Welp. Season Six is over and it took my soul along with it.
I'm loving/hating Jeffery Dean Morgan(aka John Winchester) as Negan because I'm not suppose to be attracted to the piece of shit who is reasonable for hurting and killing one of my baes! And to make it worse, we have to wait until October to find out who got Lucille'd! (I have three people lined up already who could have.) So, because of that sucky cliffhanger finale, you all get not one..BUT TWO long chapters! You're very welcome -Lovely
Lots of Love to galwidanatitud, LuceRunsAway, sousie, CrystalVixen93 for your reviews last chapter.
-Where the Arrow Flies
-Paring(s): Rick Grimes/OC/Daryl Dixon
-Rating: M for gore, language, violence, and adult situations
-TV-based
Disclaimer: I don't own The Walking Dead. The characters belong to their creator Robert Kirkman. I only own the OCs introduced.
Chapter four:
"Blood, guts, & escape routes"
"If I get loose, you'd better pray—" Merle shouted at the former officer, trying unsuccessfully to get out of the cuffs. "You hear me, you pig? You hear me?"
"Yeah, your voice carries." Rick responded in a flat tone. He was leaning against the ledge by Alexa now, gazing out at the damned city. She shooed Glenn away to go help his injured comrade after Grimes checked her which left the two alone together.
Sky blue eyes slowly drifted down to the right. Breathing finally regulated, the young woman sat with her legs stretched out and eyes closed. Her hand was absently stroking the resting beagle at her side. She looked strangely at peace. As if she was simply basking in the Georgia sun in the grass and not on the roof of a department store crowded by zombies. The sight brought a small smile to his lips and continued to look on.
"It's not polite to stare, Cowboy." was said in a soft but monotonous voice all of a sudden. Back to using the nickname, he thought, a little sadden. When hazel eyes opened, he saw the tiny glint of amusement in them. He turned away with a nervous laugh, embarrassed.
"Sorry about that. Just making sure you're really okay." An annoyed sigh was heard beside him.
"Relax. A little bruising isn't going to kill me." Her gaze then trailed over to where his hands rested in front of him. "..Your hand's shaking."
Confused, he followed her gaze and found her words to be true. His right hand—the one that held the gun to Merle's head—spasm lightly. He clenched it into a fist to hopefully stop but the stubborn muscles proceeded to twitch. Giving another burdening exhale, Romanov raised her own.
"Give me."
"Why? What are you—"
"You'll see, now give me." The older man stared for a moment before complying, gently placing his in her open palm. He watched as she placed her thumb in his calloused one and began to rub certain spots in a tender, circling motion. The feeling was instantly gratifying and he felt himself fully relax for the first time since waking.
"That's.." He groaned low; his tired eyes becoming half-hooded from her ministrations. "..something else." Not only were her fingers skilled at a bow but it appeared that too. He wondered dumbly if that came as a bonus from her former hobby. She just smirked at his response and continued quietly for a few more seconds. Rick clenched and unclenched his hand experimentally afterwards without feeling a single tremor.
"For a cop..you've never been this violent before, have you?" Alexa asked softly, looking at his hand still in hers like it was the most interesting thing in the world. But actually, she just couldn't met his eyes after doing such an intimate action with someone who wasn't close. If she did though..she'd see how those clear blues had slightly darken and peered down at her with a fragment of awe.
"No..wasn't much action back where I'm from." he told before chuckling a bit, "The last time there was, I ended up getting shot—"
"On your side. I know." the young woman finished, sounding bashful. "I-I mean I felt the bandage back when we rode into town." He nodded, giving a soft sound of understanding. Shy hazel eyes glanced up to met his at last; a question obvious in them. "Do..you need help with that too?"
He stared in surprise. It sounded..oddly suggestive or he was just hearing it wrong. When he was about to reply, Morales decided to join them. The man paused and looked between the two questioningly.
It made the archer stiffen and let Grimes' hand drop immediately before standing up a little too quickly. Her companion reached out to help steady her, only for her to sidestep from him and walk away with Harley trailing behind, leaving the two men to watch awkwardly.
"So..you're not Atlanta P.D." the other man noted as he came to stand next to Rick. "Where you from?"
"Up the road a ways."
"Heh. Well, Officer Friendly from up the road a ways, welcome to the big city." Thunder rumbled in the distance as they stared down at the overrun streets below.
"Why did I do that?" Alexa thought, panicking though her face was a cool mask on the outside. "Now, that man is gonna think—"
'Sestra, calm down.' Mishka's voice reasoned, 'Let him think what he wants. Same goes for the rest of them.'
"What? But I thought you'd be upset as well.."
'Oh, I am but don't get me wrong.' he told, 'What I'm saying is it doesn't matter what they think, you're not going to stay with them long. So don't let it worry you so much.'
She sighed mentally. "You're right..Sorry for being foolish."
