CHAPTER 12.

MYLES.

"I never thought I would look forward to going to prison." Echo joked. After educating the group on the whereabouts of the prison, the group left immediately. It left many of them wondering how much effort it would take to clear out of an isolated prison? How many lives would they spare just for safety?

"You've never been to prison..." Myles stated, ducking beneath a large branch. He stalked the tracks, making sure Carl and Breanne were in his sight. Myles was easily troubled by not having his daughter within his sight. Even after hearing about how Carl and Breanne toured a small part of the forest and ran into trouble and fended for selves. Until Echo, Daryl, and Maggie arrived in time.

He had a difficult time allowing his daughter to adapt to this world. Hannah dedicated most of her time to either rest or continue Breanne's schooling. With every intention, he perceived the next generation always came out stronger. And that's what he needed his daughter to do is to stay strong, not physically, but mentally.

In a way, even though Carl wasn't the best influence on Breanne, he knew they were becoming thick as thieves. And having someone watching his daughter's back relieved him. Small rays of sunshine peered through the thick branches that saluted the sky, above the train tracks.

Myles approached the fence, alongside Rick and Echo. The group kept a fair distance behind the three. Rick began to clip the fence with a pair of bolt cutters.

"Stay close, have each other's backs." He heard his sister suggest. Myles drew his machete and ducked beneath the hole in the fence, passing through onto the other side. His presence caused an exceeding amount of attention. 

Walkers began to pile in small groups up against the fence, within the Prison yard. Glenn pinned a walker to the fence with a garden tool, and Maggie smashed the back of the hammer into the walker's head. Daryl, and T-dog covered the group's back while each of them slipped through the fence.

"Damn that's a lot," Myles mumbled, studying the yard that was filled with walkers. To think that the prison could have been the safest place for the convicts and prisoners? It was isolated out in the middle of nowhere and perceiving how the virus managed to get within the prison remained a conundrum to him. His eyes followed the driveway that led to the second gate where the prison's front entrance was. There was a massive group of walkers roaming around.

If they were going to take the yard, they needed to secure the perimeter. Rick ascended the hole in the fence with a role of copper fibre wire. Daryl held the fence together making the task much more simple for Rick. Glenn took over tieing the wire at a higher level on the fence.

Myles spun around and flinched when a walker threw herself against the fence. Myles exhaled, he was inhibited to relax, and it made his movements run on pure adrenaline.

Each of them began to jog down the pathway, that led to the front gate of the prison. Small sweat beads cascaded down his forehead, and his hands began to become clammy within Hannah's grip. Thankfully she didn't give a damn, she just continued at her best to follow the group.

They stopped at the gate that was between the group and the yard. Rick's eyes trailed up to the gate and saw identical to what Myles saw in the beginning. Rick thought more about the space, before the gate of walkers that was up ahead.

"It's perfect," Rick commented.

"We need to shut that gate, Rick. Otherwise, we're going to risk more piling into the yard." Myles suggested, pointing out the fine detail of walkers roaming behind the cracked gate.

"Preventing them from filling a larger percentage of the yard, we can take out these walkers, and secure the yard before nightfall," Myles added.

"So, how do we shut this gate?" Hershel questioned. The walkers began to rattle the fence around the group, manufacturing the group to become more anxious. Their intimidation didn't move his sister. But it certainly made Breanne afraid of the unexpected. Myles noticed how her shoulders tensed up next to Carl. But she was doing an excellent job in masking it.

"You guys cover me." Glenn volunteered. 

Maggie shook her head, "No, that's a suicide run."

"It may be our only option." Echo commented.

"No, Glenn and Maggie will draw as many as they can over at that fence. Echo, Daryl, and Carol go to the other tower. Carol, you have a pretty good shot, take your time we don't want ammo to go to waste. Echo, you're our best shot, cover my six. Hershel, you, Carl, and Breanne take this tower. Hannah, Beth, and T-dog, you guys stay here. Myles, you're with me." Rick executed a plan into action.

Glenn handed Rick two clips attached to a chain, before following along with the plan.

Myles and Echo exchanged a glance, Myle's lips raised into a smile.

"Try not to shoot my ass."

His joke earned a chuckle from his sister before she disappeared from his sight. Maggie, Glenn, T-dog, Beth, Hannah, and Lori began to make as much noise as possible against the fence away from Rick and Myles. Carl, Breanne, and Hershel hurried into the tower closest to them.

Lori stared at Rick with an anxious look, she bit her lip and opened the gate for Myles and Rick. Hearing the gate close behind him made his heart skip a beat.

Myles and Rick crouched behind a vehicle that was tipped over onto its side. Rick and Myles rounded the bus and executed the closest walkers, preserving ammo in case havoc broke out.

Rick's breath hitched when an arrow passed by his ear by inches, hitting the closest walker to Rick. Myles felt his limbs bounce as he quickened his pace towards the gate. Gunshots rang out as Echo scoped a few out without missing. A bullet bounced at Myles and Rick's feet, Myles jumped back and exchanged a horrified glance at Carol, believing for a moment that was his sister.

Carol's lips formed into a straight line, "Sorry." she apologized.

After Rick began to fire off more rounds than he intended to use, the noise drew the walkers away from the fence. Hannah gasped in fear as the walkers followed Rick and Myles. Rick reached the gate before Myles, his boot collided against the walker's chest, pushing it back for Rick to close the gate.

Rick fastened the gate shut with the item Glenn provided him. Myles covered Rick's back and stabbed a walker in the head with his machete. The walkers began to pile in behind them making it difficult for Myles to carefully choose which to take out next. Almost at arm's length, they pushed Rick and Myles back. Rick shot one and quickly his mind went to the guard tower next to him.

