━━━━━━━━━▼━━━━━━━━━

****

****

━━━━━━━━━▲━━━━━━━━━

****

◤━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━◥

◣━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━◢

The sudden bottle being thrown had me turn back to look, seeing Daryl guarding over the door before yelling off to the doctor once more. His drunken speech only screamed in my mind, and funny enough.

He always warned me about seeing this side of him, and this was just horrifying.

Soon the glasses and slashes to the said door began as one called out to Dixon, double-teaming it as Addie described. My biggest concern right now was getting the door open, and the doors opened above.

"You should've left well enough alone. It would've been so much easier." The doctor tried reasoning, but he was no mind reader. He hasn't stepped out into the real world, nor did he opt out until now.

That makes him a coward in my book.

"Easier for who?" Lori questioned, and by god was I going to say it as well. Shaking my head towards Rick as I know he would return to see the progress. I haven't had any luck yet.

"All of you. You know what's out there—a short, brutal life and an agonizing death. Your sister...What was her name?...Amy, you know what this does. You've seen it. Is that really what you want for your wife and son?" The reverse psychology was an impression, but coming from our capture anything could be claimed and we wouldn't doubt it.

"M-m-mom...Are we going to die?" Addie cried on my shoulder, and I looked over at Jenner and shook my head. Kissing her forehead as I didn't respond to the question at all. I was going to get us out of this if it's the last thing I do.

"I don't want this!" Rick emphatically stated. Growing and motioning to the floor before looking back to Shane who claims that the door won't dent, even with their efforts.


"Those doors are designed to withstand a rocket launcher." The doctor simply stated, and right when I was going to return my eyes back towards the computer did I see the rage admit from Daryl one more. 
"Well, ya head ain't!"

"DARYL!" I yelled, while it took the given few men to stop him once more. Did I sigh, wiping my blurry eyes that were keeping me from reading the said instructions.

It wasn't just a firewall, it was the firewall. Government based and all that have secure networks, I haven't even cracked the first given. And there's no jumpstart or easy way out of this.

"You do want this. Last night you said...You knew it was just a matter of time before everybody you loved was dead." Jenner said, and I shook my head. Refusing to believe Rick said that with a clear mind. Nor was I there to witness it, so how do I know he's just trying to buy time until the counter runs down.

"What? You really said that? After all your big talk?" Shane stated, growling the questions as it meant the imminent family here. Of course, he cares for everyone else, but we're family.

"I had to keep hope alive, didn't I?" I gritted my teeth, he fucking said it. And the glare I sent towards him was delivered by the practice of my daughter and her father.
What a fucking ass.
"There is no hope..." Jenner stated, continuing off of Rick's unanswered question.
"...There never was."
"There is always hope. Maybe it won't be you, maybe not here, but somebody somewhere—" 
Breathing once more as I drowned out the sounds, did a new voice spark up. But the second I concluded it was Andrea I shut it right down, not wanting to hear her dread 'the world is over' sort of vibe any longer.

I am getting us out.

"Listen to your friend...She gets it. This is what takes us down. This is our extinction event..." I shook my head once more, we are going to survive 'God's wrath' or so help me. If I can just get this damn code into place.

Slamming my fist on the table did I sigh into my hands, counting up to ten and backward as I gave myself a moment to cool down.

The room had gone completely silent as I had done that. And for reason as well.

"One tiny moment—A millisecond. No pain." Jenner pleaded, that's when my jaw snapped at how tightly wound I kept at it. Growling almost as my daughter continued to Carol's own plea. "My daughter doesn't deserve to die like this..." 

"Wouldn't it be kinder, more compassionate to just hold your loved ones and wait for the clock to run down?" He questioned, and the sudden still of the computer came to an advantage. I found the mainframe, all I need to do now is—
"SHANE NO!"


"OUTTA OF THE WAY RICK!"
The sudden shouts and the cock of the one and only shotgun carried through as I turned to look for the given second, if he dies we are not going to survive. But I couldn't leave the desktop, even with Addie holding on to me for the dear life of her.

"Open that door or I'm gonna blow your head off. Do you hear me?" Shane warned, and it must've been Daryl' rage to be suddenly passed on to Walsh. But this anger, this terror was storied, built up in his being to be unleashed now. 


"Brother, brother. This is not the way. You do this we will never get out of here." Breathing once more did I look over.


