Chapter 5
Rick continues to quietly walk past the aisles with Daryl and Michonne behind him. Rick turns to Daryl to say something, but from the corner of his eye, he sees that I'm not in the back.
"Where's Michelle?" he asks while glancing around then at Daryl and Michonne.
"She was just behind us a moment ago," Daryl responds in surprise.
"I didn't hear or see her wander off," Michonne responds, also surprised.
Rick quickly begins to walk back the way they entered, scanning every aisle. Daryl and Michonne do the same, scanning all around them in the department store. Daryl quietly runs ahead of Rick and looks down an aisle where he spots a door open at the end of it. He whistles at Rick and Michonne and points at the door. Rick lurches down the aisle toward the open door, his gun ready in his hands. He slowly walks through the doorway as he looks around to see if it's clear. Daryl and Michonne follow right after him as he walks down toward the back of the small warehouse. Rick notices a trail of blood on the floor and the three follow it, wielding their weapons ready. Rick is leading them around the corner and is surprised when he spots the puddle of blood. They walk over to it, and Daryl crouches down to examine the puddle of blood.
"This is fresh blood," he states, looking up at Rick.
Rick notices a gun on the floor just a foot away from the puddle, almost under one of the warehouse shelves. He crouches down on one knee, picks it up, and instantly recognizes it.
"This is Michelle's gun," he states with a wave of worry and anger run through his body as he glances at the puddle of blood again. "Damn it," he mutters through his teeth.
He glances over at the slightly open door some feet in front of them that leads to the outside. Holding the gun he picked up in his left hand, he stands up and moves quickly to the door. He pushes it open and walks out into the alley with Daryl and Michonne right behind him. It's the alley where they had parked, so the SUV is at one end of it. Rick glances over to see if he spots me anywhere near it. Daryl turns to the other direction on the left and sees me, unconscious, being carried into a grey van by two men.
"There she goes!" Daryl shouts pointing over in that direction.
Rick darts his head toward the other end of the alley where Daryl pointed and sees me unconscious and being carried into the van by two men. He immediately sprints toward their direction with Daryl and Michonne. One of the men with a dark green hoodie who's standing in the van looks up and sees them running toward the van, and his eyes widen.
"Drive! Drive!" he shouts to the driver.
Before the van moves, the man in the green hoodie kicks the other man standing outside the van in the chest, causing him to fall on his back. The green hooded man aims to shoot the other in the head, but because the van moves abruptly into a drive, he ends up shooting the man in the shoulder. The van's tires screech as it drives off quickly, the man inside closing the door. Rick, Daryl and Michonne just arrive near the man who's been shot and gaze after the van. Rick attempts to shoot at it, but the it quickly turns at a corner, getting out of sight.
"Damn it!" Rick hollers.
Rick turns to the man on the ground, who's wincing in pain from the shot in his shoulder. He looks over at his leg and sees that blood is seeping through his ripped jeans.
"He's been bit," Daryl says as he looks down at the man. "They left'im because he'll be turnin'. The guy tried to shoot'im but missed."
Rick walks over to the terrified man on the ground.
"Where are they takin' her?!" Rick yells, pointing his gun at the man.
The man simply shakes his head and doesn't respond. This angers Rick, causing him to punch the man in the face.
"Tell me where they're takin' her!" Rick threatens by holding his colt at the man's head. "Or we will make the rest of your time a livin' hell before you turn!"
The man shakes his head again, blood dripping out of his mouth. Rick punches him again in the face, causing the man to splatter blood on to the pavement.
"I'll get'im to talk," Daryl says as he crouches down next to the man.
Daryl takes one of his arrows and stabs it into the man's thigh, causing the man to yelp in pain.
"Tell us where they're takin' her!" Daryl yells as he yanks him by the collar of his shirt.
"Please, stop!" the man cries.
