Part 12: Terminus
Daybreak arrived and Daryl wondered if it came faster than usual. Time passed as if it was on speed, interrupting his sleep and the comfort of Sasha's warm body so close to his. He awakened several times in the night just to watch her sleep. Her rest was far better than he could remember it being even when they slept on the conference table. Despite the uncertainty, she thrived on the potential outcome of this trip. He wasn't sure how he felt about it.
As Rick and Nik parted from their families, he and Sasha waited at the door. No one said "goodbye," but the intensity behind the partings made Daryl look away. Sasha beckoned for him to follow her outside, and he did.
"Dawn loaded us with food and water. I have it in my bag," she said.
"Want me to carry it?" he offered, reaching for the backpack.
"I can do it—"
"It's heavy," he cut in, as he took it. "I got it."
"Is this how it's gonna be?" She held his crossbow while he settled the pack onto his back. When he was done, he adjusted the bow over his shoulder.
Daryl frowned. "What?"
"Are you gonna carry my rifle, too?"
His argument was halted by the glint in her brown eyes and the hint of a smirk on her pretty full lips.
"You're a big girl. Carry it yourself." He chuckled as she tried to give him a stern face but failed as a soft giggle escaped.
The others soon joined them. Rick carried a duffel bag loaded with weapons and ammo. Nik also carried a handgun and his knife in a sheath on his belt. The map was folded in his hand. The other map was left with their group at the preserve. In the early hours, dew still clung to the red and brown leaves that scattered across their path. Squirrels scurried up trees. Any other time, Daryl would have set his sights on them, but the day's mission warranted a different focus.
The night before, their dinner had been consumed by plans. Nik read the map and calculated how long it should take them on foot if they were met with little distractions. Leaving at sunrise should put them at Terminus way before noon. If they kept a steady pace, the four could reach the site before the inhabitants started their day. Rick wanted to see the others in their natural state before "company" arrived. Daryl agreed with that plan, as did Sasha. If the place was as welcoming as the signs suggested, one or two of the four would return and get the others. That was Plan A.
Plan B covered the other side of the what if discussion. A little after noon, at least one of the four would return to the wildlife preserve office with news. Whether good or bad, word was to extend to those waiting for them. On the far, far side of what if, the possibility remained that none of them would be able to return. An argument had ensued between Dawn and Nik when she said the five would come for the missing four. They'd take out Terminus if they had to, but no matter what, they'd come.
Daryl hadn't been surprised when her husband argued against it, but what he should have expected but quite didn't was Michonne's quiet affirmation that she and Dawn would come together. Of course, Carl slipped into the conversation and Dominik joined in, too. Lorenzo rounded out the argument in opposition to his brother, whose face wore a mixture of pride and defeat.
That was last night. Now, they were at least an hour into their trek. Sasha had moved a few feet ahead and was walking beside Nik. Since their little flare up, he noticed a shift between him and her. He couldn't put his finger on it, but the change felt good. He liked knowing that there was something more between them and that maybe he wasn't so fucked up after all.
"Hey." Rick fell into step beside him. "You're quiet."
"So's everybody else," Daryl observed. "Ain't just me."
Rick nodded.
"Ain't no tellin' what we'll find there," Daryl said. "Maybe more of our people."
"Maybe not," Rick said, his voice low.
"Yeah, but you gotta figure if they saw the signs, they'd head that way."
"Yeah…"
"Whatcha thinkin'?" Daryl asked.
"Don't know." Rick shrugged. "So many times we go in blind."
"But we get out okay," Daryl said. "We ain't as dumb as we look."
"Not by half."
They laughed. After a few more steps, Rick added, "It would be good if it is legit, though. If it's a place where we can start over. It would be good for the boys."
Daryl nodded. "It would be good for all of us."
$%^&
Sasha glanced at the sky. The sunlight filtering through the tall branches informed her that they were making a good pace on their journey. They could reach the sanctuary before their predicted calculations. The sooner they arrived, the sooner she'd know whether or not her brother had made it this far. Maintaining focus in the midst of the unknown was one of the most difficult things she had ever known. People had always accused her or being too bossy or too strong. They really had no idea the toll the façade cost her. She felt Nik watching her and she gave him a faint smile.
"You have a good feeling about this place," Nik said.
"I wouldn't say that."
"I would," Nik commented, "by your body language. Your pace has increased in the last half hour or so."