"Shane!" I yelled, and his eyes did a quick look towards me as I was about to stand. "...You listen to him...Put the gun down." But it didn't work, he only held it tighter. The gritting of his own teeth only angered me further.

"It's too late." He muttered.

"He dies, we all—we all die! Shane!" 

The sudden yell interrupted Rick's speech as he leaned in closer ready to unload the shells from his weapon. But the second it was faced towards me I froze. 

"Blake get down!" I heard, and the sudden push forward as I tried to fall to the side rather than on my daughter created a rough landing. One of which had my daughter cry even further, by the noise and the sheer panic of what Shane had done. 

Daryl stood over us, taking the claim for the actual save. And looking over daughter did I see nothing was wrong, but the second I rose from the undermining position Daryl had me under.

Did I storm right towards Shane.

Rick had disarmed him and helping him up to the floor by the time I recovered from that innocent. 

"You're fucking batshit crazy! The hell were you thinking?!" I said, trying to get into Shane's face. He needs to take ownership of this. Not only did he lose all the progress I did in the last twenty minutes. But I don't even recall the last minute of work I had accomplished. 

"C-Can you get the work back...?" Rick questioned, trying to push Walsh away and move forward from Daryl. And I laughed, smiling up a fucking storm before shaking my head.

"You fucking happy now, huh? That what you wanted? To fucking kill me?!" I said, but Daryl couldn't find a spot anywhere other than before me. His entire body following in backward motions at each direction I found myself going.

I felt like him a half an hour ago. When he first tried to stop the doctor, but now I was steaming, puffing with rage as I couldn't even process what had happened.

"Get off the computer," I ordered, and the doctor looked at me as though I was crazy. Grabbing him by the collar did he move in the instant, I should've done this before. Taken his computer, all the codes were set in stone, and everything that wasn't...was just Candace.

"W-W-what're you doing...STOP! YOU CAN'T—" The doctor was about to touch me once again, and although Daryl was a second from stopping him. Did I see the pistol from last night, just tucked away in his pants. 

I grabbed it.

Once again taking the collar of the doctor to slam his head straight down to the metal desk. The gun cocked to his head as I pushed it indefinitely.

"I will not stop. I will not stop until that countdown timer runs out. We are getting out, and we are not your prisoners. Touch me again, and I won't hesitate. Do you hear me?" I warned, and he was taking every breath like it was his last. Looking to everyone around me were they in complete horror for what I had done. 

"Give me...The code." I growled, and he shook his head.

"You said that the H.I.T's are painless...How about a gunshot wound?" I warned, and he placed his hands to his head before pleading a white flag, innocently enough did the bleeding cut on his head give me no sympathy towards the man. 
Not at all.

Checking his pockets did I find his keycard, and that was enough of a lead to go on. Especially the barcode at the bottom. Fumbling with the keyboard now did I type the number, and with the given view of the doctor tending to his head wound. Was I blocked off of view for Daryl stood between the two of us. His back towards me, and the build-up of both Rick and Shane as well.

"You're lying...About no hope. If that were true, you'd have bolted with the rest or taken the easy way out. You didn't...You chose the hard path. Why?" Rick questioned, but that still didn't mean jack shit to me. I needed to change the code, at the one time it wasn't Candace, it wasn't Jenner, or Edwin. Or something simple. This doctor is not one for codes, but the sudden ending seemed difficult enough. 

It's a four number code, what could it be.

The day the world ended? 
No.

"It doesn't matter."
"It does matter. It always matters. You stayed when others ran. Why?" Rick pressed, coming closer to the poor injured doctor. Pleading his hesitation to another attack. 
"Not because I wanted to...I made a promise...To her. My wife." My mouth dropped. Looking up from my computer as I sighed into my hands.
"Test subject 19...T-that was Candace?" I asked, and his eyes shot over towards me. The silent smile and nod were had me shake my head.

The day Candace died? 
No.

Another failed attempt, to change to the code we need the access code. And this was surely not going to void well.

"She begged me to keep going as long as I could. How could I say no? She was dying. It should've been me on that table. I wouldn't have mattered to anybody. She was a loss to the world. Hell, she ran this place. I just worked here. In our field, she was an Einstein. She worked with your agent!" 
It was then Daryl look behind me, smiling up a storm.

"Ya know fuckin' everyone, don't ya Rory?...Course ya do, ya a people person." He grumbled, focusing back towards Rick and Jenner.

But then I looked to the clock, counting down one final breather, but then it hit me...