Daryl pulls the arrow out of the man's thigh, causing blood to gush out through his light blue jeans. Daryl takes the arrow and lodges it into the man's side this time, and the man yelps out in pain again. Blood squirts out of the wound and begins to soak the side of the man's grey shirt. Rick then strikes a blow into the man's stomach, causing even more blood to gush out of the wound where the arrow is still lodged.
"Please, stop! Just stop!" the man pleads out in pain.
"Where are they takin' her?" Daryl asks again as he yanks the man toward his face by the collar of his shirt. "We ain't gonna ask ya again…"
The man begins to wince more in pain but doesn't answer. Daryl forcefully yanks the arrow out from the man's side and brings it up to the man's face, the arrow dripping with blood.
"Keep this up and I'm gonna gauge one of your eyes out," Daryl threatens.
The man whimpers in pain, still not saying a word.
"You're wastin' our time here!" Rick growls through his teeth.
Still no answer.
"Gauge his damn eye out," Rick orders.
Daryl holds his arm far out with the arrow in his hand. Just as he's about to stab it into the man's eye, the man yelps and squirms.
"They're takin' her to a safe house!" the man finally cries out. "It's about six miles down the highway road…it's in the woods…to the left…The safe house…is on the right side of the road…" blood seeps through his lips.
"How many of your buddies are there?" Rick asks, looking him straight in the eyes.
"Ten…there are ten men…"
"How secure is it?"
"They all have…firearms…"
"What're they gonna do with our friend?" Daryl asks as he pulls on the man's collar again.
"Anythin' they want," the man replies with a bloody smirk and begins to chuckle.
Rick glares at the man, anger boiling up inside him as his jaw clenches. He pulls his colt out and shoots the man in the head, splattering his brains out on the pavement. Rick gets up quickly, my gun still in his left hand, and begins to sprint to the other end of the alley toward the SUV with Daryl and Michonne right behind him. Rick reaches the driver door and unlocks the doors as he places his own gun in its holster and hops into the SUV. He places my gun into the compartment between the seats, sticks the key into the ignition, and it roars into life as Daryl and Michonne quickly hop in. Rick hits the gas pedal, causing the tires to screech, and drives down the alley to follow the path that the van took. Adrenaline runs through Rick's veins as he clenches the steering wheel, speeding down the street and turning a left onto the highway.
'Damn it…why did I let her outta my sight?!' Rick yells at himself in his head. "How are we on weapons?"
"I'm good with arrows and a blade," Daryl says as he prepares his crossbow.
"I've got my katana ready and a handgun," Michonne replies, cocking the gun.
"We've also got three of Michelle's rifles in the back," Daryl adds as he reaches for them and places them on the seats in between him and Michonne.
Michonne and Daryl begin to make sure the rifles are loaded and ready. They cock them and place them across their laps. Rick continues to speed down the highway, remembering that the man told them six miles down the highway to the right of the road.
'We're comin', Michelle…' Rick thinks to himself.
I hear voices of men talking amongst themselves. It's pitch black and I feel a bit dizzy, my head hanging forward over my chest. I try to move my hands and feet, but feel that they're tied up and I'm sitting on a chair.
'What's…what's going on?' I think to myself, feeling dazed and slowly begin to lift my head.
"Looks like she's awake, guys!" I hear one of the men exclaim.
I hear footsteps walking toward me. A blindfold is then removed from my face. I squint upon seeing a light shining above me as if I'm going to be interrogated. I open one eye and glance around the room at the four men. The one who removed my blindfold stands in front of me and smiles. He's a tall, thick built Caucasian man wearing a black shirt and dark jeans. His dirty blonde hair lays messy on top of his head, covering parts of his forehead.
"Well, hello there," he says gazing at me with his dark green eyes. "Welcome to my sanctuary. I'm Jake, the leader of this group."
I scan the room again and see the other three men gazing at me like hungry dogs. The room is a small one, with nothing else but the chair I'm sitting on, a table, and the men inside.
"My boys brought me a gift…" Jake says as he leans down and caresses my face with his left hand. "And what a precious gift you are."
