From the Shadows

“Okay, here's the plan. We open up ONE door, understood? It will prevent them from coming in too quickly.” Rick aimed his words at Tomas. The person holding the door would be dangerously close to any incoming walker, so Rick didn't want to sacrifice members of his own group. The downside was Tomas was shifty and couldn't be trusted. Tomas stood by the door and on the count of three, swung both doors wide open.

“God damnit!” Rick and Teagan swore at the same time. Walkers poured into the room. Rick and Teagan were barely holding them off. Tomas got too close to a walker, and Tomas shoved the walker on to Rick. Startled, Rick dropped his gun and the walker hovered over him.

“Shit!” Teagan still had to kill the incoming walkers, so she awkwardly kicked the walker on top of Rick off of him, to give him some time to kill it himself. In the chaos, Tomas had stolen Rick's gun. Rick had just enough space and time to reach for a knife in his pocket to kill the walker that was shoved onto him. Walkers stopped entering the small room, so Teagan ran to close it again. She wiped sweat from her forehead and saw Rick standing up. Tomas had Rick's own gun aimed at him.

“Sorry 'bout that man. You know how it is.” Tomas turned the safety off. “Aim for the head, right?”

Before Tomas could even think about pulling the trigger, Teagan threw her knife at the back of Tomas' head and killed him. Glad I still got it. Tomas' eyes rolled into the back of his head. He dropped the gun and slumped to the floor. Andrew screamed and ran at Teagan. He was hysterical and flailing his arms. She shoved him to the ground with little force. Andrew scurried along the floor and pawed at the door. He finally got it open and ran. What the hell is the matter with that guy? Teagan went to secure the door again and Rick went to grab his gun.

“Thanks for that.” Rick and Teagan were both breathing heavily.

“No problem. Fucking sleaze was a danger from the start.” As she went to grab her knife from the back of Tomas' skull, Daryl burst into the room, followed by Axel and Oscar.

“Heard screamin. The hell happened?” He saw motionless walkers, and Tomas with a gaping gash in the back of his head. Oscar and Axel stared at Rick and Teagan, shocked.

Teagan wiped her blade on a bandana. “I'm sorry about your friend. He aimed a gun and intended to kill us. I couldn't let that happen.” She looked dead into their eyes. She felt bad they had to see him dead, but did not feel bad for killing him. Anyone who talks to her like that or threatens her friends ends up dead. No questions asked.

Axel nodded. “I-I know. What he did to Big Tiny... he was our friend.”

Oscar's deep voices boomed into the conversation. “Tomas ain't our friend. If you hadn't done it, one of us would have.” There was a silence, filled with mutual respect. “Where's Andrew?”

“Don't know. He panicked and ran off somewhere.” Teagan used her knife in hand to point towards the door. She bit her lip and shook her head. She honestly had no idea where her disappeared to.

Rick devised yet another plan, and decided to head back where they came. They'd deal with Axel and Oscar once they were safe inside the cell block.

“Wait, what about Glenn, Maggie and Andrea? We lost them awhile ago. They could still be in here somewhere.” Teagan couldn't fathom leaving people behind. Even as her exhaustion was clearly plastered all over her face, she felt she needed to keep fighting.

“We can't risk it. They could already be back at the cell block. This place is a maze; and we have no map. We could get cornered again, and not be able to fight our way out.” Rick's eyes were shiny and guilty. He'd left members of the group behind before; he was looking at his last abandonment, Teagan, in the eyes.

Teagan sighed and crossed her arms. If they aren't in the cell block, I'm going back after them. The five of them made it back to the cell block with relatively no problems; they only had to kill a few walkers. When they returned, the people inside looked relieved, but only for a moment. Their faces went blank. Most of the returning members were splattered in blood. Unfamiliar faces, and missing familiar ones.

“Who are these people?

“Is everyone okay?”

“Where's Glenn, Maggie and Andrea?” Oh no.

Oscar and Axel introduced themselves, and everyone showed their lack of serious injuries. Bites that were unaccounted for were a serious threat and fear. No one had a good answer for the missing three.

Rick started to speak with a shaky voice. “We got split up. We ran into Oscar and Axel when trying to find cover.” Completely left out Tomas, Andrew and Big Tiny... probably for the best. Everyone's faces dropped, not knowing what to do next.

“Should we go look for them? Do you think they're...” Beth's soft voice permeated the humid air. She was worried about her sister, Glenn, and Andrea. Her family had lost so many already.

Out of nowhere, Teagan spoke in a somewhat loud and confident voice. “I'll go look for them.” She crossed her arms and kept her stance strong and steady. Some members of the group gasped.

“Can't let you do that.” Rick put his hands on his hips. His lips trembled when he spoke.

“And why the hell not? They are still in there, you know.”

“It's not safe. We barely made it out this time. We can't just-”

“Look, okay? I'm not going to leave them behind. They could be waiting for us. They deserve a chance.” Teagan's voice was sour. She hadn't intended to guilt Rick for having left her months prior, but she did. He retreated away from her. She felt guilty for standing against his leadership, but she couldn't stomach leaving them to traverse or rot in the prison's labyrinth. Everyone was shocked by her statement. She knew it was dangerous to go back, but they couldn't be far, right? She went to get a drink of water before heading out. She was stopped by Daryl.

“Can't let ya do tha'.” He put a hand on her shoulder and looked directly into her eyes.

“I'm not going to argue this again. I'm going in there to find them.” She tried to push off his hand.

He sighed. “Fine.” He let go of her shoulder and readjusted his crossbow.

“What are you doing?”

“Think I'mma let ya go in there alone?” He scoffed.

“Wait, what?” Teagan understood his offer, but didn't understand why.

“Too dangerous ta go alone. Two weapons 'r' better than one anyway.”

“Daryl, you don't have to-”

“No. Don't be doin' tha' shit.” He pointed two fingers too close to her face. His own face was serious. “Ya keep risking yer life. Don't gotta do it alone all the time.” His voice was soft but scratchy. She knew it was hard for him to say, so she stopped arguing. The two got ready to leave and said their departures.

“Stop saying 'goodbye'. We'll be back.” Teagan tried to lighten the mood and give people some security on their safety. “We'll be back, and with the three of them.”

“Please be safe. And thank you.” Hershel put his hands on Teagan's shoulders. She nodded.

“She'll be back before you know it.” They traded smiles, and Daryl and Teagan entered the labyrinth once more.

They followed their original path until about where they remembered getting split up.

“Think it was right here we lost 'em.” The place was dark, but Daryl had a fairly good memory.

“We headed this way.” Teagan pointed. “I don't know exactly where they headed, though. Maybe that way?” She pointed in the opposite direction. Daryl shrugged and nodded. They were in the corridors for quite awhile, when a deafening alarm blared.

“What the hell?” Teagan couldn't hear a word Daryl said. They tried to cover their ears and head back when walkers slowly poured into the corridor where they stood. Lights similar to a strobe light flashed, robbing them of their night vision and making it difficult to see, fight, and kill walkers. Daryl was cornered, and instinctively ran in the opposite direction, but walkers followed. For every walker he killed, one or two more seemed to pop up. He panicked and found a side room to hole up in to catch his breath. He heard a noise and lifted his crossbow, aiming at a familiar face.

“Daryl?” It was still hard to hear voices, but the room acted as a slight insulator for the horrendous noise. Whoever was speaking had to half-yell to be heard.

“Who in the hell...?”