The Darkest Storm

Their boots beat hard against the concrete. They follow along the white painted walls of arrows as their crucial guide. Darcy’s breath is hitched as the group runs through the chambers, pushing a metal cart with an unconscious Hershel on top. Her hands are soaked with his blood, almost as if it becomes her own flesh.

Darcy’s ears pick up Maggie’s constant whimpers. She tries to stay strong and focused, but in reality, she’s frantic with disbelieve. There is a large possibility of her father dying in her arms that very moment if they can’t reach their cellblock in time.

“Wait, wait, wait stop!” Rick hisses in a hoarse whisper.

The group comes to a sudden halt. They wait for their leader’s commands. He stands quiet as stone. Rick soon points back the way they came, and the group follows by pointing their flashlights down the forsaken hallways. They see the movements of the shadows – the five prisoners, survivors, are following them.

Some surprises in life are welcome; a secretly planned birthday party, and unexpected financial windfall, perhaps even the love of someone’s life confessing their undying feelings towards them, all will bring them a tiny burst of joy, a wave of delirium that can remind them that life and all its wonderful mysteries are always just around the corner.

Others however, say, discovering half a maggot in an apple, coming home to learn that the world has dove head first into an apocalypse, realizing that your Uncle has turned into an absolutely insane manipulative being – these types of surprises do not fill you with that unexpected joy, but rather a sense of tragic despair and, on occasion, perhaps even a mild nausea.

So it is perhaps best that no time is wasted detailing the extent of the stomach churning emotions and sensation of added horror Darcy felt when seeing unwelcomed guests following them back to their humble abode. It is enough to say that it gives an uncomfortable jolt in Darcy’s chest, and as she holds the rags against Hershel’s wound, her knuckles start to turn white from the pressure. Her feet unconsciously start to move in anxiousness.

Rick’s instincts also kick in, and he pushes the cart forward, “Go! Go! Go!”

In no time, Daryl has unlocked their cellblock door and leads the others inside. Rick doesn’t hesitate in pushing Hershel through and yelling for Carl to open the other door.

“He’s losing too much blood.” Maggie panics. Her eyes are bloodshot red, and her tears have made clear streaks down the sides of her face.

Carl fumbles with the locks but manages to get the door open. The group runs towards a cell, but a strong arm leads Darcy away and behind the gate again. Darcy doesn’t pay attention to whom, even though she knows it’s Daryl, because she cannot take her eyes off Hershel’s mangled frame as it is rolled away and the gate is locked with just her, T, and Daryl behind on the opposite side.

“Hey, hey.” Daryl whispers and holds her arms, facing her towards him. When she doesn’t pay attention, he then crouches down to get her focus. “Need ya to stay with me, a’ right? Those prisoners are comin’ through here and I need ya with me.”

Darcy’s heart was breaking for her friends – for her family. She wanted to go in there and fix it – fix everything and get them to a save haven – take away the pain and turmoil of living day to day.

But more than that, she wanted to harden her heart and the tear ducts of her eyes, throat and lungs, rip free from this never-ending misery, and hurl herself into space. Escape, fly somewhere, anywhere else and be gone. She wanted peace, quiet, safety, and the allowance of her mind and body to dream so.

Her nights might be filled with those dreams, but when she woke, she can only come face to face with trying to fight the never-ending corpses and death that forever surrounded her and her friends.

“Hershel –“

“Ain’t nothin’ we can do.” Daryl shakes his head. “We gotta protect the group.”

When she heard that, she became frustrated. Why did she have to live through the end times? What wrongs had she done to experience it? Never mind her, what about Hershel? The man who did so much for his family and this group throughout the worst times and was now lying on a stained prison bed bleeding to his death?

But then again, Darcy knew this was how she’d provide – her absolute role. She’d never thought herself as a protector of the group. In the back of her mind, she believes this was the exact reason why she has survived – to be a part of this group and do what she could to ensure their survival as well as her own. She supposes with Daryl especially, she was to be enduring and shatterproof.

The spark in her eyes is back. “Okay.” She nods.

