Jo

Alex stepped up to the grill. "Hey Mary, would you fix each of these new folks a plate for me?"

The motherly woman smiled kindly and nodded.

I stepped up close enough to Daryl that I could feel his body heat. I pushed up on my toes to glance over Daryl's shoulder at the grill. He stiffened and looked over his shoulder. When he saw it was me he relaxed. I frowned at what I saw and met his gaze. I bumped him lightly with my shoulder twice. To anyone else it would look like an affectionate gesture, but for us once meant yes, twice meant no. I could only hope he understood what I meant. I rocked back and glanced around us again.

When I studied those wolves out west we spent most of our time studying kill sites. I was pretty good at identifying remains. I glanced once more, my mind spinning as I fought to drag up old information. I had spent my fair share of time standing over the carcasses of deer and moose as well as cows, pigs and sheep with angry ranchers out in Montana and Wyoming. Whatever they had cooking on the grill wasn't any one of those things.

Rick was also looking around from side to side and I saw when his shoulders went tense all of a sudden.

"Why do you do it?" Michonne was asking calmly. "Why do you let people in?" She was completely oblivious to what Daryl, Rick and I were doing. This was why I valued Daryl as a partner. Not only did I trust him to watch my back, but we never stopped being partners, we never stopped paying attention to what the other one was doing. Michonne was too caught up in the appearance of sanctuary to notice what was going on with Rick.

Following Rick's lead I dropped my hand to my Kukri handle but ground my teeth. Daryl had been right, if we were facing people I needed to be able to have my gun. There was no subtle way for me to reach for my gun. If this turned into a situation, and if we made it out of this I was going to have to change my set up.

I let my eyes trail over Daryl's back. I could only hope anyone watching me would assume I was staring at him ass instead of his weapon. He had his crossbow down and gripped in one hand. I watched as he subtly adjusted his grip so he could lift it quickly at the first sign of trouble.

Alex answered for Michonne, reaching for a plate as he spoke. "The more people become a part of us, we get stronger. That's why we put up the signs, invite people in. It's how we survive. Here," he said handing a plate to Carl and one to Michonne.

I hung back and was watching Rick. Something was going on in Rick's head. Now I just needed to decide if it was real or if he was as screwed up around new people as I was these days. His eyes kept ranging over the small group of people sitting at the tables, eating their lunches. Suddenly he was moving. He stalked up between Michonne and Carl and slammed the plate out of Alex's hand with one hand and reached down into Alex's pocket with another.

I moved immediately. I whirled around, taking that last step backwards so I stood back to back with Daryl. I felt him tense and move as he lifted the crossbow.

"No!" Alex yelled, holding his hands up.

Rick already had an arm wrapped around Alex's neck and his gun pressed to his head. None of us hesitated. We all drew. I snatched my hand gun. I was a beat slower than everybody else, but we had taken them by surprise so it was fine - this time. Carl backed towards Daryl and I.

"Where the hell did you get this watch?" Rick was growling at Alex.

I risked a glance at him. In Rick's free hand was the pocket watch Hershel had given Glenn.

The other people eating lunch were all on their feet and had drawn their guns. I stood shoulder to shoulder with Carl and Daryl, each of us were pointing our guns in different directions. It surprised me to find I trusted Carl just as much as I trusted Michonne and Rick to watch my back. Maybe even a little more because I knew Carl would never get hung up on the question of whether it was right or wrong or if he should or shouldn't he would react as the situation called for and wouldn't worry about the morality of it until later...if at all.

"Where the hell did you get this watch?" Rick repeated, his voice turning gravely and dangerous.

"You want answers? You want anything else? You get 'em when you put down the gun," Alex tried to reason.

"I see your man on the roof with a sniper rifle." Rick's voice changed as he turned. "How good's his aim? Where'd you get the watch?" Rick asked again. Nobody responded and nobody moved. "Where'd you get the watch!" Rick yelled.