"Fuck..." Myles cursed under his breath. His mind raced, searching for a solution.

"Myles, come on!" Rick hollered, motioning him towards the tower. Myles slipped away from the walkers and jogged towards the tower, closing the door behind him. Gunshots imprinted the steel door, making Myles collapse backwards. The group of walkers thrashed against the steel door. He watched as blood splashed against the small window on the door.

Myles sighed and fell back onto his back. He took a second to breathe in the process. 

"Light 'em up!" Daryl yelled.

Silently, Echo and Rick were having a small competition for how many Walkers they could take out. Rick smiled and shook his head, he knew she won that little game. 

"Come on, Rick. I am at ten already!" Echo challenged Rick.

But it wasn't just the game that made him smile, it was the feeling of victory. He seemed impressed that the group worked like cogs to a machine to clear out the yard.

Myles listened closely as the gunshots began to die down, as the last walker collapsed onto the soil of the prison's yard.

"We did it." Carol smiled.

Everyone stood or sat in silence, taking in the accomplishment that they fought for. The thought of having a safe place for the night pleased Myles. Myles jumped onto his feet as Rick climbed down the latter. Echo, Daryl, Carol, Hershel, and Breanne met up at the gate.

"Fantastic!" Carl commented with a small smile.

"Nice shooting." Daryl complimented Carl.

Lori smiled sweetly at Carl. Before passing through the gate, Echo said "You alright?"

She questioned Lori's wellbeing.

Lori chuckled, Echo's comment took Lori's mind away from her pregnancy.

She answered, "I haven't felt this good in weeks." Lori admitted.

"We haven't had this much space since we left the Chamber's farm," Carol commented.

Minutes have passed and the group celebrated in harmony that the plan had succeeded. Myles stared at his sister as she stood off to the side. She smiled sweetly, observing the group interacting with one another. His eyes narrowed towards his daughter and Carl, stealthily, stepped behind her and tapped her. But as soon as she turned around, the two took off running.

"Your it!" Carl yelled.

Myles laughed as he watched his sister play along with Carl and Breanne. Something she doesn't usually do. It reminded him of a motivation she had that 'life was always a mission.' But I guess that didn't remain true to her. Her eyes were filled with more light than he's seen in a long time.

It scared him each time when he looked her in the eyes. Her eyes were usually cold and what scared many was her eyes were deprived of emotion. Darker than anything he's seen. But seeing her freely leave her to guard down surprised him. It was a moment that he would look back at.

The sun began to cast into the horizon, a painter's canvas, with contrasts of gold mixed with a vicious purple. Myles aided Glenn by taking shifts of watching the fire. The group continued to pick at the bones of the Owl Daryl provided for the group.

Hannah and Lori chatted quietly, while Breanne was cuddled up to her mom. Lori's eyes kept shifting from her thought process and over to Rick. Rick paced back and forth around the fence, guarding the group.

Occasionally, scoping out possible dangers to the group. Myles's eyes continued to stare into the flames. Wood continued to snap, contributing to the hungry flames. From the wood released small embers of honeyed lights, that erased into the air above. A cold translucent breath escaped his lips, his eyes shifted from the fire and searched for his sister. His eyes cascaded among an empty spot next to him. His stomach dropped, and he kept his facial expression unreadable.

His mind raced to her possible whereabouts. He stood up and allowed his eyes to roam the courtyard of the prison. His eyes traced an outlined silhouette sitting within the overgrown grass.

"Hey, everything alright?" Maggie questioned.

His eyes didn't leave the silhouette in the field.

Myles shook his head and answered, "She's not the same as I remember."

"Give it time, I'm sure things will turn up," Maggie suggested.

Myles slowly took a seat next to his wife.

"I don't expect it," he answered simply. Acknowledging that she's more reserved than talkative.

"How come?" Maggie navigated her answers around Myles, along with being careful with her words.

Hannah's fingers intertwined with Myles and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"She feels as whatever her fingers graze, destruction tumbles from the tips of her fingers. A form of havoc that she calls it. She was sent with a special team of soldiers to fight the dead within Atlanta, evacuate, and push back whatever they could. Echo is vigilante, persistent, and decently quiet. She is used to being comfortable in a Crowsnest, but to make a long story short, her team retreated. She feels as if their blood is on her hands." Myles finished. A deep silence washed over them.

"She's a sniper?" the blonde questioned.

"Yes," Myles mumbled under his breath.

"I think you should go talk to her. Whatever it is, let her know that you're in her corner." the blonde replied, sweetly.

"Beth's right." Maggie agreed.

Myles shook his head, "It might just set her off if I say something wrong."

"I could get Daryl or Rick to get her back to the fire-"

"Best not to push Echo. I know you're only trying to help, but we don't need her to find a reason to isolate herself." Maggie interrupted her sister. Beth was taken back, her brows furrowed.

"I know, but I want her to feel more comfortable around us and not obligated," Beth argued.

Maggie licked her lips and inhaled deeply, "Just be careful." Maggie warned Beth. Beth gave a relentless nod and took a second for her eyes to search the courtyard for her whereabouts.

Myles couldn't help but feel guilty for not being the one to step up. He allowed someone he wasn't too familiar with to talk to his sister. When in his case, he felt as if he was neglecting that instinct to talk to her and discover why she kept a barrier between her and the group. He was eager to grasp the answer, but for now, his faith relied on Beth that was determined to bring Echo back to the fire.