**I got a request for an update on this story so here you go…**

Five Minute Window

Chapter 59

Jessica tugged at the zip tie that was binding her wrists together. She wracked her brain, knowing there had to be some magic way to twist her wrists that would break the thin plastic restraint. There were probably even videos online that gave instructions on how to get out of this exact situation. Unfortunately, Jessica never watched them. If RickyJo was here she'd know how to escape, Jessica thought. Memories of her cousin washed over her, filling her with sorrow and a keen longing for the woman. She'd been trying hard not to think about her. And mourning her cousin certainly wasn't going to help her now.

Jessica heard the sound of a chainsaw and she turned towards the noise, instantly regretting it. There was a dead body on a metal table. And the saw was being used to dismember it. Jessica fought back the bile that was rising in her throat. There was a gag in her mouth. And she didn't want to die choking on her own vomit. Not that what these sick cannibals planned to do to her would be any better. Instead of puking she forced herself to focus on her surroundings, looking for any possible chance of escape.

Her ankles were bound together, just like her wrists. And she was kneeling in front of a long trough with a drain at one end. There were eight of them lined up. But the four people on the other end weren't people she recognized. Morgan was on her left. Rick was on her right. And Merle was on Rick's other side, struggling and fighting with the men that were trying to force him to his knees in front of the tub. Jessica wasn't sure why they were chosen to die first. She guessed it was because they fought and caused these people more trouble than the rest of their group. Especially Merle. But it was also possible they were just chosen at random. Jessica really had no idea what was going on in the minds of these sick weirdos.

Starting at the far end of the tub, two men stepped forward. One hit the first man in the head with a bat, hard enough to knock him out but probably not kill him. Then he stepped back and the second man moved in, slicing the man's throat with a knife and pushing his body forward so he bled out into the long trough. The blood poured from his sliced throat, snaking down the bottom of the trough towards Jessica. The whole scene was so horrific that for a moment, Jessica was sure she was at home in bed. This had to be a nightmare. There was no way this was really happening. Unfortunately, her disbelief didn't stop the men from giving the same treatment to three more men. A river of blood flowed towards her. Morgan was next. He was breathing hard, struggling against his restraints. And Jessica finally sprung into motion. She flopped her body backwards. Her ankles were tied together. And her wrists were pinned under her back at an awkward angle. But that didn't stop her from booting the man with the knife hard in the knee, sending him stumbling backwards towards his friend. His arms were flailing. And since he was still gripping the knife, he managed to cut his friend's arm with the sharpened edge of it.

Despite her best efforts, Jessica was forced back to her knees in front of the trough. She screamed into the gag, the plastic cutting into her wrists as she struggled. In theory, she knew she loved Morgan. But seeing him this close to death had her feelings cutting through her middle like the knife they were about to use to cut his throat. Just when she was sure they were both about to die, a man with a clipboard entered the room. Jessica regarded him with a curious stare. Why would anyone need a clipboard in the middle of the apocalypse? He exchanged a few words with the two murderers behind her. Then he approached Rick, pulling the gag down from between his lips.

"Where'd you stash the bag you were carrying through the woods?," the man asked. Rick narrowed his eyes at the man, his shoulders shifting slightly. Jessica felt a surge of hope when she leaned back away from the metal basin. Rick had a sharp shard of wood in his hands. He hadn't managed to cut through the zip tie with it yet. But he had the chunk of wood in a good position, hidden between his palms. Jessica quickly turned her attention back to the clipboard man, not wanting to draw attention to Rick's hands by staring at them.

"What was in the bag?," the man asked. Before Rick even had a chance to answer, Merle started hollering into the strip of cloth in his mouth, thrashing his body and making a huge fuss. The man leaned over, pulling the gag down in the hopes that this man might be willing to answer his questions.

"There's a big machete in that bag," Merle announced, his voice eerily calm. "I'm gonna cut ya to pieces with it." Jessica's eyes widened at the threat. Merle was in no position to threaten anyone. But that didn't stop him from raising his voice. "I'LL KICK YER FUCKIN' ASS. I'LL BEAT YA INTO THE GROUND! I'M GONNA KILL YA AND LET YA TURN THEN KILL YA AGAIN!"

The man leaned forward, yanking the gag back up into Merle's mouth before turning his attention back to Rick and asking him again where he hid the bag. When it became clear that Rick was not going to tell him what he wanted to know, the man turned to Jessica.

