Ch. 26

Beth kept struggling. The man was heavier and stronger but she wouldn't let him. Even if no one was coming for her she knew that she had to keep him away. Maybe some of the officers would grow a conscience or the Wards a spine.

Gorman seemed to get annoyed at her struggling and gripped her neck tightly. He lifted her up and threw her across the room.

"You're not making things easy for yourself!" Gorman said as he stalked over to her. He removed his belt and dropped it to the floor. Beth was crawling away sobbing shouting for him to stop which made Gorman smile, he enjoyed that part.

He gabbed her by the neck and pulled her up looking her in the eye. Despite the tear stained cheeks, the red surrounding her blue irises, despite the fact that her shirt was torn open and he had just had her on the ground, she still had an unruly amount of defiance in her eyes. She mumbled something, and even though they were standing close together he couldn't understand her.

His grip tightened. "What'd you say?"

Beth spat in his face and Gorman felt something plunge into his side. He dropped her and reached for whatever had pierced him. Beth scrambled away and hs hand gripped a batch of copper wires tightly before he pulled them out. But how could she have gotten them? Gorman had thrown them to the side before he pinned her. But then he had thrown her as well.

He heard screaming and then felt something wrap around his neck before it squeezed. He grabbed whatever it was and felt the fabric tighten and his eyes began to bulge from his head.

"Fuck you! Fuck you! Fuck you! Fuck you!" Beth screamed as Gorman began to fall unconscious from lack of air.

There was a pounding at the door and Beth kept pulling the sheet around his neck tightly. She remembered Sam's words, always save your strength. If you know you can't win then pull back, retreat and attack when you can. And when you do, make sure that they won't be bothering you anytime soon.

The pounding on the door intensified and Beth slammed Gorman's head onto the hard tile. Blood began to ooze out of his mouth and he began to gurgle trying to beg through the blood for her to stop even as the back of his skull began to break and cave in.

The door crashed open and Beth grabbed the bundle of copper wire out of Gorman and turned, the improvised weapon raised in her hand. Two officers stood there, guns out but not looking at Beht, their eyes instead drawn to their now dead comrade lying on the ground. Beth backe away slowly, she knew she woulldn't be able to take them, they had body armor, guns, and all she had was a bundle of wire and a torn open shirt.

"What are ya' doing? We need to find-"

"We just did!" the male officer said quickly. "In here!"

There was the rush of footsteps and the officers backed away from the door. Another man came in, he had the beginnings of a beard, and his hair was a shaggy mess. His grey eyes went wide and he almost dropped the rifle that he had held in his hands. He smiled and took several steps forward and Beth was quick to slash at him with the wires which he dodged so Beth swung her fist nearly connecting with his jaw.

"Beth! No! It's me!" She kicked and screamed, trying to scratch and hit him, simply wound him however he could. "It's me!"

"No! No! Get back!" Beth kneed him in his groin causing the man to yell out in pain and fall to his knees.

"Son of a bitch! Beth! It's Sam!" She paused and looked down at him. Her blue wyes filling with a fresh batch of tears.

"S-Sam?"

"Aye, it's me!" She got off of him and Sam got up. "Jaysus lass. You think you were trying to kill me."

Beth smiled faintly and jumped up hugging him tightly. She forgot about Dawn and the other officers, she forgot about the two men that she had killed and what Gorman had come to do. She forgot about her blood covered arms and torn open shirt. They had found each other.

"Dawn come on out!" Lamson said as he and the other officers gathered outside of her office. Dr. Edwards and the other Wards were there as well, desperate to see the fall of their oppressor.

"You goddamn traitors!" Dawn screamed at them. "Everything that I've done has been to make this place work, everything!"

"Dawn! Don't make us shoot in there!"

"I have a hostage! You all remember that little girl we brought in with that blonde bitch! I have her! Say hello sweetheart!" There was nothing and for a split second Lamson and the others thought that Dawn was bluffing. Then there was a smack and a little girl yeled.

"Fuck!" Lamson growled out. "What do you want?"

"Put your guns down!"

"No!"

"I'll kill her! You know I will!"

"Dawn! You are not getting this place back!"

"I don't expect to! I want a car, food weapons! Give me that and I'll let the girl go!"

Lamson looked at the others and they seemed to hesitate on the offer. Lamson then looked to Rick and his group and they all nodded to him.

"Alright Dawn, we'll give it to you!"

The car was ready, the food was packed. Dawn had come out of her office with Sophia in her arms and a gun to the little girl's head. Sophia stood as tall as she could, but the people could see tears welling up in her eyes. Beth gripped the handle of her recovered machete tightly. She had never liked Dawn, but seeing the officer standing with a gun to Sophia's head made her want to drive the machete into the woman's head.

Carol stood off to the side her gun up and a shot lined up with Dawns head as were Sam, Daryl, and Rick. The other officers had their guns up and aimed but Beth knew that if anything were to happen, it would be her group that would fire first.

Dawn nervously walked through the halls, her gun constantly twitching and her eyes darting from person to person. She held Sophia close, almost like a shield. She mocked the other officers and shouted insults at them as she walked through the halls.

Sophia kept her mouth shut and followed whatever direction eh was dragged in. Beth nodded to her and Sophia nodded back. Dawn glared at Beth but kept her mouth shut for some reason.

When they were close to the end of the hall and Sophia began to sow a bit and Dawn yanked her along. Beth raised an eye at that and suddenly she and Sophia locked eyes for a split second and winked.

Sophia raised a leg and kicked Dawn in the front of her knee, a sickening crack sounded through the hall and Dawn fell to the ground screaming. Sophia ran from dawn and toward the crowd of armed police and group members when a crack sounded through the hall.

Blood splattered out of Sophia's scrubs as a bullet went straight through her. And then another, and anther. Sophia fell to the ground and Carol screamed out. Everyone else fired their guns, sending multiple holes into Dawn.

They walked out of Grady in a haze. Carol carried Sophia's body herself, refusing to let anyone else touch the body. Sam felt salty tears rolling down hs face, and no one said a word when Abrahams group showed up. Maggie ran up to Beth wanting to hug her, but when she had seen Sophia dead in her mothers arms, she broke down.

Bastard walked up to them and barked eagerly, but then sniffed the air and ran over to Carol. One of Sophia's arms was hanging limply by her side, he gently nipped it and when he got no response whimpered quietly.

AN: Okay, I know it's short, but I've been going through some shit. My parents were at the concert that was shot up in Vegas, so that was why I couldn't get this chapterup sooner. I'll probably rework this chapter to make it up to quality, I just needed to do something to get my mind off of things. I'll see you guys next time.