Chapter Sixty-Nine

Rick nodded to Glenn as the man approached, his eyes focused on Carl and Sophia as they inventoried their backpacks. For two very young preteens – though not for too much longer – they believed in military precision when it came to getting ready for a run. It wasn't to be a run, but rather a simple scouting expedition in the nearby woods where Daryl and Carol had disappeared for their hunt the day before. Constant vigilance! Rick could hear the hunter in his head as he'd trained them … from hand to hand combat, to knowing what supplies to take on a run, to the proper use of each weapon. His friend was a valuable resource to the group, and Rick was thankful he could call him friend. They would never have gotten this far without him.

Glenn arched a brow as Sophia removed two grenades from the box in her pack and handed one to Carl before dropping the other into a little pouch on her belt. "Is that … a grenade?"

Rick's brows reached for his hairline. "Sophia!"

The girl turned to face him, her blue eyes hard and focused. "Did you want one too?" she asked, taking another from the box and holding it out to him. "They're only for dire emergencies, though, so don't use it if you don't have to."

Rick took the explosive from her and tucked it away on his belt. Lord, she was her daddy made over, and that was saying something considering she wasn't his blood. "Does your mama know you have these?"

"No," she murmured, drawing out the word, "but Dad does. He says what Mama don't know … won't hurt us."

Carl snorted and pulled the brim of his hat lower over his eyes. "Don't worry, Dad. Daryl made sure we know how they work and to respect them as the weapons they are. They're not a toy."

Glenn hid a grin as he ducked his head. "I'm going to go get the truck ready," he mumbled, sauntering off before his laughter bubbled over.

"You two get ready to go … we're leaving in ten minutes. I just need to talk to Lori before we go." He shook his head as he turned to head back to C block. Rick didn't have to go far. Lori was stomping her way across the courtyard followed by two very large shadows … Axel and Big Tiny.

"They're still not back?" Lori asked, hugging her arms over her middle as she searched the yard for any sign of the Dixons.

"No, and I'm getting worried. I've been up since dawn and haven't seen hide nor hair of them, so me and Glenn are going to take the kids out and see if Sophia can track them," he sighed wearily, bracing himself for a fight.

She regarded him through narrowed eyes, silently checking him over to make sure he was decently armed. "Did you pack extra ammo in case you run into trouble?"

Well, wasn't this just the morning for surprises, he thought. "That's it? You're not going to fight me on this?"

Lori huffed a short laugh. "How can I, Rick? If it was me and you out there, Carol wouldn't let her worry for Daryl stop her from sending him after us. I can't do any less. I want our friends back." She glanced over her shoulder at the two former inmates. "I suppose I'm stuck with them, considering you're taking the kids with you?"

"I can't leave you unprotected, and they've given us no reason not to trust them." He leaned in close to her ear to whisper, "Besides, I know you can handle them if they get out of line."

Lori's lips twitched as he pointedly looked down at the knife and handgun positioned on her belt. She couldn't help the feeling of pride which washed over her to see her husband acknowledge how far she'd come in her efforts to learn to defend herself and their child. "How long do you expect to be gone?"

Rick planted his hands on his hips and squinted out towards the tree line on the far side of the protective fences. "Three or four hours at the very least. I want to be thorough." He turned to face her again. "What does the schedule look like?"

She brushed her long hair over her shoulder and scrunched up her nose. "I swear I don't know how Carol can be so organized. She has OCD or something, I'm sure. From what I could glean from the binders, Jamie is taking his men out to the rear section of the fence to do some repairs. Alex and Patricia are working on inventorying the pantry. Hershel and Sprite are working in the infirmary, carting things up to C block where they've set up a temporary clinic. The rest of the group is divided between watch, laundry and cleaning bloodstains. We have to try to make this place livable … even if it is only temporary."

