Flight or Fight 2

Michonne reviewed the strengths of the Governor's force, more than 30 fighters, at least 10 military Humvees and trucks, all the fighters were carrying automatic weapons, and all the vehicles and equipment looked to be in good condition. They had moved like a warrior band and not a scavenging band. Only some strange quirk of fate had allowed the prison crew to know that the Governor's new army was in their area and that was their only advantage.

Rick outlined their two choices, Flight or Fight. Flight would mean that they would leave the prison immediately and go to a previously selected fall back place. Fight would be to arm the group and plan to fight to the death to keep them out.

Michonne wanted to attack the Governor tonight and try to surprise them before they had a chance to get to the prison. Her obsession with killing the governor was well known in the group, but the plan had some merit. A surprise attack would help to even an unlevel playing field. To no one's surprise Tyreese volunteered to go. Bob and Daryl were next, but Carol standing up was a shock to everyone including a seriously pissed off Daryl. Rick tried to dissuade her by reminding her that the group needed her nursing and organizational skills. Carol met Daryl's glare with one of her own. "This attack has to be swift and silent, I am quick and quiet. I can use a knife, my sword, a pistol, and a rifle. Bob is a medic, but if something happens we will need all the emergency medicine we can get," she spoke firmly and decisively.

Michonne watched her best friend Carol make her case for being part of a probable suicide mission with mixed emotions. She was afraid for Carol but she was also proud of her. Carol was quick, stealthy, and she had proven herself to be a warrior when she needed to be on runs. Michonne outlined the plan that had been formulating on the way back to the prison. She wanted to sneak a small group in and use their homemade explosives to destroy the vehicles. Bob had been able to show them how to make all sorts of explosive weapons from readily found chemicals. They would be in position to kill as some of the enemy as they ran out of the country club. They would have to park their getaway vehicle some distance away and make their way back and get out quickly. It might help to weaken the enemy and give them some time, but evacuating the prison would still be necessary. Everyone in the room had a bag packed for an emergency evacuation and knew the plan. Only Rick and Daryl knew the fall back location, they had kept that between the two of them.

The group rehashed the plan and then everyone but Michonne's group and Rick were left. Daryl and Carol went outside to have their argument in the relative privacy on the inner court. Daryl did not speak until they were outside and then he ordered Carol to stay at the prison because he said so. She waited him out and let him have his say. She could hear the pain and fear underneath his bossing her around. Finally, he fell silent and she began to speak, "Daryl, I am not your property, I made this decision and I am going to do this. I am not going to be a burden on this trip. If I couldn't pull my weight I would stay here". Daryl resorted to begging her not to go, "I can't lose you, Carol. Please stay here". She didn't say anything else, but hugged him close and whispered, "Nine lives". Daryl gave a few colorful oaths but he knew that she was going.

Michonne and Bob had been busy gathering grenades, Molotov cocktails, weapons, and ammo. Daryl and Carol went back to their cell to change clothes and gather their weapons. They had dressed in all black with black knit caps and Michonne made certain that they used blacking to darken their faces. They were taking a full size suv and in a matter of minutes Maggie and Glenn were opening the gates and they were off. Night runs were particularly dangerous. Tyreese drove carefully and except for clipping a few walkers along the way it was uneventful. Michonne gave them their assignments. They would park their vehicle on the outside of the gated community. She and Daryl would take out guards and the group would move up the hill to the country club on foot. Tyreese and Bob would station themselves to throw grenades and Molotov cocktails. Carol and Daryl would disable the vehicles with explosives and fall back to set up a killing zone. It was important to make certain that no one moved into the crossfire. They would have to pull out as quickly as possible and find something to block the way out behind them. Michonne did not give her assignment and no one asked. It was understood that she was going to try to kill the Governor.

Tyreese parked their Suburban and Daryl and Michonne slipped out about a half mile from the gate. It was a dark night and they moved quietly along the road toward the guardhouse. Carol, Tyreese and Bob would give them a short head start and then drive the vehicle closer. They expected and found that the gate was now guarded by two men sitting in a Humvee that blocked the road up the hill. Daryl inched closer to the driver's side and Michonne crept toward the passenger side. Daryl used his knife to cut the rear tire and Michonne took out the other tire. They moved back on the other side of the doors and Daryl suddenly stood up beside the driver's window. The startled driver and the passenger both turned toward him as Michonne opened the door and slit the passenger's throat. She used her knife to stop him from turning. Daryl reached in to the driver who had fumbled for a weapon and dragged him out. Daryl broke his neck, stuck a knife into his eye, and rolled him under the Humvee.

