Jo

We stood in the vee of the semi trucks, the bottle neck that was holding the entirety of the horde in the quarry at bay at the west entrance. I rolled my shoulders, trying not to let the growls of the walkers get too deep into my head. There were just so many of them. The rough estimate we had come up with was twenty-thousand. 

Everything for the plan was completed, we had moved backwards along the path to the quarry where we were going to do a practice run today to make sure everyone knew their jobs for tomorrow. We had been working hard all morning, putting finishing touches on the fences and cars that would funnel the Walkers where we wanted them to go. Once we were done with the practice run Rick was sending everyone home to rest and spend time with the families. Eight a.m tomorrow was when it would begin.

I looked up at Daryl who stood beside me watching Rick. I bumped his shoulder affectionately with my own. I was looking forward to some time alone tonight. It had been an insane three days and we had both worked each night until we about dropped. Daryl looked down at me and smirked, bumping my shoulder back.

Rick cleared his throat and drew our attention to him. He was standing on top of one of the cars and looked down at us all. "I know this sounds insane, but this is an insane world. We have to come for them before they come for us. It's that simple. This is where it all starts tomorrow. Tobin gets in the truck, opens the exit and we're off. He hops out, catches up with his team at red staying on the west side of the road. Daryl gets on his bike-"

Behind us there was a rumble of moving earth that made my blood run cold.I whirled around to face the quarry. 

"You see that?" Sasha called. We all watched in horror as the force of the horde was finally too much and the ground beneath one of the semis blocking the east exit gave way. The exit that would send the entire horde straight for home.

"It's open!" Sasha screamed at the top of her lungs.

"We gotta do this now!" Rick called, jumping off the car. "We're doing this now! Tobin's group get moving go!"

I turned and started moving towards my group. I was going to be on the south side of the road with Rick, Michonne, Morgan and Carter. Daryl had been pissed when Rick put Carter in our group but I understood his reasoning. We needed to keep an eye on anyone likely to cause trouble. It was the same reason Glenn had insisted on keeping Nicholas with him.

Carter froze, his eyes wide with fear and I wanted to punch him across the face worse than I have ever wanted to hit anyone in my life. "No Rick, we're not ready!" he protested, as though we actually had a choice in the matter, as if the Walkers would wait for us to be ready. Every second he wasted those walkers stood a greater chance of getting home.

"Sasha! Abraham!" Rick yelled.

"Damn straight!" Abraham called as the two of them ran for their car. "We'll do it live."

"You meet Daryl at red," Rick commanded. "Let him take them through the gauntlet."

I pulled up at his words. Daryl going through the gauntlet alone was new. I didn't like the idea of Daryl going by himself. I turned to face him, to find him, but people were running everywhere. I met his gaze across the open expanse as he climbed on his bike. Our eyes held and he dipped his chin to me.

"Love you," I mouthed to him.

He nodded, and jump started his bike.

"Yeah, we meet at red!" Sasha yelled to Daryl climbing into the driver's seat.

"Go!" Rick shouted.

"Rick!" Glenn called running towards him. "I'll hit the tractor place!"

"Okay, who else?"

"I got it!" I yelled jogging over towards Glenn.

Daryl's head snapped in my direction and his lips thinned in an angry line. Doing this now had denied him his time to lecture me on not doing anything rash. His flickered his eyes from me to Glenn and back again. I smirked and turned away understanding his message. 

No unnecessary risks, stay with Glenn.

Glenn nodded to me and turned to face Heath. "We got to take them out, or they'll distract the horde."

Nicholas ran up to the three of us. "I'm here let me help," he demanded.

"No," Glenn snapped coldly.

"I'm here!" Nicholas protested.

"We're wasting time boys," I drawled as casually as I could manage. I didn't necessarily want Nicholas with us either, but I would rather have him with me where I can keep an eye on him than with someone else who would have to depend on him for back up.

Glenn's face hardened. "Do everything I say."

"I will!" Nicholas promised. Glenn nodded though he didn't look convinced.

"Daryl get ready!" Rick yelled.

"They're coming!" Daryl yelled.

"Come on!" Glenn called and started jogging up the hill.

I cast one last glance over my shoulder at Daryl. I didn't like this, I didn't like splitting up, I didn't like Rick putting him at the forefront of the danger with no backup. My mind tripped over itself as I considered all the things that could go wrong.

Rick's voice pulled me back to reality. My brain was already starting to mismanage time and we hadn't even begun. It wasn't a good sign. 

"Tobin! On my signal you hit it! They're heading for home we don't have a choice!" Rick's voice echoed in my head to the rhythm of my pounding feet as I took off running up the gauntlet behind the guys.

The first set of flares went off over head, drawing the horde towards the west entrance and towards us.

We ran down the gauntlet of cars we had set up the day before. I was in better shape than the others, but I kept myself at the back of the group regardless.