"Has it?"
He nodded. "Yeah. You think we'll find sanctuary there?"
"Maybe," she said.
"But that's not what you're rushing to, is it?"
"And you tell Dawn she's nosy," Sasha said with a laugh.
"She is," Nik said, "but I am, too. We both are, I guess."
"She'll be happy to hear it if she hasn't called you on it already."
Nik grinned. "You're observant, too."
"You don't have to worry about them so much," Sasha offered, "but I guess that's like telling you not to breathe air."
"Pretty much." He glanced around. "It's so beautiful out here. So peaceful. Could be we're walking to something like that. Beautiful and peaceful. Could be we're not. Did you ever see one of those evacuation centers?"
"No, my brother and I bunked with Ty's neighbor in the beginning," Sasha said. "He was one of those survivalist guys. He had enough food and water for months. We used to think he was nuts, but not after this thing hit. Did you all stay in one?"
"Almost," Nik said. "We did a plan similar to this one. Lorenzo checked it out and we hung back and waited for his approval. I've never seen my brother run so fast before. He still won't tell me what he saw there."
"Hmm," she murmured. "What did you do instead?"
"We headed for the forests. We figured the further out we were, the better, but that wasn't necessarily true either." Nik shook his head. "It always comes down to a toss up."
Sasha nodded as she thought about his words. "If Terminus is safe, that will be good for all of us."
"But?"
"I…um…" She sighed. "Maybe the others from my group are there. Maybe my brother is."
Nik nodded. "I hope so, Sasha. I hope so."
$%^&
Rick alerted his group with a sharp whistle. They all stopped at once and looked at him. He pointed toward the continuous billow of black smoke. The aroma of something distinct drifted in the morning air, but he couldn't pinpoint it. The scent was unlike anything he was familiar with. Through a cluster of bushes, he noticed a chain linked fence. With silent signals, they decided to spread out and keep watch. Rick pointed at his watch and flashed his hand twice. After ten minutes of surveillance, they were to meet back at this point.
He found a sizable tree and clambered up its trunk. The branch held his weight well while giving him a good view of the ground below. A two-story brick building with impressive square footage consumed a good amount of the space. There were a few small gardens scattered throughout. Everything was well kept. Nothing seemed out of place. At the prison, mornings were rarely this quiet. People were always moving around, doing one chore or another. The lack of movement surprised him. What was the source of the smell? Where were the people?
A place the size of Terminus had to be structured. It couldn't thrive without organization and everyone working together. Rick wondered about the silence. Michonne had warned him about finding the balance between mistrust and listening to his instinct. She trusted his instinct, but he had to admit that she was living proof that his initial mistrust could be misguided. He left the seclusion of the branch and rejoined his friends who were now waiting for him.
"What y'all think?" Rick asked.
"It's quiet," Sasha said.
"The prison was never like this," Daryl added. "I bet we could hear a rabbit fart out here."
Nik nodded. "But it isn't empty. There must be people inside. It's too clean. Too organized."
"Yeah," Rick said, "that's it."
"Should we head back?" Daryl asked. He glanced at Sasha, concern marking the lines of his face. "Not take the risk?"
"We've come this far," she said, her eyes narrowing at him. "I say we go in. We can't turn back now."
"Something feels off," Daryl said, his jaw set. "It's stupid to go runnin' in there, knowin' shit ain't right-"
"Stupid?" Sasha cut in.
"Hey!" Rick whispered. "If y'all wanna go back, that's fine. Nik?"
"I'm good," he said. "We're here. Daryl has a good point, but turning back now will leave too many questions. I vote that we keep our eyes open and go ahead. What do you say, Rick?"
"The same." Rick stared first at Sasha and then at Daryl. "Y'all in or out?"
Daryl looked at Sasha. She nodded and he answered, "We're in."
"Okay, then."
Rick found a small tree with a nearby patch of soft dirt. He made a hole big enough for the duffel bag and set it inside.
"Wait," Nik said. He unzipped the bag and stuffed the map inside. "If it's wrong, I don't want to guide them straight back to our families."
"Everybody's got what they need?" Rick asked.
A series of nods was the response to his question. He replaced his Colt Python with an automatic pistol. Sasha traded her rifle for a pistol, too. While Nik and Daryl covered the hole, Rick marked the tree with symbols that he and Michonne had agreed upon. She had promised that she'd come for them, and he believed her. Her sword was a wonderful addition to any battle, but this small stash could come in handy to either of their groups, depending on circumstance.