"Don't do anything!" Alex yelled up towards the sniper. "I have this!" Alex continued. I shook my head. Alex was in way over his head and he didn't even realize it. "You just put it down. You put it down!" He yelled again and I realized he was yelling at the sniper. He didn't trust his own sniper which meant his aim wasn't great. That was better for us. "You want to listen to me. There's a lot of us."

"Where did you get the watch?" Rick repeated.

I let my eyes drift over the people pointing guns at us and I scowled as I recognized the orange backpack, riot gear and Daryl's old poncho he had given to Maggie.

"I got it off a dead one. I didn't think they needed it."

Rick stepped toward us, dragging Alex with him. "What about the riot gear? The poncho?"

I heard footsteps approaching and whirled to point my gun at Gareth. He smirked at me, but held his hands out. "Got the riot gear off a dead cop. Found the poncho on a clothes line," Gareth said in a perfectly calm voice. Too calm for a guy with my gun in his face. I let it show in my eyes that I would not hesitate to kill him. I let him see that little bit on monster that lived inside me. It was a look that had cowed The Governor more times than I could count. Instead of looking intimidated however, Gareth  only smirked at me appreciatively. I shuddered.

"Gareth, we can wait," Alex said desperately and I frowned glancing quickly between the two of them. Why was Alex suddenly looking more afraid of Gareth than of us?

"Shut up Alex," Gareth responded coldly, his eyes hardened.

"You talk to me," Rick demanded.

Gareth clasped his hands in front of himself and turned his dead eyes to Rick. "What's there left to say? You don't trust us anymore."

"Gareth," Alex begged.

Gareth held up a hand to Alex but didn't take his eyes off of Rick. "Shut up."

"Gareth, please!" Alex repeated sounding more desperate.

"It's okay. It's okay. Rick, what do you want?" Gareth asked taking a step towards us.

"Where are our people?" Rick's voice was low and dangerous. His control over his temper was razor thin.

"You didn't answer the question," Gareth said and a shot rang out.

Alex's body dropped with a bullet in his brain. Everyone opened fire. People started yelling and I turned to kill Gareth but the slimy little shit was already gone. I fired shots with Daryl, trying to provide cover while the others started to run. Gun fire rained down from above and I took off after them. They stopped suddenly as the fire concentrated in front of them and they turned and ran back towards me.

"Come on!" Daryl yelled. He led the way. We fired back as we could, but the gun fire didn't stop. We ran into one of the buildings. It was an old garage.

"Here!" Daryl called, jerking on a metal gate but it was locked tight. I pointed to a black secutity door and we ran through it, coming out in an alley. There were cars and crates, all of which were scarred with holes from old gunshots. It didn't make sense. Why had there been so much gunfire here, but not back in the other part of the compound? They were still firing at us, but they hadn't come close to hitting us. Was this some kind of trap? A test?

"Come on, this way!" Daryl yelled behind him as he led the way towards the most likely exit. I realized he was aiming to bring us around the back to the fence where we could escape into the woods. It would provide the most cover from the snipers, but I didn't know how we were going to get over the fence without being ripped to shreds.

I heard a voice yell from above. "Get them off B!"

I smiled at Daryl's choice because it was making them mad. It meant we were headed the right way. Gunshots suddenly erupted cutting us off and Daryl was forced to turn down another alley. I gritted my teeth but followed. We ran down a long fence the was covered in worn tarps. It reeked down here like Walkers. I slowed from a sprint to a jog and glanced through the fence as I went. The only thing I could make out at that speed were ribcages. Human ribcages.

Rick was behind me and propelled me forward before I could get a better look. We rounded another corner and heard metallic banging and yelling.

"Help!"

"Let us out!"

"Help us!"

I hesitated.

"What the hell?" Daryl muttered, stopping beside me.

The voices were coming from inside shipping containers. A bad feeling went over me as I thought back to the barbeque when we first came in.

Rick shoved Daryl and I forward. "Keep going!" He yelled urgently. Both Carl and Michonne hadn't stopped.