I spit in his face. He slowly stands upright with his eyes closed and wipes his face. His smile quickly forms into a scowl, and he punches me in the face, jerking me to the right. I feel blood drip out of my mouth. He grabs me forcefully by the chin and makes me look him in the eyes.
"Such a naughty girl…" he says. "Where are you manners?"
I glare straight into his eyes.
"You're not goin' to have a good time with me if you don't change that attitude of yours," he continues.
"Fuck you," I hiss at him.
He strikes me in the face again and then in my stomach, near my still healing wound. I wince from the pain as I lean my head forward. Jake grabs my hair from the back of my head and jerks me back, hurting my neck a bit.
"Looks like I'm gonna have to beat those bad manners out of you," Jake exclaims with a smirk and punches me hard in the stomach again. "Too bad I won't be able to enjoy you without your pretty face being bruised."
I lift my head up at him slowly, my dark curls moving back out of my face.
"Why don't you…go fuck yourself?" I say through hard breaths and spit my blood into his face.
Jake turns away while growling in anger, then turns to me with a glare.
"Boys…it's time to leave me alone with this rude girl…" he orders the men.
The men nod and make their way out of the door, closing it behind them. Jake begins to slowly circle around me. I hang my head a bit forward, my hair hiding my face a bit as I breathe hard.
"I'm going to teach you some manners…right here and now," Jake says in a cynical tone. "I like to tame my victims first if they don't respect me."
"You can take those manners…and stick them up your ass…" I say in a tired tone. "You fucking prick."
I take a blow to the face again, and then to my stomach, twice. Leaning forward, I cough and begin to gasp for air.
"Apologize to me…" Jake demands.
"I'm sorry…" I mutter and look up at him with a smirk. "…that you're a piece of shit."
Jake growls and takes out a blade. He cuts my feet loose, pulls me out of the chair and throws me to the ground, my hands still tied behind my back. I roll twice on to my side, wincing from the pain of my stitched wound and stomach. I attempt to use my knees to push myself up, but Jake kicks me right over my stitched wound. I feel the air exit out of my lungs, and I begin to cough again, blood dripping out of my mouth. Jake grabs me by the back of my shirt with both of his hands and throws me up against the wall. I land on my side and wince in more pain.
"You're gonna be a hard one to break, aren't you?" he states as he walks closer and kicks me once again in the stomach.
I roll on to my back, heaving for air. Jake smirks at the sight of me in pain. I grimace and glance at his belt; I see the blade inside a holster above his crotch.
'I have to get closer to grab it…' I think as I roll onto my side, gritting my teeth in pain. 'I've got it…'
Jake plunges a kick to my left side again. I can almost feel one of my ribs shatter and begin to cough blood out on the floor.
"Okay…I've had enough…" I mutter in between gasps. "Do what you want with me…I'm done…"
Jake smirks at the sound of my words. He yanks me by the collar of my shirt and brings my face closer to his.
"I knew you'd come around…" he whispers. "I'm going to have fun with you…"
He grabs my hair hard and lifts my head up to the ceiling, exposing my neck. He leans into my neck and begins to kiss it roughly. After some kisses, I feel him roughly bite my neck as he sucks on my skin. I wince from the pain and grit my teeth as he leaves a dark red hickey on my neck.
"Just get it over with…" I mutter. "Take me from behind if you want…I don't care…"
"That's not a bad idea, actually…" he says with a devilish smirk.
He then forcefully grabs me by the arm and leads me toward the table on the other side of the room. He makes me stand in front of him with the edge of the table touching the front of my thighs. He pulls me closer to him, my back being pulled into him with my butt grinding against his crotch, my hands still tied behind me. Pulling me by my hair, he lifts my head up again and leans his face next to mine.
"I'm going to enjoy this very much…" he whispers into my ear.
