Part 13: Tracks

The usual morning noises were fewer after the departure of the four, Michonne decided. A city girl in the time before, she acclimated to the loss of her favored amenities quickly because she had to. She learned how to live without electricity, running water, heat and A/C. Her mind trained her body to go days without food. In the midst of the changes, her senses adapted to the sounds of nature. If a deer suddenly stiffened, she did, too. A flock of birds overhead now symbolized more than the usual migration. Despite the less wildlife, the ones that remained were survivors and she respected their tenacious will to live. Like everything else, the great outdoors had survived in the land of the living dead, too.

Yesterday, she noticed pleasant bird songs and the busyness of squirrels, as they scampered up trees. Although they had arrived in the afternoon, the animals moved about and seemed unnerved by their presence. Today there was a lack of whistling and scurrying so Michonne grabbed her katana and headed out for a perimeter check. Lorenzo stood near Daryl's bike. He was still as if he too was on alert.

"Anything?" she asked.

"Nope." He shook his head. "I almost threw this thing away," he said, pointing at his watch. "Glad I didn't."

"How are they on time?"

"Not too long. Maybe an hour," Lorenzo said. He nodded toward her sword. "You see something?"

"Nah. Just need to look."

"I'll come, too."

Michonne shrugged. "I can do it."

"I know. I'm going crazy standing around," he said. "Before you came over, I was debating whether or not to store Daryl's Harley on the back of my truck."

"That won't be easy. Especially with that camper."

"Or without it," Lorenzo said. "I get restless. Easy doesn't matter. Which way first?"

"Toward the gate, around and back," she said.

They walked in companionable silence. The merging of the groups happened quickly. Her reservations about the Cassidy family had faded. She wasn't sure when it happened, but she had a good feeling about them. These days, no one shared war stories. Experiences were obvious in how a person carried himself. Judging from Lorenzo's careful steps and watchful gaze, he had encountered his share of trouble.

"Nice sword." He pulled the tire iron from his belt loop. "This is resilient, but I wish it was longer. Have better range. Less kick back on the splatter."

She bit back a chuckle. "Kick back?"

"You know," he said. "It's gross. I'm not less of a man for saying so."

"Does that matter now?" she asked.

"Probably not. I've always sucked at small talk."

"It's overrated," Michonne said.

The back of the preserve had an overgrowth of shrubbery. Michonne hacked through it with the katana. Lorenzo walked behind her. When they reached the far end of the building, the bushes evened out again and they moved into step together.

"Tell me about the guys who were with you before," Michonne said.

"Clay and Nash?"

"Yeah."

"They were cousins," Lorenzo said. "At least, that's what they told us. We were with another group and a herd came through. The six of us got out. We set up camp together because these days numbers matter."

"So how much of a threat are they?" she asked. "Or could they be?"

"We didn't kick them out if that's what you're asking." Lorenzo leaned against the concrete building. By now, they were on the opposite end of the gate. Another turn would have them near the front entrance again. He slipped the tire iron inside the loop as he said, "They just left. It was their choice, but the thing is, if we ran into them, I advise against welcoming them in."

Michonne nodded. "What's the deal with them?"

"Other than being dicks? Sorry. I shouldn't have said that," he said.

"It's fine. Do we have to worry about the boys?"

Lorenzo shook his head. "Not the way you think. If either of them had tried anything with Dom…" His face reddened. "It's not that they ever tried anything. They just had a way about them. Clay and I came across Daryl and Sasha while tracking a boar. If Daryl hadn't been there and Sasha had been alone, I can't say anything good would have come from it."

Michonne nodded. After the encounter with Joe's group, she wanted more than anything for them to be off the road and to find permanent shelter. People like Joe, the cousins, and Lee and Aaron were bolder now. They put no limits on whatever they wanted regardless the morality of their needs. But what was morality now? Law was gone. Surviving required finding others who were like-minded and staying together, becoming a family. And placing no limits on whatever was needed to keep that family whole.

Lorenzo touched her shoulder. "You don't have to worry about them."

"I'm not."

$%^&

"Hey!" Sasha's whisper was sharp. She caught Daryl's wrist and tugged until his pace matched hers. The four of them had been following Gareth around for so long that Sasha had lost track of time. His tour seemed neverending, but he had yet to direct them to anything of interest.

Daryl shifted his crossbow to his other shoulder so that they walked closer. "What?"

"I'm gonna look around—"

"The fuck you are."

"As long as Rick and you guys keep motor mouth distracted, I'll be fine," she said. "I'll be back before I'm missed."

"No way." Daryl's mouth tightened. "Ain't lettin' ya do it."

"He's not showing us everything," she argued. "You know it as well as I do. I don't like it."

