Carl pulled the wooden gates closed with the rope levers after his dad and the others left for the run. He stood for a moment, watching as a walker impaled itself on a stake protruding from the ground. He shook his head as it moaned and tried to reach for him. He turned, kicking stones under his boots as he walked back up to the main prison.
Lowering her binoculars, Carol had watched the young boy up until he stopped to talk to a couple of kids from Woodbury, Lizzie and Mika, who lived in D wing with their father. She placed them on the wooden bench beside her and crouched to turn the tap at the water barrels they had set up.
The large blue plastic barrels were fed by a stream just outside of the prison gate, a rudimentary plumbing system had been devised and installed by Tyresse who had worked in construction for periods in the past. He had studied a variety of manuals in the prison library and had worked hard on the implementation of his plans for the pumps Daryl had sourced during a run earlier that year. They used this water for cooking, cleaning, occasionally the laundry if they didn't want to use the main water resources.
Though the water flowed without issue mostly, occasionally the pumps got blocked, it seemed it was going to be worse during Autumn, now that dead leaves turning to mulch and hampering the water flow.
Now it seemed, the pipes were backed up again. Carol sighed as a single pitiful drop hit the bottom of her bucket.
She felt slightly anxious with both Daryl and Rick away from the prison. Although Maggie, Glenn and herself were capable enough to temporarily take charge, in the past few months, Rick had always been around, opting not to join the scavengers outside while his mental state hadn't been healthy. The responsibility of having both Carl and Judith at the prison while their father was out was daunting, he loved those children more than life itself.
Of course, all of the adults there would put the safety of any of the kids above themselves, without question. It was just that if anything big or bad happened, she hoped their emergency plans would kick in and everyone would know what to do.
Wiping her hands on her cargo pants, she picked up her bucket and headed back to the main heart of the prison, swinging it like she didn't have a care in the world. She did have a care though. A hunter-shaped care. The most important person in her world was out beyond reach, as he had been many times before, but she felt that it was possible they were riding their luck out. That eventually there would be no more dramatic rescues or last minute saves. This was real life now, not everyone got to live.
Once inside she saw Glenn and Hershel pouring over plans of the layout of the prison. Before the illness had struck, the council had discussed the possibility of clearing out the rest of the building, the parts they had sectioned off and avoided. They floated the idea around because the option of taking in more strangers could only be explored if they had enough room to house extra people. They had A Block, of course, but a debate had raged amongst the council as to whether it was best to keep it separate from being used as living quarters. It had been useful during the outbreak to a degree, but Hershel had carefully mentioned the prospect of potentially using it to detain any troublemakers. Not every human person was going to be good, the new world deployed no law makers, no governments, no rules. As they had learned in the past.
Carol assumed they were discussing options regarding the expansion. She smiled and nodded at them as they stood, gathering weapons. "We're going down to the weak spot. Walkers are building up again," Glenn explained, "Carl is down there already."
"Ok," replied Carol, "Have you seen Tyresse? The water's blocked again."
"Old Mr Forster from Woodbury passed away a while ago, while the others were loading up for the run," Hershel said sadly, "Tyreese is out beyond the fences over to the west, he's taken the body, gonna dig a grave for the old boy. I said we'd go out, pay our respects once he's about done. He'll be an hour or two yet."
"Damn," muttered Carol. The light would be fading soon. Although they had flashlights, unblocking the pipe was best done in broad daylight, in order to dislodge it completely and ensure it was attached again, plus, maximum light meant no walkers or anything worse sneaking up. "I'll go quickly do it myself," she said, "I've done it before."
"You sure you wanna risk it? Can we not sort it out tomorrow, first light?" asked Hershel, regarding her intensely.
"No, I'll be fine, the washing is still backed up and I'll need it up and running as soon as possible," replied Carol.
"Well, go see if Maggie will go out with you, she can cover you," suggested Glenn, knowing Carol had made her mind up. "She's got Judith in our cell. Someone else could watch her while you're out."