Rick wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her against his chest, his lips nuzzling at her temple as he stared the two men down in a silent communication to protect his wife. "You and Carol make a great team, Lori. I'm sure everything will run smoothly while I'm gone." He sighed and took a step back. "Just please … take care of yourself."

Carl ran over to hug his mother when he saw his father ready to depart. "Don't worry, Mom. We'll find them."

"I know you will, my brave boy." She hugged him back fiercely. "Make sure you watch over your Dad and Sophia."

"I will."

Lori watched them begin their walk towards the gate where Glenn was waiting with the truck as Axel and Tiny stepped up on either side of her. She tried not to roll her eyes, instead glancing over at Randall and Beth as they sat on the picnic table with their morning oatmeal, chatting quietly. Her stomach churned queasily, but she knew it had nothing to do with her pregnancy. She was now late in her second trimester, and hadn't had a bout of morning sickness in months. No, this flare up of nausea had everything to do with worry over her family and the dangers they would face leaving the prison.

"He'll be alright, Ms. Lori. Rick's a strong leader from what I've seen so far," Axel said with a smile for her.

"I'm sure you have some things to do today to take your mind off them being gone, right?" Tiny asked quietly in his reserved manner.

Lori nodded absently, her gaze following Rick as he neared the fence enclosing the courtyard. "Yeah, there's always some busy work to attend to, but –"

A scream burst free from her throat as Axel's blood splattered across her face, a hole gaping in his temple. It was cut off quickly as Big Tiny pushed her to the ground next to the fallen inmate. More gunfire erupted, and she felt her savior fall beside her, leaving her sandwiched between the two dead men. Lori could hear running footsteps, cries and yells, the sharp ping of bullets spraying over gravel and metal, but she couldn't move, trapped as she was. Her heart thundered in her chest, the blood in her ears deafening, as the bodies moved around her, each thud of a bullet hitting one of the fallen men sending a prayer to her lips.

*.*.*

Rick hadn't hesitated when the first shot had been fired, grabbing each of the children by their packs and shoving them headlong towards a cluster of metal filing cabinets they'd cleared from the block, hoping it could offer them decent cover. He made sure they were both unharmed before he glanced back to where Lori had been. Beth and Randall were running towards C block for weapons, he was sure, but his heart nearly stopped when he saw the men he'd set to protect his wife, sprawled out on the concrete, their bodies riddled with bullet holes. He couldn't see his wife! God, NO!

*.*.*

The governor chuckled, holding the smoking semi-automatic rifle, reveling in the damage he'd wrought. He glanced over his shoulder at the brothers still bound and helpless in the jeep. "The woman … that wouldn't happen to be the leader's wife, would it?" he taunted. He'd seen the embrace between the two before Rick had left her there with the others. It was as good a guess as any. "From the looks of it, she's pregnant. That should send a clear message, don't you think, Merle?"

"Th' fuck's wrong with y', wantin' t' kill an innocent unborn baby?" Merle spat in disgust.

Blake chuckled mirthlessly. "I have people who depend on me, Dixon. I can't afford to be seen as weak."

*.*.*

Carl grabbed a fistful of his father's shirt as Rick moved to go to Lori, pulling him back. "Dad, you can't! You're gonna get yourself killed!"

Rick pressed his back to one of the filing cabinets and checked his rifle, sparing a moment to check the chamber and magazine before ducking out to return fire. The man who'd commandeered the guard tower sent another spray of bullets at him, and he was forced back. "Who was on duty in that tower?!" he asked the kids over the noise.

Sophia turned her fretful eyes towards him as she pulled her bow from her back. "Cameron."

Rick cursed under his breath as Carl peeked around their cover to see what he could determine, but his father pulled him back with a stern glare. "We can't get to your mother until we take him out up there."

"We still have the grenades," Sophia offered with a shrug. "I just don't know if I can throw it that far. If it lands at the base of the tower, it'll compromise the structure, but will it be enough to take it down?"

