Me and Rosita found our spot. We were up on top of one of the many sand dunes that surrounded the area. There weren't any walkers I had seen walking around in the desert. My guess is that their frail frames couldn't stand the harsh winds of sand storms. That perhaps the sand ripped their bodies apart. I did wonder what would happen if a herd were to come through when there were to be no sand storms to save them.

However, that wasn't my problem. 

The sun finally rose and we were all staking out for the first day. It was me and Rosita. She used binoculars while I just kept an eye on our surroundings. "Why am I Coco's middle name?" I suddenly asked.

Rosita smiled. "Partly to rub it in Megan's face."

I laughed. "Okay, but... Why? I mean, a name is a big thing, ya know."

"Because I love you, mi amor. We've been through thick and thin together. And, you may have slipped once or twice but you handled it well. You were always there for everyone else... Truth is, I look up to you." Rosita explained.

"I'm shorter than you." I pointed out.

My cousin laughed. "You know what I mean."

I shook my head, sighing slightly. "I'm nothing to look up too."

"You oughta give yourself more credit, Ellie." Rosita shook her head. When I scoffed quietly, Rosita spoke. "I wasn't there for all of it, but I've heard the stories. Who saved Sophia when her brother held her head under the water? Who saved Sophia when the two of you were lost in the woods after the CDC? Who got that old man's watch from the lake so her group could stay at a farm? Who managed to get herself and Sophia off of the farm and to the highway with everyone else? Who stowed away in a car just because she knew that she needed to save Maggie and Glenn from Woodbury? Who remembered where all the ammo was in your old neighbourhood to fight that war against the Governor? Who went on a dangerous mission to get medication for your people who were sick? Who saved a very sick Sophia after the prison? Who murdered a man who tried to hurt Sophia? Who saved everyone from Terminus?... I'm missing a shit ton of stories out, but that was all just within the first year of the world falling. Ellie, you've saved so many people. Myself included. Coco included. I could list a thousand times that you prioritised others safety over your own. So don't gimmie that crap again or I'll tie you a chair and I will remind you."

I bowed my head. "Guess I have done a lot of stuff."

"Most of it being stupid." Rosita mumbled. "Don't think I forgot about the time you tried to sacrifice yourself to Negan so you could save Abraham. I'm still mad at you for that."

"Oh, I'm so sorry." I responded sarcastically.

"Also, the day that Coco was born? She gave me that same damn stink eye you give literally everyone you don't like. Which is a very long list." Rosita told me.

"What are you talking about? I'm very subtle when I don't like people." I scoffed.

Rosita laughed. "Sure you are, mi amor."

"Speaking of Coco. When we go back? I'm gonna teach her how to swim." I decided.

Rosita laughed. "How are you gonna do that?"

"I read a book about it from the library. I'm pretty sure you just chuck them in. Kinda like dogs, but you grab them before they can sink." I told her.

Rosita looked confused. "That can't be right."

I shrugged. "Either way. I can't wait for her to be older so that we can have swimming races against each other. Finally, I'll have some competition. RJ has a fear of large bodies of water, I found that out the hard way. So, I had to give up on him being swimming competition. Coco however? I can see it. She'll be nearly as good as me one day."

Rosita laughed. "I'm sure she will be with you training her."

I smiled to myself before I looked over the area. I could see the building where Rick was presumably being kept. It was big. Apparently it was some old lab. So, they had cells where they kept animals to experiment on, ways to make their own electricity, and a food storage system. It looked modern. Well, as modern as things got before the world went down the shitter.

I looked over to the town. Fairly small. Maybe fifty to sixty buildings. From what I saw on stake out, there looked to be up to ten people living in one house. There were only about twenty houses. There were a few stores, a few bars, a few places to make food and clothing... It seemed all that these people did was work and drink; nothing more. They were under ruling from the people in the compound. 

The outdoor guard shift was very routine. Groups of two men would stand guard for five hours before it changed. There were four groups to cover all lengths of the building. They never touched their radios, not even once while on shift. I guess that unlike the Commonwealth, the outpost had lesser issues. A couple days of going back and forth from our hide out to stake out, and we decided on two guards on mine and Rosita's side since they'd be easier to grab. We'd kill one, kidnap the other.

Problem is though? Once they realise there's been foul play? We're on a timer to get in, get Rick, and get out. We waited for a new shift to start. We let the two men simmer for ten minutes before we made our move. We hung low and stuck to the shadows that the sun and tall building created. Sophia was in front, quickly chopping off the first man's head before dad punched out the second guy. I grabbed the head of the first guy by grabbing the hair. Rosita and dad got to work dragging the unconsious guy, while mum, Carl and Sophia buried the first guy in the sand dunes after taking his weapons. Well, buried his body. I kept a hold of his head as I followed after dad and Rosita.

We went the six miles back to our base. It was pretty quick though since the RV could still work over sand rock. We got back and tied the man to a chair, using handcuffs. I put the first guy's head on a table facing our prisoner who still had the cloth wrapped around his face. I hadn't looked at his face, since I'd been behind him the whole time.

We all sat around, waiting for him to wake up. It was then that I actually looked at his face. His head was leaning backwards in his unconsious state. I furrowed my eyebrows as he began to look very familiar. I walked over to him and untied the cloth from around his face. When I saw who it was, I gasped and took multiple steps back. Carl put his hands on each of my biceps. "What's wrong, Ellie?" He asked, concern in his voice.