I wince from him pulling my hair hard and the pain throughout my beat up body. As he shifts my holster away from the front of my crotch and begins to pull my zipper down, I slowly lean my head forward. He continues to slowly pull my dark jeans down as he breathes fast in excitement. Suddenly, gunshots are heard from somewhere outside. Jake stops in surprise at the sound. I take this chance to quickly pull the blade out of the holster in front of his crotch and hit him in the face with the back of my head. He steps back from the hit, covering his now bleeding nose. I step away from him and quickly cut through the rope wrapped around my wrists with the blade.
"You broke my nose, you stupid bitch!" Jake roars.
I lean over the table, trying to keep myself standing as I pull my jeans up. Before I can pull the zipper of my jeans back up, Jake grabs me by the back of my shirt and throws me across the floor. I'm still holding on tightly to the blade, concealing it from Jake. I get to my feet but lean forward, placing a hand over my left side that's aching in pain. Jake goes in for a kick to my face, but I block it with my arms, stand upright and punch him hard in the face. I grab his head by his hair and knee him in the face. He jerks back a few feet, but doesn't fall. I struggle to stand and drop to one knee, wrapping my arm around my aching sides. Jake takes this chance to tackle me to the floor, making me drop the blade a few feet away. He's on top of me with one of his knees next to both of my sides and begins to punch me repeatedly hard in the ribs. I moan out in pain as I feel some ribs ache inside me. He goes to punch me in the face, but I manage to block it and swing my elbow into his face, causing him to fall over off of me. I roll on my side and slowly begin to crawl toward the blade a few feet away. Jake doesn't notice that I reach for it, and throws himself on top of me again from behind. I try to get away but he pulls me by my jeans, practically pulling them down past my hips a bit. I then turn my torso and elbow him hard in the face again, causing more blood to gush out of his now broken nose and from his mouth. This causes him to fall back off of me again, and I roll on my back to face him. He grunts in anger and lunges at me. I take this chance to drive the blade through his forehead, piercing his skull. His body freezes and collapses on top of me, adding more pressure to my now fractured ribs. I cry out in pain as Jake's body crushes my aching body. Bearing all of the pain, I manage to push his heavy, limp body off of me, and it lands on the floor to my right. I bite my lips and grit my teeth in pain as I feel tears roll down my face while I turn to the wall on my left. Suddenly, I hear the door burst open. Footsteps quickly approach me from behind and someone kneels next to me and grabs my arms.
"No, go away!" I cry out in pain and fear as tears roll down my cheeks as I close my eyes and shield myself with my arms.
"Michelle! It's me!" I hear a familiar voice say to me. "It's me, Rick!"
I open my eyes and gaze into his worried, bright blue ones. I suddenly feel a wave of relief through my body, and dig my face into his chest, crying a bit into his dark blue shirt.
"It's all right, I'm here…" Rick comforts me as he holds me in his arms.
He looks over at Jake's body and sees his bloody face and the blade driven into his skull. Turning his attention back to me, he sees my unbuttoned and unzipped jeans pulled a bit down under my hips. He cups my face into his hand and looks at the bruises on my cheeks and forehead, the blood by my mouth, and even the dark red hickey on my neck. Fear, anger, and sadness is all that runs through Rick's mind as he thinks what I've gone through as he pulls me into his chest again and caresses my hair.
"You're safe now…I'm here…" he whispers into my ear with a tremble in his voice.
"Rick!" Daryl calls out from the doorway. "Time to go! We still got some guys tryin' to find us!"
Rick glances at him with a nod. Michonne walks into the room toward Rick and me.
"Help me get her up," Rick tells her as he stands up, still holding me.
Michonne nods and places her katana in its scabbard and quickly crouches down next to me. Rick places my right arm over his shoulder while Michonne places my left arm over her shoulder and carefully lift me up to my feet. I wince in pain as I walk forward with them to the doorway.
"What's the situation?" Rick asks as we make our way down the hallway.
