Chapter 24 - Killer Within

"Alright, let's get the other car in. Park them in the west entry of the yard." Rick instructs as Carol reverses the pick-up truck back.

"Good, with them parked out there we look like a giant vacancy sign." Daryl says.

"We also need to load up these corpses and burn them." Rick says.

"It's gonna be a long day." T-Dog murmurs from beside me and I nod my head, my arms folded over my chest.

"Where's Glenn and Maggie? We could use some help." Carol says as she joins us.

"They're up in the guard tower." I say, nodding over to the building.

"Guard tower? They were just up there last night." Rick says.

"Glenn! Maggie!" Daryl yells out.

I look up towards the tower and see the door open, Glenn stepping out without a shirt on and doing up his pants, "Hey! What's up guys?!" He calls down.

We all chuckle and I stifle a smirk as Daryl looks up at them, "You coming?"

I let out a chuckle as he repeats the innuendo, "You coming?"

I laugh and turn my head to the cars as I hear him call out again, "Come on, we could use a hand."

"Yeah, we'll be right down!" He calls back.

Daryl catches up beside me and I shake my head at him, him smirking back at me when I hear T-Dog from behind us, "Hey Rick."

We all turn and see two remaining prisoners, Axel and Oscar walk out and stand at the fence. Rick's smile drops as he walks forward, "Come with me."

We follow after him as we make our way towards the prisoners, who walk towards us, "That's close enough." Rick says, coming to a stop, "We had an agreement."

"Please Mister, we know that. We made a deal," Axel says and I see the door to the guard tower opening, Glenn and Maggie walking out, "But you gotta understand, we can't live in that place another minute. You follow me? All the bodies, people we knew. Blood, brains everywhere. There's ghosts!" He says.

"Why don't you move the bodies out?" Daryl asks.

"You should be burning them." T-Dog states.

"We tried, we did!" Axel says and Oscar continues, "The fence is down the far side of the prison. Every time we drag a body out, those things line up. Dropping the bodies and just running back inside."

"Look, we had nothing to do with Tomas and Andrew. Nothing!" Axel says, stepping towards us, "You're trying to prove a point, you've proved it bro. We'll do whatever it takes to be part of your group. Just please, please don't make us live in that place." He begs.

"Our deal is non-negotiable. You either live in your cellblock, or you leave." Rick says.

Oscar turns to his friend, "I told you this was a waste of time. They ain't no different from the pricks that shot up our boys." He says before turning to us, "You know how many friends corpses we had to drag out this week? Just threw them out like... These were good guys. Good guys that had our backs against the really bad dudes of the joint like Tomas and Andrew."

He turns and looks specifically at Rick, "Now we've all made mistakes to get in here chief, and I'm not gonna pretend to be a saint. But believe me, we've paid our due. Enough that we would rather hit that road, then to go back into that shit hole."

Rick turns and looks back at Daryl who shakes his head and he looks back towards the prisoners, "Put them in there for now." He says, pointing to where the Tucson and Daryl's bike are parked. We lead them over there and Daryl locks them in while the rest of us stand by the bus and discuss what to do.

"I think we should give them a chance, they don't seem like bad guys." T-Dog states.

"Are you serious, you want them living in a cell next to you? They'll just be waiting for a chance to grab our weapons. Do you wanna go back to sleeping with one eye open?" Rick asks, looking towards the man.

"I never stopped." He states, "Bring them into the fold. Look if we send them off packing, we may as well execute them ourselves."

"I don't know, Axel seems a little unstable." Glenn says, taking a step forward

"After everything thing we've been through. We fought so hard for this, what if they decide to take it?" Carol asks from her spot.

"It's just been us for so long. They're strangers, it feels weird all of a sudden having other people around." Maggie says.

"You brought us in." T-Dog says and Maggie tilts her head to the side, "Yeah but you turned up with a shot boy in your arms. Didn't give us a choice."

"They can't even kill walkers." Glenn adds.

"They're convicts, bottom line." Carol says.

I run my fingers through my hands and look towards them all, "Those two might actually have less blood on their hands then we do. I'm with T, I don't really think they're a threat."

"I get guys like this, he'll I grew up with them. They're degenerates but they ain't psychos. I could have been in there with them just as easily as I'm out here with you guys." Daryl adds.

"So you're with me?" T-Dog asks and Daryl shakes his head, "Hell no. Let the, take their chances out on the road just like we did."

"What I'm saying Daryl-" He begins put Rick cuts him off, "As a rookie I arrested this kid. Nineteen years old, wanted for stabbing his girlfriend. Kid, loved him like a baby burning the interrogation, during the trial, suckered the jury. He was acquitted due to insufficient evidence and then two weeks later he shot another girl. We've been through too much, our deal with them stands." He says, before turning and walking away, the others following after him.

I turn to T-Dog who looks away sadly and I reach over and place my hand on his shoulder, giving it a friendly squeeze. He looks to me and I give him a tight smile and a nod before I turn and make my way after the others.

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"Move the cars to the upper yard." Rick instructs as Daryl tosses Glenn the keys, "Point them facing out, they'll be out of the way but be ready to go if we ever needed to bail." He says and Glenn runs off.

"Go get the prisoners a weeks worth of supplies for the road." Rick says as I walk forward beside Daryl.