"Hm." was all he said before becoming angry, "Now! Back to you touching that Cowboy's hand—" That's where the young woman chose to tune out and back into her surroundings. Even in her head, he was still as protective as alive. She currently stood by Glenn since he was the next trustworthy person beside Rick; that much he had proven so far. He sat quietly on steps of the walkway, fumbling with his walkie to get in contact with their so-called group while the same was being done by T-Dog. But she sensed he wished to say something to her from the side glances she received now and then.
"Whatever you have to say, out with it." Romanov deadpanned. He stammered, denying that there was any until being fixed with a hard stare.
"..How are you?"
The archer gave an incredulous expression. "Are you really asking me that? Isn't it obvious?"
"With you? No." he remarked, laughing some. She grimaced at him. "You've always been kinda hard to read. Only Mishka—"
"Don't." she snapped harshly, causing him to flinch a tad. "Don't talk to me about my brother. At. All. He's dead and it's not good to dwell on the past."
"Right..sorry." the young man said quietly, scratching the back of his head. A few moments of silence passed between them. Alexa sighed, feeling strangely drained. Was interacting with people always like this?
"..I'm surviving. That answer good enough for you?"
Glenn blinked, nodding with eagerness. "Yeah! Um..I mean, yeah it is. I'm doing the same as well if you wanted to know..but you probably don't."
"True." she agreed blankly which caused him to slump some. "But..thanks for telling me anyway I guess." That had him perk back up, smiling widely at her.
"God..he's like a human version of Harley..I'm tempted to pat him on the head.."
"Hey, I'm curious.." he began suddenly, pausing for a second. A feeling of dread filled her as she silently hoped he wouldn't mention anything about the man she's helping. Romanov mentally sighed with relief when he instead asked, "Why did you say 'on the past' like it's been years when really it's only been a month?"
"Because it can never go back to how it was before and if you think so, you're in some deep denial." Dark eyes stared at her. Her tone and expression came out somber, making her seem wise beyond her years. Had the outbreak done this to her or had she always been that way? He didn't know for sure. Her brother had told him once that he claimed she had an old soul, acting more like their mother at times than his sister. Even so, Glenn wanted nothing more than to pull her in for another hug and lie saying it was gonna be okay. But chose against his instinct after remembering how she reacted last time..
"How's that signal?" Morales asked T-Dog once he and Rick rejoined the rest.
"Like Dixon's brain—weak." That earned him the bird from said man.
"Keep trying."
"Why? There's nothing they can do." Andrea stated, stepping away from the ledge. "Not a damn thing."
"Got some people outside the city is all." the Mexican explained, "There's no refugee center. That's a pipe dream."
"Then she's right. We're on our own." Grimes said, meeting Alexa's gaze as he did. "It's up to us to find a way out." Meaning they had to help as well. She groaned inwardly, wishing for this day to end or reverse so they didn't end up in that tank..or together at all.
"Good luck with that." Merle mocked from his spot on the concrete floor, "These streets ain't safe in this part of town from what I hear." He looked towards Andrea then, who was rummaging through her bag close by. "Ain't that right, sugar tits?" She stared at him blankly while everyone turned away with rolled eyes.
"Hey, honeybunch," he continued, jeering. "What say you get me out of these cuffs, we go off somewhere and bump some uglies? Gonna die anyway."
"I'd rather." she remarked in a flat tone before walking away.
"Rug muncher. I figured as much." Dixon insulted. He nodded his head towards the archer. "Probably got a thing for the commie over there, ain't ya'?"
"I'd be more than happy to add an arrow in your neck to go along with that pretty bracelet of yours." sneered Alexa venomously, gesturing to the handcuffs. He just grinned, pleased he got under her skin.
"'The streets ain't safe.'" repeated Morales his words with a scoff, "Now, there's an understatement."
"What about under the streets?" Rick suggested all of a sudden, "The sewers?"
"Oh man." The other man glanced over at the Asian. "Hey, Glenn, check the alley. You see any manhole covers?" He complied but only found zombies there which dejected his brief hopeful spirit.
"No, must be all out on the street where the geeks are."
"Maybe not." Jacqui—Glenn informed Romanov of everyone's name as they talked some more—spoke up then, "Old building like this built in the '20s—big structures often had drainage tunnels into the sewers in case of flooding down in the subbasements."
"How do you know that?" Glenn queried, amazed.
"It's my job—was. I worked in the city zoning office."
He was silent with a contemplating expression for a moment. "I think I might have seen something like that here before.."
Sure enough, he and Jacqui were right. The building did indeed have one.
Morales glanced up from ominous-seeming drain tunnel at Glenn. "This is it? Are you sure?"
"I really scoped this place out the other times I was here." he informed adamantly, "It's the only thing in the building that goes down..but I've never gone down it. Who'd want to, right?" The others glanced at him, causing the young man to frown as he understood right away that he was the one to go then. "Oh. Great."
"We'll be right behind you." Andrea assured him.