Daryl gives a heavy nod back and cups her cheek with his right hand for only a second. He lets go of Darcy and walks towards the metal tables, nodding to T as he hides behind the staircase next to the open door. He throws the keys on the table and loads his bow to wait. Darcy stands with her concentration once again on the real threat coming through the opposite door.

They can hear the slow footsteps approaching, and it gives Darcy enough reason to stretch her bow as far back as it can. The sound it makes puts her back in her usual character, unphased and unbreakable.

She eyes the first prisoner as he hugs the wall walking in, Tomas, taking notice of the small pistol in his pants hem. The others follow cowardly behind him.

“That’s far enough.” Daryl mumbles over his bow, eyes locked on him. He is the only one who carries a gun.

“Cell block C. Cell four, that’s mine gringo. Let me in.” Tomas is cocky, waving his arms in a threatening manner towards Daryl. Darcy isn’t sure if they’ve caught sight of her yet. She stands closer to the locked door behind him.

“Today’s your lucky day fellas. You’ve been pardoned by the state of Georgia, you’re free to go.” Daryl retorts.

“What you got going on in there?” Tomas asks.

“Ain’t none of your concern.” Daryl’s voice is smooth.

The man reaches for his gun and waves it, “Don’t be tellin’ me what’s my concern.”

Daryl stands from his position and takes a few steps. He can hear the sudden movement of Darcy behind him, and sees the eyes of all the prisoners move to focus on her.

The man laughs, “Oh look here gentlemen. We got ourselves a real Katniss Everdeen.” He nods as his eyes roam over Darcy. Daryl looks behind at her and sees her eyes narrow at the man. “How you doin’ sweetheart?”

“Don’ even look at her.” Daryl growls, taking another threatening step. Tomas’ fingers tighten around the gun as his focus is back on him.

A larger man, “Big Tiny,” they called him, steps forward and speaks to the other, “Chill, man. Dude’s leg is messed up. Besides, we’re free now. Why are we still in here?”

“Man’s got a point.” Daryl spat back.

“Yeah, and I gotta check on my old lady.” Another prisoner, Oscar, sighed.

“A group of civilians breaking into a prison you got no business being in –“ Tomas shrugs, “Got me thinkin’ there ain’t no place for us to go.”

“Why don’ you go find out?” Daryl growls.

“Maybe we’ll just be going now.” Axel, a scrawny blonde with a cowboy’s mustache tries to scoot the group away.

‘Hey, we ain’t leaving.” Tomas showed his authority.

“You ain’t coming in either.” T-Dog comes out, gun raised and pointed from behind the staircase.

Tomas raises his gun right back. “Hey, this is my house, my rules. I go where I damn well please.”

“Go ahead and try.” Darcy grits her teeth and challenged the man, making it completely obvious where her bow was aimed – she would take him out in a heartbeat.

“That a threat sweetheart?” He narrowed his eyes.

“Take it as you want it, but you’re still not getting in here.” Her voice was calm, showing him she wasn’t afraid. She’s next to Daryl now, her anxiousness and adrenaline was at an all time high.

“We ain’t gonna tell you again.” Daryl’s voice starts to rise. “Getting’ sick and tired of your mouth.”

“Yeah gringo? Why don’t you come over here and shut it!” Tomas shouts.

Daryl steps forward and his pitch matches the man’s. “There ain’t nothin’ for ya here so why don’t you go back to your own sandbox –“

“Hey!” Rick opens the doors and holds his hands out to Daryl and Darcy who are clearly on edge. “Hey, everyone relax. There’s no need for this.”

“How many of you in there?” Tomas tries to lean his head around Rick to see.

Rick blocks his view, “Too many for you to handle.”

“You guys rob a bank or something? Why don’t you take him to a hospital?” Tomas asks.

There is hesitation. Darcy lowers her bow slightly and flickers a glance to Rick. “How long have you been locked in that cafeteria?” She asks.

Tomas looks at her and is lost in thought. Sincerely and quietly he answers. “Going on like 10 months.”

“A riot broke out.” Big Tiny spoke up. “Never seen anything like it.”

“Attica on speed, man.” Axel piped in.

“Ever heard about dudes going cannibal, dying, coming back to life?” Andrew, the smallest prisoner, said. “Crazy.”