Tyreese moved the big Suburban close to the gate and turned it around so that it was pointing out. Everyone worked quietly to unload what they needed and they headed up the hill. Daryl went out ahead to scout. Carol and Michonne had their swords ready and were carrying rifles and knives. Tyreese and Bob were carrying the grenades and explosives. About half way up the hill they heard the slow shuffle of walkers in front of them. Carol and Michonne moved to the front grateful that there had been enough time to get their eyes adjusted to the darkness. Michonne motioned for Carol to take the walkers on the right and she would handle the others. Carol moved in position and let the walkers move toward her. Michonne used her longer blade and greater strength to decapitate two walkers at a time. Carol struck her knife through the eye of the first walker quickly removing the blade and swung Zak in a long arc cutting through the decaying neck of the other walkers. Tyreese and Bob smashed in decapitated heads of the walkers and they moved on. The rest of the trip was uneventful and Carol worked to control her breathing as Michonne had taught her.

Daryl was waiting for them with the news that there were two guards at the door. They could hear an electric generator running and there were lights inside the building but the parking lot was dark. Daryl and Carol took the explosives and a few grenades and moved toward the Humvees and trucks. Daryl took the lead and carried most of the load, Carol kept her weapon at ready. Daryl heard a walker's staggering step and stopped. Carol moved up and stuck her knife deep into the walker's eye socket and quickly removed it. They worked quickly; Daryl had worked on a powder crew on a construction site and knew how to wire up explosives. Carol helped him and kept watch for walkers. They finished and moved to a position of relative safety. They got their weapons ready to open fire if any soldiers came running out.

Tyreese and Bob had planted their share of bombs and shot at the guards at the door to start the party. Michonne was moving along the side of the building. She was carrying two grenades and a chemical fire bomb and was hoping to start a panic inside. The doors had been fortified and there did not seem to be an easy way in. The windows were too far off the ground for entry. This area might be the service area for the club. Michonne decided that it was more important to save the people at the prison than to kill the governor and she moved to a window and tossed in a grenade. She immediately went to another window and lit a fire bomb and lobbed it in. She could hear, see, and feel the explosives from the front of the country club now and she scurried back to Tyreese and Bob. The gas tanks from the vehicles were blowing up and soldiers were coming out to fight back. Tyreese had been a college quarterback and his throwing arm was still pretty good. He was able to pick off targets with his grenades. She could hear automatic gunfire from Carol and Daryl. They were to start back as soon as they used up most of their ammo. Daryl was doing most of the shooting because Carol was killing walkers who were coming in from a wooded area beside the parking lot.

Daryl motioned for Carol to start back and he took the rear. The noise from the battle would attract every walker in miles. She and Daryl worked as a team going down the hill to take out walkers. For the most part, they were able to slip past the walkers but twice they had to stop and fight their way through. It was a lot easier to go down without all the weight and they moved swiftly. They got to the Suburban before the others. Daryl got in the driver's seat and Carol got in the back. Walkers were going past the car going up the hill toward the fires.

Bob motioned for Michonne and Tyreese to take off. This had to be a quick in and out. The soldiers had stopped running out the front and were probably going to go around the back any second. They took off expecting Bob to follow. He caught sight of soldiers heading toward him. He used a grenade to clear them out and used his rifle to take out the rest. He turned and ran full tilt down the hill but a lucky shot clipped his arm and another got him in the leg. Bob was down and he took out his last grenade and waited until a soldier almost fell over him in the dark to pull the pin out. He died knowing that he had given the others a chance to get away.

Tyreese and Michonne heard the lone explosion behind them and knew that Bob was dead. Michonne was not stopping to kill walker unless they were a direct threat. She knew that the walkers would hinder anyone following them down the hill. Carol saw them coming and told Daryl to start the car. Tyreese jumped into the front and Carol had the back door open for Michonne who had casually dropped her last grenade into the Humvee at the gate. Tyreese yelled that Bob was dead and Daryl sped away as the Humvee blew up behind them.

The always practical Carol gave everyone a bottle of water before they knew that they needed it. Michonne thanked everyone for staying with the plan. Tyreese told how grateful he had been that Bob was with him and had kept him focused on what he had to do. Everyone was exhausted and Carol found some protein bars and passed those around. Tyreese took over the driving and Daryl moved to the back seat with Carol. Michonne sat close to Tyreese because she said that she didn't want him to fall asleep. No one believed that but no one contradicts a woman with a sword.

Carol sat close to Daryl because she loved him. Daryl removed her knit cap and kissed the top of her curls. He knew that she had signed up for this trip to keep his sorry ass alive. She had had his back all night working with him to set the explosives and making sure that he wasn't some walker's late night snack. He realized that if he had gone in all Long Ranger mode then he would not have made it back. His old mantra of "better by myself" wasn't true anymore. Even the Lone Ranger had Tonto. He hugged his Tonto and she hugged him back.

The drive back had a few snags. At one point they were forced off the road by a gaggle of walkers and Tyreese did some fancy maneuvers to keep them moving along the berm of the road. A deer crossed in front of them and Tyreese had to steer around it. The dark night sky was just beginning to lighten just a little toward the east as they pulled onto the access road to the prison. Now they had to run the gauntlet of walkers and hope that someone could open the gates. Rick and Carl were there to let them in.