He quickly denied her kind offer. "No, you won't. Not you."
"Why not me?" she questioned, now offensive from his rude change in attitude. "Think I can't?" He faltered as he didn't mean to offend her—or any of the group for a matter of fact—but he had a reason from not wanting her along. Rick immediately seemed to sense this.
"Speak your mind." the college boy was encouraged then.
"Look, until now I always came here by myself—in and out, grab a few things—no problem. The first time I bring a group, everything goes to hell. No offense." he began to explain why, "If you want me to go down this gnarly hole, fine..but only if we do it my way. It's tight down there. If I run int something and have to get out quick, I don't want you all jammed up behind me getting me killed."
"I'll take one person," He looked at Grimes who believed it to be him but was verbally corrected. "Not you either. You've got Merle's gun and I've seen you shoot. I'd feel better if you were out in that store watching those doors, covering our ass." He pointed to Andrea next and then Morales. "You've got the only other gun, so you should go with him. And you be my wing man. Jacqui and Alexa stays here. Something happens, yell down to us, get us back up here in a hurry."
"Okay." Jacqui agreed.
Glenn stared at the archer beside him then, speaking directly to her. "If you hear us yelling down there, come quick." His voice lowered at his next words. "I'd..I'd feel better having your arrow in my head just in case I get bit and need to be put out of my misery."
Alexa was quiet for a moment before nodding slowly, "Sure.."
"Okay, everybody knows their jobs." Grimes said, giving Glenn a pat on the back. He and Morales headed down then while Andrea and Rick went back up into the department store. The other women stayed behind as requested.
Romanov watched silently as the men below disappeared; her hands tight on the railing as a wave of stomach-turning concern struck her.
"Sorry for the gun in your face." Andrea apologized to Grimes when they arrived upstairs. The swarmed double doors were still thankfully but surprisingly holding.
He shrugged, stating wisely. "People do things when they're afraid."
"Not that it was entirely unjustified. You did get us into this."
"If I get us out, would that make up for it?"
"No." she replied quickly, glancing at the zombies continuously banging on the doors. "But it'd be a start."
"..Next time though," Rick mentioned with kind advice as he leaned against a glass jewelry display, "Take the safety off. It won't shoot otherwise."
She peered down at her gun. "Oh..heh, that girl you came with said the same thing back there.." He smiled at hearing that. For someone who didn't care for guns, Alexa knew the correct information. It made him wondered for her dislike of them. Even with her bow alone, she was deadly..but armed, she'd be fearsome.
"Is that why? Is she scared of what she can do..what's she's willingly to if she did?"
"She's a smart kid." the man noted aloud, "Is that your gun?"
"It was a gift. Why?" He walked over to her, holding out his hand. She handed it to him. Flipping a switch on the weapon, a small red dot appeared.
"Little red do means it's ready to fire." he instructed, giving it back right after demonstrating. "You may have occasion to use it."
The woman looked over his shoulder, unease. "..Good to know."
"Anybody out there? Hello? Anybody read?" T-Dog said into the radio once again. "I'm hoping to hear somebody's voice, 'cause I'm getting sick and tired of hearing mine." Alexa's pet sat by him watching curiously with a small wag of his tail. He smiled a bit, patting him softly on the head. He didn't think he'd ever see one again and the well-behaved dog was far better company than the asshole across him.
"Yeah, well, that makes two of us." Merle remarked rudely once he got done speaking, "Why don't you knock that crap off? You're giving me a headache, boy."
"Why don't you pull your head out of your ass?" the black man insulted, annoyed. "Maybe your headache will go away. Try some positivity for a change. Damn."
Dixon chuckled, "I'll tell you what—you get me out of these cuffs and I'll be all 'Sammy Sunshine' positive for you. Hey, see that hacksaw over there in that tool bag? Get it for me, hmm? Make it worth your while." Douglas glanced at where the bag sat closer by him briefly.
"What do you say, man?" the other man tried to persuaded, "Come on. Get me out of these things."
"So you can beat my ass again? Or call me nigger some more?"
"Come on now. It wasn't personal. It's just that your kind and my kind ain't meant to mix. That's all. It don't mean we can't..work together, parley, as long as there's some kind of mutual gain involved." A smirk formed on his lying lips. "So.. about that hacksaw—"
"I guess you want me to get that rifle over there too," The African-American man looked him straight in the eyes, clearly unconvinced by his so-called peaceful exchange. "So you can shoot that cop when he comes back up, huh?"
The handcuffed man just grunted with a small smile, quiet now.
T-Dog hit the nail on the head.
Jacqui leaned her back against the railing, relaxing as best she could while waiting for the two men down below. Alexa was another story. She hadn't stopped pacing since they disappeared. The older woman was reminded of the stalking tiger she saw once in the zoo when glancing at her.
"Honey, you're gonna pace yourself tired over there." she said softly. The archer stopped, peeking over at the woman; her hazel eyes somewhat apologetic. She hadn't even realized how long she paced, noticing her slight panting from the exercise.