The climb over the fence was quick. Once on the ground, Rick readied his pistol and headed toward what appeared to be the main building. That's where they found the hub of social activity. People of various ages and gender worked in what looked to be the communications center. An older white woman sat with headphones and spoke into a speaker. Her voice was calm and welcoming as she broadcast to the unknown that Terminus was a sanctuary to all. Rick and his people stopped short when a younger, tall white man noticed them.
"Well! Hello? The front door wasn't to your liking?" He gave the smile of a politician as he lowered his clipboard and came toward him. As he spoke, the workers paused to watch him and stare at Rick, Daryl, Sasha, and Nik.
"We didn't see it," Rick said.
"We have to make the sign bigger. I'm Gareth." He made sure to make eye contact with everyone. "We usually ask newcomers to relinquish their weapons when they come in. Our home is peaceful. We like to keep it that way."
"We're not here to cause a disturbance," Rick said.
"Would you mind putting them on the ground while Sonny checks you?" Gareth asked.
Rick shrugged. He and the others lowered their weapons to the concrete floor. Sonny, who looked to be in his mid to late twenties like Gareth stepped forward to search them. His pat down was quick and not nearly as thorough as what Rick would have done. When Sonny finished, he joined Gareth and nodded.
"Thanks," Gareth said. "We appreciate your cooperation. You can pick them up." He paused as if he was waiting for them to say something, but they only retrieved their weapons. "So I imagine you're curious about the place otherwise you wouldn't be here? Care to have a look around?"
"Sure," Rick said.
"Fine," Gareth said with a slight frown. "Follow me. Sonny, will you finish up for me? I don't know how long I'll be."
"No problem," Sonny said.
"This way." Gareth indicated with a sweep of his hand.
Rick glanced at his friends. They all wore tight expressions on their faces. Even Sasha who had tried to downplay her eagerness seemed more rigid and controlled. Daryl and Nik brought up the rear. Their hands were poised to grasp their weapons.
The welcome party of one led them from the building to an open courtyard with wooden benches. More people milled about, but the quiet remained unsettling. Gareth guided them past small gardens and an area where clothes dried on the line. The view was idyllic and had an old-time feel, as if they had gone back in time.
"Most buildings have housing. Everyone shares chores, but we try to fit according to skill and taste. We always look for the best fit."
"You keep saying 'we,'" Nik said. "Who is that?"
"It's how we…there I go again," Gareth said with a faint laugh. "It's our governing body. Even sanctuaries need structure. We have policies, rules, etc. All are expected to abide by them."
"What happens if they don't?" Daryl asked.
"Most do," Gareth responded. "Many find that living here is better than the uncertainty outside our fences. Here, there's shelter, food, and safety. Outside…well, you know what's out there. Otherwise you wouldn't have come here, right?"
"How are you able to manage the newcomers?" Sasha asked. "It looks big, but not big enough."
"We manage. We all work together to make it work," Gareth responded.
"Have there been many new arrivals lately?" she asked.
He paused to consider her question. "Are you looking for someone?"
"We're just curious," Rick said. "The signs are everywhere. Where would you put us…if we decide to stay?"
"Oh, we can always find a place for you," Gareth said. "No need to worry about that."
Rick remembered Michonne's final words to him. The ones about the initial reaction to mistrust versus the stronger feeling in his gut that always guided him. Noon was still at least a couple of hours away. His gut told him that something was off. The people seemed too controlled and Gareth was just too fucking sure of himself. But one glance at Sasha who still held hope that her brother could be somewhere inside and another at Daryl who tried to hide his worries about Beth and Carol, Rick knew that they'd play Gareth's game a little longer until they had answers.
[A/N: Thanks for reading, following, favoriting, reviewing, and kudo-ing! I'm slow with responding to reviews this time around because of school. (Notice the shorter chapter? lol) In the goal to keep some kind of schedule, this is it. My fingers are crossed that "Part 13: Tracks" will be a little longer. I don't know about you all, but 5x09 just put me through the ringer. The shipper in me is losing her mind, but the rest of me is just numb. Spoilers had warned of this for weeks, but I still hoped for a different outcome. In other words, I wasn't ready. Sigh. FYI…regarding the Terminus arc, it won't exactly follow the series so this may take a few chapters to get us through it. Thanks again! ]