Carol smiled and nodded, turning on her heel. She reached their wing and could hear Maggie singing songs to Judith, the songs Beth taught them all while out on the road. Taking a deep breath she quietly mounted the stairs.
"Knock, knock," she said gently as she reached the entrance to the cell the newlyweds shared. Maggie stopped singing and looked up, a smile on her pretty face. She held Judith in her arms and had been rocking the infant while sitting on a hard backed chair.
"She loves that one," the girl declared, turning her gaze back to the baby.
Carol smiled kindly, "That was Beth's favourite too, right?"
"Oh yeah," nodded Maggie, "She'd sing it over and over when she was about four. Drove my daddy crazy," she gave a small laugh, still moving gently from side to side with Judith, who hadn't stirred.
"Hmmm," replied Carol softly, "Sophia used to love a song from Beauty and the Beast, all kids go through that stage. Wonder what this one's obsession will be?"
They both knew that in this world, Judith just making it to be four years old would be an accomplishment, thought neither said it aloud.
"Maggie," began Carol, "I wondered if you'd come out to the end of the pipe with me?"Maggie snorted, "Now there's an offer I can't refuse. A delightful trip down to the end of the smelly pipe. It's blocked again, I take it?"
Carol nodded, "Maybe we could put Judith in that baby sling? I could take some of her diapers, a bottle or two and her pacifier and she could get some fresh air?"
"Sure," replied Maggie, taking to her feet, "She sleeps better after she's been outside so maybe we can unblock the damned thing and tire her out, two birds and all that."
Ten minutes later the two women were at the concealed hole in the fence nearest the plumbing system. Maggie had Judith on her back in a baby carrier cling and Carol had her pack filled with baby items, just in case they needed them. Both women carried their knives, had their guns in holsters and a decent amount of ammunition.
Carol unclipped the fasteners and pulled back the wire fence enough so that Maggie could duck through. She then picked up a small bucket to empty any sludge into and followed through the opening. Once she had secured it closed again, they set off.
The plumbing system had been rigged a fair distance away from the prison, they would need Carol's binoculars to see their home once they reached the end of the pipe. They walked with their senses on high alert, only speaking in whispers and only when necessary. The trees afforded them some cover but also the opportunity for any walkers or strangers to sneak up.
Daryl had taught her tips on tracking, mostly during their winter out on the road before the prison. Carol could remember some of the tricks he had shown her but not all. Perhaps she had grown comfortable at the prison, she had hardly ever been outside of the gates, only a couple of times on her own and then it had been within spitting distance of their home.
The last time she had unblocked the pipe, Rick had been with her and he had taken charge.
She had to learn to be master of her own destiny, there wasn't always going to be someone bigger, stronger, braver to hide behind. Deep down, she wanted to be fearless like Michonne, to wield a weapon and intimidate people with just a look. If she was being totally honest, she often felt too much like the mom of their set up. Not that she viewed any of her peers like her children, not at all. Her priorities in the beginning had been organising food, washing, general chores, tending to the younger kids. The defence of the group had fallen naturally to the men. It had been assumed roles, even at the farm, Lori had been keen on the idea that the women were the oil that kept the cogs turning. Carol wanted more from her life now. She had no husband keeping her tied to a washing machine, stove or ironing board. Not that she minded any of the domestic tasks she did now, she just wanted to do more, be more. Be who she thought she should be, a survivor, a fighter.
She knew how to survive, living with the constant threat of Ed dishing out a beating that went too far taught her how to be strong deep down, how to cling on to life. The memory of her beautiful daughter inspired her to fight on, she would be damned if she was going out with a whimper after everything life had thrown at her. A violent bully of a husband, the dead coming back to life roaming the earth, and the loss of her baby girl had battered her but she would no longer be cowed. She realised that she had strolled ahead of Maggie, lost in her thoughts. Stopping for a moment, she waited for her friend to catch up. They walked on, eyes roaming the surrounding trees, but all was strangely quiet, bar the bubbling from the water running along beside them.
