As the night wore on, the party at the church began to die down, leaving Brady feeling half asleep on a pew, the effects of the wine still lingering. Carol, Daryl, Bob, and Sasha had all left on patrol, leaving the church eerily quiet.
Brady's brief respite was interrupted by Sasha's sudden return and accusation that Gabriel had taken their people. Her heart racing, Brady quickly checked to make sure she had all her weapons, feeling the familiar tendrils of anxiety creep back in. Despite the good day she had just experienced, the fear of the unknown was once again overwhelming. This shit never ends does it? She thought bitterly.
As Sasha brandished a knife, screaming, "Where are our people!?" Rosita tried to intervene but Abraham held her back, watching the scene unfold. Brady's fist clenched in anger and frustration. Where were Carol, Bob, and Daryl?
Rick stepped forward, grabbing Gabriel by the collar with a steely grip. Though he wasn't yelling, there was an unmistakable air of menace around him, making even Gabriel tremble in fear.
As Gabriel confessed frantically sobbing about locking people out of the church, even when they cried for help, Brady's heart sank. This wasn't the information they were looking for, and she was starting to believe that he was telling the truth because he seemed like such a coward. But if Gabriel wasn't responsible for taking their people, then who was? Could it have been Malcolm? Or were the Terminus people nearby? If they were, Brady felt ready to take them on.
Before any decisions were made, there was a creepy whistle that echoed through the night, sending shivers down Brady's spine. Sasha, in a panicked state, bolted outside despite Rick's protests, Brady and the others quickly followed her gun at the ready.
Once outside, the darkness obscured most of their vision, but Sasha's heart-wrenching cry of "Oh, Bob!" led them to the horrifying sight of Bob lying on the ground, unconscious and missing a leg. Strangely, his wound had been crudely patched up. Brady couldn't help but feel a sense of unease at the odd circumstances. Walkers began to close in on them, Brady quickly switched her gun to a knife and dispatched them with precision alongside Glenn and Rick while the others got Bob inside.
Once inside, Bob had come too. Brady couldn't shake off the feeling of dread that had settled in her stomach. The darkness outside felt oppressive and threatening, and she couldn't help but wonder if the Terminus survivors were responsible for Bob's attack. She could feel it in her bones. She kept a watchful eye on the entrance, trying to be ready for anything that may come through that door. She had her back to everyone, the others were either kneeling or watching Bob from a small distance.
Bob explained what happened to him, and Brady was disappointed to hear she was right. It was them, it was Gareth and five others and they'd eaten part of his leg right in front of him! Brady was utterly disgusted. She wanted to kill these fuckers. She knew they lived in a land of grey but cannabilism was not a line she'd ever cross.
As Bob recounted his gruesome encounter with the Terminus group, Brady's heart sank. The pit in her stomach only grew deeper as she heard his words, confirming her worst suspicions. Gareth and his group were responsible for Bob's attack.
Brady felt a fierce mix of disgust and disbelief with anger bubbling inside her. She was reminded of her father and how they slit his throat. She struggled to keep her composure as she listened to Bob's harrowing tale, but she knew deep down that she wanted nothing more than to see those monsters pay for their heinous crimes. In a world where moral lines were blurred, cannibalism was a line she swore she would never cross, and she couldn't fathom how anyone could sink so low.
As Bob finished recounting his horrifying ordeal, Brady's jaw clenched tightly as she struggled to contain the overwhelming urge to lash out. Every fiber of her being screamed for vengeance against Gareth and his cannibalistic group. But even as her thoughts turned to violence, she was startled by the intensity of her own emotions. She had never been one to advocate for senseless brutality, but the pure hatred she felt for these depraved individuals threatened to consume her.
As Rick inquired about Daryl and Carol's whereabouts, Bob explained they had driven off, but he wasn't certain where they had gone. Brady's emotions were mixed as she felt both relieved that they weren't in danger of being eaten, yet, also pissed that they had left without informing anyone.
To top it off the group fell into a somber silence as they learned Bob was bitten and slowly dying. Tyrese helped him to the sofa in the office, and everyone seemed to be lost in their own thoughts.
Rick spoke to Grabriel then Glenn. Feeling helpless and anxious, Brady nervously bit her thumbnail as she turned to Rick, her eyes pleading for guidance. "What's our next move?" she asked quietly, trying to keep her voice steady.
Abraham's booming voice filled the room, demanding their attention. He held a large shotgun, looking every bit the leader he wanted to be. "Time for a reality check," he said firmly, "We all need to leave for DC right now." He was trying to seem authoritative.
Brady's frustration boiled over. They couldn't just abandon their search for Daryl and Carol, and Gareth still needed to pay for what he'd done. "Fuck that!" she spat, "We're not going anywhere without Daryl and Carol."
Abraham nodded, his expression serious. "I respect that, but we have a clear threat to Eugene here. We need to get his ass out of here before things get any uglier. So if y'all won't come, we'll go our separate ways." With that, he made his way toward the door.
Michonne shot Brady a look, warning her to hold her tongue. Brady reluctantly went back to biting her nails, leaning against a nearby pew. She couldn't shake the feeling of unease that had settled in the pit of her stomach.
As Abraham turned back around, Rick's accusatory tone rang out, "You leaving on foot?"
"We fixed that damned bus ourselves," Abraham replied coolly, his grip on the shotgun tightening.
"There are a lot more of us," Rick warned, stepping forward.
Abraham didn't back down, "You wanna keep it that way? You should come."
Brady could feel the tension mounting, the air thick with hostility. "Carol saved your life. We saved your life," Rick reminded Abraham.
Abraham scoffed, "Well, I am trying to save yours. Save everyone's."
"We are not going anywhere without our people."
"You're people took off."
"They're coming back." Brady knew Rick was right.
"To what? Picked-over bones?" Abraham was yelling now. In the past the raised voice would have made Brady flinch, now she just watched it happen only wanting to know what Rick planned next.
"We are not going anywhere without our people," Rick said firmly.
"Your people took off," Abraham retorted.
"They're coming back," Brady interjected, knowing in her gut that Daryl and Carol wouldn't abandon them... Daryl wouldn't abandon her.
"To what? Picked-over bones?" Abraham yelled, his frustration boiling over. Brady watched him closely, no longer flinching at the raised voice, she didn't care for this, she just wanted to move on to whatever Rick would plan.
Tensions were running high as Abraham and Rick exchanged heated words, but it was Glenn who stepped in to prevent the situation from escalating any further.
"Leaving in the middle of the night isn't going to make you any safer," Glenn reasoned with Abraham, trying to find a compromise.
Abraham begrudgingly agreed to stay one more day, but only on the condition that Glenn and Maggie would accompany him the next morning, regardless of what happened.
"No," Rick flatly rejected the proposal, echoing Brady's thoughts. The ensuing argument only made matters worse, and Brady was growing increasingly impatient.
Despite the back-and-forth, the group still couldn't come to a resolution. Eugene refused to leave, leaving Abraham with no choice but to postpone his departure. There was more arguing, Brady had enough of it. "Enough already!" she interjected, her tone laced with annoyance. "If you're going to leave, just fucking go already." With that, she walked away, frustrated with the conversation and the lack of a plan for retaliation. She was going on watch.
The stillness of the night enveloped Brady as she stood alone outside, lost in her own thoughts. She couldn't fathom why Glenn and Maggie would even consider leaving. It was a pipe dream, Eugene being able to end the apocalypse.
It wasn't long after that Rick emerged from the church and approached Brady. "We've got a plan," he said barely under his breath so only she could hear, in case they were watching them. "Are you ready for this?" Brady met his gaze with determination and gave a resolute nod.