The day the power runs out?
 Yes.

Hurrying to transfer the password, do I make it simple. '0329' I breathed, making the code known as I made the positive correction and it worked. I just couldn't get past the one upstairs, hopefully it will work when we get there.

Rising from my seat did Daryl uncross his arms to follow my sudden action as I was quick into going right beside the doctor.

"What're you—" I slid the key card down the slot before typing in my the password I just set. And as he was about to taunt me, I smile at the sudden sound of the metal doors opening.

"Thank you..." I mumbled, smiling as I took his key card from him. Running towards my daughter to pick her up was she in the motion of running towards me, all while we ran in sync with everyone else. 
As I grabbed our bags and continued forward, up the winding stairs to the surface did I realize what floor we were on. 3 section B.

And for some reason I couldn't identify with that.

The yelling of everyone commenced, as we continued to roundabout. The top metal door was kicked open by Shane.And the sudden brightness of light welcomed everyone's eyes at a grateful embrace.

"Blake ya got the doors?!" Someone screamed, and as I was about to slide the card down. Did I realize what the doctor had said before. There's no power up here.

"No power! Need to find another way!" I yelled, returning to my position beside my daughter. Watching the men try their best to get through the glass. But the fire ax didn't make it, nor did the chair or anything else. 

But the second I saw Shane load up his shotgun once more, I covered my daughter's ears as he fired one round into the damn thing. But it still won't break. But then the sudden voice of Carol sparked up, and I took Sofia under my holding as she left mine and her side. 


"Rick! I have something that might help." She said, shuffling through her large messenger bag.

"Carol I don't think a nail filer's gonna do it." Shane taunted, but still looking mighty angry at that. But she shook her head, not even acknowledging Shane anymore than that.


"Your first morning at camp, when I washed your uniform I found this in your pocket." She said, offering a grenade in the palm of her hand. And I stared at that fucking thing as if it was the holy grail.

Rick took it in his hands before running towards the window.

"FOUR SECOND RICK! FOUR SECONDS!" I warned, and hearing the actual pin drop. As well as the grenade itself, did I hear the hesitating breaths of Rick as he managed to run towards us once more. And the second he was close did I yank him down towards the ground. Instead of being blasted in an unfair advantage of the recovery.

I've heard grenades go off before, but this one left a distinct ring in my ear that would not leave. But it was the sudden grab of my forearm as I was pulled up, Rick pulled me as I did him.
With my daughter now in my arms, did the given few drop down to the ground, offering to help others.

And my god was Daryl ready to catch Addie the second I came to the window, gently placing her down on the ground before offering it to me. 

The millisecond of looking into each other's eyes was cut short as he too grabbed my forearm to rush me towards the trucks. Grabbing Addie as she was fully prepared for the scoop up, getting her into the jeep. Yelling the instruction of getting down. But with Shane in the front seat did he too tell me to do the same.

Overlaying his body over mine as we waited for the impending explosion. There was no attempt of laving due to the fact we left with four minutes, and now with my watch did I look.

Fifteen seconds. 

I saw Andrea and Dale running towards us, but the sudden beeps had us prepare for the worst. 

It was intact, a nuclear bomb. Not even moving my position due to the fact Shane would not let up for me to see, but even then I still feel the burning embers the explosion gave off. 

Looking up did I not allow my daughter the picture of seeing it, seeing death in the face. My breathing was uneven, but even then did I remove myself from the front to comfort my daughter. To get away from Shane, and most importantly, stay sane.

Shielding it from her was the first step, and discussing what happened there will be for another time and location. But the second Shane turned around, his hand on my thigh as he tried his best to comfort us, did I take it. The affection was needed at a time like this, to see the doctor die, to see Jackie die?


Closing my eyes and allowing the burning to rise up was enough for me. But this man before me, almost firing the three given round into myself and my daughter had me move away from his hold and instruction him to follow the R.V

The blaring was still in mind, the smell of gas was also a burning reminder. Rolling up the windows was the only thing I agreed with his so far, allowing us to have closure, away from the bass heat.

But as we turned the given corner, retracing our given motion. Did I see the glimpse of Merle's bike, completely intact. And for once, did I let out a genuine smile. 

We lived.

We get to live.

I did it.
 And that's when I leaned back in my seat, trying my best to condone my breaths.

I did it, I beat the code. 

_____

Date Posted: 08-22-18// Time: 5:18

Word-Count: 2952

______