CHAPTER FOUR
Michonne parked the Jeep Wrangler YJ in front of Cell Block D, climbed out of the driver's seat, reached into the rear seats, and pulled out her katana and scabbard; a light breeze rolled along and her hooded cape snapped in the air.
Jeanette slowly climbed out of the jeep's passenger seat, closed her eyes and lowered her head as the reality that Woodbury was burnt to the ground swept over her again. Michonne looked across the jeep at the older woman, but didn't know what to say to comfort her. Michonne's stay in Woodbury was brief, and she caught on quickly that the Governor ran the town through lies and manipulation, but to Jeanette, Woodbury was a town where she had found shelter, security, and community.
"Michonne," a voice called out.
Michonne turned to her right and saw Rick walking towards her.
"Are you all right?" Rick asked Michonne as he stood in front of her.
"I'm fine," Michonne answered.
"You said Woodbury burned to the ground, you must've breathed in some smoke."
"Not that much."
"Maybe Hershel should check you over."
Michonne slung her katana over her back and shook her head. "I said I'm fine," she said politely but firmly.
Rick nodded at the closed iron door that led to Cell Block D. "Are you going to tell the Woodburians what happened?"
Michonne thought about for a moment. "Yeah," she nodded. "I owe it to Andrea. I was angry at her for staying in Woodbury, and for being naïve enough to think the Governor was serious about a peace treaty between him and us. But the truth is Andrea didn't want anyone else to die."
Rick considered Michonne's answer and he nodded in agreement.
Michonne reached behind the small of her back and pulled out her Glock 19 pistol. "Here," she said as she offered it to Rick. "I'd appreciate it if you held onto this until I'm ready to go back out there."
"Only if you let me tag along when you talk to those people," Rick said. "John asked me to tell his wife that he volunteered to take Jeanette's place on sentry duty."
Michonne nodded in agreement. Rick took the pistol, kept his finger off the trigger as he aimed at the ground, pulled the slide back, saw it was loaded, eased the slide forward, and tucked the pistol behind the small of his back.
Michonne looked at Jeanette again; she was now looking up at the blue sky, and her hand was clenching the collar of her jacket. "Jeanette," Michonne said softly.
Jeanette looked at Michonne.
"Are you ready to step inside?" Michonne asked.
Jeanette nodded. "I think so, honey."
Rick walked over to Jeanette and smiled. "Here," he said as he gently placed his hand on her forearm. "Let me escort you inside."
Jeanette giggled in embarrassment as Rick led her towards the steps to Cell Block D. Michonne adjusted the weight of the katana slung over her back and followed Rick and Jeanette.
The iron door to Cell Block D slid open slightly and Rick stopped in his tracks. He saw a pair of eyes staring at him between the iron door and the doorframe. "Rick?" a young woman's voiced asked.
"Yes?" Rick answered.
The iron door slid open completely and Sasha Williams stood in the doorway, with a Mossberg 500 shotgun aimed at the staircase's concrete landing. Sasha looked at the fence line in the distance and looked down the staircase at Rick. "Where's the Governor?" she asked.
Rick looked over his shoulder at Michonne and looked up the staircase at Sasha. "The Governor?" he asked with a grin.
"Marianna ran into the cell block shouting there was a car coming," Sasha explained. "Michael thought that the Governor was back and everyone except John started to panic. Where is John?"
"He's all right; watching the gate with Glenn. Jeanette needs a rest," Rick answered.
Jeanette looked up the staircase at Sasha and smiled.
"Then…who was in the car?" Sasha asked with a shrug.
"Me," Michonne answered as she brushed past Rick and Jeanette, "And there's something I need to say to the people in this cell block.
Sasha looked fearfully at the black woman with the dreadlocks, the hooded cape, and the samurai sword slung over her back and climbing up the staircase. "Uh…I'm afraid we've never really met—"
"Michonne," the intimidating woman said as she offered her hand to Sasha.
Sasha moved the Mossberg 500 shotgun to her left hand and shook Michonne's hand. "Uh, Michonne…" she said, fishing for a surname.
"Michonne," the intimidating woman said with finality.
"Michonne!" Sasha shouted nervously as she shook hands faster. "I'm Sasha. Sasha Williams!"
"It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Same here!"
Michonne pulled her hand free of Sasha's grasp, walked past the younger woman and stepped inside Cell Block D. Rick and Jeanette walked up the staircase, with Jeanette going inside the cell block while Rick stayed on the landing with Sasha.
"Can I have that shotgun please?" Rick asked.