Gareth stopped near an abandoned boxcar. Nik stepped between them and Rick, blocking them from Gareth's view. Their conversation halted while Gareth delivered his practiced lines.

"Living in a former train station has its perks. The boxcars aren't good living spaces, but we've found multiple uses for them."

"Yeah?" Rick said. His hand rested on his pistol.

"Storage namely," Gareth said. "With our doors always open, we've found a constant need for storage. I suppose it's not interesting. After being on the road, you want to know about running water and shelter. Well, you can see the shelter is plenty. Water comes from…"

Gareth's tour and explanations continued as he led them away from the boxcar. Sasha and Daryl moved at a slower pace while Nik continued to block them from Gareth's view.

"I can do this, Daryl," Sasha said. "We've passed A-building twice. He pretends like it isn't there. I wanna see wants in it."

"I'm going with y—"

"No, we can't both go. He'll notice," she argued. "I'll just peek inside. Cover for me."

"Come right back," he said. "If you don't, I'm coming after ya. I don't give a damn about Gareth."

"I know."

She waited until the men rounded a corner and then she doubled back toward building-A. The courtyard was open. It lacked people and that concerned her, too. Gareth droned on about everyone's comfort, but she had yet to see the proof. She made sure to use the building's shadows as cover as she headed toward the brick structure. Just as she closed in, voices sounded from the opposite direction.

Sasha ducked behind a barrel. Her pistol was ready in her hand. She drew in quiet breaths as she waited and listened.

"I don't know if they'll fit in," a man said. "Gareth is with a group now. They look as wild as the ones who showed up yesterday. I just don't know, Mary."

"Gareth can weed the bad ones out," Mary said. "He knows what to do. Our policies have worked since we figured out the rules. Have faith, Bruce. We'll never lose our home again."

"The big guy could be a problem. He didn't like that the women were separated—"

Mary's laughter cut him off. "One of them was his woman. He'll settle down. They always do. You worry too much…"

Their voices trailed off. Sasha couldn't decide between going inside building-A, looking for the different rooms, or returning to Daryl and the others. Her people needed to know what the plans were. Mary and Bruce's conversation hadn't revealed everything, but Sasha had heard enough to know that this wasn't the kind of sanctuary that they were looking for. The talk of the big guy made her wonder if they were referring to Tyreese.

Dammit!

The area was too big for her to search alone. She needed Daryl's help. Maybe the four of them could subdue Gareth and look for the other arrivals. Decision made, Sasha was about to head back when more voices drifted toward her. She ducked into an open door and stood flat against the wall.

No one followed. She waited anyway. After a few minutes passed, her breathing returned to normal and she noticed her surroundings. She was in a storage area that was about the size of two of the prison cells put together. Card tables lined the four walls. Each was covered with various objects. One quick glance and she spotted a familiar poncho, an Army jacket, and riot gear.

Sasha picked up the poncho for closer inspection. The markings were too spot on to be coincidence. Daryl used to wear the same poncho at the prison and Maggie had it when they were out on the road. Sasha knew it was the same. It had to be. She put it on and moved to the jacket. "Stookey" was etched on the pocket.

"Bob," she murmured.

Of course, the riot gear came from the prison, too. They're here, she thought. Their people were at Terminus, too.

The far door creaked open. Sasha looked, but there was nowhere to hide. It was too late.

A male voice called out, "Hello?"

$%^&

Daryl kept looking over his shoulder. He guessed that Sasha had been gone about five minutes. It wasn't too long, but in a place like this, it was long enough. Rick's questions to Gareth had increased and Daryl had a good feeling that Rick knew Sasha had taken off. Nik moved into step with Daryl.

"How much longer?" Nik asked.

"For what?" Daryl asked.

"Til we go after her, or you do." Nik nodded toward Rick and Gareth. The two men's back was to them and they were in a deep discussion about some bullshit or another. "How do you wanna play it?"

"She went to building-A," Daryl said. "That's where I'm headed."

"We'll be behind you in a minute," Nik said.

Daryl had memorized every turn they made and reached the designated building with minor difficulty. Once he heard voices so he hid behind a dumpster. After the men walked away, he slipped inside double doors. Immediately, he sensed that something was wrong. He moved his crossbow from his shoulders and positioned it in case something or someone came in his sights.

"Sasha!" he whispered as he moved farther into the building, but his voice only echoed.

He came to a wide-open space that reminded him of a maze. Partitions created even-sized cubicles. Each section was a living space, but everything appeared too neat and tidy. There were perfectly made sleeping pallets and kerosene lamps on the floor. None of the cubicles had personal effects. Just a space to sleep. Since they hadn't seen anyone, he wondered who the hell slept there.