Finally, they reached the end of the stream, a once picturesque wooden bridge constructed over it just a short distance from the mouth. A metal box raised up from the ground under the bridge held the end of the pipe. Carol reached down as Maggie patrolled the area around her.
After unscrewing the pipe from the box to clean the debris and sludge as much as she could, Carol tapped the mouth of the pipe over the bucket, grimacing as the matter hit the bottom with a splatter.
As she screwed the pipe back in, the air vibrated with a massive boom.
Eyes wide, Maggie looked down at her, "What was that?"
Carol dropped the pipe as Maggie spun and looked to be about to take off back home. The older woman grabbed her.
"Wait!" Carol breathed, spinning Maggie so that they were facing each other, the older woman holding the other's right arm.
Panicked, Maggie struggled against her friend, "That sounded like an explosion. Glenn. Daddy….I….look!" The younger woman pointed shakily to the sky with her free hand. Black smoke billowed above the trees from the direction of the prison. Carol closed her eyes for a second to gather herself.
"Listen to me," she began, reopening her eyes to Maggie breathing quickly, face ashen.
"Listen, Maggie. Maggie." She shook the girl gently.
Maggie focussed her eyes on Carol. She took a deep breath and nodded to indicate she was listening.
Carol began, "We're heading back towards home. But. Listen to me, Maggie," she moved around trying to catch Maggie's panicking eyes as they wandered around the area, "But we're going to approach from a slightly different direction. Ok?"
Maggie nodded, but her eyes appeared unfocused.
"We'll head a little along this way," Carol nodded her head in the direction behind Maggie, "We'll approach from the north rather than the west, where we are now. Ok?"
"Yes," the girl whispered, her eyes now on the smoke which billowed to the left of her.
Carol took Maggie's hand and they walked on, keeping the black smoke to her right.
They arrived at the edge of a copse of trees, just before they thinned out in the area of the prison grounds. The sight which greeted them took their breath away.
A huge army tank had plowed away through trees to the right of Carol and Maggie and now sat just before the entrance to the wooden gates their family had constructed. A tower to the east of the prison had been blown up, it was a mess of flames and black smoke.
Carol raised the binoculars. She took in the scene. A man who looked to be the Governor stood between the tank and another army issue truck. He had Tyreese kneeling on the floor beside him, the black man's hands tied behind his back, and a large silver sword pressed to his neck. A number of people stood around, Carol estimated around twenty, mostly men who had driven cars into the clearing, and some were standing atop them, huge guns trained on the prison.
At that moment, the hatch on hand tank opened a guy popped his head out, looked at the prison and back to the Governor, a huge grin on his face.
"Shit," muttered Carol, her mind whirring as she passed the binoculars to Maggie. She pressed a finger to her lips, and the younger woman nodded, her face white with worry.
Maggie peered at the scene before them. "Oh my God," she whispered, voice wobbling.
Carol was thinking, her eyes focused on the clearing, not allowing the panic to set in, "Can you see what's happening inside the prison?" she almost mouthed, keeping her voice as soft as it would go.
Lowering the binoculars, Maggie turned to her friend, "Looks like my daddy and Glenn are talking with him. They're out of the inner gates, down near the outer perimeter fence." She whispered the details in a matter of fact manner, clearly shocked and trying to disassociate from her panic.
"Hmmm," Carol murmured, her eyes travelling to a group of trees to her right. She stood slightly behind Maggie and took a deep breath before nudging her friend. "Maggie, we can't get back to the prison safely. Even if we go round through these trees, it'll take too long to stop…whatever…is going to happen," she set out her plan carefully. "Then there's all the walkers further around the west side of the prison, I'm surprised they haven't already started to move around because of the noise. So, I'm going to take down the Governor from here." She made to move off to her right but Maggie grabbed her arm.
"What? How? Are you crazy?!" The young woman hissed. "He's got a goddamn tank?!"