The walkie on my hip crackled to life. "You all have your assignments, you know where to rendezvous. Daryl leads them out. Sasha and Abraham join him at Red at the bottom of the hill. Glenn and Jo you hit us when you take care of the Walkers at the tractor place. That's the one thing we gotta get ahead of..." Rick's voice disappears for a minute and I didn't know if he was fighting or running a few seconds later he was back, sounding grave. "Everybody keep your heads. Just keep up."

"Jo, you there yet?" Rick's voice scratched through the walkie moments later. I snatched it up and spoke as I ran.

"Almost, we'll get it handled before they get here, and we'll meet you at yellow."

"Copy that," Rick's voice came through.

Heath and Nicholas weren't able to maintain a steady pace. It didn't say much for the mental discipline. I filed that away as the stress from the upcoming fight settled into the back of my brain.

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Daryl

The herd followed behind me. I drove slowly, barely five miles an hour. The noise of the horde behind me was loud enough it drown out the noise from my bike. I tightened my grip as I drove down the gauntlet. It was a line of cars of nearly a mile to get the Walkers to the road. At the end of the gauntlet would be the tractor supply place. Where Jo was. 

She had run off with Glenn and the two guys from Alexandria I didn't trust. We had planned to take care of the walkers at the tractor place that evening as a group. Now Jo was there with only Glenn as back up. I didn't like it. She took too many risks just because she could. 

I heard Jo and Rick talking back and forth on the walkie I had strapped to my shoulder. We were tight on time. She and Glenn needed to get that place taken care of and fast. 

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Jo

"Jo, Glenn, you have to hurry. That noise will distract the herd right off the road. Talk to me."

"We're here," I responded as we jogged towards the large plate glass windows where the walkers were banging loudly. There were two walkers in the parking lot tangled up in the farm equipment stored there. I left them for Glenn and Heath and trotted straight up to the building.

The noise was deafening as the walkers slammed against the dirty glass. I paced along the length of the window, my hand resting comfortably on my kukri.

"Sounds like a lot," Nicholas's voice was an octave higher than normal from stress and panic and I remembered the story Maggie told.

"We need quiet," Glenn said stepping up next to me his face serious. 

Glenn and I had never really worked one on one before. As a result I wasn't really sure which one of us was in charge. I didn't like not knowing.

I laid my hand against the glass and the walkers on the other side went ballistic. "We'll make it quiet," I promised Glenn turning my eyes to him.

He frowned at me and I wondered if I was being creepy or acting crazy. I didn't feel like it. I actually felt perfectly in control, but that didn't mean that was what other people saw.

"So what's the plan?" Heath asked from down the line.

"Take them out a few at a time," Glenn said, leading the way around to the front doors. Glenn was a good strategist and I was happy to go along with his plan of it made sense.

Glenn walked up to the doors and glanced at me. There was a large cement slab in front of the doors, with wide, deep steps leading down to the parking lot.

I nodded. "This will be good," I told him. "The steps will unbalance them, kill the first couple here," I said motioning to the slab. "It will slow the others down as they come out, make them stumble a bit."

"What?" Heath asked in shock behind us.

"Nicholas, you have the doors," Glenn started to say.

I looked over at Glenn and shook my head.

He frowned.

I rolled my shoulders and cracked my neck. I was going to do this. "Nicholas and Heath have the doors. I have point. Glenn has my back." I said simply.

Glenn nodded but he didn't look entirely convinced.

"You let one or two out," I instructed Nicholas who was standing at the doors. Heath was still behind us making sounds that reminded me of a nervous animal. We could make due without him if need be. "No more than three at a time, and in between you close it. You understand?"

Nicholas nodded.

"When I turn to face the last one you let another one or two out."

He nodded again, his eyes were wide with, but he was with me.

I turned to Glenn. I pointed down three steps. "You don't come any closer than that okay?" I worded it as a question, but it wasn't one.

He frowned and looked ready to argue, but we did not have time for this.

"Glenn I mean it," I snapped. I tightened my grip on the handle of my kukri. "I don't play well with others," I hissed impatiently. "Especially if I'm fighting and especially if things start to go south. You stay behind there. You draw them to you or your shoot them but DO NOT come up behind me."

"Wait," Heath gasped as though he just now caught up with the conversation. "What if we can't close the door?"

"We'll be able to," Nicholas assured me and Glenn nodding gamely.

I pulled my kukri and the knife in my spine sheath, twirling them both without taking my eyes off of Heath. "Then we take them on."

"Take them on?" He asked pulling back in shock. He pointed to the building. "There's at least ten in there."

I nodded. "I've done ten...I can do ten," I said in a quiet voice. The authority was leaching out of me in the face of what we were about to do. I wasn't in charge anymore. I was the captive again. I rolled my neck and shoulders, swinging the blades again. I wasn't there. I was here. I was standing outside the tractor supply place with my friends. 