Sasha looked at the shotgun in her hand and offered it to Rick; he took it and flicked the safety to the "on" position.
"That woman was with you and the redneck when you came to Woodbury," Sasha said.
"Yes, she was," Rick answered.
Sasha glanced inside the cell block and looked back at Rick. "She's dangerous," she whispered.
"Yes, she is," Rick agreed.
•••
Michonne stepped into the common room of Cell Block D and stood atop its staircase. She found the Woodburians were huddled together and looking up at her liked a colony of rats looking up at an exterminator. Tyreese stood in the right corner, beside the barred door that led to the cellblock, he held his claw hammer in hand, determined to fight to the death no matter how outgunned and outnumbered he was. An old woman with dyed auburn hair peaked from behind Tyreese and she placed her hand on his forearm; Tyreese looked over his shoulder and a moment later, reluctantly stepped aside.
Donna stepped out from behind Tyreese and began walking towards the woman atop the common room's steps. "I remember you. You're Andrea's friend…Michonne."
Michonne smiled at the mention of Andrea's name. "Yes, Mrs. Boyd."
The other Woodburians glanced at each other and started to relax; the barred door to the cellblock swung open and more Woodburians stepped inside the common room.
"Marianna said there was a car coming down the road," Donna said. "We were afraid the Governor had come back."
"I was the one driving the car, Mrs. Boyd." Michonne explained. "And the Governor hasn't come back."
Footsteps echoed behind Michonne and Jeanette appeared in the vestibule doorway. Michonne politely stepped aside, and the older woman held onto the handrail and walked down the staircase.
"Jeanette!" Marianna cried as she rushed towards her friend and embraced her. "I'm sorry, Jeanette. I'm sorry! I wasn't…I wasn't any help to you out there."
"It's okay, honey. It's okay," Jeanette whispered as she hugged Marianna.
A few moments later more footsteps echoed behind Michonne; Rick (carrying the shotgun) and Sasha appeared in the vestibule doorway. Sasha walked down the steps and across the room into the open arms of her big brother Tyreese. Rick walked down the steps and over to Donna.
"Donna. John volunteered to take sentry duty from Marianna and Jeanette; he's okay and my friend Glenn's helping him."
Donna smiled, and took hold of Rick's hand. "Thank you, Rick."
Rick smiled at Donna, and he looked around the common room at the murmuring Woodburians he took into the prison, and who had shouted at this morning's meeting because he decided the young deer Daryl had brought back needed to feed the construction crew instead of their children and elderly. "Everyone, can I have your attention please?" he asked.
The Woodburians stopped talking and looked at Rick.
"Some of you may recognize Michonne from her brief stay at Woodbury," Rick said. "She left the prison yesterday because she had to finish something I don't agree with, but I understand why she had to try. Now she's back, and there's something she wants to tell all of you."
Rick nodded at Michonne, who lowered her head as she took a breath, looked up at the silent Woodburians, and took a few steps forward. "Yesterday morning, I left the prison with Daryl and Carol, but I had them let me out at the road to Woodbury. I went there because I wanted to kill the Governor."
Michonne's confession caused a stir of murmurs amongst the Woodburians. Rick stepped forward with his empty hand raised. "All right everyone. Please quiet down and let her talk."
The Woodburians quieted down and waited eagerly for Michonne to resume her story.
"On the way to Woodbury, I passed the…murder scene by the road (Michonne thought that was the gentlest way to describe the spot where the Governor slaughtered his army). I took a jeep and drove it the rest of the way, but when I reached Woodbury, It was on fire."
A thunderous shout burst from the Woodburians and they rushed towards Michonne, with their eyes wide with shock, their complexions pale, and asking numerous questions in unison.
"All right, back off!" Rick ordered as he stepped in front of the Woodburians; the palm of his right hand was out, signaling a halt, but in his left hand he gripped the Mossberg 500 shotgun with its stock facing the Woodburians, so if anyone rushed Michonne, he could use the stock to jab them in the stomach and knock them back without hurting them. "This woman has been through a lot, so back off, be quiet, and listen!"
The Woodburians glared at Rick but they backed off as he ordered. Rick glanced over his shoulder at Michonne, who nodded in appreciation; Rick nodded in return and took a step back, with both hands now holding onto the shotgun.
"Woodbury was on fire," Michonne resumed, "and the Governor set it."
"Why do you think it was the Governor?" Michael asked.
"Who else would have reason?" Michonne countered. "There were still weapons and ammunition there; plus there was shelter and supplies. If another group found Woodbury after we took you here, they would've done everything they could to keep it."