“One guard looked out for us, locked us up in the cafeteria. Told us to sit tight, threw me this piece, said he’d be right back.” Tomas still had his gun aimed as he spoke.

“That was two-hundred, ninety-two days ago.” Oscar sighed. “We were thinking that the Army or the National Guard should be showing up any day now.”

“There is no Army.” Rick told them.

“What do you mean?”

“There’s no government, no hospitals, no police.” Rick told them. “It’s all gone. No phones, no computers. As far as we can see half the populations been wiped out. Probably more.”

The faces of the prisoners fell. Darcy lowers her bow completely. “You don’t know about any of it do you?” She asks, her voice soft. “The bombs? The evacuations?”

“Ain’t no way.” Tomas spat at them in defiance.

“See for yourself.” Daryl points to the door behind them, leading back out from where they first entered the prison.

The prisoners turned hesitantly, but soon disappeared into the tombs.

-

Darcy squinted at the bright sun as they stepped outside into the courtyard, but before she could get too far, a familiar hand wraps around hers.

“What’s wrong?” She asked quietly.

Daryl shook his head, “Don’ feel right. These guys…” He trails off.

She sighs, and looks out to Rick walking down the stairs. “So what do we do?”

“Stay close. Rick will give us a signal.” Daryl nods. He looks like he isn’t done by the way he stares at her.

“Anything else?” She asks, keeping his gaze steady.

“Just didn’t like the way he looked at ya. Like a piece of meat.” He adverted his gaze back outside.

“Any guy locked away for almost a year would.” She said, trying to make it okay and less uncomfortable somehow.

“Yeah.” Daryl nods and looks at his feet. “That’s what’s worryin’ me.”

Darcy watches his back as he finally walks outside. He was right. The lingering eyes of the prisoners may mean trouble for Darcy. She suddenly feels a weight placed on her shoulders to watch out for herself more than anything else at that moment.

Darcy carefully walks down the steps, noticing how many walkers they had previously killed just the previous morning. To the prisoners, that’s all they can see.

“Good Lord, they’re all dead.” Axel said.

Big Tiny holds a long metal pipe that Darcy leant to him. He prods at one of the bodies. “So what is this, like a disease?”

“Yeah, and we’re all infected.” Rick tells them.

“What you mean infected? Like, AIDS or something?” Axel crosses his arms.

“If I was to kill you – shoot an arrow in your chest. You’d come back as one of these things.” Daryl points. “It’s gonna happen to all of us.”

Unexpectantly, the two hunters flicker their eyes towards each other. They both couldn’t stop their minds from picturing that nightmare of the other. That’s the last thing on earth either one of them would see – the other a walker.

“Ain’t no way these Robin Hood cats responsible for killing all these freaks.” Tomas barks.

“Must be fifty bodies out here.” Andrew finishes.

Tomas walks towards Rick, “Where’d you come from?”

“Atlanta.” He replies.

“Where you headed?” Tomas asks.

Rick and the others are suddenly on guard. “For now, nowhere.”

Tomas nods nonchalantly and starts looking around. Darcy knows this is headed into trouble. “I guess you can take that area down there near the water. Should be comfortable.”

“We’re using those fields for crops.” Rick points his blade and says matter-of-factly.

“We’ll help you move your gear out.” Tomas prods him.

“That won’t be necessary.” Rick shakes his head. “We took these walkers. This prison is ours.”

“Slow down, cowboy.” Tomas waves his hand.

“You snatched the locks off our doors.” Andrew steps forward.

“We’ll give you new locks, if that’s how you want it.” Rick’s voice is sarcastic with them.

“This is our prison.” Tomas raises his arms and looks over at Darcy and Daryl. “We were here first.”

“Locked in a broom closet?” Rick laughs. “We took it, set you free. It’s ours. We spilled blood.”

“We’re moving back into our cell block.” Tomas tells Rick.

“You’ll have to get your own.” Rick shrugs.

“It is mine.” Tomas pulls out his gun and waves it frantically, “I still got personal artifacts in there! That’s about as mine as it gets-“

Daryl and Darcy with T jump forward with weapons raised. Tomas laughs in her face. “Getting’ real tired of you pointin’ that thing at me, princess.”