The sound of muted voices carried toward him and he crouched into one of the sleeping quarters. As they came closer, the tones became distinct. One was male and the other female. One set of footsteps sounded off, as if one of them had a limp. Daryl moved over to get a better view. Shadows appeared on the wall. A tall, lanky male form and the shorter figure of a woman.

"It's this way?" she asked.

The woman was Sasha. Without wasting a moment to second guess, Daryl stood with his crossbow poised. She turned, her pistol aimed at him. For a moment, they faced each other in attack mode until she smiled and lowered her weapon.

"I knew you'd come," she said quietly.

"Yeah," Daryl kept his bow up. A tall black kid was at Sasha's side. She wore Daryl's poncho, and the kid had no weapons. These days, that didn't matter. Daryl kept the stranger in his sights.

"You can put the bow down," she said. "He's okay."

"You sure?"

"His name's Noah," Sasha said. "This is Daryl."

"Hi," the younger man said. He frowned at the bow, watching it and Daryl closely as Daryl lowered the weapon to his side.

"He's not one of them. Our people are here." She plucked at his poncho that she wore. "Maggie…Bob…Beth. Noah knows where they are."

"And he'll just take us straight to 'em?" Daryl said. "We ain't seem 'em or anyone else since we left that radio room. How do you know he's not one of 'em?"

"You don't," Noah said. "All I can do is tell you and try to prove it. They're not what they pretend to be, and if you want to get out of here, you better do it now. There won't be another chance."

$%^&

First, Sasha left. Daryl followed a little later. Rick kept Gareth engaged in conversation during it all, but Rick knew the moment Gareth decided to drop the pretense of ignorance. The man's body language lost its languid fluidity and he became harder, losing the charming persona.

"Where did they go, Rick?" Gareth asked.

Rick shrugged. "Just looking around. If we're staying here, we need a better lay of the land."

"But this is our home," Gareth said. "It's rude to overstep."

"I get that," Rick said, nodding. "I'll get them and we'll leave. No hard feelings."

Gareth gave him a tight smile. "If only it could be that simple, but we have a council. I have to discuss it with them first. Not that you've seen the place, you put my people in a precarious situation. You know our weaknesses. What if you decide to come back and attack? Those are things that the council and I will have to consider. Letting you go could cost us later. Terminus has survived because we have avoided making those kind of mistakes."

The younger man stated his case with calm assurance, but his tone failed to hide the darkness in his eyes. Rick didn't doubt the existence of the council. He simply didn't care. Getting his people out was all that mattered now.

"Go!" Rick screamed at Nik.

The two men ran in the direction that Daryl had taken. A group of armed men blocked them. Rick indicated for Nik to split up. They did, but it wasn't enough. Gareth's guards closed in. They used fists and the butt of their guns to subdue Rick and Nik. One blow struck the back of Rick's head and the bright sunlight faded to black.

Later, Rick awakened in what had once been the train station's baggage room. Nik was also coming to on the floor beside him. Of course, they had been stripped of their weapons. The space was short on light, but there was enough for the shadows to become the shapes of people. Rick blinked and rubbed his eyes. He tried to stand, but his body and head ached.

"Rick? Hey, it's Glenn. Bob's here, too."

Glen helped him up. Eye to eye, Rick saw that his mind wasn't playing tricks. He'd been reunited with his people.

"Hey," he said. "That's Nik."

Nik rubbed the back of his hand as he stumbled to his feet. "What is this place?"

"Some type of holding cell," growled a tall man with a red crew cut. "It's bullshit. We've been in here for over a day at least. Sanctuary my ass."

"That's Abraham," Bob said. He asked, "Carl?"

"Safe," Rick said with a faint smile, "with Michonne. They're both safe."

"How long have we been in here?" Nik asked.

"Twenty minutes?" Glenn said.

"Maybe they got away," Nik said to Rick.

"Who?" Abraham barked.

"Daryl and Sasha," Rick said in a low voice.

"She's okay?" Bob asked. "Sasha's here. We lost her in the fog. Maggie and I looked, but we couldn't find her. Then more walkers came… She's okay?"

Rick nodded. "Yeah. She's okay."

"Is this building-A?" Nik asked. "She and Daryl were planning to check it."

"Nah," Glenn said. "It's some old baggage room. Building-A is on the other side."

"Where's Maggie?" Rick asked.

"They took the women," Abraham said. "We don't know where."

Rick nodded toward the quiet man with the mullet hair cut. He sat in the corner, his knees drawn to his chest. "What's his deal?"

"That's Eugene" Glenn said.

"He knows the cure," Bob added.

"I'm getting him to Washington so we can beat this shit," Abraham said. "Come hell or high water."