"Yeah, but we've got weapons too, look." Carol moved away and Maggie followed across the leaves to a group of three trees, which stood in an almost triangular formation. The tree in the middle had a hollowed out bark and Maggie watched with some amazement as Carol reached in and pulled out two rifles with automatic scopes, as well as a machine gun. The older woman reached in further and brought out boxes of ammo.
"How did - ?" Maggie wondered, her eyes wide.
"After Rick headed back to his home town for weapons the first time we were in trouble with the Governor, I kept some aside once we thought it was over. Then a week or two ago, I hid them out here in that tree trunk, I know the which one because that tree in front has branches bent to look like an elephant with a trunk. See?" Carol explained, nodding her head to show her friend.
Maggie turned and nodded, the information she had just received added to the severity of the situation they faced overwhelming her a little.
Carol continued, "You stay back here, the gunfire could wake Judith and any noise would give us away. Those assholes with the Governor could come looking over here if they hear anything. Ok?"
Maggie nodded, but took hold of one of the rifles Carol handed to her.
"I'm going to camouflage myself with some mud, try to blend in with the trees, then I'm going to pick him off, the guy in the tank too."
"But if you miss, they'll know we're here," muttered Maggie, her gaze fixed on the weapon in her hands. "It's a risk we gotta take," admitted Carol, she shrugged, "I'm a decent shot."
Maggie smiled sadly, "You're a great shot, Carol."
"Once I've taken aim, the Governor's 'army' are probably gonna turn and come in our direction, we gotta run, go further into the forest, try to double back up to the shack on just off the main road." Carol studied Maggie to ensure the girl was understanding what they needed to do.
"The meeting point?" Maggie clarified as the sound of raised voices carried over from the prison. Her eyes widened.
Carol crunched down and scooped up handfuls of red mud, smeared it on her face and forehead to mute out the brightness of her skin. She took a deep breath, stood, and plucked up a rifle, raising it to her shoulder and peering through the scope. The weapon was fully loaded, but she added extra ammo to her pockets, flashing Maggie a tight smile, before heading back to the trees which lined the clearing.
Once there, she lowered herself and hid behind a cluster of branches, resting the barrel of the rifle on a thicker bough. She found her target and could see him gesticulating with one hand. Moving the viewer, she saw Hershel and Glenn, both trying to talk the Governor down. She turned her aim back to the man with the eye patch dressed all in black.
Suddenly, their enemy swung his blade and caught Tyreese on the neck, the man's dirty white jumper instantly blossoming with bright red blood.
"Bastard," Carol muttered as she pulled the trigger. She held her breath as the bullet caught the Governor and shot through his neck, the man immediately slumping to his knees then forwards.
Taking no notice of the actions or confusion of the people in the Governor's group, she manoeuvred and caught the head of the guy in the tank in her crosshairs. He had turned in puzzlement to scan the trees and she shot without hesitation, catching him right between the eyes. He flew backwards, hit the metal lid of the top of the funnel he had been leaning out of and then fell back down into the body of the tank.
Carol watched in horror as the tank steamed forwards, the dead body had obviously landed on something which had sparked the tank into life.
"Shit!" she hissed as the huge vehicle hit the outer metal fence and Glenn and Hershel ran back up towards the main heart of the prison.
She could hear shouting and sensed movement and saw that a few of the Governor's men were heading towards the trees. Taking a moment, she raised her binoculars and scanned the area, walkers from the weak spot where on the move, coming around to the clearing, and stray walkers were emerging from the opposite direction, through the forest, obviously having been summoned by the sound.
Turning, Carol ran as fast as she could to Maggie.
"Got them both," she breathed, "But there are walkers all around and trouble headed our way." She gathered up the machine gun and strapped it on her back.
Maggie nodded mutely, and following her friend, they both ran across the leaves, the black smoke and shouts from the prison billowing behind them.
They both made silent pleas that their family members had remembered their emergency plan and were loading up the school bus at the very moment. All hell had broken loose and life was about to change for them all, perhaps their luck had finally ran out.