Michonne shoved open a heavy door and led the way into another room. It was lit by hundreds of candles. Some were set up in a large circle in the middle of the floor with names painted in white. I looked around. I knew exactly what was going on. I licked my lips ready to say something but I stopped as I read the words painted in black on the wall.

NEVER AGAIN. NEVER TRUST. WE FIRST, ALWAYS

"What the hell is this place?" Daryl asked harshly, spinning in a circle.

"These people," Michonne said, gasping in breaths. "I don't think they are trying to kill us."

"No," Rick agreed. "They are aiming at our feet."

"I think they're herding us...like cattle. I think they're-" I started to say, but Rick cut me off.

"There," he said and started running for the next door. It was slammed and latched just as we reached it.

"Here," I called from the next door.

"Go!" Rick yelled.

I jerked it open and found myself running down a long, narrow hallway. There was an open doorway at the opposite end. I ran full out and nearly fell when I recoiled as gunshots erupted as soon as I appeared. Daryl was right behind me. He grabbed my arm and pulled me back against his chest and out of the line of fire. This close I could hear his heart pounding and his quiet pants as he fought for breath. Once he steadied me we took off again. We ran together, leaping over the train tracks, the fence was just in front of us. Guns cocked and I saw movement in the bushes outside the fence. We slid to a stop together. He put his arm in front of me, partially shielding me. I counted ten at least.

We stood in the oppressive silence, looking at one another, unsure what to do now.

Then Gareth's voice rang out loudly from the roof top. "Drop your weapons! Now!" Daryl swung around to face him, and I watched as his jaw clenched in anger. Carl's eyes were on Rick.

"NOW!!!" Gareth screamed and I could hear the edge of mania in his voice.

I kept my eyes on the people with the guns but I heard the sound of Daryl's arrow and crossbow hitting the ground. Then the other's weapons. I tossed down my gun and started throwing down everything I had. It took me a full minute longer than everyone else.

"And the last one Alex didn't find!" Gareth yelled at me. I turned to face him and glared. I reached up under the back of my shirt and pulled the clip off my bra strap and threw the small pocket knife on the ground.

Gareth smirked at me then turned his gaze to Rick. "Ringleader, go to your left. The train car, go."

Rick looked at the train car and back at Gareth and then finally at Carl. I could see the indecision on his face. We were surrounded. Even with our weapons we didn't stand a chance against their numbers.

"You do what we say the boy goes with you. Anything else he dies and you end up in there anyway."

Rick gave Carl a small, reassuring nod before he turned his gaze back on Gareth. The look he sent him was chilling, and I knew no matter what it took Rick would kill the man who had threatened his son. Rick stalked towards the train car.

"Now the archer!" Gareth instructed. Daryl's shoulders tightened and he glanced from me to Gareth and back again indecision clear on his face. I met his angry scowl and gave him a tiny nod, this was the only way.

"Now the samurai!" Michonne followed behind Daryl.

"And the armory!" he called to me. I stared up at him and dropped my gaze back to Carl. There was nothing I could do for him. Nothing that wouldn't get him and I both killed.

I walked towards the train car. Staring at it, all the images I had ever seen of the jews of the holocaust in train cars ran through my mind. I shuddered.

"Stand at the door!" Gareth instructed loudly. "Ringleader, Archer, Samurai, Armory! In that order." We all lined up, one after the other. Carl stood out in the open with all the guns facing him and I felt my chest constrict. If they killed Carl now, there would be no stopping Rick. And if Rick went so would Daryl. I stared hard at the back of Daryl's tense shoulders, willing him and Rick to keep it together.

"My son!" Rick yelled.

I let out a shuddering breath. All I would be able to do was keep more of us from dying. I could tackle Daryl and knock Michonne down and rolled under the train car. It would provide nearly perfect cover. I lifted my eyes to Rick. There would be nothing I could do for him.

"Go kid," Gareth instructed.

And I let out the breath I hadn't realized I had been holding.

"Ringleader, open the door and go in."

Carl was still walking towards us, glancing over his shoulder at the people with the guns.