She was worried. Those men basically stepped unknowingly into a possible lion's den. They weren't exactly seasoned completely in her opinion for what could be hidden down there; they went practically unarmed for goodness' sakes! Well..more like Glenn wasn't ready. And that reminder had the martyr in her itching to go after them.
"They'll be fine." Jacqui reassured knowingly to her.
Romanov just shook her head. "You're wrong..Rule Six—Anything can or will happen."
'And Rule Seven, Alexa..Always listen to your gut.' Mishka added as well. And she did. Without a single word still given, she trekked over to the ladder and began to quickly climb down.
The African-American woman stared down at her like she was crazy. "W-What are you doing?" At the bottom the archer looked up casually, replying before walking away.
"Just making sure."
It was tight and impossibly dark in the circular cement tunnel. If it weren't for the flashlights that they brought, they wouldn't be able to see their hand waving back and forth in front of them, much less a zombie if one was hidden down there. But so far the only life the two men found were thankfully rats.
After nothing but walking straight for awhile, they came across the end but were met with steel bars blocking the way.
"Yeah, we've got ourselves a sewer tunnel." Morales noted, "Jacqui was right."
"Can we cut through it?"
"If we had a blowtorch and half a day, sure. Dale's hacksaw sure as hell won't do it." Inside there was a loud squeak from a rat followed by a nauseating crunching sound. Flashing the light further in, the two came face to face with a male zombie currently having a rat for its' next meal. Registering the sudden light, it turned towards the guys and reached through the bars, trying to grab them with inhuman growl. They jumped back in fear.
"Move!" came a familiar voice before a smaller form shoved between them and an arrow met the creature's eye perfectly. It slumped against the bars dead..still clutching the half-eaten rat in its' hand. Glenn rounded on Alexa, blinding her momentarily with his flashlight.
"Alexa, what the hell? Are you crazy?"
"A simple thank you would suffice." she deadpanned as she lifted her unoccupied hand to shield her eyes.
He frowned at her but did just that. "Thank you..though it was stupid seeing as the geek couldn't get to us anyway."
"Can never be too safe." the young woman shrugged indifferently before turning away. "No point in staying here. Let's head back." The bewildered men just watched her walk back into the waiting darkness without any source of light. Neither had a chance to ask her why she came down there..
"..That's one odd gringa." uttered the Mexican. Glenn could only nod in agreement.
Rick watched the front doors like ever the dutiful officer he used to be. Andrea, on the other hand, got distracted by one of the items cluttering the jewelry counter. A tiny affectionate smile lit up her face upon staring at whatever it was.
"See something you like?" he asked when curiosity got the better of him.
"Not me, but I know someone who would—my sister." she told happily, "She's still such a kid in some ways. Unicorns, dragons..she's into all that stuff. But mermaids," Her fingers stroked a pendant in the likeness of the mythical creature that was attached a chain necklace. "They rule. She loves mermaids."
"Why not take it?" the deputy suggested kindly.
The woman smirked, "There's a cop staring at me." He chuckled. "..Would it be considered looting?"
"I don't think those rules apply anymore." Rick said with full honesty. "Do you?" She stared at him for a moment before taking the necklace after all.
Suddenly, the sound of glass shattering alerted them to look back at the momentarily forgotten doors. The first set—the once thickest—had been broken through and the zombies were piling in now to work on the second ones. Hearing the noise as well, the others came rushing up from the basement then.
"What did you find down there?" Grimes questioned of them, holding Merle's gun at ready.
"Not a way out." Morales unfortunately told.
"We need to find a way.." the older blonde stated as they all watched the doors warily. "Soon." The officer clenched his jaw tightly in frustration. The sewers were their only safe way out. Now what were they going to do? The metaphorical hourglass was almost empty as the doors' glass cracked bit by bit. Close to losing it, the familiar brush of leather touched his arm then, making him visibly relax as he knew the young woman was there beside him as—now becoming—always. He was steadily growing attached to her which was odd since he really hardly knew the archer other than the brief facts given by herself and Glenn.
He wondered while they all returned to the roof if the same could be said for her?
Rick, with the help from some binoculars provided by Rhee, scanned the area below as a new escape plan slowly evolved in his alert mind and spied a construction site a ways down from the department store.
"That construction site, those trucks—they always keep keys on hand." He offered the binoculars to Morales to see where he was talking about.
"You'll never make it past the walkers."
The former officer glanced at Glenn. "You got us out of that tank."
"Yeah, but they were feeding." the Asian reminded, "They were distracted."
"Can we distract them again?"
"Right. Listen to him. He's onto something." Merle butted in, "A diversion, like on Hogan's Heroes."
"God. Give it a rest." Jacqui told him, fed up with his shit just like everyone else. Grimes turned to the quiet young woman at his side. She knew walker behavior better than anyone there at the moment; Glenn was a close second. Plus, her knowledge had saved his hide many times so far.