The Woodburians looked at each other and nodded fearfully.
"You all remember that we closed the gates before leaving Woodbury," Michonne continued, "well, they had been smashed open by something big, maybe an army troop transport or a semi-truck. I drove through the opening and parked the jeep. I saw the buildings along Main Street burning, and I saw dozens of walkers staring at the flames."
"What about the Governor?" Tyreese asked.
Michonne shook her head. "He wasn't out in the open."
"What did you do?"
"I drew my sword and cut a path through the walkers and towards the Governor's apartment building; I thought that was the likeliest place for him to hide, and the flames hadn't reached his building yet."
"Was he there?" Karen asked.
"No," Michonne answered. "I checked the whole apartment." (Michonne thought it wasn't necessary to tell everyone about the room where the Governor kept his collection of severed walker heads in fish tanks, or the adjoining closet where he kept his turned daughter Penny chained up and wearing a makeshift straitjacket.)
"Then what did you do?" Henry Matheson asked.
"I got out of that building as quickly as I could," Michonne answered.
"What did you see?"
•••
Michonne remembered running out of the Governor's burning apartment building with the edge of her hooded cape covering her nose and mouth; she fell onto the sidewalk, and as she coughed for air, looked up and saw the Governor, standing on Main Street, with hatred burning from his one eye.
•••
"I saw a walker," Michonne lied.
"So what?" Eddie asked. "You just told us you cut through some walkers like Reggie White cut through an offensive line."
"This walker seemed…different," Michonne explained.
The Woodburians looked at themselves and repeated Michonne's statement in hushed tones. Even Rick appeared as if Michonne had encountered a new breed of walker.
•••
Michonne remembered the Governor staggering towards her. "And what about you, Michonne?" he asked. "I offered you a home, a spot on Merle's security team. You could've helped keep this town safe. You could've kept Andrea safe, but you refused; all because you didn't like me."
•••
"It was…stronger than I thought," Michonne added.
"You had a gun, why didn't you shoot it?" Karen asked.
•••
Michonne remembered pistol whipping the Governor twice; the first blow dropped him to his knees, and the second blow cracked open his skull. The Governor covered his wound with his hands, but he started laughing like a madman.
•••
"I didn't shoot it because the shot would've attracted more of them," Michonne explained.
"So, you used your sword, right?"
•••
Michonne remembered drawing her katana as the Governor rose to his feet and staggered towards her again. "I'm sorry about Penny," she said.
"Do you think an apology will bring my little girl back?" The Governor asked. "Do you think an apology will end this war?"
"No, it won't," Michonne answered. "But I didn't know Penny was your daughter. And this war should've stayed between the both of us. Andrea, Rick, and the others…they never should've been dragged into it."
The Governor nodded as he opened and closed his fists. "So are you ready to end this?" he asked.
"I am," Michonne answered.
The Governor growled like an angry wolf and he ran towards Michonne with his hands out to grasp her.
Michonne swung her katana.
SHLOKK!
The sword sliced through the Governor's neck and his head flipped backwards in the air while his body continued moving forward. Michonne stepped aside and the Governor's body staggered past her and fell onto Main Street while his head landed behind it at the same moment. Michonne spun the sword in her hand and drove it into the Governor's forehead; she put her foot on his face, pulled her sword free, and a thin stream of blood and brain matter flew off the blade. Michonne looked down at her vanquished enemy and her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open in shock; the face staring up at her wasn't the Governor's…it was an old, male walker, with decaying skin, shoulder length white hair, and cloudy eyes that were once yellow with anger.
•••
"Yes, I used my sword to kill it," Michonne answered. "It wasn't as special as I thought."
"So did you keep looking?" retired postal worker Floyd Townsend asked timidly.
"I did," Michonne answered
"Where?" Henry asked.
"The place where we found Andrea…dying," Michonne answered with a pang of heartbreak in her voice. "The warehouse."
•••
"I joked once that I saved your ass all winter, but the truth is you saved mine more times than I can count," Andrea admitted. "You warned me about the Governor, but I wouldn't listen. When I visited the prison I could've stayed, but I didn't. When the peace conference between Rick and the Governor failed, Hershel asked me to go back with them, but I didn't. I had plenty of chances to leave, but I didn't take them until it was too late. That's my fault, not yours, so stop blaming yourself."
Michonne looked at Andrea as her confession sunk in. "All right," she nodded.
"Good," Andrea said. "Now, there are two things you have to promise me."
"What are they?" Michonne asked.