*.*.*

Alexandra met Beth and Randall at the door, passing a rifle to each of them, checking the two to make sure they were armed with both handgun and knives at their belts. "Go … you know the plan and where you're supposed to be in case of attack!"

Beth slid a magazine into place and pulled back the mechanism to load the chamber. "Lori's down, trapped between Axel and Tiny, but I can't be sure she's still alive with the all the hits they've taken."

Patricia herded them towards the second floor, up to Daryl and Carol's perch where they would have a clear vantage point to return fire through the window. "There's nothin' we can really do right now, Bethie. Stick to the plan, or Dixon's gonna have our asses when he gets back."

"Kayla!" Alex called, poking her head back into the common room. "Move your ass, girl, we gotta go!"

The short brunette came bustling into the block, a rifle on each shoulder and a bag full of ammo slung across her chest. "What about Sprite and Hershel?"

"They know what to do!" she returned, leading the way to the stairwell which would see them onto the roof of the prison.

*.*.*

"RICK!" Maggie screamed, avoiding a spray of bullets as she ran – heavily armed – towards where he and the children were hunkered down. She wedged herself between the kids and looked them over quickly, breathing a brief sigh of relief to see them unharmed. "Lori's alive, but there's no chance of getting to her unless we can take out the man in the tower."

The man banged his head back against the cabinet, wracking his brain as he tried to come up with a plan. A calculating glint entered his eye as he looked at them each in turn. "Alright, we're going to go with Sophia's idea."

"But –" the girl protested.

"I'm going to use the grenade. If nothing else, it could very well knock him off the tower. Regardless, it should stun him enough for us to take him out."

"Everyone else is movin' into position," Maggie informed him. "Two more have been spotted … one to the south, and the other keeps dipping in and out to the north. I'm hopin' Patricia and the others might be in range to deal with them."

Carl tilted his head to the side questioningly. "Why didn't they bring more men if they were going to attack?"

"I can't even begin to guess, son. They might have others at the ready in case they find themselves outnumbered. Right now, we have the advantage, and we're going to make sure we don't waste it. We're doing this!" he yelled over the next barrage of gunfire. "As soon as the shooting stops … Maggie, run for Lori and try to get her inside … we'll cover you."

*.*.*

At the first gunshot, Glenn abandoned his position where the truck was parked at the gate and sprinted towards the overturned bus. He sent up a prayer to whatever deity was listening that they hadn't had time to repurpose or dispose of the dilapidated vehicle. It would provide adequate cover … at least he hoped. Who could be firing on them and why? He gripped the AK tightly to his chest and inched closer to the rear of the bus, chancing a quick glance past the fence towards the source of the gunfire.

What he saw made his heart sink. Merle and Daryl were captive in the back of a Jeep, bound and forced to watch as the madman standing nearby attempted to slaughter their loved ones. And if The Dixon brothers were here, where the hell was Carol? The governor had found them. Glenn sent off a round of bullets without any real aim, his heart beating furiously. He couldn't help but worry over Maggie, praying she was safe, yet knowing she'd put herself right in the thick of battle. Bullets pinged against the bus, and he pressed himself back against the undercarriage.

Glenn moved forward to take aim this time, directing it to the south where he' glimpsed a man in the trees. Finger on the trigger, he was blasted back by a billowing percussion of sound and air before he could fire off a single shot. He squinted against the sun and a haze of free-floating dust as the watchtower - closest to C block - tilted precariously, coming to a stop seconds after ejecting two bodies from the catwalk.

*.*.*

Tim - one of the governor's most trusted flunkies - staggered to his feet, groaning from the jarring impact of his body hitting the ground. He had no time to take stock of his injuries, however; staring down dumbly at the first arrow which struck his chest. It was followed by two more and a gunshot to his gut. He could feel his life's blood gushing from his wounds as he gaped at the children … unable to believe he'd been taken out by mere kids.