"How about you?," he asked. "Got anything to tell me?" Jessica nodded. But instead of answering his question, when the man pulled her gag down she spit in his face.

"FUCK YOU!," Jessica hollered. The man looked like he was ready to pull her gag back up when his attention was suddenly pulled away from her and towards the window. Jessica could hear a lot of shooting outside. And then the building shook with the impact of a large blast. The man rushed from the room, leaving the two murderers behind and arguing with each other about whether they ought to continue with their work or go outside and help their people get rid of the dead that had broken through the fences.

Jessica heard the small click as Rick snapped the plastic binding on his wrists. She repeated her motion from before, rolling on her back and kicking at the men with both her feet together. But with their attention on their argument, this time she was able to get the larger of the two men right in the crotch. He dropped his bat and grabbed his rapidly swelling balls. Jessica knew she wouldn't be able to take them on with her wrists and ankles bound together. But she was able to cause a significant enough distraction that they didn't see Rick cutting the ties around his ankles before he turned and cut Merle's hand and legs free. Merle scrambled to his feet, darting at the man that Jessica didn't kick, hitting him so hard upside his head with the sleeve on his arm that the man's face caved half in. He dropped to the floor, a puddle of blood spreading rapidly under his body. Rick grabbed the bat the other man dropped, hitting him with it repeatedly until it was obvious that he was dead.

Merle took the knife the other man used to kill the four men on the other side of the trough, using it to cut Jessica and Morgan loose. Jessica flung herself into Morgan's arms, hugging him fiercely. He crushed her against his chest. But only for a moment before he helped her to her feet and started looking for anything that could be used as a weapon. Fighting their way through the compound and releasing the rest of their companions wasn't as hard as it seemed like it might be. Most of the inhabitants of the place were focused on the section of the compound that was on fire or the large invading herd of walkers instead of them. They finally stopped to catch their breath once they were all outside the fences and armed with the weapons in the bag that the man was asking Rick about a few minutes before.

"We should go back and finish them off," Merle said. "They don't get to live." Martinez shook his head. They were weak from lack of food and water. And they were going to need what fire power they had to get themselves away from this place.
"They'll run or they'll die," he countered. "It's not worth losing anyone else." Merle huffed his disagreement. But he didn't argue. They left the old farmer alone in that cabin with the baby. Two days ago. Even Merle could agree that getting back there was the priority at the moment. Not revenge. Jessica set her hand on his shoulder, giving him a reassuring squeeze. Merle smiled at her. And she was smiling back. Then suddenly her face went pale with shock. Merle turned around, already preparing for whatever threat was behind him. But there was no threat.

"Daryl!," Jessica squealed. She darted ahead, letting the man sweep her up into his arms. He hugged her tight. When he let go, Merle found himself pushing forward, eager to wrap his own arm around the man. They hugged in the funny way manly men had a way of doing, rough and with a lot of back smacking.

"You did all this?," Merle asked. Daryl backed up, his face turning up into a smile.

"I mighta had a little help," he admitted, gesturing to the small group of people behind him. Carl rushed his dad. And Rick had tears in his eyes when he realized his son was back from the dead in the best way ever. Toby rushed in right behind the other boy, barreling into Merle and burying his face in the man's shirt. Merle hugged the boy back. There was an unfamiliar man standing near the spot Toby just came from. But Merle's focus was on the woman standing only a few feet away. It wasn't her long blonde hair or the bow on her back that had his attention. It was the look in her eyes as they locked with his. RickyJo got her memory back. Merle would bet his other hand on it.

Merle ruffed his hand over Toby's lopsided afro. Then he moved, gently removing the boy's arms from around him as he closed the short distance between himself and the woman he was sure was lost to him forever. She let him get almost all the way to her before she moved towards him, throwing her arms around his neck. Merle circled her slim waist with his arms, crushing her against him and tucking his face into her neck. He didn't even realize he was crying until he felt her hair getting wet. He lifted his chin, kissing her like crazy. When she kissed him back, Merle knew for sure that she remembered everything that happened between them. It wasn't until Jessica cleared her throat quite loudly that Merle remembered they had an audience. He gave RickyJo one more peck on the cheek before he let her go. Daryl didn't look impressed with the little show they just put on. And RickyJo laughed as she flounced over to wrap her arms around him.

"Let's sort this out later," she suggested, glancing between the two brothers. "First we've got someone back at the bus that Rick needs to meet!"