"First: don't stop looking for the Governor. And when you find him…kill him. Because if you don't he'll come back and kill the group."
Michonne nodded.
"Second: you have to put me down."
"No!" Michonne pleaded.
"You have to," Andrea repeated firmly. "Otherwise I'll turn. And when I turn, I'll bite you, and then what's happening to me will happen to you."
Michonne looked at the dying Andrea for a few moments and she made her decision. "All right," she nodded.
"Thank you, Michonne," Andrea smiled softly.
Michonne picked up her Glock 19 pistol and stood up; she and Andrea looked sadly at each other for a few moments until Andrea nodded, Michonne nodded in return and aimed her pistol at Andrea's forehead. Andrea took one last breath and closed her eyes. Michonne's hand started to tremble, but she kept her pistol aimed on Andrea's forehead.
BANG!
The 9mm bullet smashed into Andrea's forehead, went through her brain, exited out the back of her head and became embedded in the wall. A second later Andrea's upper body struck the wall, and she slid slowly to the floor, leaving a smear of blood and brain matter from the bullet hole to the floor where she came to rest on her right side.
Michonne's ears rang; she blinked her eyes and saw that Andrea was gone, so was the bloody smear her head left as her upper body slid onto the floor. All that was left was the bullet hole in the wall. Andrea hadn't been in the torture room, just like the Governor hadn't been standing on Main Street. Michonne, Rick, and Daryl had taken Andrea's body back to the prison the day before, and the Governor was gone.
•••
"Was the Governor hiding in the warehouse?" Tyreese asked.
Michonne looked down at the floor for a moment. "No," she answered when she looked up at the Woodburians. "The warehouse was empty."
The Woodburian's quietly contemplated Michonne's story until Greg said, "So you're telling us that crazy son of a bitch got away?"
Michonne glanced at the floor, looked at Greg and answered "Yes. I must've missed him by just a few minutes."
Greg and several of the Woodburians shouted with rage and rushed Michonne.
Rick stood in front of the Woodburians again, but this time he struck Gregg in the stomach with the butt of the shotgun, and the man fell to the floor.
The Woodburians looked down at Greg, coughing for air, and a moment later they were looking up in disbelief at Rick.
Rick gestured with his free hand at the prone Greg. "Help him up," he ordered.
Sam and Floyd knelt down, put their arms around Gregg's shoulders, and pulled him up. Gregg was moaning in pain and rubbing his stomach; a moment later he doubled over and vomited out the oatmeal he ate for breakfast.
The Woodburians groaned in disgust at the sight and smell of the vomit on the floor, and looked up at Rick, standing in front of them with the shotgun in his left hand like a baseball player standing on the on-deck circle.
"Back off," Rick ordered.
The Woodburians backed off as Rick ordered.
"Rick," Michonne said quietly.
Rick looked over his shoulder at Michonne; she gestured for him to step back. Rick looked at the Woodburians one more time and after deciding they were going to stay still, he stepped back as Michonne requested.
Michonne looked at the Woodburians, their numbers were few but their expressions were many: hatred, pity, anger, fear, confusion, and uncertainty. Michonne closed her eyes, took a breath, and looked at the Woodburians again.
"I wanted to be the one who told you that Woodbury was gone because of Andrea," Michonne explained. "She and I had known each other for less than a year, but I was lucky to have her as a friend.
"Andrea was an open book; told me about growing up in Florida, about her little sister Amy, and the road trip they were on when the walkers stopped them outside Atlanta; she told me about her group, described them to a T. She told me everything, but I told her nothing. I never told her that I was a lawyer too. We could've killed hours of time thinking up jokes about lawyers, walkers, and the end of the world."
•••
Michonne thought about her and Andrea, walking side by side down a deserted road last fall, with her two "pet walkers" behind them. The pets had their arms and jaws cut off and around their necks was a metal ring that was attached to long chain that Michonne held in her hand.
Andrea looked at Michonne and smiled. "Personal trainer," she said confidently.
"No," Michone answered, looking straight ahead.
Andrea's mouth dropped open and looked at Michonne's thin frame and her strong, feminine arm that held the chains to the two pet walkers. "You're kidding! In the shape you're in that must've been your job!"
"It wasn't." Michonne said.
After a few minutes of walking silently along the street, Andrea looked out the corner of her eye at the katana slung over Michonne's back. "Martial artist instructor," she said.
"No."
Andrea growled in frustration. "Come on! You wield that sword like Toshiro Mifune! You must've been a martial artist instructor!"
"No."