"They're drawn by sound, right?" he queried of her then.
Romanov nodded, giving a teasing look that read 'Have we forgotten my short lessons?' while aloud said, "Rule Two. Also, to add in more detail, it's very clear that they can identify us by our smell alone."
Rick raised a brow. "They can tell us by smell?"
"Can't you?" questioned Glenn like it was the most obvious fact in the current undead world.
"They smell dead, we don't." Andrea summed, getting it easily too. "It's pretty distinct." The archer shrugged approvingly towards her. 'She's right.'
"..Then what we need to do is smell just like them." the officer declared simply before heading back inside. The group exchanged glances, confused, before all understanding in equal horror at the exact same time.
They then bolted after him.
"If bad ideas were an Olympic event, this would take the gold." the former college boy commented while Rick began grabbing various items such as rubber gloves and long sleeved shirts before handing them to every person from the group.
"He's right. Just stop, okay?" the Mexican tried to reason, "Take some time to think this through."
"How much time? They already got through one set of doors, that glass won't hold forever."
They then hurried back to the place outside where the trio had came through. Morales and Grimes headed outside to retrieve one of the zombies that had been killed while everyone changed into the given items.
As they did so, Glenn's dark gaze couldn't help but stealthily peer over to the changing archer. She was shrugging out of her jacket, revealing once again that day her tank top and tattoo. Her brother had had one too in the same place.
"It's in honor of our deceased parents." Mishka told him with a bright but doleful smile. His fingers caressing the dark lines affectionately. "We always wanted to get one as another way to remember them other than in our heads."
"And now she's lost her brother too..having to relive that pain all over again." he thought sympathetically, staring at her. Romanov felt eyes on her and glanced over at him right away. She immediately frowned as she took in the condolent expression he was giving..just like Rick had back when—Her hand slapped over the black solid bands forever sketched into her pale skin, blocking it from his and everyone else's view.
Her hazel eyes burned into Glenn's. 'Don't you dare speak a word about it either.'
'I won't.' he silently told back, 'Promise.' The young woman nodded briskly and they continued changing with an air of tense silence.
Once all of the group was dressed. Rick, wearing a face guard while holding an emergency fire axe, now stood ready with the wary survivors around the decomposing body. He went to swing the weapon down..but stopped unable to do so just yet. The man dropped to his knees beside the body and patted it for a wallet or anything equal to that which he did.
"Wayne Dunlap." he read for the license found inside. "Georgia license. Born in nineteen-seventy-nine." The plastic card was handed to a slightly confused Glenn before continuing. "He had twenty eight dollars in his pocket when he died..and a picture of a pretty girl." On the back of the photo, it read, 'With love, from Rachel.'
"He used to be like us—worrying about bills or the rent or the Super Bowl. If I ever find my family, I'm gonna tell them about Wayne." With that said, Grimes stood then, picking the axe back up.
"One more thing.." Glenn interjected, "He was an organ donor."
No other words were exchanged meaning it was time to finally get the revolting task done. The act itself along with the smell that wafted up into the air was so horrendous that everyone instantly became overwhelmed with nausea. But since there was no other choice, they tried to hold it in as best as they could. Romanov, on the other hand, just scrunched her nose in disgust. She was used to it after being around the dead longer.
The axe was handed to Morales after awhile; it had become too much from Rick to go on at that moment.
"I am so gonna hurl.." the Asian moaned, bending forward with his hands on his knees.
"Later.." Alexa told with a grimace. She could handle the smell but the sight of someone puking was where she crossed the line. "..Much later, please."
The officer then asked, "Everybody got gloves?" They nodded before he instructed, "Don't get any on your skin or in your eyes."
Pairs of gloved hands reached inside the body's stomach and scooped out minced rotted entrails. It was decided beforehand that Alexa, Glenn, and Rick would be going so the three were covered with the awful stuff.
"Oh, God! Oh, jeez..oh, this is bad." Rhee exclaimed. "This is really bad."
"Think about something else—puppies and kittens."
"Dead puppies and kittens." T-Dog muttered low, being a realist.
"Yeah, it's kinda hard to think of something nice when Wayne's guts are being smeared all over us, Cowboy." deadpanned the Russian. With that helpful reminder, the young man beside her turned and at last puked violently onto the floor. She closed her eyes with a harsh groan, feeling woozy at last now.
Andrea glared at Rick. "That is just evil. What is wrong with you?"
"Next time let the cracker beat his ass." Jacqui suggested bitterly.
"Grow up!" hissed Romanov, tired of these grown people acting like sissies. "Unless any of you can think up something more pleasant, I suggested you quit complaining and just get this done fast." The fretful survivors looked away ashamed, knowing she was right.
"Do we smell like them?"
"Oh yeah.." That meant the plan would most definitely work.
