Holy crap guys sorry I hadn't noticed it had been almost a year since this was last updated my bad to be honest I struggled with how to continue it because the group is already so well supplied and better prepared for what's to come even if rick was to take over again I doubt even rick couldn't screw it up so Im going to at least run through the prison arc. Well I hope you all enjoy
"Well that went faster than I thought" Rick said to Shane as they lifted another corpse into the bed of the truck with a grunt.
"Shane chuckled as he pulled the canteen off his belt "yah brother tell me about it." he takes a deep pull of cold water before offering it to Rick who likewise takes a deep pull.
Rick and Shane both look at the six burning piles of corpses and seven more not yet ready to burn "Counting this bunch that makes two hundred and sixty walkers how many were supposed to be here again?"
Rick thinks for a few seconds "I think it said five hundred prisoners and just over a hundred guards and fifty other staff."
They both look at the empty courtyard beyond the gate "So where are the rest? Deeper inside most likely it's getting dark and I don't want to lead people in there in the dark so I say we have a loud party tonight and see if we can't lure any more of them out. Shane grinned and punched my shoulder "brother that sounds like a great idea."
The last of the piles burned and a light rotating watch set up to keep an eye on the closed gate the rest of the fence had already been looked over and no holes had been found.
As night fell Grills were started and a pair of huge racks of slaughtered beef that was in Hershel's deep freeze and stored in a refer when they left as the woman got to work prepping the side dishes while the kids helped ready drinks. As the beef was being cooked along with some corn, green beans, Mac n cheese, and mashed potatoes. The rest of the night went as usual Beth and Maggie singing the parting glass joined in half way by joshes daughter Rachel who was a pretty good singer as well.
The four Rvs were readied for bed as the food was getting cooked and after a dinner that ended with people stuffed to the gills and stumbling to their beds and tents a CD player was left running with speakers pointed towards the main gate The Wallflowers won the vote and their album Bringing down the horse started playing loudly starting off with the song One Headlight everyone other than the first guard watch fell asleep easily with a full belly and easy music.
The next morning came all too early for Rick after coming back from his turn on the wall Lori had pounced on him barely getting out that Carl was at Carol and Sophia's tent for a sleep over with the only six kids in the community. They both fell into a sweaty exhausted hibernation looking at his watch rick sighed heavily three hours of sleep.
After grabbing some breakfast bars and a jug of Gatorade he started eating on his way up the road to the main gate half way there he met Shane, T, Glynn, Josh, Brandon, Corporal Somedude, and Josh. waving a greeting to everyone seeing their hands and mouths were full of food and drink. No words were exchanged as they neared the top they saw the Luis and his medieval cosplayers keeping an eye on the main gate into the prison under a careful eye. Taking a look everyone was relived and surprised to only see about thirty new walkers had found their way into the musical trap.
They could see a few further in on the ground their head and shoulders pierced by arrows Luis noticed my look and grinned.
"Ok this won't be hard Daryl, Glenn, T, Shane will melee while Luis's boys and girls will go full archer until they are all down or your out of arrows go in pull the bodies out and then we move forward clearing an area at a time everyone have zip ties or cuffs?" nods answered him "Good use them on any open gates." everyone nodded again
As they opened the gates into the yard moving quietly they creeped their way up to the guard catwalk connecting C and D cell blocks opening the door and listening for a moment but Philip doesn't hear anything but shuts the door securely with a zip tie just to be sure.
Moving up to the corner and taking a peek they see an open gate with a pair of dead bodies with almost no flesh left on them the remains of a guard uniform on one the other looked to be a doctor from the filth covered coat they wore. The guards hands were wrapped around his sidearm and a big butcher knife the doctor had a metal pole next to them.
Seeing no other walkers up and about they started handcuffing gates closed and zip-ting doors shut. Looking around Daryl points to the two cell blocks on either side of the cleared courtyard "with everyone we have we should easily fit in these two blocks" everyone nodded agreeing Glenn pointed out "The courtyard could also be used as a commune area for meals and just general meetings" Again everyone nodded before Merle who had been quiet up till now wiped the bloody duel headed Warhammer he had gotten from Luis's spares and had fallen in love with it.
brief authors break here guys as I go to rewatch S3E1 seed im stuck with a Holy Shyt moment as carl gets to excitedly opening that can of dog food as everyone's gaunt starved faces prepare to dig in im struck again by how dumb these people were portrayed to be and how different things are at the same point in my story I know I take some liberties with the looting but even if only a third of what I have written in to be salvaged was there how different things are. Ok break over back to the show folks …..