"We've killed seven out of the ten guys here," Daryl replies as he walks in front of us as he holds his crossbow up. "Includin' the dead guy in the room."
"So we've got three more to worry about," Michonne states.
"What's Michelle's condition?" Daryl asks as he looks left and right at the end of the hallway then signals us to follow.
"Not good," Rick answers as he glances at me with a worried expression.
"I'm hangin' in there…" I manage to say with a weak voice and small smile.
We reach the living room of what appears to be a large vacation house. As we are walking toward the doorway out of the house, one of the men enters, about to point his gun at us. Daryl quickly reacts and shoots an arrow through his skull, and the man's lifeless body collapses on the floor. Daryl steps over the body and yanks the arrow out and reloads it into the crossbow.
"We're gonna make a run for it to the SUV," Daryl exclaims as he checks if it's clear to go outside.
"I'll cover us with Daryl," Michonne says as she carefully lets go of me and pulls out her gun. "You got her, Rick?"
"Yeah," Rick nods as he places his gun into his holster and wraps his left arm around my waist and holds my arm over his shoulder with his right hand. "We're ready."
"Let's go!"
Daryl walks out first with Michonne to the front porch. They look around and see no one, so they signal for Rick and me to come out. We walk down the wooden porch steps and begin to head into the woods.
"The SUV is parked on the side of the road," Rick whispers to me. "Think you can make it?"
"Yeah, I can walk a bit," I answer as I grit my teeth in pain.
A bullet brushes past Michonne and hits a tree, causing her to crouch down. Daryl and Michonne turn their attention to the man who shot the bullet. Both aim at him. Michonne fires her gun, but the man is able to avert the bullet. Daryl takes this chance to shoot his crossbow and hits the man in the chest, causing him to collapse to the ground.
"He ain't dead," Daryl says as he runs over to the body to retrieve the arrow and kill the man.
Michonne covers him with her gun. Meanwhile, Rick and I make our way to the SUV.
"We're almost there," Rick says as we step over some twigs.
I turn my gaze toward my left. One of the men comes out from behind a tree some 15 feet away and aims his gun at Rick. Panic stricken, I react immediately.
"Rick!" I yell as I pull away from his grasp, push him forward with the force I have left in me and step forward to shield him.
Rick trips over a large rock hidden under some leaves and falls on his back. He turns his gaze at me as he sees the man aiming his gun. Everything occurs in slow motion to Rick. He watches with wide eyes as the bullet pierces through my back, causing a bit of my blood to spray on to his face and shirt. My body begins to fall back but Rick quickly lunges forward to catch me.
"Nooo!" Rick yells out in despair.
He takes his colt out from his holster with his left hand and shoots the man who shot me straight in the head. The man collapses dead onto the leafy ground. Daryl and Michonne dart their heads in our direction and immediately sprint toward me and Rick. I begin to cough up some blood as Rick holds me in his arms after he places his gun in its holster. He examines the bullet wound and sees that it pierced into my chest, right above where my heart is.
"Shit…" Daryl says as he sees what's happened to me and glances over at the dead man who shot me. "That was the tenth guy…"
"Let's get her back to the prison," Rick says as he tosses the keys to Daryl and places my right arm over his shoulder carefully. "We need to get her to Hershel!"
Michonne takes my other arm and carries me with Rick. Daryl runs to the SUV and quickly starts the engine. Rick opens one of the back seat doors and climbs in. He pulls me in carefully while Michonne lifts my legs up and carefully pushes me onto the backseat and closes the door. Rick keeps me sitting up by holding me in his arms. Michonne quickly gets in the front seat, closes the door, and Daryl steps hard on the gas pedal. Rick reaches for a towel in the back of the SUV and places it over my bullet wound, applying pressure to it. He notices that I'm looking as if I'm going to pass out.
"Stay with me, Michelle," he firmly says as he shakes me a bit.
"It's funny…" I say in a low voice. "I was the one…who said to be careful about hostiles…"
I swallow a bit of my blood. Rick continues to panic and worry.
