Chapter 25

It was dark now, Eleanor had recovered the guns Rick had buried and was heading back to Terminus. She had run into a small group of walkers and managed to kill four of them, one had grabbed her hair and she had to twist hard to get away. Her scalp still stung where a clump of hair had been ripped out by the roots. Her bandaged arm was aching where she had cut it on a rock when another walker had pulled her backwards and she'd fallen before managing to knock it away and kill it. It was amazing how much a small cut could bleed. There were too many to kill and not wanting to lead the small herd back to where the others were waiting she had led the creatures away. The problem was that once she had lost them she'd had no idea where she was. It took her a while to find her way back and when she did it was in time to see several people with guns run from Terminus and hide in the trees. A few minutes later she had seen Rick, Daryl, Carl and Michonne captured and herded into a boxcar. The people who had stood up and pointed their guns at her friends had returned into the complex and apart from a sentry on a rooftop above the boxcar she hadn't seen anyone else for a while. She'd returned for the bag of guns and carefully planned a rescue. Now it was dark it was time to set it in motion.

She had already climbed the fence and carefully explored several of the closest buildings, finding some of the things she needed for her plan. She used the pair of bolt cutters she had found in a tool shed to cut a hole in the fence, big enough for a person to slip through. Silently she found her way to the back of the building the sentry was on. She climbed the fire escape and sneaked along the rooftop until she was behind him. At the last moment the sleepy man sensed someone there and started to turn but it was too late. She hit him with the butt of her rifle and he fell backwards, toppling from the roof. She heard him land with a thud.

It was almost silent in the boxcar, Rick was pacing around, angry and frustrated, Michonne was sitting, her back against the wall and her arm around Carl. There was the sound of soft sobbing from one of the other people in there. Rick looked up when he thought he heard a thud but didn't hear anything else. He couldn't believe what had just happened and hated feeling so helpless. They all looked up at the sound of the chain on the door being unlocked. The door slid open and they all tensed up.

A slim figure holding a large bag slipped into the boxcar. Rick squinted, trying to make out the silhouetted shape framed in the doorway.

"Nobody gonna say Hello then?" a familiar voice drawled.

"Eleanor?" Rick asked hesitantly "Is that really you?"

He heard her familiar laugh as she jumped forward and hugged him tight, dropping the bag of guns.

"Who else you think it is?" She looked around the boxcar, eyes searching. Her face lit up when she spotted Glenn, sitting with his arm around Maggie. Maggie ran to her and held her tight, her face tearstained.

"Eleanor, we thought you were dead" she sobbed

"That seems to be happening a lot lately" she joked, as she hugged Glenn as well.

"We found bodies and blood stains and a clump of your hair. We thought you'd been killed and turned, gone off as a walker. What happened?" Rick asked.

She explained about leading the herd away and getting lost, only getting back in time to see them captured. All the time she was speaking her eyes were searching the dark interior of the boxcar; Rick knew who she was looking for. He hated what he had to do to her next.

"Ellie" He said softly, using the name he knew Daryl called her, taking her hands in his, "I'm so sorry, they took him. We tried but we couldn't stop them. They came and they took him away. I'm sorry"

He watched her face crumple, saw her fall apart.

"When?" she whispered, "I've been watching for hours. When did they do it?"

"About twenty minutes ago" he told her. She realised it must have been when she was climbing onto the roof to take out the sentry.

She dropped to her knees and unzipped the bag, pulling out a hand gun and several rounds for her rifle.

"Go to the left when you get out of here, follow the fence, there's a hole. When you get outside go to where we buried the guns. I left some food and water up there. I'll find you later." She stared at him before correcting herself, "We'll find you later"

"Where'd you get the supplies from?" a tall, muscular man in army fatigues stepped out of the shadows, a slim pretty woman by his side.

"I came in here earlier, over the fence and snooped around. I found some cans and bottles and took them. I guessed you would need them"

She stood up and looked him over

"Who are you anyway?" She asked as she loaded her weapons.

"Abraham Ford and this is Rosita. That there is Eugene" he pointed to a smaller man, who was still lurking in the shadows with a young woman. As they both stepped forward into the light Eleanor was sure she recognised the younger woman but wasn't sure where from. She was pleased to see that Bob and Sasha were there and safe as well and gave them a quick hug.

"Abraham and his people helped me find Maggie. We got separated and only found each other yesterday, just before we got stuck in here" Glenn explained.

She managed to give them a small, tight smile, "I'm glad you found each other. Now all of you get out of here. I'm gonna find Daryl" She headed out the door and down the steps. Rick called her name, telling her to wait and that he would come with her. She shook her head.

"You need to stay with your boy, take care of Carl. I've been in and out of here several times tonight, I'm better on my own, all of you need to go now" Before they could stop her she ran off into the darkness.

"You gonna let a little girl like that go off on her own?" Abraham was incredulous.

"Believe me, you wouldn't say that if you knew her" Rick started to hand out the weapons in the bag, hesitating when he came to the crossbow they had taken from one of Joe's men. "If she sets her mind to something, she'll do it"

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