"But before we do that lets go get a couple of things it's bright out here. But in there I doubt it." Philip said gesturing to the cell blocks. Everyone nodded and Glenn and Brandon ran to get a couple of working helmets with lights and flashlights. Everyone was now ready and lighted up.
Splitting into two groups Somedude and Luis led their teams into cell block B as Philip led the team into C. As Daryl and Rick opened the doors to nothing but darkness moving through the cell block the only walkers were a few still in their closed cells securing the doors leading to other blocks putting them down they set about pulling the bodies out. the same for B block no survivors the dead in the process of being removed as everyone started looking around at the drab and bloody walls and floors "It will take some work but this will be better than rotating through the RVs every night. Given time we can make this more than just a port in the storm but make it a true shelter where we can build and grow." Philip spoke to the group as an early dinner was being prepared "In the morning after a good rest we will clear the other two blocks as well as find medical and the cafeteria and see where the remanding supplies stand."
Everyone exhausted from dragging bodies and cleaning just slept in the Rvs and vehicles again.
The next morning on their way to medical they made a quick stop at the armory finding a handful of flash bang and tear gas grenades a pair of shotguns a handful of pistols and a single rifle but not much more ammo "looks like the guards and staff armed themselves pretty heavily when things went downhill." Rick said
Carol rounds the door "Hey Hershel can I see you for a min"
He nods and says "sure."
"Everything ok?" Philip askes
"Everything's fine Lori's back is just acting up." nodding Philip goes back to looking over the blueprint to the medical wing. The baby should be fine this time around Lori has been getting plenty to eat and at every pharmacy and drugstore we always grab all the pregnancy vitamins….along with everything else. Philip thinks as Hershel walks away.
The medical wing was a bust no prescriptions looked safe to use all the medicine that needed to be refrigerated was spoiled. The only good find were the beds. As for the cafeteria that was going to be a trip it was centrally located and we had found several doors locked so they could be many walkers inside. The downside the musical gate trick wouldn't work inside the sounds would bounce and echo making it impossible for the walkers to locate the source.
As the group of almost thirty heavily armed and in some case Luis armored got ready to move Carl was waving to Sophia, Cassy, and Rachel as he tried to put on one of the adult sized riot helmets only for it to fir as well as well as it did in the show.
"Hey bud" Rick said to Carl taking the helmet "you're not coming bud at least not on the first trip to many unknowns. So you get the most important job most of our fighters will be gone you need to protect your mom friends and the other non-fighters." looking at Corporal Somedude with a wink "im leaving the corporal and his men here under your command ok?" the national guardsmen chuckled but nodded looking at Somedude while Carl wasn't looking he pointed to his eye and then pointed in a circle keep an eye on everything would you? Nodding again he gave thumbs up.
"Let's head out" Rick called out.
As they started through Luis had four guys in plate mail with shoulder to ankle shields T and Brandon in full riot gear with riot shields took the first rank while bowmen took up right behind them.
They had been walking for less than five minutes before coming on a locked door after unlocking it they moved through into a pitch black hallway lined with open cells mostly decomposed bodies on the ground. Glad they had grabbed battery operated wall lights and duct tape every five feet a light was duck taped to the celling and turned on casting illumination on the horror show they walked through. As they passed a body a sword or bayonet pierced its skull just in case Philip grinned internally I taught them well he thinks before continuing on.
Turning a few more corners they came on their first group of walkers shields lined up and braced extra lights were taped to the celling and then the archers opened fire each arrow taking a walker down as the dead got closer they slammed into the shields but didn't move the people holding them. Now too close the archers slug their bows and drew swords and stabbed over the shield line until none were left standing.
Stopping for ten minutes to stack the dead along the walls to clear the walkway, they kept their cautious pace forward. They found another group just as large and dealt with them the same way smaller groups or single walkers were just archery targets or stabbing practice, but most importantly everyone stayed together.
Every corpse was checked for activity ensuring no life or undeath activity most were fully dead a few however seemed to be in a hibernating state and only awoke if messed with. With each kill the path was cleared. After an hour they found a door that was handcuffed but not by them. Using a crowbar they easily broke the chain and opened the doors to find the cafeteria.
Inside was quiet and dark. Some of the tables had been flipped and some empty shelving was set off in one corner out of the way. a noise from behind the caged food prep area made me curse turning we all pointed lights at five figures behind the cage.