"If we get into trouble," Glenn said, looking at me warily as though he wasn't sure he was certain of what he signed up for. "We draw them away into the woods. The same goes if we hear Daryl's motorcycle."

I nodded though I didn't have the heart to tell him I wouldn't be able to hear a thing once the fighting started. I never could.

Heath shook his head, he was scared and about to bail on us.

"Hey," Nicholas said stepping forward. "You've been on runs since you got here but Glenn knows what he's doing and Jo-" he turned to look at me and his eyebrows raised. "If she's half as good as everyone seems to think..."

"She's better," Glenn said grimly.

Heath nodded and pulled his knife, shaking his head in disgust. "This was supposed to be a dress rehearsal."

Glenn snorted. "I'm supposed to be delivering pizza's man."

"Science teacher," I called and forced a smirk onto my face.

"So that part was real?" Nicholas asked curiously as though it mattered anymore.

"Look, Daryl is leading them this way and they are closing in.  This noise is going to pull the herd right off the road and then we have serious trouble. We have to do this," I snapped impatiently. 

"Yeah," Heath said nodding and he stepped up to his side of the door.

"Okay?" Glenn asked. 

"Okay," Heath agreed though he looked anything but certain as he gripped the door hand on his door. 

"Alright," I said. "On three. One. Two. Three!"

Heath and Nicholas jumped back as they jerked the doors open.

"Shit!" I snapped. The glass doors were blocked by a steel security door. There was no getting to them this way. The banging got louder as the Walkers were drawn to the noise we made. 

I ran around to the side of the store, back where the large panes of plate glass were smooth and unbroken. I looked around for a way to brake the glass.

"This is a bad idea," Heath said coming around the side of the building.

"This is the only idea," Glenn snapped back, his patience with the fearful men gone.

"I think there's something like a dozen in there," Nicholas said squinting through the grime covering the window.

"Stay back," Glenn commanded Nicholas and then turned to Heath. "We get on opposite sides of Jo and we draw as many as we can to each of us," he said to Heath.

"Three or four each?" Nicholas asked drawing his knife.

"No," Glenn said shaking his head. "This is just me, Heath and Jo. You get back and you stay back."

I pulled the walkie off of my belt and shoved it into Nicholas' hand. "Things go south you tell Rick and it's your job to draw the rest away, got it?" I asked.

He looked from Glenn to me in shame.

"You heard what Jo told me about not coming near her when she's fighting?" Glenn asked Heath.

Heath's eyes were a little too wide but he nodded.

"It's for real. You can't do that," Glenn said seriously.

"Why?" Heath demanded impetuously. 

I turned to face him, letting his see the monster that lived behind me eyes. I let him see what facing those walkers and living in that cell had done to me. He flinched back away from me, his eyes wide. "Because sometimes I don't tell friend from foe too well."

He nodded a little too quickly and I turned away from him.

"You ready?" Glenn asked me.

I nodded. Behind me I heard Glenn pull his gun but I didn't turn to look. Instead I leaned forward towards the window and focused. 

The gunshot sounded, but it seemed to come from far away. The window shattered and the first walker fell out. It was a two foot drop to the sidewalk and the side walk was another four inches down. I moved in closer. The change in terrain would throw them off balance.

I stabbed the first a clean shot to the forehead. I spun kicking the next one back so it would slow the ones coming out of the window. The hunting knife slid through the walkers temple and I cleared the blade as I swung down, striking the next one through the top of the head. There were more coming and more gun shots. The walkers that fell from the bullets were acting as a buffer, slowing down the ones that were coming through the window.

"They're still coming!" someone yelled, but I didn't recognize the voice so it didn't matter.

I kicked the next one back spinning around and slicing clear through the next skull with my kukri. I used my momentum to strike out with the hunting knife. I rocked back, steadying myself on my back leg. I flipped off one of my throwing knives as one of the walkers moved away from me. I did a forward kick knocking another back as I drew another throwing knife. I threw that knife, catching another walker in the forehead. The one I kicked fell over the one behind it and I leapt forward, slamming my blade down into it's skull. I kicked upward at the Walker bending towards me. My kick took the Walkers head clean off. I struck up with both blades at the next Walker then jerked my arms apart, splitting the skull. I whirled prepared for more, but none came but it didn't matter, by that time I was gone. 

I stopped, dropping to rest on one knee as I waited for more. There were always more. I sucked in deep, measured breaths. They were done, they were gone, it was over.

"Jo?" someone called from me.

Stop, reset. I chanted to myself. But my muscles were still trembling with the desire to continue fighting, to continue to tear through them until there was nothing left. Whether I wanted nothing left of them or nothing left of myself I didn't know. 

"Jo," the voice was closer now, but it needed to stay away. It wasn't safe to be so close just yet. But there was nothing left. I knew that. I had killed them all.

