Rick could not remember how long they'd stood there in their tight embrace. He was sure it wasn't long, but it felt like time had stopped. At one point he sensed Judith's arm on his back get tighter, slightly pulling him closer. He loved it. He would have let her squeeze the air out of him and happily gasped for breath if that was what she needed to be reassured that her father was back, he was real. He needed that reassurance too. He felt Michonne's head lift up from his and looked up to find her beaming at him. He smiled back, and looked down to his right where a worn cowboy sheriff's hat was pressed against his chest. His hat once upon a time. Carl's hat. The warmth of the body underneath, hugging him, gave him goosebumps all over. It was a surreal experience.
"Ahem, ahem. Apologies for the interruption Sergeant Major Grimes, ma'am, but my team is on a tight schedule to make a return trip by 1600 hrs."
The huddle was broken as they all turned towards the man speaking, Lieutenant Colonel Camron Shaw. LTC Shaw was previously a veteran U.S. Army Staff Sergeant who served two tours in Iraq. His father and grandfather before him were both Marines. He came from a long line of stand-up men who put God, family and service to country above all else. He was back home in Philadelphia, after his second tour when the world went to shit. Never had he experienced anything more ungodly. He had been considering joining the Pennsylvania National Guard. His wife, Marisa, had just given birth to their second son and he wanted to be closer to home. When it finally dawned on him that the reports of the dead coming back to life were not a prank, when panic set in and the city began to burn, when they lost all communication and it became clear that no federal or international or supernatural force was coming to save them, Camron Shaw had to do something. The Philadelphia Police Department had pretty much abandoned the city, leaving people to their own devices. The National Guard was the only operation that was still standing. He therefore offered his service and they were glad to take him. This also meant that his family would be guaranteed transportation to the headquarters in Annville where they'd be safe. He had been a part of the Second Civil War between the National Guard under the command of Major General Johnathan Beale, and the U.S. Military who were bombing all major cities in an attempt to contain the spread. While MG Beale's strategies were unconventional, these were unprecedented times. A new world. Dead people were coming back to life for God's sake! Shaw was no stranger to the realities of war, the tough decisions that had to be made on the battlefield. He was just glad to have been able to help defend his home town and protect his family. When the Pennsylvania National Guard became the Civic Republic Military, he was happy to continue to serve.
Camron Shaw was one of the lucky ones, and he was reminded of that every time he interacted with a new consignee who had been 'out there'. His family was fed, safe and happy in the midst of an apocalypse. They were a living testament to the CRM's good works. "We are the last light of the world." he'd say. Camron Shaw was lucky but he was also observant. He noticed things. He noticed when his brother in arms, LTC Okafor would come back from secret assignments with a select group of sergeants covered in blood. He noticed when helicopters flew out of base at odd hours on special ops missions. He noticed when one of the sergeants within this select group wearing the red stripes - they called themselves Frontliners - seemed distraught after a mission. But he never questioned. He did not want his observations interfering with his luck. He was an army man after all. And one thing the army loves is duty. Duty first. Besides, there seemed to be plausible explanations for everything. Everyone knew of Okafor's sacrifice and it gave him a shield against scrutiny, even among his peers. MG Beale had saved an entire city from ruin, and in return he got unfettered reign over said city's military forces. It was also not unusual for there to be an elite division within a wider military for special ops missions. He did, however, always wonder why he was never invited to join the Frontliners. Shaw was a good soldier, a great lieutenant. He believed in the Civic Republic. He tried not to take it as a slight, a knock on his skills, but he always wondered. Now, as he stood in that open field, watching a man who had been offered a position in the Frontliners force clinging desperately to his children, he was glad to never have been chosen.
It took Rick and Michonne seven hours to make the trip back to base. Rick had flown that route multiple times over the past year and he knew where all the refueling depots were. The jump points were often unmanned but on occasion they crossed paths with other CRM soldiers who were on different missions or servicing the stop. He prayed that this would not be one of those occasions, and so far his prayers had been answered. On their last stop in Ohio, he paused. He thought about how easy it would be to just go, leave it all behind, run away with his bride back to their kids and put this all behind them. All it would take was a simple recalibration and a tilt of the yoke and they'd be back in Alexandria. But then her words rang in his ears,"What sort of world are we making for them if we walk away from something like this?"
"We are almost home." Michonne whispered as she leaned across the cockpit to lovingly cup his face.
"We are." he exhaled, allowing her aura to wash over him and give him the strength to see this through. He had forgotten what this felt like, to be supported, to be loved, to know that he was not alone. But he was slowly getting reacquainted with that feeling, with the old Rick, her Rick. And so they set off on the last leg of their trip believing their sacrifices would make the world better.
LTC Shaw was in his office late that night. It had been busier than usual for him since the entire Frontliner force and some CRM top leadership had been away. The rumor was that there was a secret summit at an undisclosed location. But that was none of his business, so he focused on his tasks at base. He was about to turn in when a younger sergeant knocked on his door.