Weak from blood loss, and with a trembling hand, he tried to take aim, uncaring if it was a mere boy or not. He never got off the shot … a flash of blonde hair and rapid-fire movement the last thing he saw before an arrow was imbedded between his eyes.

*.*.*

Maggie ran for Lori, their closest threat neutralized, Rick only a step or two behind her. "You two stay down!" he yelled towards Carl and Sophia, already working to move bodies off of his wife.

"Oh, God! Rick, look out!" Maggie cried, rushing to grab her knife. She plunged the blade into Big Tiny's temple as his walker opened its eyes, having apparently caught its first scent of fresh meat. If they'd have been but a moment longer, Lori would have been the next casualty, the next grievous loss they would have had to bear.

More bullets sprayed the concrete next to them as Rick swept his hysterical wife into his arms and ran hellbent towards the door leading into the common room, Maggie covering their retreat. He collapsed to his knees, easing her down in front of him. Rick cradled her face, his wide terrified eyes scanning her willowy form for injury. When he was assured of her well-being, he crushed her to his chest in relief.

"Baby … Lori, I can't stay with you. I need you to be strong and go on up to the roof with the others," he said desperately, pleading with her to do as he asked without question.

"Carl?! Where's my baby, Rick?!" she wailed, using him as leverage to push herself to her feet. "Tell me you didn't leave him out there!"

"He's safe," her husband was quick to explain. "He's with Sophia. They're watching each other's backs, and they're out of the line of fire. Now stick to the plan, Lori. I need to know you and our baby are safe. Please … please do this for me."

She let him go and nodded her agreement despite her fear, taking the rife Maggie held out to her. Lori's mind whirled with questions, but she knew every second counted. He kissed her hard and bolted out the door, leaving her to make her way to the roof.

*.*.*

The sergeant gave silent commands when the sound of gunfire reached the Marines at the rear of the prison. It looked as if when the penitentiary fell, a bomb had been set off in a last-ditch effort to take out as many walkers as possible. Now it was up to them to seal off the gaping hole and rebuild their protective walls to keep more of them from getting into the tombs. The five of them abandoned their tools and jolted to attention, Jamie taking Miles and Rory with him to the left and sending Brian and Tessa off to the right, weapons hot, prepared to defend their home.

They moved with quiet stealth, knowing they'd be facing unknown adversaries rather than walkers, keeping to cover as they advanced. The sergeant's heart leapt to his throat in blind panic he was forced to squelch as he watched Sophia and Carl sprinting across the prison yard towards tower two. "What the hell are they thinking?!" he hissed to Miles on his left.

"The fuck is Rick or Glenn? You think they're down?"

"Movement quarter click north!" Rory informed them, ducking behind a stack of pallets near an abandoned loading dock. "Bowman."

Jamie crept closer and raised his assault rifle. "Not for long."

*.*.*

Carl studied Sophia anxiously as she peered out from behind the cover of the filing cabinets. They were picking their moment to make a break for tower two, and already his stomach churned with dread. "If we do this, our dads – both of them – are going to kill us. And that's IF we even make it to the tower."

"Carl!"

"Just saying," he huffed. At the moment, he wasn't worried if she got mad at him. He was more interested in surviving past lunchtime.

"If we can make it to the tower, we can provide ample cover for Glenn, so he might be able to take out the asshole to the south. He's pinned down, Carl. We can't just leave him there," she fumed, despite her shaking hands. "We have to try!"

"Soph, this ain't Full Metal Jacket! You're not a Marine, and this is not a game of Black Ops. You could die!" he tried talking sense to her.

"He's got my Dad and Uncle Merle, Carl," she spat, her eyes desperate and pleading for him to understand. "I'm not going up to the roof and sit on my hands when I know we can help. I c-can't …" Her hands fisted in his plaid flannel, her lower lip trembling. "I can't lose him! I don't even know where Mama is … I can't lose Daddy, too."