“Then stop giving me a reason too, darlin’.” She gritted her teeth.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” The prisoners’ step in front of Rick and Tomas. Oscar puts a hesitant hand out to Darcy to lower her bow. “Everybody just calm down.”

“Maybe let’s try to make this work out so everybody wins.” Axel gives a weak suggestive smile.

“I don’t see that happening.” Tomas diverted his wicked stare off of Darcy and back to Rick.

“Neither do I.” He shakes his head.

“I ain’t going back in that cafeteria for one more minute.” Tomas tells them.

“There are other cell blocks.” Axel reminds Tomas.

“You could leave.” Daryl spat, he now stands closer to Darcy. “Try your luck out on the road.”

Darcy can see Tomas weighing out his options, but he doesn’t have many. He pulls back, feeling helpless and looks around the courtyard. “If these four pussies can do all this,” He motions, “least we can do is take out another cell block.”

“With what?” Big Tiny asks.

“Atlanta here will spot us some real weapons. Won’t you boss?” Tomas looks to Rick expectantly.

Rick now goes over his own options. His face suddenly perks up. “How stocked is that cafeteria?”

-

Darcy follows Rick and T-Dog back into their cellblock, carrying a few pounds of breadcrumbs and a box full of canned green beans. She bites her lip to hide her smile. They are going to have a good, decent meal for the first time since the start of this all.

Half of the cafeteria for a cellblock. That was the deal Rick made with Tomas. Daryl was right though; there was something that didn’t sit right about him and Andrew. She wasn’t so sure how long the two cut off cellblocks would really last knowing how threatening they actually were.

Darcy sets down the food next to T as Rick checked on Hershel. He was still asleep and the bleeding had stopped, but his pulse was way to low for anything to happen anytime soon. It was only a pipe dream in her eyes, but she tried to stay positive.

She started to make her way out to Daryl again when Rick stopped her. “I don’t think you should be going in there with us.” His voice was calm, soothing. He held out a hand to her to keep her steady.

“Because of the prisoners.” She said, rather than asked.

“Something just doesn’t –“

“Sit right.” She finished for him and crossed her arms. “Daryl said the same.”

“I can’t say for sure. It’s just – it’s just more dangerous for you, for Maggie, Carol, anyone else if something happens and I can’t take the chance.”

Darcy sighed and looked down the hallway of their cellblock. She sees Daryl standing near the door casually looking at the two. She turns back to Rick.

“Did Daryl tell you to say all this?” She asks. Rick sighs and holds up a hand. He can’t look at her so he knows the answer already.

“It’s my choice, my call.”

“Oh, I’m not questioning your authority.” Darcy slyly rolls her eyes. “But you need the man power.”

Rick tries to come up with another excuse. “We have enough people.”

“Who? You, Daryl, and T?” She shakes her head. “Five against three and you’re giving those five weapons. They can all turn on you at any second whether you have that pistol in your hand or not.”

Rick stays quiet and looks to the floor. Darcy waits for any word from him, but when he doesn’t say anything, she sighs. “I’ve been by your side through everything. There were things way worse than this and I’ve proved myself time and time again. I can do this, Rick.”

Rick sighs and puts his hands on his hips defeatedly. He gives a sideways glance at Daryl and shakes his head at the pacing countryman. “Alright.”

“But you stay in the back the entire time, no exceptions.” Rick crouches down to eye level to make his point. “I need to make sure they don’t even have the chance of going after you.”

“Understood.”

-

Deep inside the heart of the prison, were more and more maze-like halls. They all looked the same; small and narrow, blood splatters lining the inside further down into the darkness. Cracks and uneven grooves broke the cement walls, and the dead-end gates and doorways they came across swung limply by their hinges, dangling just so they were hanging on by a thread.

“Back to square one.” Darcy sighs into the stranded dusky tombs. The large group walks slowly, tiptoeing around the corners. Their footsteps were faint and light, moving flawlessly through the un-entered passages.

Daryl gives her a sideways glance and scowls. “You shouldn’t even be here.” He raises the flashlight out in front of him and peeks around a corner before moving quietly along.

