Thank you for all the reviews.
Ok, I have no good excuse for why I haven't posted once a week, so my plan is to write this weekend and hope to redeem myself.
The group gathered what they could carry before making their way back to the prison. Rick used wire cutters to get through the first fence as the others filed behind him in formation keeping Lori protected in the middle and an eye out for the walkers in the forest.
"Come on," Rick said ushering everyone through the fence he'd just cut a hole in.
Lily ushered Lori through before crawling through herself. T-Dog and Rick were last and Daryl and Glenn sewed the cut shut with some red coated wire they'd scavenged that winter. Right as they finished closing the hole, a walker threw herself against the wire making Glenn jump. The walkers inside the prison compound noticed their presence and began to gather around the other fence.
Lily felt weird in her thinking, but couldn't help but feel safer already knowing she had two distinct walls on either side of her protecting her from the walkers.
Her thoughts were pushed to the back of her mind as Daryl took off running toward the entrance of the prison with his crossbow pointing to the sky.
At the entrance gate, there was a large area for the group to gather in a circle. Right on the other side of the fence was a bus toppled over. She could only assume that it was an attempt of the prison to protect themselves from an outside attack. It did't go like they planned. They might have been safe for a while, but when the first prisoner died, it would have spread like wild fire killing everyone quickly.
"It's perfect," Rick muttered looking out at the compound. "If we can shut that gate, prevent more from filling the yard, we can pick off these walkers. We'll take the field by tonight."
"So how do we shut the gate?" Hershel asked.
"I'll do it," Glenn offered. The look on Maggie's face was one of protest. "You guys cover me."
"No," she spoke up. "It's a suicide run."
"I'm the fastest."
"No, you, Maggie, and Beth draw as many as you can over there," Rick pointed farther down the perimeter of the compound more toward the buildings of the prison. "Pop 'em through the fence."
"Daryl, go back to the other tower. Carol, you've become a pretty good shot. Take your time. We don't have a lot of ammo to waste. Hershel you and Carl take this tower. I'll run for the gate."
"Run fast," Lily told him. "We've got you covered."
"Lily's also become a good shot," Daryl said. "Give her the sniper."
"What?" she asked.
"Ever play video games?"
"Yeah. Same concept?"
"Same concept."
"Ok," Rick said handing her the rifle. "Go with Daryl and Carol."
Each person filed to their respective stations and prepared to shoot. Lily took the far side of the tower lying down on the ground setting up the rifle.
"For the life of me, I can't understand why you told him to give me the biggest weapon we have," she said as she glanced through the scope at a walker close to the gate Rick was going to close. She here'd Carol chuckle next to her and Daryl joined her.
"Me either," he said still laughing. "Now prove ta me I made a good decision. Personally, I wouldn't be on the ground."
"Shut up. You gave me the rifle so I'm gonna use it how I see fit."
Carol was laughing between them. They did sound like an old married couple.
Over on the far side of the fence, Glenn, Maggie, T-Dog, and Beth were shouting getting a large portion of walkers to gather by them. One after another fell by their hands making the run just that much safer for Rick to make.
Rick armed with his pistol and the carabiners stormed into the compound.
Lily took aim at the walker closest to the gate Rick was running for, squeezed the trigger but missed. A sharp pain shot through her shoulder.
"Exhale and then pull the trigger," Daryl told her as one of his arrows pierced the skull of a walked approaching Rick from behind.
"It was my first shot, I'm gonna try again. Thanks for the heads up about the recoil."
"Yeah, that's strong."
"I got that now."
She reloaded and took aim again focusing on the walker a good distance ahead of Rick. Squeezing the trigger, blood splattered all over the ground as she shot his arm off.
"Keep trying."
She scoffed. "I am."
After recovering from the recoil, both she and the walker resumed what they were doing. The prisoner was going after Rick and she was going to kill it. Reloading again, she took aim and exhaled firing again. His head exploded.
"Yes!" she cried slamming her fist against the ground.
"Not bad!" Daryl smiled.
Just then a shot disrupted the ground around Rick's feet. He looked up and saw Carol.
"Sorry," she said.
Everyone started laughing despite the conditions they were in. "Focus," Daryl said unconvincingly from laughing.
After her last shot and aching shoulder, Lily didn't miss another head shot. Rick was able to close the gate and take the tower next to it. They had won the courtyard.
"He did it," Carol marveled.
"Light it up," Daryl shouted.
Lily lined up the scope with three walkers outside Rick's tower and fired, taking all three down with one shot.
"Nice shot."
"Thanks," she said standing up holding the rifle up to help take out the few remaining walkers. Once the walkers were all dead, Lily threw her hands into the air and cheered loudly.
When no one returned the cheer she lowered her hands embarrassed. But seconds later Carl threw his hands into the air and cheered, then Beth, and Daryl howled to the sky. It wasn't long before everyone gave a cheer.
They met up at the gate with Lori who was smiling like everyone else.
"How are you?" Lily asked her.
"I haven't felt this good in weeks."
"Good."
"We haven't had this much space since we left the farm," Carl said spinning around to take in all the land we hand.
A walker snarled trying to push himself up, but Glenn ran over and ran a pipe through his skull.
"Good day," Lily smiled looking over at Daryl.
"Yeah," he returned. "Good day."
I don't know all the science about sniper rifles and the recoil but I have shot a rifle before and it didn't hurt too bad and I didn't hit my head with the scope so I figured it went well.