Carl pulled her close and coiled his hand into her shoulder-length blonde hair as her head came to rest on his shoulder. He couldn't lose her either, he thought frantically. He knew she'd go it alone if he didn't go with her, and that wasn't likely to happen. There was no way he'd allow her to go out there without him to cover her back.

He pulled back from her, steely resolve written across his young features. "Are you sure we can do this, Soph?"

"Yes!" she exclaimed as he caved. "We're fast and smart, and … really, you think they're gonna be worried about a couple kids?"

Carl rolled his eyes. "If they knew you like I did, they'd be shaking in their Nikes."

"We run," Sophia said, her voice exuding the seriousness of what they were about to do. "We don't look back and we don't stop. If we're cut off, we veer left towards the bus where Glenn can cover us, got it?"

Carl nodded, though his mouth was twisted into a grimace. He really didn't want to get shot. "Run, don't stop, don't look back … a'right, I'm good."

Sophia arched a brow. "Yeah, y' look it," she snorted.

"On three?"

"Yep."

Sophia sent up a prayer for her mother, her father, and her beloved uncle as Carl counted down. "GO!"

*.*.*

Daryl felt the zip ties around his wrists break free beneath the strain he exerted, a wealth of relief washing through him. He didn't hesitate to start in on his brother's bonds, quickly sawing through them. He'd watched the man in the tower meet his end, a little impressed with his daughter for using the grenades she'd hoarded away in her pack. His kid was smart as a whip, he thought proudly. The Marines were advancing, having already taken out the bastard with the bow Merle had called Shumpert. The same fucker who'd taken him and Carol back to Woodbury.

"Oh, shit!" Merle hissed, his voice barely a whisper. "Is that … Peach?"

Daryl stopped sawing at the ties around Merle's wrists and cursed silently under his breath. The governor was still sending off frequent spurts of gunfire towards the prison while prattling incessantly about how he was going to enjoy gutting each member of the group. He and Merle had to move now. Where the hell was Rick, and how could he even think of letting the kids out in the line of fire?!

Merle's hands fumbled for the knife, trying to take it from Daryl. "Give it here, for fuck's sake," he seethed. "Get yer ass out there, an' get her little butt somewhere safe. Goddamnit, where th' fuck is Rick?"

"Y' almost free, Merle. Shut th' fuck up before he hears y'," he whispered back, nodding towards Blake.

"He's mine, little brother. I've earned this kill, an' y' know it." His icy blue eyes met those a shade darker as he looked over his shoulder at Daryl. "Th' things I had t' do for that man t' keep m' cover, t' keep Marty safe … I owe him."

Daryl pressed the knife into Merle's hand as the tie broke, and nodded. "Stay safe." He didn't wait, bolting out of the jeep and making a break for the fence where he knew there was a hidden cut in the chain link leading into the dog run, his only thought … getting to his daughter. He would not be able to face his wife if he allowed anything to happen to Sophia.

*.*.*

Glenn felt his heart threaten to come to a screeching halt as he watched the children run towards the tower, bullets spraying the ground behind them. "C'mon, c'mon! Oh, god, they're not gonna make it." The Marines which made up a part of their group had joined the fracas, moving in to cover Sophia and Carl, the kids changing direction when they nearly got caught in the crossfire. They charged blindly towards the bus, Carl holding a fistful of Sophia's jacket to make sure they didn't get separated.

Daryl had somehow broken free of his bonds and made his way into the dog run, his feet eating up the gravel as he ducked low and ran towards the cover of the bus.

The spray of bullets from the south had ceased, Rick – armed with an M16 – firing wildly towards the man Blake had stationed near the tree line. "Carl!" he roared, his voice thundering across the prison yard, a red haze or rage overtaking his vision as he viewed the threat to his child, to his people and home.

It would end in a cacophony of blood, bullets and death … and it would end today.