"Glenn. Just in case." called the older blonde, placing her gun in his pants. He thanked her.
"If we make it back, be ready." Rick told of them.
"What about Merle Dixon?" inquired T-Dog. A tiny key to the handcuffs was given to him, leaving that choice in his hands alone.
"Give me the axe." the officer requested of Morales suddenly, "We need more guts."
"Oh, God!"
The trio were officially ready and armed just in case things went wrong—Glenn with a crowbar, Rick with the axe, and Alexa with a Louisville Slugger since she didn't want her bow and quiver covered in guts. The young woman went first, allowing the men to mimic her slow, deliberate movements.
Down the alley that was barricaded by the city bus, the two male zombies from before still mindlessly roamed there. This would be the true test to see if Rick's morbid idea worked; they readied themselves even so. Keeping their breathing low, the trio walked by and allowed the zombies to smell them who luckily gave no further reaction than that. An invisible but contagious feeling of relief washed over the three.
All that was left was for them to carefully maneuver their bodies under the bus to crawl out on other side and join the unsuspecting fray, continuing in the direction of the site as planned.
The rest left behind in the department store had hurried back to the roof to watch them from above.
"Hey, what's happening, man?" Merle asked when seeing them running back and heading over to the roof ledge. He was ignored as usual. "Hey, come on. Talk to me, y'all."
"Hey, T-Dog, try that CB again." Morales spoke to instead as he picked up the binoculars again and searched the street for the group with the binoculars. "There!" He pointed towards the other side of the bus facing the street where they could be seen emerged from underneath.
"That asshole is out on the street with the handcuff keys?" Dixon queried in disbelief, once realizing the missing people. T-Dog reached into his pocket and pulled said key out for him to see. He waved it smugly in the air much to the racist's dissatisfaction.
Meanwhile, like the old saying—'Slow and steady won the race—the trio were doing just that while making their way to the construction site bit by bit without being detected so far. Several more yards and they would be in the clear..hopefully before the fast graying sky would rain down on them. It was unsettling no doubt walking among dozens of undead.
"It's gonna work." whispered Glenn, "I can't believe it."
"Don't draw attention." the young woman whispered back. A female zombie standing behind them heard and studying them curiously; her gaze stuck on Glenn. He began to growl what would sound like one of them. She seemed to believe it and with a last glance at him, stepped away. The young man smiled nervously but proudly at his accomplishment. The archer could only roll her eyes with a slight smirk.
The guys on the roof continued to observe them when the sky unfortunately open up and began to drop cold rain finally.
"It's just a cloudburst." Morales reassured, "We get 'em all the time. It'll pass real quick." But it was not passing quick enough. The light downpour was starting to wash away the dead blood and guts on the men and woman right when they were in the midst of a large group of Unfriendlies; only a few yards away from their desired destination. The zombies could slowly smell their true scent and were turning into a bit of hungry frenzy.
"The smell's washing off. Isn't it?" the Asian uttered, panicking. "Is it washing off?"
"No, it's not." Grimes tried to assure just as a walker brushed pass and continued to look at him unlike before. "..Well, maybe." One charged up behind him then, growling loudly. He spun around, chopping into the center of it's head with the axe..which alerted the rest..
"Oh, shit! Run!"
The trio ran the rest of the way, attacking only those that were in their way, to the construction site. Tossing their weapons over the fence, they hurriedly climbed over to the other side making it just as the horde reached them. The small group quickly stripped out of the once-blood covered shirts before Alexa and Rhee ran off to find the keys for the truck together. Meanwhile, Rick fired at any zombie that tried to climb over the fence.
Using his crowbar, Rhee broke the lock on the key box and found the right one.
"Rick!" he called, tossing them to him. He abandoned the fence and rushed to the only truck left in the lot. Doing so allowed one of the monsters he neglected to shoot to climb over.
The officer jumped into the driver seat and quickly started the truck, while the Asian climbed into the passenger.
Romanov followed him and was about to hop in when the lone creature slammed into the door. It struck the back of her calf, causing a sharp pain to run up her whole leg. She cried out and became momentarily stunned which the Unfriendly noticed right away and made a fast grab for her. Just as its' grimy hand touched the back of her tank, a loud bang and an inhuman shriek was heard, bringing Alexa out of her pained stupor. A pair of warm but strong arms wrapped around her waist as Rhee hoisted her up fast into his lap before slamming the door shut finally.
Glenn had shot the walker's hand to save her, she realized.
Surprised hazel eyes blinked up at him as he shouted for Rick to go then. The truck jerked into reverse and headed the opposite way from the construction site and crowd of hungry zombies. This was seen by the group on the rooftop, having them panic to the point of believing they had been tricked but that was not true. The real reason was that the horde crashed through the gate and driving into them would have damaged the truck. There was also another reason..
"Oh god, oh god. They're all over that place!" exclaimed the Asian at the other man.