"Look at him." I ordered.

Carl furrowed his eyebrows, before getting closer to the man to look at him. "Oh my god." Carl muttered. Everyone looked at him, realisation taking over all of their faces before they turn to me.

I slowly put a hand over my mouth. "We just kidnapped Chris Evans."

An hour had passed and I pretty much stared at him the entire time. The only breaks I took was to blink. "Ellie, you're staring, mi amor." Rosita pointed out.

"I really hope we don't have to kill him. Ya know, maybe we can just take him home with us." I suggested, a dopey smile on my face.

"He's part of the people holding my dad hostage." Carl told me.

"We don't know that." I shrugged.

"Darling, he's closer to my age than yours." Dad deadpanned. "You can't have a crush on him."

"Too late." I laughed.

Sophia sighed. "This could end badly."

"Ellie, we agreed we will have to torture the information out of whoever we nabbed if it came to that." Mum stated.

"But, he's a good guy! Did you see the puppy interviews? He'll help us, guaranteed." I nodded.

"The puppy interviews?" Carl asked.

"It was adorable." I smiled. "Man, I wish we still had YouTube."

Sophia laughed, just before Chris began to groan awake. I was so excited for him to wake up. He blinked open his eyes and looked around, instantly pulling on his restraints. "Who are you people?" He demanded.

"Hi, I'm Ellie. It's so good to meet you." I smiled, walking towards him a little.

He then stared at something behind me. I turned and noticed his friend's head still there. "Billy!" He yelled.

I moved to stand in front of the head. "I am so sorry about that."

"Maybe you should wait outside." Rosita suggested.

"No, I'm cool. I'm so cool." I shrugged, raising my hands slightly before sitting back on the table. I however did not stop staring at Chris Evans.

"What the hell's going on?" Chris demanded.

"We need intel." Dad pulled up a chair to sit backwards on in front of Chris Evans. He rested his forearms on the back of it, while his legs were either side. "You have something we want. We have something you want. Even trade, man."

"What could you possibly have that I want?" Chris raised his eyebrows.

"Ever single one of your movies on DVD." I answered.

"And, your life. You tell us what we want? You get to survive. Good for you." Mum covered for me. I huffed.

Chris swallowed thickly. "What do I have that you want?"

"A man named Rick Grimes." Carl responded.

"Oh, crazy guy?" Chris asked.

"How do we know it's the same Rick?" Sophia asked.

"Uhm... Is your guy white? About five ten, hard ass eyes. He's seen some shit. He's always yelling about seeing his three kids? Some brother and his wife." Chris answered.

"Do you remember these people's names?" Rosita demanded.

"How could I forget?" Chris scoffed. "He's yelling about them all the damn time. He has a brother named Daryl, a wife named Michonne and his three kids are Ellie, Carl and Sophia."

Carl had to sit down. "He's really alive." A relieved smile was on his lip as tears pooled in his eye.

"It's funny actually. We also have a Michonne in lockup. We found her trying to break in. Makes you wonder if they know each other. But, crazy guy doesn't know that she's there, and we never confirmed to her that he is there." Chris explained.

"Oh my god, you have mama too?" Sophia stood up.

"At least we know she's alive." I tried. My heart jumping a few beats though. I was worried about them both, but at least we knew where they were and that they were alive.

"This dick's the guy you've been in love with for ten years?" Dad asked me.

"Woah, I'm sure he has a perfectly good reason." I stated.

"Yea, I'm not on that shift. I'm just a guard." He defended.

"So, you don't agree with locking the people up? Or the public executions?" Sophia questioned.

"Of course not, but I'm the only one who doesn't. If I speak up? I'm the next one to be executed." Chris informed us.

"How do we know that we can trust you?" Mum raised her eyebrows.

"You can't. But, I can help you get your people back. Sounds like you know the woman too." Chris responded.

"How can you do that?" Rosita pushed.

"I'll have to head back now. You can leave me knocked out on the ground. Night after tomorrow everyone in the compound is having a masquerade ball of sorts. I can sneak you in if you can get outfits to blend in. There will be no guards on patrol. That's your only opportunity to get your people. You can get the blue prints of the compound in a town about eight miles east of here. There's a shop called New Mexico's Hilarious History. Nothing about it is hilarious, it's just the name. Meet me in Duke's Bar tomorrow at five with the map and I'll point everywhere out for you." Chris explained.

Sophia furrowed her eyebrows. "Why are you helping us with all this? What's stopping you from ratting us out as soon as you get back?"

He let out a breath. "Maybe you people will finally be able to help us; or as Captain America would say... This job, we try to save as many people as we can. Sometimes that doesn't mean everybody. But, if we can't find a way to live with that, next time... Maybe nobody gets saved."

I gasped. "He said it."

He nodded at me once. "Mum, I'm going to faint." I said to her as she stood on my left. She simply laughed and shook her head.

Rosita nodded. "It's risky."

 I cleared my throat. "I've been waiting my whole life for this... The price of freedom is high. It always has been. And it's a price I'm willing to pay. And if I'm the only one, then so be it. But I'm willing to bet I'm not."

Carl furrowed his eyebrows. "But you're not the only one. We came here together."

Dad agreed. "The whole point of the plan is that we were gonna do something risky."

I huffed and crossed my arms over my chest. "You two are so uneducated. When we get back I'm making you watch all of the Marvel films again."