the independent lifestyle that I had had wrangled for myself over the past year. It just meant putting up with ridiculous decisions like this.
Right now there was nothing that I could do for Alicia but I was primed and ready to defend the group if we did come under attack for any reason. I didn't need to be part of the perimeter guard to contribute to that. Whilst I was waiting, I decided to complete an inventory of my weapons and ducked outside to gather my belongings from the car.
After a brief altercation with the woman stationed at the main entrance, I slipped out of the side door instead to reach the car and heaved the door open to discover what Alicia had managed to pack before her disappearing act.
I was pleased to find my weapons neatly arranged in the boot but paused when I glimpsed her own bag, loaded with belongings, teetering precariously on the back seat. After only a moments hesitation I grabbed both bags and returned back into the warehouse.
A simmering glare was sent my way by the girl that I had evaded on guard duty who pointedly made a show of positioning her colleague on the second exit, not that I cared and continued past them to my preferred spot that was well hidden from her gaze.
I methodically completed an inventory of my weapons, pleased to find that they were all accounted for and in good shape. They would certainly come in handy if we had any unexpected visitors.
Unable to distract myself any longer, I dragged Alicia's bag over the floor until it rested in front of my crossed legs and stared down at the dark brown material. I carefully reached inside and pulled out the journal that I had gifted to her only an hour ago, pursing my lips as I considered how so much could change in such a short space of time.
I smiled to see how it had been carefully wrapped in a spare t-shirt to save it from damage and gently unwound the soft material. I was even more surprised to find a small slip of paper nestled inside and couldn't immediately figure out what it could be.
The white paper was slightly crinkled as I smoothed out the fold and opened it fully, lifting one eyebrow when I read the contents. It was the note that I had left her all those weeks ago when I had left with Bellamy to scout the prison, promising that I would be safe and return just to prove my point.
I never imagined that she would have kept it but shook my head at the irony. How the tables had turned. Here I was wondering if she would return from her own reckless mission as I had mine.
It could have minutes that I stared down at the paper, or hours as I tried to decipher whether I was more angry or concerned about the girls recent heroic act. I still hadn't come to a conclusion when a distant boom resonated into the warehouse, only a faint explosion that at first might have been imagined, but was followed by a second, more distinct eruption.
Several heads turned at the intrusive noise but no one appeared particularly worried. I hurriedly shoved the note and book back into the bag before jumping to my feet and seeking out Raven who was managing the remaining survivors within the warehouse.
"What the hell was that?" I inquired, striding over to where she was stood calmly in the centre of the building, maintaining strict radio contact with those who had ventured outside. She barely glanced at me as I approached, signing off her communication with one of the scouts before replying.
"That was one of those tricks that we were telling you about earlier."
It didn't make complete sense to me but I was just relieved that it wasn't an imminent sign of attack or danger.
"If we heard that then the horde certainly did, it'll divert them away from our location," I concluded and received a proud smile from my friend.
"Now you're catching on," Raven said, her attention drawn back to the radio once more as reports continued to return.
I backed away and left her to it, not wanting to interrupt.
With weapons accounted for and our safety temporarily assured there was little else for me to do but settle back down, leaning against a partition as I let my eyes shut and thoughts wander. Once we were all safe and the horde had moved on, nothing was going to deter me from seeking out Alicia.
If I was lucky, a rare occurrence these days, then she might even return back to the rendezvous without my assistance and with her family in tow. It was unlikely but not impossible and I hoped more than anything to see her walk back through these doors with her loved ones.
My thoughts must have given way to a brief descent into sleep and I blinked away the sluggish weight of unconscious slumber only a short time later when raised voices became notable within the warehouse.
I hopped to my feet and saw Raven weaving through the building towards the main doors. Something must have happened and I would be damned if I was left out of it this time. Without delay I hurried after her, only a few metres behind by the time she emerged outside and was in perfect time to witness everything that was taking place out on the sun baked ground.
I naively hoped that it would be Alicia waiting for me on the other side of the door, but that was only wistful thinking.
Two perimeter scouts had returned and they weren't alone. They quickly explained how they had caught these strangers scouring the surroundings for a trail to follow. It went without saying that they had been intercepted and captured without delay, unwilling to risk the presence of prison gang members so close to the temporary base.
I barely heard a word that was said when I laid eyes on the prisoners. The three strangers were kneeling in a line before Raven and Bellamy, hands tied firmly in front of them to prevent any unwanted violence. From their ragged appearance I was less convinced of their involvement with the prison gang and had an idea of my own as to who they might be.
A blonde haired woman was in the middle, light blue eyes grazing curiously over her captors as they ignored her and reported the events that had unfolded. The man on her right had closely cut, dark, cropped hair, and a lingering half-smile that appeared very self-assured despite the uncertain circumstances.
I had barely glanced towards the slender boy at her left when he struggled to his feet with a string of almost inaudible words, mop of brown hair cascading back from his face before being harshly shoved back onto his knees by the scout behind him.
"Nick, don't!" the blonde woman intoned, concern flashing in her eyes as she brought the attention back to her. "We're not any danger to you! There's no need for this!"
Trish and Scott, the two scouts, held their weapons ready in anticipation of trouble and I snapped out of my stunned silence to intervene before the misunderstanding could continue.
"It's okay, you can put your weapons down," I directed, stepping forwards until I was positioned next to Raven, ignoring the questioning gazes from the scouts as I looked down at each of the prisoners in turn. "Nick, Madison, and I'm guessing you're Strand?"
Shock and confusion reigned on Madison's face as she tried to piece together how I knew their names. It wasn't a challenging conclusion to reach and realisation soon dawned over the group.
"Correct," Strand uttered, not losing an ounce of his confidence even with the guns present behind him. "So assuming you're the wonderful group who Alicia has been staying with, how about we lose the restraints and converse in a more civilised manner?"
I completely agreed with his reasoning and would have whole heartedly complied if Madison hadn't cut in before I had a chance to respond.
"We heard the broadcasts that she sent, I can't believe we finally found her," the woman uttered with blossoming joy and hope clear on her face. It made me sick to the stomach to witness her growing happiness. "Where is she?"
My own relief to know that Alicia's family were safe and well was quickly being overshadowed by the towering knowledge that she was out there risking her life to find them. This was not going to be an easy conversation.
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