"Sir, Sergeant Major Grimes and a Consignee Bethune just flew in. They claim they were on the west coast with the Frontliners and…and they'd like to talk to you."
"Okay. Are the Frontliners back as well?"
"That's what they want to speak to you about, Sir." the young sergeant answered hesitantly.
With a quizzical look he indicated to him to let them in. Why was a Sergeant Major with a Consignee? How did a Consignee get to join a Frontliners mission that even he wasn't purview to? When they walked in he was even more puzzled to see the Consignee in a Frontliner's uniform.
"Lieutenant Colonel Shaw." Rick greeted in a military salute. "This is Consi…this is my wife, Michonne. But within the CRM records she's Consignee Dana Bethune. We are here to inform you, inform the CRM and the CR of a conspiracy we uncovered within this military. We request that you call for an emergency meeting of the Civic Republic Council and the remaining leadership of the Civic Republic Military to hear what we have to say."
Small things like the salute still gnawed at Michonne. It made her wonder if they'd ever be able to fully put this nightmare behind them or if the CRM would be a permanent fixture in their lives. She was not naive enough to think that years of conditioning and fear dissipated over night. She understood that Rick still had a long way to go, that he was trying. But she struggled to accept the fact that he would never really be the same Rick, not entirely. His love persisted. His devotion to her and their family, even at his own expense, remained. But this place had left its mark, both as physical scars he'd always wear and psychological wounds that might never fully heal. Even being back here right now worried her. She was anxious to get this done and get him as far away from these people as possible. He was different. Just like she was different. But their love remained.
"What do you mean 'the remaining leadership of the Civic Republic Military', Sergeant?"
Rick glanced at Michonne, seeking her reassurance before he answered.
"The entire Frontliner force as well as MG Beale and other high ranking officers that were involved in said conspiracy are dead. We killed them. Now, I know you might be ready to kill us too but I assure you if you allow us to explain you will understand why."
A heavy silence settled in the room. Michonne, who was standing to Rick's right, looked cautiously between the two men. Her left hand slowly reached for a handgun she had tucked in her pants at the back, just in case, only to remember that they had been searched and relieved of all weapons before entering this room."Shit! I hope this man is as reasonable as Rick claims."she thought to herself as she held her breath. Rick knew LTC Shaw. They were not friends, Rick did not make friends at the CRM, but he knew him. They had worked together a few times over the years and he always struck Rick as a man of integrity. And LTC Shaw knew Rick. Of course he did, who didn't know about Rick. The sour Consignee turned Sergeant who walked around brooding in silence and even cut his hand off to get away. He had been the topic of all conversation at base after his 'accident'."Who would want to go back out there? Doesn't he know how lucky we are to be here? Is he mad? What even is there to go back to anyway?"MG Beale had instituted the "Security and secrecy above all" philosophy because the world was dangerous. People were dangerous. They had experienced that firsthand when they had to fight against their own government. They had no idea how many other militaries still existed out there, or whether they'd be friend or foe in these perilous times. Therefore, it was in their best interest to stay hidden. At least until they had more information about what was left in the world. That had been the philosophy they all lived by for over a decade. But one man? Surely, what damage could one man cause to a military of their size? If Rick wanted to leave, let him. At least that's what Camron thought to himself. But he never said anything. He never pushed his luck. So having Rick here in his office, having just confessed to a mass murder with his wife -he has a wife?- but instead of running away he still came back? Whatever he had to say must have been important. Camron hesitantly welcomed them both to take a seat, to Michonne's temporary relief. And they told him everything.
Appalled. That was the only way he could describe how he felt . LTC Shaw was consumed with guilt. He had been a part of this because deep down he always knew something was wrong. Something about the Frontliners and their secret missions never quite sat right with him. But he never tried to find out more, he never asked. And if he was being completely honest with himself, he knew why. He could not risk it. He couldn't risk bringing unwanted attention to him and his family. They were one of the lucky ones. He might not be the smartest man alive but he sure was no fool. He could read between the lines. And he knew that there would be consequences if he flew too close to the sun. So he chose to keep his head down and marched forward. Like a good soldier. In hindsight, maybe that's why Beale never chose him. Maybe he knew that Camron didn't have the stomach for the job. His pesky conscience would get in the way, and that same conscience was eating away at him now that he could no longer ignore the facts. But he was determined to make it right, or at least try. And that was why after days of conducting a deep investigation into the running of the CRM, the Frontliner force, raids of Beale's and other generals' offices and houses that yielded shocking revelations, newly instated Major General Camron Shaw insisted on personally escorting these two heroes home to their children.
As he stood in that field watching Sergeant Major Grimes teary eyed, holding on to his wife's hand, as he looked at the faces of two beautiful children clutching on to their parents, he felt that guilt creep up on him again."I'll make it right!"he said to himself.