Sophia and Carl slammed into her father as Daryl nearly squashed Glenn against the undercarriage of the bus, their bodies sprawling and limbs flailing as they all fought to right themselves. Daryl yanked the kids out of harm's way and shielded them, Glenn peeking around the corner to see if he could figure out what was going on.

"Rick took out the guy to the south," he panted, turning back to the others. "That just leaves the guy who had Daryl and Merle in the jeep."

Rick chose that moment to dive behind the bus, adding his body to the human shield in front of the children. "Are y'all ok? Anybody hit? Goddamnit, Daryl, you're bleeding everywhere!"

Daryl looked down at the shallow groove in his bicep. Fuck! Carol's gonna be pissed. "It's jus' a flesh wound."

"Doesn't it seem awful quiet?" Sophia asked, her voice muffled where her face was pressed against Daryl's back. "Shouldn't someone check to see what happened?"

Daryl had to admit, she made sense, but he was still pissed she'd taken such a risk. "Shut it, you! Jus' wait 'til your mama finds out what y' did. How many times I got t' tell you two t' stay in th' fkn block in case of attack?!"

"But, Daddy! I -" She sputtered, trying to push him away enough to draw in a deep breath. "We were coming to find you and Mama! It's not like I was expecting an attack!"

He rounded on her, his face mottled with exasperation. Didn't she know how much she meant to him by now? To her mother? He gripped her upper arms and pulled her against his chest. "I don't wanna hear that shit, Sophia Lynn. There ain't nothin' more important than y' bein' safe. When y' saw th' danger y' shoulda got yer butt inside, and you're grounded 'til y' learn t' listen." He turned his furious stare on Rick. "An' what th' fuck were y' thinkin', lettin' them out in th' middle of this shit?!"

"Guys," Glenn said, drawing their attention to his smiling face. "You might want to hold off on the yelling … I think it's over, but all the noise from the gunfire has drawn walkers in. Looks like we're gonna be busy for a while."

*.*.*

The confident smile Blake wore melted from his face as his eyes drifted to the little blonde-haired girl running across the prison yard as fast as her thin legs could carry her. The gun in his hands lowered to hang at his side, lips parting on a gasp. "Penny …" he whispered, taking an unsteady step forward. How could it be? he thought numbly, his mind unable to grasp that this was not his child. This was his second chance. He could take her home to Woodbury and keep her safe. He wouldn't allow anything to harm her ever again. His little princess, safe and protected within the fortress he'd built.

"Time's up, asshole," a belligerent voice filled with venom chortled next to Blake's ear as a beefy arm wrapped around his throat.

"No! You don't understand … my daughter. I have to get to my daughter!" He struggled to free himself, single-minded in his focus to get to the child. His child!

But Merle cared nothing for what the man thought. Philip Blake had plunged into a pit of madness at the beginning of the outbreak, causing death and destruction in his wake. He'd forced his followers to commit unspeakable acts in his bid to fortify Woodbury, and now it was time to pay the piper. Or in this case, one very pissed off redneck who wouldn't allow the governor to harm his family.

Without an explanation or a moment of hesitation, he gripped the knife he'd taken from his brother and jammed it up into the base of Blake's skull. Vengeance for the innocent lives he'd taken, those he'd tormented and defiled before tossing them in his walker pits or adding their severed heads to his trophy tanks. The world was bad enough with the dead roaming the earth. There was no room for men like Blake, not if he could help it. The body slumped to the ground and Merle couldn't resist spitting on it. "Hope y' burn in hell, y' bastard. An' even that's too light of a punishment for yer sorry ass."

A/n: Gawd! I absolutely HATE writing action scenes. I tried to keep each little group separate to avoid confusion. I really hope I didn't disappoint anyone. I cannot express enough the level of gratitude I owe to my betas BettyBubble and Geektaire for putting up with my incessant whining and nagging during the writing process. I love y'all so much! I want to thank EVERYONE who has read and reviewed this story. Without your support, this story would not have happened. One more chapter and it's a wrap, my loves!