I walk forward to one of the cars and climb into the passenger's seat as Carol drives the car forward. The pick up drives forward first and Daryl rides the bike up behind us. We park the cars where Rick told us to and we get out. Rick and Glenn car up behind us and he turns to Glenn, "You go get the supplies. Then you, Daryl and I will go and get some more firewood. You three, get the last car and drive it up and finish sheeting things up here."

We all nod and head off our separate ways. Carol and I walk down to the last car in the field and we drive it up to park with the others. I jump out as Carol drives through and I shut the gate, locking the padlock behind it. I walk over towards the Tucson as T-Dog and Carol park the other cars the way Rick instructs. I turn on the car and refers it into the position Rick asks before parking and turning it off.

I get out of the car and see the door to the cell block open. I smile at the sight before me, Hershel walking on crutches with Beth and Carl behind him, Lori at the front preventing him from falling. I shake my head as we all look at him, the others getting out of the cars.

"Alright Hershel!" I hear Glenn cheer from down the bottom and I glance back with a smile.

I smile and walk over towards T-Dog as Maggie and Carol walk towards Herhsel. I glance back behind Hershel as I walk over to him, "Nothing can keep him down, can it?" I ask and he chuckles shaking his head, "Nah."

"Walkers!"

I turn around and see walkers spilling out from the locked courtyard. I pull out my gun and T-Dog and I rush forward. The walkers growls drain out Rick's yelling as we begin to shoot, taking them down. My heart pounds in my chest as I shoot, T-Dog stopped beside me.

"That gate is open!" He says and I turn to him, "We gotta lock it." I say as I shoot.

"Let's go!" I say, rushing forward as I shoot.

We continue to take them down as T-Dog rushes forward to lock it as I take them down. Three come towards me and suddenly my bullets run out. I hiss and throw the gun away when I suddenly hear screaming. I turn and see a walker bite into T-Dog's shoulder and I scream out.

"Come on, hurry!" I yell, pushing open the door leading into the prison.

He rushes over and I push him through as walkers comes after us. I quickly shut the door behind us and we rush through, the hallways dark. All of a sudden an alarm begins to go off and I look around, "What the hell is that?!"

"I don't know but we have to keep going!" He yells, leading me forward.

We run down the halls, taking the different turns and he calls back to me, "There's a set of double doors that will lead to a corridor. It'll get you back to our cell block." He says, gripping at his shoulder.

I take off my jacket and hand it to him to hold down on his wound, "You should stop!" I yell.

"Why? Sit here and wait to die? Nuh-uh." He says, pushing forward as he pushes my jacket down.

"I'll do what I have to T, you're not becoming one of those things." I say, keeping my eyes out for walkers with the knife Daryl gave me so long ago in my hands.

"I can't ask you to do that." He says and I look at him, "It's the pact remember."

"This is God's plan, He'll take care of me. He always has, He's gonna help me lead you out of these tombs. Come on!" He says, leading me further down the halls as the sirens sound around us.

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T-Dog has his arm wrapped around my shoulders with the other holding my hoodie to his head. We walk through the flashing lights of the tunnel, the alarm still blaring. We turn a corner and I see walkers come around the corner, their groans louder then the alarm.

"We have to go back." I say, stepping back and dragging him with me.

"No!" He says, pushing away from me and running at the walkers.

"No!" I scream as I watch him and he pauses them back against the wall, "Go!" He yells.

Tears stream down my face as I rush forward towards the door leading into the other side. I turn and look back at him, "Go Bree! Go!" He screams as the walkers begin to take bites out of him.

I push through the door and it swings shut behind me as I go. I slow down as emotional pain flares through my chest. I lean against the wall for a moment and sob, the sound of T-Dog's screams no more. I catch my breath and wipe at my eyes before pushing away from the door. I pull out my knife and walk through the halls, trying to remember where T-Dog told me to go. All of a sudden the alarm stops, the place eerily quiet.

I look up to see if I can see the speaker when I hear the sound of walkers from down the end of the hall. They look at me and they stalk forward, a group of four. My heart pounds in my chest as I brace myself to fight them. The first one comes at me and I quickly stab it in the head, throwing it to the side. I quickly stab at another, taking it down easily. The next one takes a lunge for me and I step out its way, it stumbling past me as I go for the other.

It growls and grasps at my arms and I struggle to get it so I push it against the wall, it loosing it's grip on my arm. I quickly stab it in the head when I feel the other one grab onto my shoulder. I scream out and shrug out of its grasp, turning to stab it. I throw my hand forward when I hits it in the neck, the blade becoming lodged in the thick, rubbery skin.

"Shit." I hiss as it comes after me.

I push it back hard enough for it to slam against the wall and I turn and run in the direction T-Dog told me to go. I turn a corner and I hear it follow after me, angry at me for escaping. However I'm weak and exhausted and I'm lost. I look around and I see a closet up ahead so I quickly rush into it and slowly close the door. There is no latch so I hold it, trying to keep my breathing to a minimum. I hear it come my way and it walk past me, not realising that I have hidden.

Once I hear that it's gone I let out a weak breath, my shoulders slumping. I completely exhausted and I slide down the wall, the room dark minus the small opening of the door. I lean back against the wall and lean my head back, closing my eyes as I try to catch my breath. All the exhaustion and grief comes over me and I close my eyes tiredly, surrendering to the darkness that is such a welcome after this horrific day.