“What happened to ‘we need to protect the group’?” Darcy furrows her brow and stops as he raises his hand to signal. Waiting for a moment, she sees him point and they leap around the next corner, weapons raised.

Seeing nothing, they continued forward. Daryl was being so frustrating. It reminded Darcy of their old relationship, how he would go back and forth with what he really meant to show her that he cared.

Daryl looks back to her with a serious face. “You’re part of that group ain’t ya?” He focuses up ahead again. “Sometimes you need to look out for yourself first.”

“There’s nothing to look out for.” She grows impatient. “As far as I can see, we are all in a tight spot with these prisoners.”

“Don’ want to take the chance, though.” He continues to walk forward. “Somethin’ ain’t right with the way he’s treatin’ you. It’s sick.”

“He’s trying to be intimidating.” She scoffs and rolls back her left shoulder. “Believe me it’s not working.”

“Well, for me it is.” Daryl mumbles. He then puts his arm out to stop her. She stumbles into him, and he wears a serious stare. “If he lays a hand on you, I’ll kill ‘im.”

Darcy sees the stone-face veneer he wears. Her heart rises to her throat in realization. It was as if the world had gone all topsy-turvy for her just for a second and it had left her bereft of her bearings. She can only nod slowly in understanding before he moves onward.

A whistle catches the group’s attention and it’s Rick in the rear motioning for Darcy. She hugs her back up against the wall to leave Daryl to lead while the others pass her. She meets up with Rick and he gives her a solid nod, but she is eyeing the back of Daryl’s head like a hawk.

“Man it’s too damn dark in here.” Oscar whispers.

Daryl motions to his flashlight. “Gotta hold it up high, out in front of ya. You’re gonna hear ‘em before you see ‘em.”

“It’s coming!” Axel practically shouts to the group, causing his stuttering voice to bounce and echo off the walls. It was a disconcerting feeling, being so used to sneaking around but then so completely off guard and Darcy didn’t like it one bit. The tiny hairs on the back of her neck stood up and she wanted to get as low to the ground as possible to hide herself in the shadows.

“SHHH!!” Rick hisses from behind him.

Axel stares back at him, completely abashed, fingers inching around the metal pipe he had jammed unceremoniously through his belt loops. He shrunk back into his shoulders and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Darcy sees Daryl stop and hold up his hand, signaling to the group once more. Shadows up ahead had come lumbering back into their midst’s again, snapping jaws at the ready.

The trouble with newcomers was that even after thoroughly explaining the seriousness of keeping to the plan of attack, they proved to be oddly incapable of understanding and administering the tricks of the trade. But alas, even though they all rushed forward ignoring the countdown of Daryl’s blood stained fingers, the prisoners did the deed and now stood dry heaving at the amount of energy needed to take just three walkers out.

Bewildered while standing a good few feet away from the prisoners slightly disturbed, and quite annoyed, Rick shook his head in bemused motion and gave the other three concerned frowns.

Christ, this was going to be unbearable and the worst part about it was that each of them knew there was simply nothing to be done – the prisoners where going to handle each walker their own way which proved to be the only way they knew how.

Darcy arched an eyebrow and shook her head with a sigh letting the room fall back into silence, ruined only by the high pitched wincing of Axel’s breathing piercing the prison walls.

Rick frowned. Maybe this wasn’t a safe route to go down but, then again, he didn’t really care for any of the prisoner’s safety. He balances himself on his feet before taking lead again and not saying a word about the sudden rampage. He didn’t agree, but he carried on nonetheless.

The loud outburst must’ve caught the undying attention of the surrounding walkers throughout the tombs because a few more were just around the corner waiting for them.

“It’s gotta be the brain.” Daryl said, quite annoyed as he fires an arrow through the walker’s thick skull. “Not the stomach, not the heart. The brain.”

Axel is crouched low beside Daryl, his voice is still staggering but he nods in understanding. “I hear ya. The brain.”

The group stayed quiet and mulled it over while dancing on their toes ready to attack. They stayed close now, highly regretting their overly excited actions before and waited for someone to make the first advance on the next oncoming walker.

