𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐒𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐒.
chapter forty-eight; Blood-Stained Leader
" Figure it'd be useless to ask you to tag along. "

  THE GROUP KNEW they were being watched. They knew the survivors of Terminus would wait and stalk and attack when it was most convenient.

  So they devised a plan. One that reminded Vex of their days in the Prison they once called home, of fighting off the people that drove them out.

  "Stay with Carl, do not open this door until one of us tells you to. We'll all be right outside. And we won't let anyone hurt you, okay?"

  Zeppelin nodded silently, Judith swaddled in her arms peacefully sleeping despite the night ahead. Carl stood beside her, one hand resting on his own gun.

  "It's all going to be over soon," Vex continued softly, "We're gonna be alright."

  Zeppelin wanted to remind her mom that they weren't all alright already. Bob was going to die. Daryl and Carol were gone. Beth was still missing. Abraham had flown off the handle, and so had Vex. She wanted to tell her mom that nothing was alright, that ever since she had been attacked by a man and killed him herself, Zeppelin wasn't sure if it could ever be alright again.

  But she didn't. Zeppelin nodded without a word, closing her eyes as her mother kissed her forehead before locking the children in the back room of the church. 

  The girl walked to the furthest corner, taking a seat on the ground with Judith still in her arms.

  And she waited.

  Vex checked her pistol for the fourth time as she marched down the length of the church, slinking into one of the dark corners beside Dean and Rick. She nodded to the latter, informing him everyone was set and ready.

  It wasn't long after they staged their exit that the familiar people of Terminus entered. The assumed leader, Garrett began speaking. 

  He was taunting and threatening, focusing his words at each member of the group that he believed remained until they tried opening both locked doors to the rooms at the end of the church.

  And then Judith cried.

  Mere moments following this, Garret gave the word for his people to aim at the hinges of the door. This was the point that Rick let loose two bullets, one for each of the men at the door, dropping them instantly.

  "Put your guns on the floor," Rick said smoothly, approaching the group with his gun still raised.

  "Rick, we'll fire right into that office. So you lower your gun--"

  Garrett's words were cut short as Rick fired another bullet, one that took off two of Garrett's raised fingers.

  "Put your guns on the floor and kneel."

  "Do what he says."

  One by one, the members followed instructions as the rest of the group emerged from the dark, their own weapons raised.

  "Martin, there's no choice here," Garrett said to the last man still standing.

  "Yeah, there is."

  Abraham approached rapidly, aiming right at the man's head, "Wanna bet?"

  And Martin, too, put his gun on the ground and knelt in front of him.

  Vex shoved her pistol in the back of her waistband as Rick approached Garrett, she looked to Dean who extended a hunting knife to her. The woman accepted it, watching Dean lift his own improvised weapon as they closed in.

  "No point in begging, right?" Garrett asked.

  "No."

  "Still, you coulda killed us when we came in, there had to be a reason for that."

  "We didn't wanna waste the bullets," Rick shrugged.

  Silence engulfed the room for a moment before Garrett spoke again.

  "We used to help people. We saved people. Things changed. They came in and-- After that. . . I know that you've been out there but I can see it. You don't know what it is to be hungry. You don't have to do this, we can walk away. And we will never cross paths again. I promise you."

  "But you'll cross someone's path. You'd do this to anyone, right?" Rick said, "Besides, I already made you a promise."

  Rick unsheathed his machete and attacked, sending the rest of the group into movement.

  Half of them were in a frenzy. Half watched in horror. Vex moved swiftly, gripping the hair of the man in front of her and burying her blade in his skull before allowing his body to hit the floor.

  She looked up at some of the group still going, her eyes skimming over the brutality, but focusing in on a weapon that had been laid down by one of the pews.

  Dean watched Vex walk through the carnage carelessly, stopping at the front of the aisle. She bent down, hand skimming over something dark and cold, before picking it up. 

  Her rifle was the same, mostly. Speckled in blood, the handle had a new scuff adorning it, but all else remained stagnant. 

  Vex seemed to weigh it for a moment, staring at the gun in her hands as if it were anything more than a piece of metal. It had always been her sin. The comfort and horror of knowing she was only ever the best at one thing. At shooting. Maiming. Breaking. Harming. Killing. 

  She wondered if it was a curse. If this thing would hunt her down and find her wherever she went, wherever she ran. If it would always return like a scorned lover, forcing a place in her life no matter the cost.

  "It coulda been us."

  Rick's words made Vex look up at him. 

  A man soaked in blood, their leader. Her leader. She didn't know why she trusted him so un-falteringly. How Rick had made Vex swear allegiance to him as if she was still a SEAL and he was her team leader; she wasn't sure how or when that loyalty had formed.

  But she knew that it had.

  Vex shouldered the rifle, searching for Dean in the room. His eyes already locked onto her, she approached, patting the back of his shoulder assuringly.

  "Found this on one of 'em. See you found yours, too."

  Dean held out a familiar compound bow, though his eyes lingered on the rifle at his sister's side.

  "Give it to her," Vex nodded, her voice hoarse, "She'll be happy to see it."

  "Hey, V?"

  "Yeah?"

  Dean pursed his lips, letting out a deep breath.

  "They'll come back. Whatever they left for. . . you know it's important."

  "Yeah. I know."