Stop, reset.

"Jo." The voice was sharp, and right beside me. I turned my head towards it and didn't open my eyes until I was fully facing it's owner. It's owner was Glenn. I knew Glenn. He was my friend. 

Stop, Reset.

I was safe and they were safe from me.

"I'm okay," I promised.

Glenn reached out like he was going to touch me, but I scrambled back away from him.

"It's okay, it's okay," he promised, holding his hands up for me to see. "I'm not going to hurt you," he said in a soothing voice.

Stop, reset.

"Us hurt her?" I heard an incredulous voice behind Glenn.

Stop, reset.

Heath, the voice belonged to Heath.

"Yes," Glenn ground out the word and turned to glare at Heath. 

I climbed unsteadily to my feet and started nodding. "I'm okay," I promised Glenn.

Glenn nodded. "Okay, let's go," he said jerking his head in the direction we were going to have to meet the others.

Nicholas was standing behind Glenn, my bloody knives in his hands. He held them out to me, his eyes wide.

"Thanks," I said offering him an encouraging smile. The smile only seemed to make him more nervous. There I was making friends and influencing people right and left.

In the distance I heard the roar of Daryl's motorcycle. "Come on!" I called, and I set off at a run for the trees.

Initially I led the way dodging and darting through the forest easily but soon I realized the others couldn't keep up. I slowed and let Glenn take the lead. I followed behind at a more sedate pace. I killed a few walkers who came close but soon we were walking, waiting for the horde to come.

There was a whistle ahead. Glenn and I turned to see Rick, Michonne and Morgan coming out of the trees. We moved silently together.

"It's working," Carter admitted. "You were right," he said offering his hand to Rick.

Rick shook it gravely. Then Rick turned back to the rest of us. "Everyone," he said resolutely. "We need to finish this. We have to keep moving and fan out down this thing front to back. Like we said, cops at a parade. Glenn, you and Heath take the back. If it get's sloppy we fire our weapons and pull them back on track."

"I'll take the front," Carter offered.

Rick nodded and jerked his chin for me to follow. I rolled my eyes but trotted after Carter.

"Alright one after the other," he called to us.

Carter looked back at me following me and looked down at the ground. "I'm sorry," he finally said.

I looked up at him in surprise. "What?" I asked.

"About pointing a gun at you. I'm sorry." He said gravely, as though having a gun pulled on me was the worst thing that had ever happened to me.

I snorted and waved him off. "I don't know that it's me you need to be apologizing to," I said wryly, keeping my eyes on the herd. There were so many, it was staggering to even think about. 

He frowned in confusion and then dawning lighted his face. "I don't know that Daryl will forgive me," he said uncertainly. 

I snorted. "He won't," I promised him.

He nodded and jogged ahead. There was a line of a few walkers straying from the road and I slowed to keep a close eye on them. If they came into the forest I would take them out. I dropped a hand to rest on my kukri. 

Suddenly, Carter was screaming. I turned in time to see a walker take a bite out of his face. Rick was running behind me but I took off for him. Carter was flailing around wildly. I stepped in to kill the walker and grunted as pain exploded across my left bicep. Carter had stabbed me with his knife. I ripped him away from the walker, sending him staggering to the ground through the leaves. The pain in my arm was intense and I could feel warm blood trickling down my arm. 

Rick appeared and killed the Walker than bent down to deal with Carter who was still screaming. I felt the warm wave of blood as it started to flow down my arm. I slid my kukri away and clamped my right hand over the wound and my fingers were instantly slick with blood.

Morgan and Michonne appeared and stared down at Carter's dead body. Rick stepped over the body to me. He jerked open his pack and pulled out a roll of bandage. He pulled me roughly to him and made quick work of wrapping my arm.

He frowned down at my arm. "That'll need stitches," he said shaking his head. Then he glanced back at Morgan who's face was drawn and tense as he stared down at Carter's boyd. "We have a good hour until we get them to green and we hand them off to Daryl, Sasha and Abraham. Why don't you take Jo back, so she can get that cut looked at, and you can tell everyone what's happening."

"I'm okay Rick-" Morgan started to argue.

"Will you do that for me?" Rick asked raising his voice. 

Morgan's eyes turned to me and he nodded slowly. He took my other arm in his hand as though I were some kind of damsel in distress and started leading me home. I didn't bother fighting either man on it. The bandage was already soaked, I wasn't going to be much use out here. If it kept bleeding this badly I was going to get in trouble fast, but at this rate the smell would draw more walkers to me than keep them on the road. 

Things were pretty well under control. I had to believe the group was all right and I had done everything I could. Morgan seemed to be just as distracted as I was and we didn't talk as we moved through the woods back towards Alexandria. 

We were halfway home when a air horn sounded, echoing through the trees.

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