"You need to draw them away." told Rick, glancing over at him. His blue eyes widen when seeing that Alexa still sat in his lap with the younger man's arms held tight around her protectively. But that wasn't what shocked him..her gaze was currently studying Glenn's face with blatant curiosity..as if she saw him in a whole new light after his heroic save now. A sharp twist occurred in the officer's stomach at that, astonishing him further.
His gaze snapped back to the road; his voice coming out strained as he spoke again. "Those roll-up doors at the front of the store—that area? That's what I need cleared. Raise your friends. Tell them to get down there and be ready."
"And I'm drawing the geeks away how? I-I missed that part."
"Noise." came the only answer. The two young people glanced at each other, wondering still how that was to be done.
Well, it involved a daring act of breaking the window of a red Mustang which set off its' blaring security alarm. The officer then started the car using a screwdriver to the ignition before allowing Glenn inside. Romanov moved to follow Grimes who raised his hand to stop her, shaking his head.
"Go with Glenn."
A deep frown formed on her pretty face, not liking that idea. "But Cowboy—" The hand he had stopped her with reached out and grasped her chin gently. The archer stiffen, stunned once more in less then ten minutes by her companions. She watched as a sad, reassuring smile graced his handsome features. He then leaned close to her ear so she could only heard him over the blaring noise.
"I'll be fine. Now, go with him and be safe, Alexa." The older man didn't wait for a response, releasing his hold and returning to the truck.
She just stood there in the abandoned parking lot, unable to speak anyway and her gaze locked on the cracked pavement. The young woman desperately tried to shake off that familiar emotion she felt earlier in the basement. But she didn't run after him..no, instead Alexa did something else completely foolish and shattered Rule Nine in the process..by putting her complete trust in him for the first time.
As she came to that decision, her late brother's friend quietly observed; his hands tightening on the steering wheel.
"Those roll-up doors at the front of the store facing the street," came Rhee's crackling voice through the old modeled walkie when he did. "Meet us there and be ready."
The relieved survivors acted fast, grabbing all the bags around and other stuff—Andrea picking up Harley as well—before running back into the department store to meet the three.
They were so in a hurry they forgot about Merle still handcuff to the pipe except for T-Dog who still had the key. He contemplated whether or not to help the man who beat him and now was pleading to be freed. As much as he hated it, T-Dog couldn't leave the redneck there. It wasn't right no matter how mess up the guy was. So he hurried down to help him but tripped, dropping the key in the process. They helplessly watch it bouncing once on the ground before going right down into a small rain pipe forever.
"Son of a bitch!" Merle cursed, "You did that on purpose!"
"I didn't mean to!" denied the other man.
"You lie! You did it on purpose!"
"It was an accident!" T-Dog stood then and rushed back to the door, apologizing while leaving him. But before he left, he secured the chain on the door with a padlock so if any zombies came, they wouldn't get through to get Merle. Unaware of what happen on the roof, the others were already at the doors waiting for any possible signal from the trio. As they did, a blaring car alarm could be heard coming from outside.
"What is that?" Andrea wondered aloud what they all were thinking. Unknown to them, it was Alexa and Glenn in the Mustang.
"Rhee! Go back! You passed the place!" the Russian shouted when he accidentally drove pass the store.
"I know! I've got this!" he stated, backing up into Forsyth street. "Quit backseat driving!"
The alarm got the zombies' attention as wanted. They crowded the vehicle, trying to get the two inside. Glenn kept backing up which brought them away from the doors before whipping the car around. The fast car then sped off down the road; the monsters gave chase.
By the time T-Dog made it down, the Unfriendlies at the front doors had broken through at last and were flooding in. They didn't have long since Rick wasn't far behind the departing young adults. He pulled into the store's loading area before getting in the back and banging on the roll-up doors. They quickly opened and the guys tossed their stuff in first before jumping in themselves.
Grimes didn't wait for Morales to close the truck's door and drove back the way he came. Once the threat of all of them dying subsided as they gradually put miles from themselves and that damned store, did the camp group all realize someone who originally came with was missing.
"..I dropped the damn key." T-Dog stated, saying nothing more as he was ashamed of what happen. No one pried further, understanding well enough.
"Where's Glenn and your friend?" Andrea asked Rick, noticing the two weren't there either. The beagle noticed too and whined softly in her lap.
Those two were miles ahead of them, flying down the empty side of the highway with the car alarm still blaring. Rhee whooped and hollered as he drove, loving the feeling of driving such a fast car. Romanov sat quietly in her seat and let him have his fun without comment, not feeling like being a buzz kill at the moment. So instead, she enjoyed the hot Georgia sun and wind on her face for once.
She stared up at the cloudy blue sky. "How tragically ironic that the sky is the same when everything else isn't..God, have I always been this dismal?"
Surprisingly, no response came from Mishka at that, figuring she probably had. She was tempted to ask Glenn but decided against it.