  The rest of the night moved quickly. Taking bodies out of the church, preparing those who were heading out for their journey to DC the following day.

  Vex was on duty. Sitting on the porch of the church, watching the dark forest unmoving.

  Her rifle rested between her legs, knees knocking on the metal every time she moved. 

  It had been a long time since she'd done this alone. A long time, if not forever. It had always been her and Daryl. Always. A sniper and a hunter, a rifle and a crossbow. 

  She didn't realize how isolating loneliness could be. Even though she wasn't alone, even though the rest of her family was right inside, even though anyone in there would agree to come out and sit with her.

  Vex wasn't alone. But something about Daryl's absence made her uneasy. Made her irrational and angry and most of all lonely.

  "I'm such a pussy," Vex whispered to herself, hanging her head for a long moment.

  "I didn't say it."

  Her head spun, cursing herself for not hearing the door open as Abraham took a seat beside her on the stairs.

  "Noon tomorrow we're heading for DC," Abraham said after a long moment, "Tara, Glenn, and Maggie are comin' with us."

  Vex nodded, looking back to the forest.

  "Figure it'd be useless to ask you to tag along."

  "Nice to know you have at least a few brain cells left," Vex mumbled, cracking a smile when Abraham blew out a laugh, "Listen. . . You can be a real asshole. But I shouldn't have come at you as hard as I did."

  "No harm."

  "If anyone gets it, I suppose it'd be you," She continued quietly, "I just get so. . ."

  "Angry."

  "Yeah," She whispered, "Like I'm still out there. Fighting. I mean you have to, with how the world is now, but. . . not like that. Not each other."

  Abraham said nothing.

  "I hope you make it to DC. And I hope this whole thing works out," She said, finally looking to the man, "And if you do get there, and you find a guy named Jack Mitchell. . . little taller than you, dark hair, thickest Texas accent you've ever heard. . . tell 'im you're with me. And keep him with you 'til we catch up."

  "Who is he?"

  "My old spotter."

  "You think he's in DC?"

  "I think he's dead," She admitted, "But if he is alive, he said he was gonna try for it."

  "If he's there I'll find him."

  "Thanks."

  Abraham nodded again and stayed there with her.

  Until the sun rose and the day began. And then Vex helped pack up the bus, she and Zeppelin, and Dean said their goodbyes to Bob before seeing off the group for DC. Vex gave hugs to Glenn and Maggie and offered the rest of the group a short nod.

  Zeppelin's lasted longer. She sat with Bob until he told her it was okay for her to go. She clung to Maggie the way only children did. She hugged Glenn and Tara and Rosita and Abraham with the same warmth.

  And at the end of it all she retreated to her mother's comfort, waving as the bus drove off with their people inside of it.

  "Is your leg, better, Mom?"

  "Closed up," Vex assured, "Aches every now and then. But that's normal."

  Zeppelin nodded squeezing her mother's hand. Her attention was taken as Dean approached them, a shovel in hand.

  "Hey," He nodded, "V, you should rest up."

  "I'm alright."

  "Yeah? You were out here all night," Dean challenged, raising an eyebrow, "Rick said you're taking watch again tonight."

  Vex pursed her lips.

  "Alright, I'll sleep for a little," She mumbled, "Make sure Zep stays outta trouble, yeah?"

  Dean smiled small, reaching out to ruffle Zeppelin's hair.

  "Ma'am, yes, ma'am," He grinned, nodding to the door, "Go. We're good."

  Vex obliged reluctantly, entering the somber church slowly. 

  Another of their group was dead. Three were still missing, and tomorrow six more would leave.

  The woman accepted a bundle of thin blankets from Tyreese before curling up in one of the pews, stretching her legs on the cold wooden seat.

  She fought sleep. Not because she wasn't tired, but because Vex Williams figured sleeping was about the dumbest thing she could do right now. In case someone came back, good or bad, in case something else broke, in case someone needed her.

  Vex lifted her head, watching the group, her group, mill about. Cleaning and eating and preparing; moving around like one cohesive being.

  She met Rick's eye after a moment, the man raising an eyebrow at her expression. Vex huffed, laying her head back down and attempting to fluff up the jacket she was using as a pillow.

  "They'll be back."

  Vex moved her legs as Rick spoke, the man accepting the invitation to sit on the pew beside her feet.

  "If they aren't, though," Vex said slowly, "When do we go looking?"

  Rick blew out a breath, looking at the woman whose gaze was glued to the ceiling.

  "We're not leaving without them, Vex. I promise."

  Vex pushed herself up onto her elbows, meeting a surprisingly calm expression from Rick Grimes.

  "I'm worried."

  "I know, but Daryl'll be alright."

  She narrowed her eyes at the corner of his lip tugging up, reaching her hand back, and hitting Rick with the jacket.

  "Hey!"

  "I'm trying to sleep and you're disturbing me," Vex grumbled, laying back down and covering her eyes with the fabric.

  "Alright," Rick breathed out, still smiling as he stood, "I'll wake you up when it's time for you to take guard."

  Vex flashed a thumbs up, before resting her arms over her face as well. She stayed there until she heard the man shuffle away and start speaking with the group again.

  And at some point, her sulking turned to a dreamless sleep that would only be broken once the sun had set.

WORD COUNT : 2086