Darcy rolled her eyes as she felt slightly pushed backwards. After listening to the few grown men pathetically hyperventilate and complaining for the past half an hour she had now concluded that maybe she should have stayed back just to keep a peace of mind. She raises her bow in a half second and takes down the walker.

“Damn.” Axel muttered, turning his head as best he could to stare at her with widely impressed eyes while at the same time trying to pay attention to his possible impending doom.

Oscar then leaped forward and swung hard, hitting the top of a walker’s head and watched it fall to a crumpled heap to the floor. “Like that?” He asked, jumping up and down on his feet.

“Stay in tight formation.” Rick commanded sternly, staring at the hyped up men around him and showing no sign of being impressed. “No more prison riot crap.”

There was a kind of excitement emitting from the group, most likely from all the adrenaline. It was especially so when the prisoners as they took out every walker one by one with such ease and what seemed to be professionalism. But all that soon faded when the last fell, and a screeching cry wailed out from down the hall.

Big Tiny had grown fearful, crouching back into the darkness and leaving himself unprepared and completely unaware as to wait awaited him around the corner. Two walkers had come up behind him, attacked him in silent hunger, and he now stood holding bloodied dripped fingers as the core four stood in horror and yet acceptance that another was going to die.

“I’m telling you, I don’t feel anything. It’s just a scratch.” Big Tiny was calm. Darcy had expected him to be; after all, they had just learned a sliver of what was going on out there. Rick’s features said it all, though.

“I’m sorry, man.” Rick rubs his face and heavily drops his arm to his side.

“I can keep fighting!”

“You cut that old guy’s leg off to save his life.” Andrew waved his hands towards Big Tiny.

“Yeah, but look at where the bite is.” Rick argued. He was right, the bite was right between his shoulder and neck. There was no clear-cut way of removing the infection.

Feeling that no one was listening, Tiny starts to panic. “Guys I’m fine! Look at me; I’m not changing into one of those things.”

“Look, man, there has to be something we can do.” Darcy admired Oscar for his unpretentiousness. “We could just lock him up.”

“Quarantine him!” Axel jumped.

“There’s nothing we can do.” Rick looked to Andrew – eyes faint and unscathed.

No one else could object in time. Tomas had taken it upon himself to step forward, knocking Tiny over the head with his pic-axe defenselessly. He fell to the ground as Tomas leaned over him and continued to hack into his inmate’s skull repeatedly. He did so until there were only particles of bone, brain, and blood splattered among the flooring.

When he glanced up, also covered in the crimson red liquid, Darcy was the only one who had her weapon readied and aimed. Everyone else stood in shock and quite frankly, bewilderment of what to do.

But Darcy, her body was tense and her breathing was sharp as she anticipated any sudden movements he might try. Her frustration and anger that was built up all day had finally reached its peak and she would not simply stand and watch like the others.

There are only certain men who could withstand to put those actions and shut off those switches in their mind to kill, and she ran from one of them a long time ago.

Tomas smirked and shrugged his shoulders to taunt her, “I told you already princess; I’m getting sick of you pointing that thing at me.”

Darcy felt herself gripping her bow even tighter and glared at him in irritation and narrowed her eyes to slits. He simply carried on smirking right at her threateningly, taking teasingly slow steps towards her. When she didn’t budge or show any signs of intimidation, he stepped backwards and looked at her with disgust.

Then it took a turn for the worst and all happened in a manner of seconds.

Tomas swiped the bow away from his chest and grabbed her wrists to wrench her towards him forcefully. He rushed forwards and slammed her back up against the wall behind her with such exertion she was sure she’d bruise. He pushed himself up against her and brought his arm up and laid it across her neck with pressure.

She was forced to look at him, to take in his strength he had over her. But once again, she would not let him show it. As she wriggled herself to ease his grasp she glared, hesitating before spitting in his face just before he was tugged away.

Darcy dropped to her knees and coughed. She rubbed at her neck, already showing signs of soreness and bruising. Her arm was immediately lifted and put around T-Dog’s shoulders before he tugged her to her feet. She felt weak, but only as if she needed to catch her breath. Besides that, there was neither harm nor damage.