"..Does Rick think I am?" came the sudden worrying thought. The young woman shook her head. Why did she care? It wouldn't matter anyway once they arrived at Glenn's campsite. Grimes was most likely gonna stay with them which meant they could help him instead and she could then be on her merry way with Harley.
"Yeah. Then it's back to the good ol' motto." Smiling a bit, her eyes slowly began to drift shut as all her tension from the hectic day finally worn her down.
"Best not to dwell on it." Morales said to Rick, "Merle got left behind.." The group in the truck were still driving. Rick stayed silent, proceeding to brood since finding out what happened to Merle. After all he was the one to handcuff the man to the pipe in the first place, it was normal for him to feel responsible.
"Nobody's gonna be sad he didn't come back.." the man beside him continued to console. He paused. "..Except maybe Daryl."
Grimes looked at him, perplexed. "Daryl?"
"His brother.." Before they say anything else, a familiar blaring car alarm came from behind them. Glenn had turned back and found them. In the side view mirrors, the two men saw the Mustang. The officer sighed, glad to see Romanov and Rhee made it out all right. The young man drove around the truck, whooping excitedly and raising his arm out the window in a cheering fashion.
The Mexican shook his head. "At least somebody's having a good day."
The sports car went around on Rick's side so as it passed, he saw able to see Alexa in the passenger seat briefly. The side of her face was pressed again the glass and he could easily see that she was dead asleep. Rhee's hollering and the piercing alarm having no affect on her.
A small chuckle escaped him before it quickly faded as realized how exhausted she must be then. Having to help him and the others, killing more walkers than she had to in the month being on her own. Top all that off with the most likely fact that being by herself she rarely got a full night of sleep because of fear. His previous guilt returned tenfold but for a different reason entirely now.
"I'll..think of some way to thank her."
Glenn eventually came down from his 'Fast & Furious' high. A happy sigh was exhaled as his dark gaze looked out at the seemingly endless landscape of road. He didn't think he'd ever get to experience the thrill of driving a fast vehicle again and was pleased to enjoy the wild freeing emotions again. When the road grew uninteresting, the young man peered at the quiet person in the passenger seat.
Tough and indifferent exterior gone, the archer slept with her arms wrapped around herself while looking completely at peace. Vulnerable, even. It was good she got some rest though. The dark circles forming under her piercing hazel eyes were obvious to anyone who saw them. It was a shame how the world treated her so far. Losing her parents at a young age and now her brother, leaving her with no family left and alone while dealing with reanimated corpses. All of that—and other secrets he didn't know of yet—seemed to have made her keep people even more at an arm's length than before.
His brows furrowed. Then what was the story with Rick? One moment, Romanov acted like he was nothing more than a troublesome burden she had to watch out for and the next, letting him touch her intimately or vice versa. So who were they to each other? There was a clear connection between the two whether they noticed or not. Or..it was just the Asian's jealousy reading too much into it.
"Geez..I haven't seen her in two years and the feelings are still strong." he thought, running a hand over his face. Even to that day, he remembered clearly when he first laid eyes on her. He'd been chatting and laughing with Mishka after their shared Chem class at Georgia State University. They were crossing the quad when the blond spotted someone up ahead. A bright smile appeared on his face as he tossed a quick 'Later, man!' before jogging off. He was annoyed at the sudden diss and followed after him with his eyes.
The taller young man had stopped in front of a shorter girl who he thought was his girlfriend until he heard him shout loud enough 'Sister!' as he picked her up and spun her around. Glenn's breath was taken away. God, did she have a pretty smile; pearly-white and straight that reached her hazel eyes. Her blonde hair was a bit longer than—just passed her shoulders—and dressed in a flowy peach crop top with acid washed jeans. The grey Converse she wore now at her feet. He was smitten instantly from afar..and that's where he stayed.
When they were finally introduced, he thought he'd be greeted happily as she did Mishka but instead, got a deadpanned hello and judging expression before walking away with a flip of her hair. He learned fast that her brother was the only one to retrieve such affection. The few times after that whenever they were with each other, he and Alexa were civil but she never tried to get to know him. And Rhee, being a bit intimidated by her and not wanting to ruin his great friendship with Mishka, let the young woman be an enigma he could never have a chance with.
Today had been the most she had ever said to him in the four years since graduating and their path didn't cross much anymore..until now. He'd been so glad to see someone he knew was at least alive. Even more so, personality-wise Romanov was very much the same—mature, direct, and over-all-decent person—minus the haunted look that floated over her head once in awhile. He hated that..and selfishly wanted to see her smile like before.
Glenn stole a chance to touch her again—the other time being to save her life—and reached across the empty space between the two, tucking some blond strands gently behind her ear.
"Sleep tight, Alexa."
*Sestra: sister & Gringa: non-Hispanic girl or woman*
In the next chapter, Alexa gets to meet the rest of the Atlanta Camp Survivors and someone special you all have been waiting for finally. Plus, a little more insight into our stoic archer's backstory!