"And now look at me," I continue to say. "I'm the one who got fucked up…"
I look up at Rick with a bloody smile. Rick stares at me with a stern gaze.
"Don't look at me like that…" I say with a serious expression as I look into his eyes. "You know I'd do it…"
"Damn it, Michelle! Why?" Rick mutters as he grits his teeth.
"I protect those who I care about…" I clench my jaw in pain.
"You didn't have to take it for me…" Rick mutters in anger.
"I'd also promised Carl a favor…"
Rick looks at me in confusion.
"I promised him I'd look after you…" I wince a bit.
Rick looks away, clenching his jaw.
"And I did…I kept my word…I made sure I did this time…"
He looks back at me, not knowing what I mean by this time.
"Remember I'd tell you about my daughter, Elena?" I ask him.
He nods.
"Well, I guess now would be the right time to tell you…I may not make it…"
"Don't you say that…" Rick shakes his head.
"Her name was Elena…" I begin to say in between gasps. "I had been at work at a counseling center…I had been sitting at my desk when I heard people screaming in terror outside…I looked out the window and saw people running…People were eating other people…I didn't know what was going on…My cell phone rang…I answer it, and it's Elena's nanny…"
Rick stares at me and listens, still adding pressure to my wound.
"She had called me in a panic, saying that someone….had gotten into my house…I told her to get Elena and go to a safe room and stay inside until I get there…But then…I heard her screaming over the phone…I also heard Elena screaming…A shock of fear struck me at the sound of my daughter screaming…I wake up from hearing it in my dreams at times…I got my gun from my desk and went home as fast as I could…I shot a few of those walkers on my way there…I finally reached my home…the front door was forced open…I walked in with my gun ready in my hands…I glanced around to see if it was clear…"
At this point, Michonne and Daryl were also listening closely.
"I found my daughter's nanny lying dead on the floor of the kitchen…I immediately feared the worst for Elena…I quickly made my way to one of the bedrooms...I heard noise coming from inside my daughter's room…I went to check it out…The door was slightly open…the knob was broken…holding my gun out in front of me, I pushed the door open…what I saw was burned in my mind…I saw my daughter…Elena...lying half-naked on the carpet floor…"
My eyes begin to tear up as I clench my fists, looking up at the ceiling of the car.
"The man who had broken into my home…had been bitten…But before he had turned, he raped my little girl…and shot her…and was on top of her, eating away at her arm…I was enraged…I kicked the walker off my daughter and shot it in the head…I stood over my daughter's half-naked corpse…I collapsed onto my knees and began to sob…holding my daughter's body in my arms…As I was hugging her, I heard her breathe…having a moment of happiness, I pulled away and looked at her face…my grief was stronger…I gazed into her dead, yellow eyes…her pale skin…looked nothing like my beautiful Elena…She slowly tried to come toward me to bite…snarling…and that's when I knew she wasn't my daughter anymore…I couldn't stand seeing her like that, so I shot her...it…in the head…I laid there on the floor, sobbing…before I came back to my senses and knew I had to leave…I placed one of Elena's favorite blankets over her body…over it…and I forced myself to leave…I gathered some of my belongings…clothing, food, water…loaded them into my car…And I left…never to return to that place again…"
There's absolute silence in the car. Daryl is trying his best to keep driving as fast as possible, trying to ignore the tears in his eyes. Michonne stares down in front of her, tears rolling down her face. Rick stares at me with grief; tears start to roll down his face as he clenches his jaw.
"Now you know why I don't share that story with people…" I say as I gaze up at Rick. "I haven't shared it with anyone since it happened…"
I feel more tears rolling down my face as I look up at the ceiling of the car again. Suddenly, I begin to see Rick blurring up in my vision. My eyes start to blink quickly before they close.
"Michelle!" Rick calls out. "Stay with me!"
But I don't respond. Rick's voice is the last thing I hear before I completely black out.