When she looked up, Daryl had grabbed Tomas by the shoulders, smacking his back against the concrete wall with a sickening crack before snatching a handful of hair and jolting his head backwards. Tomas yelled out and slumped to the floor in a daze, a smear of blood remained on the wall and matted in his dark hair.

“Get up!!” Daryl shouted, raising his fist in the air to deliver another lethal blow.

“Daryl, no!” Rick pulled him back, pushing his chest and pointing at Darcy to make him go care to her. His shoulders and chest panted heavily as he caught his breath, staring back at her with protective eyes, like a guard dog willing to put it’s own life on the line to save its owner.

Rick had his gun pointed directly at the foe’s head once things started to calm down. “You will not touch her again. You hear me? Any of us.” Rick stepped into him with an ultimatum. “You so much as look at her the wrong way, I will kill you. Understand?”

“She needed a lesson and I gave it to her.” Tomas spat.

Daryl lurched forward, “I’m gonna stomp your ass you son of a bitch!”

T-Dog then rushes forward, pulling Daryl’s arms back and holding him unable to move very far.

Rick turns back to the prisoners. “We clear this next doorway to your cellblock, and you are on your own.” He sneered. “Move.”

When they reached a rather organized laundry room, there is a sense of relief that it’s finally the last step towards getting rid of the prisoners once and for all. Daryl tosses the keys on the floor with a scowl and way more force than necessary. If he got the chance to take Tomas out, he wouldn’t hesitate. They slide to Tomas’ feet and he looks from them to Rick in a panicked motion.

“I ain’t opening that.”

“Yes you are.” Rick commanded. “If you want this cell block, you’re gonna open that door. Just the one, not both of them. Because we need to control this.”

Tomas doesn’t argue anymore. He steps forward, placing the key in the lock and tries to pull one door open but it’s caught. He tugs a few more times, giving Andrew and only Andrew who is beside him a look to which he nods. Thankfully, Rick sees this and takes a few steps back.

Just as he reads, Tomas pulls both doors open and a wave of walkers jump through. The group continues to fight until the last walker falls, but Darcy has just noticed that Rick is on the ground fending off one on top of him. She jumps over, stabbing the walker and pulls Rick up who gives an appreciative nod.

Rick stands, face to face with Tomas once again. He shrugs, “It was coming at me bro.”

Rick nods and gives an unenthusiastic laugh. “Yeah. I get it. Shit happens.”

Darcy is behind the two, facing outwards towards the newly opened door, but she can see their expressions clearly. Rick’s jaw clenches tightly, and the bones of his mouth grind together. Across him, Tomas’s eyes widen and his chest rises up and down heavily.

They wait for the other to make a move, but Darcy doesn’t. With ease and the most peace she’s ever had, she raises her bow and fires an arrow into Tomas’s temple. She watches his body crumble to the floor and all eyes are on her. She leans on one foot, lookin up to Daryl first. She receives an approving nod. Then to Rick, who seems to give a nod of thanks above all. It was as if he was tired of dragging things out on his own.

Andrew suddenly leaped forward and charged at Rick with his small bat. Rick easily kicks him down while T and Daryl put their weapons on Axel and Oscar. No one is taking any chances now.

Andrew makes a break for it, knowing he has no chance of surviving now. Rick sprints after him, motioning for Darcy. “Darcy, on me!” He shouts.

She quickly follows, keeping up with Rick but it is hard to see where Andrew is fleeing throughout the darkness. They come to a boiler room and Rick stops, he is unsure where Andrew has gone but Darcy moves past him.

“This way!” She yells. Darcy climbs up the stairs and suddenly feels a breeze of fresh air. She runs, seeing Andrew make his way outside through a gate but she stops so abruptly at the sight of walkers surrounding the small courtyard that she slides to her rear, grasping with her left hand the metal bar of the door.

A hand clamps her collar and she is dragged back inside with the door sliding closed in front of her. Andrew tries to run back, but he’s locked out.

Rick looks towards him with the most calm expression, taking in the fear and regret of the prisoner’s eyes before he truly understand that he is soon going to die.

“You’d better run.”