Somewhere near Atlanta, Georgia
Shielding her eyes from the sun, Annie looks around at the site … seven MedPacs operational with hundreds of people arriving and disembarking in regular intervals. Reaching into her pocket, she pulls her sunglasses on and leans against the chopper. Patting her pockets, she pulls a cigarette out as a lighter flicks beside her. She takes the light and nods to him.
"How much longer?" Daryl asks, lighting his own cigarette.
"We need at least six more trips then we're done," she replies, taking a long drag. "How are you feeling?"
"Whatever the hell was in the shot makes me feel great," he chuckles. "No sign of the others yet?"
"Nope, and we have been everywhere."
"How's Rick?"
"Probably mad at me."
"He shouldn't be, you saved his ass."
"Yea, and I also left him."
"Will Helms leave him alone till we get back?"
"He'd better or he will have to deal with Mamie."
"Can't believe Carol turned on us like that."
"I think her turning was more against Rick than anything. You should have seen the venom that passed in their gazes when he saw her."
"Can only imagine."
Morgan comes walking over and hands her a stick. "This is what we have so far."
She takes the stick and inserts into the ThinkPad; the data uploads as she scourers the results. "Damn."
"Told you the shit had hit the fan," Daryl replies. "So do we keep taking them or not?"
"We have to or they will all be burned to death in three days."
"Burning won't help unless you shoot them," Daryl replies as he continues watching the crowds. "Where are we offloading them?"
"Inside the camp between Asheville and Montreat. If this goes south like we know it will, they won't be of any danger to anyone else. I hate this."
"Yea well, at least Lloyd's not here," Morgan smiles.
"That is true."
"What happens when they figure out what you've done?" Daryl asks as they start walking to a tent.
"There's nothing they can do, all the men here are loyal to me," Annie chuckles.
"Have you found Beth or anyone else yet?" Maggie asks, walking up with Sasha, Stookey and Tyreese.
"Not yet, I still have people on the lookout for them," Annie replies. "How's Glenn?"
"Not liking Natalie," Sasha laughs.
"That's why I hired her," Annie replies.
"Carol's in North Carolina with an oily peckerwood we know," Daryl adds as he looks around. "She's been telling him all about us."
"Is that a good thing or not?" Sasha asks.
"Nope," Daryl replies, dropping his cigarette and stomping it out. "We need to go in heavy when we land."
"Is that why you have Rick's gun?" Morgan asks.
"Yep. My .38s won't be of much use," Annie replies looking around. "Damn I wish Philip was here now. He was a bastard, but he was good at what he did."
"What, inciting riots and disrupting people's lives," Lilly asks, walking over and pulling her gloves off. "We lost five more, the guards took care of them."
"How's Tara?" Tyreese asks.
"Resting, still shaken up. I turned her over to Natalie," Lily replies. "The MedPacs are almost to their limits."
"The Gorgons are on their return trip here now, we can start loading when they land," Annie tells her. "Hold back your most severe cases if you have to."
"I'll start moving them over to MedPac 9," Lilly responds and vanishes back inside.
"Glad she's on our side," Daryl grins. "How many people will join us in Asheville?"
"All of them," Annie replies as she pulls a radio from her back. "I've been talking to them all morning."
"So they know the plan?" Morgan asks.
"Colonel Leftwich is ready when we signal him. He's working with Colonel Jackson over the Marines to coordinate strike packages on command," Annie replies.
"So how does a field FEMA doctor get to command things like this?" Maggie asks. "I didn't think doctors had this kind of power."
"They do when they work directly for the Joint Chiefs and President," Annie smiles and wiggles her eyebrows. "The President himself assigned me to the Southeast."
"So he's alive," Sasha comments.
"Not the one who was in office when this hit, there's a new guy on the block."
"And what's he like?" Stookey questions.
"You'll like him," Annie smiles. "He's a good man."
"So who is this Helms guy we need to worry about?" Stookey asks.
"He's an oily peckerwood looking to put his own agenda into play," Daryl replies.
"You two must really not like each other," Glenn coughs as he walks up. "Natalie said I could come outside for five minutes."
"I am surprised," Annie replies. "I never liked Patrick, even when I first met him. David always talked about how great of a man his dad was and all I saw was a small man with huge aspirations and plans to get people killed."
"Is that what happened to your husband?" Maggie asks.
"No, David got lucky and died right before all this happened … he had leukemia."
"I am sorry honey," Maggie smiles and rubs her arm. "I bet he was a nice man."
"Reminds me a lot of Rick," she replies. Her radio scratches as she keys it. "What's the target doing now?"
He is on his way to Asheville with the Peletier woman in tow. We have them both under constant observation, we're unsure where they are heading.
"Keep me posted."
A guard walks up and whispers to Morgan. Running his hand over his face, he looks at them. "They found Beth."
"Where is she?" Maggie asks.
"She's not far from here," Morgan replies. "It's not good."
"What? Tell me, she's my sister."
"You'll have to see for yourself."
They walk over and load up as Glenn watches them leave. The truck carries them outside the camp about two miles and stops. They climb out and walk to where a group of soldiers are standing. Just over the crest of the small hill, a young blonde woman is staggering about.
"BETH!" Maggie calls to her. The young blonde turns and Maggie screams … Beth has been turned. She lets out a guttural sound as she heads to the group. Maggie breaks free and runs at her, drawing her knife and plunging it into Beth's forehead. They fall onto the ground as Maggie sobs loudly, pulling her sister's now deceased body into her arms.
Tyreese and Daryl walk over; Tyreese lifts Maggie up in his arms as Daryl picks up the lifeless body. Tears roll down his cheeks as he carries her over. They load up into the truck and drive back to camp. Lilly, Tara and Glenn watch as they unload; the guards remove their helmets as people whisper at the sight of Daryl carrying the lifeless young woman in his arms. They walk over to a small patch of wildflowers as two guards appear and start digging. Glenn staggers over and wraps his arms around Maggie as she cries. Daryl lays Beth down on a white sheet as two guards wrap her, then all four lower her into the hole and start to cover her with dirt. Tara walks over and puts her arms around Maggie, holding onto her.
Annie lowers her head as she walks over; pulling her blade out, she slices several wildflowers loose and lays them atop Beth's grave. "From dust we were born and to dust we return. We commend the body of this glorious young woman to the ground, and commend her soul into Your loving eternal embrace. We ask your blessings on us now. Amen."
"Amen."
She backs up and slides her arm around Daryl's waist as he wipes his eyes. The silence in the camp is heavy for several minutes until the sound of helicopters returning breaks it. "All right people, let's get back to work … we don't have much time left."
"Come inside with us," Natalie speaks softly to Maggie as Tara and Glenn begin walking her to the tent. Her knees give way as Tara scoops her up and carries her inside.
"We need to find Carl and Judith," Annie speaks up, wiping her eyes.
"But how? They haven't shown up yet," Stookey reminds her.
"We have time, we can keep looking."
The final helicopter lifts off the ground as everyone gazes at the makeshift camp. Annie wipes her eyes as she watches the two fresh graves slowly shrink out of sight … Beth and Carl's … the latter found only half mile from camp, bitten and partially eaten. Leaning her head forward, she begins to contemplate how to tell Rick his son was dead and his daughter was nowhere to be found.
The radio squawks breaks her train of thought. She pulls it out and keys it. "Go."
We are ready to proceed when you land … we have the information you need.
"As soon as we touch down, there is a green light."
Acknowledged, we will be here.
"So we have a green light for go?" Tyreese asks.
"They say the information is there, we can take him down."
"What about Carol?" Maggie asks.
"It's all on her," Annie replies as the helicopter speeds home.