"The cure?" Nik repeated. "What good will going to Washington do? They bombed Atlanta."

"Their infrastructure is sound," Eugene said, "and the rest is classified."

Nik frowned at Rick. "How long have you been in here?" Nik asked.

"Since yesterday," Glenn answered.

"Shit got crazy quick," Abraham added.

"We tried to leave. They attacked and separated us," Bob said. "It happened fast."

"Think it's noon, yet?" Nik asked.

"What happens at noon?" Abraham asked. "If you're hungry, I'd think twice about eating their grub. Shit don't smell right."

"Plan B," Nik said.

"What the fuck is Plan B?" Abraham folded his arms across his chest.

The ringing in Rick's ears had stopped. His vision was clear now, too. He noted the dimensions of the room and its few windows, which were close to the ceiling and out of reach. Gareth hadn't included this building in his grand tour. One of the many things he probably hadn't wanted Rick and his friends to see. Escaping could prove a challenge, but it wouldn't be impossible.

"I don't want them coming in to this," Nik said.

"Me either," Rick agreed.

"Plan B?" Abraham repeated, impatiently.

"Our people," Rick said, "will come for us if we don't come back."

Abraham grunted. "What if they don't?"

"They will," Rick said, " but even if they can't it won't matter."

"Why not?" Eugene asked.

Rick looked around at both strangers and friends before finally settling his gaze on Glenn. Then he gave a short nod. "Because they don't know who they're fucking with."*

$%^&

Dawn decided to check the traps with the boys for two reasons. One, she didn't want them out there alone, and two, she needed a distraction. If Nik saw her now, he wouldn't believe it. Hiking wouldn't come as a surprise, but handling a dead rabbit with its fur intact was not her thing. The rustic lifestyle was about surviving. She wasn't fool enough to believe that what they had before would ever return to what it used to be. Still, she hoped for a better way. A place where the boys could sleep without having to keep weapons close by. For food and shelter. Her daughter.

"Mama!" Dominik nudged her and pointed. "Look."

He had been pointing out tracks since they started. Daryl's quick lesson had been a goldmine. She nodded and asked if the tracks belonged to a raccoon.

Carl laughed softly. "Not exactly."

"A deer." Dom shook his head in embarrassment. "We should get it."

"We're checking traps," she said, "not hunting deer. I don't want to get too far from our spot. They should be back soon."

"It's fresh meat," Dom argued. "It'll be enough to feed all of us."

"I'm sure we could get it," Carl added. "I don't think it's too far."

"We shouldn't waste the ammo—"

"I can use the crossbow."

Dawn squeezed her son's shoulder. She said, "Let's keep checking the traps first."

They located the next trap behind a large oak tree. Carl bent down and unraveled the rabbit from the twine. He stuffed the dead animal inside his sack. The next trap was empty. They kept walking until they located the final one. Dawn was certain it had been tampered with, but she wasn't sure if the culprits were other animals, the dead, or the living. She glanced at the sun high above them, the heat burning into her face, and decided that noon was soon upon them.

"Let's head back," she said.

Carl frowned. "We could set more before we leave."

"No," she said, "we have enough for now."

Dawn didn't want to tell the boys, but the final trap had spooked her. The others had been so meticulously put together that the disarray with the last one made her wary. Something was off. Of course it could have been nerves about Nik being away from them, but she thrived on being safe rather than sorry.

The three followed the same path back to the reserve, careful with their movements and quiet with their thoughts. With her unease growing, Dawn kept a watchful eye out for animals and anything else. Because of their lack of chatter, the sudden snap of twigs echoed loudly on the forest floor. The three stopped in unison. Dawn motioned for the boys to get into formation. Their backs pressed against each other as each searched for the source of the noise.

Dawn felt her son nudge her back. "What?" she asked.

"Tracks," Dominic said. "Human."

"It's not theirs," Carl said. "Not my dad or yours. It's the wrong direction."

"Run!" Dawn said.

[A/N: Thanks for reading following, favoriting, reviewing, and kudo-ing. And a big thank you for your patience. I think the Terminus arc will wrap up in two chapters but we will see. After that, I'm debating how closely I will continue to follow the series. I began this chapter before the episode "Forget" aired, and somehow I kept my feels out of it when I completed it. Please send positive vibes for this fic and the others because the Rick Grimes on the series is not the one I fell for. I'm really hoping the finale blows my mind in a good way. If anyone has a positive spin for the episode "Forget" and what is happening with Rick, please feel free to share. Please! :-)

*"They don't know who they're fucking with" is from 4x16 as we all know. I plead guilty for being unable to resist including it here although the context is slightly different. Please know, the sentiment is the same.]