Immune 16-
Cloak of the Dead
I left Julian standing on the street
and walked to Andrea. She didn’t see me and I didn’t want her to yet, not until
I can let her in on my rouse. She was speaking to a black woman that looks like
she wasn’t having a very good day.
“Andrea.” I placed my hand on her
shoulder and she turned. She opened her mouth to say my name and I quieted her
with a hug and spoke low in her ear.
“Tina, call me Tina. No one can know
who I really am.”
“Why?” She whispered back.
“I don’t know if I can trust them
yet but they are actively looking for me.” The embrace couldn’t last too long
and I looked her in the eyes, they began to water. Andrea with all her attempts
to be strong and independent had tears in her eyes and relief in her voice.
“We’ll talk back in my room, okay?”
“Sure, oh this is Michonne. Michonne
this is…Tina.”
“Nice to meet you.” I got the
feeling Michonne knew about me if she spent time with Andrea; she would. I’ll
need to explain the situation to her as well. Back at the room, I had Julian on watch by the
door. There were still guards patrolling the area but they’ve pretty much left
us alone; a show of faith, no doubt. I told Andrea what has happened up until
now.
“So everyone is okay at the prison, but
Shane, Lori, and T-Dog? God...” Andrea spoke in a hoarse whisper. I didn’t go
into details of Shane’s death and simply let her think he didn’t make it off
the farm. Andrea told me of how she got separated and Michonne saved her. Also
about being at the crash site and seeing the pilot Welles just before the
Woodbury crew grabbed them. I got the feeling, even though she didn’t say, that
Michonne didn’t trust them. She most likely didn’t trust anyone. Andrea had
told her of me and the group in great detail but she didn’t know much about
Michonne.
“So that’s it. I can’t let anyone
know who I am until I gauge the threat.” I said.
“But they could have the best
intentions.” Andrea spoke hopefully.
“The road to hell is paved in good
intentions.” Michonne quoted and she was right. The Governor could have the
same intentions as the good doctor but until I know for sure, I’m not giving
away information.
“So you haven’t been able to find
Lizzy at all?” Andrea asked.
“No, I wish…I just wish I knew what
happened to her. Whether she’s dead or alive, I just don’t know.” A vision on
Sophia came into my mind. Carol has always said it was the not knowing that was
killing her. I completely understand now and had more sympathy for her. Lizzy
was not my daughter, in this new world, we are all motherless, but I promised I
would protect her and I failed.
“So what’s the plan?” Andrea asked
me.
“I was hoping you had one.” I spoke
as I sat on the twin bed.
“Well, this place doesn’t look so
bad. They have a fortified wall and enough people to protect it. People here
live in houses and not in tents, there’s running water and lights. Maybe we can
ask to bring Rick and the others here?” Andrea seemed optimistic but I had my
doubts.
“We can’t be too sure of what we see
on the surface. Things may seem fine here but they act as if the world didn’t
go to shit outside these walls.” Michonne spoke up. I didn’t know who this
woman was but she has a survivalist mentality; something we sorely need.
“You can’t go on with this mistrust
of everyone we come across, Michonne.”
“That mistrust has kept us alive.
The walkers are dangerous; people are even more dangerous. Especially if you
have something they want.” I think Michonne was talking more to me than Andrea
with that last statement. But she was right.
“But…I want this life. I want to
live without running, without wondering where my next meal is coming from. Life
on that road is hell and I don’t want to go back to it.” Andrea was up and
heading out the door.
“Andrea…” I tried to stop her to
remind her of the secret.
“I know, I know. I won’t tell
anyone.” And with that she was gone. Michonne and I looked at each other and
she moved to follow. Once the women left, Julius came back into the room with
some information.
“I was outside talking to some of
the residents of Woodbury. They seem pretty content here. Things don’t look as
bad.” He said with the faint hint of hope in his eyes.
“Yeah, that’s what Andrea said. But
they’re complacent and that’s not a good thing. Even now, I feel naked without
a weapon. More importantly, they won’t let us leave. That’s never a good
thing.” I told him.
“Well, they think we can help them.
They think we can find…Summers…and find a cure.”
“Yeah, we have what they want.” I
mirrored Michonne’s warning. I hated to think that there were no more good
people left in this world but this Governor and Woodbury somehow just felt
wrong. Of course I wanted a normal life again, just like Andrea; but we may
want something so bad that we blind ourselves to what’s really going on.
The facts were this: I was kidnapped
by the good doctor Julian in the hopes of finding a cure. The doctor’s cohorts
were fully prepared to take me to some head honcho in Arlington until they were
killed by the friendly men of Woodbury. Now I’m being held in a small town
where children play and lemonade is being served charged with locating….myself.
There’s so much going on in my head I can barely keep it straight.
Somewhere in Woodbury in a dark
warehouse, two men strategized their plan. The Governor was not who he seemed
to be but he had ideas for this town and for Summers. One woman in this world
is immune to this infection. From the transmissions they were able to pick up from
one Doctor Jenner, they knew that she was female and her name but nothing else.
Lately, The Governor had put a campaign in place to round up as many women as
they could find. He had scouts out as far as Birmingham, Montgomery, and
Augusta.
He needed to find this woman alive
and unharmed. His daughter’s life depended on it. The Governor walked to his
room and sat on his empty bed, a small gold framed picture in his hand. He was
a man that had lost so much but his story was no different from anyone else’s. On his way out he noticed the petite pretty
blonde that was brought in that same day and he decided to go play nice.
“Is your room comfortable?” The
Governor spoke with smooth tones.
“Yes, thank you. It’s been a while
since I had electricity and running water.” Andrea smiled up at him. She had
always considered herself tall for a woman but even she had to look up at him.
“I know. We’ve had electricity and
running water for weeks now but it wasn’t always like this. We started off with
just a few of us and we lost some pretty good people along the way. But I’ve
been trying to give back some semblance of life before all this with the
biters.” The Governor spoke as he walked through the clean streets. Andrea
noticed there were no burnt out cars or bodies decomposing on the asphalt.
“Biters?” She said with a smile.
“Yeah, that’s what we call them.
What do you call them?” He smiled back. She noticed his whole demeanor changed
when he smiled.
“We call them walkers.”
“Walkers.” He said testing it out.
“I like that. Have you lost anyone Andrea?” The question was moot as everyone
has lost someone.
“My sister, Amy. When I lost her I…I
wanted to die. I didn’t think there was anything left for me.” Andrea answered
honestly.
“I lost my wife. I felt the same way.
The only thing I have to live for now is this town, these people. I want to
protect them.” He gestured towards a small group of women chatting in the shade
of a tree. Their clothes were not ripped and dirty and they were well fed. Two
children, a boy and girl, played tag nearby and life looked as it did before
the world ended. “And I believe I know how to protect them. I need to find this
woman, Vanessa Summers, she’s supposed to be immune to this infection.”
“How do you know she’s immune?”
Andrea asked cautiously.
“We received transmissions from a
Doctor Jenner. We recorded them and in it he talked about a woman he was
working on that didn’t get the fever after being bitten several times.
Unfortunately, he didn’t describe her only that she was a woman and her name.
There are so many people who would benefit from finding her, don’t you think?”
The Governor watched Andrea’s reaction. This woman was good at hiding her
thoughts and emotions but not all of them.
“I hope you find her.” Andrea said
after a long pause. “I should go get washed up before we eat, I’m starving.”
She smiled and left but the Governor knew she knew something. Make her trust
him and make her talk.
To be
continued…..
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