"Then where did you get the sword?" Andrea asked as she pointed at the katana hanging from Michonne's back.
"I found it when I needed it," Michonne answered.
Andrea shook her head. 'I found it when I needed it,' she repeated sarcastically. "With that line you probably wrote for a fortune cookie company."
"No."
"Well, I'm not giving up, Michonne. I'll guess your career sooner or later. We've got all the time in the world now."
A hint of a smile appeared on Michonne's stoic face. "Good luck," she said.
•••
Michonne smiled at the memory of her and Andrea; it was real, unlike the illusions of Andrea and the Governor in Woodbury yesterday. Michonne's smile faded away and she resumed her speech.
"When the Governor brought us to Woodbury, Andrea thought we had found an oasis in a desert. She also thought she found someone special in the Governor. I thought Andrea was being naïve on both counts, but I said that brusquely. I don't know why I was so harsh towards her then. If I wasn't maybe she'd…
A tear rolled down Michonne's face and she wiped it away with a fingertip. "Andrea chose to stay in Woodbury, and I used to think it was because of the Governor, but after all I've experienced, I think she really stayed because of the town itself, and all of you."
The Woodburians looked at each other and mumbled in surprise.
"Woodbury was a town surrounded by walls, but it was still a town. There were stores, restaurants, apartment buildings, and a park. But most of all, it had people. People of various races, creeds, and ages, but they were all good and they pulled together to make Woodbury thrive. You're the ones that made Woodbury thrive, not the Governor; he betrayed all of you, and he betrayed Andrea.
"I'm sorry you had to leave Woodbury, and I'm sorry that it's burnt to ashes. But you have the prison now; it may be cold, dark, and uncomfortable, but we can make it stronger than Woodbury. We can replace the gate, and we can bring in furniture, and we can plant gardens and get drinking water from the stream outside."
"But what about the Governor?" Sam asked nervously.
"I'll go looking for him again soon, and I'll keep on looking until I find him. And if he comes back here, we'll stop him," Michonne said as she put her hand on Rick's shoulder. "We'll defend this prison, from the Governor, and from the walkers."
Rick looked at Michonne, realized that she now identified herself as a member of his group, and he smiled.
Michonne took her hand away from Rick's shoulder and turned around to leave Cell Block D, when Donna said, "Michonne?"
Michonne stood profile and looked at Donna. "Yes, Mrs. Boyd?"
"Please, call me Donna," the older woman said with a smile.
Michonne smiled and nodded in appreciation. "Yes, Donna."
Donna nodded in return. Michonne walked up the vestibule steps and left Cell Block D.
•••
"Good speech," Rick said as he joined Michonne on the courtyard.
"I've given a few of them in court," Michonne smiled.
Rick and Michonne looked at each other for a few moments, finally Michonne said, "Remember what I asked you, back in yours and Carl's hometown?"
"Yeah, If I see things. People," Rick answered.
"I saw Andrea and the Governor in Woodbury yesterday, and I saw the Governor again outside a house I stayed for the night," Michonne confessed.
Rick nodded in understanding
"Are you still seeing things?"
Rick looked at the catwalk overhead, it was the spot he had last scene Lori's spirit. "Not recently," he admitted.
"Oh, maybe I'm doing something wrong," Michonne quipped.
"That's just it. I haven't seen Lori since the morning we were preparing our trap for the Governor," Rick explained. "I thought that meant Lori was at peace, but maybe there's more to it than that. Maybe it meant by bringing those Woodburians here, I made the right decision and now Lori can be at peace."
Michonne considered Rick's theory and she nodded. "When I saw Andrea, she said I shouldn't blame myself for her death. She had her chances to leave Woodbury, but she didn't take them until it was too late. She's right. People are responsible for their own actions. It's been that way since the beginning of civilization."
Rick nodded sympathetically.
"Maybe that means Andrea can be at peace too," Michonne theorized.
"I hope so," Rick said.
"So do I," Michonne agreed.
"Michonne! Michonne!" a young voice called out.
Michonne and Rick looked towards Cell Block D, and saw Carl running towards them. The boy leapt at Michonne and wrapped his arms around her waist. "You're back!" he cheered as he embraced her tightly.
"I missed you to," Michonne laughed as she stumbled but managed to keep her footing.
Rick chuckled and shook his head. "I warned you he'd do that."
"You did," Michonne admitted as she hugged Carl back.
"Did you get him, Michonne?" Carl asked as she looked up at the newest member of the group. "Did you get the Governor?"
"Not yet," Michonne answered.