"I'll go in with him," Rick growled.

"Don't make us kill him now."

I frowned down at the ground in front of the train car. There were paper bowls and wrappers from powdered milk. What the hell was inside this train car? Were there other captives we would have to worry about? Starving, desperate captives could prove just as, if not more, dangerous to us as Gareth.

Rick walked up the wooden steps and threw open the door. We filed in one after the other. It was completely dark inside and as soon as I stepped in I felt a hand wrap around my arm. Daryl. He pulled me protectively away from the door, stepping between me and the open space. He ushered me deeper into the darkness so we would no longer be visible targets.

As soon as Carl was up the steps Rick grabbed him into a hug. The door slammed closed behind him.

The combination of the smell of cold metal and the darkness hit me. My chest tightened and I felt like I couldn't draw in enough air. It reminded me of being there, though now I didn't know if there meant the cell in woodbury, the cellblock surrounded by sick and dying friends, or the tombs. I only knew it was dangerous. Not only for me, but for the others as well. I reached down and touched Daryl's wrist of the arm that was still touching me. I let my fingers drift beneath the cuff of his sleeve until I found warm, soft skin. He must have realized what was happening because with slow, gentle movements he pulled me back into his chest. I let out a shuddering breath as my back settled against him.

His lips found my ear. "Sshhh," he whispered soothingly, "you're not there," he promised, his warm breath against my neck made me think of things other than the horrors of my past. I felt myself relax a degree.

After a moment I was able to nod and take my first deep breath. When he felt me relax he let me go, though he stayed close. I reached down in the dark and tangled my fingers with his, giving his hand a squeeze to reassure him I was all right.

At first I could see nothing after the brightness outside but my eyes soon adapted.There were small shafts of light coming beneath the various doors. In the dim light there was movement on the other side of the car. There were other captives in the train car. Daryl noticed the same time I did. Without hesitating he pushed me back so I was behind him.

"Rick?" A familiar voice called, stepping towards us. Glenn.

We walked towards him, as more people emerged from the darkness behind him. Maggie, Sasha and Bob.

"You're here," Rick said first in wonder. "You're here," he said again, this time his voice hardened into something dangerous.

I stepped up next to Daryl so I could see better. There were other people too. Four other people I didn't know. While Rick and Michonne and Glenn and Maggie were all looking at one another I quickly ran my eyes over the newcomers.

One was no threat. She was a meek, nervous looking woman about my age, maybe a little younger. There was another woman, latina, this one looked more like she could handle herself. There was an overweight man with a mullet who's nervous pig eyes made me immediately write him off as Walker bait.

It was the last man however, who drew my notice. He was larger than the rest of us. Over six feet and out weighed us all in muscle as well. He wore his ginger hair high and tight and wore the remnants of military clothing. He could be dangerous, either for us or against us. I kept my eyes glued to him while the others talked about how glad they were to see each other. This man was a potential threat. I felt Daryl lightly bump my shoulder with his and I blinked. I glanced first at him and then saw Maggie staring at me intently.

"They're our friends," she said in an overly calm voice. "They helped save us." She said imploringly. Though I couldn't tell if she was talking to me or Rick.

"Yeah," Daryl said from beside me. "Now they're friends of ours."

I glanced up at him. He was watching my face, gauging how much control I had right now. I gave him a small smile and nodded. I trusted Daryl to make these calls when I wasn't one hundred percent.

"For however long that will be," the ginger growled from behind the other group.

"No," Rick said and the large man turned back to face him. Rick paced the width of the train car in front of the small group. "They're gonna feel pretty stupid when they find out."

Rick stopped near the door and peered out the small gap between it and the train car.

"Find out what?" The ginger asked stepping forward.

All eyes turned to Rick. Beside me I felt Daryl shift his weight restlessly.

"They're fucking with the wrong people."

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Hope you are enjoying! Thanks for reading! We are in the middle of a huge blizzard and I'm only halfway through nanowrimo so expect lot's of writing and updates over the next few days!

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